GOLF CLUBS Hand mide Jobo a> ' Ken ni eth D mifh Box 41, KANSAS CITY to, MO. Phone PLainfield 1411 CUSTOM CLUB MAKER FOR 25 YEARS March Twelfth 19 4 6 Dre Forrest Ce Allen Director of Physical Ed & Recreation University of Kansas Lawrence, Kans. Dear Dr. Allen: | was very sorry upon returning from vacation to learn the ferrules onyour trons were not put on just the way | wanted them for youe My foreman tells me, though, that your clubs look nice, and they did a nice job on them. You be the judge on this. If they are not all that you hoped for, we will be glad to try again whenever you cen spare the clubs. | wanted the job held up in case they couldn't get it as instructed, but with so much nice weather, our toreman felt that if wasntt fair to youe Rest wishese Cordially yours Kenneth Smith — CZ SAEES (OFFICE =>. S035 GILLHAM ROAD... CANSAS. CITY, MISSOURI February 18, 1946 Mr. Kenneth Smith Pe Oe Box 41 Kansas City 10, Missouri Dear Kenneths | Thank you for your good letter of February 4, I talked to your secretary this past week and expected to bring my clubs in for an aluminum collar but the weather looked so inviting over the week end that I thought I would hold on to them , hoping to get in a game of golf. However, I was disappointed in the realization of ~ desire and missed out on the play. Iwill bring them in in the very 1 near future and I do thank you very much for your kindness.in offering ~ the plastic collar for an aluminum one. ee With kindest regards, I am Cordially yours, Director of Physical Education, Varsity Basketball Coach. GOLF CLUBS HS made te fat You. » > Kenneth Smith Box 41, KANSAS CITY to, MO. Phone PLainfield 1411 CUSTOM CLUB MAKER FOR 25 YEARS February Fourth tee aes Ors Forrest C. Alten Dire Physical Education & Recreation Univ« Of Kens. lawrence, Kans. Dear Dr. Allens: On our postwar irons we are putting on an aluminum collar which | think is quite an improvement over the plastic collars that we have had to use for 4 number of yeers. When your set of. irons came in, |! remember we had to work on those terrules and | wasn't pleased with the job. So {| -have looked forward until this time te correct this on your set. ‘tt vg@orv went us to de this,any time thet you care to spa@re the irons, send them in and we¥'do the kind of a job | would like to do on them, and it won't cost you anything. Kindest regards. Kenneth Smith ez Seees Grrrce .-36038 GILLHAM ROAD. . KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI GENERAL DISTRIBUT@RS for TORO GRASS CUTTING MACHINERY ; MILORGANITE FERTILIZER SKINNER SPRINKLING EQUIPMENT EVERY THING FOR THE GOLF COURSE D. B. BELL & SON GOLF COURSE, PARK AND LAWN EQUIPMENT SOUTH EAST CORNER 72nd & WORNALL ROAD KANSAS CITY, MO. April 30, 1942 Mr. Bill Wayne, JLe 1607 Crescent Road Lawrence, Kansas. Dear rs Mapes 7 Your recent letter requesting price on. flag poles and flags acknowledged and we are pleased to quote Standard ash flag poles with ferrules at $1.10 each f.o.b. Kansas City. Now, we suggest that you work out a color scheme in some other item, and use stan- dard flags-- perhaps red and whitee We do not &: haves the crimson and blueswould have to get them on special order and special order flags made of bunting mater- ial are virtually impossible to get at this time and the cost would be out of proportion to the value, in our opinion. fhere would also be considerable delay, as the flag companies are flooded with orders. We can furnish standard flags in size 14x20, which is the popular size at 65¢ each, as shown in our catalog on page 266 We are mailing you a catalog under s eparate COVEre Thanks .for your interest. Yours truly D.B. BELL & SON amb /ot HINA | WE DO NOT SACRIFICE QUALITY FOR PRICE L. D. TELEPHONE HILAND 0737 Lesson #1 THE GRIP The first and most essential thing in golf is the correct grip of the club. It will seem awkward at first, for it is radically different from any grip we have used heretofore on any other games. But if we are to gain — even slight success we mst persevere - awkward feel or not. If we do, we will find ourselves grivping correctly without any seeming strain in a re~ markably short time. In fact several big league baseball »vlayers, who also oles fine golf, tell me that sometimes they have to think. first in order to prevent using a golf grip on their baseball bats - so natural does the golf 4 grip eventually become. | Pirst, sole the club in normal playing position. Then with the left hand grasp the club diagonally in the fingers. Note that the 'V' made by thumb and index finger is on top of the grip and points towards the right shoulder. Place the right hand, with the palm facing the objective, over the left. Close the grip so that the little finger of the right hand over-— laps the first finger of the left. Again, note the ‘Vy’ formed by the thumb and index finger of the right hand on top of the grip. Sneak a look at your left hand's knuckles. Can you plainly see two or more of them when the club is in playing position? Now, look at your right thumb. Do not coil it around the grip, but rest it on top slightly over to tne