How to play this shot?

[TheGasman]

Ive had this same shot happen to me twice now in the last month at different courses. I dont have a picture, but ill try and get one.
The shot is about 30 yards in distance but maybe a 40 to 50 foot elevation change up to the pin. Now I would normally use my 60* but both times I was under a tree and both times I ended up with snowmen on the scorecard. I punched my 5 iron both times with hopes of a miracle bounce onto the green, but it didnt work. How would you guys play this?

 

[Dent]

So you were under a tree, and then the pin was at the back. How was the green sloped? I think you made the right play, There is not much you can do from there, a soft punch to the green and just let the green take the ball would be ideal. It's hard to end with a good score from there. Or else I'd just punch out infront of the green.

 

[TheGasman]

This is not the greatest picture, but I was down under the tree on the far left. You cant see the hill, but your pretty much looking straight up. Ill find a couple of more pictures.

 

[Dent]

This is not the greatest picture, but I was down under the tree on the far left. You cant see the hill, but your pretty much looking straight up. Ill find a couple of more pictures.

No picture showed up Gas, looking in your quote here I see what you did.

Try uploading the image to imageshack

 

[TheGasman]

No picture showed up Gas, looking in your quote here I see what you did.

Try uploading the image to imageshack

Ya thats weird, thats the second time thats happened today. My computer in my office wont let me do photobucket so I had to use THPs, ill try and fix it.

 

[Gummi Bear]

Depending on the lie (uphill / downhill, flat), I'd play a 9 iron chip shot, and hope for the best. 5 iron has too much roll for that much elevation change, you need something that will pretty closely follow the shape of the hill.

That's a goofy shot, and I've only been faced with a similar lie a few times, at my brother's home course on #18. I pulled it off once, and shanked it into the clear on another.

 

[klaymon]

Just based on description alone, I would have basically done what you did. I would have taken a mid-iron and hit a hard low shot and try to get it to carom up toward the green. I think the key may be to get a good hard stroke on it so it will hit and kick up instead of maybe just hitting and stopping.

 

[Badger_Golfer]

Id hit a 7-iron chip shot with the ball back and my stance and basically do a hack 'n run kinda shot with almost no follow through.
With the ball back in your stance, that will make it come out low and should keep it under the trees.

 

[TheGasman]

Id hit a 7-iron chip shot with the ball back and my stance and basically do a hack 'n run kinda shot with almost no follow through.
With the ball back in your stance, that will make it come out low and should keep it under the trees.

I dont know if that would work. Your looking at a 60 degree wall that goes up about 40 feet in front of you.

Is it just such a freak shot that you just punch it to safety and the hit up on the green?

 

[Badger_Golfer]

Its difficult to say without actually standing there and seeing it in person, but its a shot Id love to try to figure out.
I think a bump 'n run shot would work and would really be the only option you would have.

 

[askthejak]

If I am understanding you correctly, essentially the shot is a 30 yard uphill shot where you need to stay under a tree but get up a hill. Provided you have some green to work with, I would take a PW and hit a pitch shot. Play the ball back in your stance, and keep your follow-through below your waist. I have played that shot in similar circumstances, but of course each shot is different as far as how low you have to keep the shot or how high you have to get it.

Another similar shot I ran into once;

I had some trees in front of me, but was literally about four feet behind a tree stump. So you have to get it up, then keep it low. That is a nasty one.

 

[HardcoreLooper]

How low are the branches? Assuming they're pretty low, your first mission is to get the ball out from under the tree and back out into play.

From the looks of the picture, there's not much trouble around the green so you can be pretty aggressive. I'd hit a low punch hook with a 22-degree hybrid. I'm in the trees all the time, so I've gotten pretty good with that shot. The hybrid is a little more forgiving than a regular iron and the hook spin will make sure it runs out.

