What upsets you more...

[Paladin]

Missing a shot you know how to hit or missing that 'every once in a while' shot? Or is it the same no matter what shot you hit.

Missing a shot I know how to hit, mostly because I make a point in my game not to hit "once in awhile" shots on the course. A sideways pitch back into the fairway and 50 yards closer to the hole is (or should always be) the play if the alternative is some kind of "low, hooky 6 iron."

 

[Dawg 1]

Deffinately missing the shot i know how to hit, for me that shot is from 120yards and in mainly b/c I practice these shots nearly everyday at home weather permitting, and have got pretty good at it

 

[wadesworld]

I'm actually going to take the second option.

I should not be hitting shots with which I'm uncomfortable. They almost always fail, and it makes me angry I allowed myself to do that. I know better and should not do it. On the extremely rare occasion I've accepted I have no choice but to hit an uncomfortable shot, I've hopefully already accepted it might not come off well and set myself up for the best possible outcome in that case.

Sure, it's not fun to hit a perfect drive and then shank a 9-iron when you had 120-in and a huge green. But, everyone hits bad shots, so it's easier for me to accept that I just made a bad swing and move on. It's more difficult when I made a bad decision and knew better.

 

[dciccoritti]

Missing the one I know how to hit. The once and while shot is upsetting sometimes because if I miss, I tell myself I should have played it safe. But, if I pull it off, it becomes one of my top ten shots of the year

 

[BIGBALL]

Definitely the first! Last week I played the Links at Gettysburg and I end in the rough just off the green in 2 on a par 5. I seldom have this opportunity. Decent amount of green, good lie, just a simple shot with the club I never miss with, my lob wedge - my short game is definitely the best part of my game - except here!. I proceed to somehow blade my pitch over the green and under a pine tree - now that's talent! My friend says 'I have never see you do that," and I say"well now you can say you have!" Turned a great chance for a bird into a crowd pleasing bogey. Awesome.

 

[Spring182]

Hitting a great drive or setting myself up for an easy approach shot and then hitting a terrible 2nd or next shot.

This exactly. When I smoke a drive and put it right where I want, then fly my approach over the green or miss fat, it drives me crazy!

 

[pattyboy21]

Definitely a poor chip, especially when I chip flawlessly during practice!

 

[Lynchburg14]

100% missing the shot I know how to hit

 

[ryebread]

Flubbing the shot that I know I can make is more frustrating. Other misses are just shots above my skill level.

Missing that 3-6 foot putt is the one that burns me up the most. I will routinely take the ball, put it back in the original spot and just knock it right in.

 

[subvet]

blowing a good drive with a lousy 2nd shot. Directional control with my irons, mostly. That (by far) is what's keeping my handicap from coming down.

 

[ryebread]

I'm actually going to take the second option.

I should not be hitting shots with which I'm uncomfortable. They almost always fail, and it makes me angry I allowed myself to do that. I know better and should not do it.

I initially answered the opposite, but I actually agree with this. Taking a shot that I know I can't make is a mental mistake. I am not that good, so physical mistakes are to be expected, but a mental mistake is inexcusable.

Good point!

 

[Mulligan9111]

Missing a shot you know how to hit or missing that 'every once in a while' shot? Or is it the same no matter what shot you hit.

Easily missing a shot I know how to hit. Frustrating that is usually comes at the worst possible time as well.

 

[KnightLightPro]

Missing the shot I know how to hit upsets me more.

For example: missing a green from the FW within 130 yards is just dumb. Especially when it's not a little miss but rather a big fat shot that I don't believe should happen.

^^^THIS^^^

 

[Paladin]

I'm actually going to take the second option.

I should not be hitting shots with which I'm uncomfortable. They almost always fail, and it makes me angry I allowed myself to do that. I know better and should not do it. On the extremely rare occasion I've accepted I have no choice but to hit an uncomfortable shot, I've hopefully already accepted it might not come off well and set myself up for the best possible outcome in that case.

