IN the previous chapters I have described the best means by which the ball is to be got well away from the tee, and have presumed it has afterwards found a favourable lie.

But we will now suppose it has found a depression of the ground.

To get it out of this depression cleanly is now the task of the player. He will naturally discover it to be quite an impossibility to use the driver again.

It is the brassie that must be brought into operation now, and a different style of playing than in the drive must be adopted. It is now necessary that the player should take up his position for playing in such a way that the ball is just a little nearer the right foot than before. The club must also be handled in a different manner, the grip being of a more retentive and sturdier character, although the club must not be gripped so hard that the swing becomes wooden and cramped. It must still be perfectly free and easy, or the best use cannot be made of the muscular effort that will be put forth.

As for the swing itself, the club must be brought up and allowed to sweep downward again in a little more upright style. The effect to be tried for, and which will be gained if the stroke is played properly and in deference to my instructions, is that the head of the club is allowed to nip in directly behind the ball as it lies in the hollow.

Were this not done, and a sweeping stroke attempted in its place, the ball would just be topped, and the second position might be worse than the first in every respect. Do not attempt such a thing when your ball is lying upon a spot lower than the surrounding ground ; it is impossible that you could succeed, and it will mean a waste of time and trouble.

But in playing the proper stroke the head of the club enters the depression at the back of the ball sharply and decisively. The momentum upon it, and the manner in which it strikes the ball, jerks the latter cleanly out of its resting-place.

While exercising considerable care in seeing that a "nippy" stroke is so played, the whole of the attention must not be taken off that other important feature, the follow-through. In this case the follow-through will, of course, be into the ground to a certain degree; but the stroke must not be allowed to terminate there with a jerk.

The club must necessarily touch the ground, but it must not be allowed to remain there. As in the drive, the club must be allowed to follow the flight of the ball right through. There must be a semblance of a break or a jerk; that cannot be obviated; but it should be lessened as much as possible, and the upward swing carried right out with a hardly perceptible instant of hesitation.

When getting a ball out of a depression more or less additional distance can be given to its flight and carry by a certain knack in twisting the wrists, or, rather, jerking them, at the exact moment that the head of the club comes into contact with the ball.

This is quite a knack, and it cannot be learnt properly unless sufficient practice is secured. To carry out this jerk I have spoken of with the greatest effect it is necessary that the wrists must not be kept tense, rigid, and unbending when club meets ball, but they must be so held that they are as flexible as two steel springs.

Then they must be brought round quickly, with a snap, if I may so express my meaning; and provided this is done properly and effectively, then it is that the additional power and vim is added to the swing. There is nothing dead and listless about it. The club appears to be imbued with life, and it is surprising what a difference it will make to the flight of a ball.

In the playing of this stroke I cannot forbear from pointing out as decisively as possible that the utmost use must be made of the wrists.

Having now dealt with one of the difficulties that may need to be faced, I come to another - that is, what is popularly termed a hanging ball. This kind of ball is one to be met with when the natural slope of the turf is trending in the direction of the hole.

The ball is resting fairly, and in a get-at-able position. To remove it effectively in the direction of the hole the player must not allow it to be so near his right foot when he has taken up his stance as were it lying in a depression. It must be nearer his left foot, but the swing must be reproduced almost exactly as were he driving from the tee, remembering, however, one particular thing - that this swing should be a perfectly easy one.

There is one common mistake. Many players do not recognise that the ball is lying fairly, and so is open to be struck fairly with a sweeping movement. They go at the ball as though there were a danger of topping it, and use the upright swing.

The player must certainly not make an attempt to get in behind the ball sharply with a nippy stroke.

Should he try to do this, topping will probably follow.

It is one of the most difficult tasks in the world, the making clear to the understanding of a pupil that he must conform to the decline in the ground during the playing of the stroke; that is to say, when the ball is upon the slope the head of the club must be swept along the surface just in the same way as though the ground were perfectly level, the only difference being that the line along which it travels is slightly more depressed at the end than at the commencement. But this has to be done, or more trouble will be experienced. The pupil will probably plead that by playing the stroke with a downward tendency a depressing effect will be transferred to the ball after it has been struck. That this is quite an erroneous idea I need scarcely pause to point out, for provided a golfer hits a ball truly in the manner I have laid down as being right and proper, the ball will rise off the ground quite as high as is necessary. It only remains for the player to follow implicitly the rules I have suggested and, in addition, to keep his eye about an inch to the rear of the ball when actually playing, and success must follow his efforts. Should he not keep his eye upon this spot, but concentrate his gaze upon the top of the ball, then there is every probability of its being topped. This, at least, is a fault that may be guarded against by even tie least expert. As soon as the player is possessed of the real touch appertaining to golf it will come to him naturally.

