GOLF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23118, 18 February 1937, Page 4

GOLF

By Divot

FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY Otago.—Foursome (Stroke). St. Clair.—First round Fourball Knock-out. ST. CLAIR CLUB The successor to W, W. Clayton, the popular secretary of the St. Clair Club, was appbinted this week by the committee of the St. Clair Club. The chosen candidate was J. A. Templeton, who has been a prominent member of the club for 10 or more years. Templeton is a keen golfer, and one who is in every way fitted to All the important position of secretary. FOURBALL KNOCK-OUT The popular Fourball Knock-out event will be commenced on Saturday, and those ■ desirous of competing are advised to see that their names are included in the draw, as all byes must be eliminated in the first round. FORM AND STYLE There are many factors which keep potential 80 shooters way up in the nineties. One of them (writes Willie Macfarlane in the American Golfer) is the matter of trying to imitate wellknown golfers. Surprisingly, this practice is almost invariably harmful. Take the ranking 20 in golf to-day and analyse their swings. You will be struck immediately by the fact that there is a wide variation in the style which the different golfers employ, although certain fundamentals are observed by all. Form and style are two very different things. Style is the result of good form, and varies according to the physical and nervous make-up of the individual. Imitating the style of a golfer whose physical and nervous make-up is entirely foreign to one’s own can onlyresult in trouble, for in such cases the cart is being put before the horse. Although ohe cultivates good style automatically through learning good form, one cannot always acquire good form by imitating style. Watching good players in action and sensing the smooth way in which they swing the clubhead at the ball is helpful to everyone’s game, but any attempt to copy the details of their swings is liable to prove harmful in the long run. Then there is the matter of putting stock in certain well-worn golf cliches such as “ hit from the inside, out,” and “control the club with your left hand.” These two, incidentally, are probably responsible for more high scores than any. of the others —and there are plenty. The average golfer who tries to hit “ from the inside out ” draws, his arms in toward his body on the backswing, thus incorporating an interesting loop into the top of his swing, and another almost as interesting in the flight of the ball. It is far bettter to let the body turn normally in response to the hands on the backswing, and then concentrate on, a long, fluent follow through. This will give the entire swing a feeling of freedom and ease, and will result in control of the clubhead through the hands and fingers. Concentrating on what the left hand is doing is another mistake commonly made by golfers who have listened to advice offered by all and sundry. Golf, it should be understood, is a twohanded game. It is true that the club may feel firmer in the left hand because it happens to be gripped nearer the palm, but this does not alter the fact that the fingers of the right hand play a most important part in throwing the clubhead at the ball. One should always think of the hands as working together. Finally, a new technical fault of which most players are guilty is that of trying for too much distance. Altogether too many golfers underclub trying to reach greens so that they can boast that they “ reached number six with a drive and a four against the wind.” True, it is- easier to play a hole with a drive and number four than.withi’a drive and number twoprovided you don’t have to force the four. I believe that the average 90 golfer could cut several strokes off his score by playing within himself on every shot. Consideration of these things should help every golfer anxious to bring his game down into the 80 s. I find they are responsible for most of the faults In the 90 shooters who come to me for assistance. : Golf is not, really, such a hard game. Choose your clubs according to your temperament, adapt your stance to your physical set-up, let the body turn easily in response to the hands on the backswing, and follow through easily. You may not play the best golf in the world, but you’ll be on the right track.