Uncommon shots on course during a round

[StrokerAce]

Let's face it... we don't hit every fairway or green...  and, sometimes, we end up with some tricky shots. 

 

I'm talking about those things you don't really 'practice' much...

--plugged in the face of a bunker

--under overhanging tree branches

--downhill lie in thick rough with a water hazard in front

 

I'm sure you can come up with a million of them.

 

Anyhow - what's something you've run across and how have you handled it?

I caught Nancy Lopez on The Golf Channel the other day and she was showing how she turned the toe of the club down and in to get out of a plugged lie in the bunker.  Thought that was kind of clever.

 

Here's (one of) mine...happens more often than I'd like.

 

Under hanging branches of a tree (branches were about 12-15 feet off the ground)... I could have tried a sweeping cut (black line) but I used a 6i and tried to keep it low (orange line); hit it well but don't think I had enough forward press... I clipped a branch and ended up about 20 yards short of the green (this was from about 135 yards if I recall)...

 

Let's hear it... and share pics if you've got em!

 

[TSauer]

My hole 9 is pretty similar to that, and that's where I usually end up. It is not that far to the pin though, I wanna say it's about 100-110 yards. In front of the green is a small ditch you don't want to end up in, and if you go too far you'll end up off the back of the green in some thick stuff. I usually hit a low 4i punch shot that has some decent roll, and will typically roll just on the green.

[scooducks]

Let's face it... we don't hit every fairway or green...  and, sometimes, we end up with some tricky shots. 

 

I'm talking about those things you don't really 'practice' much...

--plugged in the face of a bunker

--under overhanging tree branches

--downhill lie in thick rough with a water hazard in front

 

I'm sure you can come up with a million of them.

 

Anyhow - what's something you've run across and how have you handled it?

I caught Nancy Lopez on The Golf Channel the other day and she was showing how she turned the toe of the club down and in to get out of a plugged lie in the bunker.  Thought that was kind of clever.

 

Here's (one of) mine...happens more often than I'd like.

 

Under hanging branches of a tree (branches were about 12-15 feet off the ground)... I could have tried a sweeping cut (black line) but I used a 6i and tried to keep it low (orange line); hit it well but don't think I had enough forward press... I clipped a branch and ended up about 20 yards short of the green (this was from about 135 yards if I recall)...

course4.jpg

 

Let's hear it... and share pics if you've got em!

 

I've been working on this exact shot, because this a common occurrence at my club. A buddy of mine who is much better than I am gave me a tip that really resonated. He told me to set up as I normally would in order to hit a punch cut (ball back in stance, stance left of target, face aligned just right of target, swing across the body), but to only focus on keeping my hands and arms as soft as possible. I've hit some beautiful stinging cuts below tree branches, and it has done wonders for my scrambling stats! 

[null]

The chip/pitch off a bare+downhill lie has to be the most frightening shot in golf.  

 

Tendency is to try to pick the shot clean, but I am just learning how to use the bounce correctly on these shots and it is becoming a lifesaver

[StrokerAce]

The chip/pitch off a bare+downhill lie has to be the most frightening shot in golf.  

 

Tendency is to try to pick the shot clean, but I am just learning how to use the bounce correctly on these shots and it is becoming a lifesaver

 

I agree!  bare lies are no fun...

 

how do you set up to the ball to ensure you're using the bounce properly?

[null]

I agree!  bare lies are no fun...

 

how do you set up to the ball to ensure you're using the bounce properly?

 

Ball neutral in stance - hands in line with the ball.  Stand closer to the ball so club is close to square on the ground. The key to using the bounce is to actually LIMIT shaft lean here.  Too much shaft lean = no bounce.

[StrokerAce]

Ball neutral in stance - hands in line with the ball.  Stand closer to the ball so club is close to square on the ground. The key to using the bounce is to actually LIMIT shaft lean here.  Too much shaft lean = no bounce.

 

Cool!  Great advice... thanks!

[Shankster]

I agree! bare lies are no fun...

 

how do you set up to the ball to ensure you're using the bounce properly?

I love that lie! I wish all the fairways were cut as close as the green!

 

 

- Alan

[StrokerAce]

I love that lie! I wish all the fairways were cut as close as the green!

 

 

- Alan

 

I meant bare as in no grass...hard, flat, pancaked dirt... .might not be what jlukes meant... I'm sure I find it more than he does

[null]

I meant bare as in no grass...hard, flat, pancaked dirt... .might not be what jlukes meant... I'm sure I find it more than he does

 

Nope, that's what I meant! It's like hitting off a piece of wood - like this!

 

[TBT]

I had one the other day where the ball ended up the downslope leading into the bunker in thick Bermuda rough....slope was a good 20-25 degree incline.....needless to say I dumped it in the bunker ...ugh

[Shankster]

I meant bare as in no grass...hard, flat, pancaked dirt... .might not be what jlukes meant... I'm sure I find it more than he does

Oh... that kind of bare lie. That's pretty much anywhere here. We get that hard pan stuff a lot during he summer. Actually just ran into it the other day. And my back yard is rock hard, so I guess I practice on it.

 

But yes. That lie sucks.

 

 

- Alan

[Shankster]

Nope, that's what I meant! It's like hitting off a piece of wood - like this!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phh8RL5SWQo&t=140s

Oh yeah. That's normal ops here. Dried out concrete.

 

 

- Alan

[Shankster]

I've actually been using that technique for a while on my pitch shots even from a "good" lie. Bounce is good, if you know how to use it.

 

 

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[Kor.A.Door]

Cool! Great advice... thanks!

