What shot are you afraid to hit?

I fear any greenside bunker shot. I actually get anxious thinking about it!
 
I fear shots where the ball is substantially below my feet. I almost always hit a giant banana slice.
 
I honestly dread chips over a bunker.. They shouldn't be difficult, but I struggled with them when I first started playing and can't stand them ever since.
 
Downhill lie... HATE IT!!!!! Im guaranteed to hit a low bullet!
 
I fear when I have to hit a draw. I can't turn the ball left to right to save my life.

Only other shot that makes me second guess is then I have a greenside pitch over a bunker or long pitch over water.
 
I would like to have a fade in my arsenal, but every time I try it either goes dead straight or a big slice. My natural shot types are straight and a draw. Just so long as I can keep it from becoming a hook, I can be happy with what I have.
 
Par 3's with a mid iron or hybrid. Especially if there's trouble on the left side.
 
Down hill chip or pitch shots, especially if short sided or over a hazard, make me uncomfortable.
 
Ok, let me amend this a bit. I see everyone picking a specific shot that may arise a few times in the round. I am refering to what fear is holding back from playing better than you do. For example when you are on the tee, What shot are you afraid will show its head when you swing the driver. Its this shot that keeps you from swinging free, its this shot that makes you try to steer the ball off the tee. It may be these shots that are keeping your handicap higher than it should be.
 
Longer shots I have to keep low, such as under branches. Just can't do it.
 
Ok, let me amend this a bit. I see everyone picking a specific shot that may arise a few times in the round. I am refering to what fear is holding back from playing better than you do. For example when you are on the tee, What shot are you afraid will show its head when you swing the driver. Its this shot that keeps you from swinging free, its this shot that makes you try to steer the ball off the tee. It may be these shots that are keeping your handicap higher than it should be.
Mostly none...I'm getting better at accepting there will be some variance in my game and things aren't going to be perfect. But some days I can fight a particular miss - sometimes right, sometimes left. If either of those is in my repertoire that day it will get in my head and I'll fear it.
 
For example when you are on the tee, What shot are you afraid will show its head when you swing the driver. Its this shot that keeps you from swinging free, its this shot that makes you try to steer the ball off the tee. It may be these shots that are keeping your handicap higher than it should be.

Well, the honest answer to this would be, "It depends..."

Trouble right in the form of hazard or OB: I fear the banana slice.
Forced carry off the tee over tall grass or a waste area: I fear the worm burner
And so on...
 
Ok, let me amend this a bit. I see everyone picking a specific shot that may arise a few times in the round. I am refering to what fear is holding back from playing better than you do. For example when you are on the tee, What shot are you afraid will show its head when you swing the driver. Its this shot that keeps you from swinging free, its this shot that makes you try to steer the ball off the tee. It may be these shots that are keeping your handicap higher than it should be.

Pull hook, especially on holes where it's bit me before. Happened yesterday in fact.

What's funny is that the big push (comes less often) is the same way though. There's a hole that I hit the giant push off the planet with regularity and it's in my mind before I even get on the tee box.
 
Ok, let me amend this a bit. I see everyone picking a specific shot that may arise a few times in the round. I am refering to what fear is holding back from playing better than you do. For example when you are on the tee, What shot are you afraid will show its head when you swing the driver. Its this shot that keeps you from swinging free, its this shot that makes you try to steer the ball off the tee. It may be these shots that are keeping your handicap higher than it should be.

Oh, in that case nothing anymore. I am 100% focused on impact these days. I have put all other swing thoughts out of my mind except for where I imagine the club hitting the ball. On the tee it's making an upward strike at the back of the ball, just a little bit left of center. On the grass for a full shot, it's imagining making a square impact on the center of the ball - that has helped me immensely with hitting the ball first. On partial shots, I am still working out the visualization that feels the best but at the moment it is looking a couple of inches ahead of the ball on the line I want it to go to make sure I swing the club through the ball and to that spot - to try and negate deceleration.

I expect the shot to either be straight or a draw. The draw is more likely to happen with my UDIs, my XTDs have been pretty straight. I aim a little right of my target to compensate. If there is OB left, I will aim a little further right just to be safe.

It is still a work in progress, but my first round this season was an 87. My last 10 rounds on that same course last year were 93-97. Right now I am all about impact, it's what works for me.
 
Last edited:
My least favorite shot is a 20-30 chip or partial wedge off of hard ground. I tend to hit it fat and when i try to make sure i dont hit it fat i tend to blade the ball.
 
Ok, let me amend this a bit. I see everyone picking a specific shot that may arise a few times in the round. I am refering to what fear is holding back from playing better than you do. For example when you are on the tee, What shot are you afraid will show its head when you swing the driver. Its this shot that keeps you from swinging free, its this shot that makes you try to steer the ball off the tee. It may be these shots that are keeping your handicap higher than it should be.
The block or push off the tee. I tend to play a draw, and can account for that, but when I get quick and block it right when I'm already set up right, I get in trouble.
 
Short shots over a hazard. It can be as simple as a pitch over a trap or a short par 3 over water. I have no idea why they bother me so much either, but I absolutely tense up and it affects my game. I'm getting better about the short shots over bunkers with some practice, but there's nothing more terrifying in golf for me than standing over the ball on a par 3 over water.

Longer shots over water do not bother me at all. We have a 200 yard Par 3 over a pond on my home course and it does not bother me at all, but a 120 yard shot over water and I'm done. Just one of those odd mental things for me. Lack of confidence, I guess.

I have the same issue this year, can't get the 120-140 over hazard shot going, it has to be my brain taking over.
 
Afraid to hit - None.....Not a big fan of 30-70 yard shots
 
Any pitch shot between 35 and 65 yards unless it's from a bunker or I have a fluffy lie. If you find me facing that shot on the course I've made a terrible mistake. It's only happened once or twice this year in 19 rounds.

This is it for me more or less. I have been working a lot on fixing this. But in the meantime, I really should work on picking the right club to avoid this distance altogether.
 
My low ping pong style driver shot. Makes me sad...
 
3 wood off the deck scares me the worst and a close 2nd is burried bunker shots.
 
We've had LOT of rain lately. The shot that scares me is a pitch from 20-40 yards off of a tight, wet lie. Too much bounce and I risk blading it; too little and it is chunk city...
 
Afraid to hit...hmmm. Can't say I'm afraid to hit the shots I really struggle with. The one that I am truly afraid to hit is a full wedge shot. It can either be 10 foot or start the trend of the $#@nks. Happened before, it'll happen again.
 
Don't have one I'm afraid of, but one that intimidates or gets me thinking is a tee shot with a forced carry. For some reason it just gets in my head especially if the carry is at least 200yd.
 
Back
Top