The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-07-10

advance, that naru- $S$$ "a S
est of all shots to
playa straight ball.
At 200 yards away Grantland Rice
he could make
caddie duck with either slice or q
hook. It was an easy game in trick
shot or exhibition play. But Kirk
wood could never win big cham
pionship.
/, Competition" he has always
said, ais an entirely different game
from any exhibition stuff"
Ho,U 1t Works
Years ago I followed Kirkwood in
a North and South championship at
Pinehurst. He wasn't scoring any
too well. He was having more than
his share Of trouble.
"What seems to be the matter?"
I asked.
owe developed fade I can't
STOP" he said.
"Why don't you call for q hook,
or even for a straight ball, as you
do i'm your exhibitions?" ! asked.
eff 1 tried that" he said, "Pd be
all over the course. This tOurna-
ment-scoring game has nothing to
do with exhibition play.
The Curse of Golf
'.Golf would be an easy game for
anyone to play" Joe continued, lex
cept for one thing"
"What's that?" l asked.
"Tension," he said. That's the
killer-the poison.
eff it weren't for tension almost
anyone could play golf well. But
tension grabs them all by the throat
or the nerves. Take the average
duffer. Watch his practice swing.
Watch him swinging at dandelion
or a cigar butt. You'll see, an 80
swing. Then watch the difference
when he has to hit a golf ball. He
Immediately tightens up. He plants
his feet in the turf. He takes an
iron grip with both hands. His legs
and body promptly stiffen up. He
has wrecked his swing before he
even moves the clubhead.
True of the Pro
''After q fashion, this is also true
Of most pros. Most Of the good ones
can hit the ball long and straight,
can play almost every club well. In
practice they can give You q 81 or
o 6S. But when some big t0urna-
ment starts, especially a champion
ship, 1t is too often another story.
"You can tell this in the more
hurried pace Of their backswings
and downswings. You can tell 1t in
their restricted, or more restricted,
body turns. The temptation in big
tournament is to steer the BALTIC
keep it away from trouble.
''Only a few can keep their true
form or their true swings working
smoothly, as they do in a practice
round"
cleo Diegel told me once" said
to Joe, ''that the longest walk in
golf was from the practice tee to
the first hole of tournament play"
LEO was 100 per cent right"
Kirkwood said. ''It's about ten miles
-or ten strokes.
".For those who know how to
swing club, golf is about rs per
cent tension, nerves and concentra-
ton. It is harder on the nervous
system than any other game, since
it carries less physical action or mo-
ton. The more motion you have, the
less tension there is.
Football players are always ex-
tremely nervous and packed with
tension before the kickoff. But most
of this is removed i'm the first clash
Of bodies-after the first impact.
You don't get that in golf.
SIN golf tension begins to get
worse especially around the green's
when you find you've lost your putt
ing touch. I've never seen q golfer
who was good enough to win big
tournament when he was putting
poorly. And when you get what
Tommy Armour calls the yips,' you
are just about through.
How can tension be cured?"
'eThe only sure cure ! know"
Kirkwood said. sis to cut off your
head"
Foot Action
Henry Picard, a master stylist, is
among those who believe that good
foot action is the most difficult of
the golfng arts.
''Only few stars know how to use
their feet properly" Picard says,
referring to weight shift through the
swing.
Chick Evans had no superior in
ibis respect. You had only 10 watch
the work Of his feet to get . big
part Of the answer concerning espe-
ciaIIy iiis iron play.