left hand side. Start to swing the club — do it time ‘and again. Above all, for goodness sake, don't pay any attention to those first wicnbiebtaite moments, for it will be comfortable in time. 2 it z eas Val > .t5 - tan “ . init, 6 Ss is Lesson #2 MORE ABOUT THE HANDS The golf grip is a finger grip; so hold the club securely in the 'roots! of the fingers. Securely doesn't mean tightly, for we aren't trying to squeeze a "moo" out of the calfskin. The secret is a firm, solid hold - without having tightly drawn tendons. Once you have grasped the club firmly don't let go until you have completed the follow-through and the ball is far down the fairway. One of the most common and most disastrous faults we must overcome is a ten dency to lossen the fingers of the left hand at the top of the backswing. From the very beginning it is well ~ realize that golf is a game played with the hands. Practice grinping in your spare moments at home until it becomes natural with you. Bear in mind that many of our top ranking stars have spent hours exercising and strengthening their fingers. Grip that club tightly and then relax - over and over again. Many of the boys on the tournament trails carry a sawed-off grip or spring-type 'finger- and—hand'! strengthening device. riven eaten ate Lesson #3 THE STANCE Much depends upon balance - which means your weight's got to be evenly divid- ed with your legs not too far apart. Naturally this balance depends greatly on the golfer's physical build, and it is, therefore, most difficult to write intelligently on this subject. Of course the best way to get started correctly is to consult your club professional. The average short and stout person will get far better results if he uses an open stance but doesn't spread his feet too far apart; while the tall, lean golfer is better balanced and more relaxed with a fairly wide, square stance. That's where the difficulty begins - just where your point of balance is. To get the most yower into your shot is something that can» not be self taught, nor can you expect to eventually find it by the trial and error systen. The important thing you can teach yourself is careful alignment. If you will draw an imaginary line towards the distant objective, from a point on the ground a foot or so ahead of the ball and an equal distance behind it, and place your club-head directly back of the ball along this desired line of flight, before placing your feet, it will help you to avoid haste or carelessness and greatly improve your direction. Once your feet are correctly placed and you have aligned your shot, forget the imaginary line. Throughout the swing keep your heac still and your eye on the ball. Lesson #4 MORE ABOUT STANCE Don't get the impression, while reading these lessons, that golf is a complicated game, because there are many things to be remembered. Just curb your impatience, and watch your enjoyment of the game grow. After your professional has helped you attain the proper stance in accordance with your physical build, many of the fundamental points will be much easier for you to remember. Let me assure you that if you have learned to count trumps, you will just as easily grasp these fundamentals as you advance in the game. After you have taken your proper stance - relax, "unlax", and take it easy. If you feel tight, turn around and walk away; then, start all over again. You can't hit the ball right with a feeling of being all "bound up". You must feel free and at ease. Sometimes, this tension can be relieved by slightly bending your kmees during the address. Remember the waggle is an aid to relaxation and concentration, but don't lose the entire value of it by an awkward, choppy, meaningless "feel" of the club-head. See that the waggle is entirely along the line of flight, so that it prepares the way for a rhythmic swing. But don't overdo it. ‘Two or three is sufficient, for a prolonged waggle generally means a poor shot. Lesson #5 PLAYING THE WOODS Take your stance; place the pall slightly to the right of your left heel; point your toes outwardly; be perfectly relaxed; take your few waggles along the line of flight; then you are ready ‘to begin your backswing. With a straight left arm, start turning your left hip inwardly to the right, slightly bending your left !mee as you take the club~head backward low along the ground. Remember = you don't lift the club-head, it comes up itself as the body continues to wind up. The left knee turns further to the right and points towards the balls; the right leg automatically straightens as the weight of the body is placed upon it. The amount of turn that will keep your hands and forearms always under control is another point that can be answered only by your own professional. The hips ian shoulders mst turn enough to keep out of the way of the hands and forearms - giving smooth motion without any obstructions. Thus, we again encounter physical differences - the tall thin player may get more power with a fuller pivot; while the short wkoitey pharer might need a more open stance with a shorter pivot. Lesson #6 MORE ABOUT THE