Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-20

| OF golf handleS-then with balls.
| The stymie brings in another nicely of
golf. Some wish to abolish the stynnie in
match as in medal play. Successful
stymie holing shows the result of long
practice-a fine eye. steady nerve and
cool temperament.
The Question of the stynie
! In the stymie the situation of the balls
is an accident, just as after a brilliant
safe drive the ball may have fall which
by the lay of the ground decoys it into a
troublesome bunker. 1t is wonderful to
see the number of stymies to be found
| in a good match, yet the chances are
equal for the players. OF course, pes
simistic man, as Sandy Harry confesses
| himself to be, always imagines that
luck is against him, and, therefore,
broods over succession of stymies
which he has to negotiate. But 1t is here
| that innate nerve, formed by intense
practice, comes in to give the player con-
fldence. To be able to hole the stymie
, makes considerable difference in put
ting the shakers" on an opponent. Many
short put has an opponent missed after
dead stymie has been neatly holed.
And that may mean the turning point in
the match.
In general when "the like" is being
played -. in the course of a stymie, 1t is
purpose to show ones nerve and skill
| in a nicety-to try to loft it, for one
might, by missing the hole. run the ball
out of holing next time. The ground
should be studied and the direction of
the wind watched to see on what side to
screw the ball in from the wooden putter.
And this is becoming more difficult on
the billiard table putting greens that are
on most of the modern courses.s
|
| Some Hints and an Example
| ceek will not do for this shot; 1t
does not give the same skin and draw.
Nor is the cored ball so easily negotiated
as the gutta. If the player puts to
the right side of the hole he pushes the
putter slightly away from him in strik
ing; If to the left side. he draws in the
putter slightly to his foot With watch
ing and practice he will frequently sue
ceed. But 1t is a very fine shot
Six years ago, during the amateur
championship competition at Muirfield,
John Mall holed a remarkable stymie
for half. Angus MacDonald's ball was
on the lip of the hole, leaving about an
inch of the edge of the hole clear. Mr..
Ball put an upright spin on his ball, with
Just sufficient forward force to take the
| ball to the edge of the hole after slipping
past Mr.. MacDonalds ball; when, halting,
the ball overbalanced itself into the hole
and half was one. Few out of the hun
dred players could have done this so sue
cessfully. 1t was masterpiece Of Allan
Robertson.
OF course, when ''the odd'' is being
played and the opponents ball is not
very near the hole, the played must sim
ply pitch over that ball. either to dribbe
| il into the hole or make 1t lie short as
counter stymie for the testing of his
opponents nerves. But 1t requires long
practice to be successful just at the right
| time. .
Other Nice Shots
There Is another nicely to be able to
loft a ball over bunker to the putting
green by slightly slicing movement,
drawing the iron to you in striking. and
| thereby putting a. spin on the, ball to
prevent its running too far. Do not
slant the iron; it is a better plan to play
it naturally when you do it,
| Then to pitch a ball from the bunker
on to the putting green, so as to lie
near the hole, one has to take plenty OF
sand with the iron and hit fairly hard.
Even when the ball is lying well in the
sand 1t is dangerous TO use the wrist
only. This is tempting; but do not yield
tosthe temptations; play the ball as II 1t
had an ordinary bunker-lie. All wrist
work with the iron requires art to con-
ceal art
Some master strokes are really niceties.
These are in making brilliant recoveries.
If the wind happens to take the ball Off
the course into the rough splendid
stroke may be made by skilled hand,
not hitting the ball in the center, for
it woulo not rise; not hitting too much
below, for there would only be duff, !
but slightly below the center of the ball,
with a sharp wrist jerk. Then as to
recovering from a bad lie on the green
much skill is needed to jerk in properly
and make the ball fly, especially against
the wind, with beautiful swallow-like
notion skimming few feet above the
ground until 1t rises suddenly before
the final fall Never to reaiizo havng
bad lie on the green was the opinion
of master hand like Tommy Norris.
i He used his driver throughout the
course; crippled ball he would make
leave that with an intense power of
wrist. which off The driver went about
Il as far as a ball from the level :.
Il One who can play the mid-spoon well
Is frequently very successful in approach