The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-18
EDWARD E. BALL,
SEASONS WHIMS IN POLO.
HOOKING MlLLETS. 4 NEW FEi-
TIRF, IMPROVES THE PLAY.
COmpelS Facility In Near side strokes,
over the POny-Niay Cause Reduc-
tion In IiandicaDs Of the Leading Play
trs-I'lans Ahead for TOURNAMENTS


( ton In Iiandicaps OF the Leading Play.
ers-I'lans Ahead for tournaments
| There will he no tournament polo about
| New York until the annual meet at tn"
! Rockaway Hunting Club, CednrhurSt, to
| begin on July 3 and continue for three
! weeks Meantime the Philadelphia clubs
will wind up their spring tournaments, ana
! besides the Squadron A matches at Van
| Cortandt Park there will TO practise gaines
at every field near by to fit men and ponies
for the Cedarhurst campaign. The Rum
| son Polo Club Il: Scahright. essentially n
summer club, has leen the last to get irto
| commission Irving Brokaw is abroad,
| but ". Strothers Jones. II. L.. Herbert,
II. s. Borden, W. q. Loew and several
new men figure in the triweekly matches.
At the recent Meadow Brook tournament,
which ended with a rafting match between
scratch teams from Rockaway and the
Country Club of Westminster for the West
bury challenge cup, the players had their
first experiences in hooking mallets, under
the now rule that has made the English
custom permissible here. The general
opinion of players and onlookers was that
hooking malles has improved the game
All hands are practising the maneuFer
for. with the exception of the few who have
lecome thoroughly familiar with the trick
on English fields, our poloists have much
to learn in being ready to hook mallets and
to safegua rd their own sticks.
Ultimately the new feature in the game
will work against high scores in goals,
for in hooking the team on tie defensive
has an easy and telling card to siren CITIZEN
its hand. difference of ten or even twenty
goals, under the old rules. has frequently
been wiped out by the first class team
wien against second grade team, but
this will not be so easy under the hooking
mallct privilege. 1t Is expected that this
will be an AID to the minor tea ms at the tour
naInents for while and hould the mat che,
become too one.ided the handiCaIr of
the best men will have to be cut. The polo
committee is awaiting the out come Of the
Rocka way tournament, and if the need is
apparent there will be a reduc,i on in the
handicaTs of Foxhall keenc, o Il. l.. AEae-
siz, 9, l., Waterbury, ., j, Nj, Wal crhuty,
DR., s: II. y. Whitney, 8, and John T.. towdin,
=. the six with tho highest ratings also
possibly in other instances.
layer may rot crook a mal.ct unless
he is on the same side of the adycr-ary's
pony as the ball. or in direct line e.
hind This puts a premium on versatility
in hitting. which will improve the game
in the long run, for man able to hit freely
over his pony may often ride off an opponent
and get the ball The ability to Int we'll
both near and off side of the pony is not
common except with the cracka Jacks,
and when mallets may be hooked all hands
must practise the near side strokes to keep
in the running. The new,rule, TOO, works
against wild strokes and in this respect
"a will ms la ha Far
The mallot may only be hooked when
the adversary is in the act of striking the
ball, and in crooking a player must not
put his mallet over nor under an adj
versarys pony. The maneuver, il is APP
p sorc e't ~ the niaver soeting I +" take
the ball from an adversary or to prevent
him scoring a goal Formerly the tactics
TO be used were only riding Off or a back
stroke. Now by using his own mallet