New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-11
Short Approach Foundation
For Good Coli, Says Barnes
National Open Champion Advises Player Who
Would Score Well to Learn to Play Pitch Seoa
to the Green Capably; Gives Valuable Pointers
BY James M. Barnes
Opcn Golf Cham1,iom OF the United States

better to pick out some spot just ahead
where you want the ball to light be-
fore it runs up to the pin.
1t is important here to keep the right
elbow we'll in at the side and the left
elbow also in close to the body. For
this stroke must be compact. The two
elbows should never leave their con-
tact with the body, with both hands al
ways low 1t is never necessary to
come back more than q short distance
on this swing. There should be no
particular breaking of the wrists, mere
ly slight bend to allow freedom and
ease of stroke.
The club head swings almost straight
back and chips through straight for
the flag.
Again, remember to Keep both head
and body still, grip firm and backswing
this is a right-hand stroke, on botn
the back and forward swings.
The Pitch and Run
The pitch and run is valuable shot
on hard, even ground where there are
no bunkers to carry. | frequently use
it from 25 to 100 yards away.
In many respects it is like an ex-
tended chip shot. The ball is just a
trife further away from your feet
and in place of swinging back with
your right hand you swing back with
both hands aid arms more than in any
other golfing stroke of which | know
The pitch and run is two-handed
two armed movement, with only a
slight break of the wrists and both
arms fairly stiff. The head of the club
must at all times be sept as low as
possible and carried through straight
on q line to the pin.
There must also be just little more
turn to the body, lust enough to take
care of the backsving.
Some of the most important features
of this stroke are firm wrists, straight
follow through toward the pin and a
firm snap at the ball. 1t is also i'm
portant here to keep the elbows in
close, not to let them swing wide.
Only a slight body movement is
needed, but again this doesn't mean
that the body must be fence post.
The pitch and run is of little use on
soft turf or bumpy ground. But it is
frequently quite useful where the
front of the green is unguarded and
where the ball can land Just little
This is especially true if there is any
wind blowing, where the higher air
route might easily lead to trouble.
Again, I want to remind my readers
that the head is the anchor to the
swing. On the chip shot it doesn't
move. On the longer pitch and run it
moves slightly in natural turn of the
chin, but its position remains fixed
until the swing is completed.
Don't look up until the right arm
is straight toward the green. And don't
forget that no fabby, rubber wrist mo-
ton will ever control either the chip
or the pitch and run. The average way
of the average player on these two i'm
portant strokes is to break the wrists
far more than they should be broken.
The wrist MUST be firm all the way
through the stroke, and while the grip
also is firm there should be no part Of
squeeze or a clenching of fingers
upon the shaft. And, again, don't swing
back too far, just far enough to get
the distance you want. Don't make the
mistake Of swinging back too far and
then easing up on the downward blow.
There is no easing up in either stroke.
Both the chip and the pitch and run
are more forearm strokes than any
thing else, with the right wrist snap
ping through at the moment of i'm
pact, the left arm always straight Any
decided bend to the left elbow-a com
mon faults always fatal. The next
section of the Short Approach, the Long
and Short Pitch. will be taken up in an
early article