of this
stroke is delicate and exact, and it must be very carefully timed, for
if it is done too suddenly or too soon the result is likely to be a
foundered ball. The club having been taken so straight out in the
backward swing, the natural tendency will be to draw it very slightly
across the ball when contact is made, and the blade, then progressing
towards the left foot, should to finish be taken a few inches further
round towards the back than in the case of an ordinary mashie shot. One
cannot very well compare the two in words, however, for the finishes are
altogether different, as an examination of the illustration of the
finish of the running-up stroke will show. In this case the swing stops
when the shaft of the club is pointing a little to the left of the
direction of the ball that is speeding onwards, the blade being on a
level with the hands. It will be observed that at the finish the right
hand is well over on the handle. This is the kind of stroke that the
practised and skilful golfer loves most, for few others afford him such
a test of calculation and judgment. It will not do to make the stroke
haphazard. Before the blade of the club is moved for the upward swing, a
very clear understanding should have been formed as to the amount of
pitch that is to be given to the ball and the amount of run. They must
be in exactly the proper proportion to suit the circumstances, which
will vary almost every time the stroke is made. Nearly everything
depends on the state of the land that is to be traversed. The fact of
the matter is, that this shot is really a combination of lofting and
putting with many more uncertain quantities to be dealt with than when
one is really putting on the green. When one has decided where the pitch
must be, the utmost pains should be taken to pitch there exactly, which,
as the distance will usually be trifling, ought not to be a difficult
matter. An error of even a foot in a shot of this kind is sometimes a
serious matter. When properly done it is an exceedingly pretty shot, and
one which brings great peace to the soul of the man who has done it.

And now we come to that exquisite stroke, the approach, to which much
cut and spin have been applied for a specific purpose. It is a shot
which should only be played when circumstances render it absolutely
necessary. There are times when it is the only one which will afford the
golfer a good chance of coming well through a trying ordeal. When we
pl