Show ap of or Q a S au ide lee fee C RICE I I I II i There Is 18 I no one Immune They can all lose loae their put putting ling touch and when It happens happen Grand Old Is I I popping right and left lett Even the redoubtable Hagen Haren has skidded kidded badly In this respect most mo of the th winter just juit as he did tour years earl ago o In 1121 1921 Hagen Bagen H ien had s II terrific putting slump dump He putted badly all winter We played a 1 around around round with him the day before the open started at al Columbia and he mIssed at least six short putts putte of two three and four tour feet feel He put put- putted put putted ted led badly through most of ot that champIonship Shortly afterward Hagen regained refrained his hIe control of the putting blade and for the nut nelt three years ears gave xav one on of the th most consistent putting exhibitions after arter round that one on might ever tr see sea se There was the unmoved body the still head and the smooth smooth- smooth stroking motion without a touch of jab or poke or hurry Then this last laet winter there was a lapse agaIn Possibly It wont ont ont lot last l lt Ion long In putting you can never tell It was at Columbia In 1921 1821 that put Jim Barnes Barnes gave av a wonderful put put- putting putting ting exhibition He H played fine golf throughout and he h broke brok up the opposing phalanx on the th treen kreen With the long rl right richt ht leg ler draped far behInd and the body bent well over he continued to 10 tap the th eight and ten tell footers Into the cup Then Thena a queer thing thine happened As Hagen Ha came Into hi his putting Barnes fell sadly oft off He was waa plaYIng as well II IIa a as ever but three putts to a green any chance chanc he h had bad In ono one CalifornIa round Barnes played 0 o the th green only to take three putts potts on ten greens In one round He II had an 12 83 that will witt putting would have been beena a 70 There was a hitch In his wrist or something of ot the th sort eort that became almost almot a habit Barnes has hu been playing as well as ever but his putting ha has haa never ne r quite regaIned Its It old place lIe He was closer to the pin than Hagen at French Lick last September but Hag n beat him on the greens green There Tere have been no putters putten who matched Travers Tra and sad Travis be- be between be between tween 1204 and 1913 They they were tar far beyond id any putte putters who wIeld the cleek deck blade blad or the tb aluminum head today Hagen HE n and Jones have han been two ot or the th best besl but they are ar not up with willi Jerome Jerom p D and Walter Waiter J 3 by many nany notches notches- notches not not over a long lone stretch And II when a golfer colter Isn't it putting he be isn't going to Ills drIving may he long and straight Ill Iron play may be b brilliant But what I Il Is U l worth It if he be cant can't let get the th ball bait into Inlo the hole bole Jut Just a fw lew three putt three greens green can wipe out any number of spectacular shots MacDonald Smith had the run of or the th sand i greens at Pinehurst hurst and lie he wrecked the th field He H turned In Inthe inthe Inthe the lowest lowet score acore ever r made there theror or leve seventy two two ty-two holes He lie was seven under even 4 for four i rounds That's golf rolt A lot of golf well ell he And no matter mater how was playIng It would never be poe poe- pos possible sible sibie without tine flee tin putting It Mac Smith can continue hll lii putting form he will 11 win at Wor Wor- Wor- Wor Worcester Worcester cester celter Ther There Thero are few straighter to the th pin But he ha h has ba bean only norI an average eraCe putter neither poor nor norI brilliant Fine putting has been I one of the bill big factors In BobbY I 1 Joness Jones's pia play He Is Ie far ar and away awa- awaa awaya a better betler putter than man many have ha i given him credit for being belne lie He hits the ball bail smoothly and evenly an and I he lent Isn't afraid of o getting by the I pin 11 Putting Is II I nearly all mental Therefore It I Is ii more erratic In hu- hu manit hu-manit manit ythan something which h calli call largely for physical force It It takes take no physical force force- fore whatsoever to hit hi a ball four feet tet on a keen green ireen But It takes a world of ot pOlle pots and nerve nee control to hit one on Into the cup from that and distance and to lo keep on hitting or strokIng them there Wo We 0 have seen sten any num- num number num number ber of o good golfers playIng well until they missed mined one on short phort hort putt wellI After this the detonation could be heard for many miles Gene Sar- Sar Sar-aien Sar ann azen went out In 33 13 at Oakland Hills holing all ali the th doubtful ones lie He missed his first short putt on or the eleventh ele or or twelfth green creen And he came back bak in fi 11 41 or 42 43 He H was through The fhe Th smoothness had de- de deserted de deserted sorted hl his swing swim and the serenity had left Idl hi his soul loul There Ther are many fine tine putters eho can play neither wood nor Iron at ata ata ata a 90 0 clip There Ther are many tine golfers golfer with wood and iron who cant can't putt a lick Those who want to putt well must mut first cultivate a smooth even stroke with an unmoved Cd body and a still head They must then practice the th right rl htway way ay sufficiently to obtain confidence dence deuce And even o then they will find days daYI when hen the tincup In the tho green doesn't look to be b half halt u as ularee aslar large laree e ae as a thImble 00 I I I I |