GOLF.

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 193, 10 May 1924, Page 18

GOLF.

(By

“Niblick.”).

LEFT HEEL IN TIMING A NEW THEORY. Among golfers a great deal has been written and spoken of the subject of timing in golf, some of it from the common-sense point of. view, and some of it not. Writers of note have handled tho subject for tho last 25 years. It has remained for the famous Chick Evans, one of America’s foremost amateurs, and a great theorist, who understands every fine point in the game, to advance what is believed to be a perfectly new theory. He ventures to say that perfect timing consists in hitting the ball absolutely and precisely at the same moment as the left heel hits the ground in the down swing, and that though perfectly good shots may be got* when these circumstances do not synchronise yet the best results will follow only when synchronisation occurs, so that the ■weight of the body follows through after the ball. . Experimentation on the lines or tins theory certainly shows that whenever this advice is followed, a perfect ba - ance of the body is kept till the finish of the stroke, and that there is not the slightest difficulty in holding the finish as long as tho player likes. It may be that the Evans theory is correct (if it is ever correct) in the case of plavers who trust to their hands and arms in a major degree to impart speed to the club head. Ceitainly liis theory is not correct as applied to the leading professionals, ot whose swings we have slow motion pictures. From these it will be seen that in tho cases of Mitchell, Duncan, Vardon, and several others (and it is particularly noticeable in the case oi Mitchell), that though the left foot in the upward swing leaves the ground almost before the club head, it is hard down again in the majority of cases before tho club head leaves the horizontal in the downward swing. In the case of Duncan and Vardon the slow motion pictures show the left foot hard on the ground, the light kneebent in towards it, with the ngM hee off the when the hands aie still some inches from the ball in. the down swing, and the club feet behind them again. plained. Evans’s theory, does n°tJ™ In certain cases of swings, it will he found that practice m -S ? f chronise tho return of t ieweight. of the bodv to the left heel at the mo ment of the actual hitting of the ball wd materially assist the average golfer observing bodv balance, and. so getC command, of the ball, r.nd it w certain that their style of play be much improved. The very fact that the player gaz at the ball, and endeavours to hit it nt the same moment that the left heel hits the ground, induces concentration on the ball itself, and tends t<• that fatal lift of the head to anto pate the result of the shot. . well known that no body weight can get into the shot and assist !t unless the left leg is thus firm at the mo ment of thf hit, allowing the.throwing of the weight of the body into the hit. An expression critics in America is that you mus hit up against a firm left leg if wish to get what is known as the hecessarv “punch” into the swm„. It cannot bo got by the swinging motion of the who YWhen the American critics are looking for a promising junior among .tie many that they see playing tho game they always look for a player . with some promise of that punch in his ’swing, realising that no one can Le a real champion unless he can get that extra length that only comes from a proper application of the body weight in shots, quite apart from the speed of the club head that comes from the hands and arms.

THE EASTER TOURNAMENTS

’The most cheerful and hopeful fact to be derived from the Easter tournaments is the discovery to the public eye of the promise and capabilities of two young players, both under 20 years of age. Dale, of Kithara. »a described as being a boy with a fine natural swing. Though he has never had a lesson he is said to be very receptive of ideas, imparted to him through the way other players play, and his performance m running Imlay Saunders to a putt on the last green in the final of the Taranaki championships is exceedingly meritorious. Saunders had to sink a putt of considerable length, and take all his opportunities before he could win the match on the home green. Gunson, junior, of Auckland, shows also great promise. The beating, of Lusk. is always a difficult proposition on his own or any other course in match play, and this was an outstanding feature of the tournament. It is to bo hoped that both these young players will figure in the next New Zealand championships. HUTT V. WELLINGTON The match between the Wellington and Hutt A teams was spoiled by boisterous weather, which prevented anything like consistent golf being shown. Duncan could not play anywhere near bogey, and naturally others could not expect to do much better. Black’s local knowledge stood him in good stead, and he was somewhat steadier than his older opponent, though neither in the circumstances could he be expected to produce first-class golf. BROOKS FOR AMERICA Brooks, the open champion of New Zealand, who resigned suddenly from the Lower Hutt Club, left for America by the Tahiti, where he will no doubt do well. Ham is said to be securing a good connection over there, and has approached a New Zealand professional to come oyer to him. Ritchie, assistant at Miramar, has accepted an engagement with the New Plymouth Club, his services to be primarily retained by it, but arrangements will be made by which he can coach surrounding clubs. This is Ritchie’s first professional appointment, and in it he will carry the good wishes of many Wellington golfers. ROTORUA LADIES’ CHAMPIONSHIP The win of Miss Enid Bell from Mrs. Blvth, of Hamilton, in the final of the Rotorua ladies’ championship, proves that the Wellington player has mastered temporary weaknesses in her nutting, her only really weak point. The rcdoutable Miss Payton was disposed of by Miss Gambrill, 3 and 2, and as Miss Blyth had beaten Miss Gambrill 3 and 2. it can be seen that the final win for Miss Bell was a very creditabla on*.

