Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-10

TOR many months golfers have
been bombarded with new
angle on an old theory on the
4 golf swing. Propounded by Alex
Morrison, who Is a rival OF Joe
Kirkwood in the trick shot field. the
theory simply means that on all shots
the ball should be hit past the chin.
Morrison's theory is only another means
of explaining that the head should be
| immovable throughout the stroke and
particularly throughout the down stroke
Now comes another great theoriSt and
practical master of the game OF gol1
who carries the Morrison theory step
further and actually pushes 1t into the
position where it becomes a mechanical
part of hitting the ball whether the chin
is kept rigid or not. Sandy Armour
extension of the hit past the chin chin,
theory is that hitting past the chln
should not be the ultimate end OF the
stroke. Armour holds that the ball
should be hit past the left toe.
Now let us see how that works out.
Under the Morrison delineation OF the
golf stroke, the ball may be hit past
the chin, and the stroke may stop at
the ball. Even though all the
mechanics of the Morrison theory have
been faithfully followed out, it does not
follow that the stroke will be salts
Armour theory of hitting past the left
toe the stroke must be completed, and
it must be completed in fairly good
mechanical fashion. for the very term
hitting past the toe" means that the
club head must be carried past the
ball in horizontal plane.
Nothing New to Theory.
Armour's theory, which he has taught
for many years, is nothing new to the
students of the game, for every sue
ceSSful golfer follows it in all his shots.
In other words, they may hit past the
chin and not make successful shot.
But If they hit past the left toe the
shot must be successful, for they can
not see to hit past the toe unless they
look at the ball, and they can hit past
the chin and lift the head in that in
flniteSimal fraction of second which
spells the difference between a good
shot and a missed shot.
Armour also holds that by hitting
past the left toe there is very little
possibility of a loose right arm getting
away from its proper place close in at
the right side or of lesSening of the
stiff left side which must be hit through
in successful golf shot. He goes on
to explain that Bobby Jones marveled
for many years at the accuracy and
crispness of Tommy Armour's iron play.
Bobby, according to Sandy Armour,
tried in every way possible to find out
how Tommy hit that ball to get the
results that have made him the premier
iron player of the world. Finally Jones
hit on it. Tommy hits through his
shoulders" he said. And it was true.
Bobby found that Tommy Armour'S left
shoulder, instead of coming up slightly
with the shot. stayed down until long
after the ball had gone away from
there, and that, literally, Tommy hit
through his shoulders and through a
stiffened left side. Now it could not
truly be said that Bobby's iron style
Is copy of that of Tom Armour, but
there isn't any doubt that Bobby is
better iron player, particularly with
the intermediate irons, since he played
sofa in 1867.
Masters Use Stroke.
So we now have a new explanation
of an old theory, which all the mas
tiers of the game have practiced for
many years, according to our obServa-
ton, although it remained for Sandy
Armour to reduce it to understandable
golf terms. And both Tommy and
Sandy Armour, Bob Jones. Horton
Smith, Hagen and all the other mas
tiers hit past the toe. If it works for
them it ought to work for the duffer.
And If the injunction to hit past the
toe Is followed literally it logically fol-
lows that a looped down swing will
come about, for to hit past the toe
the club must come into the line from
the inside and not from the outside.
We think Sandy Armour has given
the golf world something to think about
with his new explanation of an old
theory. Try 1t and see If it doesn't work
out in practice.
Columbia's fearsome fifth hole will be
different looking affair next season
when the twin bunkers on both sides of
the fairway to catch wild tee shots
finally are in and ready for play
Course Supervisor Fits has just COM
pleted tearing down the mound at the
left of the fifth fairway which was sup
posed to catch hooked tee shots and
prevent them from careening wildly out
of bounds, and in its place he has con-
structed a smaller mound flanked on
the teeward side by shallow sand trap
The new arrangement gives about IS
more yards of fairWay to the player
who hugs the left side and at the same
time serves the same purpose the old
mound served-that of keeping too
many balls from going over the fence
out of bounds. Now, with the new
twelfth tee not far from the fairway
line to the right or the NTH fairWay, he
plans to put in another shallow trap
and mound just short of the tee to keep
balls on the right of the line from
bounding merrily onto the twelfth tee
and spelling the shots of those players
who have left the fifth hole In addi-
ton to this this mound and trap to pro-
tect the twelfth tee. he also plans to
plant row of small trees right UP
against the tee. This will have the
"a g. a.
way. In past years the rough at the
right has been fairly good place from
which to play the second shot at the
fifth hole at Columbia-far better than
the rough at the left. Now the left side
will be the best side from which to play
the hole.