Sure, it's not fun to hit a perfect drive and then shank a 9-iron when you had 120-in and a huge green. But, everyone hits bad shots, so it's easier for me to accept that I just made a bad swing and move on. It's more difficult when I made a bad decision and knew better.

I think my problem is that when I listen to the Good Idea Fairy and convince myself to hit a 170 yard cut shot around a tree that instead blocks straight into the tree, I can convince myself that the thought process was the dumb part, because I chose to hit a low percentage shot. There's a sort of, "Well, that was dumb, let's not do that again," and I can let it go.

But a straight away shot that I just hit really poorly can make me question something being wrong with my swing. And that is probably far worse for my game than a bad decision that causes a double bogey, which means that's going to make me far more upset.

 

[JMN57]

Not hitting the shot that I know how to. I'm much more focused on consistency/repeatability these days than hero shots.

That said, there's nothing quite like the feeling of pulling off a hero shot. If one happens to be out as a single, with no risk of slowing play, it's great to play the "safe" shot with one ball and give yourself a shot at the "hero" shot. The only way you develop a skill at those kind of recoveries is trying them once in a while.

 

[Tywithay]

The course I normally play is not well-kept, and the greens putt slow but they're harder than asphalt. I would say most frustrating for me is when I know I hit a good shot and it bounces 8ft in the air off the green and ends up in the rough. A shot that would stick at any other course in the area. The other most frustrating is definitely when you hit a good drive and mess up the approach, or a good approach and 3 putt.

 

[tpluff]

It has to be the shot that I know I have by somehow mess it up. Unfortunately it happens a lot, so I get frustrated a lot. This pretty much encompasses getting on the green in 1 anything inside of 125 yards.

 

[GenErr]

Missing a shot I "know" how to hit is frustrating. When I miss a shot that I haven't practiced, I don't get annoyed.

 

[Greg Kulbick]

Missing the run of the mill shot gets my goose. I get into more trouble when I try to get cute, so I can't get too mad about something I shouldn't have been doing anyway. Gotta go through a couple trees and then around another one? Yeah, I know how to make that happen. Nope, still the trees when I should have punched out to the fairway. Wasting a perfect drive with a lousy approach, or just a bad tee shot, or flubbing or skulling a chip or pitch. Something even someone of my mediocre skill level should be able to accomplish 99 times out of 100, leading to a big number is what upsets me. Missing a hero shot only makes me feel silly for a few seconds.

 

[huhhh]

What REALLY ticks me off is when I get into the woods...hit the sideways safe shot back into the fairway...then shank it back into the woods on the next shot.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

Missing a shot you know how to hit or missing that 'every once in a while' shot? Or is it the same no matter what shot you hit.

I'd say missing the one I know how to hit. My natural driver shot is a fade so I am able to play my normal shot and never worry about the left side, but we have one par 5 that is a must hit draw driver shot, and I can do it with ease 99% of the time, but now and then it is pull hook which can be trouble and that one amps me up.

Next would be like some others have said is hitting the perfect shot to set yourself up to an easy approach and missing the green completely. I hate that, but I've learned to shake them both off and just play to recover for par.

 

[MBurnham]

I think the most frustrating missed shot is a bad putt. It can be either short, long, or a horrible read. I had a 4 putt on Saturday after reaching the green on my 2nd shot on a par 4. That was definitely frustrating.

 

[Borss]

Missing a shot you know how to hit or missing that 'every once in a while' shot? Or is it the same no matter what shot you hit.

The first one, although I'll second guess my decision to attempt it when I miss the second one.

 

[Trout Bum]

No doubt it's missing the shot I know. I've noticed the last couple years this has been happening more and more, it seems like my nerves are getting worse and I get a little nervous. Being nervous is pretty new to me but I get disappointed when I hit a poor shot I've practiced a hundred times.

 

[WMac19]

Missing a shot you know how to hit or missing that 'every once in a while' shot? Or is it the same no matter what shot you hit.

Depends. I certainly wouldn't be as upset for not actually pulling off the once in a while shot but I may get just as upset for the decision to attempt it.