What is the hardest shot in golf?

[GolfSpy_KFT]

This popped into my head last night while I couldn't sleep, so thought I'd create a thread about it on the forum. 

What is the hardest shot in golf?

This can be objective or subjective, which I think is what makes it a fun question and discussion topic. I am going to choose the latter.

Using a Par 4 as my example, the hardest shot in golf is the shot after hitting a great tee shot. I know that with the tee shot, I have set myself up for a very good opportunity to get a GIR, but also try to get within range of a good birdie chance. More often than not, I'll duff/top/shank the second shot, leading to frustration and now having to try and get up and down to save par, and very rarely walk away with anything better than a bogey. The mental aspect of golf is what the biggest challenge is for me with this shot. If I hit a poor tee shot, the second shot is typically going to be a punch out or a lay up, and then the third shot doesn't have as much "pressure," so to speak, as I am now looking at a two putt to card a bogey instead of feeling like I just blew an opportunity to score.

So, MGS Forum members, what is the hardest shot in golf?

[russtopherb]

Your first tee shot with a bunch of people standing around watching you.

[bens197]

I had this shot last week at my BIL club.  I actually had it twice because I couldn’t club my distances and rather than fire at the center of the green I went pin seeking to back right pins.

It’s a short sided chip when you’re green side and you’re standing at a steep angle.  

So imagine your shoulders are 45* to flat terrain, you’re hitting upwards and the green slopes back to front.  Take the 4 and go to the next tee almost every time.

 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

2 minutes ago, russtopherb said:

Your first tee shot with a bunch of people standing around watching you.

Nothing worse than the gallery. I'd put this one on par with playing through a group as a solo and duffing the tee shot 

 

2 minutes ago, bens197 said:

I had this shot last week at my BIL club.  I actually had it twice because I couldn’t club my distances and rather than fire at the center of the green I went pin seeking to back right pins.

It’s a short sided chip when you’re green side and you’re standing at a steep angle.  

So imagine your shoulders are 45* to flat terrain, you’re hitting upwards and the green slopes back to front.  Take the 4 and go to the next tee almost every time.

 

Oh man, yes, this one is BRUTAL!

[russtopherb]

1 minute ago, Jnoble89 said:

I'd put this one on par with playing through a group as a solo and duffing the tee shot 

Been there, done that, bought the shirt AND a timeshare because I knew I'd be coming back repeatedly.

[Hacker60521]

Par 3 holes

I think par 3s can be challenging because their distance doesn’t leave you with a lot of room for error or options to make up a bad stroke. For example, if you miss the green from the tee, now you’re scrambling to save par. On a 4 or 5 you can try and save a bad stroke along the way.

My home course has a couple of 3s that are entirely over water, so you need to carry the water onto a green that’s about 15-20 yards deep. Miss long and you’re standing downhill on a steep decline towards a green that rolls towards the water. 

[fixyurdivot]

My vote goes to short side approach shots where your ideal landing area is significantly sloped and the flag is tucked on that side of the green.  There are a couple of holes at our courses that offer this challenge.  I try to play away from the challenge but, like a moth to a flame... .  Some months ago in men's league, I pulled off a flop shot that I'd be hard pressed to repeat with a bucket of 50 balls.  They are memorable when they work though.

[GolfSpy_BEN]

The next one…

The shot I like the least is a side hill lie where the ball is significantly lower than my feet, requiring an exaggerated lower posture and an open stance, in an effort not to slice the bajezzus out of it. 

 

[TSauer]

19 minutes ago, russtopherb said:

Your first tee shot with a bunch of people standing around watching you.

This. I usually get in my own head and tell myself what not to do and ultimately end up manifesting an awful shot

Gotta love breakfast balls!

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

1 minute ago, Ben Joest said:

The next one…

The shot I like the least is a side hill lie where the ball is significantly lower than my feet, requiring an exaggerated lower posture and an open stance, in an effort not to slice the bajezzus out of it. 

 

FYI. Handy tip I learned. Set club more upright and close the face at address and keep normal stance. Stopped me from slicing that shot a lot. 

