ON THE TEE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20625, 28 May 1935, Page 7

ON THE TEE.

Hit Several Shots Before Beginning a Round. NOTES BY 808 FERGUSON. Plow many times have you ruined a round during the first two or three holes? I know that T have done so on many an occasion. There is nothing more annoying, yet many of us allow this state of affairs to persist/ However much swinging is done before addressing the first ball of the day the trouble seems to remain. Some players take two clubs and swing with them. Even that does not really help and may even tend to cause the player to lose the feel of his clubs. The truth of the matter is that, while practice swinging may loosen the muscles to some extent, it does not “ get one’s eye T have tried all these methods and have found none satisfactory. I have come to the conclusion that the only way to ensure a good beginning for a round is to play three or four holes before going out. You may say there is not time for these holes, but there is usually time for several practice shots, not swings. If it is impossible to play several holes, at least hit the ball and do not swing blindly at the turf, or some unoffending daisy. There is also the problem of which clubs to use for these practice shots. I find that by playing one or two shots with driver, spoon and mashie-niblick the best results are gained. For the moral effect alone it is essential to hit a good shot from the first tee. It is probable that if one’s eye is right for wooden shots there will be little trouble with the Xo. 1 and No. 2 irons. But with the mashie-niblick touch is all important. Unless one feels that the first approach will be played correctly it will be a foozled shot. But if you have flayed one or two long shots and several of the tricky variety you will have the confidence necessary for bringing off a sound stop shot. I have found that by employing this method T have left, the sad days of poor beginnings behind. All of which adds to the pleasure of the most pleasant of all games. In the course of an instructive story in the “ American Golfer ” Bobby Jones calls attention to the necessity of an alert attitude when addressing the ball. He points out that, to be alert one must be ready for action or for movement in any direction, and muscles must be free, not set, to take a shock standing still. The player may not be literally “on his toes,” but he certainly will not be “ back on his heels.” In golf the alert posture is fairly erect, with the weight about evenly divided between the two feet, and the knees slightly bent. But above all, in order to obtain the proper mobility there must be no leaning forward on the toes or sitting back lazily on the heels. Jones advises us to let the balls of the feet carry most of the weight, using the heels for what they were intended, improving your balance. He goes on to point out that, assum ing the feet have been placed properly, with the toes of both feet turned slightly outward to make the turning of the body in either direction equally easy, a common and fatal mistake in starting the back-swing is to move the weight directly' out over the toes of the left foot. This means that at the top of the back-swing most of the body weight, will rest on the left foot and be thrown back on the right as the swing comes down. Tt is entirely practical to control the handling of the body, both turning and shifting, by giving attention to the heel-and-toe balance of the feet; in other words by consciously directing the changes in support points throughout the swing. Starting with the weight about equally divided between the two feet, the first change is made by rolling the weight supported by the left foot over on to the inside of the big toe. At the same time, the weight upon the right foot moves back upon the outside of the heel, often so completely that the toe is pulled off the ground. To make these changes the plaver will have to twist his hips and handle his body in approximately the correct manner. In the down-swing the process is reversed, and the weight of the left foot moves back to the heel while that on the right foot comes forward on to the toe.

Authority to lay an information con cerning an alleged breach of the Riccarton stock-droving by-law was granted the inspector (Mr Iv. Thomson) at the meeting of the Riccarton Borough Council last night. It was stated that it was the inspector’s wish that the council should consider the action to be taken. The question related to the successive occasions on which sheep owned by master butchers had been driven from the Addington saleyards to the abattoir before 4 p.m., in contravention of the by-law and with a view to testing its validity.