Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-25
FAULTS WITH IRON
SHOTS SOON CURED
Case Is Diagnosed by Nc
Leod-Jones Among Those
to Seek Instruction.
BY WALTER R. McCALLUM.

r YAVE you ever thought your
~ golf swing Is good enough
/ and your powers Of swing
diagnosis keen enough to
iron out any kinks in your swing?
Do you know that many first
rank amateurs and good many
of our leading professionals some
times go to a professional to
straighten out the old swing when
it goes wrong? Even Bobby Jones,
the peer of them all, who should
be able to pick out flaws in his
swing, does not hesitate moment
to go to a professional If he thinks
he Is swinging a bit out of line.
And right here in Washington we
have good example of the willingness
of one Of our leading professionals to
admit that his game is not trouble
proof that If his swing goes wrong in
a minor detail he is willing to go to
some one else to have the kinks ironed
out instead of struggling along with bad
shots in the hope that it will correct it
self. The state of mind of j. Monro
Hunter, the big hitter of Indian Spring,
is a refreshing example of the old golf
theory that no man is infallible at the
ancient game and that some one, some
where can always help a real student
o. the game.
Quickly Sees Trouble.
Early this Spring Hunter began hav-
ing trouble with his intermediate iron
shots. Always long hitter ard very
fine putter, he was not satisfied with
his medium iron shots. Either they
went to one side or the other on occa-
sions, or they were not hit with the
sting with which he used to hit them.
So he made overtures to Fred Mcleod,
. the little golf doctor of Columbia. who
Aknows as much about hitting golf ball
as any living man. Freddie had look
at him, and within 10 minutes he had
Hunter hitting the ball in different
way. way that put the iron shots
where they should go.
Probably any one of The other fine
professionals around Washington could
have done the same thing. They are all
. GOOD diagnosticians of an ailing swing
But what we are getting at is the at,
titude of mind of Hunter that he snould
have been willing-a golf professional
himself-to put his game in the hands
of another golf professional to point OUT
the weak spot. Many am ,teurs are un-
willing to take lessons, believing tney
can dope out their own faults.
There is lots of precedent for profess
SIGNALS taking a lesson or two from an
other pro. For several months tommy
Armour has had Al Natrous OF Grano
Rapids under his wing, teaching MN
Tommv's method of hitting the golI
rilf1 10 BOD
Iores for the British open four or IlVe
wears back, yet he is willing 10 aoi1llU
he has his faults. Horton Smiths game
has cone haywire during the past sIA
r,onths and Horton now is attempting
N heat back to his form OF TWO yed.e
400 hv picking up hint here and snere
from his brother pros. .oh;,,
Trbrae wears ago we recall Watching
BOBBY Jones take lesson from FiatlA
Fall, then the pro at Eastlake, Atianta,
IN the very day that Bob was to play
John Farrell for the natlonaI opt -
championship. If man Is Wiling 70
learn when he is playing oil tie lor
the omen championship, that Is gooo
sion MANY of our leading amateurs
are willing to admit they go wrong
occasionally, and go to the pro lor
advice. ,,,oc+ed
with the actual playing OF Tie sahIe "
golf is the ability to diagnose one
ou, faults. But pro can 40 II,
quickly and surely. He can see tnlnsS
that you cannot see.
Game Now Straight.
But to get back to Hunter. we
Waved with him the other day at Chevy
chase on one of those days when II
rained. Now Hunter is long niCVe I'VE.
and long hitters sometimes stray rom
the fairway AS a result OF tTeoole
N1cr Gods hints and his own ability 10
DIAGNOSE his faults, he is stralghtef
roa9 from the tee than most snort
i,itters On that round of golf he was
off the fairway once from the tee ana
that stray shot came at the seventeenth
when he purposely tried to place MS
zee shot far off at the lett side OF Inc
fairway to give him an easier snot III
His iron shots we're models OF &C
curacy and he attributes it all to FREQ
McI Gods powers of diagnosis. Hunter
mental slant on the thing is refresh
INC for there are many folks who are
unwilling to admit they have faults.
The smart golfer does admit ne mas
them and goes to his club pro 10 nave
them ironed out. Hunter, according 70
Boh Barnett, is % per cent better with
his medium iron shots because OF that
little session with Mcleod. He played
Sic CHEVY Chase course that day lana
the turf was slow in exactly % SCloAes
which is just par for the course