LADIES’ GOLF NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16902, 29 November 1922, Page 2

LADIES’ GOLF NOTES.

Golfers seen on the Shirley links last weex include. Mrs " igram, -virs Vernon, Mrs Donald, Miss Cameron canikdi, -ur*. r rancis, Airs nariey, Mrs Best, Mrs Andreae, Airs Ilender-sou-Legg, Aiis Newbury, All’s cj'cics and Airs Maitland liicn. Notwithstanding the need of rain, the course is showiug a good sole of 1 grass, the result of the extensive topcuessmg which was done last year. It is useful to remember that local committees of golf clubs are still ’ granted power to fix the penalty for a 1 j ball “out of bounds,” so players who visit strange courses should make iut quiries on this point before starting I As a lost ball and a hall in an unplayable lie are now to be treated in j a similar manner, wo must take it that a ball in a rabbit scrape or hole canr not be catered for by a local rule. A permanent pull is a dangerous | habit to encourage, and no lady player should he tempted by the greater length gained by this type of shot. , If we watch the seaside links player we generally find her to be a hard hitter. The golfer who has never yet p played in a tearing wind on a. real seaside links where sand dunes form the t principal hazards, does not know the e treat that i.s in store for her. p * p Alosfc of golf courses are bunkered t , to punish the sliced shot more than p the pulled ball, and quite rightly so, as no golfer would ever adopt a slice e in preference to a pull. That an ind tentional slice is a valuable shot at { times is not to be denied, but he or she who acquires a “ cut ” of “ slice ” s on a wooden club shot would be well ! advised to stop the fault in its in- | fanev. *• *** . g ! Dr Jamieson, a leading English pracd j titioner. is a strong advocate of mune j iyipnl courses. “ Golf ” he says I. I " brings into play all the organs of fi j the body. Tt is neither the fad of the i- rich nor the pleasure of the old, but r ! is good for all alike.” ‘t e The school girls who are permitted e the privilege of playing over the Shir- '• ley Links little realise how fortunate f- they are, for few clubs allow juveniles >- to become members. Aliss Loitch says o her earliest golfing days were spent -- on a stretch of ground which has pract- * tically disappeared as the result of an d encroaching sea. She started to play with one of the old-fashioned lofters II and a gnttie ball, accompanied on all occasions by her left-handed sister. Before long they were allowed to become |S members of the club over whose links they had to learn how to deal with ‘ s heather, sand, bent, and wind. She r adds: “To this severe training I put 11 I down my hard hitting. I mention these facts in order to point out that hard IS hitting is necessary, and every child n should be encouraged to hit and not merely to acquire a pretty swing. Force j e and style should be combined.” o There is nothing more fascinating than watching the rapid progress of a child golfer, and the increasing keenness as the shots become longer. Aliss r Loitch says: ’‘Although 1 hate to have to say so, 1 cannot help admitting that boys, as a whole, acquire much pretu tier and more convincing Myles than G girls. That there is absolutely no reason why this should be so is proved f by the Misses Griffiths and Aliss Ruth s Pharazn of Sunningdale. The short g course at this famous club is a wona derful nursery, and the large memberv ship of young golfers includes many v promising players. Aliss Ruth Pharazn t was a competitor in the girls’ chamo pionship last year, and her perfect h swing attracted the attention and II gained the admiration of many severe s critics. 1 V e Putting will probably be the departe ment of the game in which a child 3 will make the slowest progress, but ? this is not surprising as it is about en- ? tiroly a matter of touch and cpiite a ' different stroke from any other. s The technique of golf has advanced remarkably. The definite arrival of the newest thing in golf—the swinging ‘ hit —is an established fact. The old rule still prevails that it is the speed of tlie club-head that matters, but Mitchell has introduced more than speed. He gets speed, plus firmness, I which spoils those great distances | which all must learn. Golf requires very exact co-ordina-I tion of the mind and the muscles. There are no trifles in golf. It i therefore necessary to commit all tlie physical motions to muscular memory, sr. that the mind mav be left free J o concentrate on the one factor of prime importance, which is hitting the ball It is always interesting to study snapshots of golfers and to notice the difference between a pose and n actual shot. You will notice that there is hardlv a nlaver who swings as she thinks she does. Aliss Cecil Leitch bad a snapshot sent to her once of herself “ with James Braid’s compliments.” Tt was taken at the actual moment when the head of the club met the hall during the_ playing of a full shot. It showed her left toe to be .some inches from the ground at the moment of impact. Aliss Leitch learnt to be very grateful for that snapshot, for it brought home to her. more than anything else could have done, the importance of keeping the left heel down, except during the upward swing when the natural pivot on the ball of the left foot is made. The one tiling that matters at golf is the actual hitting of the hall, and so long as the shot is of the right type, the method of hitting it does not count. A perfect style is. of course, the one to acquire, but thoso to whom a perfect style has not come naturally must on no account be do pressed by the adverse criticisms of others. When Miss Cecil Leitcli first began to play golf many critics tried to make her give up the palm rrip and use the finger or the Vardon method of holding the club. She says:—“ Being thoroughly obstinate. T refused to dis card the comfortable for the unknown, and even at that earlv age silenced m-t would-be helpers' by teller* tSLaro that *it could not be so “Terribly wrong, as Herd used it.’ Surely Herd's marvellous record further proof that, each golfer should plav as she likes. ’* Miss Alexa. Stirling is not content with mere results , each shot is played in the professional manner, and one can see at a glance that she is interested in every stroke. As an opponent- she has few equals. After her de feat at Turnberry she was always following one match or another and noticing the methods adopted by tlie other competitors.

