Back in the 50's golf gloves had thick leather and nothing like today. Arnold Palmer started taking his glove off to putt. Most golfers followed Arnie.
I was a platoon commander inn Vietnam. In a fire fight, we were moving forward when a Marine next to me stepped on a mine or booby trap. He flew upwards but the blast snapped my knee inwards. I had about four operations on it but wore a full leg brace for years. Finally, a former Army Ranger...
The 90% air comes from Arnold Palmer. After a round in which he hit a ball through a tree, he was asked if that play was a good risk. He said, " Hitting through a tree is a 90% error." Because of his western PA accent, it was reported as "90% air."