GOLFING CRICKETERS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19668, 9 December 1933, Page 16

GOLFING CRICKETERS

“HIT THE BALL” One occasionlly hears a former cricketer remark, “Oh! I'll never be any good at golf, I have the cricket stroke too much ingrained in me” (says the “Australasian” critic). I think in such a case it would be found that the player had never been much of a batsman, and that, if it were the practice to give cricketers handicaps, his would have been a long one. He fails at golf just for the very same reason that he failed with the bat, The case of C. B. Fry, the Admirable Crichton of sport, who until he took up golf, was unable to make a success of cricket, is illuminating, and will illustrate what I mean. It was only after a few months of golf that Fry realised for the first time the beautiful efficiency of the follow through. Later, exploiting that potent movement to the full on the cricket field, he became transformed into a great batsman, and, as a fact, he succeeded in mnnine the Enalish averages four years

out of six. What the reforming first-class cricketers have to do is to reject all the nonsensical advice they receive on the links and hit the ball. Once, in talking the matter over with Charlie Macartney, the “Governor-General" put the case in a nutshell. We were discussing the different methods employed in hitting the cricket ball I menloned that, although I noticed that Woodfull in the back swing took that bat back in line with the middle stump, | Ryder, on the other hand, made a practice of sending his out towards third mail, and I asked his what he did. He looked puzzled for a few seconds and then said, very decidedly, ••I’m dashed if I know—l just hit the hail!" That is what the golfing cricketer should do. He should consider it his first duty to hit the ball. ! Inasmuch, however, as the golf ball | does not meet one half-way, so to speak, after the accommodating man- | ner of the leather ball, it is for the cricketer at first particularly difficult tto time the stroke. He will be very apt to make his effort too soon unless he religiously keeps his eye on the ball until the very last instant. I once saw a cricketer, an excellent batsman, too. on hts first introduction to golf, miss the ball seven times, in succession, to his intense astonishment. He was quite hot with his abortive efforts, for. irritated by his failure to connect, a crescendo of viciousness had marked I his repeated ill-directed strokes. Almost out of breath with his exertions he I must have thought there was far more i exercise in golf or than he had dreamt j of. When the reason of his 'hitting I the wrong ball.” for every one of his efforts resulted in the clubhead being I half burled in the earth about 12 I inches or so short of the rubber core I (which had stood Its ground right 1 through this storm of effort), was exi plained to him, and the remedy pre- | scribed and applied, he appeared at his | eighth attempt more amazed at his success than previously he had been at 1 his failures. | In the light of the explanation ne I had hit a 200 yards Iron shot, olfcctinp that miracle :■ >r racle It I seemed to him—by keeping his eye on the back of the ball until the ball vas struck, the clubhead burying Itself as 1 before, but this time right under the ball Instead of a foot short of it. The lesson was well and truly learnt, for | this Rolling cricketer was not long In I getting down to a 6 or 7 mark, with the prospect in view ol scratch rank | which, for some reason, never materI la Used.