How often do you hit out of the water?

[WUTiger]

Originally Posted by darkhunter139

As long as part of the ball is out of the water and I think there is a reasonable chance of getting it out I man up and hit the ball.  Saving a stroke is worth getting water to the face :)

That was the rule of thumb back in Ye Olde 20th Century. Not sure why nobody told the younger golfers this - old timers probably wanted an edge on tight bets.

Why is it so hard to hit a ball that's completely under water? One reason is the optical illusion caused by a couple of inches of water. The ball isn't quite where it appears to be.

I haven't tried it this season: Only two chances I had the ball was inside the hazard and embedded in mud (and, solid footing was nonexistent).

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by BioGolfNebraska

Ever try and hit the ball out of shallow water instead of taking a drop?

There is a series of Cialis commercials that air on Golf Channel every now and then where they give tips on rather difficult shots such as bunker shots from a downhill lie.  One of the commercial tips was how to hit out of shallow water to avoid a penalty stroke.

Recently, I came up short on a 175 yard par 3 where the whole distance between the tee box and green is a big lake.  There is a drop box on the right side of the lake about 1/3 of the way across the lake.  When I got to the other side to look for my ball, I noticed that it was sitting just at the edge of the lake in about 4 inches of water.  Remembering the Cialis commercial (which makes this shot look so easy), my friend suggested I try the shot.  We tend to do a lot of friendly heckling during our golf rounds and end up trying to talk the other into playing aggressively: par 5s in 2 even if anything short is in deep trouble/hazard, chips when we should putt, etc..

This water shot needed just a short 15 yard plop and it would be on the green for a chance at an up and down. I thought "what the hell", took off my shoes, and decided to try it. The only tip I could remember from the commercial was to swing hard.  I swung very hard and splashed about a gallon of algae water up in my face, not to mention this black mud.  After looking down, my ball was in the exact same spot that it was before the swing.  The look on my wife's face when I got back home from golfing covered head-to-toe in mud was priceless.

Have any of you attempted the shot out of water?  Any success?  Time to share your water shot stories.  Needless to say, I will probably not attempt this shot again.

I'm with you.  It's a very low percentage shot, and most often the result is worse than the one stroke penalty for dropping out of the hazard.  The soaking and mud splatter bit is another deterrent.  Since most of us aren't playing for thousands of dollars, it's just not a good shot choice most of the time.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by WUTiger

That was the rule of thumb back in Ye Olde 20th Century. Not sure why nobody told the younger golfers this - old timers probably wanted an edge on tight bets.

Why is it so hard to hit a ball that's completely under water? One reason is the optical illusion caused by a couple of inches of water. The ball isn't quite where it appears to be.

I haven't tried it this season: Only two chances I had the ball was inside the hazard and embedded in mud (and, solid footing was nonexistent).

Perhaps, but the real reason is, water is much thicker than air. If a ball is totally submerged it would take serious, Tiger-like clubhead speed to a) drive the ball through the 3-4 inches of water to get to the ball, and b) propel the ball through those same 3-4 inches of water to get to air. It is damn near impossible & you're far better off taking the penalty stroke.

But when it's only partially, say half-submerged, now you're only going thru about a half-inch of water to get to the ball & the ball is already halfway into open air. Exponentially easier shot.

[bwdial]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

Perhaps, but the real reason is, water is much thicker than air. If a ball is totally submerged it would take serious, Tiger-like clubhead speed to a) drive the ball through the 3-4 inches of water to get to the ball, and b) propel the ball through those same 3-4 inches of water to get to air. It is damn near impossible & you're far better off taking the penalty stroke.

But when it's only partially, say half-submerged, now you're only going thru about a half-inch of water to get to the ball & the ball is already halfway into open air. Exponentially easier shot.

While you may be right about the increased drag of the water, I also agree with WUTiger.  If the ball is only partially submerged, you can judge its actual location a lot easier.

[David in FL]

Like any other shot, I'll do it when the reward outweighs the risk. Remember, a lot of time that you're actually in the water, your only drop option is going to be back to the other side to do it all over again because you never cleared the margin of the hazard the first time...... For those concerned about wet/mud......if you carry a full sized bath towel instead of some wimpy little girly "golf" towel, you can wrap it around your waist and keep the mess to a minimum.

[bigwave916]

Originally Posted by Clambake

I wouldn't take golf tips from a Cialis commercial any more than I'd take advice on erectile dysfunction from Butch Harmon!

Amen to that. Not to get too far off subject here, but have you seen the one where the ED sufferer is pulling a horse trailer?  Guy slows down going in to a mud hole instead of keeping his momentum up, and gets his truck and horse trailer hung up. Then they show the rear tires spinning and the front wheels stationary, but it's a 4 wheel drive truck. Put it in 4 wheel drive, dummy! He gets his horses out and they pull the truck out of the mud. As he's coming up the lane to his house the light goes off downstairs and the light upstairs comes on. You don't have to be Larry Flynt to figure that one out. What an idiot, no wonder he can't get it up. No blood flow to the brain or anywhere else that needs a good pump.

Back to the topic: I've used this shot several times. Even practiced it. Dave Pelz teaches how to do it, and I remember seeing him demonstrate it on TV. It is important that part of the ball be out of the water. It is like a sand shot and it has worked for me everytime I've tried it.  I've had this shot maybe 3 times in the last ten years. One tip is to drape a towel to cover your right side. Start with the corner of the towel tucked under the belt buckle and the other corner around behind above your back pocket. The splash will reach you after you've turned through the shot so you want the towel to protect the right side.

You can wow your friends with it. A. Because they don't think you can do it, and B. Because they think you're stupid for trying.

Last time I tried it was at Myrtle Beach. Par 4, second shot over a lake. I'm maybe two feet short of the far bank in two and I wanted par really bad. Titelist logo was about all that was above water. Oh, and there was an alligator in the lake. I was pretty sure my playing companions would alert me if the gator started moving my way so I pulled off my right shoe and sock, rolled up my pants leg, putt my tucked my towel under my belt, stepped in, layed the club face open, and set up left of target. Splash went the water and out came the ball, three feet from the hole. The guys I was playing with went nuts and the gator didn't seem to give a shite. I made the par.

[Spyder]

This method looks more practical, though only Tiger can pull it off....

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by bwdial

While you may be right about the increased drag of the water, I also agree with WUTiger.  If the ball is only partially submerged, you can judge its actual location a lot easier.

Obviously. That's why a simple rule of thumb is, don't even try it if the ball is totally submerged. Give it consideration if partially.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by WUTiger

Why is it so hard to hit a ball that's completely under water? One reason is the optical illusion caused by a couple of inches of water. The ball isn't quite where it appears to be.

I haven't tried it this season: Only two chances I had the ball was inside the hazard and embedded in mud (and, solid footing was nonexistent).

Also when the ball is completely submerged, it is likely to move from the shock wave when you hit the water before you ever touch the ball, making the contact a bit chancy.

[BioGolfNebraska]

So my memory clearly didn't serve me well.  He even mentions in the tips on the Cialis commercial to make sure the ball is at least half out of the water. haha.

Here is the clip, I finally found it:

http://www.golfchannel.com/cialis/?vid={ACCF4A7D-6466-47E5-AFDD-DAC7B68C508F}

[formula428]

Being with the drought this year, I've hit it several times out of muck/evaporated lake.  Very squishy and I almost fell in a few times.  I've also hit it from the edge of the lake, and again almost fell in.