I have learned to approach most golf shots without fear. This is a self-taught skill that I employ routinely. However, there are still a few shots from time to time where the pucker factor grows and I feel less sure about the shot I have selected. The funny thing its, my FEAR (False Evidence Appearing Real) appears to manifest in a particular situation regardless of how much a practice. My apprehension is not constant, nor is always, but it does show up. And frankly it annoys me to no end!
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Tell Me The Possibilities of This Golf Shot
I do not care whether I am in the middle of the fairway, first cut, deep in the woods, or any place but in the water, every golf shot has multiple, if not infinite, possibilities. Now, before you start writing a curt response, take a deep breath and think. There, feel better? I bet you do. Now that you are ready to read on with an open mind, lets use one simple example and you will see what I mean.
Before we examine the shot in mind, I thought I would provide an image to help the discussion along:
The ball is 15 yards from the green, under a tree. The lie is good and I could stand without hitting any limbs. I could not take a full swing. There is a bit of a dip right before the green to consider, but it was not more than one foot deep. The pin was 20 yards on the green, basically in the middle.
Without digging too deep, I believe I have three reasonable shots I can make that would match the results above. They are with 3 different clubs and require 3 different approaches.
The first is with a sand wedge. I hit the ball just over the top of the hill in the back of my stance so it lands on the green about 5 yards and releases to the pin…..if I hit it cleanly. If I do not, it ends up sort. However, by being aggressive, this is the best shot for getting the ball the closest.
Second is with my pitching wedge. Again just over the top of the hill and the ball lands about 10 yards on the green. I place the ball in the back of my stance. Hitting the ball clean and we will beside the pin. Hit is a bit fat and I am still on the green but with a put at par.
Last option is with a 7 iron. I hit the ball into the back about 3/4 the way up and let the ball bounce on to the green. The chances of getting the ball on the green, regardless of contact, is best. However, I have very little control as to how the ball will come off the hill and release going forward. This is an option, but not my first choice.
As you can see, I quickly laid out three possible realistic shots. If I was to sit an analyse this shot further, I could come up with many possibilities that might work. So, to prove my point, there are many realistic possibilities for every golf shot!
On a side note, I used a sand wedge and played my shot aggressively. I was about 4 yards from the pin and made the 12 footer for birdie. I was very happy with the shot and even happier with the putt.
So, not it is your turn! What shot do you see?
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
You Call The Shot
I offered an opportunity for all the expert golfer to tell me how they would play a specific shot. I was very surprised at the number of responses and the different way to play this hole. So, I thought I would share it here and see what you have to say! Continue reading
Do You Use All Your Wedges or Just Carry Them?
The rules of golf allow each player to carry 14 clubs. Because of this limitation, selecting the right clubs for my game is critical to low golf scores. Repeatedly, I have espoused that my short game is where my scoring resides and I believe that is the same for everyone. Therefore, years ago, I chose to take out my 5 wood and replace it with a 60º gap wedge. It is a decision I do not regret. This resulted in carrying 4 wedges when I play, but more importantly, I consistently use all 4 wedges. Do you? Continue reading
Chipping: Selecting the Right Club at the Right Time
This post is in response to several questions on chipping I received over the past few days. I thought it would be a good idea to share my thoughts on the matter and explain how I approach my short game.
My short game is my bread and butter. I hit the ball straight most of the time and like all other players, I do miss the green 50% of the time on my approach shots. With that being said, over the years, I spent a great deal of time chipping and pitching the ball. As discussed in yesterday’s post, I am always trying to sink each chip, but we all know that this happens infrequently. Therefore, chipping the ball as close to the hole as possible is next in line of my short game expectations. Continue reading
The Grateful Golfer 