Following a great drive whit a terrible second shot!

[jb1982]

Does anyone else have this problem? Everytime I really hit a sweet drive I try to do too much with my second shot and either chunk it, shank it or anything else I can do to botch the hole.

Take my last round of golf. Our first hole is 550 yard downhill down wind par 5. The mountain air is thin and the grass is still dry for extra roll. I crushed my drive and with the help of the wind only had 150 left to the hole. I started thinking "put it close and eagle the hole"!! Instead I shanked a 9 iron into the pond on the next fairway over! What can I do to avoid this problem.

[CG031]

Does anyone else have this problem? Everytime I really hit a sweet drive I try to do too much with my second shot and either chunk it, shank it or anything else I can do to botch the hole.

****! YOU HIT A 450 YARD DRIVE? GOD DAMN!

Anyway, yea, i do this ocassionally. I mean, I'm still new at the game of golf, so I think it's just a beginner thing..I tend to rush my set up,I gotta remember to keep focused, calm down, and just swing smoothly.

[jb1982]

[QUOTE=CG031;45892]****! YOU HIT A 450 YARD DRIVE? GOD DAMN!



Yeah.. My elevation here is about 5,000 feet so the air is thin and the ball travels farther. There was also a 30 MPH tailwind, and the grass is still brown. The farthest I have EVER hit the ball!!! Usually around 310 or so. But then I follow it up with a 40 yard shank!

[NM Golf]

Our first hole is 550 yard downhill down wind par 5. The mountain air is thin and the grass is still dry for extra roll. I crushed my drive and with the help of the wind only had 150 left to the hole

****! YOU HIT A 450 YARD DRIVE? GOD DAMN!

Ummmm I'm no mathematician but doesn't 550yds - 150yds = 400yds.

Anyway, I used to have this happen all the time. I even got teased by guys I played with cause I would crush a drive then take 3 more shots to get on from 80 yards. I just made sure to practice, practice, and practice some more. I knew my driver was a strong point so I made sure to get better at the clubs I would use most often after hitting a good drive.

[jb1982]

[QUOTE=NM Golf;45896]Ummmm I'm no mathematician but doesn't 550yds - 150yds = 400yds.

That's way to much math for a friday afternoon!!! Good point though.


The worst part of it is that If I hit an average drive on that hole and have 230 or so to the hole I don't always hit the green with a long iron but at least I'm close. But once I get excited about the possiblity of Eagle, its all over!! I'm what my playing partners call a "Head Case".

[CG031]

Oh, my bad..I was in a bit of a rush cuz i had to go out somewhere real quick.

[chingali]

Sound mechanics produce more consistent results than "home grown" golf swings. Team up sound mechanics with a repeatable preshot routine and the problem of hitting a bad second after a good drive is gone. Plus you'll hit more good drives.

Seriously, if you have sound mechanics then you CAN NOT shank a ball in to a pond nor can you chunk one 40 yards short. If you do have shanks and chunks, just be grateful for the odd one you do hit well and enjoy your round and accept the mishits.

[jb1982]

Sound mechanics produce more consistent results than "home grown" golf swings. Team up sound mechanics with a repeatable preshot routine and the problem of hitting a bad second after a good drive is gone. Plus you'll hit more good drives.

Thanks for the input. Although I do usually have pretty sound mechanics. I consistantly shoot right around 80 and my short irons are normally solid. I went on to shoot a 3 over par 38 on my nine holes that day. It's just when I hit a great drive and start thinking too much about the next shot. I think it's all just in my head.

[lamebums]

Does anyone else have this problem? Everytime I really hit a sweet drive I try to do too much with my second shot and either chunk it, shank it or anything else I can do to botch the hole.

This sounds a lot like what I did today. The first three holes were all 350-400 yard par 4's. Driver, driver, driver. I crushed the ball all three times off the tee. When I pulled out the pitching wedge, I topped the ball three times. In frustration, I just pulled another ball out of my pocket and re-hit right there, right then, and took my second shot.

