| Show I a Way Wayside side Tee I Ur Dr II Gri dICE HICE By GRANTLAND LAND RICE The four hardest shots In golf golt for Cor the average a player 01 or for tor the etar might be grouped under tinder this cation 1 The Tha sl shot especially shot from Crom a close lie 2 The Tho short pitch fiTly pitch fifty or ur sev sev- sev sev enty over yards yards over a trap to the green I i k 3 The Tha Th ISh alloW bunk bunker r shot where the ball Is on top of the send sand 4 The long approach putt mil on ona ona ona I a keen green There are few tew good brassie players player even among the stars stIltS of o othe the game The two best beet ones J 1 have hare seen are Bobby Jor oies Jones s and Mac lilac Smith with at times not tar behind tar behind But even Hagen has more trouble with the tue br bras bras le s Fie ste than any other oilier club From a close lie the average golfer Bolter should hould never nevel attempt to use a Ito He should call on a spoon or a midiron preferably a spoon There re always Id is the tho tendency to try to help holp the llio ball from a Be a bras le and the tho result usually is Is a 11 topped effort But Dut the loft lott of the ot-the the spoon can do the work In getting the ball up and andone andone andone one Is more Inclined to refrain from Crom any lifting with the hands handsor handsor or club head hoad at the moment of Impact The average golfer has his a world of trouble In playing the short pitch over a trap A good part of this trouble comes from swing swing Ing Ing Ing the tha club back too far tar and then attempting to ease up on the down swing awing On this type of stroke the club head should be brought back only a short dis die die- distance tance so eo that it can be bo played crIsply and firmly But Dut this is snot not aa na simple as It sounds The Tho natural human tendency Is 18 to take the club well back and then spare the down blow realizing tidaL that the swing will carry beyond the tho green There Thore is another hu- hu hu human man luau tendency toward error In I playing this shot It arises from uncertainty as to Just how v hard I the ball should be bo hit and BO so up comes the head Just a fraction of a second too soon Here Isone Is Isone one shot where here the head bead must be beheld held bold In place where there can be dome lifting And the tem temptation tallon to take a p peek k Is stronger here than It Is at almost any other I spot One of o the surest signs Igns of nerve control Is ability to play the short hort pitch with a II smooth short ballis back swing where the tho ball baU ballIs is III firmly struck and the head bead Is held In la Pla place e i A bunker shot where the ball ballIs ballIs ballIs Is settled in the sand and Isn't so EO haiti The explosion shot ahot Is ts about tho iho only recourse But Dut when hen the I ball is resting on top lop of o tho the saDel sandin In a shallow bunker there Is a different problem The temptation hero Is to play a 11 halt half chip tram from tho top of ot the sand and It scorns to work la In about one case out of ot twenty nine One either chips under the ball for tor a pure fluff or else catches It too clean clean- cleanly cleanly ly for tor a 11 tap across the tha green Thoro are arc few In golf who play piny this shot well It Is better belter In at- at attempting at attempting tempting this stroke to stand more mora morain moreIn in front of ot the ball b ll to play the ball more mOIe oft off the tho right toot foot with the blade blado o of the niblick turned In a I trifle rather than laid back It probably ij is ii the easiest shot hot In Ingolf Ingolf golf to miss milS and thero are s w oral v-oral oral ral ea easy eagy y enough to miss when ono one Is In tho mood Or when one I isn't The Tho long approach putt on n a fairly keen green Is another bat baffler tier fler There Thero always alwa's Is Js an element clement or of unc uncertainty as ab as to how hard one must hit bit the putt and this leads to the somewhat annoying habit habito ot of lifting tho the head too quickly This J 13 Is where most of ot the three three putt putt greens come from the in- in inability In Inability ability to get et long approach putts dead With 95 35 per pel cent of ot all golfers this stroke Is a guess One taps the ball and hopes for tor the best bost There is the tho tendency to think of ot the elope of o the green and tho the speed ot of the tho green grcen at atthe atthe atthe the samo same time and between een the two to for forget et all nil about hitting the l putt The Tho main secret et of ot lits lit's lutt Is la on an even en back swIng where the head heM Is la held unmoved and where one ono Is concentrating ou on hitting the tho ball bali not Dot on where It ma may be bo going 00 |
