Blow Up Holes..

[ezra76]

Yeah, my go to shot is also a fade for sure. I happened to hit a dead straight drive on the #1 cap hole and followed it up with a slight draw 7i, downhill, actually behind the 200 marker. Nearly hit the stick and then missed the 7footer back downhill. So now I got "draw" on the brain and tried to hit some. I need to just stick with the fade. There are very few courses where I need to draw the ball on a hole. I have plenty of iron distance to play back with a 5 or 6i rather than try to draw it into PW range.

 

[emc]

Yeah, my go to shot is also a fade for sure. I happened to hit a dead straight drive on the #1 cap hole and followed it up with a slight draw 7i, downhill, actually behind the 200 marker. Nearly hit the stick and then missed the 7footer back downhill. So now I got "draw" on the brain and tried to hit some. I need to just stick with the fade. There are very few courses where I need to draw the ball on a hole. I have plenty of iron distance to play back with a 5 or 6i rather than try to draw it into PW range.

It's very important to have a stock shot that you can aim to one side, hit it and watch it come back. For me it's a draw. On the 18th hole there's death all the right so I just aim 30 yards left, hammer the ball hard and watch it come back. With that tactic I haven't missed right on that hole. It's perfect especially when you're in a pressure situation and you need a solid drive

 

[ezra76]

For sure. I do it all the time. I usually just try to hit the left edge of the rough and let it come back 10-15yds. On iron shots I get it a lot tighter. That's the reason, in fact, I'm swithing to the R510TP. I can hit that little fade shot like nothing, then set up ever so slightly closed to hit it dead straight. If I need to draw the ball I really have better luck with a 3W.

 

[emc]

For sure. I do it all the time. I usually just try to hit the left edge of the rough and let it come back 10-15yds. On iron shots I get it a lot tighter. That's the reason, in fact, I'm swithing to the R510TP. I can hit that little fade shot like nothing, then set up ever so slightly closed to hit it dead straight. If I need to draw the ball I really have better luck with a 3W.

That's how you'll play your best golf, when you have the reliable shot and stick to it. It's amazing how many players will be going well with a fade and want to draw the ball once they hit single figures and lose the consistency they had.

 

[gregfletch]

Exactly my thoughts. From his website it looks pretty good but I would rather see some of it for myself before I decide to buy it. I have checked amazon.com and some bookstores periodically but it is still not being sold outside of his website.

I also looked around and the only place to buy it is his site - but go ahead .... it is really good

fyi - here are some interesting points...

You have to PRACTICE recovery shots! All we ever do is practice hitting from perfect lies at the range, so therefore when we have severe sidehill lies or other kinds of trouble shots we are trying something we have not practiced! He lays out how to do this and I'm actually looking forward to working some of the drills he covers...

The mental side - as usual he takes a long time to cover the idea, but basically he forces you through a bunch of examples to look at a particular situation and realize how to figure out your best option - this is really good stuff and what I was able to take to the course right away...

This part of the book reminded me of another really great book I read once which described a round of golf being played by three different players (different skill levels) and the author ( I think it was Butch Harmon) described how each player approached his shot based on his ability and it showed the importance of good course management - which is the mental side of what recovering from blow up holes is all about

So, I like the Pelz book alot because it covers both the mental and the physical side of practicing recovery shots

Pelz even goes as far as to suggest you play a practice round(s) where you do not even attempt to keep score in a regular way - what you do is move through the eighteen holes by dropping your ball in a bunch of different trouble spots you can find and practice hitting those shots on the course - this puts you in the "been there done that" mental mode and I think would really help in a round when you find yourself in the junk... which of course you know will happen...

 

[DouginGA]

My pitching, chipping and putting saves me a lot of grief.

amen!! Last week pulled a drive into the trees on an easy par four. Hit a solid second shot that just barely didnt clear a branch and falls straight down. same on the third shot. finally punched the fourth shot onto the green. 20' putt and I still had bogey. gotta love the short game and putting.

 

[mont86]

I'll go with my most reliable clubs, 7 wood...7 iron. and 3/4 swings to settle my game down. My yardage goes down but I keep it in the FW.

 

[HighTopFade]

I'm a little different. When I sense a blow up hole in the making, I'll TRY to do some Phil Mickelson magic just for the experience. It usually doesn't work. But when it does, it feels so satisfying. The maximum score per hole I can post is 7, so ah hell why not.

I will have to agree with short game and putting. It's usually my bread and butter. I do have to play at least every weekend to get feel and consistency. The longer I go on without playing, I lose the touch.

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

I'm a little different. When I sense a blow up hole in the making, I'll TRY to do some Phil Mickelson magic just for the experience. It usually doesn't work. But when it does, it feels so satisfying. The maximum score per hole I can post is 7, so ah hell why not.