BACKSWING Our last lesson left you in a rather awkward position with the cluo-head in mid-air, while you were asking your professional just how much turn was best suited for your physical build. I hope you aren't still standing in that position - waiting to find out what to do next. Now that you have made your oroper pivot as prescribed, your wrists should begin to cock so that your left arm may remain straight and your right elbow kept fairly close to your body. When vour wrists are fully cocked and the head of the club points towards the distant objective, you are ready to start your downswing. But that's another lesson, so let's get a few more pointers on the backswing. One often hears that a vlayer is too fast on the backswing. That usually means that the player is abruptly lifting his club. However, when he starts his backswing slowly, he remembers not lift the club-head. The stars do not have slow backswings, because their club—heads flow back smoothiy. These stars also slow-up or pause at the top of the backswing which makes for better control. The average player may encounter trouble trying to cultivate this complete pause and may get better results by slowing up at the top of the backswing. Complete mastery of the club at the top of the backswing controls the shot. Lesson #7 THE DOWNSWING Have you been waiting impatiently since our last lesson for me to tell you to go ahead and hit the ball? Please don't hurry, for ve don't master golf by "leaps and bounds". The golfers! heaven is reached by going to the horizon and walking the arc to the top, rather than the jerky motion of going up those golden stairs. Never be so anxious to start your downswing that you fail to finish your backswing. Let your wrists cock at the top; let your hands slow down momenterily; always keep the club-head under full control. Hew can you tell that you aren't hurrying the downswing? Why that's easy. If you keep your grip firm and never relax the left arm, you'll feel your backswing all of the way and have perfect control of the club-head. Just the second you feel that control slipping slightly ~ you're on the verge of overswinging. Hurrying causes overswinging - both are vices. By keeping that feel of control during your backswing- you'll naturally stop momentarily at the top, and you will have acquired, almost without trying, the expert golfer's pause before starting the downswing. Remember a firm grip and a stiff left arm makes you the boss of the club=head. Then practice it until that feeling of control fits like an old glove, and I won't be able to give you any strokes when next we play. Lesson #8 7 HITTING THE BALL The “early day" professional taught us to throw the clubhead to start the downswing. Modern photography and research into the methods used by the leading scorers have taught us that, contrary to this former belief, the downswing should begin just as smoothly and slowly as the well-controlled backswing. By starting with that same left hip that we used to start our body coil, we smoothly start to uncoil. Almost simultaneously the left arn, which is still straight, starts downwardly - the wrists remain cocked - our body continues to uncoil - our right elbow draws down close to the body - our weight starts to shift - the left leg straightens - the right leg starts to bend toward the ball - we've hit it at last! As complicated as it may sound, we have really done nothing more than uncoil that carefully wound spring. Our club-head has followed the same arc that we used on the backswing, and our left hip has shifted - or turned out of the way, just exactly as our right one did when we brought the club- head back. We have learned that if we keep our head perfectly still ~ keep our left arm straight - draw the club-head backward slowly, near the ground ~ not making one single abrupt move; we can put the club-face in contact with the ball by simply reversing our backswing. Now we understand why we spent so much time on the backswing; correct action combined vith slowness perfects the arc of our coil. Lesson #9 THE FOLLOW THROUGH We have ascertained that making accurate impact is simply uncoiling the spring that our professional taught us to correctly wind, we are just about one-third through our first semester on the use of the wood clubs. The other two-thirds is remembering always that for real distance and accuracy we must always follow-through. The follow-through is a part of that same uncoiling because our weight shifts to the left leg; our left hip moves still farther around - out of the way; our right arm straightens out as our left one did on the backswing; and our head comes up gradually. Here again there hasn't been one single abrupt movement. We have actually coiled the spring in reverse. The momentum caused by the wncoiling of our backswing has created this add~ itional motion, and we have had to make absolutely no conscious effort. All we've got to do is let the action take its course. As we hit the ball we should make a conscientious effort to let our weight shift over to our left side; the momentum alone will give us a