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Visual Shot Obstacles

Fourputt

Fourputt

Head Rules Official
Joined
Jun 30, 2009
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Location
Logan County, Colorado
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What object or condition in your field of vision causes you the most difficulty in making a good swing/shot? I know that for many high handicappers, water in just about any shape or location gives them fits. But most golfers eventually get over that hump. Just wondering if that is still your biggest problem or if, like me, there is something else visual that is a mental hindrance to making the swing you've planned.

For me, it's having a tree in play near the left edge of my needed shot. Because I've always had a natural fade, having an obstacle in or near the left side of the needed flight path naturally makes me a bit nervous. No matter how carefully I set up for the shot, something about having that tree tight on the left side brings out my worst over the top move. I either start the ball on the planned line and cut it way right of the target, or I close the face causing a dead pull straight into the tree I'm trying to avoid.

Every once in a while I'll actually hit the draw I want, but it's still a rare occurrence when I succeed.

So what gives you this kind of player's catatonia?
 
Water doesnt hinder me at all. My biggest obstacle is having a tree close and just to the right of my intended ball flight. My miss is a push, and I know if I dont hit it right, it'll be coming right back at me. Has happened a few times as well.
 
People! If I am hitting a shot and people are are in my line of site it's almost a guaranteed top for fear of hitting them.
 
The white O.B. stakes or the O.B. fence line. I'm not really afraid of it, but I know it is the most penial obstacle for scoring. Hitting 3 off the tee becuase of stroke and distance can make a hole add up quickly. If there is trouble left or right on a hole I would much rather see red stakes because I know I can still salvage the score if I go in.
 
Good topic!

I actually have the same issue as you, Fourputt. I play a slight fade with my hybrids and anything on my left messes with me. There are times I just do not know what to do at all.

At one course around here, there is a par 3 that has a shoot through trees up to the green. It widens out a bit towards the green, but there is a big hanging tree on the left. I actually parred the hole last time I played it, but it still gives me fits.
 
There is a hole at my home course where its a 90* dogleg, and if you hit a drive far enough you can go for the green in two bit you have to hit your ball through the smallest chute of trees ever, I will take a picture today to show you, but it just gets me so nervous because one side is OB and the other is on another hole, you have to hit the ball dead straight, but for me it is trees as well.
 
OK don't laugh. But when I hit a drive in the fairway, I'm sol. I don't know what it is but its either a topper, fat or a slice. If I'm in the rough I'm good to go. Not even a joke!
 
I think the teebox its self gives me the biggest problem. Two specific boxes I play off on one course and two on another point toward OB. For the longest time I would just aim further right, but still pull across at what must have been in my head. Now I have learned to pick one of the red markers on the ladies tee on each of these holes that is very close to the line I want and its working well. On one of the holes the fairway is very tight and my miss now is right along the trees, lots better than OB.
 
Things that i see on the course that gives me fits: ME! haha

Actually bunker shots that are into the wind drive me crazy. I have sensitive eyes and the littlest thing can make them puffy and infected. Bunker shots that I know I'm going to get a face full of sands are tough. I never follow through and finish the shot. I wouldn't say I quit before the shot is done, I run away at a full sprint before the shot is done. LOL
 
Having to keep a ball low to get through a low gap in the trees about 30 yards or so ahead of where I'm standing.

Even if I have absolute confidence in knowing I can hit the shot, I still can't help but let that little bit of doubt creep in about how the ball might move just a little this way or that way and it drives me crazy.

Sometimes I'll nail it and other times I'll just nail one of those trees and overall in that situation from that distance it's about 50/50 most of the time.


-JP
 
Fourputt, you have a nagging doubt about one type of shot? I thought we discussed this months ago in a thread about confidence. LOL.

I've got two. The first is tunnels. I don't like teeing off where tall trees run out even only a 100-150 yards or so from the tee. I seem to have trouble focusing on a target out through the trees.

