Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-06
Youngsters, BY Imitation,
Learn Golf Shots Best
Caddes Haze Best Chance to Pick Up Good Game,
But Their Elders Can Benefit almost
Easily by "Callerying''
BY JESSE p. GUILFORD
Amateur Golf Cha nnpion of the United States

T BELIEVE that the caddies who have
i come to tho fore as prominent golfers
con lay their success in golf TO two
things: first, the fact that they learned
the game in their youth, ana, second,
to their powers Of imitation. Often
have gone out back of the caddy house
on the different courses and seen
number Of boys swinging clubs in imi-
tation OF their favorite. Say, this is
Chick Evans driving" one will say,
while another will be bowling for at
tention to witness Vardon.
Back of The caddie house one can
usually find a miniature Nardon, Ray.
Mitchell, Duncan, Evang. Ouimet or
any Of the better class golfers. And
the surprising thing is that the imi-
tations are good. for these little apes
spend much Of their time when not
caddying in swinging clubs.
Learned BY Himself .
4 In INV own case ! was seriously han
dicapped in this respect. Living on the
brink of the Intervalc Country Club,
! OF Manchester. y. H., ] was en-
couraged TO play golf. my mother be-
lieying me 70 be in delicate health, and
thinking that the outdoor exercise would
be- of benefit, but I was never permitted
tn caddy to any great extent. Then,
again. there was not the opportunity TO
see the best players in Manchester as
is afforded Caddies in larger cities. 80
that I played golf without either nav
ing received instruction or having been
able to initiate the good players. My
first real opportunity TO see stars was
after | had won the New hampshire
state title. and then ! visited Bos-
ton during the summer months III order
70 play on the difficult Brae Burn course
and to take lessons from Alex Ross
at that time professional at Brae Burn
TAM ,cilling to admit that ! had
/ much TO learn, and believe
that had ] had the opportunity OF
sceing the master golfers perform
trhen 7 fret took up golf ! could
have picked up u good many points
. 1vhlch tcould hare aided my game.
DERHAPs Alex would have beer
I better pleased, too, for he had
very difficult time in breaking me o.
many bad strokes OF my own invention
II was over the Ekwanok course il
1919 at the national amateur cham
plonship that l had my really frs
glimpse of galaxy of stars AT tha
time had two very bad features to M
game. The first was that used th'
double V grip, and second, had
p swing which reached almost to tn
ground. / say that the double griI
was a bad feature because l used II Z
get extreme. distance, and my direction
. was indeed the sufferer. 1t was Mt tina
= time that noticed the majority q
players using the overlapping grip an
. / also noticed that the swing was heI
: in check, and so / resolved to alter theS
|, two features Of my game
o BY Imitation
. The youth. upon taking up gol
2 usually takes as his example one of Il,
= better golfers whom he has seen in play
y and he then tries to pattern his oW
?, Jane along the same lines. Even tho'
hovs who take lessons from good pre-
- fessionals can learn much from obSery
ing the play of good golfers; PerhaI
one or two hours in watching one
= fayorite play is worth more than sever
n hours of lessons, and the boy who
d privileged to play around the cour
with his idol of the game IS inde'
Massachusetts has today many fl
Young golfers. all OF whom have be'
caddies, and they all feel sure that th'