fine follow-through and result in greater accuracy and distance. When I say, “let our weight shift", I don't mean to sway or jerk. Just hit the ball with your hands and let the spring uncoil itself. Lesson #10 PLAY THE SHOT CORRECTLY Since you have started this series, you have probably noticed that we have been compelled to ask you to consult your professional twice, because we just couldn't tell how tall you were or how young and supple. The difficulty with most books that have been written on golf is that some well-trained, young athlete with powerful hands and wrists tells us how he does it, but golf is played ~ and successfully, too = by men, women, and children of all ages. Fundamentally, golf is played the same, with some slight variations in stance and pivot due entirely to physical differences. In compiling these articles, it is our hope to impress upon you the fact that golf se not the complicated, impossible game it may sound on paper. It may be mastered to the degree of success you alone desire. The first lesson on stance may have reminded you of the ‘early day' lessons on the waltz, but stance means alignment and we cannot impress too firmly that a great part of the badly directed shots, which were otherwise soundly hit, is due to faulty stance. Perhaps you used the correct stance for a drive on the long iron shot; or povhase ain used a long iron stance when trying to get out of the trap; maybe you didn't stand right on that downhill lie. In each instance even the best hit shot went wrong and cost you one more stroke. We ons tell you in writing, for we don't know your physical measurements. But your professional can watch you for five minutes and give you the answer so simply that you'll never forget it - and it will be one of the most interesting lessons you've ever taken. ee ee Lesson #11 PLAYING THE IRONS The long irons are considered by many golfers to be the most difficult, due primarily to a feeling that the thin little blade has to be "slueged" in order to get the needed distance. First of all let me tell you thet the seemingly feactie little blade was lofted for its particular purpose of getting distance and trajectory. It needs less help from you to earn its daily ‘toting tax' than almost any club in your bag. Because the blade is thinner - it will get the bail into the air quickly, and get out of the worst lies. Because it sits at a more upright angle and needs a shorter backswing, the blades are casicr to play with and gives greater accuracy than the woods. Don't try so hard to help the iron play, after all - it's been at this business for a long, long time. The stance for the iron shot is slightly closer than on the wood, and nn nrc nn erent the ball should be played farther back - approximately left center, Of all the shots in the bag the long irons need the most perfect alignment. So line up the shot with the flag, sole the iron in perfect alignment fawieborr, and set your feet. Then keeping your club-head low — near the ground, start winding up the body coil. Remember to keep the head perfectly still and the left arm straight. As you bring the left Imee in, push the straight left arm backvard and up smoothly ~ with no abrupt motion. Cock the wrists and stop the backswing when the club is in a horizontal position. Then by starting the left knee out ~- uncoil the body; start the downswing smoothly but crisply; remember above all to let the weight flow into the left side. "Lesson #12 | WHEN TO USE ZACH IROV Physical strength, particularly the strength in the hands and wrists, is so vital in acquiring great distance, and our physical differences are so great that I fear this lesson will be open to a storm of criticism unless I explain quickly. The distances recommended here are for the average golfer - such as the week-end player. but there is thought value here too for the cluo champion. So no matter what your club handicap is - REIIEMBER: The lofts on the clubs are not accidental but have been established by many years of research. Present day low-scoring confirms more or less that these lofts are correct. No matter what your strength is, if each club is played correctly - that is, allowing the loft of the club to impart the trajectory intended - the differences in distance will not be creat. The strong player will find his greatest advantages, in reaching these distances, to be that he can use a shorter better controll . back swing rather than force his strength. eg se So the distances indicated below are for that week-ender and are subject to adjustment by the persistent heavy hitter: #2 Iron 175 to 185 yds #6 Iron 165 to 175 yds. #4 Iron 155 to 165 yds. #5 Iron 145 te 165 ye. #6 Iron 135 to 146 yde. | #7? Iron a tc 135 yas. Z #8 Iron 105 to 120 yds- , - ee #9 Iron 85 to 100 yds. es, “E* & “Daa ua These are often !mocked all cockeyed even “by the week-ender who disdaining cae U.S.G.A. rules is overheard saying, "What did you use there, John?", and then with the usual male pride in his strength proceeds to take the same club and knock one inside of his big husigy opponent's. % Re - sg ‘ * st hy But