On many of the inland courses long grass is frequently to be encountered. Should the ball drop into a patch, it is in a none too easy position, although it may be played out without overmuch difficulty, provided, of course, that the proper stroke is played in the requisite style.

There is nothing extraordinary about this stroke, but a firm grasp must be kept upon the club when it is being played. If this should not be done the head sweeps into the grass, but does not go through as cleanly as should be the case. The ball has to be actually forced out of its bed in the grass, and to do this a determined grip is an absolute necessity.

During the playing of the shots from such lies as I have described the use of the brassie has been rendered necessary. In connection with this I might spare a moment in order to point out that more than one authority upon the game has laid it down that the brassie should not be brought into use to a too great degree. How they would proceed to map out this degree I am not prepared to say, but their argument is, that the small plate of brass beneath the head of the club is very often apt to upset the perfect balance of it, and that in consequence, when S a player exchanges a brassie for a driver, his game is apt to suffer. Hence they advise that a brassie should not be used to a greater extent than is absolutely necessary.

I cannot say I follow the line of reasoning right out to the letter, but I am willing to admit this: that were we enabled to use but one solitary club during the playing of a round, possibly the mistakes might be fewer in number. That, however, is far from being possible.

For my part I maintain that it is impossible to use the brassie too much. There are many positions which may be found by your ball, from which no other club save the brassie is capable of extricating it. So I say keep up your practice with this club. Use it on the good lies as much as the bad ones; in short, use your brassie whenever practicable. You cannot accustom yourself to the handling of it too much. Your knowledge will always be useful, and I advocate the use of it in preference to that of the driver.

It may be pleaded that the ball can be got over a greater extent of ground when it is struck with a club that is not so much laid back, but, provided that a golfer discovers he is better suited by his brassie, and that he is more at home with it in his hand I really do not see why he should not use it even in driving from the tee. My confidence in this club is great, and I am prepared to support it.

Another of the difficulties that has to be met is the weather. Like the secret of perpetual motion and the philosopher's stone, perfect golfing weather has yet to be discovered. Very hot weather will not suit one, a breeze spoils the game of another.

Still, the atmospheric conditions have to be faced. In the matter of taking up your position in order to play a stroke against any wind that may be blowing at the time, the ball should be placed almost directly opposite the right foot. With this exception the stance is almost similar in character to that taken up when addressing the ball for a drive off the tee.

Much additional advice has been given as to the method of playing this stroke. All I would like to advise is that, supposing a powerful breeze is blowing against you, you would be well advised in taking up a firm stand, while you must not forget that the swing must be easy in character.

Too many players fall into a mistake that may be made very readily. That is, if the wind is blowing against them with any great force, they attempt to overcome this resistance to the flight of the ball by pressing, or going out for great tilings.

This is an utterly mistaken idea of the possibilities of golf, for when you are perforce playing against the wind, then it is that you discover the absolute necessity of trying for and securing exactitude in playing every stroke. You must be capable of hitting every ball true, but if your time and attention is taken up in attempting to press, accuracy will be largely sacrificed.

If, on the other hand, the player presses, and only succeeds in topping his ball in the face of half a gale, or even a heavy breeze, then, indeed, there is no surmising what will happen. Accuracy is the great thing for which to play, and no attention must be paid to those who may advise the half-topping of the ball when driving against the wind.

I can quite understand their reason for doing this half-topping, for they are possessed of an idea that playing in such a manner keeps it low, and so out of the full force of the blast that may be blowing at the time. My decided advice, however, is not to do this; play it as you would upon an ordinary occasion, but firmly, as I have noted in the previous paragraphs, and attempt to hit it cleanly. Provided you succeed in hitting it fairly and squarely with the centre of the head of the dub, then you will accomplish what you strive for.