The Most Demoralizing Shot in Golf

[Double Mocha Man]

I'm going with the 3.5 foot birdie putt you miss after knocking your shot to the green stiff.  Shanks, though they happen far less often, other than for Vinsk, are more demoralizing, but so rare.

Edited December 30, 2019 by Double Mocha Man

[criley4way]

Missed short putt. It is the 3' putt you should make 95% of. It is the hardest shot to get out of your mind in pat because it shows up so often.

Edited December 30, 2019 by criley4way
Typo

[Zeph]

The right-going-right drive (push-slice) that you see and feel right away means you'll have to go find a new ball in the bag. Even worse if you hit a pull-draw on the previous drive. 

I can live with missed, short putts or flubbed chips, but those OB drives will always drag me down. 

[Darkfrog]

5 minutes ago, Zeph said:

The right-going-right drive (push-slice) that you see and feel right away means you'll have to go find a new ball in the bag. Even worse if you hit a pull-draw on the previous drive. 

Drive OB or into penalty area for me too, especially on a par 5, or easier par 4. I miss plenty of make-able putts, including short ones, so these don't get me down too much.

Also lately I have had some embarrassing misses off the tippy toe, which take off about 45 (more more) degrees right of the target line.

[Patch]

Demoralizing shot for me would probably be a shot that I hit well 99% of the time, while using my "go to" club. Then, totally screwing up that easy shot in some fashion. 

Usually it's a fat shot, or may be a pull hook. Something really poor where I ask myself "where the hell did that come from". 

Luckily demoralizing for me doesn't last long. Usually I am good when I get to my next shot. 

[billchao]

1 hour ago, Patch said:

Demoralizing shot for me would probably be a shot that I hit well 99% of the time, while using my "go to" club. Then, totally screwing up that easy shot in some fashion. 

Same here. It's a shot I expect to execute and then fail to do so, catastrophically. Chunked partial wedge that's right on my number. Hooked a flighted 9-iron into a pond. Top a PW approach from the middle of the fairway. That sort of thing.

I don't think I could consider a short putt demoralizing. I'm not going to make 100% of my 3' putts, but I'm never going to miss a 3' putt and blow it 30' past the hole or something. Sometimes I'm just going to miss a putt - it's an expected outcome.

As for a bad drive OB, unfortunately my driving is poor so it's also an expected outcome. It's not really demoralizing, it just happens.

[Piz]

For me it is a poor recovery.  I've already screwed up and all I need to do is right the ship.  Making a dog's breakfast of it...back to back...is a tough pill to swallow.

[Vinsk]

3 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

I'm going with the 3.5 foot birdie putt you miss after knocking your shot to the green stiff.  Shanks, though they happen far less often, other than for Vinsk, are more demoralizing, but so rare.

I haven’t hit a shank in over a month😃. But come on people, nothing is more demoralizing than a shank. 

[Double Mocha Man]

4 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

I haven’t hit a shank in over a month😃. But come on people, nothing is more demoralizing than a shank. 

Right, and I haven't sunk a 3 pointer over LeBron in over a year.  Vinsk, when are you scheduled for your triumphant return to the links?

[Nagah]

Missed 3 foot putt and a shank inside 100 yards.

[iacas]

1 hour ago, Vinsk said:

I haven’t hit a shank in over a month😃. But come on people, nothing is more demoralizing than a shank. 

You haven't played golf or even practiced for over a month!? 😉

[Mr22putt]

Missed putts under 3 ft...unfortunately too often for me...ugh.

I also hate the chunk and skulled chips.

 

I HATE GOLF!

[Bonvivant]

For me it has to be a skyball or top with the driver. 2nd would have to be any fat iron shot, from a full 3 iron, all the way down to a 50 yard pitch. If I hit it fat, I'm fuming

[NM Golf]

The shot that irritates me the most is a poor approach shot from inside 100 yards. I wouldn't call any shot "demoralizing" it's still a game, and it's the next shot that counts.

[Cantankerish]

Demoralizing is smart play meeting poor execution.

I lay up perfectly with 15 yards of fairway remaining before that lateral water.  80 yards left to the pin.  Easy.  Hit a chunker into the drink.  Heck, I could have just done that with the 3 wood and saved the stroke.

[Vinsk]

4 hours ago, iacas said:

You haven't played golf or even practiced for over a month!? 😉

Well...yeah...that’s the catch..😉

[luchnia]

Any bad shot is a bad shot! I hate all shots that don't achieve the intended purpose in a reasonable way.

What I hate worse is when you are playing good and all of a sudden you roll up the tee hit a sweet drive, then top three balls and wind up with four shots trying to get to the green on a par 4 and you haven't even chipped up on the green yet. Now that is a destroyer of all that is good in ball striking. 🙂

[boogielicious]

Hitting a wedge heavy really irks me. You are in a zone to get it close with a 3/4 SW and hit it fat. 😫