that is only occasionally. Most of the time we uncer club and try tor Be : whale the hide off the ball and play the next one out of the asparagus. j i So cast pride aside, if John has been hitting them farther take the next stron~ cs ger club. When you think you can get home with a four iron - say 'get behind me pridet - take your three and hit the ball smoothly. I'll bet you voulll be on Many more times than you're over, and the spinach patch will lmow you no more. Lesson #13 MORE ABOUT THE LONG IRONS Irons are used for accuracy - woods for distance, and while we find many otherwise fine golfers having great difficulty with their long irons - its part of the game and should be mastered. ‘ Without watching you hit a few it's a mighty ticklish subject to tell you what you're doing wrong, but if you will check yourself carefully on the three or four most common errors you will be playing them with more confidence, and confidence is a michty powerful word in this game of golf. First, are you overswinging - are you trying to get your club as far back as you do your woods if so shorten your backswing a lot. Try for accuracy with this very much Wiaietdnan backswing. When you heave acquired accuracy gradually lengthen the backswing a bit at a time and distance will come. Second, are you pulling your iron to the left badly? ‘Yatch vour finish, perhaps your weight hasn't flown through and you are still standing on your right leg. This will cause a pulled shot - so will taking your club head back too far inside. Watch these things and you won't pull them. Third, are you pushing your irons to the right? Again watch your finish - your probably quitting or not following through. Make sure that the club head is finishing over your left shoulder. If that's OKey then watch your backswing and see that it's not too far outside. In giving these tips I'm taking it for granted that your grip is correct may- be you are also, so perhans you'd better check it with your pro. va sla Lesson #14 TROWS FROM SAD LIES There's nothing so soul satisfying as getting ea nice long one out of the rough with a wood, unless it's seeing your opnonent ask for a wood when he's in the same sort of spot. For while we thrill for hours over the occasional one we do accidentally get away with we. know that only one out of ten comes out right, so we just love to see the other guy ask for a wood and start whaling away. If you want to play this game right stop taking those ten to one chances, for rough is’ supposed to impose only a one shot penalty so why gamble for two or three. Incidentally a carefully played iron shot that will assuredly take you out is sound, and the next one from the fairway has a chance of holing out. So if you have that sambling instinct why be a piker with a measly ten to one chance, why not forget that and play an iron and take the thousand to one chance of holing the next one, or at least getting it Close enough for a sure par. Playing irons out of the rough is simple; just think your shot out. ‘You realize of course that thick grass will hold the club head back and na;r even open the blade. So toe your club in a little so this is offset. You also realize that the ball must be gotten into the air quickly so that the grass ahead will not deflect it, there- fore you hit down, and because the ball may be pretty well hidden you know a deeper faced club will be surer. So you forvet distance take an iron of good depth and firmly hit down at the ball. The toed in or closed blade will keep it straight. You also realize thet when this rough shot is close enough to get hone that grass between the blade and the ball will cause the bali to run more than normal. If the green is closely trapped you may use a more loftec iron and play short and try to get the next one dead, because a long iron out of the rough will seldom hold the green, and you'll usually find a lot of trouble in the rough Dehind the green. Lesson #15 MORE ABOUT THE IRONS You read the sport writers report on Jimmy Demaret's fine iron shots into a roaring gale, then when anything more than a mild zephyr blows across the fairway you floun- der and worry and press your hearts out, and we have to let you do it. Because of the many many lessons I have given I can count on a very few fingers the members who have asked me to help them defeat head wind, tail wind, or cross wind; yet a golf ball flys through the air just as an aeroplane, and any pilot will tell you plenty about how he allows for drift. Jimmy Demaret is probably the greatest of the present day wind jammers. If you watch him play into the wind you'll see him take a number three iron for a normal number four iron shot and toe it in slightly, or in golfing language - close the blade, and then with a shorter back swing he'll stroke the ball smoothly just as if he were playing on a mild summer day. You won't find any fine player duiiasas because it's windy, or making any seemingly conscious effort to overcome the wind. But if you watch closely you'll see a two iron played with a three quarter swing right at the pin.and by hitting it firmly