ADVICE TO BEGINNERS 497 



rately), the more dead the ball will fall. But it is 

 dangerous to hold the club loosely. 



The best players I know prefer to use the very 

 lofted iron to the above difficult stroke. The difficulty 

 of the mashie is, that although you may obtain eleva- 

 tion and dead-fall, it is difficult to get as far as you 

 require. 



Much depends on the shape of the head and the 

 degree of its turn-up, and practice alone will enable a 

 player to use his club to the best advantage. 



' Never to hurry off after your stroke' is an important 

 piece of advice. Many players, I fear I must include 

 myself also, are in the habit of moving off their position 

 before the ball is fairly struck. It is well to try the 

 opposite extreme, and pause for a moment in the 

 position you were in at the finish of the stroke, I 

 advise a beginner to hold his gun on the bird he has 

 missed, in order to find out why he did so. The same 

 rule holds good at golf. Pause, and look at the spot 

 where the ball was, and if a mistake has been made 

 endeavour to ascertain the reason. 



' Running up the Iron.' 



This is played at about the same distance as the 

 ' half-shot' or the 'wrist-shot' ; though it is not a ' wrist- 

 shot,' it is a ' body-stroke.' The position Is the same 

 as for the ' half-shot ' proper, but the ball is placed 

 more to the right and a little farther from the player. 

 The right elbow is not bent in to the body, nor is the 

 right forearm to almost rest on the thigh, but the 

 hands are to be brought out and away from the body, 

 and a little forward. This will have the effect of pre- 

 senting the face of the iron more upright to the ball. 



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