Make a practice of using the club which will accomplish the de-sired result in the easiest manner. If you are compelled to pitch a ball high on a short shot and stop very quickly when you land, use your niblick. The shot is far easier than with the mashie.

Remember that if the high pitched shot which I have described is to be played a short distance, you must hit down with the same amount of effort you always use, and allow only that you should hit a little farther back of the ball. The same swing you are accustomed to use when striking the ground farther back will net less distance but will give you a good high ball which will stop quickly.

In your scheme of play you can get better average results from swinging in an accustomed manner and with the same amount of effort.

A fact which may help some is that the time occupied in a short shot in swinging through the lower part of the arc of the circle should really be longer than when swinging the same distance with a full swing. The idea is to lift the club up a certain height and then let it come down mostly with its own weight.

The reason that many players fail is that they look up too soon, and this is a natural result. The effort on the player's part has ceased, and he will always look up in spite of himself the instant he completes his main effort or purpose.

As the purpose with the average player is to propel his ball, the instant he ceases to exert his muscles in propelling his club he looks up to see the result of his effort. As the effort is or should be, on a short shot, to lift the club only, he must have absolute mastery of himself if he is to avoid raising his eyes before the club head reaches the ball on its down-ward sweep, which is the result of letting the club come down with its own momentum.

To bring this home to your own case, take a dozen balls and try out the idea of pitching the ball, say twenty yards, with a niblick and it will astonish you how difficult it is to wait long enough to see the club head meet the ball with its own momentum.

The club should be held loosely and with the idea of feeling the natural balance of the club and not to make any effort to increase the speed. Guide it accurately and keep at it until you can see the club head meet the ball. This will be a valuable object lesson, not only in playing the niblick, but in playing a short shot with any club in the bag. It is difficult, mighty difficult, and yet it is the only successful way to play the shot.