San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-12
LOTS OF DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN INDOOR AND
OUTDOOR POLO PLAY
Perry Discusses Game
Anent English InUasion
for Indoor Season.
By LAWRENCE PERRY.

Copyright, by The San Antonio Light.
New York, Feb. t2.-Watching the
British polo players who have been
practiCing in the squadron A armory
and again in the games at West
Point Oh Saturday and Sunday, pre-
paratory to a series of indoor polo
games in various cities OF the country
which will lead up to a match for the
John X. Townsend international Chal-
lcnge cup in New York, the impress
sion is clear that however brilliant
these BritOns may be outdoors. they
have much TO learn about the indoor
game. The West Point officers team
that defeated the Britishers never
has been rated very high and the
Victory by the British over the cadet
team was not impressive Saturday.
Suli3py the English lost.
But perhaps little more is required
for our British invaders than familiar
ity wNh the new conditions. First
of allS they have been Mt loss in
playing with the regulation soft bal:
used in the indoor game. This ball
is about the same size and make as
the indoor baseball and men who have
played With nothing but the hard out
door ball are at first thrown off their
| game but the comparatively short dis
lance Obtained in stroking. Thus. the
'combinaton play of an experienced
team is marred. as for instance when
a ball is fed up forward or when at
tempts ere made q center it.
Ponies are apt to be driven too
swiftly 1or the movement of the ball
and thus it frequently occurs that
the nice working out Of an offensive
formation finds the ball fifty feet
from where il would he outdoors.
Again. the fact that the playing
area is bounded by walls adds an
element 10 the game that does not
exist outdoors, tho playing of CarOm
shots. Experienced indoor players arc
very gifted in playing the walls,
whereas theff opponents who have
never before played indoors are utter.
ly at a loss in this respect.
The playing. Of course. depends
upon the size of the armorv or rink.
At Durlands and at The Riding club
in New York. the Kinks arc compare.
lively restricted in size. Squadron 4
armory is much larger than either. but
when you seek for an indoor surface
THAT approXimatCs in some degree the
( regulation outdoor field you have To
90 10 West Point. There is an idea
riding hall for polo. n huge cxpanse
Of tanbark with galleries running
along the walls and plenty Of light.
One could almost play the regulation
/ game there.
The British players have found the
light rather confusing. In most of
the big riding rings in winter there
IS ant To be sort Of mist rising from
the tanbark which the wan light filter.
ing in through the roof windows does
not dissipatc and at night the cleo
tries do not afford the most adyant-
ageous illumination. However. all
these are things TO which the ex-
perienced indoor player has grown ac-
customed and there may be no doubt
| that another week will sec the Brit
ish quite at home.
One might suggest that since spsce
is limited and mounts ms A conse-
quence are frequently milling. making
stick work dangerous. that the indoor
regulations would provide for some
sort Of half mask 10 protect the eyes
and temples. Danger from failing
| sticks is more pronounced indoors
than out and the writer knows of
more than one distressing accident
arising from this.