GOLF NOTES

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIV, Issue 3715, 8 July 1930, Page 7

GOLF NOTES

VALUE OF FOLLOW THROUGH. (By Gene Sarazen.) That strength of body is not a great factor in' golf is proved by the number of "lightweights" who drive a tremendous ball. It is a very easy matter to push the body into the stroke, and this must be avoided at all costs if a golfer wants to drive far and true.

If every golfer finished his stroke as well as he started it there could not be so many hundreds of thousands of players moaning over the fact that they can't for the life of them score under the century mark. In most instances the upswing is an easy, natural movement and the majority of men and women look well at that stage of the swing. The hands are in correct position, and the right elbow is lower than the right shoulder. But for some reason or other an idea is prevalent among golfers that the way to strike the ball is to swing the hands out and forward from the top and then down on the ball. In other words, when the hands are at the top and fairly close to the right ear, they allow them to come away from that position, and push them out towards the tee-box.

This, of course, means that the swing becomes a two-piece affair, and the downward move is almost certain to cut across the ball. In most cases this will mean a slice; in some cases a tremendous pull—all depending on the point of the swing in which club-head and ball meet. Women in particular are prone to this outward move of the hands from the top of the swing. They should try to play "through the ball" to insure a complete follow through.

CONTINUITY OF CONTRACT.

If you ask a golfer what he means when he talks about the "follow through" he will answer that the meaning is obvious —chasing the ball with the club-head. But exactly how far does one chase, and in what manner? There are those of the old school who say the ball is swept away. They vindicate their authority by showing a list of championships won under such methods. The other school, with few championships to their credit, solemnly declare and aver that the ball is hit and that the follow-through is a myth. But all golfers know that something, best described as follow through, enters into the making of all their good shots. Here we are confronted with the contention that on the instant the club-head and the ball meet they part company—a more or less rediculous assertion. Wet the face of the driver and chalk it, then sweep or hit the ball away. Were the golf ball as hard as a bullet, with a minimum of resiliency instead of a maximum, it would be difficult to prove continuity of contact. But as it is known that a golf ball momentarily loses its spherical shape on being struck, it follows that the club-head must remain with it for some appreciable period of time. Furthermore, if contact involves immediate separation, then it would matter little how the ball was hit so long as it was hit sufficiently forcefully.

A PHANTOM BALL.

It would be well for the golfer to observe the principle of following through as if the intention were to hit not only the tangible ball but a phantom ball nine or ten inches in front of it. I have a friend who hurt his thumb in the door of his car, and as a result requested additional strokes when it came time for a golf match. It was agreed that the number of strokes would be settled after he had played a few shots.

To his amazement he made the best drives of his life. The explanation was that, to escape pain in striking the ball he flung his club through with less restraint than formerly. In other words he followed through in the right way, letting his club-head chase the ball a*s if it offered no resistance, but was carried away wthout any sense of contact.

Watch a .group of golfers on a busy course any week-end stand at some distance behind them as they drive off the first tee. All around you will see abundant evidence that the majority know how to follow through. Observe them making preliminary swings before going up to ball. There will be much more follow through in the absence of the ball than when it puts in its terrifying appearance on the tees.