66 A Sportsman at Large 



Thereby I was able to make use of that delicacy of 

 " hands " which is of such precious value in so many sporting 

 activities. 



When it is said of a horseman that he has " good hands/' 

 the term is perfectly well understood by society in general, 

 and by its sporting element in particular. The hand is the 

 executive of the brain ; indeed, it may be said that the latter 

 is the strategist and the former the tactician ; for in the 

 nicety of balance, the quick and accurative initiative, and the 

 nervous and muscular power which links them, depends the 

 effect which it is desired to produce. 



Where this condition of perfect accord exists we have 

 " hands " as understood in sporting parlance. Where other 

 conditions prevail we have only physiological members, 

 which perform their various offices in perfunctory and 

 unsatisfactory fashion ; since muscular power only is in the 

 ascendancy, whilst nervous and psychic control is either 

 entirely wanting, or is of negligible assistance in bringing 

 about the wished-for result. 



The possession of " good hands " is an asset of immense 

 importance in a great variety of sporting and other endeavours. 

 Take, for instance, my own case as coxswain of a racing eight. 

 This is a job where " good hands " are of inestimable service. 

 They can only exist when clarity of brain, nervous stability and 

 lightning-like initiative and decision are present. Especially 

 are they valuable when the course is a tortuous one, such 

 as that of the Cam. Watch the performance of the various 

 coxswains as they attempt to negotiate " Grassy Corner " 

 during the May races. You will then understand where 

 " hands " come in. The happy possessor of such will take 

 his angle and slip round the salient, with his rudder only 

 slightly inclined to the stroke side. As the boat answers to 

 his touch, hardly a ripple will be raised, so that the " way " is 

 well maintained, and the craft " straightens out " directly the 

 open stretch is reached. 



Now examine the performance of the novice, or one whose 

 " hands " are at a discount. He will " come over " too soon 

 or too late, and then to correct the error, will bring his rudder 

 with a jerk to such an angle that it will throw up a veritable 