with the toe slightly in - the ball will bore right at the pin. Trying to allow for cross winds with a left to right shot and vice versa is a scientific fine golfers! shot, and as often as not the wind velocity changes while the ball is in mid air. So beware unless your course is constantly subject to more than norina.L winds and then see your pro and practice constantly. For the desired amount of hook or slice is getting down to the really fine points of the science of the game, and I take it you're playing mostly for the fun of it, and my first tip on hitting them with a closed blade and a three quarter swing will get vou by most of the time, Lesson #16 PLAYING Tim 5 & 6 IRONS Most golfers get their best results from these two mashies without analyzing the reason for it, but the reason is simple for the shaft is shorter and the shorter backswing calls for less pivot, thus there is less margin for error. Prove these statements to yourself; try some day to hit the ball with a twelve inch backswing then graduaily move it wp to normal and notice how straight they will go. Let this prove to you conclusively that accurate golf is played entirely with the hands, and that the longer backswing is to increase our power and the pivot or turn is merely to take our body out of the way. So since we've learned how easy it is to hit the green with these irons why not go still farther and try to hit the flag by carefully aligning our club face with the pin and taking our back swing along the desired line of flight. Since we want very little roll let's try not to scoop the ball but to hit it down and through very crisply, for the Mashie shots are firm crisp shots. We'll find it is easy to do if the stance is taken with the ball well back towards center and by bending the left Imee inwardly but slightly (never dipped) we take our club head back low and do not lift it abruptly into a three quarter position. Above all else remember to hit the ball downwardly. Don't be afraid you will punish the cover of the ball; just try your best to drive it into the turf with the face of your ah, and the ball will soar beautifully absolutely unscathed and without rolling far when it hits the green. Remember the shot must be finished so don't stop your club heac but let the monentum carry your weight onto your left leg and let that club head finish over your left shoulder. Lesson #17 PLAYING THE SHORT IRONS These irons with their shorter shafts and deeper blades should be even easier to play than those favorite mashies,-and they will be too if we don't tighten up and try to give the ball just that right amount of pover and steer them for the pin. Of course I am speaking of the full shot with the #7 or #8 iron and not the run up or chip shot, and more of these shots are ruined by bubied shots than from any other cause. So play them boldly and depend more on the lofts to take care of distance, but don't let those lofts induce you to scoop for this shot is more decidely a downwardly hit shot than even the mashies were, and always play them right on the pin and your downwardly struck bail won't roll away. To correctly play this shot place your feet as your Pro has advised ~- remember about ni or open stance and by all means apply it here, for your arms must have a clear path to go down and through. Be sure your feet are comfortably Close together so thet your weight is evenly distributed on both feet. The ball should be well back towards the right foot; align the ball carefully See on the pin and with a straight left arm start the club head back. Allow the left knee to vend slightly, but do not cip it or throw the prevoncerance of weight on the right leg, for this is a hand and arm shot and very little turn or pivot is needed. Keep the right elbow well into the body and when the backward swing starts eee, to pull the elbow out start cocking the wrists; your hands on. Ane ey peels = “enienis EPO PIR HU AN Nae ttar en gap do not nest to go. above..the shoulder. “RRs eget “mss rey reNCaRS, So peciberiaus to hit down anc through and to finish the shot by letting the club head go on through, you may start your downward stroke by starting to brace the left leg and to bring the right elbow into the body - the wrists uncock - you lash into the ball. Right here's where many otherwise perfectly hit approach shots go wrong - so reac this carefully: No one has ever invented a self returning golf ball so there's just no percen- tage in your looking wp to see how close you are. Just keep those shoulders and head right down where they were until the momentum of the follow through pulls them up, anc don't try to stop that club head either, let it fly on through and you'll do all right. Lesson #18 TUE TRAP UXFULOSTON SHOT There's a constant controversy over the playing of the sand wedge or heavy soled niblick The great vlayers of a decade ago declare th:t by the use of this one iron alone the modern star has taken several strokes from every round. That is probably true but the game is difficult enough anyway, so if this club has made a difficult hazard easier to overcome let's