It will generally be found that the perfect stylists aro not nearly snch powerful player a as those who are all our to hit. ’The application ox force roust rob a player of an appearance ol perfect position. Miss heitch pick.-, out • Mias Grant-Snttie as having a style as nearly perfect as any to he found in j the world of ladies’ golf, but she is net a long player. She does net hit . Pal'd .'.lien golfing. If she did. and 4. got greater length, her extraordinary 1 knowledge of the game would place her ; at the top of the tree. Platers who have a long swing need J itot think it is -difficult to cultivate a , shorter one. for if the left arm is kept j straight the club will not swing too j far. ! • The player who has a. thorough 1. cov,-ledge of the gam© findrt it- much 1. : • difficult to .succeed than frhe vli 'U' knowledge is limited. This *• un,U sweeping statement, but it v, lii.-h most of the leading players* wiU agree. So much is expected of a km ’■ ledge able player that he or she is inclined to become fearful of defeat.” *ays Miss Cecil Leiteh in speaking o« Iho defeat in England la.st- year of AI i - Alexa Stirling, a player who f.winds in a class by herself in the 1 mted States. As soon as it was known that Miss Stirling was to take part iu the biggest events in British ladies’ golf the Press began, to writ© of her prowess, and to prophesy what Fhe was likely to -do against the best players. This put the double champion (Canadian and American lady champion) at a. great disadvantage, although there was. not a word said of which this wonderful golfer is unworthy. Every golfer was anxious to sec the “ best lady player in America.” The chief interest centred around her, and it was she to whom the Americans pinned their faith. Under such conditions a seasoned golfer with years of experience would be excised if ho failed to live up to expectations. Miss Stirling, we are told, is a very young player, which ir.ade her it-k doubly difficult. M iss Stirling , .11 feed the interest of women’s golf 1 later. Miss Leiteh says: “Of her actual ploy l have the very highest opinion. As soon as she handles a club one realises that she has a marvellous knowledge of the game.” I Yardon says that a certain photograph which bo lias of Miss Stirling is one of the best photographs of a perfect swing that he has ever seen.

