Evening star., 1938-04-26
RIVAL STARSC|TED
|NBASEBALL,GOLF.
Debate on Inter|ocking VS..
Overlapping Grip Is
Revived by Picard.
By GRANTLAND RICE.

BY GRANTLAND RICE.
There is general feeling that every
thing in sport has improved in the last
few years-that all records prove this
to be true.
We were talking about this with an
old-time bal. player and an old-time
golfer. Here's their dope:
The ball player-"I'll take the old
timers. How many stars do you see
around today? Good teams, yes-but
few stars. Turn back 25 years-Ty
Cobb, Hans Wagner. Grover Alexan-
der, Christy Mathewson, Joe jackson,
Iris Speaker, Ed Walsh, Addie Joss,
Nap Lajoie. Eddie Collins, Johnny
Evers. Today we have Di Maggie,
Gehrig, York, Dean, Hubbell and a
few more-but nothing to compare
with the old-time bunch who lived
and dreamed baseball, who thought of
little else"
The old-time golfer-"Better golfers
today? can't see it. Look back 20
or IS years-Harry Vardon, Walter
Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Tommy Armour,
Long Jim Barnes, ]. H. Taylor, Sandy
Herd, Mac Smith, Jock Hutchinson. I
know the low scores these modern
golfers are making. But the bunch
I'm talking about could step out and
win the u S. and British opens-could
win both titles.
THE modern golfer has better i'm
plements-not forgetting the sand
wedge or dynamiter. trouble shooting
club that saves at least two strokes
each 18 holes. Golfers today, mean
the good ones, will get down in one
putt from trap nine times out of ten
out Of a bunker that once meant
trouble
Il still say we have no 10 golfers
In the world today to match Vardon,
Jones, Hagen, Sarazen. Armour, Mac
Smith, Barnes, Taylor, I-erd and Braid
N their prime. There are lot Of great
golfers today-brilliant scorers-but
don't forget that bunch we had just
before and just after the war. I first
want to see modern golfer who can
step out and win both the U. s. and
the British opens. That's the final
test"
Interlocking vs.. Overlapping.
More than 1000 pros and amateurs
already have their eyes focused on the
Cherry. Hills golf course at Denver
1t is over this upland range that the
next United States open golf cham
pionship will be held early in June
Only 139 will survive the eliminat-
ing barrages and the qualifying salvos
One of the contestants will be
Henry Picard. the willowy walloper
from Hershey, Pa, who again will in
troduce his new interlocking grip
the gift Of his friend and counselor,
Alex Morrison.
Picard switched from the overlap
ping to the interlocking grip just be-
fore the recent masters tourney,
which he won from a field that was
smoking hot.
In the overlapping, or Vardon grip,
you place the left thumb on the shaft,
with the little finger of the right hand
overlapping the foref1nger of the left.
The majority Of pros use this grip.
In the interlocking the little finger
of the right hand is interlocked with
the forefnger of the left, and the
left thumb now Is around the shaft.
This latter grip undoubtedly gives
the hands and wrists more freedom
, Of action-especially the left hand
and left wrist. which too often tighten
up and become bad actors. Tight or
locked wrist action has been one of
COLTS outstanding plaques.
Help to Picard's Play.
The overlapping grip may carry
more control for those with flexible
wrists-but these are in the minority,
especially among those who have seen
20 or more years drift by.
II was wild for the f1rst few shots," :"
Picard said, regarding his change,
"but, after . little practice, found
I had increased both my distance and
control. My iron play was much bet
ter than it had been before. My wrist
action never has been quite as loose
and free as it should be, so In my
case the change Of grips was . de-
cided help. That left thumb on the
shaft no longer checks the back swing
or ties up the left wrist"
It might be Just as well to remem-
ber on the side, in this matter Of
grips, that few golfers get the left
hand far enough over the club. That
happens to be where the power is.
Sandy Herd gave old-timers some
thing more than q thrill a few days
ago. Sandy proved that the years
can't lick q good swing-if you can
find one. At the age of 10, Sandy
fred 81 over q tough champion
ship course in big money tourna-
ment He travelled the first nine holes
in so-just SIX under par-and nm