The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-06-18
Advises Against Experimenting
With instruments Of All
Shapes and Lofts at First.
BY HARRY VARDON.

From time to time. have recon-
nended the moderate golfer to pin his
faith to q few clubs. and do not pro-
pose now to suggest a departure from
that principle. II he focuses his at
tention at the start on the brassis (for
tee shots) mld-iron. mashie. and putter.
and then adds the driver. clcek. and
niblick. he will make much more rapid
progress than II he experiments In, his
fooxling days with variety of instr,i-
mepts OF all shapes and lofts.
When the writer Of these notes could
play golf considerably better than he
can toay and championship winning
was much less Of n struggle than II has
been In recent years. he used Lothing
but the driver, brassie,. cleek. mid-iron.
mashie. niblick. and putter. Seven
clubs were ample. But to live the golf
Ing life without ever taking a fancy
to something new and strange Is hardly
human. and when a player comes to be
tolerably content with his-doings with
what we may coll the standard set.
he Is justified In trying some Of the
alternative clubs that are produced for
the benefit OF individuals who believe
In the efficacy of a change.
80 far as concerns the average golfer,
the most difficult club to use Ia the
cleek. That. l think, Is generally
agreed. and there Is good ground for
the verdict. The face of the club 10
shallow and almost straight, and unless
the ball is struck absolutely accurately.
the result is sure to be unsatisfactory.
The best substitute 10 n spoon or a
driving mashie. and OF the two. l rec
ommend the former. The spoon Cor the
| 'bany." as II is sometimes called Is.
m n
easiest club to WELD in the whole range
of Instruments. Moreover. II has a VEN
cradle antiquity. 1t was employed very
extensively by old-time golfers at St.
Andrews and elsewhere. In set Of an
Client clubs, you will generally come
across a spoon. By no means. then. Is
| 1t q modern subterfuge. and although
for some years II has been regarded as
| something of curiosity In a bag. the
cleek having come to be considered
orthodox, / see no reason why II should
not be used extensively.
Was Successful Club.
For several reasons. l never went out
without such a club and never employed
any with better effect. There are peo-
pie who. whenever they write to me
even now. ask when am going to bring
out the spoon again. Certainly 1t was
not discarded because II ever failed me
1t has merely been put among the re-
serves at the impulse OF a desire for
change.
A spDon has the foft Of mid Iron.
which gives the player confidence In his
ability to make the ball rise. and its
broad sole Is help In the sense that
II glides over the turf instead Of digging
In, as a cleek does. when the swing Is
not made quite properly. In short. many
shot that would be. for this reason, a
complete foozle with the cleek meets
with fair measure or success when
the spoon Is In use. That you get the
requisite distance in spite OF the fact
that the loft Is that OF a mid-iron is
the natural outcome of the head of
wood with the usual lead weighing at
the back.
The spoon makes the ball rise so well
that II usually drops with very little
run; and you can cut ball to make
II fall dead more easily with this club
than any other with the possible excep-
ton OF the mashie. Indeed. owing TO
the loft. you are apt to introduce a sus.
picion Of cut without trying for Il.
For a full shot. the swing is the same
as with a driver. and II is the only
wooden club with which half and three
quarter shots can be attempted with
safety by a moderate golfer. or late,
there have been some signs of a re-
vival OF the popularity OF the spoon, and
the circumstance IL not surprising. A
crack player may not stand in much
need Of the club, but to the man who
finds the successful handling Of the