The bogey of tla.e Shirley course, where the Wellington club’s teams met with so signal a defeat in the Tuson Cup, has been finally dealt with by the ’committee and reduced to lb, which, under winter conditions, should satisfy the most ardent advocates tor a lower bogey. Number 1, 180 yards, ' previously a 3. has been made a 4; No. 2, 535 yards nnd previously a b, has been reduced to 5; No. 3, 380 yards, has been reduced from 5 to 4 ; No 5 352 vards, has also been reduced ’from 5 to 4. , These changes are •ill in the first nine, and make the total bogey for the “out” course 38 instead of 40. Only one bogey on the way home has been changed, ana that is’ No. 15 380 yards, which was previously 5 and is now 4, making the “in” course also 38. HAMILTO WINTER TOURNAMENT The programme for the Hamilton Golf Club’s tournament, to be held the week before the Waikato Winter Show (May-21, 22. and 23), on the St. Andrew’s Golf Course, is a full one. The Waikato Winter Show Challenge Cup runs over the three days, and every day there are morning and afternoon handicap matches In the cup match play club handicaps will not be altered- Competitors will take three-quar-ters of the difference between their medal handicaps (a half counts as one) and take their strokes of the holes appointed bv the Hamilton club. Entries close May 19. The rules of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews will bo enforced. SHORT PUTTS The prevalence of rabbit burrows on a North Island golf links adds to -the natural difficulties of reaching the green in a respectable number of strokes. “What club shall I take at this hole?” a beginner recently asked his caddie. “1 think you’d batter take a ferret,” was the rather sarcastic response. Jack Shaw, the golf professional who left New Zealand some months ago for the United States, has signed up as professional to a Californian club. Golf has been formally adopted as the school sport of California. Its superiority to baseball, football, basketball, and running competitions for boys and girls—cribket ’ is not played lin California—is held io be demonstrated, for on tho Pacific Coast it is an all-the-year-roiuid game. Headmasters of Californian schools announce their intention of giving golf a ycai’s trial. Already several hundred boys and girls are playing regularly on courses in and around San Francisco. 'The death occurred recently of Ben Sayers, veteran golfer, andl famous Scottish international player, who several times came very elose to winning the British open championship. He was a great teacher of the game. Mclntosh is settling down to work at the Hutt course, and is,-playing some very good golf. He gets a- veiy long ball, buti if he would reduce the tendenev to lash out and take the ire-men-dous swing he does, reducing his up swing to a three-quarter swing, the foundation of sounder golf in his forties than with his present stylo, the thick-set player who can get away with a verv full swing in his youth finds added weight and stiffening muscles playing unexpected pranks with his drives when ho has passed • Schooled to the medium swing, with the beautiful pivot ho already has, Mclntosh would lose nothing m length, and later on would retain accuracy he mi<rht otherwise lose.. , Golfers tyhp put' their faith in their own set of clubs may be interested to hear of the experience of A. L>. MDuncan the other day at Heretaunga. His own sticks were in town, but with a borrowed bag of clubs he did a 71.