Most Stressful Shot for You

[phillyk]

I used to love playing under pressure, but I've been out of tournaments for long enough that I lost that.  So hitting the first tee shot at a tourney gets to me.  I'll get it back one day.  My 2nd would be the chip off a dirt pan (very little grass) lie that needs to carry 10ft of rough and land easy to get close and save par.  I'm trying to practice those stupid kind of lies that you get in a round, but I get the yips or something as I try to do it.

[dave s]

That first drive of the day.  I'm the first guy who walks up, sticks a tee in the ground and puts one out there.  Not very far, but my stock cut-driver works every time. I honestly can't recall the last time I duck-hooked one, sliced one OB or rolled one off the 1st tee box.

The shot that literally KILLS me is ANY medium or long carry over trouble.  Be it water, ravine, waste area or whatever, I'll 'thin' that shot nearly EVERY time. It's so into my head I find it nearly impossible to put a decent swing on a shot where as little as 150 carry is required.

dave

[DaveP043]

45 minutes ago, DrvFrShow said:

@DaveP043 Call it a provisional, because you don't know for certain it's out of bounds until you confirm it. This way if you blast that one OB, you can hit another provisional. 

Thanks for the advice, but whether its a provisional or a lost ball or its OB, its still stressful.

14 minutes ago, SavvySwede said:

You all have it wrong. It's the long blast out of trees, the only shot where there is a chance you could die.

I usually close my eyes on that one, so I rarely make solid enough contact to hurt myself with the carom.

[Baog]

For me it's a tight tee shot with no room to miss on either side. At my home course, it's a hole with water on the right and OB on the left and a fairway that narrows the farther one hits the ball.

Of the shots listed, it's the opening tee shot of a round.

[rehmwa]

Medium length putts for birdie or better.

[David in FL]

Other...  A 3-4 ft putt in stroke play competition.  I (and everyone else) thinks that you should make them every time.  Reality isn't always the case....

[Golfingdad]

3 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Other...  A 3-4 ft putt in stroke play competition.  I (and everyone else) thinks that you should make them every time.  Reality isn't always the case....

I missed a <2 footer last weekend.  Not my first. 

[saevel25]

25 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

I missed a <2 footer last weekend.  Not my first. 

-1.00001 strokes lost ;)  

 

[the fish]

I used to have the first tee jitters, but I've learned to let them go.  My home course is a par 5 and has a pretty wide open tee shot, which has helped majorly.

I voted "Tee shot when offered to play through a group".  I play solo more than I'd like, and get offered to play through fairly often.  I can't avoid feeling rushed on the tee box and approach shot.  Par threes are the worst place for me to play through, because then I rush my putts as well.

A close second is for me is playing with a person (or people) of significance.  I'm not nervous to play with strangers for the first time, but if it is someone I know or know of (who is a better golfer than I), I feel the pressure to perform well.  I can't say I like the feeling of that pressure, but I have noticed my best rounds have been in these situations.  I believe the pressure forces me to really focus on every shot.

Edited February 2, 2016 by the fish
realized there was a more correct voting option

[DutchGolf]

For me it are shots from downhill lies or shots from below my feet. Cant hit those well and I know it, so especially when I have to hit a shot from these lies with something to carry, the outcome is obvious before I hit it. I know it is a lack of technique and understanding, but somehow I can't get things right on these shots. 

[jamo]

First tee shot is it for me. I used to be deathly scared of that first tee, and it went away for a while but now that I play a little less frequently, it does get to me.

Water used to be a big struggling point, but now it isn't much. A lot of that came from the fact that my miss really isn't a chunk anymore, so I rarely miss short enough that water carries scare me.

Bunker shots can be stressful, but I've hit enough really good green side bunker shots that I don't think about it all that much. And with fairway bunker shots, I frankly just don't have very high expectations. Play it safe, don't take any chances you don't have to, don't overswing, ball-first contact, don't be stupid. And if your shot ends up 10 yards short of the green in the center of the fairway, don't sweat it. 

[ghalfaire]

My "something else" is a short pitch from a tight lie over a bunker without much green to work and with and trouble on the other side.

[dak4n6]

I never get wound up by the first tee shot of the day. Actually, I usually hit them well because my expectations are low and I just want to make decent contact.

What gets me nervous is a strong wind on the tee coming in and left to right. Not like my heart gets pounding, but in the back of my head I know I'm going to wipe it...

[RandallT]

3 hours ago, Golfingdad said:

I missed a <2 footer last weekend.  Not my first. 

It's pretty stressful to line up for the 3.5ft comeback putt after that!

[Tar Heel in CT]

Touch wedge shots inside 25 yards especially from a tight lie. I have a terrible habit of bouncing the club and killing the ball about 10 yards past the target

[stealthhwk]

I voted something else. Downhill lie on approach to a green with a hazard in front. I face this shot at my home course a lot and it gives me fits!

[dak4n6]

36 minutes ago, stealthhwk said:

I voted something else. Downhill lie on approach to a green with a hazard in front. I face this shot at my home course a lot and it gives me fits!

Downhill lies would be my 2nd something else. How about a downhill lie long iron shot? Eeeek!

[iacas]

5 hours ago, saevel25 said:

-1.00001 strokes lost ;)  

Bad math (and a double negative?). More like 0.996 strokes lost. Or -0.996 strokes gained.