ON THE LINKS

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 71, 26 April 1930, Page 13

ON THE LINKS

HAWKE'S BAY EASTER TOURNAMENT. AN ENJOYABLE FIXTURE (Notes by "Plus Four.")

Throughout Kew Zealand during the past holidays golf clubs have been holding Easter tournaments. This is a very happy method of opening the season's activities and it is pleasant to think that the Napier Club has fallen into line with other distriets and this year Iield the first Easter tournament in the history of the club. The new departure proved most popular and good entries wero received from Hastings, as well as local players, Tbe course proved to be in excellent condition for this timo of the year and some good golf was witnessed. H. S. Hindmarsh commeneed the season well by winning the main eyent, the Easter Handicap, M. R. M. Turnbull Ibeing the runner-up. b. m* silk's success. Napier players will remember a young player, B. M. Silk, who played m the Hawke's Bay tournament two years ago. Last year in the New Zealand championships he distinguished himself by qualifying well up the list and his name has now once more been brought before the puhlio by means of his victory in the Palmerston North, Manawata, Easter tournament. Among his conquered rivals was A. E. Ekstedt, whom he vanquished in the semi-fmal, " doing a round of 74 to win three and one. kirk-w1ndeyer cup. New Zealand has started the seaEM well with the victories over both V&toria and New South Wales in the Kirk-Windeyer Cup matches. The foursomes espeeially produced some outstanding form amongst the Dotninion players, against which the visitors could not stand. wilful dest I see that some destructive persons have been at work damaging the new water supply system at Waiohiki. It is_ to be hoped that these misbreants will -'be brought to justice and severely punished. golf "errors. One of the most interesting phases of golf is the large number of deviees employed to correct errors or faults (sayg Grantland Rice in an American paper). Many of these carry certain powers fef suggestion that frequently do a lot

of good. I watched a well-known instructor working over a certain golfer who was hooking the ball out of the county. The instructor at first suggested the correct swing that, if followed, would bring about a permanent cure. But as the player wanted swifter results, the teacher then suggested that he should liit the ball with the heel of the driver and brassie — to liave that feeling of hitting with the heel. A golf ball struck off the toe of the club is usually hooked. One By attempting to swing the heel of struck off the heel is usually sliced. the club into the ball the player soon corrected most of the hooking fault. He at Ieast was no longer swinging the club in a circle with the right hand entirely in control. To hit with the heel there must 'be much more use of the left hand. The two hands should hit together with the same force, but most golfers refuse to give the left arm their .chance to work. The idea of attempting to hit with the heel, tpjnking along these lines, will bring the left hand and left arm into more play, and will also have a tendency to reduce or eliminate any hooking fit. * * ♦ for iron play. There is another mental suggestion offered by both Vardon and J. H. Taylor. Both have suggested that the player piclr out a spot directly in front of the ball for iron play and hit through that spot. If this advice is followed, the club-head is not checked so quickly, and there is a feeling of hitting "through" the ball, and not so much hitting "at" the ball. As a rule, the power of the golf swing is applied much too soon — too far ahead of the impact. In place of swinging the club at increasing speed, the' effort is usually a lunge or a wallop, and most of the force has Jxeen used up before the clu'b-head ever gets to its target. Picking out a spot just in front of the ball as the target will often bring about _ the needed delay in hitting — what is called "waiting on the blow." ♦ ♦ ♦ the swing. Jock Hutchinson says that the big difference hetween good golfers and poor golfers is that the good golfers keep back of the ball as they swing. This is true. And to keep back of the ball they must first get back of the ball, which simply means that they must let the weight get back on the ball on the right foot. If the weight is forward on the left leg at the top of the swing there is no possible chance to get 'back of 'the hall or to he there as the down swing starts.