On Putting.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 2, 13 July 1910, Page 11

On Putting.

How often one hears the’remark, “I could do it every time; it looks so easy,” made by non-golfing visitors as they watch ns on the’ last green vainly struggling to put a'little ball in a' hole that Seems all too small for it. And without a doubt, if we gave our friends a putter, and told them to go and try, they would hole those terrible two-yard putts nine times out of ten. The only encouragement this tantalising, ypt most fascinating, part of the game gives to us is to read that our favourite champions are, like ourselves, on their off days as likely to miss a putt as we are. As every golfer who aspires to be a player at all knows, sometimes it seems an utter impossibility to sink the ‘Tittle round lump of rubber core,” however carefully he may study the line, and at other times the most carelessly struck ball hits the back of the tin and drops merrily into the hole. It is indeed a true remark that if you are on your putting you can putt with anything, but the trouble is to find something you can putt with when you are off.

The different methods and stance would ‘go far to fill a book, but it is enough to say that some adopt the position of a runner in a hundred yards sprint, whilst others, holding the elub almost on the socket, plant their legs as far apart as they can stretch them; others insist you should keep vour right arm on your thigh. But, apart from all these fanciful poses, it is universally agreed that to make a perfect putter 'the follow through is essential, and somehow the club seems to fascinate our ball when it neatly follows through the line of the ball well on its way to the hole.

And yet when we have a miserable putt of two feet for the match, or a useful three on our cards, the thought runs, through our minds, ‘‘lt is quite easy to miss,” and if this happens with one or two of our putts the idea be-

comes so firmly fixed in our minds that we do miss them, and by the time the last green is reached we have either exhausted our supply of bad language or have torn up our cards. 'lf 'Wff'T’owid- only - eonviriee ourselves that it is* impossible to “miss it,” and keep to that, perhaps we should be better quitters, for there is no doubt, whether we are humble twenty-four men or in the vicinity of the scratch mark, the same trouble at some time or other occurs to us all. , . One thing particularly noticeable about the difference -between the professional and the amateur is the amount of preliminary swinging by the latter before the ball is struck. He may study the line carefully and swing the club, but in his anxiety to do the right thing the stroke is often » mere nervous tap which imparts a side swing to the ball, and as a result the stroke is a failure. Now watch the professional. The line of the putt is most carefully taken; he makes sure of the lie of the green and any little indifferent patches the ball may have to travel over, and when he has satisfied himself on these points no time is lost in unnecessary swinging. The club is placed, perhaps, onee in front of the ball to give the line, and with a firm stroke the ball is sped on its way. The professionals do not always putt consistently, as those who watch these favourites well know, but the movement is quick and decisive, and no time is given for the poor wretched nerves to become masters of the situation. How many of us would be better putters if we only took more care with the line, and then made sure of hitting the ball truly and promptly? "He who hesitates is lost.” This remark applies to no stroke so much as on the green. Try and make up your minds that the ball has to go into the hole, and not how easily it ean miss it. Study the ground over which you wish the ball to travel. This you cannot take too much trouble over. Then address the ball, avoid all unnecessary swing, and hit. the ball firmly. Half the putts missed are due to wretched nervous taps. It is all vciy well if you are off with your putting to “stick to it and try and conquer it,” as you so often hear people say. My advice is, put it back in your bag and take out another one. if you are fortunate enough to have another with you, or, failing that, putt with an iron or eleek. The day will soon come when you ean look your old favourite again in the face, and say

“this is the best putter going; I would not take a sovereign for it!” Do not lose your match because your putter is letting you down. You have at least two other clubs in your bag which you will do as well with, if not better, if you only try them.

Your driver will putt straight and well if you give it a chance. \\ e all have the idea that we must use our putters, so we keep to them and fail. If you are not certain of a brassie shot you take a deck or an iron. Very well, remember the next'time you cannot use your putter to try one oi these clubs. It is interesting to watch caddies at the. famous courses putt with an old iron. In fact, in many cases, they play with nothing else, and play well, too; probably because their out lit only consists of an old discarded iron club-— possibly the only one they have ever possessed—and yet they ean play wonderful shots of all kinds with it, and it is from their ranks our great professional players have sprung. If we could buy little tabloids of “confidence” we should not need all the books of advice that are constantly being published for us; hut, then, bho game would lose more than half of its interest. It is in the hope that next time we may do better which sends us out to try again or buy another club. If we were allowed to play our putts with a billiard cue. no doubt we should hole them nearly all for a week or so; but the billard cue would fail us one day, and it would then have to join the ranks of the unemployed in our lockers, to be brought again some day and probably tried with success for a second time, until it again failed, when wo should quietly sneak off to the professional’s shop to try something new. Well, if it isn*t good for our putting to buy now clubs, it certainly helps th* pro.