GOLF.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16871, 28 October 1925, Page 3

GOLF.

ttVr Press. Association. l CHRISCTCHURCII, last night. The Seafield golf championship was Won yesterday by Imlay Saunders, who defeated Seifert, 3 and 2. the'art of Butting. When asked for a description of his putting system, Walter Hagen was quite willing to spread the gospel. “In the first place,” he said, “I walk up, look over the lino of the putt, decide hoW keen or how slow the green is, and thrift decide definitely just how . hard aftd oh just What lie.,’ I mVist hit the ball. Often I have made this decision it is fixed and 1 lift longer give it ft thought. “On taking my stance I putt with the ball just opposite my left ankle, with about two-thirds of inV weight on the left foot. My right hand has about two-thirds control, With thO left largely to steady th'e club and help hold it on the line. Having taken my stance, t tftke oiie ftiO're look at the line and, then start the blade of mV pnt't’cv brick as straight as possible from the ball. Tire blade may crime jftst a vVifift to the inside, but Very little. The main point here is never i 0 hurry the buck swing, to make it ft mutter of rhythm; to keep it at even sperid, and tint to coine back too far. “The saftift is true of the forward stroke in the way of tinting—don’t bo ift too big a hurry to tap the ball. I keep a firni grip On • the club but never ft tight ofte, and if I miss one Of t\Vo short putts l often ease up my grip just a little to bring about more relaxation, as, the tendency then <ls to tighten ftp. “Ln going for thri ball I stroke through Oft a direct Uric without permitting' the putting blade to turn in, or to be pushed out. When I bfaco myself with most of the weight on my left foot I make a point of not moving my body, of keeping it perfectly still. TheSe things must all be done mechanically. It is a mistake tq think about any of these details when you are ready to putt—as the sole idea tliten should be about hitting or stroking the ball. There should be no other thought at that moment, for broken concentration is almost sure to make you,hurry thri stroke, move the ‘body, or lilt the head. , . , , “I am more deliberate than I tisftd to be—much more careful —up to tho point where I take my stance. But having taken my stanch I don’t believe in standing or waiting too long. When this happens the muscles begin to tighten and there is no freedom of iftbveftveht left.

“There whs a time,” Hagen continued', *‘when frofti fifteen to thirty fftet away I merely tried tri get the ball deftd. NOW I have confidence enough to get the line hM give tho ball a chftnec, unless I happen tri be on very keen Or tH’cliy greens. It is wonderful how many fifteen) .twenty and twenty-fiv'e foot putt's Will drop when you make,a habit of gritting the ball up US' far Us the hole. Did you ever stop and think after a round BOW iftany pfttts oil the right line stopped from two feet to four inclibs short Of the cup, When ft little ftitittf daring would .have saVed'ft stroke 1 ’ ’