Golf. SOME SHIBBOLETHS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 99, 13 May 1937, Page 15

Golf. SOME SHIBBOLETHS

Often Detrimental To Players CLUB ACTIVITIES The remarkable uniyersal popularity of the game of golf has created the opportunity for writers on the game and prominent players to express what seems to them the best methods to be adopted in order to propel the little ball towards its destlmation, and many and varied are the ldeas as to the best means of lmpfovifig one's game, says D, G. Soiitlar in Golf in Anstralia. The ambition of every piayer, whether he be a long or a short handicap man, is to improve his game. Many have stated that they play for the mere enjoyment or exercise, but, nevertheless, not one of them but is thrilled to execute a good hole or bring in a card recording an improved round of golf. Unfortunately, many articlei on golf have been.written by jonrnalists and dthers without a prdper understanding of the gaine, and the true meaning of terms employed to describe the movements. Such phrases as "cocking the wrists" at the top of the swing,-,hit-ting against the left side," "pivoting" and such-like terms have been the Cause of retarding any pdssible improvement and, in not & few ipstanees, practically ruiuing the prospects of young players reaehing & high standard td Which their natural ability uUchecked Wdftld probably have led them. Undue emphasis has been giveft thqse phrases whieh, though correet, are after all, only incidentals and not elementals of the game. In straining to bring them into effiect the real structnre of fwing is bound to collaps-'e. For instance, take the "cocking of the wrists,, theory. Early books on the game lay it down as an essential feature to suceess that the wrists dr hands should be under the shaft at the top of the, swing. That position is fundamentally correct, and is attained by a natural swing of the left arm and not by any unnatural eeeking df the wrists. At the address the hands are above the shaft, and when the club is swnng upwards in a sweeping circulaf movement the natural position of the hands is under the shaft. This movement is simply illustrated by the action of a inotdr-car wheel. When stationary with the valve df the tire at the bottofn, the valve points upwardS; aS the Whe§l tnfns round and the valve teftch.es the top, the valve points downwafd. Ap p1y the same principle to the golf swing ftnd the hftnds follow the action of the valve and ftt the top df the swing are befleath the Shaft without any Unnatural "cocking of the wrists.*' /'Hitting agftlnst the left side" is also deftlt with by Soiitaf. It is a natural oalteomd of a correet sWing where the left hip and leg brace thCmselves to balftnCC the boay and withstaad the pull of the club as it follows through. It is ftn effdct and liot a ftlfldftirientftl, and any stfaining to emphasise it Will result in an unbalanced and ineffective shot. A piayer who is successfiil when "hitting against the left leg" becomes so in spite of it not because of it. Tho movement may not be altogether wrong, bUt it certainly will, if over Omphasised, affect the smadthness of the SWiiig, Which is the sufcst mdthod of playing easy golf. "Pivoting" is simply the natural 1 turn of the body when following the

— --»■ 11 11 • swing of the club backwards and through the ball to a finish, and any strftined effort to pivot the body otherwise than by following the club head in its natural arc will bring the bo^y into the shot and upset the natural rhythm of the swing. Other journalistic ternis have crept into the game which when adopted literally have not been for the good of the game, and a elose analysia of the law of cause and eft'ect would be to the advantage of a number of players who have slavishly followed the camera or the "ghosted" articles under various names. The camera shows us what actually does take place, but far better would be an insight into the illustrated piayer 's mind when he is making the shot. Hastings, Olub Notes. The midweek Hastings Club players had another perfeet day for tneir game on Thursday last, and made the most of it, eix cards being handed in below the S.S. of the course. A. J. Grant, who headed the list with 81-T-12, nett 69, has been playing very consistently this season, and wcruld be a force to be reckoned with in the major competitions. However, he will be missing from the links for the next few weeks

consequent on a holiday erulse to Honolulu. Best wishes, Alan, and we hope to hear something of the , island links on your return, J. L. Paterson, J. F. Jones and H. Blackmore each returned cards of nett 70 td share seccmd honours, with G. Murfitt 71 and E. A. Tong 72 next in order. The mateh for Saturday last was the first round of the club handicap, but only about- half of the matches were completed. Owing to the incidenee df the Hastings races on Saturday and the Coronation eelebrations on Wednesday, the committee relaxed the conditions and have allowed a week in which to complete the first mateh. Thereafter, competitors will fix their own time within stated date limits to complete the succeCding fOUnds. This cofnpetition prdved Very popular last year, ftdd judging by the scrntiny giveU to thd drftw shOet Will he equally so this seaSon.The week-end fou'rball is retaining its popularity judging by the big entty each Week The last event Was won by H. J. Longstaff (2) and I. Ellidtt (7) with the excellent card of 6 Up. As their combined bogey handicap is T, they were just about equ&l to the "Colonel" oft the Stick. R. McNiven and H A. Fftnnib were runners-un with 4 up, and J. F. Jones and F. E. Nutter filled third place. Golf Lecture and Pictures. J. Lambie, the Hastings Club professienal, Is arfaiiging a lecfhre on golf, as it is played abd how it should be, in the Priendiy. Society Hall. He wiil illustrate his leCtUfd with films, shoWing leading professional and amateur players of the world in action, which should be instruetive to his audience.