Evening star., 1942-03-08

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A golfer always will have sc
it's wad of feathers stuffed into 6
leather covering. In fact. the ole
buffers didn't think this was so bac
it was the first golf ball.
If feathers don't appeal to you
such a pellet would give Sammy
Snead or Ben Hogan only 150-yarC
drives with an extra grunt thrown
in-there's always that ancient
guilty ball.
This thing was made from gutta-
percha, a brownish, red substance
oozing from trees like rubber milk
There's plenty of it, but it's less
resilient and durable. Its only at
tribute was toughness and that's
why they nodded it into solid balls
after the boys got tired swatting
the cowhide and feathers.
Rubber a Constant Topic.
Gutta -percha is so hard it will
dent your driver. But experiments
may soften it up and inject enough
bounce to make it playable.
That's just one angle OF the cur
rent sports problem. for most ath-
letic equipment contains high per-
centage of rubber.
Whenever statesmen gather the
rubber question bobs up. L. R
Freeburg, an executive in one OF
the largest sporting goods estab-
lishments in the country. and Cor
don F. Goyette, a veteran salesman,
were talking the other day To-
gether they represent 62 years in
the business.
Il should say there are about
100000 golf balls on hand, excIud-
ing carryovers in stock at country
cluos or in golf bags" Freeburg
guessed. That's only about 20 per
cent of last years.
Here's the trouble: The difference
between cheap ball and a higher
priced one is the way the insides
are wrapped. The covering of most
balls is made of chemically treated
balata, gummy stuff from trees that
are bountiful in Venezuela, South
America.
There's quantity of this for the
outside, but the nsides-really
the most important, regardless OF
what the duffer thinks-is virtually
spun lasteX, or pure rubber.
Core Made of White Lead.
Hundreds of feet OF rubber
strands, which resemble f1attened
strands of rubber bands. are wound
around the core of the ball. The
core usually is a small rubber sack
filled with white lead (there are
many different kinds to help steer
the pill on true course-not count
ing slices and hooks, Mr.. duffer.
The tension with which this
highly elastic rubber is wound re-
suits in distance and bounce efec-
tiveneSs.
Since there is plenty Of balata,
why not just retread your old ball
like you would a tire?
They're working on that. But in
pulling off the old hide the strands
of latex stick and are separated
thus requiring a virtual new wind
ing to bring the ball back into
shape.
Reclaimed rubber cannot be used.
because it loses its elasticity when
tightly wound, A synthetic thread
Stimulating rubber is being devel-
open which may provide the an
swer.
Freeburg and Goyette agree that
the best thing to do this summer is
to conserve-get more mileage out
Of your golf balls.
Country clubs will help. Many
already have moved tees from the
back to the front of lakes or have
drained the lakes altogether. And
they are manicuring the rough 50
there will be no knee-dcep Stuf.
Professionals have tackled up the
slogan: Learn the game right and
conserve rubber"
Reducing links to Fairgrounds of
vast fairways should bring out the
lowest scores in the games history.
And war time with longer daylight
and its need for periods of relaxa-
ton. may shoot new hordes of play
ers into the game.
Golf Club Outlook Bright.
A reservoir of shafts and forg-
ings makes the golf club outlook
bright, but there's always the posi-
bility the Government will take
over plants and skilled labor.
CO fjNY, Nf anIIiY,ypnY1f &c
being preached.
Goyette suggests that tennis shoes
be washed in soapsuds at the end
of a season and stored away. Pack
them with a jar full of cotton. sat
urated in formaldehyde to kill any
germs.
Another simple rule is to change
socks regularly. SO that perspira-
ton will not rot the shoes.
Soles usually are made from crepe
rubber. a near-pure product. II
reclaimed rubber-Which amounts
to nothing but inner-tube hambur-
ger chemically treated-is used the
basket ball court will be left a
tumble of black marks. Inner
tubes contain graphite.
Basket balls. volley balls and
other types may be conserved with
a thin coating Of paraffln to shed
the dirt. There are natural oils
in the leather anyway and the
paraffin would be SO thinly spread
there would be no danger of slick
ness.
Bladders for balls and punching
bags could be made from reclaimed
rubber. although reducing effective
ness IS per cent, as shown in lab
oratory tests. The only requirement
for a bladder is that it hold air;
elasticity is not of prime i'm
portance. Air pressure controls the
bounce.
A tennis ball manufactured from
reclaimed rubber will hit the mar
ket soon. It's playability and dura-
bility will be decreased, but it will
come close to approaching its former
self. The only worry in this con-
nection is obtaining rubber cement
to stick on the felt.