The Best Golf Stories Ever Told Page 3

  Connected with the address of the ball is the facing of the club, and on this point the accuracy and thoroughness of the Americans are again shown. The method we are accustomed to adopt is roughly this: When once the stance for the shot is taken, with every regard for direction, the facing of the club correctly may be said to become almost automatic, and it only remains, in the case of irons, for the face of the club to be turned out slightly in order to counteract a presumable turn of the right wrist at the moment of impact. This turning is a dangerous practice, and one which I suspect the Americans have partly rejected. Their way of regarding the matter is that if the club is first soled behind the ball in the proper position, the feet will of necessity take up their right stance, and any indecision at the last minute with regard to them will be in this way avoided. The Americans do not, as a rule, allow for the turn of the right wrist during the swing, but trust rather to the truth of its orbit during the stroke. They therefore place the face of the club at an exact right angle to the line of the shot. Such preliminary movements as are necessary before the striking of the ball are reduced to a simple formula by Mr. Bobby Jones. First he soles his club, looks at the line, and adjusts it accordingly. His feet fall into their places naturally. He lifts the club head and moves it over the ball once or twice, soles it carefully again, glances at the line and back again, and then swings without more ado.

  Having dwelt on these minor but nonetheless important details, which help to induce that frame of mind in the player necessary for the confident hitting of the ball, it will not, I think, be time wasted if we inquire into the nature of the American swing. The golf swing is always a difficult motion to analyse. Instantaneous photography has exposed, and at the same time ruthlessly exploded, maxims which were thought to be inviolate. It has also shown what has always been suspected, that there are many ways of executing an apparently perfect shot. The truth of the matter is that rhythm, and rhythm only, is the secret of correct timing. The American players appear to have approached the principles of rhythmic swinging from a sound and commonsense point of view. In order to compel the club head to a very high rate of speed at the moment of impact without sacrificing these sensations of rhythmic movement, they have allowed themselves, broadly speaking, to cultivate a large and deliberate back swing with a correspondingly long recovery in the follow through. By this method the club head is allowed in the all-important down swing ample time gradually to increase its pace until it reaches its greatest velocity at the moment when the ball is struck. There is a wide distinction between a punch and a slap, and it is in this particular that the Americans differ somewhat from us in their manner of striking the ball. In a punch the swing is necessarily a short one. The backward movement of the arm is of a secondary importance, provided that it is contained within the smallest limits. The power in a punch is developed at impact, and immediately afterwards. It is this irresistible push which contributes to the weight of the blow. The slap, on the other hand, is dependent upon correct timing for its effect, and the greater the distance from the point of its delivery to its objective the greater will be its sting at impact. For golfing purposes the longer and more rhythmic movement is particularly suitable, because in no other game does any ball respond more readily to accurate timing than the rubber-cored ball. In order to hit it great distances, the quality, that we know as sting, is of greater value than all the force of human physique applied in the form of a punch.

  This, I think, is the argument in favour of the long swing. It may be criticised as tending to inaccuracy, but the difficulty of its manipulation can be overcome; and indeed has been overcome in the most convincing manner by our friends across the Atlantic, even taking into account the clemency of their weather conditions. In this country there is a tendency to discourage young players who are able, by the means of a long swing, to hit the ball sweetly with their more lofted iron clubs; and I am not sure that British golf is not being robbed of its individuality and natural grace by an insistence upon cast iron principles of rigid swinging, which only allow those in possession of abnormally strong wrists and forearms to secure the best results.

  The most noteworthy points in the American swing—particularly with wooden clubs—are to be seen in the first movements of the back swing, the straightness of the arms throughout, the remarkable control of the body, and a certain litheness of the shoulders. It is at such an early stage of the swing as the very first movements of the club head that disaster may be spelt, because it is at that point that the preliminary impetus to the rhythmic motion of the swing is set in action. It is easy to see that at the commencement of a long swing the faintest suspicion of snatching may ruin the best intentions afterwards. To take the instance of Mr. Ouimet, the club is lifted back for the first foot very low to the ground, and with the utmost deliberation, while as yet the wrists have not begun to operate. His left arm is straight even in the address; and it is this arm that initiates the swing from the very beginning. This slow movement may appear a trivial point upon which to lay especial emphasis, but it is none the less worthy of observation. Just as the speed of the club head increases gradually in the downward swing, so does the same rule apply with equal force in the upward motion. For that reason it is necessary to start as quietly as possible, or otherwise the final stage of the back swing will be conducted at too great a speed for comfort or efficiency. The top of the swing is reached with a taut left arm, and it is only the bend of the left wrist, without any bend of the left elbow, which has allowed the back swing to attain its full dimension. It is important to remember that the bend of the wrist has only been brought about gradually and smoothly until the final state of tension has been obtained.