 

[provisional]

You say your 5 iron did not work. Assuming it was short, perhaps a less lofted club might give the ball the extra speed to roll up on the green. I had a simular type of shot that was about 50 yards. I took a 5w, and choked down on it, and just kind of made a 1/2-3/4 swing, with a low follow through Essentially even though there was no wind, I treated the shot the same as facing a head wind. In other words, a knock down shot. Since the shot was up hill, the actual 50 yards was more like 75 or 80 yards due to the elevation change. Next time you are at that hole, drop a ball under that same tree and try a less lofted club. :comp:

 

[birdsboro]

punch a wedge or sw....when you want a low ball that don't go very far...thats what i do...

 

[jefffann]

Id hit a 7-iron chip shot with the ball back and my stance and basically do a hack 'n run kinda shot with almost no follow through.
With the ball back in your stance, that will make it come out low and should keep it under the trees.

Punchin' a 7 iron would problely be my call or goin' for broke and trying something stupid like a hopeful lob shot over the tree.

 

[DDBowdoin]

This is not the greatest picture, but I was down under the tree on the far left. You cant see the hill, but your pretty much looking straight up. Ill find a couple of more pictures.

blade it on purpose and hope it sits pretty...

 

[AK jr.]

ya i would use a 9 or 8 iron and play something that carries a little ways but still rolls enough to get onto the green. i play this shot with my 58* but thats because i can control the trajectory of my lob and sand wedge very well, which is what seems to be the challenge for you on this particular shot

 

[TheGasman]

How low are the branches? Assuming they're pretty low, your first mission is to get the ball out from under the tree and back out into play.

They are low enough to take my wedges out of play. Chipping back on the fairway would be the smart thing to do, I guess that is why this hole has killed me both times I have played there.

You say your 5 iron did not work. Assuming it was short, perhaps a less lofted club might give the ball the extra speed to roll up on the green.

Both times I have tried to punch my 5 iron, and both times it hit halfway up and rolled back down to a pot bunker. I think I might try the hybrid next time, or just play it safe in the first place.

blade it on purpose and hope it sits pretty...

I think thats the only chance you have with it.

 

[herr_ryan]

If you're going to run it up the hill you have to put hook spin on it. If you have any cut spin at all it will hit and stop.

 

[bama]

I get on the hill and set an iron down to look at the relationship between the loft of the iron versus the hill...I will chose the club that is lofted about 1/3 higher than the hill...
Short punch...

Sort of like having a 45* uphill lie right next to the green... Where I would usually use a 54* SW on a flat slope, I would downgrade to probably an 8i or 7i to get the same effective loft as if I was hitting it from a flat lie...

 

[OFvar]

yall probably know this already, but.........

if you lay your iron face up(and close to your foot) and the butt end of the shaft facing target............then step on the face and the shaft will flip up to reveal an approximate trajectory

 

[Blue Arc]

If I am understanding you correctly, essentially the shot is a 30 yard uphill shot where you need to stay under a tree but get up a hill. Provided you have some green to work with, I would take a PW and hit a pitch shot. Play the ball back in your stance, and keep your follow-through below your waist. I have played that shot in similar circumstances, but of course each shot is different as far as how low you have to keep the shot or how high you have to get it.

Another similar shot I ran into once;

I had some trees in front of me, but was literally about four feet behind a tree stump. So you have to get it up, then keep it low. That is a nasty one.

I had to clear a bunker under a tree and took that same shot. It ran over the green just past the first cut. I was pretty happy with it. I figured even if I ran the ball out the PW would probably run the least. I was scared it would get in the trees if I used the SW.

 

[LarMoeCur]

Playing in Washington, I've hit this shot many times. Depending on how low I have to hit the ball IE...tree is in the way, I play it one of three ways. First, if the tree is not a factor I'll hit a normal wedge. Second, if trees maybe a factor (low branches), I'll hit a punch with an 8 iron. I've had pretty good look at getting the ball to stop on the green. Lastly the most difficult shot, I'll hit a 5 iron bump and run into the hill side hoping to have the hill stop the ball on the green. This shot is mostly luck and I hate having to hit it. My best hope is to have a good enough result to have a putt at par.

 

[GMDNP1]

how far was the shot? play the ball in the back of your stance strike through the ball hold the follow through at about 65-75%. I would use an 8 iron. *would love to play that course.

 

[bigdr-88]

I would have kicked it out from under the tree..