FIELD OF SPORT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 208, 15 June 1933, Page 3

FIELD OF SPORT.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By "Onlooker.") Next Saturday the members of the Ashburton Golf Club will play a match for the Vice-President's trophy. The local course is now playing to winter conditions, and this is reflected in the scores which are being returned. J. W. Keig won the medal match last Saturday with a nett 72 off a 24 handicap. He was tin; only player in, the field to play to his handicap. There should be very few players who will be able to reduce their handicaps from now on with the conditions prevailing, and it may be necessary for the Handi- | capping Committee to reconsider some of the handicaps players have at present. The ladies' section of the club are to be congratulated on the success which attended their initial tournament. They were unfortunate in the matter of the weather, which though dry was bitterly cold. The tournament was well organised and ran smoothly. No doubt some of the local ladies found their task more difficult by having to play off the men's tee at the second hole. Perhaps it will become the permanent, toe for the ladies. The second hole is an easy o bogey. The trees are purely a mental hazard, and once the fear of striking them is overcome, the hole should be much improved. The question as to the time of the year when the tournament should be held will need consideration. If it is held at this time of the year the conditions are always liable to be cold and unpleasant. "Onlooker" suggests that the tournament should be held in the spring, in the week after the men's tournament, when the links are usually in very good order.

It lias been difficult for the ordinary player to understand how, with a good follow through, the ball flies better and further than if it is merely hit or punched. The argument has always been that,'no matter what the follow through, the ball cannot be carried on the face of the club, and must be quit of the face of the driver or brassie immediately it is struck. The most recent experiments, however, seem to prove that the club head remains in contact with the ball for a measurable distance. In any case it is a fact that the player who can follow through gets the longer ball simply because he can only follow through if his arm muscles are not constricted, and the result of that is that he can bring the clubhead with greater velocity to the ball with a light grip and relaxed arm muscles. It is the tight grip constricting the arm muscles that prevents the club head coining to the ball as swiftly and smoothly as it should. It will be found that the player conserves his staying powers if he plays witli relaxed ami muscles and follows through. But at impact the left wrist should be tight and restrained so that the right hand may strike against it. In other words the blow- must lie delivered not only against a resisting left side, but a resisting left wrist. The left wrist is the fulcrum for obtaining pressure and power on the ball at impact. Weight Transfer.—ln playing wooden clubs, the player's weight not only must*be transferred to the right leg on the up swing, but what is more important, it must be transformed to the left leg by snapping down the left heel immediately the down swing commences. If weight transfer is delayed, both the length, and direction will suffer. In transferring the weight, however, care must be taken not to bring the right shoulder too quickly into the stroke.

On the putting green, if a player play when his opponent should have played, the stroke may be at once recalled by the opponent, and the ball replaced.

The Mid-Canterbury Men's Hockey Association is to be congratulated on its inauguration of junior matches for players under 17. It is a good move to develop the younger players, and so create a. recruiting ground for the seniors. The boys games were started at I.3o'last Saturday, and produced some good play. There are quite a few players showing considerable promise.

The senior matches were advanced a further staue, and both commenced at 2 o'clock. Perhaps it will be more interesting for players when these- are staged as before, one early and one late, as they will be next Saturday.

Harwood has gone back to his old position in goal where did quite well, hut having been up amongst the play during the season he is inclined to use his stick too much. J. Coward is back again, and did what he had to do in his characteristic, style. Mcllraith is not a very prominent player, but is always in. the right place and is always dangerous in the circle. He should watch the offside rule.

Jim Gowans is always in his place, and that is the reason he has frot his share of goals. Hugh Gowans, like his brother, is found where he is wanted. Snell and Preddy are two good players, but they generally appear to be too far up for backs, and too far back for halves. They should play to their places. There lias been too much talking on the field lately, and that fault could be reduced to a minimum if players would learn to play to the whistle instead of anticipating a ruling. There has also been a, great deal of obstruction. The ride reads—"A player shall not obstruct by interposing himseli between an opponent and the ball, nor by interposing himseli' or« his stick in any way as an obstruction, nor shall he tackle from an opponent's left, unless lie touches the ball before he touches the person or stick of his opponent."