To screw round a stymie is slightly more difficult than a straightforward jump, because so much depends on the nature of the green. The slightest amount of favourable fall in the ground will make a great difference, and the slowness or keenness of the green also helps or hinders, as a screw has more effect on a ball on a fast green than on a slow one. To pass on the left side of a ball and to make one's own ball turn to the right is easier than to have to make the stroke in a reverse fashion. An iron is a better club to use for screwing than an ordinary putter, as the cut will take quicker effect from an iron than from off a putter. The stroke is made by turning the face of the club out a little to the right, and playing across the line from right to left in the same manner as that described for a cut approach. To play the reverse stroke, and to make the ball turn from right to left, the ball is played off the extreme point of the toe of the club, and an effort must be made to pull the shot by turning over the right wrist more pronouncedly than usual.

A half-stymie can often be turned to account by making the one ball cannon off the other in the right direction, but the thing above all others to be avoided is the risk of putting the opponent's ball into the hole. To do so is exasperating to the last degree. People are not half careful enough about the matter of laying themselves stymies. From a long shot, if such a misfortune does occur, it cannot be helped, but on the green there is no excuse. One so often sees holes thrown away in this fashion. The player putts short and leaves her ball directly behind the other, or she overruns the hole and stymies herself on the other side. It is a contingency which should always be borne in mind when putting, and great care should be taken to avoid the possibility of such an occurrence.

A recent invention, which has met with some success, is a flat-shafted driver for using in windy weather. The side of the shaft is reduced to the smallest possible degree, so that there is practically nothing to offer resistance to the wind when the club is travelling up and down in the course of the swing. We have become so familiar with the orthodox rounded shaft, that such an innovation as a flat shaft comes upon us with something of a shock. Two of these clubs are in the possession of first-class golfers whom I know, and both the owners express themselves as delighted with the results attained with them. If a flat-shafted driver is so successful, there seems no reason why other clubs should not be made after the same pattern. Another club made to cheat the wind is a driver with a double bulge on the face, that is to say, the face is bulged both down and across. The idea is that the ball is hit with the centre of the two reverse slopes, and so a great deal of spin can be put on and the ball kept low.

One of the greatest difficulties in connection with the game that women golfers have to contend with is wind. Men do not realise the immense pull they have in bad weather. They have not to contend with their hats and their hair and flapping and sodden skirts. Between the physical exhaustion produced by a long fight against a strong breeze, and the irritation occasioned by a wobbling hat, or stray locks of hair, or a skirt which will flap at the wrong moment, the woman golfer is reduced to a sorry plight. Of course, people will say that before she starts out, the player should see that her hat is firmly tied on, and her hair netted down, and her skirt properly cut, so that none of these annoyances may happen; but it is easier said than done. A gusty wind defeats all precautions, and hairpins take a perverse delight in seeking other spheres. The recent fashion of hobble skirts proved a great boon. Hobble skirts may not be beautiful, but they certainly are very comfortable and neat for golf, when worn in a moderate fashion. The story ran that some ingenious golfers turned the fashion to account, and had their skirts made the exact width of their driving stance. Thus they were able to make certain on every tee that they were adopting the right attitude. Although the hobble skirt is occasionally caricatured on the links, it is much preferable to the 'kicking strap' of elastic which has been so widely adopted during the last few years to restrain the superabundant folds of the player's skirts. 'Kicking straps' and crochet caps may alike be described as horrible inventions for destroying and distorting feminine attractiveness.

Although it seems almost too obvious a thing to say, the chief points to be emphasised in regard to playing in wind are to make the best use of a favourable wind, and to suffer the least harm from an unfavourable wind. Driving down wind the ball should be teed high and the swing kept rather vertical, so as to raise the ball as much as possible. If the wind is across the course, calculation must be made as to its probable effect on the ball (the swagger thing is to test its strength with a gaily coloured pocket-handkerchief, the more gaudy the better), and the shot played accordingly. It is also wise to consider in advance how the ball is likely to lie with a view to the succeeding shot. For example, in approaching with a side wind, the player should make up her mind whether she prefers to putt against the wind or with it, and she should play her approach to the side of the green which suits her preference. So, too, with a following wind, she can play to be over the hole or short. It is usually easier to putt against a strong wind than with it, as one can hit so much more boldly.

But as the nature of the green has always to be taken into account, it is impossible to generalise on the subject, and the player must exercise her judgment in each particular case.

Against the wind it is very important that the player should not try to hit too hard. It is no use forcing. A pressed shot is very apt to result in dropping the right shoulder and digging the club into the ground, or in lurching forward with the body. Both of these faults are fatal to success. The principal rule to be observed is to try to keep the ball as low as possible, unless, of course, there is a high bunker within range. The swing should be more deliberate than in calm weather and somewhat restrained. The follow-through also must be kept as low as possible, the arms finishing up below and round the left shoulder. A firm stance is a great help. It is impossible to make a good shot with an unsteady stance. One often sees people wobbling about on their feet in wind, and hitting away without waiting to make sure of their balance. A great deal can be gained by judicious timing of the stroke, and taking advantage of every slight lull. A pause of even a few seconds will often make a difference in strong gusty winds, and will enable the player to hit the ball with comparative comfort. A great many good golfers play for a pull against a wind, as a pulled ball usually travels further. The way to do this is to advance the left foot further forward than for the ordinary stance, and to make the left hand the master grip. It is not desirable, however, for the beginner to be in a hurry to experiment with this shot, as she may very easily acquire the habit of pulling, and the habit may degenerate into a serious fault. One of the most frequent causes of excessive pulling is hitting too hard. Another is turning over the right wrist too soon and too much. A third is clutching at the club with the left hand instead of maintaining an even steady grip. This last fault is, as a rule, more common in iron play than in wooden club play. It is a difficult one to overcome, and can only be cured by constant watchfulness. The best plan is for the player to remember to say to herself each time before she tries to hit the ball, 'I will not clutch,' 'I will not clutch.' But it is only those who take the game very seriously who may be expected to school themselves in this deliberate way. It is well to remember, when calculating the probable effect of the wind on a ball, that a shot from an iron club is not, as a rule, nearly so much affected as a shot from a wooden club. A very common mistake, particularly in reference to the short game, is underrating the holding power of the wind. The player must have the strength of mind to hit boldly. It does not in the least matter if one goes a little bit too far, but it does matter very much to be hopelessly short, as in a very large proportion of cases happens. Not only is a stroke wasted, but the annoyance of being so short has a demoralising effect on the player's temper.