San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-18

want any fancy curves on my puts.
L tr yto hit every putt absolutely
straight.
II intend to 60 to England and try
for the. British open championship.
When get home I'll play golf every
day. There's nothing like playing
every day to keep your touch for all
shots. A fellow who can play only
once or twice a week is handicapped.
That's all right for an amateur, but
professional who has reached a GER
tain standard and must keep it up
and try TO improve it must play all
the time. 1t may be a good stunt
in any other kind of athletics to lay
off and rest for two or three days be-
fore big competition, but that does
not go in golf. II l didn't play for
three days before championship event
I'd have no. confidence in my shots,
especially in putting.
Il have had bad putting streak,
and, in fact, ever since my operation
for appendicitis I have felt uncertain
Of my drives and my puts. / am
just getting over it now, by playing
every day. You have to be full OF
pep to play championship golf. 1
haven't had the pep, but it's coming
back.
1t Gets You on the Greens.
playing SO holes in an easy match
doesn't tire me, but I'm often tired
after a hard, close match. Being tired
doesn't show on the tee or in APP
prOach shots, but it gets you on the
green's.
When I'm just right I feel that
I'm going to put my long puts close
to the hole for a sure two if the first
putt doesn't roll in. When I'm tired
I'm likely to roll my long ones past
the cup far enough to be likely to
miss coming back. That's where sleep
counts. IL you get your sleep regu-
larly every night you never feel very
tired, and when you aren't tired you
don't get careless. You always feel
that you have the touch for all shots
and especially for putting. That's
where confidence on the green's comes
in. You must feel that you have the
touch.
What some people don't know
about golf is that most of the shots
depend on leg work. You take box
ing or any kind of athletics-tL. legs
do the most of the work. Some people
will tell you about how to grip the
club, how to start the club back, how
to start it down, how to 'pronate'
(whatever that isl, TO sway the hips
back and forward-all that sort of
thing. But l don't want to get my
mind tangled up in all those details.
II you use your legs right you can't
help hitting the ball right"
Here Sarazen jumped up TO illus
trate.
Has Slow DOWn-swing.
"See here. It's easy to cure a slice
If you hit this way. / swing the
club back and my left knee comes for
ward. If it didn't I'd be tied up so
l couldn't swing freely. Then l start
the down swing slowly. It's a big
mistake to try 10 whip the club fast
at the top of the swing. Just as /
almost reach the ball my right knee
comes forward. You can't slice il you
do that. That's where footwork comes
in. In the last few inches l push
the clubhead forward by putting my
wrists and forearms into the swing.
That's all there is I driving.
Il have this natural way of hitting
and don't vary it. I'm going to keep
on hitting in the same way for at
least three or four years more. I'm
not going to analyze my shots or find
out every detail of the best ways to
play shots for three or four years.
By that time III have my natural
way of hitting in my system so that
can lose it, and then perhaps I'll
experiment around a little. But not
before. The worst thing q golfer can
do is TO try experiments and keep
changing until he loses his natural
style.
Another bad thing to do is to play
where you don't have 10 extend your
self to the limit. I intend to play
only in big championship events and
hard matches because when I'm al
ways trying I'm bound to improve.
II ] played around in small tourna.
ments I'd become careless. When you
get into the upper ten Of golf you
| have 10 be on your toes every min.
ute-any letdOwn is fatal to your
game.
From now on I'm going to work
hard and sleep long. That's the only
way 10 Keep o. tor"
Funny thing" ! remarked. win.
ners of big championships don't seem
! able 10 repeat"
Sarazen only grinned.
(Copyright, 1923. by The Bell
Syndicate, Inc.)