Evening star., 1940-01-19
Weaker Hond Hits Bockword,
Stronger One Forward

There is another angle" Vines
continued, which is important. You
play tennis largely with the right
hand. It is free-stroking motion.
In golf you have two hands to fig
ure on, both left and right, and
they constantly are crossing each
other. We all know the left hand
is the dominant hand in golf. But
here We have the weaker hand hit
ting backwards. In tennis we have
the stronger hand hitting forward
This is a big difference. We must
adjust the work of the two hands
in golf. We have no such problem
In tennis.
There are fewer things to think
about in tennis than you face in
golf. would say that tennis large
ly is on the physical side-golf
largely on the mental side. It is
much easier to concentrate in ten
mis- than it is in golf Action always
takes care of concentration.
"As I told you before, there is no
comparison when it comes to the
tension of the two games. After
you once get started, just as in
football, there is very little tension
in tennis. But every golf shot you
play, from the drive to the 2-foot
putt, is loaded with tension. No
one can get away from it. I don't
care who he might be-Bobby Jones,
Walter Hagen, Sammy Snead, Ralph
Guldahl-name any one you can
think Of And tension is like
powder magazine. 1t explodes-
and you are wrecked"
y But there are more fine golfers"
I said to Vines, than there are
fine tennis players. Why is this?"
ION account of the physical side"
Vines said Tennis needs speed.
Golf doesn't. Take Tilden-and few
could-he was like cat He was all
over the court. He could be at any
given spot at any split second. But
Bill could never play golf. He
always was keyed too highly. He
had the ideal temperament for
tennis-what you might call fever
ish activity. He had no tempera-
ment at all for golf"
TiIden and Johnston Roted
Among Poorest Golfers
played golf with Bill Tilden and
Bill Johnston once-Big Bill and
Little Bill. Both we're terrible golf
ers. Among the worst I ever have
seen. Vines is 100 per cent right
here.
"The major part of tennis" Vines
said, sis speed and power-plus, of
course, knowledge of the tennis
stroke. Tennis, physically, is much
harder to acquire or learn than
golf. You can't play tennis on slow
feet. But there is no comparison
when it comes to the mental. or
psychological side. Here golf is a
far harder game. And to me golf is
much more interesting than
tennis"
"Just why?" asked.
Because in tennis you always are
playing against an opponent" he
answered. TN golf you always are
playing against yourself. And any
normal human being is much more
interested In himself than he is in
any one else. You know that
AS a matter Of fact, this is what
makes golf one of the most intrigu-
ing games ever invented. For all
normal human beings are much
more interested in themselves than
In some outsider. Tilden can hit a
ball I couldn't even see. But neither
Bob Jones nor Walter Hagen nor
Gene Sarazen ever could prevent
me in golf from duplicating, at least.
any shorter shot to the pin, or keen
me from holing 10-foot putt.
The main thing I need" Vines
told me, "is tournament experience
In golf. So I am going to swing
around the circuit with the pros."l