your favorite tough shot

[flopster]

So what is your most favorite tough shot to hit? The bombed drive that gets that perfect kick that adds 25 more yards? A 60' putt that winds up finding the bottom of the hole? The blind shot that you don't know how you did until you reach the green or look in the cup ? Or is it a perfectly struck mid iron that you get to admire for a short while it takes it 's journey to 5' from the pin. A blistered 3 wood that gets you on the green in 2 on a par 5, A pitch or chip shot that finds the bottom of the cup to make that unlikely birdie or even eagle. For me it's the perfectly struck iron shot that heads like an arrow towards the target, For me nothing feels better than the solid compression of a golf ball struck flush on the low center of an iron and then getting to watch the entire flight of that shot. At my home course #14 is one of the toughest holes (3 handicap on 141 slope course) from tee to cup, the drive is a blind shot once you pass 225 yards or so because the fairway drops a good 75' with tiers at different distances to the green and a lake at the end of the fairway on the left. On a few occasions rather than try and get the ball all the way down to the bottom of the fairway I have allowed myself to stay on top of the hill and have a elevated shot to the green, this shot measures 185 to the pin when it's back left wich is the toughest spot for the pin on this hole the green is very fast and firm back there, from this spot I usually will hit 6 iron because I want the ball to travel about 165 yards with the elevation it will be more like 170-175 with about a 3-5 yard draw, I have been successful at this shot several times and absolutely love watching it when it gets pulled off because I'm hitting from an elevated spot to an area only 10 yards wide and the flight of the ball takes a little longer to watch.

Only image I could find but the spot I'm talking about is on the upper left above that one tree, if you drew a straight line from the end of it's shadow straight up it would be just right of those 3 traps, as you can see a draw would be the shot to this green from there, if someone hits driver they can reach the bottom just left of those trees in front of the lake it's well over 300 yards to that spot but the roll down the hill is significant. As you can see the green drops off around the edges so anything long or right will leave you a difficult chip/flop to stop on a very firm and fast surface.

[mdl]

My favorite shots are probably recovery shots that force a non-stock shape/trajectory that I knock stiff (at my target).  Of course, I don't get to even attempt those all that often.  Usually if I'm blocked by a tree my best hope is just to get it close to the green.  There's a smallish window and limited number of hole setups and situations where I don't have an open look but am not forced to attempt a dumb miracle shot, so it doesn't happen that often.

Of shots I get to take more regularly, it's hitting a long iron or hybrid in really close.  Nothing like making a swing that feels perfect, flushing it, watching the ball fly exactly like you envisioned, and then having it drop down close giving you a good percentage birdie or eagle putt!

Lots of other tough/low percentage shots are really fun, but I think the long shot full swing game the hardest part of golf, so I find sticking those close most gratifying.

[14ledo81]

Another vote for the perfectly struck iron shot.  I rarely if ever pull this off with anything longer than an eight, but even a perfectly struck 8,9, or PW feels awesome.  Probably the single biggest reason I play golf.