Evening star., 1924-01-29


mately l.SS ounces avoirdupoiS and
be adopted as the standard ball for
anticipated that the action taken b,
will be followed by the Royal and
though there is no definite assurAnc.
Cornelius S, Lee Of the United States
Golf Association. who has Just return
ed from trip to Jekyl Island, Ga,
where he and number OF other golf
siX-handicap players. spent more than
a week In testing out golf balls Of
various sizes and weights for the pur-
pose Of ascertaining data that would
De helpful to the governing body in
making definite decision at an early
date.
Player. Who Took Part.
The players who took part In the
tests were Lee, who is member of
Tuxedo: Fred B. Richardson Of Nor
ris County, David McAlpin. I'd, and
Archie Brown Of the National Links
and ". F. Ladd and Carl Timpson of
RockAway Hunting Club.
Although the formal adoption OF Z
new standard ball may take place in
the near future. Lee stated that the
efect for at least q year and . half.
perhaps two years, in order to give
tne manufacturers an opportunity 70
dispose Of their present stock and to
We feel that 1t would be only fair
70 put off the enforcement of the rule
until such time as would give the
s.r Pass5s sssnes said q Lei. a.pc:s
have shown every disposition to CO.
operate with us and we would not
work any hardship such as we would
ss,oyes se wo.kns I'M ,,s on them + we were to
According to Lee, the results OF the
tests made at Jekyl Island, while they
were not made under the most au-
spicious conditions Of weather, proved
those who are advocating change
The chief indictments that those ad-
vocating a change from the present
1.62-1.62 standard ball are that be-
cause OF Its length 1t Is making nec-
essary the building of 7,000-yard
courses and the reconstruction of old
time courses, thus increasing tho
financial burdens Of club members:
ability rather than skill; that It II
responsible for the demisA OF some OF
the prettiest shots in the game-the
half.shots, wind-borers. drifts and
the like.
VIII Resto1e the Half-SAot.
with the l.56-l.ss bail. according
70 Lee, willie It will curb the length
mat modern-day hitters, particularly
the younger players, are getting, the
loss of distance will be purely a rela-
tive one which will be more than OF.
set by the fact that the ball Of larger
diameter oia iS easier to get up into the
Will restore to its former place In the
game the half-shot, which has become
almost lost art; 1t will reward play
ers whose skin has been developed
from years of practice. and it will re-
store to championship dimensions
many of the most famous courses in
the country-courses that for one
reason or another have not been able
to keep pace with the ball.
The change. according to Lee, also
Will result in q ball that probably
Will act better on the putting green
ana 1t will also enable the manufac-
rather than length.
We were handicapped in our ex-
pertinent making by the fact that a
gale blew out of the northeast prac-
Jekyl Island" said Lee. Further
moro. it rained Internationally all the
time we were there Nevertheless.
we did get some useful data. The
PLAYERS err; partaiesipatinE pa in the test we're
were also a number Of others. not SO
expert, whose results were of value
in providing US with the reactions of
the average player.
ourselves to the use of the standard
balls made by the various manufac-
turers, and we found that there was
no appreciable differences in the car
conditions, the carries averaged be-
tween 200 and 205 yards On the fol-
lowing day we experimental with
balls that were of standard weight
that is. 1.62 ounces-but of increased
diameter, those that we used being
LII inches In diameter as against the
1.62-inch standard ball. Here, again,
we found that there was practically
that, in the final analysis, weight
was the paramount factor and that
size had little to do with distance
getting.
Tested Standard Size.
your next test was made with balls
that were standard In size but of
weights varying between 1.52 and 155
ounces, and we again found that dis
tance decreased in proportion to the
decrease in weight. The greatest loss
OF distance came in the decreased run
Of the ball after landing. With the
balls weighing 152 ounces and of
standard diameter we found that
where the flight was cut down from
twenty to twenty-five yards as COM
pared with the fight of the present
standard ball the run was cut down
as much as thirty yards. Our next
1.471a ounces and with a diameter
Of III inches, and with these we
found that the loss of distance az
contrasted with the standard 1852
1.62 ball was marked, especially when
playing against the wind, where the
loss OF distance was as much as thirty
and forty yards.
Another thing that was borne out
was the fact that the lighter the ball
the more pronounced was the penalty
on a bad Shot. Slices and hooks that
might have brought penalties in the
case of the 1.621.62 ball ended in
trouble OF tho worst sort. Then the
Jekyl Island Club professional, Kef-
fer, former Canadian open champion,
and a player Of some note In England,
made some tests for US, driving into a.
stiff head-wind which had little effect
either on the carry or run Of the
the lighter ones which dropped al
most perpendicularly and stopped al
most where they hit the ground.
Another advantage that we found
In the case OF the lighter balls was
loft after leaving the club head
tremendous aid to the majority Of
golfers in making second shots. Fully
50 per cent Of the American courses
Hes are not as good as they are
abroad, so that the bigger and lighter
ball would be 4 help to the player Of
average ability and offset the loss in
distance"
OId-Time swing Will Return.
According to Secretary Zee, Keffer,
the professional, stated that the new
dimensioned bali would bring back
the oid-time swing. which has also
disappeared In the case OF the
'punch" which is used quite general
ly by the long hitters Of today.
I'VE feel that something should be
done to equalize matters by putting
back the emphasis on skill in1tead
place where youth. strenkth and en-.