The New York herald., 1922-01-17
GOLF BALL Is TOO
FAST FOR CLUBHEAD
Alex Morrison, Los Angeles
Pro- Now on Stage, Ex-
plodes Popular Fallacy.
BY KERR N. PErRIE.

Golfers who can hark back to the days
when the game was in it's swadd!ins
clothes in this country often find them
selves remarking on the wonderful
change which has come over their sport
and tracing that tidal wave OF progress
and popularity which in few short
years has swept the sport forward from
anaemic infancy to red blooded and Wig
orous manhood.
Evan ten or dozen years ago q man
sauntering forth upon the street with a
bag of golf clubs under his arm knew
that he was as certain to attract atten-
tion as the circus Indian who wandered,
clad in all his war paint. along the
Great White Way. Only one here and
there knew what was meant by q
"mashie" or "stymie." To the great
majority tho lingo of the links was more
unintelligible than double Dutch. To-
day the game stands under the spot
light literally as we'll as figuratively.
and apparently is so we'll known and
appreciated by the masses that q pro-
fessional and his team mate" can go
before the footlights with a golfing
"act,'' as Alex Morrison and Ed Flana-
gan did yesterday at the Palace, and
not only ''get away with 1t" but make
such success of this performance that
they are required to answer q curtain
call and to leave the asbestos shaking
with the applause long after the crack
OF ball and lit OF music have died away.
Alex Morrison was professional at tho
Los Angeles Country Club until he be.
gan to feel that his time could be more
profitably employed on the stage Then
when the idea had been perfected he
left the happy circle ploughing the fair
way of California. bade farewell to Mac
donald Smith. Arthur Rigby. Arthur
Clarkson, Eddie Loos. Bob Black, the
Martins. the Simpsons, "Scotty" CHS
holm, Bill Smith and other eminent
golfers and set out to blaze the trail
and to put golf upon a nsw pedestal.
Morrison does not sing or dance or
stand upon his head. He gives his part
ner "a lesson in golf" and although
Flanagan discovers that the game Is
away beyond his means that single les
son" Is likely to keep the wolf from
the door Of Alex and Ed for some little
time to come.
Value of Concentration.
In the course of the act Morrison. as
the golf instructor. plays some clever
Of emphasizing to his pupil the value Of
concentration and the virtues hidden be-
hind the edict keep the head still. %
He plays the ball from the crystal of
watch and from the neck of a bottle
ana makes catch of the rubber core
on a freeze carom" stroke. Then by
way of demonstrating the advantages
OF swinging to music and the value of
rhythm half dozen balls are driven
blindfold in rapid succession.
AS the pupil trying to grasp the in.
structions thrown out by professional
Flanagan discovers why golf has been
celled the "old mans game.." And yet,
despite his threatened collapse under a
complication of palsy. gout. st. Vituss
dance and spinal meningitis Flanagan
recovers his equilibrium In time to
demonstrate to the trained golfing eve
that he himself is no tyro at the game
Joining with Morrison in the blindfold
stunt which sweeps two half dozens OF
rubber cores simultaneously into the
curtain.
TO the golfer in the audience there is
double value In entertainment and in
structiveness. Not the least interesting
phase is the critical attitude of the
gallery" further conclusive proof OF
the democracy and spread of the game.
The position OF the feet. arms and hands,
the rigidity of the head, and such. are
becoming commonplace. judging by the
comments to be heard while Morrison
is making his shots. Golf has indeed
made rapid strides when It can invade
the theater and find gathered there its
devotees.
Morrison opens his show with q mo-
ton picture exhibit of shots made while
vet he was professional at Los Anreiaa
These are then thrown on the screen
under the slow action process, exploding
the popular fallacy that the ball and
club travel together after the impact
for a length OF time. As a matter OF
fact. as these pictures disclose, the ball
l.ngers but the fraction {. an instant
after IT Is hit. 1t is off and out Of the
picture while the lazy clubhead still Il
forming its arc.