nward swings
and the follow-through were all perfection, and yet it has shot away to
one side or the other with very little flight in it. And perhaps for a
week or two, while this is constantly happening, the man is wondering
why. When, happily, the reason is at last made apparent, the man goes
forward to its correction with that workmanlike thoroughness which
characterises him always and everywhere, and lo! the erring ball still
pursues a line which does not lead to the green. At the same time it may
very likely be noticed that the slight sense of twisting which was
experienced by the hands on the earlier occasion is here again. The
truth is that the first fault was over-corrected, and the toe of the
club, instead of the heel, has this time had the turf to itself while
the ball was being removed. Obviously, when either of these faults is
committed, the club head is twisted, and nothing is more impossible than
to get in a perfect iron shot when these things are done. I am making
much ado about what may seem after all to be an elementary fault, but a
long experience of the wayward golfer has made it clear to me that it is
not only a common fault, which is accountable for much defective play
with the iron, but that it is often unsuspected, and lurks undiscovered
and doing its daily damage for weeks or even months. The sole of the
iron must pass over the turf exactly parallel with it.

There is nothing new to say about the swing of the iron. It is the same
as the swing of the cleek. For a full iron the swing is as long as for
the full cleek, and for the half iron it is as long as for the half
cleek, and both are made in the same way. The arms and wrists are
managed similarly, and I would only offer the special advice that the
player should make sure that he finishes with his hands well up, showing
that the ball has been taken easily and properly, as he may see them in
the photograph (Plate XXXIX.), which in itself tells a very good story
of comfortable and free play with the club, which is at the same time
held in full command. The whole of the series of photographs of iron
shots brings out very exactly the points that I desire to illustrate,
and I cannot do better than refer my readers to them.

When it is desired to play a half iron shot that will give a low ball
for travelling against the wind, the same methods may be pursued as
when playing the corresponding shot with the cleek.

When one comes to play with the iron,