Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-05-29

Championship in one year,
TINE fact that golf is a very uncer-
tain as well as difficult game in
which form can vary so much
from day to day, and even from
hole to hole, makes it advisable to
adopt most conservative attitude to-
ward the playing of every shct. After
all, the golfer who succeeds best is the
one who provides for himself the great
est margin for error and resists at all
times the temptation to assay a spec
tacular shot when a simpler one might
be just as useful. In order to avoid
unnecessary risks, I think it is always
the best policy to play each club in a
normal, straightforward way, unless
the situation absolutely demands the
use Of extraordinary measures.
I am prompted to introduce a discus
sion Of pitch shots in this way because
so many players seem to favor a quick
stopping pitch to the exclusion of all
other methods. Many of them measure
the worth Of shot chiefly by the
amount Of backspin applied to the ball
and they have no mind for the more
modest type Of shot which pitches short
and rolls up to the hole, yet this prefer
ence could not endure If these players
were in the habit Of appraising the
average result obtained over Icing
stretch of play.
Niblick Value Overlooked.
EOR the purposes Of this discussion
only with the mashie niblick or
niblick, limitation which means that
the shot may vary in length from 20
yards to 1925 or 100. Occasionally from
the shorter distances, when the hole lies
close to an intervening bunker, the
dangerous type of pitch must be at
tempted The only possibility of getting
very near the hole lies then in a
severely cut shot played with niblick
with the clubface laid of. But when
the length of the pitch becomes greater
the necessity for this type of shot can
be almost entirely obviated by a judi
cious interchanging Of the niblick and
mashie niblick. In the same way that
a chip-shot which would have to be cut
with a mashie can be played in a
straight forward manner If a mash!e
niblik is used, so pitch which would
have to be cut with maShie niblick
might be played very simply and safely
WIFI nlDllCk. l CIllIlk II Is u rather
common tendency to overlook the value
Of niblick for use from the fairway
and to regard this club as means only
of getting out of trouble.
In playing pitch shot of any dis
lance it is important that the back
swing be Of ample length and that the
left wrist should be very active. think
that in the failure to follow these two
suggestions lies the reason for the aver
age golfers inability to pitch we'll
Watching a number Of short shots
played to any green one will see many
heads 60 up and many clubs dash into
the ground behind the ballEal because
the owners of these heads and the
wielderS of these clubs did not accom-
plish q smooth, rhythmic stroke.
Must Be Hit on Down Stroke.
4 CERTAIN amount Of backspin IS
IA applied to the ball whenever it Is
truly struck by a downward blow
with lofted club. Once the player gets
this idea fixed in his mind he is on the
road toward learning to control his
pitches. The one thing which the pitch
ing stroke must have is a downward
direction. It is absolutely fatal to hit
the ball on the up stroke. To keep this
in mind becomesvGs.n more important
when We realize that the most common