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

For me it’s always been a par three tee shot over trouble (water or red stakes). I always get in my head. In reality I just need to slow down and focus on where I want to strike the ball on the face, not where I don’t want it to go. 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

9 minutes ago, Ben Joest said:

The next one…

The shot I like the least is a side hill lie where the ball is significantly lower than my feet, requiring an exaggerated lower posture and an open stance, in an effort not to slice the bajezzus out of it. 

 

This one AND the opposite, where it is above my feet and I hook it severely 

[GolfSpy_BEN]

12 minutes ago, Jnoble89 said:

This one AND the opposite, where it is above my feet and I hook it severely 

For reasons only known by the sweet baby Jesus, the ball above my feet never bothers me. But below my feet and I’m an angry little ball of dread. It might boil down to being on the heavy side most of my adult life and living in fear that gravity was going to bring me down ass over tea kettle mid swing…

[cnosil]

For me it is ball way above my feet; I struggle to make solid contact. 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

10 minutes ago, Ben Joest said:

For reasons only known by the sweet baby Jesus, the ball above my feet never bothers me. But below my feet and I’m an angry little ball of dread. It might boil down to being on the heavy side most of my adult life and living in fear that gravity was going to bring me down ass over tea kettle mid swing…

[TSauer]

I would also say a simple 4 footer on the 18th hole to either tie or win the match. The ones you don't really think about on any other hole, but when it's for the win it feels like 15' instead.

Oh, and dogleg rights as a lefty...

[scbelowpar]

For me, it's the shot right after a shank.  Because now I am questioning my swing fundamentals.  Did I move my hips to much or not enough?  Did I swing inside out or outside in?  Did I open the club face or close it?  What a mental game we play.

[Stuka44]

The tee shot when you're a twosome, and the foursome in front of you is a rare type that has actually been paying attention, and they are going to let you play through!  This hole inevitably results in you looking like you have NEVER swung a golf before, EVER!

[Brooky03]

A 4-8ft putt to win a round.

[JerryB]

Some pretty good answers and I have to agree with most all of them.  For me at the moment its those little slider putts.  I never seem to read them correctly.  It's either wuss out and only hit it about halfway, or misread and wind up with a longer putt afterwards.

[Micah T]

3 -5 ft putts: I put way to much pressure on myself to make every single one even though I know that’s not realistic 

[Stereotype]

The putt on 18 to score your personal best, whether it's <70, 80, 90, or 100 for the first time.  The knees chattering and every putt mechanic you can think of is running through your brain to the rhythm of your heartbeat jumping out of your chest. Or was that just me... 

[Golf2Much]

I would say that a 40 yard lob wedge over a bunker to an elevated narrow green that slopes away from you to another trap in the back of the green.   It's a shot I face at least once a week on my home course, ninth hole depending on where they place the pins.   That's after I face a 146 yard par three that is a complete carry over mangroves, with a trap running the whole front of the green and a green that slopes back to a green wide trap in the back (again).   For most of the year, the mangroves grow high enough to pretty much hide the green completely from tee box.  Throw in hazards on the left and right just to make it even a little tougher.  Overall, for mere mortals, it's a hard green to hit and stop the ball.  

That all being said, it's sort of strange when faced with difficult shots like these and others mentioned above on a regular basis, somehow, they don't seem as difficult.   I play over 150 rounds on my home course every year.  It has the two holes mentioned above and very narrow fairways with OB, water and other hazards in most landing areas.  On the infrequent times I travel to the mainland and get a chance to play, courses seem to be wide open with much easier approach shots than I'm used to.  As a result, I feel more confident and that often translates to better scores.  I think the opposite is also true.  When I bring a guest and we roll up the par three over mangroves, the most common questions are "where's the green?", "is there any bailout area (no)?" and "is there a drop zone on the other side (yes)?".   As they are asking the questions, I can hear the fear in their voices!

[Aur0nX]

This one. 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

22 minutes ago, Aur0nX said:

This one. 

My heart rake spikes just looking at that!

[TG8]

Short chip Over bunker or water with the pin tucked. No green to work with. Impossible

[GolfSpy_KFT]

19 minutes ago, TG8 said:

Short chip Over bunker or water with the pin tucked. No green to work with. Impossible

A brutal one for sure!

[Hioharald]

I cant hit my woods for the life of me lol...

[Dweed]

It's the shot you've made a hundred times before but this time you missed.

[Josh Parker]

Mine would be playing through.  I always rush and it ends up being a terrible hole.