GOLF

Evening Star, Issue 21007, 22 January 1932, Page 6

GOLF

[By Slick.]

The fine weather is still continuing, and the T ’ks in Dunedin are standing up to tho strain very well. The smaller courses have, of course, suffered to a ertain extent, but Balmacewen and St. Clair are in perfect condition, and reflect great credit on those responsible.

The St. Clair Links made a most unique “ catch ” over the week-end, when an aeroplane, temporarily out of commission, was forced to make a landing. Wo are pleased to relate that, while certain long and high hitters were smiting with their usual abandon, they were not in any way responsible for tho “ bag.” The pilot made a most creditable landing, but had the misfortune to catch tho dip just short of the third green. The repairs necessary were of a minor nature, and tho “ topic ” was not long in disappearing. Most of the low markers do not find very much trouble under present conditions to reel off a round in the low seventies, but the saving of that extra stroke to hole a 70 or so takes quite a good deul of effecting. In fact, the present conditions militate against good scoring in quite a few instances at St. Clair, as it is almost impossible to maintain control with quite a few of the set shots. Among others D. C. Bennie is playing very well, and holed a 70 on Saturday last. He started the round very well, and was actually 4 under at the fifth hole; but from then on he had no luck whatever, and, as a matter of fact, sheer bad luck cost him three strokes, mostly from very long drives. His approaches invariably left him down to five-footers to hole, but not one went down, and his final shot was always one of the “ backhanded ” type, most aggravating when there is an excellent chance of holing a 66,. when the tenth and stocks are taken into account.

The December issue of ' New Zealand Golf Illustrated ’ gives the following article by Cyril Wagner, and throws some light on the oft-debated subject of pressing. In the golf swing, he says, three things must be done: “ You must keep your head still, as everybody knows; and, _as very few know, you must (2) think of the ball and nothing else; while (3) you let your swing take the pace’ that is automatically set by the action of your involuntary muscles. _ Pressing begins at that instant in which you ‘ push ’ or ‘ ride ’ or force any one'of your involuntary muscles in your golf swing.” Of the muscles that may be so “ forced ” to the detriment of the swing he stresses those governing the action of the wrists as _ most ■ frequently abused. “ Your wrists act involuntarily when you swing. When they so act it appears that you really do something with them—that you actually ‘ throw ’ them into the ball—and often this deception leads you into trouble. Since, as you think, the ‘ throw ’ you appear to give tho club head has such desirable effect, _ why not emphasise it ? Why not give the club head a good zippy throw into the ball? Then you do add some 1 throw ’ impulse, but instead of the expected effect you get a terrible result.” And again: “ I would say that the wrists have this peculiar relationship to the swing: that forcing them, or in any way making the conscious effort toward making them do some particular thing during the swing, has more varieties of disastrous effect' than any other' single fault that I know of. Forcing your wrists is truthfully the very essence of pressing, because it is usually at this point that pressing begins. From the simple expedient of seeking to promote a wrist throw into the ball you can get, in lightning-like rapidity, overanxiety to hit, lunging, head moving, weaving, rigidity, body-dipping, vycelike grip, lack of pivot, and, of course, looking up.” Wagner’s cure for the evil is simply that the player should find for himself his natural pace of swinging action, and then carry his swing through at the ball, thinking intently of the latter and of the motion of the club head at the moment of contact with it. In the course of his exposition Wagner gives one or two illuminating hints; “ Good golf begins, in the mind. Understanding must precede action.” And again: “The golf swing has an integrity that must not he violated. Those who shoot par golf this integrity not at all, and those of you who just play golf can measure your skill in exact proportion to the latitude you take in tampering with the swing integrity.”