The Washington herald., 1921-02-28
MleP of 49,
z @dYgide See
.&kBy - GRANTIAND RICE

The time now isn't very far dis
tant when 1000. 900 or so golfers in
this well trapped Commonwealth
between the Atlantic and Pacific
water hazards will be inspecting
their various implements of turf
destruction for the ensuing cam
paign.
The chances are that each will
hnd most of his war clubs intact.
with a few shaft repIacements
needed and a few purchases here
and there to prepare his layout for
the heavy work ahead.
Which brings to mind the usual
number of early spring pleas as to
what clubs are necessary for scor-
ing purposes.
The average golfer. undoubtedly.
carries entirely too many clubs. II
he wishes to buy forty clubs in or
der to make the best selection. that
is his own affair. But there is no
need of taking the forty out upon
the course. There is no need even
to take as many as a fourth of forty
out TO the first tee
Selection and Use of Clubs.
We have seen golfers with three
or four wooden clubs. We have seen
others start out with three types
Of mashies. The resultant answer
is confusion and uncertainty.
In pinch at a certain distance
the golfer is undecided whether TO
use a heavy or a light one 1t
would be far better to use one type
Of mashie. get accustomed to IL, and
build confidence in il.
There isn't any reason why golf
ers shouldn't use the same club for
various types of strokes. Take the
jigger-a club midway between a
mashie and a midiron.
The Jigger can be used in place of
soft madiron shot or in place Of a
full mashie shot II can be used
effectively at distances ranging be-
tween 1875 and 10 yards. In the
turn il is an effective club TO use for
chip shots just of the green. The
jigger was one of the most effective
clubs that Jerry Travers had when
he was winning championships He
used il for so many different types
Of shots that he developed great
confidence in its ability to make
good.
In the same way John Ball. who
won the British amateur champion
ship eight times. called upon his
midiron from 40 to $50 yards. He
used II for chip shots off the green.
And he frequently used it to recov-
er from bunker. One day Travers
placed a golf ball in a heel print
near the steep side of a bunker
Turning to Ball he remarked-'Let's
see you get that out with a mid
iron" Ball did very effectively. lay
ing the blade of the club well back.
No man is going to be able to use
all of the fourteen clubs often
enough to get accustomed to any one
of them. But he can build intimate
relations with two or three.
The Most Important Clubs.
II We had to name the most es-
sential clubs for a round. the list
would embrace the following:
1. Brassie for all sdriving and full
shots through the fairway.
.. Spoon or driving iron for dis
tance slightly under brassie length.
,. Midiron.
4. Jigger.
5. Mashie.
G. Mashie niblick.
Z. Deep-faced niblick for bunker
work.
s. Putters
Eight clubs form a full quota for
carrying purposes. 1t might be that
one would want a midmsshie in
place of a jigger, as they get about
the same results. The midmashie
or mashie iron is Hagen's favorite
weapon, because he employs il for
various uses. Even the spoon can
be called upon for more than one
type Of shot. 1t can be used for
almost a brassie distance where one
takes a full, free wallop with il.
1t can also be used in place of
midiron shot for a shorter distance
by gripping nearer the bottom of
the leather without any effort to
press.
1t is better. for example, to be-
come accustomed to one wooden
club than to use a driver and two
types of brassies, as many do. By
using a brassie from the tee and
through the fairway you get better
with the implement than
you would by splitting up or divid-
ing the work. Nearly every golfer
has at least one favorite club in his
bag. This is generally a club that
he uses for two or three different
types of shots, and so develops q
closer acquaintance with IL. II be-
comes an old friend rather than a
stranger.
Once in a while there is a certain
distance that bothers, even the lead
ers. The eighth hole at Inverness
is around 200 yards. Vardon
claimed that IL was too short for
spoon shot and too long for his
iron. AT any rate he played II
badly throughout, generally falling
well short with his iron. In the
four rounds 1 don't believe he got
a par at this green. Ted Ray
choked up a spoon, hit IL without
pressing and managed to get par
almost every time. He could have
gotten 40 yards farther with q
spoon by slashirg Of the ball. But
he decided that lie would rather hit