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Shot strategy question. What do you do with this shot?

khaos288

khaos288

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So I've had this shot several times in the past month. The wind blows off the lake onto this hole and pushes everything south. I end up to the left of the cart path, and there's always a bad lie where the ball is just on a lip.


I've been trying to hit down on it with a sand wedge because it has to get over the hill, but I generally blade it over the green, or catch too much dirt and it doesn't make it. I think I'm going to start taking my 4 iron and just putting it at the green and letting it roll up. That has to be more consistent than trying to wedge it up there.


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I would stop hitting to the left of the cart path.
 
Either (a) don't short side yourself by aiming way right so the wind pushes it back left or if anything, you miss it right. (b) learn the flop shot
 
What kind of grass is typically between you and the green? Closely mown or long rough?
 
What's the yardage on the hole?

I thin the flop shot might be the way to go, if the distance between point 3 and the green is as short as it looks.
 
the flop shot is very difficult here. I love the flop shot and hit it often, but notice in the diagram the ball usually stops against the longer rough.

The grass in between is usually closely mown once you get past the cart path.


And yes, the best answer is to hit the green every time, preferably just put it in the hole :angel: thankfully I hit this green a good bit, but the miss is always the same, wind pushes it left enough to end up where it is. I'd rather not change my shot selection on the tee box that works 7/10 times to cure the 3/10 times.
 
Is hitting into the bank to kill speed and letting it pop up onto the green an option?
 
I'd be ok with just pitching it past the pin. Even if it rolls to the other side. I'd like my chances more of getting up and down from there than leaving it short and trying to get up and down from spot 3ish.
 
Then (a) take your medicine for hitting such a mediocre shot by getting it somewhere on the green for a chance at a putt for par & take a higher number out of the equation. Or (b) find the green's keeper and break his legs for putting the pin over there in the first place.
 
I'd like to know your numbers off the tee and the length of the hole. Where are you generally landing in proximity to the hole - how many yards away from green on shot 2?
 
The_Dude said:
Is hitting into the bank to kill speed and letting it pop up onto the green an option?
Click to expand...

I think that would be my approach. Bump an 8i into the bank and hope for the best.
 
The best thing I've found to do in a situation with a tight lie that requires a pitch shot is to take your lowest loft wegde (52 or 50 maybe) and use a very quick motion. Almost like a punch shot with your wedge. That will take out a lot of the variability in the shot you'll be surprised at how often you hit the shot crisply.
 
How steep is the slope between 3&4? If it's super steep I'm probably going to just try to pitch it on the green and hope for a good long putt, or bogie. If it's not too bad, I might try to bump it into the face, but a lot of that will depend on the lie as well.

Is the only difference between your 7/10 greens and 3/10 misses wind? If so, the best remedy here for me is hitting further right off the tee.
 
The_Dude said:
Is hitting into the bank to kill speed and letting it pop up onto the green an option?
Click to expand...

Yep, and this is my next move to try when I'm at the hole. This and putting my 4i and rolling it up.
 
Haso said:
I'd like to know your numbers off the tee and the length of the hole. Where are you generally landing in proximity to the hole - how many yards away from green on shot 2?
Click to expand...

On this hole with a left side pin, and a usual wind from right to left I aim dead center of the green and hit the green 7/10 times. the other 3 times the wind carries it too much and it catches the 3 hill and roles to the position in the diagram. The thing is the 7/10 times I'm putting for realistic birdies, and the other times I'm taking a bogie usually.
 
JonD said:
How steep is the slope between 3&4? If it's super steep I'm probably going to just try to pitch it on the green and hope for a good long putt, or bogie. If it's not too bad, I might try to bump it into the face, but a lot of that will depend on the lie as well.

Is the only difference between your 7/10 greens and 3/10 misses wind? If so, the best remedy here for me is hitting further right off the tee.
Click to expand...

it's pretty steep, i.e. if you hit the hill and don't make it up, you're rolling to the bottom. And the reason I play the shot off the tee I do is because most of those green hits leave me with good birdie opportunities. So far on the misses I usually end up over, and hope for a long par putt, or a bogie most likely.
 
Sort of tough to say, it sounds like from what you're saying that this is usually a rare occasion if 70% of the time you're making GIR. My advice to you if you know the wind is blowing off the lake that day and you'll have trouble, take something less than driver where you can take an iron with a high enough apex to end on the green.


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Haso said:
Sort of tough to say, it sounds like from what you're saying that this is usually a rare occasion if 70% of the time you're making GIR. My advice to you if you know the wind is blowing off the lake that day and you'll have trouble, take something less than driver where you can take an iron with a high enough apex to end on the green.


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Click to expand...

It's about a 140 yard par 3. Hitting and 8 or 9 depending on pin location. The times I get caught are when I fly too high and the gusts catch it.

Just curious as to what people would do in that scenario. I just don't think there is a shot that flies the hill and stays close. Most of the responses are some form of take your medicine.
 
Ah ok that helps a lot, couldn't discern from the pics how long it was. In that case It's tough to say best approach in that condition if it's getting blown down. If the wind is really blowing maybe take a light 7 and keep it under the breeze as much as possible.


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khaos288 said:
It's about a 140 yard par 3. Hitting and 8 or 9 depending on pin location. The times I get caught are when I fly too high and the gusts catch it.

Just curious as to what people would do in that scenario. I just don't think there is a shot that flies the hill and stays close. Most of the responses are some form of take your medicine.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't be trying to get it close. But it gives you a much better chance at keeping the damage to a bogey. Leave it short and you're left with a tough 3rd, which sounds like you know all too much about that one.

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Golf Ghost said:
I wouldn't be trying to get it close. But it gives you a much better chance at keeping the damage to a bogey. Leave it short and you're left with a tough 3rd, which sounds like you know all too much about that one.

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Click to expand...

Yeah I think I'll start aiming right hand side of the green, try and hit 10/10 GIR and see if my average score goes down. As of right now, it probably goes like this.

7/10 GIR
2 birdies
4 pars
1 bogie

3/10 misses

2 bogie
1 double bogie

So that comes out to +3? My optimistic outlook if I change would be

7/10 GIR
1 birdies
6 pars

3/10 misses turned makes

2 pars
1 bogie

That would put me at even with one good putt, and some decent two putts. Who knows, we'll see how it goes.
 
If it's real windy I'd probably opt to play a club or two more, choke down a little play it back a couple inches in my stance, and saw my finish off low to to flight the ball down. I'd also probably open the face a smidge to try and put a little fade spin on it to counteract the wind too. It's only 140 and doesn't look intimidating. If that's 8 iron for you try it with a flighted/choked 6 or 7. It's a pretty easy shot to pull off and should prevent the left miss that is killing you.
 
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