The Shots that Keep You Coming Back

[ControlJunkie]

I figured I'd share this with everyone, as I'm sure the majority of you feel this way from time to time...

I played this morning at my regular course. I was already a little unhappy because the earliest tee time I could get was 10:45 AM. Got there about an hour early to get properly warmed up. I was striking the ball pretty well on the range, but my round was so ungodly incosistent, I was a little frustrated throughout the day. The heat wasnt any help either. I'm making some changes to my grip, and yesterday at the range I felt it had finally all fallen into place because I was hitting my driver and 3W off the tee very well. Of course, as usual, I couldnt translate that to my round. I know what my problem is, yet I kept falling back into the problem (sqeezing the grip to tight, preventing a proper release). Anyway, after an on/off type day, the only things that really saved me was my short game and my putting. I still wasnt very happy heading into the 18th hole.

My drive was a little to the right, not really a slice, just a tiny bit of a push. I ended up under a tree with some low hanging branches, so I had to try and punch out from there. I shanked that shot miserably, which really dragged me down bad. I ended up with a decent lie, about 5 yards off the fairway, and hit my gap wedge from there, and missed the green by about 3 yards to the left. Now, I'm really fuming, because it was a really well struck ball, but I didnt play the right to left wind enough.

So now, I get up near the green and my ball, and I grab my sand wedge. I cleared my head, committed to the chip, and hit this perfect chip shot right where I wanted. It hit this small hill on the green and just tracked down to the hole perfectly!!! It was by far the greatest par I think I've ever shot, and my mood and attitude instantly changed. I was almost ready to go play another 18 at that point!!

I guess my whole point is that it's crazy how a single shot can completely make everything worth while. For it to happen for me on my very last shot of the round really made me leave the course in a totally different mood, and gave me affirmation that all of the practicing I'm doing is paying off, and makes me want to practice more, if that's possible.

Anyway, sorry for rambling, I just wanted to share my experience for the day and figured a lot of you would have an appreciation for that one (or two) shots that keeps you coming back.

[BigBoy]

that shot or two a round is the only thing keeping this game and industry alive

[iacas]

"Many a golf career was saved by a good drive off the 18th tee."
- Don't Know Who Said It

[BigTazz53]

Mine was a wedge into the green from 100 out that backed up for the first time ever. I was able to putt a 6 footer for bird to make the 8 on the hole before go away lol

[flopdarock]

man you dont know how bad i need that 1 shot every round...
one day i cant miss and breaking 80 like it was nothing...
the next day with a giant ego i cant break a hundred... but out of 106 shots... that one long drive splitting the fairway... that one chip in for bogey... that pured 8i that carries all the trouble for a gir even if you 3putt... that lucky bounce after shanking it... any one is good enough

[aschaefer]

that shot or two a round is the only thing keeping this game and industry alive

exactly...i was playing with a buddy yesterday who's around a 5 hdcp, and he was pushing every drive 20 yards right, shanking irons, missing putts all day. he pitched in from 30 yards on the 18th hole....that's the sort of thing that keeps you coming back for more :D as for me, I drive two short par 4's...that has me excited enough to keep playing this game :D

[gohardorgohome]

I was having a total meltdown round. Hooking, slicing, and dribbling the ball off the tee. Scoring 8s, 9s, 10s. Thinking about selling my new clubs on ebay.

18th hole. Par 4 from an severely elevated tee. I hit a serviceable drive to withing 100 yards followed by a pitching wedge to the wrong side of the green. I figure I'll 2 putt and be happy to end with a par. I stroke the putt pure and is curve into the hole. My first birdie ever !

That's the kind of shot that keeps me coming back.

[ControlJunkie]

gohardorgohome - Congrats!!!!!

aschaefer - You have no idea how much that drivable par 4 is killing me! I have one that's ~308 out, and it seems to be just toying with me! On the left is kinda clear, but the front to front-right is guarded by a pretty big bunker. I've been on the left side, about 10 off the green, even with the pin, and I've been in that bunker a few times. Today is definitely wasnt happening because we had a strong headwind coming at us, but my line looked to be almost perfect. One day, she will be mine.... :)

[piper_clap]

Friday I played my usual evening 9, and came up on our par 5 3rd.
Its a double dogleg. Tee shot is around 225 to a 90* dogleg left. Missing left leaves you trying to hit through the trees. Long is a bunker. Right is rough, way right is OB. I usually miss right, leaving a long 3 wood to the 100 yard marker, where there's another 90* dogleg right.

Friday, I hit my drive right, crush a three wood, wedge on, two putt for par. No biggie, but it was my first score under 7 on this hole in well over a month. My average on the hole after about 40 rounds is 7.2

Today, I hit a little draw AROUND the corner with my 3 wood off the tee. 7 iron to 60 yards (w/wind), wedge to 3 feet, and BIRDIE on my nemesis hole. I love it.

[DavidFehertysBike]

I played a decent round yesterday (75) but there was a shot i hit yesterday that made my round. I was playing a 218 yd par 3, and i pulled my tee shot a little left of green, but hole high. The green is on an elevated platueu, probabaly 7 feet, so i couldnt see any landing area. I hit this neat little pitch that finished at 3 inches. I felt like a pro, lol.

[Gioguy21]

...I had a similar "pro" like shot yesterday that made me instantly want to play a re-play round. I had on the 14th hole at Glenbrook, Par 5, hit a driver, 3 wood to about 30 yards left in the left deep rough, pin was middle green (looks like a peanut, hole was in the middle, about 20 feet wide front to back) with a sandtrap between me and the hole. Flopped it to the rough just before the green, bounced up and rolled 1ft for an easy putt for a birdie.

[alf174]

Last outing, Saturday, was a lob wedge out of the sand into the hole on the 18th for a birdie. A true "sucker" shot to keep me coming back lol.

[muggs]

Mine was a 230 yard shot, second shot into the par 5, 18th hole at the course near my house. My wife was with me, but she had quit playing because she was losing all my balls. I said, "honey, I don't think I have this shot in the bag. I should lay up." She said, "ah, just go for it."

I put a nice smooth swing on it and it took off straight as an arrow. It land softly on the front edge and rolled up about 15 feet from the pin. I tried my best to play it off like I do that all the time, but she saw right through me. I had an uphill putt I left short, but I'm at the stage of my game where I'll take all the tap-in birds I can get.

I can't even describe the feeling...

[Writer's Block]

I thought this thread would be an appropriate one for my first post.

Yesterday I played a quick 9 after work on my home course. There was a fourseome on 1 and 2 so I went ahead to number 3 with the intention of coming back to 1 and 2 to finish my round.

I played pretty awful, scrambling for bogey on most of the holes. I finished up on 9 and went back to play 1 and 2. 1 was not good.

Then I stroll up to number 2 thinking I should give this game up. It's a par 3 about 165 yards to the front, with a middle pin location. I knocked a pure 8i stiff to about 3 feet and made the birdie putt.

Sometimes I just don't know about this game.