New Britain herald., 1928-10-16
J|GGER REVIEWS
G0Lf|NG SEASON
Il You've Improved You're in
The Great Minority
(BY JIGGER)

1 (HY JlGGER)
| 1t won't he long now before the
old bag of clubs will be put away to
await the coming Of spring. Already
the afternoons are almost too short
for a full round OF golf. And other
sports are calling the golfer away
from his fasorite game. Saturday
afternoons football demands att-n-
ton and it is open season for game
and birds. Only few Of the most
faithful still follow the erratic course
OF the white sphere. with the same
urge they felt few weeks ago.
Many have divided their allegiance
and give late season golf only half
hearted attention on Sundays.
Now is good time to review the
long season that stretches back to
April when the courses opened early
this year. What about your game?
Is it better now that crimson leaves
clutter up the fairways than it was
when the trees began to bud in
green? Have your spring hopes for a
better game been realized in mid
summer. Can you drive. play your
irons, make brassie shots, approach
the putt better in 1928 than in previ-
Gus years? Has your handicap been
reduced?
The Great Minority
II you have made some marked
progress with your game you are in
the select minority. Most of those
whom We have observed and played
with during May, June. July. August
and September are rather disap-
pointed that on Columbus Day they
were playing no better game than
on Memorial Day.
True some of them can drive bet
ter. approach or putt more accurate
ly but their scoring ability has not
improved to an extent that has
caused the tournament committee to
lower their handicaps. Not that a re-
duced handicap is any real advan-
tage but show us man who would
not like to take strokes off his aver
age score.
| 1t Is unfortunate that everyone
cannot make at least a little progress
with his game each year. Golf is
only game but most people take
it seriously enough to want to play
it better. Why don't we learn to
do so?
Much as We would like to break
100. 80, 50 or IS. as the case may be.
we are not willing to so through the
process that would enable us to play
ii far better game than we do. Les
sons and practice loom up as cx-
pensive in money and time as well as
being tedious. Aside from that is
the fear that by taking lessons. what
game we have acquired will be ruin
ed. So about all we do In regard to
the matter is to play round after
round, repeating the same error and
trying rather vainly to correct our
faults by the aid locker room adj
vice and golf writer's instructions.
knowing that the bulk OF golfers
will not take lessons from their pro
or practice them long enough to
learn them II they do indulge in in
struction, we will pass that point,
sadly. but as an unalterable situation.
AS to the 9th hole advice. take it or
leave it, it costs nothing.
But II man Is to be his own golf
doctor he should have a record or a
series OF records Of his games in Or
der to get at the facts. He needs to
know how many poor shots and how
few good shots he makes per round.
He can get such records by going
over his score card. Then he will
have a working basis for his diagno-
sis. If it is the driver. brassie, mid
iron. mashie or putter that is de-
priving him of good score he
knows on which club he is weak.
Then he must take the means he
| deems best to correct his stroke.
! An Average Case
! Here is a ease that probably is not
far from the average. A player. with
handicap of IA. scored Sc. or one
over his rating. On analysis it was
found that he had made Ga pretty
good shots and had played % which
ranged from poor to awful. Classify
ing the poor ones it was found that
four drives were failures. Three long
irons went astray Five approaches
went over or fell short Of the greens.
Two tee shots with irons did not
reach the greens and he made nine
miserable puts.
AS the player is not a good driver
his four poor wood shots from the
tees are about as good as he can cx-
pcct. He felt lucky. that he did not
miss more of them. But he felt that
| he had no excuse to dub his irons
and puts. AS he is fair putter his
work on the greens gave him con-
Germ. He went out and did some
practicing on the short game with
good results. The next day he only
took 26 puts for IS holes.
| Those who depend upon informa-
ton gained through print to help
their game find plenty Of advice.
Doubtless the bulk Of it is sound
Most of il is written by expert golf
ers The difficulty is to understand
it and apply it. 1t is hard enough 10
see what pro does when he plays