The Washington times., 1916-06-04
Much Depends on Stance Cir
cumstances Force Player to
Adopt In Time Of Tribulation.
Stereotyped Method Of Recover
ing From Hazard Should Not
Be Adopted as a Rule.
BY HARRY vARDON.
The Worlds Most Famous Golfer.

depend upon the stance which the play
err Is forced by circumstances 20 adopt.
and upon the question MS 10 whether
he can afford to lose a stroke or ought
to make desperate EFFORT to achieve
what Is very difficult. On broad lines.
however, II Is possible to indicate right
and wrong ways OF tackling the aver
age situation In q hazard. and all that
l would ask the golfer to remember Is
that, inasmuch as he hos to adapt him
self to tho needs Of the moment. he
ouFht not to rely upon ono stereotyped
method of executing n bunker shot. As
a rule, the position IL one that calls for
a choice from among several plans OF
action.
In America. the sand in bunkers IL
usually much harder than II IL In Brit
ain. The heat of the sun bakcs tho
soil, and as O consequence the ball gon-
orally aits IN fairly well. whereas in
my country Ia sinks into the sand and
IL often hulf-buried. These two sets OF
conditions call for different tactics. IT
has been remarked by good many
British critics that American golfers do
not show 80 much ability In recovering
from bunkers az In the other shots ~
the game. and the renson IL. I suppose.
that when they play on an English or
Scottish seaside course. the fine. loose
nature of the sand II something new TO
them. They try to pick the ball up
clearly, which 10 q sheer impossitility
when the bottom OF the ball ~ nesting
well down in the sand.
Two Kinds Of Sand.
In Britain. We have both Hots Of con-
ditions. The sand Is usually hard In
land and loose by tho sea. whsn tho
ball is sitting up on n flrJn surface ana
a good deal OF ground has to be cover
ed, the thing to do. unless the position
Is very. very close to the face Of thu
hazard. is to hit clearly. But the shot
Is not the ordinary lofting one. nor In It
scoop. which 10 about the worst way
imasinable of trying to get out Of
ing the ball With the hands a fraction
OF an inch In front Of II. taking the clue
up rs nearly straight as II humanly
possible Instead OF after the manner OF
back Of the ball--not even a thousandth
part OF az inch trhin1 II. This prin.
ciple Will make II rise rhRrply and carry
ccnt'!crnlle distance. Il Is the method
OF note and II Is exactly suited to tho
conditions which are common in Amer
lean bunkers.
Don't lie greedy In n hazard" 10. per-
haps. as good piece OF advice as any
that can be given IN regard to the nc.
complishment OF shots. There are occa
sions when one has To make n death-or-
glory EFFORT. but, In ordinary circutn-
stances. II Is safest in either a match
or a medal round to look for the easiest
stroke at a later stage. Most OF us
have paid the penalty at some time or
other of vaulting ambition to do some
thing wonderful in a bunker.
Unhappy Experience.
My unhappiest experience In this re-
spcct was in professional tournament
at Musselburgh a good many years ago
At the fourth hole. a short one, was
bunkered near the green. tried to play
clever shot out with my mashie Every
foolishly. carried no niblick in those
days. with the result that took three
shots In the hazard. Then I went on
to beach from which place I found my
way back into The bunker in which /
had had all the trouble.
The hole cost me nine. and I shall
never forget the look OF whitening scorn
on the face of my caddie as he said
when the BAH ultimately went down
Yen have n niblick wi We this after
noon. or I'll no carry for ye." During
the luncheon interval, he went off to
obtain nfbllnk; he came back exceeding
I
ment which he had sworn TO make mo
use. As was lucky enough to win the
tournament in spite OF my morning mis-
hap, he felt we'll repaid for his pains
and even for his aching head on the
following morning.
When a ball is lying heavily in sand
or other soft substance. then undoubted-
ly the only way to dislodge II Is to aim
behind It no that the club does not
| actually como into contact with the
ball Of oil hVsk Of lee
sconced position by the Violent disturb
ance of the soil behind the object. This
| Is also means OF escape when the ball
| Is lying clean. but So ncar to the face
OF tho hazard that to LIT it by direct
| iynpact with the club IL almost impos-
have to be governed by circumstances
It may paw him better In n medal round
or when he has n stroke up his sleeve In
n match to play to the sido or even
sure Of getting out OF the bunker in one
stroke.
Aim Behind Ball.
| Everybody who has studied books of
instruction knows that the usual advice
| to a golfer In a bunker ia to aim be-
hind the ball. and am certain that this
procedure Is often adopted when it is
not necessary. as. for instance. when
| the ball Is lying clean yard or two
from n fairly shallow face and can be
raised by a firm hit which produces
Understandable stroke which have al
ready described. But where the expe-
dent OF aiming behind the ball bm-
mends itself to the golfer. let him re-
member to bury the head Of the niblicR
in the sand with all the power that he
can command. 1t Is a very common err
ror to aim behind and then try to carry
the club through. This will produce nc
effect at all except to move the bal
nearer to the face: the whole effort
has to finish with the delivery Of the
niblick head into the sand.
How far behind you aim depends
upon the distance that you want t.
make the ball go: II you have only I
few yards to travel. you can attack tn
sand three or four inches behind thu
ball. II Is necessary to keep YOU
vision fixed on that spot and not bother
about the bail. which will come up al
y right II you hit with power. rul
swing Is wanted, but not a round swing
INA thai adopted for driving. the move