For you better players... What's the toughest shot when under pressure in a tourney?

I'm lookin to get better at tourney golf. What are the toughest shots when you're under pressure/nerves in a tourney?

Do you practice those shots more to lessen the nerves?

You could mention the easiest shot if you want cause its the flip side of the same discussion...

Easy question: Left to right 4-6 foot putts. I can't stand them. Always miss them on the high side.

I'm far from elite but I know the shot I fear most is a 30 yard pitch. That's when Mr. Shankly sometimes comes to visit.

Easiest shot is 90 to 150 yards from the middle of the fairway.

I am not being a wise-guy, but I never think of any shot as being tough. I play them one shot at a time and avoid any thinking that might be remotely considered, negative. It’s a Rotella/Penick approach to the GAME.

I find that 25+ foot uphill putts to be a set-up for the dreaded 4-6 footer. Oddly I like putting downhill especially on fast greens. Takes all the worry of how hard to hit it out. Pick a line, nudge the ball and see what happens!

10-30 yard pitches off of tight lies

OB right with a left to right wind. I play a decent amount of fade with the driver and really struggle to trust my swing on these ones...usually end aiming way further left than I need to, and either hitting a straight pull or even worse wiping across it and watching the ball fade 50 yards into the trouble.

It's short sided pitches/chips from rough to firm fast greens and long bunker shots. Also long, tight par 3's over water with a decent crosswind.

Strokeplay the downhill, extremely fast sliders putts, especially for par.

Match play, approach shots when your opponent just hit an approach to tap-in range for birdie.

> @cardoustie said:

> 10-30 yard pitches off of tight lies

When it's wet!

Last drive, last hole. When your up 1 stroke

Mid range bunker shot like 30-50 yards...can't blast it, can't bash it...have to pick it nice and clean with a half swing. For me that's always been really tricky

Fluffy lies around the green. Wish everything was a tight lie.

A few that I have trouble with:

- a drive where there is OB or water really close on one side. I tend to be overly conservative and get into trouble on the other side. If there is trouble on both sides, then I'll be in it.

- 10 foot left to right putts - I always miss them low side

- a tight lie pitch from about 40 yards. I have a yippy thing with my chipping and pitching and this really makes it sing.

Long par 3 with trouble left.

If I ever get in contention at Augusta, I'll be the guy in that back right bunker on 16 after I block a 7 iron on Sunday.

For me it’s one thing. A hole that forces driver , and has a fairway that cants hard right with OB right. A faders nightmare. Stand up and hit a hook into the left rough is the usual outcome. Lol.

There will never be a shot for me that is a tough as a wet, into the grain, tight lie pitch shot to a short sided pin. Give me all the downhill sliders you want, I don't mind 'em. But that pitch shot, ooh. It's the one that makes the pros look foolish, and makes me look like a downright buffoon.

Depends on players weakness, Adam Scott would be a tough putt, Brian gay would a long par 4 into wind

The *above the hole, 2 feet off the green in thick grass with a down hill slope, greens around a 14 and won't hold for nothing* shot

When under pressure it can be tough to get the ball off the tee into a playable position. You start to think of all the places you arent supposed to go instead of the places you need to go. Repetition and remembering good shots will help.

Easiest shots for me are the perfect number wedge shots. Dont have to think much just take a full swing and hit it solid. 93, 110, 125.

Tee shots with trouble on both sides. And short sided shots around the green out of the rough.

Easiest would be anything between 120 and 140 approach. If I have any doubt I always try to get that yardage.

A 50-60 yard bunker shot. They are rare but when I can't really hit an explosion that's when it gets in my head.

For a longer shot, any demanding tee shot with no bail out, especially if OB is involved.

the 10-50 yard shot is a thing of nightmares...for even some pros. Under pressure, i do a low runner for those shots lol. 9/ 8 iron. sometimes even playing away from the hole. Get it on the green and take your medicine...nothing as demoralizing as laying sod out there with a SW/LW..worse yet this shot goes right..shhhhhaaaannnkkk . You gotta laugh. Of course for some this is no big deal.

For me it's a tight drive off the tee, I'm not a great driver of the ball at the best of times and do have a tendency to go right, a bit further right and then right again.

**So do you guys purposely recognize and practice those scary shots more to avoid makin a mess of 'em when you're in a dog fight?**

Most mentioned are: Mid range bunker and pitch shots, nasty slider puts, fairway finder drives etc...

as others have said, tight lie pitch from 15-50 yards, especially off a wet fairway. sends chills down my spine just typing it.

Yup, I agree with the general consensus.

30-60 yard pitch off a tight lie is the toughest for me under pressure.

No real room for error. A chunk is magnified, a skull can kill you.

I shanked a 53 yarder in the first playoff hole last year to lose a club championship. I was going for a 3 peat. Had not hit a shank in forever. A momentary lapse in concentration+adrenaline+nerves and I gift wrapped a trophy.

Im guessing there will be a number of different answers here. Kind of depends what you are good at and what you aren't.

For me its Driver and 3-5 footers. always been good with a wedge so i never have fear when its in my hand. Not like driver...and everyone should have a healthy fear of the 3-5 footer. you should make them all, but you certainly wont...

And yes i practice those specifically, and try to find a go-to move or feel that can be relyed on in adverse situations.

> @Mcgeeno said:

> Yup, I agree with the general consensus.

>

> 30-60 yard pitch off a tight lie is the toughest for me under pressure.

>

> No real room for error. A chunk is magnified, a skull can kill you.

>

> I shanked a 53 yarder in the first playoff hole last year to lose a club championship. I was going for a 3 peat. Had not hit a shank in forever. A momentary lapse in concentration+adrenaline+nerves and I gift wrapped a trophy.

>

>

happened to me as well over summer, I never shank but had a 50 yard pitch off this clean tight lie on first hole, I leaned on it and stabbed it, clubhead must of kicked out and shanked into greenside bunker, lol

Tournament golf to me isn't any different than 'normal' golf, I just play my game and it ends up being what it is that day.

To be transparent, I don't do tournaments anymore (except Charity events) because I cannot stand playing 18 holes in 5-6 hours, I just lose interest and any sense of rhythm, so if you can deal with that sloth pace of play, you're better than I am already.