DRIVING IN GOLF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19389, 26 July 1926, Page 12

DRIVING IN GOLF.

GIANTS OF THE OLD DAYS.

HOW LENGTH IS GAINED.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RHYTHM

BY NIBLICK,

There were long drivers in the old days. Who has not heard or read of Douglas Holland, Freddy .Tait, James Braid and Edward Blackwell ? The last two are still among the long drivers, but they are in a much larger company now than they were 20 or 30 yfears ago. Freddy 1 ait was twice amateur champion of Britain, about the close of last century. His father was Professor of Natural Philosophy at Edinburgh University, and used to theorise —on a mathematical basis about the flight of a golf ball, and the distance which a certain amount of applied force ought to propel it. The sot! was wont to explode the theories of the 'famous father by driving the ball further than it ought, theoretically, to go. It is said that Freddy Tait drove the last green at Mortonhall, Edinburgh, and, indeed, that he made a practice of doing so. It is certainly a long drive to-day for Blackwell or Braid with the rubbercored bah. Freddy Tait was a lieutenant in the Black Watch, and fell in the Boer War. Elusiveness of Rhythm. Edward Blackwell, who still plays in the championships, although over 60 years of age, gives a very straightforward and practical explanation of his long driving. •' First of all," he says, " I am a big, powerful man; secondly, I use a big, powerful club; thirdly, I hit as hard as I jolly well can." But, obviously, that is not- the whole story. There are many men, big and powerful, who hit as hard as they jolly well can with a large powerful club, but the result is often quite out of proportion to the effort. To the big cluh and the human energy and weight must be added that elusive quality called rhythm, which accompanies the true shot. The true shot in golf is rhythmic, smooth, effective; it happens when mind and body, working easily and harmoniously together, obey the manifold laws of balance, movement, timing, etc., with a minimum of jerk or friction. These laws are ever operating, although we may be unconsciqus of them. We are aware, however, of the greatest satisfaction when the true shot comes off. It is an " expression" of the whole personality, just as a fine song, or a poem may be an expression. Surely it ss this aspect of golf which causes golfers, everywhere, to be so prone to discuss their aspirations, their efforts and their achievements. Ihe golfer is all the time, consciously or unconsciously, seeking, and to some extent, finding, expression in the game. The Advantage of Size. To return, however, to long driving, it is an advantage to be big and strong if vou can control and direct the additional potential power which these qualities bring. Most of the very long drivers one can think of are all big men —Compston, Ray, Tolley, Wethered. At the same time their smooth back-swing and the rhythm of their stroke ara much more important than their physical dimensions. Abe Mitchell drives as far as the best of them, and he is well above the average height and strongly built, but to see him play means to be almost fascinated by the smoothness and sweetness of his swing, and by the movement of his fine forearms and wrists. All these co-operating movements fit together beautifully; there is no hurry, no jerk. , The long drive is. certainly one of the most satisfying shots in golf, ■ especially to the player who does not take a long drive for granted. And in first-class golf to-day it is practically essential to be able to drive regularly at least 220 yds. or more. I can think of several fine golfers, now past middle-age, who faded out of first-class golf, primarily because they could not get the length required with their drives. And one knows of others, still in the first flight, who have to struggle hard to make up for the disadvantage, under which they, as short drivers, labour. Certainly long driving is enjoyable and desirable. Only let us .not ascribe to it undue importance. In the long-driving competition a month a( ro just before the open championship, Compston won, having an aggregate of 790vds., nearlv half a mile, for his three best drives. One of these drives measured 288vds Direction is essential in this competition, as well as length. The three drives that count must all be on a certain defined fairway. One reads that Compston has a much slower back-swing now than he. had before he United States. American golfers fully realise the importance of the back-swing. It is there that shots are made or marred. British Golfers' Exploits.

Bobby Jones has for several years been proclaimed as the best golfer.in the world, this year it is impossible for anyone to gainsay that claim; not that, he makes it himself. He seems to be a most modest and unassuming fellow. But there are others to make the claim for him. And surely we all agree. He is the best golfer, a worthy champion, and " a jolly good fellow." At the same time I am moved to say a word on behalf of British golfers, and especially on behalf of one or two representatives of British golf, who failed to win the amateur or tlie open championship. Lately I have read so many paragraphs in the daily papers of New Zealand lauding either Bobby Jones or Jesse Sweetser as streets ahead of British golfers, that I am moved to recall a few of the forgotten cir never-known facts ! Bobby Jones gave Robert Harris a terrific beating by 8-6. Harris took 40 to the first nine holes, and was then 5 down. True, Harris should have played better. But the day before, Ouimet, whom no one will call a mediocre golfer, also took 40 to reach the turn, and was actually 4 up. If every match was scrutinised as closely as this 'Jones-Harris match has been, very, very few of the outstanding golfers would be found who did not occasionally (not to sav frequently) take 40 strokes to reach the turn. Redressing the Balance. Bobby Jones does not always play par golf; but he was not much above it a few months ago when Hagen beat him by 12-11 in 36 holes. Indeed, the day after Jones had beaten Halrris, the American met Andrew Jamieson, and was adequately beaten' by 4-3, Jamieson's score being level fours to the fifteenth, where the match stopped. Jones against Harris had been two below fours tor twelve holes. Yet it is of this fine round by Jones that one reads so many paragraphs now that more detailed news has reached us about these matches. And it was a fine round indeed! But to my mind young Brownlow's round against Willie Murray, the Scottish internationalist, can well stand beside it! Murray played almost par golf, Imfc went, down by 5-4' to Brownlow, who was three below fours at the fourteenth bole, having done the first nine in 34. It was Brownlow, too, who, when two down and two to play against Sweetser, holed ■a 6yd.-putt on the 17th, and again on the 18th, to win each hole. Is not that "the tiger touch?" At* the 19th the same young man gave his run-up putrf, from the edge of the green too good a chance, and failed to sink the return putt for the hole .and the match. At the* 21st hole it was the American who got the chance, and he took it. Recall, further, that America had sent over her eight picked golfers to the British amateur championship, and that only two of these reached the round before the semi-final. Do riot forget either that Holderne, Wethered, Tolley, Hezlett had no hatid in ail this, for none of them met one of the eight Americans. The American golfers scored three great triumphs in Britain. They are fine, even wonderful golfers, and good sportsmen. But they had to fight hard for their triumphs. So far as the amateurs are concerned, the contest with the British players was an exceedingly close one, and that is all for the*food of the game.