We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Do you practice recovery shots?

ohio_striker

ohio_striker

striped it
Joined
Mar 28, 2011
Messages
2,577
Reaction score
4
Location
Cleveland, Ohio
Handicap
7.3
Last weekend i think i had the best recovery shot i think of my life. i was behind a tree 150 out on the right side of the hole. The tree was blocking the green and i had to hit it low due to branches. My best case scenario was going to be a bunker on the left side of the green.

So i took my 5 iron (180) club opened my stance put the ball way back in my stance and swung Think lee Trevino. The ball started off low cleared the branches and started ballooning and fading. It ended up 5 ft from the pin.


I started thinking do people actually practice shots like this? the only reason i had a chance is i am right handed and have spent a fair amount of time in the right trees over my golfing life.

So my question is do you practice recovery shots? is there a particular shot that might save you strokes if you can execute it regularly?

this low punch fade has saved me more then once. The one i need to practice is a straight fairway bunker shot i can not for the life of me hit the green from one.
 
I do when I'm on a course by myself. If I end up somewhere that requires recovery, I'll usually hit several balls out to get a good feel. Other than that, no.
 
I wouldn't say I practice specific shots, but I do sometimes hit nutty shots on the range. I'll try to skip shots off the edge of the range tee or toss a bucket 10-15 yards out and try to punch shots and hit it. Or I'll try to hit a couple of huge hooks or slices. You never know when something like that will come up, and it breaks up practice sometimes to make it more fun.
 
Yeah every round when Im hitting out of the thick stuff ha ha. In all honesty, recovery shots come a lot easier to me than other shots because Ive hit so many of them.
 
I got s lot of practice with recovery shots when I was terrible at golf. Come in real handy in a pinch.
 
I don't practice them often but I'll try to hit some low punches with draw and fades to them on the range so I have a feeling on how to do it
 
I get plenty of practice on recovery shots on the course. If I try something and it doesn't work, I will toss a couple more down and try it again until I can get it figured out.
 
I'll hit 5-10 recovery shots out of a bucket. When I go to the range with a friend we will play horse and call our shots, usually something far from the norm.
 
I practice these on the course I play all the time. It is usually with an 8 iron it is just the club I feel really comfortable with in my hands.
 
ohio_striker said:
Last weekend i think i had the best recovery shot i think of my life. i was behind a tree 150 out on the right side of the hole. The tree was blocking the green and i had to hit it low due to branches. My best case scenario was going to be a bunker on the left side of the green.

So i took my 5 iron (180) club opened my stance put the ball way back in my stance and swung Think lee Trevino. The ball started off low cleared the branches and started ballooning and fading. It ended up 5 ft from the pin.
Click to expand...

Did the exact same thing during my round yesterday
 
I practice punches and low draws/fades regularly. Those shots come in handy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Not really. I'll practice hitting a low shot on the range and stuff, but the creativity stuff isn't really stuff you can really practice the same way. You just have to block out the mechanical thoughts and visualize what you want to do, then once you step into that shot you turn everything else off and just swing.
 
At the end of my range sessions I get my 5i out and hit punch shots with it, while trying to fade and draw it as well. I like having fun with that, and makes the range session more fun.
 
I practice recovery shots all the time, hitting over and under obstacles. I've always been able to get the ball up in a hurry and don't have any fear about having to over trees. Hitting out from under trees has been a different story. I can reliably punch out from under low hanging tree limbs with a long iron, but only to about 100 yds or so. If I have to swing any harder than that, or get any wrist cock, the ball is going up into the tree limbs. I've always been pretty amazed at pro's who can hit a shot 200 yds that never gets more than 10' high. I can only do that by accident.
 
Another question for you guys do you think practicing a type of shot can have a sizable effect on your scores. Say you hit a lot of drives to the right would a punch fade practice help your scoring?

if you think it would why dont you practice this certain type of shot?
 
My question is what is different about a recovery shot compared to your regular shot? Are you speaking of flighting it up and down or playing it left and right?
 
JB said:
My question is what is different about a recovery shot compared to your regular shot? Are you speaking of flighting it up and down or playing it left and right?
Click to expand...

i am talking about hitting it low under branches, big draws or fades due to being out of position.
 
ohio_striker said:
i am talking about hitting it low under branches, big draws or fades due to being out of position.
Click to expand...

I think flighting (altering ball flight high and low) is something htat most should work on all of the time during their practice. It makes the short game that much better
 
Some day I'll learn how to flight the ball differently with the same club. I have the old hook and slice shots down pat--and love pulling them off when the hero recovery shot calls for them. But hitting it higher or lower....? I'm lost.
 
I do when my regular shots are consistent. If not I just work on solid contact.
 
I get plenty of practice mid round...

But, yes, I'll go to the practice area and practice some shots from down in the rough, or on the collar.
 
I practice left handed shots. Flipping over 8 iron or using back of 5 iron. It can be handy under pine trees.
 
I've been practicing punch shots lately but that's it. I've tried almost every recovery shot at least once, but the punch shot is the most useful one.

Some look cool though. The left-handed shot, the kneeling shot a la Seve, the flop.
 
Yep every range session I do this. It's part of my practice routine. High cuts to low cuts high draws to low draws. Never the same shot twice in a row. I also practice huge hooks and huge fades. I do this with probably 20 or so balls. It's my favorite time of my range session.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top