The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-10-11

son, an able stylist
of his own and one Grantland Rice
of the top instructors Of the game.
In rating Snead as highly as we
have, Jimmie thinks your CORE
spondent is trifle curious in the
cupola-as follows
An Expert Disdgrees
Dear Grant:
happened to see your article
about Sammy Snead. How man
like you who has seen as much golf
as you have can compare Sammy
Snead's swing, which has decided
loop (Which is preventing him from
winning big tournaments), with a
great swing like Harry Vardon's
battles me.
What do you mean about Hagen,
Sarazen and j. III. Taylor being
swingers? They certainly were not
swingers, but decided hitters. And
IL you are writing ON the subject OF
swingers, how can You possibly
overlook Byron Nelson who, per-
sonally think, is much better
swinger, and better grooved, than
Snead has been last two years.
To the layman your article might
appeal, but to someone like myself
who knows little about it, it is
really funny.
Sincerely yours,
Jimmie Donaldson
And in Rebuttal-
= / know of few golfers who swing
a golf club better than you door
few who know as much about the
old game. But I can't agree with
you about Sammy Snead. You say
he has a loop in his swing? So did
Bobby Jones. Do you know a better
swinger? Yet only a few days ago
Bobby Jones told me that in his
opinion Snead had the best all
around swing with every club that
he had ever seen-and Bob played
3 with Vardon as far back as 1920.
Bobby Jones was referring to the
physical makeup of Snead's swing,
not to his mental attitude in cham
pionship.
Snead gets amazing results with
little show Of effort, of extra effort.
Snead's downfall has never been due
to any fault in his swing-only to
his inability to concentrate-only to
his mental attitude, which as you
know is 20 per cent Of golf.
/ played with Bobby Jones four
days ago and he had IS. I still
got thrill from the slow, smooth
beauty Of his swing. Bob still in
sists that Snead is the top. The diff
ference is that Bobby could always
concentrate and keep full control Of
his mental and nerve resources.
Snead can't. Yet remember this
in his last four big tournaments,
Snead has won three and reached
the final hole against Nelson in the
last P. c., A. B.
I have seen Snead hit many a
golf ball, but I have yet to see
any decided loop"
Hagen and Nelson
Continuing our correspondence, !
hate to disagree with an expert of
your rank. But to my mind Walter
Hagen is a better swinger than
most. Hagen in his prime was one
of the ideal swingers.
Sarazen, with his stocky build, is
more of a hitter than swinger.
We agree here. Sarazen doesn't
think Snead has any loop, but he is
afraid Snead is. getting trifle fiat
in his back swing.
"The greatest fault in golf today"
Sarazen says.
AS for swingers-how about Henry
Picard? Winning temperament-no.
But great golfer and a great
swinger. Snead has had better
three or four-year record than Mac
Donald Smith. Did you ever see a
finer swinger than Mac Smith? Yet
Mac Smith through Is years never
won national title.
Here was the great crime Of all
golf. Mac Smith with the g0lfing
temperament of Walter Hagen or
Byron Nelson would have won at
least six championships. Imagine
Sammy Snead with the mental atti-
tude Of a Hagen or NelsOn-or
the tremendous concentration Of .
Bobby Jones'
Even as it is, I believe Sammy
Snead will still astonish the world
of golf. Watch him!
Suing Still Secondary
If you are thinking in terms Of
swingers I'll give you my list-Bob-
by Jones, Harry Vard0n, Sammy
Snead, Walter Hagen, Mae Smith,
Henry Picard and Paul Runyan. 1t
also SO happens that winning cham
pionship golf belongs even more in
the heart and above the shoulders
than it does in the technique of any
swing.
What about Byron Nelson, one of
our best through many years? Mel
SON is a good swinger, who once in
a while gets his left wrist tied up.
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