  At the top of the back swing there is no pause, only what may be termed a poise, sufficient to permit of the recovery of the club head and to start it forthwith upon its downward path without checking its momentum. The maximum speed at impact is obtained by a delayed wrist action, which means that the bend in the left wrist is not straightened out by the right hand and forearm until the last moment, when the final impetus is thus added. All this while the left arm has been as straight as a ramrod. The right arm then becomes rigid in its turn, and straightens out in the follow through, until the pull on both arms becomes so strong that the necessary reaction ensues and the finish becomes absolute. The Americans make no particular attempt to retard the pace of the swing when once the ball has been struck, but allow the club to subside naturally over the left shoulder, even when the pull on the arms indicates that, for better or for worse, the shot has been played. In this way the rhythm of the swing is preserved throughout.

  Body movement seems to be eliminated as far as possible. The hips are very firm, and the Americans stand well up to the ball. The chief movement seems to be left to the shoulders, which turn with exceptional freedom according to the requirements of the swing. To put it plainly, I think this may be chiefly accounted for by the fact that most of their players wear a belt and play in their shirt sleeves, which enables them to obtain their pivoting movement without unduly turning the lower portion of the body. They do not appear to move their heads in the slightest degree. It seems as if the whole mechanism works round a central column, of which the head is the only visible projection.

  It is generally agreed that the most marked distinction between the play of professionals and amateurs is found in their strokes with the more powerful iron clubs. The difference is chiefly discerned in the flight of the ball. Amateurs seem unable to reproduce with any consistency the shot that starts low and gradually gathers height, until all its energy seems to be exhausted in the air, when it finally descends almost vertically upon the heart of the green, and definitely remains there. And it is this shot which the professional expert plays with unfailing regularity, and apparently without thinking. It is second nature to him, and makes the game look very easy compared with the efforts of most amateurs. We have come to believe that part of the secret of this stroke lies in the compactness of the professional’s swi
ng, and in the strength of his forearms and wrists. You may judge, then, how great a surprise it was to discover that the American amateurs, by means of a long, free swing, were securing a similar trajectory and an identical type of shot. There are indeed many ways of doing one and the same thing.

  One definite principle in connection with this particular iron shot holds good—that the ball must be struck first and the turf afterwards. This method of iron play applies even more in the United States than in this country, owing to the nature of the ground; because the turf, although it exists in abundance owing to watering and other precautions, consists of a coarse mat established upon a veritable bed of concrete. If turf is taken, therefore, before the club meets the ball, it is reasonable to suppose that a slight skidding of the iron head at once takes effect with a disastrous result. What is a wise precaution even upon our own soft and springy turf becomes a golden rule in the States.

  Back spin, and the soaring flight associated with it, is imparted by means of a downward blow, and partly by what is more obscure, the retention of the ball upon the face of the club for a longer period than usual. If a golf ball moves up the face of a lofted club while it is being hit, it is obvious that a backward rotary movement of the ball takes place; and it is for this reason that the club face should be moving in a downward direction. It is also clear that the longer the ball has the opportunity of remaining in contact with the face of the club, the greater will be the spin which it gathers during this process. To take the two types of shots. If the ball is hit while the club head is proceeding in an upward direction, the swing accords more with the loft of the club, and the ball is inclined to fly direct from the point of impact. But if, on the other hand, the swing is directed more abruptly downwards upon the ball, and at impact proceeds as low as possible, it must follow that the loft of the club allows the ball to remain a little longer upon its face. Taking as an analogy certain letters of the alphabet, the two most suitable examples seem to be, for the regular swing, a wide U; and, as representing the swing that applies the most back spin, the letter L, so far as it can be adapted to the purposes of a golfing stroke. It is with this last style I wish to deal. To the outward eye there is little difference in the driving swing of the American amateur from that which he employs with his irons, except that in the one case the ball is hit cleanly and in the other the turf is definitely grazed, if not actually taken. The slight waggle, the very accurate soleing of the club, and the straightness of the arms are principles which are still rigidly observed. The main differences are the transference of weight more on to the left foot, and perhaps a little more use of the right hand. In order to acquire the more direct downward action the stance is taken up with the ball rather nearer the right foot. The weight is distributed more upon the left leg at the commencement of the upward swing, in order to permit of the club being lifted up at a more acute angle from the ball, without in any way interfering with the straightness of the left arm. Furthermore, I am inclined to think that there comes a stage in the downward swing, just before the ball is struck, when the left arm as far as the wrist is practically pointing straight at the ball, and the bend in the left wrist itself has not yet been straightened. The ball is struck, and both hands follow through low in the line of flight without any deliberate straining or stiffening of the wrists. The reactionary pull of course becomes severe, but, in playing this shot, there does not seem to be the same studied effort to finish the sweep of the club head, probably because the use of the right hand has become more pronounced.

