[Sean_Tully]

Just sitting at my computer and found a reference to a film that shows golfers hitting balls at Sandwich. Ouimet, Chick Evans, Fraser Hale, Harold Hilton, Robert Harris,C.O. Hazlett, to name a few. They also showed some footage of the Metropolitan Open at Englewood between Kirkby and Travis!

The film was put together by Louis Livingston a member of the NYSE. This would be a blast to watch. I would love to see Travis come to life. I wonder what this Livingston's story is and if the film is still out there somewhere.

Tully

[BCrosby]

Sean -

Let us know what you find. I would love to see it.

I think we might be shocked at the swings of Vardon, Braid, Ray, Taylor et al.

I have seen films of Hagen's swing and was surprised that he was as successful as he was.

But then maybe his contemporaries had even worse swings, at least by modern standards.

I don't mean to be condescending. It's just a graphic example of how much more we've learned about the golf swing with the passage of eight or nine decades.

Bob  

[JESII]

Bob,

What good would a nice swing be with that crappy old equipment...sometimes two wrongs do make a right...

[BCrosby]

JES -

Possibly. But if you read some of the instruction pieces in old golf magazines from the era, there are some real howlers.

The evolution of the golf swing is fascinating. Part of its evolution is due to equipment changes. But part of it is due to the accummulation of knowledge over time.

I don't know what percentage you assign to each. But having film of those old swings helps give a picture of the starting points.

Bob

[JESII]

I was not serious at all...the only instruction book I've ever read (and still do frequently) is called "On Learning Golf" by a guy named Percy Boomer. He taught and wrote from the 20's through the 40's...I highly recommend it, although I believe it is out of print.   Alfred A. Knopf NY, NY is the publisher

[BCrosby]

JES -

I know the book well. Percy Boomer was an interesting guy. As I recall, he spent most of his career in Biarritz and Portugal teaching golf to wealthy Englishmen and women on holiday. No?

Bob

[JESII]

I think so...St. Cloud was the club at which he spent the majority of his career...not sure which region, but it is in France...

[BCrosby]

St Cloud is just outside of Paris. I thought it was Biarritz. I stand corrected.

Bob

[David Stamm]

I'd love to see this. I have seen some of the swings that Bob refers to. Ray really lumbered into the ball!

[Sean_Tully]

Many prominent golfers, including Jerome D. Travers, Findlay S. Douglas, and Max H. Behr were there for the show. As it turns out Livingston was a pretty good golfer, he could hold his own versus Behr.

I hope that there is some more info on Livingston and that his movie has been preserved. What is the earliest film that depicts golf? They had to have been making films prior to this!?!?! I have seen some cool old films from as early at 1898, so my fingers are crossed.

Tully

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