Evening star., 1922-12-17

Their styles are so similar as TO make
ii seem that one had copied the other
Both these men keep the left arm
as stiff as a ramrod until il reached
the point in the swing where IL j.
physically impossible to remain stiff,
and then it bends only enough to per
NIT the wrists TO droop over tn"
shoulder comfortably. When th.
driver or any other club played BY
these men meets the ball the left arm
is stiff.
Swaying of the body is the chief
fault with beginners at the game. II
Seems perfectly natural to them t.
believe that more power can be OBJ
I'd lined if the body is allowed to sway
and come into the ball with momen
tum. Perhaps this is true, but II"
man has ever proved ii consistentlk
enough to make body swaying Il
porular way of hitting. Ted Ray is
popularity believed to be the one nota-
Bile example of "A fine player whu
sways, but Rays sway is not so much
a sway as a distinct jump at the ball.
On the back stroke his shoulders do
not move out of their ordained orbit.
The stiff left arm brings automat-
ically another point which is observed
in the game Of the leading players
the low position of the hands-and
also results in throwing the burden
of the initial movement of the cluh
on the wrists: that is. the club mus
be started back with the wrists. This
is another cardinal point in the styl.
of the leading players.
Let the left wrist turn over as the
club comes up. and the swing will 10"
found to be perfectly natural But
try to start the club back with a fuii
arm movement and the stroke has re
solved itself into d chop stroke, with
the probability that the club will
spend its effort in the turf if il hits
the bail at al. In most cases When
the bail is struck after the club has
been started back with the arms th'
ball is hceled and gets far from th-
Result the player had hoped.
Differ as to Stances.
Stances of beginners vary widely
from the familiar base ball styl'
with the feet wide apart and tight
grip on the club. as II the embrT"
golfer were about to chop tree, 4"
the stance with the feet close to
sether. which sometimes results in
slipping and skidding around as the
ball is struck. The open stance-tha'
is, with the right foot slightly ad-
vanced--is laid down as the ideal one
for the beginner. but it has been OBJ
served that in the championships this
year the leading golfers rather IA
vored the close stance. with the feei
practically on an even line or with
the left foot slightly advanced. \
few leading examples of this stance
are Amateur Champion Jess Sweet
Ser. former Cha ampions Francis Oui-
met and Jesse Guilford, Bobby Jones
and the twice champion Chick Evans
who had an open stance few years
back. but has returned to the closed
stance as obtaining the best results
Physical peculiarities of the player
often determine the type of ssinc
and stance. Seldom is 4 heavy-seI
man. with thick chest and shoulders.
found favoring the open stance. H.
can't get his club around his shoul
ders if he plays with his right foot
advanced: while the tall. rangy typ
of golfer with long arms should not
attempt a full. free swing unless he
has II under complete control. The
leverage of the long arms and body
will obtain the same results with d
short swing as the smart, long swing
of the shorter. heavier set man.
These are a few of the outstanding
fundamental factors which Aovern
the mechanical side of the game. To
appreciate their Importance il is
enough to see a few first-class players
in action. These principles are prac-
:ically never violated. and If carried
out cannot put the player far wrong.