IMPROVING AT GOLF

Evening Star, Issue 19409, 18 November 1926, Page 15

IMPROVING AT GOLF

MID-IRON SHOTS [Written by Harry Vardon, for the ‘ Evening Star.’] Of all the items that go to make up the golfer’s hag of clubs-probably the greatest general favorite is the midiron. It has so much of the character of a natural-looking and accommodating implement with which to hit the ball that, among players of every degree of ability, the reflection , I can take my mid-iron here” inspires a feeling -of confidence which is r often lacking when other clubs have'to be employed. If people were to the use of one club on the links, the mid-iron would almost certainly be the most popular choice. Certainly it would be mine. . . , At the same time, with all its encouraging appearance of adaptability to the purpose, it will not secure the desired results unless the player observes certain essentials, in connection with .it. Or perhaps it would bo better to say that ho must be careful to avoid certain pitfalls to' which the flesh seems heir where the mid-iron is concerned. My experience is that one of the commonest errors with it is for the player to stand too far from the ball. The shaft is usually shorter than that of the deck or nearly straight-faced driving iron. It may bo as much os 2in shorter, though in my own case the difference is not so pronounced. Its “ lie ” is also a little more upright. That is to say, if you stand both clubs with tho full lengths of their soiefl upon the ground, there will be a trifle more of the element of verticalness in the mid-iron than in the cleek or its substitute. This is a well-thought-out scheme. The mid-iron shot should be wholly a, controlled shot, aimed to lay the ball somewhere near the pin. Therefore, we need to stand well over our work, and practise a decidedly upright swing instead of any semblance of a flattisn sweep of tho club head round the legs. The more upright lie and the shorter shaft help to promote this effect. But the trouble is that very great numbers of players spoil it by standing too far from the hall, so that, although they may bring the club round with its face square to the ball, which is obviously as it should be, the toe is cocked up in the air, and only the heel touches tho ground. There cannot bo a satisfactory shot in these circumstances. THE CORRECT STANCE. With the mid-iron the right foot .should be decidedly more forward than for any of the shots with the longerrange irons. Extending the line of play behind the' ball, the right foot should be about 7in from that line, with tho toes pointing almost directly toward it. or at any rate not turned outwards in any marked degree. Taking the lino of play in front of the ball, the toes of the left fooler: turned comfortably outwards —should bo about 20in from that line. The feet are also a little closer together than for the shot with a straighterfaced iron. Thus tho general effect is to bring the player appreciably nearer to the, ball, and to turn his body rather more towards the hole than it has been for the longer shots. To the player who does not obtain such good results from his mid-iron as ho might expect, my first piece of advice is to consider the question ns to whether he is standing sufficiently near to the ball, with his head reasonably well over it. The tendency to take up much the same position as for the clubs which have longer shafts is one of the most marked traits in the methods of the average golfer. Another important point to remember is not to overswing with the midiron. A great many players take it hack almost as far as the driver. As a rule they become conscious of having overdone tho swing while they are bringing tho club down, and so they try to check its pace. This almost invariably results in an indecisive way, of hitting. A half-swing is the_ easiest of all with a mid-iron, and it is wonderful how far one can get with it. A threequarter swing may be permitted in some circumstances, tot a full swing is seldom profitable. The club, with ir comparative uprightness ol lie, is not meant for that purpose, and the usual consequence is a loss of control at the top of the movement. AGAINST THE WIND. The mid-iron is an especially favorable club with which to cultivate what I always feel (in common with probably al! other players who have tasted the true joys of the game) to be the most soul-satisfying shot in_ golf—the low-flying shot against a wind. It is not desperately difficult. It may foil the experimentalist frequently at I .ho start, but the pleasure of bringing it off every now and again—assuming that he is willing to devote a quarter of an hour’s practice to it—will repay these disappointments and open up to him a new vista of ambition. It is commonly called the “ push shot,” although there is no_ element of push about it, for the ball is struck in much the same way ns for any_ other shot. 1 The governing factor is the stance. The player must stand so that he is conscious that most of his body is in front of the ball. Ho should be_ about iin farther towards the direction of play than when he is attempting an ordinary mid-iron shot. Moreover, the bulk of his weight should be on the left leg, and kept there throughout the swing. The effect of this stance will be to make him, address the ball with his hands slightly in front of it, and the loft of the club therefore turned a little on to the ball, whereas for the ordinary mid-iron shot the hands are just about opposite the ball, and the loft of 'ho club therefore presents itself to the hall in its normal sotting. Now, if he will simply take a halfswing with the forward stance, keeping the weight on the left leg all the while, and finish with the club pointing skywards, he ought to obtain the lowflying shot against the wind. If he cannot be bothered to persevere with this stroke, he will at least find the mid-iron a splendid all-the-year-round club. It is particularly valuable on wet winter courses. A drive and two midiron shots nt a fairly long hole will often reach the green,_ whereas a drive followed by a brassie in the mud, and then a straight-faced iron, frequently leaves the player wondering what ho shall do next.