I feel that I ought here to state concisely and as clearly as I can my opinion about wrist action. No part of the golf stroke seems to me to be less understood or to cause so much confusion; no doubt much of this confusion results from the name itself. I feel that if the instructors of the game would always explain that the action they write about starts at the elbow joint, much of the misunderstanding would be cleared away. What I mean by ' wrist action' is just the turning over of the wrist, forearm and hand, either outwards or inwards.

No independent action of the wrist other than this, with any club except the putter, is in my opinion necessary or admissible.

I consider the common theory that the wrists should be used independently in the mashie shot to be quite erroneous; the action is totally unnecessary, and therefore likely to produce mistiming. I am fully aware that this idea clashes with that held by some of the greatest exponents of the game, but I am, nevertheless, prepared to defend my opinion.

First I will take this 'wrist-shot' as played with the mashie. The advocates instruct that the 'club should be taken back rather upright with the wrists.' Now what I want to know is, whether this action of the wrists is to be repeated exactly in the same place in the downward swing. If so, then reflect for a moment what that means. Remember that the arms, hands, and wrists are obliged to go through a slight turning movement on their way to the ball, whatever theory is held.

Now in this theory under discussion the wrists are to do a particular work on their own account for something like a second or even less immediately before the ball is struck.

If this is not so, then the only other explanation is that the particular work of the wrists is never introduced into the downward swing at all.

One important point, I think, in discussing the question is always lost sight of - the enormous difference between the wrists, say, of Vardon, Taylor, and Braid and the majority of the rest of us. The size and strength of their wrists would compare very favourably with the size of our forearms. When they think they are allowing their wrists a little play, then the rigidity is probably as great as when we deliberately hold our wrists taut. Think what this independent wrist action means to players with feeble wrists. I have known many of the latter assiduously practise the 'mashie wrist-shot,' but I have never known one really succeed in it.

MASHIE SHOT: STANCE AND GRIP.

[To face p. 201.

I do not say that this way of playing the shot cannot be made effective, but what I do say is, that it is a very much more difficult way of playing than is necessary, and, indeed, the simpler way is difficult enough. To sum up, I maintain the theory that the short mashie shot should be played with the wrists independent of the forearm ought to be denounced as a mistake. Again, as regards 'wrist action' - by that I mean the action from the elbow joint (i.e. the turning over of the forearms, wrists, and hands acting together) - the school which advocates that this turning movement should deliberately begin immediately the club leaves the ball in the backward swing, have never explained why it should do so, nor have they pointed out any advantage to be gained by it. Every one admits that a certain turning of the wrists is inevitable, but the important point to settle is, how much is necessary and how much is superfluous, and when the turning should start.

Now the people who in driving or in mashie play start the movement immediately are faced with this danger. If, as I presume they expect, the movement repeats itself in the downward swing, what are the chances that this turning will bring the club head back square exactly at the moment when the club head comes in contact with the ball? Remember what this movement is doing all the time to the head of the club. Further, if you begin turning at once, I think you run a very great danger of continuing much too long, and this all tends towards exaggerating the difficulties of getting the club head square to the ball at the moment of impact. Any exaggeration is a risk to be avoided, and unless the advocates of this system can claim for it any special advantages which are not obvious to me, I shall pin my faith to the old saying that the easiest way to play a shot is always the best. To me the simpler way is to get this turning movement finished before the face of the club strikes the ball, and to do as little turning as possible.

One thing is certain, namely, that with many golfers this turning movement is the direct cause of constant slicing, and of every other form of mistake which results from the face of the club not being square to the ball at the time of impact.