Faulty foot-action has a great deal t*> do with “ wild driving.” When tin* left foot turns too far the swing i-. almost certain to ho too long, and over-sw iiiKinK means loss of balance. Without, true body balance the ball may go anywhere. One sure way of learning to control body balance is to begin by seeing that the body is quite steady a-, you address the ball. So many golfers sway about on the toe, even before they commence to swing tin club, and consequently when the club does commence to move the whole body swings in sympathy. Make sore that the body is really at. .rest- as the club goes up, turn the left foot cnlv a very little, just to ease the strain on the. left side, and take the clul> back only the full length of your straight left arm. Anything further fiells over-swaying. In the downward swing use a straight right? arm, and finish the swing with the two hands pointing to the object you arc playing

LADY GOLF CHAMPION. Miss Gleuna Collett, of Providence, v. >)ri the women’s open championship of U.S.A.. at "White Sulphur Springs. Virginia, by defeating Mr- AY. A. Gavin (England) <3 up and l to play ever 36 hole*. Miss Collett’s win gives America a trio of toothful champions. fcW is only nineteen years of age, and Cone Sarazell, open champion, and Sweetzer. amateur champion, an both under twenty-one. Youth has clearly asserted itself in golf in I' -v A. It is nearly two \enrs jiom since Miss Glonna Collett was first in ntioned as a young player dearie destined for the highest honours. Sho ■i just as certainly a. star golfer as Miss .Joyce Wet he red, of England, and 1 otli plav a game that is so sound and Mire" that they must c< Hitinue to shine f<> a long time. Last year AI is - ColIrtt defeated Miss Cecil Leiteh in tho BertheHyn Cup tournament. This sear she has won the championships iit the North. South. Eastern and National open meetings. She i.-f a hard hitler—there is no longer driver among the women golfer.-, of the \ mid —and yet plays the diort game ■with a delicacy of touch that make* ];ei work round the green a pleasure i«> watch A meeting between AIBs AN« tliered and Mis- Collett would be lull of interest and it is to be hoped inat .Miss Collett will be abb* to try for tlie British championship next y*ur. and that Aliss We the red will re turn the compliment by going after ti.e American title.

HONOURS OF ENGLISH WOMAN’S GOLF. The London correspondent of “ The Mai •’ writes as follows under date < Vtoher o : Miss Cecil Leiteli and her sister. Mis* Edith Leiteli, have been in America and Canada since the early summer, but unfortunately the exchampion has not been able to play in either of the national championships •ming. to *?n io*’*rod arm. Whilst playing an ir..n shot in America a year ago, Mis- Cecil Leiteh tore th • in«i:-(‘le from the bone of her right f. ; arm ami though tin* iiijuiv memled l ly l<r jillo,\ her to compete

lor the British honours site lias had to wear her arm in a sling ever since. It was a great disappointment that she was unable to play for the American championship In this event just year v hen she. .seemed certain to win, it so happened on an excessively hot day that she could not produce tlic shots uitli anything like her usual precision and she was defeated by a comparatively unknown competitor. Miss Edith Leiteh has played, for both the Canadian and American championships. Sho ranks amongst the first half-dozen players in this country, but her scores during the toilr suggest that she lias been hopelessly out of form. She got through . two round*, of the Canadian event, hut she did not even qualify for the American one. The English ladit s’ championship I ©gins thi- week at Hunstanton, which i- situated on the East Coast and is S typical seaside course with giant sandhills. The- holder is Miss .Joyce \N e the red, the British champion, ancl strong a favourite is she that though the field numbers over eighty competitors the. odds against her retaining the- iit-lo are thought to be more than equal. Miss AVcthered is a remarkable golfer. Tall and slight, there is a t-ota] absence of power about her shots, and yet the distance she attains has never been surpassed by a woman—not even by Miss Cecil Leiteh. Another interesting competitor will bo Mrs Gavin who has already played in three national finals this year. The first was tho French. Then she went to Canada and was successful. Straight away she made a bold bid for the honours of A merican women’s golf hut did not succeed. On her perform- ■ anre in Canada and America Mrs Gavin 1 seems to be a formidable rival for Miss AVcthered, but unless she has discovered the secret of hitting the ball many yards further, the reigning champion is likely to be overpowering in the Jong i game.