The Importance of a Trouble Shot

[Binh Nguyen]

I would use a 5 iron to punch it through the window and trying to draw it a little bit. But considering the results that I often get that would be a daft and go 20 yards or hit right in the tree lol.

I almost never punch it out on the sideway unless there is absolutely no chance to advance the ball.

Thank you for confirm my thoughts now. 

Edited October 28, 2017 by Binh Nguyen

[iacas]

On 10/28/2017 at 8:33 AM, Binh Nguyen said:

I would use a 5 iron to punch it through the window and trying to draw it a little bit. But considering the results that I often get that would be a daft and go 20 yards or hit right in the tree lol.

With a 5I you'd probably hit it right into the hill, actually.

[Ty_Webb]

It's hard for me to say what I would do here because it's hard to tell from the pictures how far away the gap is and how wide it is. It looks reasonably wide, so I'd probably try something similar. I'd be worried about a 9 iron not turning enough, especially if the OOB that you mentioned was in range of the shot and given the not great lie. If the OB wasn't really in range, I'd probably try to hit a half swing 8 iron with a draw. It's not a huge amount of draw that's needed, so I'd be confident I could turn it enough. I'd be more likely to miss it left than right I think, but from the picture it looks like that leaves me plenty of room anyway. Was the wind blowing? A hard left to right wind or heavily downwind and that might give me pause. In that case, I'd be more likely to try to play some kind of a chip up the hill with a 7 or 8 without turning it and leaving it 40-50 yards short in the fairway.

Out of curiosity though, what would make you do something different here? What if the red line in the picture was another tree? Would you still play the same shot? What if the bunker short and right of the green was a water hazard? What if the cart path was OB? Would that change the situation enough to make you play a different shot? What would it look like where you were 50/50 about playing your shot and hitting the ultra safe chip out.