Your Go To Shot in Golf

/ The Grateful Golfer
Keeping my head still through the entire swing!

My ‘go to’ 7-iron from 150 yards!

As I watch and read of the woes of Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods, I empathize as they slash their way around the golf course. For me, it appears as if they have lost their “Je ne sais quoi” that makes them great players! It does not mean that they will never play great again, but for the time being they are struggling and it is tough to watch.

As they river of advice over loads their ability to process the information, it is sometimes difficult to break from the current of poor play. But, as all great golfers do from time to time, they will work on their game and eventually return to their former form.

For most weekend duffers, we do not have the luxury to spend the hours needed to fix all the hitches, clicks or alignment issues we face every time we tee it up. Most of us have accepted this reality and play within our fluid expectations.

To rectify our poor play on the links, most of us have a ‘go to’ shot that helps right our failing game. You know, your favorite club, distance or situation in which you do not think, worry, or adjust….your body and mind just knows how to execute without thinking. Generally, after successfully competing your ‘go to’ shot, you are back on track and your game is back to normalish.

For me, I have two ‘go to’ shots. The first and my most favorite is a 7-iron from 150 yards. It is the perfect distance for a smooth swing that does not require ‘anything’ to be completed with success. I aim for the middle of the green, let my mind to blank, and my body takes over. I focus on remembering how this swing feels and my game seems to correct itself.

My second ‘go to’ shot is my 3-wood. This appears to be an odd selection, but due to my style of game (shorter than most at my handicap) I hit more 3-woods than my playing partners. When I hit my 3-wood flush, I actually feel nothing off the head of the club. My follow through is high and my weight distribution works perfectly. I also focus on the feel and I am able to transfer it to my other clubs.

Either one of these ‘go to’ shots helps to quickly fix my ailing game. I also use these comfort shots on the range before I play to establish my groove. So, when my game is ailing, I revert back to my basics and try to focus on the feel of these two shots and it generally helps improve my game.

Do you have any ‘go to’ shots? If so, how do they help?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

18 thoughts on “Your Go To Shot in Golf”

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  3. Jim
    I wish I had a go-to-shot. I find that when my swing mechanics are out of sync then it doesn’t matter what I try. But when I am in sync I am confident to do anything. I that when Tiger is going to a go-to-shot it is because he is lacks the confidence with his swing change.

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  4. Aloha Jim,
    Oh yes, I have my “go to shot”, and I do use it.
    I hit my share of bad shots, it’s one of the things that keeps me off the tour. Most of the time I know exactly what I did wrong. But sometimes everything from setup to follow through feels perfect and I look up to see the ball flying off in a horribly unexpected direction. To me that is confidence crushing, fear sets in. After such a shot, space and lie permitting, I will aim my wedge 135 yards into the center of the fairway. At that point getting my confidence back is more important than extra yards – but that is just me.
    A Hui Hou,
    Wayne

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  5. I dont have a go to shot, but if I an playing well, my 3 wood off the fairway is working, and also the wedges find their target. If they dont work, nothing else is really good, except of course I can usually putt.

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  6. Jim,

    This is great advice. Sometimes I get caught up in always trying to play the “perfect” shot, as in, playing the fade or the draw. Some days I have trouble hitting the draw and a fade feels easier. So I would say on days I’m fighting the swing a bit, I should just try and play a fade and use what I have that day to keep it in play and trying to make a score.

    Cheers
    Josh

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  7. Jim,

    Great post. My go-to shot is a knock down iron (any one in the bag). It’s the easiest to execute on a bad ball striking day cause you just play it back and beat down on it 🙂

    FWIW, a go-to shot isn’t going to help Jordan Spieth right now. He needs rest, period. Back before the Fed-Ex playoffs, the season essentially ended after the PGA Championship and players rested their minds and bodies until the following January. Spieth expended a tremendous amount of mental energy and performed fabulous during the 2015 majors. He’s got to be totally spent and is playing like it. If it was me, I would have skipped all the playoffs. He certainly doesn’t need the money and at the end of the day, true champions are measured in major wins, not Fed-Ex dollars. My 2 cents.

    Thanks!

    Brian

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    • Brian,

      Great go to shot. The knock down shot is the reason I traded in my hybrids for a 4 and 5 iron. More options and better control.

      You may be right about Spieth. The season is long and the playoffs do not really mean much. This weekend could tell the tale for young Jordan.

      Cheers
      Jim

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  8. I had never thought about a ‘go to’ shot but my trusted club is a 18 degree hybrid which I can hit 200-210 and a miss is a very slight pull. It’s my favourite club and gets me out of trouble quite a bit.
    Thanks, Mike

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