  The virtue of this method of iron play seems to lie in the fact that the rhythm of the swing has been maintained in much the same manner as with wooden clubs, and that, owing to the still considerable length of the back swing, the slap has been administered rather than the more clumsy punch.

  In the more delicate parts of the game upon the putting green the work of the American golfers was particularly to be admired. Their clean hitting and decisive holing-out made this alarming department of the game look comparatively easy. The firmness of their putting in this country was due in all probability to confidence gained upon the slower greens of their home links. There, the ball must be struck firmly for the back of the hole; and the danger of running out of holing distance is a contingency remote enough to be almost disregarded. In England they adopted the same method with slight modifications upon our shaven seaside greens, with the result that their holeable putts hit the back of the hole smartly in the centre and dropped into the bottom of the cup in due course without hesitation. It is quite conceivable that this quick and confident striking of the ball, with a further acquaintance of our glassy putting surfaces, might have been replaced by our more uneasy methods. However, no flaw could be detected in their manner of wielding the putter. It was characterised by all that makes for sound putting: an immovable body, stiffish arms, and free wrists. The ball was hit with the clean tap, which only the golfer who is sure of himself may administer. The whole procedure was a joy, even for jealous eyes to behold.

  We are able to learn from this example little more than we knew already, unless it is to confirm the suspicion already present in our minds that the secret of putting lies in confidence; and that confidence once gained can overcome difficulties that might well appear insurmountable.

  We may very well ask ourselves, how far do these principles of American golf apply to us who play the game under different weather conditions, and over differently constructed courses? The long swing in a gale of wind may be a slender reed upon which to rely; and it might reasonably be argued that we have developed our own styles of hitting the ball for the best of reasons, that no other way has been found suitable. It is a mistake, however, to be dogmatic, and in matters of golfing methods especially. In this perplexing game there are no final conclusions. The open mind is everything. I do not think we should, as a golfing community, close our eyes to the possibility that the methods of our rivals may help to develop our national style upon broader lines. There may be considerations of real interest and practical value in the American point of view.

  To sum up, we have referred in particular to four details of method. The simplification of the waggle and, secondly, the accurate soleing of the club are both of first-rate importance. No conditions can detract from their possible worth. Facing the club head true to the hole has the virtue of simplicity, although there will be no advantage gained unless the swing subsequently conforms with this initial accuracy.

  Then again the rhythmic motion, which is bound up with the longer swing. Whether or not it is adapted to the variable conditions of this country, where sun, rain, and wind hold sway alternately, remains to be seen, in so far as its rhythmic advantages can be attuned to our shorter back swings and less adventurous finishes.

  Finally, the back-spin stroke, which may well replace the cut shot. All the advantages are in its favour. With side spin, direction is difficult to obtain by any other hand than that of a master. We are over-much inclined to play for strength rather than for direction with our approaches. We must harden our hearts, hit the ball straight at the pin, and trust to the back spin to find the strength for us.

  Perhaps the most instructive comparison of all lies in the respective attitudes adopted by the rival countries towards the game. Of the two—and I am referring to amateur golf—I think the American attitude is the superior. At least it is the more likely to secure the best results. Just as the confident golfer can almost dispense with method and effect miracles when the glow of inspiration fires him, so a businesslike attitude may do much to eliminate those mischievous thoughts and rash intentions which are liable to upset the even tenor of a round. We are too prone to indulge our golfing fancy; and it even delights us to discover difficulties which sometimes do not exist. The wind plays havoc with our shots; yet in the spirit of adventure the misguided golfer seeks to chain this fickle creature of the air to his chariot wheels, and exercises his ingenuity in attempting to make it serve his purposes by needlessly elaborate devices. In most i
nstances he finds it an unruly subject, but years of experience will as often as not fail to convince him that he is dealing with too treacherous an element in the game to warrant idle liberties.

  The American example in the usual avoidance of trick shots might often be followed with advantage. I believe I am correct in saying that the principle which they for the most part adopt is one shot with each club, and each shot hit in as genuinely straightforward a manner as is possible. It is true to say that the golfer who pulls off the big things in golf is often the player who is equipped with a greater variety of strokes than his opponent; but it is equally true that had it not been for previous errors he would never have had the need to resort to their use. As a means of recovery such shots are invaluable, but it would be wise to reserve them only for the desperate occasions. Kirkwood, who is rightly supposed to have more trick shots at his command than any other living golfer, chiefly impresses the onlooker, not by the exercise of these peculiarities, but by the magnificent safety of his tactics. In this connection I remember that a keen follower of the game was discussing with a famous professional the chances of a rising young amateur, and ventured the opinion that he had not sufficient shots in his bag. The reply was, ‘He is none the worse for that.’ And subsequent events proved the correctness of the remark.