Which part do you copy, pulling driver after hitting it in the trashcan on the prior tee shot, or finishing up with a 3 putt from 3 feet? Sorry, couldn't pass that up.

BTW, I think you are setting yourself up on the last comment. Although you can only post a 7, you should actually be carding what you make. So if you are only carding a 7 because of the practice shots, IMO you are not really subjecting yourself to the true impact of a "Blow UP Hole", and it may likely not allow you to learn from the big mistakes. Where if you are carding say a 10, then it would seem you are giving up on the round anytime you have a bad hole, and not realizing the true impact of every stroke. Which is a dangerous practice that I have been guilty of in the past. Every round I could not get a desired score, I would treat as more of a practice round. It was probably a big thing that derailed my game for a couple years. As it reflected on all of the following holes as well, and eventually my handicap went up, and up and up, and my confidence began to dwindle in the process. I believe my handicap went up 9 strokes over the course of 3 years, it was not until began to realize this was a big part of the problem that I began to recover. I am now just back down to where I was 4 years ago. This is likely why I am most opposed to the ESC

This is not an attempt to open up the prior debate on why I do not like the ESC, but it a common practice I see and have mentioned before in why I do not fully care for the ESC. And under this topic it is certainly worth mentioning. IMO, it is hard to learn from mistakes if they do not fully reflect on your scorecard, handicap, or in your mind. Again, I am not questioning your practice, as you are in fact following the guidlines provided by the USGA, just drawing attention to the mental aspects of what you can gain by a Blow up hole, which does build character and course management if used properly.

I am not criticizing, but just be careful. That is a mental aspect of the game that you may not want to become to involved in, as it may take its toll.

 

[Fourputt]

I'm a little different. When I sense a blow up hole in the making, I'll TRY to do some Phil Mickelson magic just for the experience. It usually doesn't work. But when it does, it feels so satisfying. The maximum score per hole I can post is 7, so ah hell why not.

I will have to agree with short game and putting. It's usually my bread and butter. I do have to play at least every weekend to get feel and consistency. The longer I go on without playing, I lose the touch.

It can also get you into a questionable mindset if you ever play in a competition. In such rounds, it doesn't matter what you can turn in for handicap, the scores are adjusted AFTER the card is recorded for tournament score. All it takes is one blowup hole to take you out of the running in a closely contested tournament.

So be sure that you practice both ways. There's nothing wrong with practicing impossible recovery shots. Maybe you will learn why they are called "impossible" (if they even elude the talent of Phil Mickelson, then maybe you and I have no business even thinking about them). But also remember to practice good course management techniques, because that is a far better way to consistently score well in a competition, or even in a $2 Nassau with your buddies.

 

[LyleG]

It's amazing how many players will be going well with a fade and want to draw the ball once they hit single figures and lose the consistency they had.

Up yours

(this was a joke for anyone who didnt get it)

 

[HighTopFade]

This is likely why I am most opposed to the ESC

I am no fan of ESC either. Maybe my mindset would be different if it didn't exist. At the end of the day, I know my actual score, I tell my golf buddies my actual score, and I'll even tell you guys my actual score. When I log in to post my score, I post the ESC.

 

[TheOnlyGolfProHere]

I can only remember on Saturday, January 13, 2007 I was playing in a tournament. On the first hole, I hit the ball down the middle of the fairway. Next shot was pin high to the right of the green. Only thing I had to do was put it on the green, 2 putt for par. No, not that easy. Hit it thin and the ball flew the green. Next shot was short and 2 putted for double bogey. Sad.

However, my teammate did one better. On a short par 4, he tried to go over the trees to get closer to the green. This is a dogleg left. I hit first, straight, the ball rolled right to left down the hill and I was 110 yards from the green. The other 2 in our group make it over the dogleg and end up 40 yards from the green.

The last guy, tried to take the dogleg, hit a tree and ended up in a creek. He took a drop and tried to thread it between 5 or 6 trees. Needless to say he hit a tree and the ball landed behind another tree. He commenced to hitting it out, and into another set of trees. From there he hit another tree. Finally escaping hitting it short of the green. He hits it fat, the ball goes 5 feet. He hits it on the green, the ball is 20 feet from the hole. He quits and takes a 6. LOL. He was laying 9.

 

[TheOnlyGolfProHere]

The ESC is there to ensure there is no sandbagging. Hey if you play a course and shoot an 87 every time and you muck up one day and shoot a 95, then your handicap is still a 15+. Your ESC is designed so that when you play competition, you are not given too many extra strokes.

Even the pros can shoot an 80 sometimes, but they still have a + handicap. ESC is fair.