Best Shot of the Week

[9wood]

1 hour ago, dkinser86 said:

 Uphill, about 160 yards with a good wind at my back.  Hit a 9 iron absolutely perfect.  As soon as I hit, I said, "that's gonna be tight!"  Being uphill, I could see the bottom of the flagstick, but sure enough it was real tight.  Judging by the pitch mark, it had to have rolled just over the edge of the hole.  

 

160 yards uphill shot with 9 iron? Seriously? How many mph was that wind?

[Patch]

I had a 6i from 130 on a short par 4 for an eagle yesterday. It was a 410 yard, dog leg left. I drove the ball through the dog leg, which gave me the 130 to the hole. Now that I think about it, that drive, and approach shot were both, "the best shots" of the day. 

[dkinser86]

3 hours ago, 9wood said:

160 yards uphill shot with 9 iron? Seriously? How many mph was that wind?

It was a bit. I normally hit my 9 iron about 160 in normal conditions. I figured it was about as uphill as it was downwind. 

[9wood]

12 minutes ago, dkinser86 said:

It was a bit. I normally hit my 9 iron about 160 in normal conditions. I figured it was about as uphill as it was downwind. 

According the Leaderboard website, PGA Tour players' can hit 9-iron shots 140 to 155 yards  So you're telling me you hit your 9i further than PGA tour players. Interesting

Edited April 2, 2016 by 9wood

[bkuehn1952]

We are in Aventura, FL, for our company annual meeting. Played the "Soffer" course at Turnberry Isle Resort on Friday. We were playing two man best ball and things were tied going into #17.

My scratch partner hit his tee ball in the water on the par 3. The other team had both their tee shots on the green about 12-15 feet.  Time for a miracle.  I hit to 6 feet and rolled in the birdie after the other team both missed.  VICTORY!  ;)

[dkinser86]

35 minutes ago, 9wood said:

According the Leaderboard website, PGA Tour players' can hit 9-iron shots 140 to 155 yards  So you're telling me you hit your 9i further than PGA tour players. Interesting

Is there a point to this comment?  Yes, I hit my 9iron about 160 yards.  I hit my 4 iron about 215 years. I hit my driver about 290 yards and pretty consistent with it.  

[9wood]

32 minutes ago, dkinser86 said:

Is there a point to this comment?  Yes, I hit my 9iron about 160 yards.  I hit my 4 iron about 215 years. I hit my driver about 290 yards and pretty consistent with it.  

That's awesome

[rehmwa]

Hole 13 from the Blues (The Ridges at Jordan) - I'll preface this by saying I choke on this hole - in the water, or a duff, I think I've reached the green in 3 ONCE in maybe a dozen visits.

From the Blues - 444 yard Par 4.  Tight fairway with trees, over water twice (immediately on the tee, and then in the middle of the approach line) light bend to the right, then back left.  15-20 mph wind in my face the whole way.

Best shot of the day was the approach.  I actually hit a very nice fade around the first bend on purpose (pushed a little, not on purpose), but still a clear shot to the green, from the very edge of the fairway - great lie.  I have 205 to the pin (tucked short and left).

Looking at the trees (I'm sheltered), the tops are bending over hard, it's windy today.  205 is normally my 4h.  I picked my 2h (normally 235).  The course ranger is checking on slow play and we talk a bit while watching the group in front of us clear the green.  I mention my chokage on this hole and laugh.  He says it looks like a clear shot, so I offer up, "How about straight at the that big tree behind the right half of the green with a little draw?" - he smiles "sounds great", drives off.

So anyway, I hit it clean and you can see when it gets up and hits the wind - path still right side of the green with a little draw.  It looks like I hit right behind the flag and it bounces over the back.  Visualization is great.

I turned out even better, I get there and the ball mark is actually short and left of the hole - off by 4 feet maybe.  And it rolled to the green's apron and I have a downhill putt on a slow green of about 8 feet for birdie - which I missed of course (Missed birdie putts the theme of the day).  Best shots of the day are always approach shots for me...this was sweet.

[DaveP043]

Playing in a fourball match yesterday at The Piedmont Club in Haymarket, VA, we had cold windy conditions.  The ninth hole is uphill, maybe 410 yards, and I hit a pretty solid drive, but it ballooned a little into a strong gust of wind.  Got to my ball, and I still have 205 to go.  3-wood isn't going to do it, so I play driver off the deck.  Low, straight as an arrow, hits just left of the green and bounces right to about 12 feet from the hole     

[jkelley9]

2 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

Playing in a fourball match yesterday at The Piedmont Club in Haymarket, VA, we had cold windy conditions.  The ninth hole is uphill, maybe 410 yards, and I hit a pretty solid drive, but it ballooned a little into a strong gust of wind.  Got to my ball, and I still have 205 to go.  3-wood isn't going to do it, so I play driver off the deck.  Low, straight as an arrow, hits just left of the green and bounces right to about 12 feet from the hole     

Interesting. You're saying you couldn't use a 3-wood because of the wind factor or you can't hit it that long? Seems like a very get-able distance with a 3-wood? Especially with your index? I would think hitting driver off a fairway lie would be much more difficult to do? Maybe I'm missing something here and maybe I'll learn something today lol. 