I'm not sure about how to avoid this since I'm in the same boat and am also at a loss...

[seppo]

Oh I am so happy that someone else also has this problem It is all mental I suppose, when I have a slight Opportunity for a Birdie / Eagle, I mess it all up and finish Boggey or sth like that.

For Example: Power Drive on a Par 4, Perfect Distance for my Sand Wedge. Kept it to far on the left side of the green, missed the 40 Feet Putt, missed the 5 feet Putt missed the 10 Inch Putt... Enough said :)

But even Worse was the Par 5 yesterday, Eagle Pitch was possible, hitted it to thin, so the Ball sailed across the Green in the Bunker, Made the Bunker shot to short so it ended up in the Foregreen, made a bad chip and i was back there from where I tried the "Eagle Pitch"

I hate golf and golf hates me

[jb1982]

This sounds a lot like what I did today. The first three holes were all 350-400 yard par 4's. Driver, driver, driver. I crushed the ball all three times off the tee. When I pulled out the pitching wedge, I topped the ball three times. In frustration, I just pulled another ball out of my pocket and re-hit right there, right then, and took my second shot.

I found out how to avoid it yesterday. I went out after work, didn't warm up and drove the ball as bad as I have in years. I hit 1 of six fairways and didn't hit it anywhere near as long as normal. With no pressure on the second shot, I was hittting greens like crazy. I ended up with a great round!! I just wish I could have more rounds where the long game AND short game both worked! What a frustrating sport.

[lamebums]

I found out how to avoid it yesterday. I went out after work, didn't warm up and drove the ball as bad as I have in years. I hit 1 of six fairways and didn't hit it anywhere near as long as normal. With no pressure on the second shot, I was hittting greens like crazy. I ended up with a great round!! I just wish I could have more rounds where the long game AND short game both worked! What a frustrating sport.

But what I really don't get is how much better my second shot was, when I just took a ball out of my pocket and hit it, ignoring the topped shot. Two out of three times, I landed it on the green within about ten feet of the hole (amazing considering my short game is....awful).

The second shot is always better, I think.

[jb1982]

But what I really don't get is how much better my second shot was, when I just took a ball out of my pocket and hit it, ignoring the topped shot. Two out of three times, I landed it on the green within about ten feet of the hole (amazing considering my short game is....awful).

I hear ya! I've always said if I got two trys at every shot, I'd be a scratch golfer. I always play the first ball to see what my actual score is. So there is no pressure on the second effort. That's also why I love 4 person scrambles....less pressure on each shot! I guess I'm just not a "clutch player".

[ProHacker]

I've hammered a long drive about many times (long drive for me would be in the 260-270 range) and than chunked my next 2 more times than i can count (or care to remember).

[Shindig]

This happened to me a few times. There's a 490-yard par-5 at the course I play, and I've three times hit huge drives that leave me 200 yards (give or take) left. Mind you, these are career drives for me thus far - my average is around 190-210.

In every case, I've attempted to go for the green with a 3-Wood.

Next time, I'm hitting 8 Iron (give or take 1 club based on flag color) and then a pitching wedge into the green for GIR. When I'm looking to break 100, a good shot at a birdie or par is far preferable to a chance for an eagle coupled with a chance for double bogey or worse.

[Long Knocker]

The great drive followed by a not so great second shot plagues me from time to time. A good friend of mine has a little joke he uses for just such an occasion. Any time I hit an incredible drive and walk off with a bogey(or god forbid worse), he always say "great drive" as we exit the green.

[Maverick]

it happens to all of us..it sucks. I try to stay relaxed and approach every shot the same. I tell myself that here's another new shot, get back in the game.

[Just Blaze]

I did this yesterday. 405 yard par 4, nutted the drive out to about 330. Pulled the wedge out and left it 10 yards short of the green :(