Evening star., 1932-02-21
FAIR PUPILS BEST
LINKS PROS AGREE
Get Proper Groundwork for
Game From First Time
They Swing Club.
BY FRANCIS J. POWERS.

~HICAGO, February 20-The
woman golfers of the
" United States are taking
more lessons than the
men and showing a greater i'm
provement in their play than
their fathers, brothers and hus-
bands. That is the opinion de-
rived from the partial returns OF
a survey being conducted among
its members by the Professional
Golfers Association.
The majority of women start golt
under the eye of a professional and
receive the proper ground work LOT
the game from the first time they swing
a club. Since few of them ever have
participated in any other form OF sport,
they do not have the intense desire TO
start slugging the ball, as most men I'M
mediately want to do. Women also seem
to have more patience in learning the
details of golf than men and generally
have more time to devote to 1nStruc-
tionS and practice.
The percentage of women taking in
structions In golf is increasing from
year to year and at many clubs they
furnish professionals with the bulk OF
their teaching. While no accurate
statistics are available it is believed that
over the past five years the woman
golfers of the country have made a
greater reduction in their handicaps
that the average of men players.
DROFESSIONALS also are Of the
/ opinion that the present-day golfers
are proving mode adaptable to the
game than those who took it up 10 or
is years ago. To those who pioneered
golf in this country it was necessary to
acquire a new swing-that was conSld-
erably different from the base ball swing
that was natural from bOyhood. Now
a golf swing is more or less natural to
the American boy and particularly those
who come in close contact with the
game as caddies.
The exploitation Of golf in motion
pictures and newspaper features also
has done much to familiariZe the Amer
icon people with the fundamentals OF
the game and the modern type Of in
struction-that has been stripped OF
the numerous don'ts that befuddled the
duffer of years ago-also makes 1t easier
for the beginner.
DRoFEss1oNAIs differ greatly in
I their idea of the most difficult shot
for the duffer to master. The ma
jority obviously believe the short game
is the hardest because the average club
player devotes less time to per1ectlng
his approaches than his drives.
However, there are many who declare
that a long iron, hit with courage and
- nf hordacf shots
for the duffer to learn. There are
others who find their pupils encounter
ing much trouble with the driver and
others with the brassie. A full brassie
shot from a light lie often has been
termed the most difficult in golf and 1t
Is natural that the rank and file OF
players find it hard to play.
MOST golfers, according to the pro-
lVl fessionals, have little confidence
when making long iron shot and
for that reason many golf manufactur- :
ing concerns are bringing out sets OF
clubs that include five woods. An extra
spoon and cleek are the added woods
in some combinations and with them
the average player can more confidently
play shots through the fairWays that
used to be made with irons.
added heavy or power driver instead
of the second spoon. Such a set IS OF
value to the better players, but will
have little appeal to the player who
scores above the 100 line.
The return Of the wooden cleek to
the family Of golf clubs provides the
average player with a very valuable
weapon and one in which he will gain
confidence.