GOLF

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 133, 9 June 1927, Page 18

GOLF

PITCH TO THE PIN

SHOT THAT CALLS FOR SKILL

MUST BE CRISP

Of nil tho golf shots .demanding skill, tho pitch i» tho one which in my opinion wilto for tho greatest finest "ay" SnraMn). There',, a saying that any ,0«b con drive and a child can puttl.ut .t's a different matter when it wmm to pitching. In comparison with .the drive, it seems childishly simple to ; execute, and yet it is. over the pitch that most players feel tho greatest uncwtaintjr. The golfer'will* 1 start out ?„» 'I 01? the tee > hitti*g t^e him no satisfaction at all g A putt has been called "tho axis of goll and is known as the greatest stroke-saver in the game; but in a sense the pitch as more useful along Jlh f ' «, Evf y°nc " appreciates the ?, » the lon S Putt tha* rattles gratefully into the tin, but the well struck approach that finishes at the hole side is of still greater value, since it makes the long try unnecessary and gives one a more consistent chance of equalling or bettering par, and in a manner not. so haphazard as when achieved with the help of a long putt. This pitch shot is actually allied to two others—the pitch and run and the run-up stroke. These are offshoots of the pitch, but each is essentially important and requires a distinct method of treatment. The pitch is a stroke calling for enspness in execution allied to careful timing. Jerking the club back, stabbing, scooping, and not fol-lowing-through with a straight left arm cause failure in pitching. Subconsciously, the golfer realising .the ball has to be hit into the air with the., minimum of run when it reaches Iho ground, is apt to snatch his club back from the ball and jerk it down before it has had a chance to get into the proper hitting position; this leaves tho ball in a half-smothered position. And then there is a danger of going to the other extreme—taking the club bask too slowly and thus hitting in a sloppy fashion, losing that crispness which is so essential to the shot's proper execution. The swing, I believe, should be a little faster in pitching than in driving; it tends to make one hit crisply and firmly, although one must guard carefully against "snatching" the club. Another evil to be avoided is stabbimr bringing, the club down to the ball and then suddenly stopping the head from following through after impact. A fault no less disastrous than stab-"' bmg is scooping—a result of an attempt to "ladle" the ball. It is caused by helping the rubber-core upwards by a scooping movement of the wrists following upon impact. The wrists, instead of being kept firm, are allowed to give, cave in, or entirely collapse, with the result that the club-head loses its power and the ball is weakly sent forward for a few yards. ,The man who plays a pitch as though his club were a shovel will never get results. Eemember the loft on the club-head will do all you ask of it. Naturally, the stance for the pitch shot varies according to the length of shot one has to play. Under no circumstances stand too far away from the ball. Let the ball be as close as possible, consistent with comfort. Do not stand so near as to feel cramped, for that will mean loss of power, but take up a position, so that you can swine uprightly. In tho address the weight of the body is nearly equally distributed on both feet, the greater weight if any being on tho right foot. Pivot as little as possible on tho back swing, and that "will keep tho left heel only just off the ground oven when making a full pitch shot. Address the ball with the face of the club-head pointing outward just a trifle. The stance should be fairly open, tho hands being slightly in front of tho club-head. Many amateurs place tho ball too far forward—on the left leg and this position, while certainly creating the sensation of being able to loft tho ball in the air, is to be avoided, as it is conducive to scooping, and to swaying or lurching forward on the down-swing. For the pitch and run I prefer to use an iron rather than v niashie, as I believe the iron simplifies the stroke a great deal. The loft on the mashie always suggests that it is a club essentially intended for getting the ball into the air, whereas the straighter faco of ~ tho iron, seems to suggest less loft and more run. This also applies to the run-up shot, except that a straight faced iron can be employed. Make duo allowance for depressions, bumps, and tho general slope of the ground in calculating the distance between tho ball and the hole and play the shot decisively. ' The Approach Putt. Although so many believe the drivo is the most important of all shots, I am firm in the belief that tho approach putt is the most valuable of all strokes. While not taking anything away from tho spectacular features of the drive, the player who accurately negotiates the lon^ approach putt is bound to make a satisfactory score provided he doesn't commit too many errors on the way to the green. It is an old and true saying that championships are won 0:1 tho green. And it is the long approach putt that usually decides the titles. The approach putt brings out the characteristics of the player. The star with confidence will go squarely for the cup, taking the chance of rolling past in order to drop an occasional long one. The timid golfer will seldom take this chance with the result he is generally compelled to sink mean putts for halved holes. There is no short cut to putting success but long faithful practice will work wonders. Do not let anyone prescribe a putting system. Simply take a natural stance, do not cramp yourself, and practice until your touch is accustomed to the various distances that will be met on the green. The selection of putters is also a matter of individual preference. An Uphill Struggle. = Kumii's win over Mornington was not a large one last week-end, and most of the games were closely contested, three being squared. One particularly close game was between J. L. Coutts and W. G. Hulston. Coutts won the first three holes in 7, 6, 5, but took 9 at the next, which Hulston took in 6. Tho. next was halved in 4's. Hulston won the next in 5-7, but lost the next in 10-5. The next was halved, and Hulston,. winning "The Saddle" in 5-6, was only 1 down, and winning the tenth in 4, was all-square. Coutts won the next in 3,. but it was taken from him at the next, and, with the exception oi'.a halved hole, this process was continued until the game was all-square at the seventeenth, C»utts winning the match with a 5 at the home hole Coutts, 53-48—101; Hulston, 59-43—102* This was a fine uphill fight for Hulston' whose handicap is 24, wl> Coutts though,he was not on his game, is 12*

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