What should I have hit?

Live and learn

Live and learn

tmo1620 said:

Being as a 3 wood got ya only 65 yards from the green im guessing it wasn't reachable for you so as a few others had said i would of took that whole shot outta play, i would of probably played a 7 iron or something to about 100-120 yards out and hit a full 56* or 60* in from there, if i have no chance of making it in 2 i never try and get closer than 100 yards

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I am beginning to think that not many people are comfortable inside 100 yards. Not being a long hitter, full shots inside 100 yards are a necessity. As someone who hits driver, on average 210-215 (230 if I am lucky), unless the course is suitably short, GIR's are hard to come by. My PW is my 100 yard club, and while I am comfortable hitting it to the green, I am equally comfortable hitting my 60* - full-swing - at the 60-65 yard range.

Inside that range, and I am comfortable pitching or chipping. Most of my lessons have revolved around my short game, again out of necessity. The goal, for me, is to get as close to the green as I can and let the short game help me save par or two putt for bogey. Maybe that's still poor course management on my part, but it's how I've come to approach the game.

My problem, in this instance, was ... I believe ... not knowing how to play the Bermuda. I haven't been in this sort of rough before (we played an upscale course in the middle of a summer with plenty of rain) and didn't know how to play it. I'm comforted in the fact that my club selection wasn't at fault ... just my execution. I think I played it exactly how Freddie warned could cause problems ... it was sitting up, and I took a normal swing, causing me to make contact with the top of the club, popping it up. Stupid move on my part.

Obviously I need more practice. Hopefully I remember this lesson, and execute it better the next time I face it.

deuce said:

I played poorly this past weekend, but one shot in particular really got to me. It was a par 5, I had a decent drive which put me in the middle of the fairway. I followed it up with a 3W that placed me about 65 yards from the green, but I was in the rough. It was deep rough, Bermuda grass, and the ball was sitting up. That distance is typically my 60* wedge. I took a nice swing on it, but I wound up getting underneath the ball, popping it up and seeing it travel 30 yards and settling back into the rough. Flustered, I delofted the same club and wound up punching it over the green on my next shot. I went from a decent shot at birdie (or two putt for par) to a double bogey.

Given the thickness of the rough, and the lie of the ball ... how should I have properly approached that shot?

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It all depends on the clubs bounce. My 60 lob wedge would have gone straight under the ball too with the 8 bounce.

I would have used my 54 degree 12 bounce sand wedge.

Little less loft little more bounce.

Based on your description, I think I would have noticed the flyer lie and either went with an small 1/2 swing with my AW or choke down about a 1/2 inch on my 56* and hit a smooth swing. Bermuda rough is tricky to read if you can't tell what lie you have at a quick glance.

deuce said:

I am beginning to think that not many people are comfortable inside 100 yards. Not being a long hitter, full shots inside 100 yards are a necessity. As someone who hits driver, on average 210-215 (230 if I am lucky), unless the course is suitably short, GIR's are hard to come by. My PW is my 100 yard club, and while I am comfortable hitting it to the green, I am equally comfortable hitting my 60* - full-swing - at the 60-65 yard range.

Inside that range, and I am comfortable pitching or chipping. Most of my lessons have revolved around my short game, again out of necessity. The goal, for me, is to get as close to the green as I can and let the short game help me save par or two putt for bogey. Maybe that's still poor course management on my part, but it's how I've come to approach the game.

My problem, in this instance, was ... I believe ... not knowing how to play the Bermuda. I haven't been in this sort of rough before (we played an upscale course in the middle of a summer with plenty of rain) and didn't know how to play it. I'm comforted in the fact that my club selection wasn't at fault ... just my execution. I think I played it exactly how Freddie warned could cause problems ... it was sitting up, and I took a normal swing, causing me to make contact with the top of the club, popping it up. Stupid move on my part.

Obviously I need more practice. Hopefully I remember this lesson, and execute it better the next time I face it.

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I say don't change you gameplan - just the execution like you say. I work quite a bit on 35-100 yards and will almost always try to get as close as I can to the green as opposed to being 115 yards back so I can full swing. To me, once you know your distances with different clubs, it's a much easier play since the swing is shorter. You can control trajectory, spin, and distance much easier with less moving parts. You will have the opportunity to be much more accurate as well.

Best advice I can give is to really work on it and try to practice some different/bad lies every time you go out. Stomp balls in the rough, let some sit up, etc. Just pay attention to what the ball is doing afterwards and you'll eventually feel very confident in yourself.

Personally I love shots inside 100 yards, this is easily where i do my best work and if I'm ever getting any compliments on my games it's from the shorter range.

It's a tough shot when the ball is sitting up like that, I'd say either choke down on the sand wedge instead and hope or if it was an option play out sideways and still leave yourself your go to shot, you'd have been playing your 4th still but from a position you're confident from


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