The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-06-11


active experience on the links-experi-
ence gained In n good many parts Of
the world and In just about every con-
ceivable set Of circumstances-one
comes to learn to the full the Importance
OF what the less practiced player might
regard as small matters. There are in
Vulnerable points which concern details
that seemingly have nothing to do with
the way in which one hits the ball (;
they are Just trifies which the average
golfer does not consider. Nevertheless
any one. Of them may mean the dif-
ference between winning and losing a
close contest In this contribution, /
propose to deal with items that are apt
TO be overlooked by the person who is
striving for success at golf.
I take It that the reader remembers that
how tee pays In the end because II Is
good training for the more numerous
shots that have to be played from the
turf. Al any rate. II saves him from
mind in which he always expects his
ball to be perched Up high, md Is
shocked and prone to exaggeratc the
difficulties when he finds It nesting n
little closer than usual to the turf.
Use But Little Sand.
You want only n tiny pinch of eand
for a tee, and none OF 1t should be
seen when the ball is placed on It. The
sight of sand jutting out below the OBJ
Ject on all sides. as though the ball
were kind of ornamental headpiece
10 n miniature hill. dlstracts attention.
You need to fix your vision on the back
inch behind Il; and see nothing but the
ball. which should be raised about u
quarter OF an inch from the teeing
ground by an invisible support of sand.
Remember, TOO. that you have the
and can select the place. within the
prescribed limits, where your feet feel
most comfortable. Often, after taking
DIP position. ] have r!oved back or
forward n little because the first stance
did not seem altogether happy.
When there Is an out-of-bounds area
close to the line of play, drive from
that part Of the teeing ground which
Is farthest from the prohibited region.
This is: perhaps, no more than an
artificial means Of gaining confidence,
but In many cases II Is wondrously ef-
fective. Often the mere knowledge that
the out-of-bounds Is very near on
either the right or the left Is the main
It: he thinks so much about IL that II
exercises q kind OF magnetic influence.
The farther he Is from II at the start.
the safer he feels.
Dispense With Tee.
At a short hole It Is frequently ad-
visable to dispense with tee. The
shot is really just as easy when played
from a nice piece OF turf. and the dan
ger of tee when an iron club Is be-
ing used Is that you are likely to get
too much under the ball and hit It up
so high that you do not obtain the
necessary distance.
Clothes are matter OF considerable
Importance. II you wear a jacket land
am aware that in America many golf
ers prefer to do without such a gar
ment. let 1t be reasonably loose-ft-
ting one. with plenty OF room under the
arms. The wooden Cardigan Jackets
which have been adopted by a number
OF players in the States have much to
recommend them since they give to
the movement OF the arms.
1t Is possible. however. to have too
much give" in the sense that over
swinging may be promoted. and for that
reason ! always think that braces are
preferable to a belt worn round the
OF playing an important match In a
belt. or even in new pair of braces
ones braces have to accommodate
themselves to ones swing, and when
they have done so they keep the
thing else know. Without being OPP
pressive they restrain a tendency 10
overswing on those days when the
player feels particularly active and
exuberant.
Many Shots Go Wrong.
Every golfer experiences such days
and more often than not he finds that
although his spirits give him a sense OF
efficiency amounting almost to IRE
sistibility. lot Of shots go wrong and
his game Is rather worse than when he
is in a more subdued mood. The reason
Is usually that. in his splendid vital
ity. he swings back too quickly and toe
far. This Is where braces are a heir
as compared with a belt.
Another good tip when one Is spelling
/ the drives by swinging back too quick
| ly Is 10 substitute a brassie for the
driver. The former has a SITTER shaft
and that alone helps to control the
cnmstance In view. often carry two
drivers on an important occasion-one