by all means have a sand iron in our bag and learn to play it. In the explosion shot the wide flange sole of the wedge rides or glides through the sand, and a firm sweeping shot with a full follow-through will take the ball up and out. There's a difference of course in the power of golfers, but this is minimized by the amount of sand between your wedge's face and the ball. So no matter how strong you are hit firmly and by practice determine just how far you should hit behind the ball to acquire various distances. , The wedge shot is a very upright one. The feet are placed so that the ball is played well ahead and even with the left foot. The stance is slightly open, and the feet must be very firmly set into the sand. In setting the feet you may deter- mine the density of the sand, for you may not touch the sand in a trap with your club head without penalty. In taking the club head back do not use body turn or pivot and bend the left knee in very slightly. Remember you do not hit the ball but hit into the sand behind it, and that the sanc cushions your wedge face so that you will get very little roll. So do not baby the shot no matter how close the pin - just hit firmly and let the anthent es sand taken determine the distance. There are of course several types of sand from the fine white dense sand of the sea side courses to the large grain sand of many inland traps, and all of it plays differently when wet. So the really right way to learn to cut these strokes from your game is to take a bag of practice balls and your favorite pro out with this new wedge and learn to master it right at home. Don't be surprised if he nearly faints when you ask him for a lesson on the wedze, for no one mows better than he does how few of us are taking full advantaze of this real stroke saving club. Lesson #19 PUTTING Here's the one stroke in golf that everyone of us should be good at, but we are not so. Perhaps that's why Par golf allows us two putts to the green when absolutely perfect putting would sink them all in one, for if we could figure out just what the roll tian be, just how fast or how slow the surface - having figured it out could stroke it perfectly we could sink every single putt, and we would have founded a science more exacting than the Einstein Theory. But since we realize that one putt is perfection shouldn't we be just a bit ashamed to take a three and be just three hundred percent wrong. So let's try to train ourselves to use enough care on the sreens to avoid those three putts always. Putting is a combination of concentration, confidence, and touch. It's not so much stroke for any putting stroke that finds you feeling free and relaxed and allows your hands to smoothly stroke the ball along the line is a good stroke. So if you have adopted a stroke that meets with the anproval of your Pro and doesn't cause you to jab the ball you can start your lesson on concentration. The fine putter frees his mind of everything but the task at hand. You'll see him carefully scan the entire line looking over the grain of the , vecause he lmows that he must allow for this. You'll see him stoop and look for hidden rolls that might have been impercentible standing erect. But what you won't see is the way he analyses that putt when it fails to go down. He's training his mind and his touch to keep from making that same error twice, and that's how concentration and touch are acquired. By thinking before anc after we wutt about that putt and nothing else in the world - and then practicing it as often as we can. For putting is truly an exact science, and perfect one stroke putting is possible if not probable. at Lesson #20 ra GE These were the shots of the fine old timers, such fellows as Jerry Travers who could ie Fant > rd BUY UP SHOTS Sof. oO = Q oO Oo ry fe cr play this shot into the cup more often then he'd miss it. They made a scie: because the clubs and balls of those days weren't as powerful as our present day equipment, and they quite often found themselves five or ten yards short. Since we don't always hit the greens on our seconds either it's a mighty handy shot to have up our sleeves, and I know of no shot which will so quickly break an opponent's heart. This is a hand and wrist shot oniy. The feet should be close together and should remain flat on the ground. A 5 or 7 iron will be found to work equally well but stick pretty well to the one you choose. When you start practicing this shot just take your club head baci like you do your putter carefully along the line. Hit the ball crisply; don't baby it; hit it freely and loosely, and gradually increase your baci stroke as you wish to increase the distance, and before you k:ow it you'll be geting the feel and touch. Most good chip shot players prefer to hit the ball off of the right foot or pretty well back, and you'll find that your flight will be just about equal to your POLL. An easy way to quit trying too hard is to play for an imaginary two foot circle around the cup, and for the good of the game don't accept those gimme putts they!11 soon be giving you — but hole them all out.