Ever hit a shot and never even see the ball?

**Open-Faced Club Sandwedge** · August 28, 2008

I do this AT LEAST once or twice per round: go through my normal routine, hit what feels like a good shot, look up, and I can't find the ball in flight. I scan the horizon to see if I can glimpse it coming down, but I never see it. Obviously it came down somewhere, but I don't have the first clue where to start looking for it.

What do you do in that situation? I feel like it would be annoying to my playing partners if I asked someone to stand behind me and help me spot my ball on every single shot, and sometimes I play alone. Usually I just take a totally wild guess at where it could have landed, drop a ball there, and take a penalty stroke.

Do sunglasses make it easier to spot the ball in flight? Do they make it even harder? Does it depend on what kind of sunglasses? It's very frustrating when this happens, because I lose a ball, and lose a stroke, and I don't even get any feedback on whether I hit a slice, hook, draw, fade, long, short, or anything.

-Andrew

**Dent** · August 28, 2008

On almost all of my drives I need someone to watch for me, My eyesight is really bad, I can rarely see the ball take off, and can never see it land.

**Brady0626** · August 28, 2008

I have problems because I have contacts and if its really bright my eyes water up almost immediately but I got better at it with time

**Smallville** · August 28, 2008

At least on tee shots, even when I get paired up, I find that everyone will watch the others drives. After that, it's all dependent on the situation (if everyone is in the fairway and you are over a hill somewhere and they can't see you, it's kinda up to you. Unless you have a cart and you are riding with someone, then we always watch where each others shots go (or at least try to). USUALLY the hardest time is if the sun is in the right position where your ball flight goes into it. In those cases, if you are playing alone, you can really be screwed because most of the time (in the last example) I totally rely on others to tell me where it went. It's really sweet when they say, "right down the middle," or, "it's on the green."

**goblue107501** · August 28, 2008

Just like Dent my eyesight isn't too good. Especially on those days when the sky inhibits the ability to see the ball. Usually though I see the ball take off and can see it far enought to know which direction it is going.

Occasionally I hit a ball and just don't see it. When it does I just hope someone I am playing with can see where it went. Usually I can go by feel. That shot felt like a heel shot and is going left, or I caught the ground too early and didn't get through it enough so it is probably off to the right.

My best advice is to try and remember the feel of certain bad shots so that you can have a pretty good guess when it comes off the club and you don't see it. If it felt good, it is probably somewhere close to straight.

**Jay-Bird** · August 28, 2008

Yesterday I hit a drive into the low evening sun and lost it immediately. I walked to where I thought it felt like it was going, but couldn't find it at all. Then just as I was about to give up two deer, a mother and a baby (fawn), came trotting out onto the fairway I was on. I stood still and watched them for a minute. Then they noticed me and ran off into the woods. As I watched them run I noticed my ball in their direction, about 20 yards left of where I'd been looking. I thanked them and Saint Francis for my good fortune and made par. The lost ball would've been a round killer!

**firstcut** · August 28, 2008

I do this AT LEAST once or twice per round: go through my normal routine, hit what feels like a good shot, look up, and I can't find the ball in flight. I scan the horizon to see if I can glimpse it coming down, but I never see it. Obviously it came down somewhere, but I don't have the first clue where to start looking for it.

I think this happens to everyone once in a while.

Your cart-mates shouldn't mind keeping an eye out for you. I do it out of habit when I'm not on the tee. Do the same for them.

If you're really not sure you can always hit a provisional.

**Eore** · August 28, 2008

a lot of times i'll see the ball in the air and lose it when i comes down. i'll think it landed over the green when its 15 yards short.

sometimes when i'm watching other peoples shots i lose it in the air. i look at the ground/horizon where they were aimed and try to catch it coming down

**kafka01** · August 28, 2008

Unless its not a drive, i normally feel where my shots are going and what distance i will get out of them. The easiest of course are the straight ones - no problem finding them. Hooks have a very own feel to me so if its open on that side i normally can find that ball too.

Slices are more tricky for me to feel, since they very often just leave dead straight and feel good, but then might start in the last third of the ball flight going right.

The longer the shots get - the more often i just let somebody stand behind just in case - especially since i seem to loose them quite often at the end.

**Redbird** · August 29, 2008

i have really good eyesight when i wear my contacts which is all the time but ocassionally (once per 90 holes or so) i may sky a tee shot and lose it

**rgoudy1975** · August 29, 2008

I always have the most trouble on days that are overcast and the sky is a light grey/white.

**mellojoe** · August 29, 2008

I hit a shot the other day.... it was a little to the left on a dogleg left. It hit the cartpath, which is kind of nice on this hole since you want the extra bounce and roll. But it bounced once, I saw it bounce, and then dissappeared.

Not the "it bounced into the woods and I lost it" kind of dissappearance.

It just bounced, and then I never saw it from the bounce. I saw it hit the cart path, in an open area, and then gone. *poof* Like it never existed.

Never found that one, even though it was headed back into the fairway due to the dogleg and the rough was still far to the left. Gone.

**dave s** · August 29, 2008

I have glasses and contact but wear neither while playing golf. The ball disappears after about 100 yards. Good thing I've been playing a really long time and can usually walk to within a few yards of my ball without seeing it land.

Also, I can feel left or right off the club as well so seeing it isn't critical for me either.

Or, play with others who can help you watch the ball! that usually works best.

dave

**pjsnyc** · September 2, 2008

Similar situation here to what some others posted - I have poor eye sight. Typically I can at least see its initial trajectory, but will kindly ask if anyone saw where it came to rest. Sure - it can be frustrating to lose a ball, but its just more incentive to hit the fairway

**Open-Faced Club Sandwedge** · September 2, 2008

I went to the range yesterday wearing my contacts instead of my glasses. I had much better results finding the ball in flight after lifting my head up. I think it's probably because my glasses get kinda dirty and spotty while I play, whereas my contacts stay clear. Next time I get on the course, I'll make sure I'm wearing my contacts.

-Andrew

Sign In

Ever hit a shot and never even see the ball?

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

Create an account

Sign in

Topics Being Discussed Right Now on The Sand Trap

TST Partners

Posts

Important Information