How should I have played this shot?

**glebert** · November 23, 2008

There is a hole on my local course that always kicks my butt. 555 yards from the whites, uphill tee shot so it seems to play a little longer (especially with the wet turf we have now). I actually had a nice drive and decent 2nd shot which ends up just past the 150 yard marker. This is pretty much the best I've ever played this hole (so far) and I'm excited about the possibility of a GIR (never gotten one on this hole that I can remember).

So the setup is 148 yards out, pin on the left of the green, which is guarded on that side by a bunker. There is a huge tree halfway between me and the green, just a little to the right. Ball is slightly higher than my feet. My ballflight is typically straight to a draw. I ended up hooking the ball left of the green, down the slope, in the trees (and shortsided!). It took me two more shots to get on, and then three putted for an 8.

What could I have done different on the approach shot? Bogey on this hole would be fine with me. The tree on the right and ball above my feet were definitely pushing me left, in addition to my normal leftist tendencies . The only thing I can think to have tried was punching a 2/3 5w shot (didn't have my 3w on me) towards the middle right of the green, hoping to keep it below the tree branches.

Waddya think?
greg

**golf_junkie27** · November 23, 2008

How far do you hit your irons? Do you think you are capable of taking your 5I, choking down a bit and hitting a low runner? I understand the course was wet but if you're able to hit a low screamer 120 yards you would have gotten at least another fifteen yards of run, leaving you just short of the green or on the very fringe, maybe?

**glebert** · November 23, 2008

Golf_junkie, 150 yards is my 7i (at least for winter conditions). Any other tips on hitting a low screamer with a longer iron? Moving it back in the stance isn't much of an option with the soggy ground.

Tha99, it's a little 9 hole community course called Claremont west of Portland. I used to play Greenback all the time when I lived on that side of town, I wish I could get over there more.

Oh, and the tree is too tall to hit over, and I can rarely execute a fade.

**golf_junkie27** · November 23, 2008

[QUOTE=glebert;232252]Golf_junkie, 150 yards is my 7i (at least for winter conditions). Any other tips on hitting a low screamer with a longer iron? Moving it back in the stance isn't much of an option with the soggy ground.

QUOTE]

There are two recommendations I can make. One, from Zack Johnson, is to pretend that there is a bench in front of you. You want to try and hit the ball under that bench. The best way to do it is to keep the follow through low after impact and to imagine the clubhead going under the bench.

The other is from Justin Leonard. That is, to finish your swing, waist high and across your body. In both cases, you don't take a full swing, either. Think of going back to 9 o'clock and finish at 3 o'clock. Swing easy but not slow. You'll end up hitting fat shots if you slow down.

Hope this helps.

**glebert** · November 23, 2008

Thanks Junkie. This sounds like my 4i punch out shot, but that only goes about 100 yards, which is one reason I didn't try it.

I'm wondering if the best play would have been to try the fade, still shooting at the middle of the green. The worst outcome probably would be to push it into the tree limbs hanging over the fairway, which would have been preferable to what ended up happening.

Thanks for the input guys.
greg

**Jay-Bird** · November 23, 2008

Take one club more than normal and cut it. start it left of the tree and cut it toward the green. Worst case is it ends up in the bunker on the left or somewhere else near the green. Best case, it gets on and you two putt for par.

**glebert** · November 23, 2008

Jay Bird, if we are talking best case I might as well get a birdie out of it!

**JonnyGolf** · November 23, 2008

Here's what I noted. It's a tough hole and by your own account, you're "excited about the possibility of a GIR", which means your adrenaline has started kicking in. This means that pulling off a shot is going to be twice as tough.

So, rather than hitting an "all world" shot, I would have focused on hitting the easiest shot you could. For example, hit an easy 8i to 20 yds off the green. You've eliminated the trouble and given yourself an opportunity to get up and down for a par.

I've made decisions to lay up in match play and got up and down to win a hole. If you're trying to score, take the easiest, surest path.

Now, if you're just trying to have fun, then hit a high fade with a 5i!

2)

***iacas*** · November 23, 2008

Learn to hit a fade? That'd be my suggestion. I read your first post but none of the others.

