Nightmare hole

[Lawrence22]

On the course that I am a member there is one hole that is frustrating me no end. It's the 15th and is stroke index 18, 280 yd Par4. Sounds easy. Problem for me is that if you hit it left off the tee at all and your out of bounds. 7 or even 9 of the tee is not unheard of for me here. Now I normally fade or slice my drive from the tee, so you think that this hole would present no problems. For some unknown reason though I hit left from this tee.It's obviously something going on in my head. Last week I resorted to taking a 7 iron from the tee to make sure I was in play.
Any tips on how to ignore out of bounds?

 

[borntorunsean]

Hit two 8 or 9 irons whatever your yardage is!

 

[AuburnWarrior]

I have a similar issue with the 15th at my place. It's a fairly simple hole but there are trees on both sides of the fairway with OOB down the left. The OOB is always in my thoughts but I make a concious effort to commit to the shot and I tend to get a fairly good drive away.

So, next time you're on the tee - give it 100% and make sure you get your hips through the ball.

HTH

 

[freddielong]

I would imagine you are getting worried about the hole and tryng to make sure you hit your cut which is causeing a pull or similar, I would play the hole totally different a few times, hit a long iron or a fairway wood of the tee, at 280 I am sure you could hit as little as 5 iron and 8 or 9 iron to the green.

 

[forefortheday]

Putter,putter,putter,putter?

I know what you mean though it's the 12th at ours, my bad shot these days is a hook as soon as I stand on the 12th tee a slice comes out

As for OOB do what a new member did in a comp last week, straight OOB and he started walking off the tee, we asked him if he wanted to hit another to which he replied "no thanks I'll just drop from there".

Cue quick explanation of OOB!

 

[chrisd]

So its an easy 5 iron off the tee, so long as your 5 iron distance doesn't put you in trouble, if it does, adjust accordingly. If you come off with a 5 you have done ok.

The way to ignore oob's, a lake, stream or bunkers is to concentrate only on what you want to do and not what you dont want to do. Dont ever go to the tee and say "dont hit it oob" always have a positive plan and don't let negatives invade it. Pick the place you want to hit to and say to yourself "I can and will play a good shot" or something similar that, so long as it is positive and achievable.

All the best Sunday


Chris

 

[jeardley]

It might be a dodgy tee box... you could unconsciously be aiming down the right (in line with the tee box) but setting up with the club face closed (club face facing target). This will result in a hook/draw into trouble.

There are a couple like this at our place you have to be careful about.

 

[Smiffy]

Pick the place you want to hit to and say to yourself "I can and will play a good shot" or something similar that, so long as it is positive and achievable..........

And then oink it out of bounds

 

[Lawrence22]

Thanks folks. I think I'll stick with a short Iron off the tee in the short term untill my game improves. Just felt like a bit of an eejit hitting 7 iron from tee on Par4.

 

[AuburnWarrior]

Thanks folks. I think I'll stick with a short Iron off the tee in the short term untill my game improves. Just felt like a bit of an eejit hitting 7 iron from tee on Par4.

I wouldn't worry about that! One of the cat1 players at my place takes an 8 iron off the first. It's a par 4 that's just over 300 yards but very tight. He hits 8 iron, 8 iron.

Doesn't matter what you hit off the tee - it's the number that you write in the card that matters.

 

[Smiffy]

Just felt like a bit of an eejit hitting 7 iron from tee on Par4.

Don't worry about it.
The scorecard doesn't paint a picture, and if you can walk off that hole with a 4, does it really matter???
If anybody queries it, just tell them that you are a massive hitter and at 280 yards you would fly the green with your driver. You like leaving yourself a full shot in rather than have to chip back.

 

[chrisd]

Pick the place you want to hit to and say to yourself "I can and will play a good shot" or something similar that, so long as it is positive and achievable..........

And then oink it out of bounds

I take it Smiffy that you won't attend the launch of my new golf psychology book!!


Chris

 

[USER1999]

Taking an iron off the tee is strategy. Mindlessly blasting a driver on every hole is not a strategy. In order to shoot your best score, you need a clear strategy for each hole. If the others are hitting driver here, it may be that they are the ones doing the wrong thing.

 

[19th]

My course starts with the most inviting fairway ever, with a slight dog leg round a small hill for your second, an eight/nine iron!

I hit the ball well down left, position A looking in at the flag- then shank to position X and shank to position Y and then Z.
Hit a normal chip, waiting for the shank, to the fairway in front of the green, chip on and two putt.One fat LADY!

Hole two - drive down centre, five iron onto green, two putt and off we go to enjoy what is left of a round, shanking never even enters my head after hole one but this is repeated most weeks!

WHY???

 

[Lawrence22]

Well I've just spent the afternoon at the course and range. Hitting my 4 iron very nice. Only about 160 yds, but there was a big head wind and very heavy weather, so I think I'll try this club at the 15th on Sunday.

 

[Kellfire]

The first hole at Ingleby Barwick is a blind drive over a hill and the fairway banks steeply right nearly all the way down, kicking the ball into the river.

If you aim left, you leave yourself a second shot where you may have to go over or around trees at a tiny green flanked by a hill to the left and the aforementioned river not too far away on the right.

Hateful start to a round.

 

[Region3]

As AW said above, you have to commit to it even if you're 'playing safe'.

A slicer hitting left when the trouble is there is not as uncommon as you'd think.

Subconsciously, you don't want to go left so you stop turning your body to the left. Your arms overtake your body and hands turn the club over. The result very often is left, possibly going further left.

This might not be you, but it's something to watch out for.

Even if you hit 7 iron off the tee, you have to commit to it and make your normal swing.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I agree. You have to commit and trust the swing. I also agree with the comment about not saying "don't go OB." as Rotella says over and over, the brain doesn't recognise don't and trys to do what you've said not to

 

[ScienceBoy]

It is the 15th at my course too...

Fairway looks uninviting from the tee as there is a tree on the left side above a bunker, followed by thick wood bushes. OOB all down the right along with a pond for anything short. The second shot is anything from a 6 iron to a wood depending on your drive.

If you have confidence you can find the suprisingly large open area that you cant see from the tee but most people just hook it into the trees or block it OOB.

It is the only hard driving hole on a long open course so it takes you by suprise. When I first joined the club in march it ruined almost every round.

Since I gained confidence, it is just a golf hole, I have won a club match on it with a 4, holed a chip and a long putt for par in medal play, got a 6 after going OOB with my second shot by sticking a 5 iron to 10 feet after a good drive and a few very good 5s to keep a round going.

I enjoy the hole now as I know I can stand on the tee and put the ball safe.

 

[Herbie]

No prizes for smacking a driver on every hole.
Look at it this way....Can you reach the green with a driver? If not the driver is not needed.

If you fade or slice that is another golf problem so never rely on it to be there when you need it.

If you are mentally concerned for this hole whenever you go to the tee this can sometimes increase tension which is often directed to your grip which in turn can lead to a pull or hook just by gripping too hard.

When you play it next and select a driver.. play easy and relaxed.

I think you should really think about leaving it in your bag on this hole though, after all it's just a couple of irons away from 6-9 depending on how well you hit them and unless you are an absolute demon with a wedge or chipping there is almost no advantage in using a driver unless you can reach the green accurately.