I only know 1 person who can hit their driver like that and can still smash it ~250y. It's insane. He likes to put money on that shot with his groups and he gets paid a lot for it lol. What a trick shot.

[DaveP043]

My normal carry distance with a driver is around 240 yards, and I'd just hit it maybe 210 with a pretty solid strike into the wind.  My 3-wood is typically 215 to 220, so there's simply no way it was going even 200 given the wind, as evidenced by the length of my drive.  Therefore, it had to be driver, or a pitch for my 3rd.  With nothing but fairway between me and the green, the worst shot with a driver would still have rolled 150 or more, so the risk was minimal. The driver worked out, and made for some good conversation in the bar after the match.

Now I do admit, I practice hitting driver off the grass, or even off a driving range mat.  Lots of times I'll do it as the last 2 or 3 swings before a round of golf, its a great reminder to keep the head still, since any movement at all will produce poor contact.  Its really a rare thing to want to use it on the course, but its a good tool to have.

[paininthenuts]

Today I had my best shot ever. It is a par 5, 650 yards, up hill with 4 bunkers between the tee and the green, also with a large pond in front of the green. The rain was coming down, and the wind was against me. I took out my 6 iron and drove the ball on to the green. Much to my amazement the ball rolled in, and I was 4 shots under par. Not bad for a 28 handicapper, aagghhh

[rehmwa]

1 hour ago, jkelley9 said:

Interesting. You're saying you couldn't use a 3-wood because of the wind factor or you can't hit it that long? Seems like a very get-able distance with a 3-wood? Especially with your index? I would think hitting driver off a fairway lie would be much more difficult to do? Maybe I'm missing something here and maybe I'll learn something today lol.

Well, he had just hit it 205 (410 with 205 to go).  Seems the right club for the next 205 shot is pretty apparent.

[jkelley9]

24 minutes ago, rehmwa said:

Well, he had just hit it 205 (410 with 205 to go).  Seems the right club for the next 205 shot is pretty apparent.

Ah, yes. Maybe I just misread/misinterpreted that. I just think it's crazy going with driver when it's not on a tee. I feel like I'd rather try a 3w punch to drop the loft but then again I'm really not that good of a player so my opinion ain't worth much. Maybe that's a shot I'll have to practice one of these days.

[rehmwa]

4 minutes ago, jkelley9 said:

Ah, yes. Maybe I just misread/misinterpreted that. I just think it's crazy going with driver when it's not on a tee. I feel like I'd rather try a 3w punch to drop the loft but then again I'm really not that good of a player so my opinion ain't worth much. Maybe that's a shot I'll have to practice one of these days.

yeah - it's a gutsy shot.  I don't normally consider it as an option either.  Nice one to have if you practice it.

[davechen]

On Thursday I had my first eagle ever at Northwest Park GC in Wheaton, MD.  On hole #8, it's a dogleg par 5 going up hill after the tee shot.  I hit a decent driver, and decent hybrid.  I measured 92 yards to the flag, up hill and into the wind, so I knocked down a 9 iron, which I normally figure to be 120-5 yards.

I could only see the top of the flag, because of the hill, but my shot was on a good line.  When I got up to the green I looked around and couldn't see my ball around the green or in the bunkers.  Whenever that happens and I look in the hole, I never see my ball there and so I feel a little silly. But this time, on a lark, I had a look, and BOOM, there it was.

 

[iacas]

You should post in the Claim Your Achievements thread.

[DaveP043]

20 minutes ago, jkelley9 said:

Ah, yes. Maybe I just misread/misinterpreted that. I just think it's crazy going with driver when it's not on a tee. I feel like I'd rather try a 3w punch to drop the loft but then again I'm really not that good of a player so my opinion ain't worth much. Maybe that's a shot I'll have to practice one of these days.

Every one of us has worthwhile opinions, and you're no different in that regard.  In my experience, in a really heavy wind, a "punch" action will launch the ball lower, but it will have increased backspin, so will tend to balloon even more.  A better choice with a 3-wood would be a smoother swing, rather than a hard one, let the ball launch with as little backspin as possible.  And yes, take a swing or two on the range with your driver, first teed really low, and then on a really nice lie or on a mat.  Like I said, its a good way to remind yourself to stay pretty stable during the swing, even if you never try it on the course.

6 minutes ago, davechen said:

On Thursday I had my first eagle ever at Northwest Park GC in Wheaton, MD.  On hole #8, it's a dogleg par 5 going up hill after the tee shot.  I hit a decent driver, and decent hybrid.  I measured 92 yards to the flag, up hill and into the wind, so I knocked down a 9 iron, which I normally figure to be 120-5 yards.

Great shot, Dave.   But you could have waited to let us all know, you understand that  this will make your handicap drop this coming weekend.