Years ago, before I thought much for myself, I remember being puzzled by a player, whose skill I much respected, explaining to me that he gained the extra distance off the tee by the flick of his wrists. I am inclined to believe now that he was mistaken, and simply deceived himself. Mr. Darwin, far-sighted critic as he undoubtedly is, appears to entertain quite wrong opinions about this 'wrist' question. I do not think his idea of the right wrist action in the running-up shot at all sound. I am quite aware that in his theory he follows the lead of the east of Scotland school, but I never could see much in the particular methods they advocate; in fact, all the talk about turning over the right wrist to make the ball run uphill is to me nothing but sheer nonsense. Briefly, what they do is this. They take a lofted iron club and then stand so much in front of the ball that most of the loft is made valueless, and the striking of the ball has varying results. Sometimes it scuttles along, thus showing plainly that it has been smothered. At other times it pitches and runs with a drag in the same way as an ordinary straightforward shot would. Now, if they deliberately aim at hitting the ball whilst the head of the club is actually turning over, then all I can say is that that kind of shot in no way appeals to me. How can they hope to gauge the exact amount of turning to be done at the exact moment the club hits the ball? Their calculations must necessarily often be inaccurate, because the time taken over the stroke is so short, and the ball does not tend to hang to the club, owing to its great resiliency.

MASHIE SHOT: TOP OF SWING.

[To face p. 20.

MASHIE SHOT: FINISH OF SWING.

[Toface p. 203.

I have seen a photograph of a well-known professional 'at the finish of the shot' with his right wrist turned over so much that the nose of the iron looks as if it is going to dig into the ground. Now why is this the 'correct way to finish'?

It seems to me that this theory is only part of a large conspiracy to make out that every shot in this game is more difficult than it really is. The art of golf is difficult enough in all conscience, and for goodness sake let us have done with all these decorations and frills.

I can claim to be pretty familiar with 'running-up shots.' At Stoke you can get a good many of them. I play them with an ordinary iron; my wrists and hands turn much as with ordinary shots, and I never attempt to make a special turning movement with my right wrist.

In estimating the amount of force with which to strike the ball, the thing to acquire is what billiard players call 'touch,' and always to guard against cutting the ball; in other words, one must hit the ball accurately. The rest is a mere question of ability to judge distance and the condition of the ground.

If Mr. Darwin insists that this turning of the right wrist is important in the stroke, I will undertake to demonstrate when he next visits Stoke that in my way of playing it is quite superfluous, and he shall be left to decide which way is the simpler and more effective.

As to playing out of bunkers or hazards, I shall say little. All necessary and useful advice has been written over and over again. Bunker shots are special shots, and the more a golfer knows about them the better is he equipped to save strokes. Treat every bunker with respect, but fear none.

There is a special group of strokes in this game to which every professional pays a good deal of attention, but few of them are often successful in execution. Here I refer to the intentional slice and the intentional pull, or, as Vardon called them, 'the master-strokes.' Of course I do not mean (nor does Vardon) the ordinary sliced or pulled shot on to a green, which is done by a slight alteration in the stance, but the deliberate attempt to circumvent some formidable hazard and reach a green that is, say, round the corner.

I must confess that the only man I have ever seen bring off this shot successfully is Vardon himself. Twice at least I have seen him judge to perfection the correct amount of pull and slice, and in each case he saved a stroke. At the time I felt he was quite right in calling it a 'master-stroke.'

The method and the principle of the shot are, I should say, generally understood. It will be remembered what has been said about drawing the line of flight back from the ball for about three feet. In the case of these special shots the club head for a slice must be taken back outside that line, and it must finish, immediately after the ball is reached, inside that line. For the pull the club head must be taken back well inside the line, and when it reaches the ball it must be travelling on its way outside it.

The stance is altered and the ball so placed as to produce the required result. There are plenty of photographs in the big books that give the exact positions, and I believe the instruction is quite sound. The difficulty occurs in making the shot. There is always the feeling, 'is it worth the risk?' and that is the reason why so few bring it off. You feel quite confident you can get a five, but to get a four you have to chance taking a six, and I must confess that I should never take the risk unless things were in a very desperate condition. For instance, if I stood dormy one down I should attempt it, but if I stood all square and one to go I should certainly not take the risk, but I should feel quite satisfied if my opponent did. It may be gathered from this that I hold the shot to be far too difficult to admit of being attempted in any but ' now or never ' conditions.

B. Ball.

A. Prolongation backward of line of flight.

S...S. Dotted line showing approximate movement of club head before and after striking ball for the slice.

P...P. Dotted line showing approximate movement of club head before and after striking ball for the pull.