What is it with hitting over water that seems to screw me up!!!

[ERdiesel]

I always seem to try to swing much harder instead of trusting the distances with my clubs. It's as if i don't trust that my normal swing and distance with a specific club will clear the water. My tempo gets out of whack as I try to speed up and swing harder when I know i shouldn't. Just venting..................because the last few rounds i've topped/shanked the ball when hitting the ball over water. :(

Anyone with similar water phobia issues and any suggestions on swing thoughts?

[Devo]

That's just your head getting in the way. Its knowing that you HAVE to carry the ball a certain distance that makes you think you should swing harder or change something. Getting thoughts like these out of your head is one of the hardest parts to playing good golf, as I know many players who strike the ball well but always get in their own way when trying to score.

I find it helps to focus on where you want to hit/miss the ball instead of where you DONT want to miss. When you are saying "dont hit it in the water" your brain is thinking water and guess where the ball will probably go? Water!!! Try to be as positive with the 'self talk' as you can, saying "just clear the water and I'll be okay" or "if I miss anywhere its going to be long". If you are worried about a carry, instead of trying to swing harder, take an extra club and trust your swing. You should also be looking for the proper bail out zones, so if you do happen to miss the shot, you are aiming in such a way where it won't cost you too much. (short into water vs over into bunker)

[nevets88]

When I had a flippy release, water bothered me alot, but once I started making better contact with the ball, water makes me swing better actually because I feel like I have to make a strong lateral move and turn. Take more club than you need, make a shorter backswing and an aggressive move through the ball.

Lots of trees in my vision on the right, up close or close to the green - now that bothers me.

[Deryck Griffith]

You just have to convince and tell yourself that the water "isn't in play" and realize that it is just there to distract you. Especailly if the water is right in front say on a tee shot.

If the water is in play due to having to carry a "long" distance, then you should consider laying up (especially on par 5s) vs. trying to stripe a perfect shot over water that is a long carry for you.

[Shindig]

What sort of shots over water bother you? I've sent plenty of balls to a watery grave in my time, but I eventually developed a personal rule for it: if I can't carry the water hazard with a 5-iron, I won't attempt to do so unless the ball is on a tee. That is, if it requires a perfect shot with a utility metal to carry the water, I'll lay up. I've yet to play a course that had such an expanse of water that I needed to lay up close and then hit such a club.

The above comment about convincing yourself that the water is out of play is the important part.

[The Road Dog]

I'm no pro or instructor but I think you would do yourself a favor by working more on your club distances. Water is going to be present on most courses, no escaping it. Your problem may stem from not being secure in the knowledge of your distance with a particular club. When you approach a hole with water in play that distance doubt automatically surfaces.

If you can hit a particular club a certain distance 8 of 10 times with no special effort, water will no longer be a problem. IMHO. By the way it worked for my grandson and he's 14 and in his 6th month of playing. Good luck.

[bopanic]

id say its all mental... take an extra club and let her rip! ha

[TourSpoon]

That's just your head getting in the way...I find it helps to focus on where you want to hit/miss the ball instead of where you DONT want to miss. When you are saying "dont hit it in the water" your brain is thinking water and guess where the ball will probably go? Water!!!

Absolutely, your brain doesn't handle "don't" very well...think of the target and let it go.

[saevel25]

There is no water, period.. Unless i the water is right in my driver range i will club different, but on 2nd shots, to greens, ect.. There is no water in my eyes, just the shot at hand and were the ball will land..

[Tugglife2]

I experience the same phenomenon. I know it's all mental but I still have issues with it. Well, not ALL mental because hitting little chunks and tops is part of my swing arsenal at this point.

[ERdiesel]

As mentioned in the original post, the club distance isn't the problem. I know my distances very well and short of a completely duffed shot, i hit my distances consistently. The point isn't so much i don't know which club to hit (i use a gps that gives me very accurate yardages to clear any hazard), the point is there's a gremlin that gets into my head when i'm looking across a body of water that automatically makes me want to swing that much harder "just" in case. It's a mental thing as mentioned by all the others. And as with all mental things, it's a tough one to fix especially out on the course.

[soloredd]

I don't necessarily have a phobia of trying to carry water but I do find myself swinging harder many times to get over it. Right now I'm at the point where my swing is inconsistent enough that I know unless I'm hitting a 5 or 6 iron or up, I won't do it. I'll lay up. I get mocked every now and then (in fun) from my buddies because I've chances to reach par 5s in two but would have to carry a perfect 3 hybrid or 3 wood which I just am not able to do on command. In fact, last month I did this very thing, let my friend talk me into trying to reach in two and ended up putting 2 shots in the water.

My new home course has a nice par 3 168 over water and another course I play frequently has a par 5 which, if you hit a solid drive in the fairway, can be over the water in two with about a 175 yard distance. A nice 6 iron and 5 iron, respectively, gets me safe so I use these holes as reminders that I can, within the confines of my own game, do just fine. Maybe if you get a chance, play a practice round and use 2 balls. Hit your first one and no matter if you are safe or not, hit the 2nd and see if there's any consistency. If you have to layup big deal.

[stianvm]

I'm no pro or instructor but I think you would do yourself a favor by working more on your club distances. Water is going to be present on most courses, no escaping it. Your problem may stem from not being secure in the knowledge of your distance with a particular club. When you approach a hole with water in play that distance doubt automatically surfaces.

What he said. I have myself had problems with getting my head in the way of making shots over water within distances i am confident on making without water. What i started to focus on was first of, getting the right distances to within +-5 meters. Then when i have the distance under control i just thought to myself "pin is just around 145 yards, its just a regular 8 iron"

The thing is confidence in that you can do it, it takes some practice to mentally block out the water but eventually it will be just another shot.

[Stretch]

Repeat after me:

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain. To make my swing.

[Zeph]

For me, it is confidence. I've always struggled with hitting the ball fat. So you can be sure I would hit it fat every time I had to hit over water. Except with the driver perhaps.
My swing today is better. It's not perfect, I still hit it fat now and then, but I know what the problem is and I know the fix. Whenever I'm faced with a shot over water, I focus on a key point which almost guarantee I won't hit it fat. I might draw or fade it either way, but at least I will hit the ball first.

Once I got this mindset and an improved swing, hitting those shots became easier and I could relax more. When we are the most anxious about something, that is when our swing flaws come out.

The best tip I can give is really to find out what the problem is when you hit these bad shots, and work on fixing it. After that, go hit as many shots as you can over water, to get yourself familiarized with it.

[ERdiesel]

I'm no pro or instructor but I think you would do yourself a favor by working more on your club distances. Water is going to be present on most courses, no escaping it. Your problem may stem from not being secure in the knowledge of your distance with a particular club. When you approach a hole with water in play that distance doubt automatically surfaces.

I know my club distances very well. It's the mental aspect of seeing trouble in front and trying to give the shot an "extra" push instead of trusting the distances. It's mental as mentioned by all others. I just need to not swing harder and swing normally.

[GaijinGolfer]

Its all in your head. You're thinking about the water, so thats where the ball goes. You need to just relax, trust your swing, trust the club and think about your target, not where you dont want the ball to go.

[jamo]

You need to go to an empty beach, armed with a hitting mat and a bunch of range balls. Then let 'er rip, right into the water!