The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-01-28

Inc natural putter does IL Dy IN
stinct and his touch is everything.
He has one disadvantage. however,
and that is he is likely to go, off his
type has an unusually hard time to get
right again because having never
had to get right down to the rock
bottom proposition Of learning q safe
and sound putting style. he fails to
understand his shortcomings. ~
The putter who has made himself
In likely to keep up b better putting
average through his golfing years.
L had In mind Walter j. Travis when
I suggested the gelf-made variety.
According to the story. he was once
green that II WIS a case OF learn to
putt the ball into the cup or give up
golf. He learned to putt by a great
deal Of practice and patience and
finally acquired q putting style that
has made golfers the world over
envious Of his work on the green.
= His putting ability has boon the
means OF winning the national
amateur championship Of America
three times and the British ANA
tour once. So thoroughly con-
WINGED were the British Of this,
they barred his type Of putter after
his victory. rs they have now Ia
solely his putting that won this
latter event. He has also won
other championships and Invitation
tournaments too numerous to mem
ton.
Travis made a study Of putting
green's and nothing was too trivial
for him to consider. Fast green's and
slow greens were both alike to
Travis. He studied the cutting Of
the green and observed which way
the blades Of grass were inclined.
When the lawn mower cuts the
green the roller presses down the
blades all one way.
On the return trip II presses down
the blades the other way. Few golfers
ever stop to consider this, nor do they
consider that in putting cross ways
that IL the blades all run to the left q
straight putt would be inclined to
curve a little to this side. The least
little deviation Is enough to make one
miss the cup. II one Is putting against
the grass blades the ball must be hit
just a trifle harder.
Travis learned q style that would
stand him In hand rs well one
day rs the next. He discovered In
his search for dependable system,
that the club had lot to do with e.
He soon found that a straight bladed
old fashion putter was not rs de-
pendable rs center shafted club Of
the Schenectady type. The force OF
the ball along. He discovered also
that IL was just rs necessary to keep
the eye on the ball and let the club.
head 20 through as Il was I'm the
case OF the driver or the cleeIS.
His method soon became a universal
method for golfers who found their
putting eye had gone wrong. Bring
ing the club head back in a straight
line and sending the club on through
after the ball and hitting Il with
enough force to make the ball run lust
a little beyond the hole In case II
missed the cup was a means of always
being up. which is good habit to get
into. ..,
Many have followed I'm Travis
footsteps and have become good nut
tiers because they have learned to do
Il mocha nically and scientifically. The
Travis method was not all original, as
he admitted having taken tips from
others In shaping his style.
Jerome Travers, another great anna
teur and one who accounted for four
amateur championships and as many
Metropolitan titles, was regarded by
many as just as capable a putter as
Travis. The similarity In the names
Of these two has caused them to be
rHxed up frequently in gole n" tGry by
hose who do not follow u, game
closely.
Travers was q natural putter and
mover had to learn his art. He was