The Washington times., 1916-05-14
Great British Authority Believes
This Shot Takes First Place
In Interest.
BY HARRY vARDON,
The Worlds Most Famous Golfer.

II were asked TO write down the
recognized golf strokes In their order
OF interest for both player and onlook-
err. would certainly give FIRST place to
the shot up to the hole.
think II was tho late Hon. Alfred
Lytteiton. formerly British colonial Sec
rotary and one Of the greatest authori-
ties on sport that my country has ever
known. who said that the three sensa-
lions which provided the supreme de-
lights Of all games were the crack to
square leg at cricket. the cut stroke at
tennis. when the striker wins chase
one and two on the floor. and the sue
cessful drive at golf.
Speaking for the aforementioned pas
time, / would say that even the exhil-
aration Off well-hit tee shot 10 a minor
Joy compared with the fascination OF
seeing the ball fiying. unerringiy toward
proach. losing Its strength as II touches
the ground. and slackening pace with
evern revolution until II comes to rest
within a. few yards of the hole. And
when, as happens sometimes, its last
expiring effort carries II up TO the very
brink Of the hole so that the putt can
hardly be missed. the sense Of personal
triumph Is deeper than any other that
l have experienced on the links.
There are a good many kinds OF shots
up to the pin. For the person who can
play II. the stroke that has infinitely the
cleek or an iron. with which back-spin
Is applied to the ball so that this latter
object shall ny low all the way and stop
practically where II pitches. The stroke
Ii made by standing a tribe more for
ward-that is. an inch or so nearer to
the hole-than for the ordinary lofting
shot, and beating the ball down" as
you hit It. or course. you do not beat
II into the ground because there Is at
least little left on the club which gets
under the ball and raises IL. The follow
through does the rest. But this express
sion, beating II down. describes the
action better than any other that I know
because II the effect be purely that Of
This. however, IL essentially a shot
for a good golfer, and would not rec
ommend the ordinary player to worry
about It. Let him swing his cieek and
He must stand nearer to the ball to
compensate for the circumstance that
those clubs are shorter than the driver
and regulate the length Of his swing by
but for the rest. he need not be con-
scious that he Is trying to do anything
very different from a drive. The grip
may be little firmer since there In
some danger of the club turning in the
hand when i touches the turf. and the
place at which to aim is about half an
inch behind the ball. FIX the vision
there. That will help to ensure the lift
ing of the ball. II Is when you are
beating the ball down" to secure back
spin that you aim at the back OF Il: you
do not want then to fix the vision the
tiniest fraction Of an inch behind II.
Where the average golfer has a
very good opportunity of making
pitch OF eighty yards or less. Willie
Park once said that "the man who
can putt Is a match for anybody" to
which the obvious retort was that
nesd ao be w abe e 10 S. has
and-run mashie shot Is really a sim
pie operation, and that four golfers
out OF Ave play II badly Is due 10
the fact that they. do too much fancy
tually only the plainest OF plain move
ments Is required. They think il is
difhcult and therefore make 1t diff
II you can approach well. you win
VIII lose. / have some particularly
Joyous memories OF the usefulness OF
deadly approaching. and none more
happy than that OF a match which /
played with an English internation-
alist. Tom Williamson, on a nine hole
course at Radcliffe on Trent, In
England. few years ago. Each OF
US was immensely keen on winning
because. on the night preceding the
contest, We were shown a handsome
cup which member of the club had
presented as reward for the victor
II was course that exactly suited
the man who could drive and pitch
The holes were neither short nor
icng; NJ most OF them. after a good