The Washington herald., 1909-06-06

If the slicing is accompanied by occa-
sional heeling-or. what is stiIl more
probable, by an occasional catching OF
the ground behind the baIl-the golfer
may be sure that this is the snare in
which he has been taken. SAYS the World
OF Coli. lie has for the time made the
club too long for the stance he is tax
ing; the obvious remedy is TO stand
slightly farther away from the ball.
The player may be drawing himself up
in the middle OF the swing. This is a
fault which 1t IS peculiarly difficult 10
catch oneself al, but 1t Is by no means an
uncommon one. Many golfer seeks re-
lief from the strained position in which
he bends forward 10 address the ball BY
quite unconsciously pulling himself up
more erect while the cub-head is YET In
the middle Of its circular sweep. II by
examining the face OF his club a golfer
finds that, besides slicing his drives. be is
getting them or some Of them OF the
toe. he may take it as pretty likely that
this Is the demon which has taken hold
OF him.
In another category IS the slicing which
is due. not TO any failure Of the club-head
10 swing along the proper line, but 10
the fact that the face OF the club al the
moment when It meets the ban is not at
right angles 10 that line. Il instead Of
striking the ball fair and square, the face
Of the club is turned outward al an OBJ
tuse angle 10 the line OF fre. q slice Is
almost certain 10 be the result. But as
rule sliclng is not the only symptom
which accompanies this form Of golhng
insanity. There ere several errors which
are not unlikely 10 produce It.
The shaft may be turned round IN the
players hands. II is easy 10 see that
when the player addresses the ball the
club-head should be fat upon the ground
and the face be al right angles 20 the
line along which ii IS swinging. But II
the player earelessly grips the shaft
little farther around he viii find that the
club-head no longer lies fiat. but thar
the face Is cooked upward slightly and az
the same time termed rather out from
him. Obviously the blow from a club
head meeting the bali IN this position is
bound 20 be a comparatively feeble one.
Such an error can Of course only be
due 20 pure carelessness. but II some
times happens shat owing 70 a peculiar
ity in the manner OF addressing the ban.
the club-head appears 10 lie quite flat IN
the normal position behind the ball before
the swing and yet meets IL with an up
turned face when Il comes 10 the actual
stroke For this reason it is necessary
20 take care that IN addressing the bail
the club is allowed 10 hang IN an easy
natural manner. because only then Is il
any true guide TO the correctness OF grip
and stance.
The slice which results from a turned
out club-face IS by far the most darnag-
ing you can get The blow has not the
full weight of the club-head behind II.
the stroke. moreover. IS a glancing one
and does not meet the BAH squarely. and
the direction is almost certain 20 be too
much into the air. Add 70 this that the
tendency Of the turned out face quite
apart from the slice II produces. is 20
send the ball of 20 the right. and when
the effect Of the slice is combined with
this. il is not difficult 10 imagine how far
out Of the true line the ban may some
times go.
The player may be forcing with his
right wrist This error IS simply a more
insidiOus form OF the last. The ten
dency Of man in his natural state. before
scientific golf has had time TO exert its
civilizing influence. IS 10 grip hard with
the right hand and hit hard with the
right hand. But it is not the way. the
two hands must work IN unison.
For. remember, the right hand grasps
the shaft higher up than the left, and N
IS always nearer the players
body Clearly. If the left hand is doing
more than its fair share Of the work.
It has a tendency 10 turn the cIub-head
in. and If the right hand be forcing II has
a contrary tendency % slip rather under
the other and turn the club-face OUT
With the result that you are again IN the
rough 10 your right The remedy is an
ancient one. swing your club. don't hit,
and don't press.
The ball may be too far forward-not
too far away from the player, but simply
too far forward Obviously the natural
result OF this is that the cIuh-head Is
beginning 10 come in again before II
strikes the ball. and there is 2 tendency
10 pull the bah around % the left. This
in itself Is no great harm, because the
club-head sweeping In IN this fashion has
also the effect OF producing a slight siie-
ing spin. which is likely to bring the
drive just about back 20 the proper line.
Unless there is q wind 10 accentuate the
slice, this form Of drive is usually quite
a good one. and indeed there is more
than one player Of fair ability who looks
upon it as his normal drive
Unfortunately the matter does not al
ways end here. The player notices how
he Is pulling the ball around az the COM
OF its flight. and he endeavors
10 straighten II BY turning out his wrists