Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-28
Mashie Iron Most Faithful
Club in GuilfOrdS Golf BQq
Players Should Specialize
on Few Sticks for Getting
! Out of Trouble on Links
BY JESSE p. GUILFORD

l. any definite directions for playing
out Of the rough. for the feature of the
game il one which calls for different
treatment in virtually every shot. Not
only docs the rough surrounding each
course cary. but on single course one
gets all sorts Of lies.
Beginners OF the game should, when
they find themselves in difficulty, have
as their main object to get back on the
fairway; but as one plays more, the at;
tempt should be not only to get good
lie, but to so place the ball that the
play to the rough will not have penalized
the player. In other words, he should
aim to place the second shot in exactly
as good a position as would have been
possible had the frat shot not gone into
the rough.
We arc all bound to get into trouble
at different times, and the player who
can emerge gracefully from tight place
Is the one who carries around with him
some expert shots.
A good many golfers have an idea that
it Is necessary to take certain clubs to
get them out Of trouble, and conse-
Quently they own a dozen or more irons,
using first this one and then that, never
dreaming that It Is more essential to
specialize on the use of few.
No matter in what difficulty I find
myself, manage to get out with one Of
my regular set Of clubs, which consists
Of nine-a driver, brassey, driving iron,
mid iron. mashic iron. mashie, maShie-
niblick, niblick and putter.
Perhaps the most faithful club
which ] possess in getting me out OF
bad lies Is the n,asie iron.
Should Use Few Clubs
An EXTREMELY bad lie calls for
n the mashies. whereas il ! desire
distance and the lie is not too mean, ]
use either a brassey or driving iron. /
do. not mean to say that every player
could have good results in using just
the clubs which ! use. but I do think
that players should specialize on two
or three clubs when these occasions
arise. and not carry around seven or
eight different clubs, which have no
other purpose than to be used probably |
one is not accustomed to the use of O |
club il will not prove as satisfactory |
MS club which he uses often and which !
be understands.
Tho average player uses only one
brassey or driver. He may own more
than one, and he may even carry more
than Onc, which he would use in case
he broke his favorite. but he actually
Iscs only one. The driver with which
he plays is his favorite, and he is so
to IL that he wonders how
ne could over play with another if it
got broken. Yet the same player is
likely TO carry around n raft Of irons
and not be actually acquainted with
any one of them.
If the player finds his ball in the
long grass he should be Influenced to
some extent in the selection of his club !
by the distance which he desires. There .
nrc occasions when ! will trust to the !
brassey, il particular distance is re-
luircd, but il the grass is fairly high |
Or the lie particularly difficult | resort
10 the maShie iron. Tho mashic iron
IS fairly we'll lofted. and is broad in the
face, so that one is able to cut through
he grass with it.
The playing Of the proper club is Of
no moro Importance than the way in
which the stroke should be made. In
Dlaying from a grassy lie, or practically
my lie in the rough. the motive is not
% get under the ball with the club
lead with the idea of producing n loft.
The club which YOU use will pro-
luce a loft. In this stroke the club
should come down back Of the ball in
straight line and as close to the ball
rs possible. When ] say ''as close to
he ball as possible" ] mean that one
should not run tho risk of topping the
,all. The swing should DC restricted
II such u shot, and in order to get
trcngth in the stroke the wrists are
allied upon to do considerable work.
The grip should be firm, but let me
'ant ion the player again that II the
rip is too tight the work Of the wrists
ill be impeded. In the ordinary
Ound stroke much OF the power would
'c lost through the clubhead coming in
1ntaCt with the grass. therefore it Is
4 the utmost Importance that the club
ONE down in straight line.
Blasting In Sand
TN A marshy lie the ball has to be
l picked off clearly. and the same
ppIt les TO lie when the ground is very ,
ard- IF the club were permitted to 60 ,
own into the ground before striking ,
be ball. the contact of the club with ,
he ground would stop the club and, :
lcrefcrc, the shot would be completely
liSSed. ,
If the ball lands in a sand tran. ,,
'herc the sand is loose and soft, The =
est way to get It out is by blasting, =" i
his is done BY hitting down into The
and about an inch or little less back \
the Dali, tue best instrument to Der- n
orm the operation being the nibiick. "
he distance one requires is regulated :
y the amount of sand taken, and II
as also to be- taken into consideration
hat the bal has no run upon landing
drops with thud and lies dead. -
Playing out Of trouble il by no means d
simple feature of golf. IL requires s
atience and practice, but there is a !,
,Gnderful amount Of satisfaction in $,
rilliant recovery. In fact, am y
'metimes inclined to believe thot thc Z
ecessity for playing from the rough or ~
trap does not take tie joy out of golf
Is dihicult, to be sure, but there is
much fun in knowing how. that it is
ell worth the practice it requires.
Copyright 0y Public Ledger Compnry
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