In the Open Air

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13892, 1 May 1909, Page 4 (Supplement)

In the Open Air

• SPORTS AND PASTIMES. The "Referee" says: It lias only to bo mentioned that Trumper is going to play on such and such a ground on such a date and the crowd will flock in 'thousands to see him perform. M. A. Noble is a greater performer 111 big cricket than Trumper, and plays in the same club team, but Trumper is the magnet. Why? Simply because he throws cares to the winds and attacks bowling in a manner quite 'unlike any other modern player. Often r,s not the ball soars over the fence from many of his mighty drives, and therein lies the magnet; the crowd like to seo the bat hit the ball and not the ball the bat, and the higher and further it is hit tho greater the enthusiasm. • * » Mr A. E. Warman, of Cue (W.A.), sends to a Sydney paper, some elipoings giving details of two remarkable howling feats. The first was accomplished by a bowler named G. Stockdale, while playing for Nannino against Mceltatharra, at Nannine, on March 14. Stockdale was tried as a "change," and bowled only three overs. In the last three balls of his second over he took a wicket each ball; then on taking the ball again in his third over, for first three balls he again captured three more wickets. One ball followed for nothing, and then the fifth ball secured another wicket. So with eight balls Stockdale took seven wickets. His complete average was seven for four, six being bowled. * » * In the Californian Senate, the Bill directed against betting was carried by 33 votes to 7. A Senator named Leavitt, who was opposed to the Bill, spoke a lot of home truths, and among other things said: "There isn't a man on the floor of this Senate who does not gamble, and you are trying to stop rac-ing—-not to stop gambling. This Bill will drive gambling out of the open and into the back rooms of saloons. The poor, >veak, lost soul we . hear so much about is the individual that sneaks into a cigar store and bets half-' a-doilar." Senator Wolfe expressed himself to the effect that the Legislature ,to be consistent, should put an end to various things at present countenanced, and suggested that indulgence in poker should be made felony, bridge a misdemeanour, and shaking dice for drinks a serious crime.

The following are some recent decisions by the Rules of Golf Committee: —Royal Naval College, Osborne. —Q. New rules, rule 32 (3): If the opponent's ball lie on the lip of the hole, may the player, after holing out, knock it away with hand or foot, or must it be done with a club? A. It is'immaterial how he knocks it away. Q. A putting green was covered with water to the depth of one or two inches, and surrounded with a radius of 18 inches of water. Oil reaching this green a competitor, before putting out, took a ball out of his pocket and tried it with his hand through the water (not on line of putt) to ascertain whether it was possible for the ball to go out into the hole. He afterwards putted out with the original ball and continued the round, but lodged no. protest as to the condition of No. 4 green at the close of the game. Was the player entitled to do as he did with the ball out of his pocket, and, if not, is he disqualified? The competition was afterwards declared null and void because of the condition of No. 4 green. If the act of the player disqualified him, is he disqualified also from competing in the replay? Is it allowable for a committee to declare a stroke competition null and void on any day other than the day of the competition, or at any time other than between .the hour of starting and finish of competition? A. 1. Hid the day's play not been declared null and void the competitor would have been disqualified. As it is, the player is entitled to compete in the replay. 2. Certainly.

In the course of some interesting articles in " Fry's Magazine," Dr Carruthers, with.' the aid of some illustrated photographs,, is trying to help us to understand the methods of the golf swing, and the way in which the muscles work to execute it in order that golfers may the more readily find out what they hare been doing wrong, and how to correct it. The illustrations are chiefly of Vardon, Braid, and Taylor, and it may be remarked as very singular that these splendid players—the leading three in the world for so long—should have methods so strikingly different. Of course, the comment that wil occur as very obvious to the ribald is that it shows that "it doesn't matter a blow how you play." But still, for all that, it does matter a great deal how yeu play, and although the triumvirate have such strikingly different styles, they have much in common as the photos will show, especially in their wrist action. Many players study the styles of these great men with the hopo of being able to drive a longer ball, but all such will be doomed to disappointment. Braid tells u's that he went to bed a short driver (most of us who have not adopted the tramp life can imitate him in this respect), and woko up next morning a long one This we cannot do; nor can Braid tell us the secret.