The second is a really huge landing area off the tee. Sounds stupid, but when it looks like the whole world is out there for a landing area, I can hit it off the planet.

I like tee shot targets that are specific, or give me a driving angle. I like to carve the ball off the tee: over the corner of a bunker, around a tree, etc. That dead straight through the tunnel or that wide open airport size landing area often get me in trouble.

Kevin
 
My top "distractions":

A low sun (during the fall) has been know to mess me up.
When I am near a tree or other object, not near enough for it to have any chance of it interfering with my action, but still near enough to make me feel 'claustrophobic'.
Other golfers in my group or another group that I might (mis)hit: I ask them to move now, or I wait, whichever applies.
 
My biggest visual hindrance is when nothing is in my way.

Having a perfectly flat lie with a perfectly centered pin is bound for a mishit. I like to have some sort of pressure on my shot, and with any club higher than an 8 iron, i try and work the ball into where i need it to go. So Id rather have to work it into a pin than hit a straight ball. I hate straight shots, theyre wayyy too hard to hit.
 
people... either on the same hole or adjacent holes
i know most of the times i cant reach them but no matter how much i take dead aim in their general direction... the ball refuses to go anywhere near them
 
I have a tough time with people watching me swing if i dont usually play with them. Idk why? If i dont play with you then you get paired with me one day or your waiting for me to tee off I just put more pressure on myself, usually takes me a few holes until im comfortable playing with someone new.
 
I am similar. I hit it 953 yards right of the fairway when im nervous teeing off. everytime.
bridges said:
I have a tough time with people watching me swing if i dont usually play with them. Idk why? If i dont play with you then you get paired with me one day or your waiting for me to tee off I just put more pressure on myself, usually takes me a few holes until im comfortable playing with someone new.
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Mine is tight OB on the right hand side. My normal miss is a hard hook, but every so often I will fade one a bit, It has gotten to a point where I will play an iron on a hole with tight OB on the right. I need to practice more with it, but that could be costly in the ball dept.
 
when someone stands behind me on the tee box. used to golf with a "buddy" who would do this on purpose cause he knew I hated it. like I said used togolf with...
 
Nothing scares me on the course - everything I hit goes straight to where I aim it.

..anyway - best get back, nursie will be around with my happy pills soon... Wibble.
 
i guess the things that really get me to thinking are severe up hill lies and severe down hill lies. i have this uncanny ability to be able to hit a straight ball off of these types of lies, when i know the ball should work the direction of lie. if i play for the lie (big draws/big fades) the ball goes dead straight. if i aim at the green b/c it usually goes straight, then the slope works its magic and the ball moves. this is something that one of my regular golfing buddies has even noticed, we talk about it all the time. it's caused me to not want to have those shots.
 
What freaks me out is people on another hole on my right and they're walking towards my teebox.

My miss is a slice, so you can guess the pressure on hitting a straight shot...
:beat-up:
 
Blind shots to a hole or fairway wreak havoc with my mind all the time.....except for one of the holes I played on Sunday where it was a blind shot and I smoked a 5w straight down the middle of the fairway leaving me a short iron into the green...aside from that I'm usually creeping death on shots like that
 
thanks1974 said:
Blind shots to a hole or fairway wreak havoc with my mind all the time.....except for one of the holes I played on Sunday where it was a blind shot and I smoked a 5w straight down the middle of the fairway leaving me a short iron into the green...aside from that I'm usually creeping death on shots like that
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You would hate golfing here then buddy!
 
thanks1974 said:
Blind shots to a hole or fairway wreak havoc with my mind all the time.....except for one of the holes I played on Sunday where it was a blind shot and I smoked a 5w straight down the middle of the fairway leaving me a short iron into the green...aside from that I'm usually creeping death on shots like that
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One-T said:
You would hate golfing here then buddy!
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i'd have to agree! no trip to calloway country for thanks!
 
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