In 1909, P. A. Vaile, the w. k. golf nut, discoursed in “Modern Golf” on
the superior merits of the open stance. The model he selected for his
illustrations, George Duncan, was shown hewing to that stance, let the
chip shots fall where they might. However, a little study convinced us,
then learning the game, that, while the open stance might be all right
for Duncan, it was all wrong for us; whereupon we adopted the square
stance, and, like the person in the soap ad, we have “used no other
since.”
Now hearken to George Duncan, writing in 1920: “Generally speaking,” says
he, “I should say that the best stance is the square one. I found it to
be the best, but, before I made the discovery, I went through a trying
time in which I had many aggravating cutting of tee shots.... To many (I
know it did to me) the open stance would appear to be the natural method
of standing up to a golf ball. I can only repeat that if your trouble is
slicing, you will continue to have plenty of it to face if you do not get
to the square stance.”
Better late than never.
* * * * *
A good argument against the theory that man is descended from the monkey
is the average golfer. Now, the monkey is nothing if not imitative, but
a golfer can watch a professional swing all day without being able to
imitate his motions. No swing could be more obvious than that of our
canny friend, Joe MacMorran; he merely hauls off and hits the ball, which
is all that is necessary. Josephus weighs, when he is eating well, 104
pounds, yet he knocks the ball half a mile, or thereabouts.