The Washington herald., 1922-07-30

There is at least one phase of
golf where the average professional
and the average first class anna
teur come moodily down from their
lofty pedestals to mingle with
countless legions who are rarely
able to crack a ninety or a ninety
five.
The great leveler in golf is the
putting green, for it Is here that
the big gap which separates the
high from the low is frequently
closed. We saw any number of
first class professionals and anna
teurs at Skokie who did not putt
nearly so well throughout the
tournament as any member of golf
ers we know could have putted who
rarely break eighty-fve. And we
are not referring here to the ball
staying out of the cup. but to the
slack manner in which the ball
was struck upon the green.
One of the Mysteries.
Golf is supposed to have its COM
plete share OF mysteries, but one of
the main problems of them all con-
Germs the inability of 50 many fine
players to manipulate the putting
blade.
1t is nothing unusual to see
noted stars looking as helpless and
as hopless within range OF the cup
as buffers playing above 100. 1t
was nothing unusual in the last
championship to see these stars
three and four feet off the line on
a twelve or fifteen foot putt-or
to see them miss two and three
foot puts on green after green by
hitting the ball badly and without
a touch of sureness.
There are days when the best
can't persuade a three and four
footer to seek the cups restful
bottom.
But we are speaking here of
steady performances in consistent
slackness. where good putting re-
suited more from good luck than
from anything else.
Every Variety.
Even in an open championship
you can see every variety Of putt
ing fault.
Golfers that played easily and
naturally up to the green. assumed
cramped, awkward positions around
the pin. looking anything but
natural and happy.
There were any number who
continually jabbed and stabbed at
the ball with no sign of rhythm in
the stroke.
And those who stepped up bodily
and hit the ball something after
the manner of Travers or Travis
were far in the minority.
The leading exception was Walter
Hagen, who. day in and day out,
is the best putter in professional
ranks
Hagen keeps his feet from twelve
to fourteen inches apart. His
weight is upon his left foot with
the right bracing the BODY. i;ht
the main feature of his style is the
straight. even way he brings raCk
the putting blade without any
sign of speed and then goes
through for the cup, with out any
attempt to jab. stab or hurry the
stroke.
When you see Hagen hit putt
from eight to fifteen feet away
you expect 10 see him hole 1t or
else be out by an eyelash.
Yet we saw others who seemed
to be lucky even when they holed
the two and three foot taps.
For they looked to be guessing
a hiatter OF punch at the palf ana
leaving the rest of 1t to fate.
Outside of Hagen, the most con-
sistent putting we saw at Skokie
was accomplished by Bobby Jones
over the last sixty-three holes. He
was hitting his puts as a putt
ought to be hit, firmly but evenly
on the line
There seems to be general
opinion among leading. profess
sionals and good, amateurs, and
among many others. that putting
Is merely matter OF the days
touch-that you either have this
touch on certain day, or you
dont have 1t. SO you see very
rev OF the leaders wasting any
lime around the green. This
opinion is full of knots. Putting
Calls for as much practice and
as much thought as any stroke In
the game. 1t Is only by, practice
and study that one can get the
proficiency that bring confiden.e,
and without confidence on the
greens 'the golfer might as we'll
take a running jump into the first
ponc. Putting lends itself to
practice easier than. any other
stroke. for no caddy Is required
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