**ks8829** · November 23, 2008

1) hit the left side of the fairway
2) work on a low punch shot of 150 yards with a 6 iron or hybrid back in your stance.
3) work on getting up and down from the short side
4) learn the fade shot with a draw lie
5) learn to hit the driver off the fairway or hit the fairway wood or hybrid with a fade on a draw lie

high percentage shot would be to play a low punch shot under the tree if you are short of the green it still give you an easy up and down, there is a chance you will hit it into the bunker but if you play conservatively on the right it give you a lot of green to work with for you up and down.

**-BAMA-** · November 24, 2008

id just pick up a 6 iron and bust it through the tree branches.

50/50 chance it sails through the limbs and hits the green.

if that doesnt work... you will have a wide open shot to the green without the tree in your way.

but thats just me though.. i like to live dangerously...

**zeg** · November 24, 2008

I'm not sure I quite understand, was the tree on the right edge of the fairway or in the middle of it?

Either way, if you're really happy with a bogey, you could forget the GIR and play a shot up to the tree distance (75 yards) and a second 75 yarder to the green in GIR+1. That'd be my play, almost no question. I'm unlikely to put a 150 yarder on the green at all, but 2x75 is much more reliable. Plus, it takes the tree out of in-flight consideration -- just don't hit it and your next shot should be clear of it.

I personally don't try to go through trees because they're just too unpredictable.

Shanks-a-lot · November 25, 2008

I'd try to punch it up to the right side of the green. That way you stay under the tree and away from the bunker. If you miss to the right or leave it short you should have some green to work with. I fall back on a punch shot a lot though. Normally if I keep it low it tends to stay out of trouble.

Jake H · November 25, 2008

Next time you play the hole try hitting your second shot to the right edge of the fairway, or even in the right rough is probably ok. This will set you up for a natural draw around the tree or even a direct shot to the green on your 3rd shot. I make this suggestion with the assumption that the large tree you speak of is roughly in the middle of the fairway, and that there isn't too much trouble on the right side of the fairway.

Or learn to hit a fade and/or a high ball. Or hit a sand wedge or pitching wedge over the tree and plan for bogey at worst or par at best.

I would tend to stay away from a punch shot under the tree since it's pretty hard to keep a golf ball less than 5 feet off the ground 75 yards downrange with any club (except maybe a putter).

**glebert** · November 25, 2008

Thanks for the replies.

Jake, the tree is actually on the right side of the fairway, it is just has a huge canopy, but the lowest limbs are all pretty high, at least 20 feet up. That being said, on this hole I sometimes end up to the right of the tree anyway (but not intentionally). It's not a bad play from there, but since there are other trees over there I don't think I would intentionally hit into the right rough.

Here's a Google Earth shot of the shot, the line is from my lie to the hole. Playing to the center of the green puts you just off the tips of the tree branches.

Jake H · November 25, 2008

Ah I see. Since the tree branches are pretty high off the ground maybe you could squeeze a punch 4-iron under there, but that requires great touch just to get it on the green. I still vote for hitting a wedge over the tree and playing for bogie, and maybe making par.

In the future, if you absolutely can't hit a fade, then I would focus on hitting my second shot to the far left side of the fairway. That should leave you room to hit a draw into the pin, and would help keep that bunker out of play.

**PiKapp23** · November 25, 2008

The best thing to do at this point is simply to be honest with yourself and your abilities - I see you're a 90's shooter. Take the shot you know you can execute and go for it. If you know you can hit a fade, hit a fade. More likely, though the 'smart' shot is some sort of layup. One problem I used to experience a lot of always 'going for it', whether I had a 10% chance of succeeding or 90%. Now I look at the possibilities and assess best and worst scenarios for options and usually go with the option that leaves me in the best spot. With that said, though, sometimes you have to go for it...

**-BAMA-** · November 25, 2008

The best thing to do at this point is simply to be honest with yourself and your abilities - I see you're a 90's shooter. Take the shot you know you can execute and go for it. If you know you can hit a fade, hit a fade. More likely, though the 'smart' shot is some sort of layup. One problem I used to experience a lot of always 'going for it', whether I had a 10% chance of succeeding or 90%. Now I look at the possibilities and assess best and worst scenarios for options and usually go with the option that leaves me in the best spot. With that said, though, sometimes you have to go for it...

well said man... you just described my mentality. i always "go for it" even when i see a safer shot is possible.

maybe as i get older i'll start considering playing the smarter shots.. but for now.. i enjoy punching the ball through the trees not knowing if im gonna make it or not. just a sort of thrill i guess...

Sign In

How should I have played this shot?

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

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