GOLF

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 144, 21 June 1930, Page 22

GOLF

• » "CmruMmr"

THE BRITISH OPEN •

JONES'S PLAY

THE IS-HOLE MATCH

The dates cliosen fc tlio New Zealand championship meeting, fiom 24tk to 31st Octobei, inclusive, should giv« better nreathcr than was etpeuen cd afc Belmont last year Sleet and cold are hazards that do not affect all players equally, and m that lespect are unfair, though every golfer is supposed to stand up to them. Theie is weather which makes golf mciely an endurance test. Jones is amongst the leaders m the first round oi the British. Open with 70, but it is comforting to sea Cotton (Laiigley Park) and other Britishois .equalling him, and by the timto these .notes appear Britain may stand even better. Jones's Style. The following cntieism of- Bobby Jones's stjle by Horton Smith,\who hiaiielf qualJied well up the list Ja the British Open, is one of unqualified appreciation:—"To me," he says, Jones has the most impressive soli style m the world 1 like the great display of freedom that is so apparent m every s»mg ho makes. He has douo much to impiove all golfers by his very bfindauliscd principles. He u*es j, very, close stance for-all shots, his feet being \ciy close togethoi. This seems aid in gaming freedom aa he zs not locked or cramped as some players are who aio inclined to spread their feet widely apart. He has a wonderful pivot, his knee goes in nicely as his hips make a gracoful and complete turn. One of the main factois m Ing game is the complete tuin lie makes on the back swing. Ho breaks jn eveiy joint, thus pioduung ease and rhythm. When ho makes tho lull turn going back, ho is almost siue to be errreefc coming down. Failure to complete tha turn on tho back swing would destroy much of his power and smoothness. My observation is that Jones uses his loft hand to perfection. It seems to guide the path of the swing and is 'very powerful throughout. The average golfer loses valuable aid by failur. to ' concentiate on the action of th wholo left side. The positive way Jones hits eveiy shot from the drive to the putt is mdicativo of freedom and confidence, two essentiarfeaturos Jones hits very few shaky oi indecisive shots. Another of his many assets is the ability to concentiate,' and be almost tense mentally and still show no signs of physical tension. I was groatly surprised to find Bob's clubs as light as they aie, especially the putter. This seems' unusually light, but it allows one to hit more shaiply, which is a good thing, at least in my observation of Jus putting methods. Befoio watching Jonea had read and heard of his supposed, weakness in mashie niblick pitches. Tins idea was exploded at Savannah, and Augusta this year. I don't believe he has any weakness, but if tbore is one, in my opinion it is a veiy longiron. However, anyone who plays a spoon as he does, has no necessity for many shots with a, long hon. Hl3 game is a valuable standard foi all golfers.'' ) The 36-Hole Match. The obstacle to Jones's capture of tho BrftiMl, amateur befoie he did, was the 18 hole match, accoidmg to aa Amenean critic, who blames "the lottery-hke system of play" rather than the quality of the opposition. "Jones nounshes a deep sqated dislika for the luck-ridden IS holo matches by which Biitam's amateui championship is contested and this has bred in his subconscious pnnd a feeling of uncertainty bordering on a definite complex; ' '■■' says tho critic: ■ '- "In a 72-hole ' medal test, Bobby would - leave • his Biitish contempoianes at the post nine time out of ten, but ho is' relatively fallible in a short match of 18 holes. This is simply because the hole-by-hole phase of the game lends itself to upsets. Given a full menu of 36-hole matches, Jones would be as mcsistiblo in Eng. land as he is in this country." Tha decision of the New Zealand Golf Council tor 364i01e matches in the New Zealand' amateur championship at Palmerston Noith in October will please most of the golfers >likely to influence the result. Tho decision will take longer, but the two round* constitute a fairer test of golf, eliminating 'tho dire effect of temporary lapses which is such a feature of the 18-hole match, and, better still, the devastating effect upon an opponent of lucky shots such as long putts and chip shots sunk from absuid distances. As for the physical stiain of the longci matches, it is largely theoretical, because the night's rest Joroes between eveiy 36 holes, whether tne. matches' are 18 or 36-hole ones. There may even bo more nervous stiain m meeting two tough opponents a day thai) one,, t Manor Park. < The fairways at ilanor Park, are fast improving. Goise has been cut back to thoso 'portions of the course where balls should never go, and stones have been rooted out to an amazing oxtent when the beginnings of the Man ox Park are remembered. An extension.of tho lease has made further improvements likely. Bunkering is being carried out which, while not unduly exacting, will make play more interesting. The ninety-yard hole "Karoii" oh" tha other side of the lailway line from tho clubhouse, necessitates a neat pitch over stiong natural hazaidSj and this green will be still more closely guarded when bunkered all lounfl. When fully bunkered, and rolled and cut, which it is hoped will bo the case by next season, the gently undulating, park-hka country, with the occasional tree hazards missing on most, Now Zealand links, will offer an excellent short course. There is moro land in tho lease which could be brought in < to make a full eighteen holes, but it is very lough and stony, and that is a matter for tho futuie. Hagen on Pivoting. Eagen, criticising Austialian players in general, said that they bad aa idea thatsthe pivot was purely a turning movement. The body was wound. < up and unloosed. This,, in his opinion^ greatly handicapped them in,.making' lull use of the ught side, which,was a major detail in imparting punch to the sliQt, and which at the same time intpaited into the hit a maximum of control The error in the 'conception of the pivot was the failiiie to include a decided backward mrvement '<f tho hips, away from the objective of tho shot when going up, and a compensating coming forward when the downward stroke was being executed. Tb'» ■ was not to be confused with a bwa», but there was to bo as much backward and forward hip movement as could possibly bo made without creating a sway. This movement would/ givo more facility foi getting the right sido into the shot.