Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-05
The Proper Way in Which to
Drive"
FACILITY IN The Use OF TEE CLUBS
Rules Neglected by the Majority
Of Beginners.
HINTS TO THE VICE

Willie Dunn, the professional golf player,
in recent talk about his favorite game
uttered much valuable advice to young
players. The professional, in making a
full drive, brings back his club. grasping
1t firmly with the left hand, while the grip
of his right hand is somewhat relaxed.
ut stands to reason" says Dunn. explain
ing the why and wherefore Of the matter,
that when the club is raised above the
shoulder and brought round the back OF
the neck, the grasp Of one hand or the
other Is bound to relax The hand to
loosen Its grip should be the right, and
not the left
1.-The majority of beginners neglect or
are ignorant of this rule. They relax the
grasp of the left hand they do when
using cricket or baseball bat, and the re-
suit Is that when the head of the club
reaches the ball its nose is turned In and
the face is not brought squarely against
the ball. Unless the center Of the face
strikes the ball a perfect drive cannot be
made. If the ball is struck by the toe
the end of the clubs head. it screws round
to the left; If by the heel the angle OF
the club nearest the player, 1t screws to
the right. 1t is Sliced as it will be If the
club is swung across the body, and a spin
or bias Will be put upon it that will battle
all the players calculations"
The man taking his first lesson In driv-
Ing finds 1t no easy matter to keep his
balance, because in preparing to strike he
has necessarily to bend forward little.
At this point the player must be careful
not to lose his balance, and by an awkward
jolt of the body forward or backward,
as he brings his club down. fail to hit
his ball with the middle of the face" and
so either toe" or heel it. Accuracy in
hitting depends greatly on keeping a firm
and steady hold of the ground with the
toe of the left foot and not bending the
left knee too much
Keep your eye on the BALI is the con-
slant maxim of the instructor. In making
strong stroke the players body naturally
makes quarter turn and the difficulty is
to keep the head steady and the eye fixed
on the flying ball while the trunk is pivot
Ing round. The arm must not be drawn at
the exact moment of striking, but must
let the club swing out freely in the direc-
ton in which 1t Is intended the ball shall
travel otherwise the drive will not only
lose direction and force. but cut spin
will be put on the ball that will prevent
it from 'lofting' or running far when 1t
reaches the ground.a' 4
The course between the ''teeing" ground
and the putting green is known as 1.-The
green" and playing through the green" is
one of the most difficult parts of the game
because the ball has to, be played just as
1t happens to lie, without any artificial
aids; there must be no patting of the
ground or "teeing'' of the ball or marking
the sand in a bunker,
Driving is an art, iron play Is a science
and putting is an Inspiration" says dew
otee Of golf.
THE putter." says Dunn, should swing
easily in the hands, and without jerking,
the motion being like that of pendulum.
The length of the swing should be proper
toned to the length of the put, and the
ground and distance should be carefully
examined before the stroke is taken"
An approach shot does not mean merely
stroke which results in the ball ap-
preaching somewhere near the hole. It
of landing a ball as yet not IN the putting
green certainly on the putting green, and
possibly somewhere near the hole
Approach shots, as generally understood,
convey the idea of strokes played with
the iron with something less than the full
swing. They differ from each other in
point Of distance. in point of elevation and
in point of style. Chief among them is
the three-Quarter" stroke; one that is
required when a full swing shot would
carry the ball beyond the hole
Dunn says concerning the clubs used in
golf, the name of which Is legion:
"Of all the golf clubs, irons are the most
difficult to handle, and many players of no
mean order spend their golfing life in a
vain endeavor to master their use They
require firm grasp. a supple wrist and an
eye ever fixed on the ball. In skilled hands
they surmount difficulties which no wooden
club can overcome; in uEskilled hands they
are worse than useless, and serve only to
cut up the turf. A knowledge of the
proper clubs to use at the various ext
gencies of the game can only be picked I'D
by careful observation of good players"