This works for him, but this is not the proper way to utilize the bounce of a club. a much easier shot for a bare lie is to use a PW, 9i, or even 8i, something with a flatter face, it's a much easier shot and way easier to make good contact all the time. There are some good videos of Phil describing and showing the proper way to chip and pitch, as well as using the bounce if you really want to be able to do it with more lofted wedges.

[Kor.A.Door]

Oh yeah. That's normal ops here. Dried out concrete.

 

 

- Alan

Notice that the guy really stuck the leading edge under the ball in order to use the bounce, if you utilize some shaft lean it will make it much easier to slide the leading edge under the ball to allow the bounce to work for you.

[Kor.A.Door]

I had one the other day where the ball ended up the downslope leading into the bunker in thick Bermuda rough....slope was a good 20-25 degree incline.....needless to say I dumped it in the bunker ...ugh

One of our scratch guys, a bit older, and very good at teaching, showed a few of us how to hit that shot out of the thick Bermuda rough, he said to play it like a bunker shot, it will come out a lot higher and land softer, it still runs out some, but it's much less, and you have some control.

[Kor.A.Door]

My uncommon shots usually happen when I need a right handed club, a few times a year I need to flip over a sand wedge or 9 iron and hit a right handed shot. One day I will video it post it.

[null]

Notice that the guy really stuck the leading edge under the ball in order to use the bounce, if you utilize some shaft lean it will make it much easier to slide the leading edge under the ball to allow the bounce to work for you.

 

The problem with too much shaft lean is people bounce the leading edge of the club into the turf and skip into the ball, or get their hands too far in front and make contact with the ball to high up on the ball and blade the ball.

 

I understand Phil's technique, the hinge and hold, and this is similar to that - just with a lot less hinge.

[Shankster]

Notice that the guy really stuck the leading edge under the ball in order to use the bounce, if you utilize some shaft lean it will make it much easier to slide the leading edge under the ball to allow the bounce to work for you.

True story. That's exactly what I do. I grew up playing on hard pan. That's why I hit chunky shots a lot in soggy stuff.

 

 

- Alan

[Shankster]

Sounds like you need to jump on my no Tree wagon strokerace. I love hitting those low fades from under the trees said no one.

 

But I've had to play from under the trees plenty, some of my best shots are head high cut shots with a 5 iron.

 

 

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[null]

I can hit the high cut, the high draw, and low draw - can't hit the low cut at all.

[Shankster]

I can hit the high cut, the high draw, and low draw - can't hit the low cut at all.

I've played a cut my entire golf life. I couldn't even begin to explain how I do it. Much like an open face pitch I guess, finish shoulder or less high and hold that club off.

 

 

- Alan

[Kor.A.Door]

The problem with too much shaft lean is people bounce the leading edge of the club into the turf and skip into the ball, or get their hands too far in front and make contact with the ball to high up on the ball and blade the ball.

 

I understand Phil's technique, the hinge and hold, and this is similar to that - just with a lot less hinge.

When you keep your hands in front, (shaft lean), you have to keep the wrist hinge through the swing, the reason they skip the leading edge into the ball is because they break their wrist hinge and get the club out of position. An easier shot for golfers who struggle off of hard pan and can't hit a good wedge shot, is to take a 9 iron and pitch it that way,

[Rusty1885]

True story. That's exactly what I do. I grew up playing on hard pan. That's why I hit chunky shots a lot in soggy stuff.

- Alan

I'm ok with hard pan, it does bother me that I'd scratching the sole but I can execute the shot just fine. What I don't like especially lately, the course over water in the morning so the course can stand up to the heat for the rest of the day, it creates some soggy area.

 

I hit a few clean but thin shots to avoid splatters. Finally, I just went for it an take full soggy divots messing up my shorts and wear it like a badge of honor for the rest of the round.

[STUDque]

I like when the ball stops on a stick and you have NO idea how it's coming out. I've played by hitting the stick and not the ball at all. Ended up OK on the green

 

 

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[hckymeyer]

The 2 I've run in to lately is the opposite hand shot and the dorf on golf shot.

 

I was stuck dead behind a tree and needed to go right.  So had to hit left handed.  I took a 6i (my lowest iron in the bag) and just hit it with the back of the club.  I've never practiced flipping it over and hitting with the toe so didn't want to do that.  It actually worked great though, hit it about 30-40yds back in to the fairway and still had a putt at par that of course I missed.

 

I've also been running in to various dorf on golf shots.  You know the ones on a severe side hill lie and the ball is almost waist high.  Or stuff just outside of a bunker but you have to stand in it to take a stance.  I've been mostly successful with these by taking an extra club and choking down to the steel on the grip.  The hard part if trying to figure out how much I'm going to draw it, pull it, or pull draw it.  Usually the answer ended up being more that I was playing.

[Shankster]

I've run into the opposite of you Meyer. Standing on such a severe upslope I'm afraid I'm gonna catch the hosel. I forget to club up and usually do.

 

 

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[STUDque]

The Big Break glass shatter shot.

 

When you've got a narrow window of trees to shoot the ball through. Difficult to practice but fun to try.

 

 

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[StrokerAce]

The Big Break glass shatter shot.

 

When you've got a narrow window of trees to shoot the ball through. Difficult to practice but fun to try.

 

 

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Funny that you brought this up... when I played Sunday I was paired with 2 guys and one of them was a 25+ hc... he hit his tee shot short of the corner on the dogleg and he had 2 choices:

1. try to thread the needle between the 2 trees (about 10 feet) or

2. pitch out onto the fairway and hit a clean shot.

 

I jokingly said "you've got some room to get that through there"... and, as a high handicapper is want to do, he went for it.  

It didn't go well.

 

Moral of the story: don't be a hero/take the easy way if you don't think there's a better than 50% chance you can pull it off.