Water Hole; Dunk

[platgof]

The 16th hole is about 140 yards and for some reason everyone chokes there and in the water. I have a real problem being positive about getting on the green. Please help me figure a way to clear the water??? Toe and tops are the usual.

[2bGood]

On 5/11/2023 at 7:49 AM, platgof said:

The 16th hole is about 140 yards and for some reason everyone chokes there and in the water. I have a real problem being positive about getting on the green. Please help me figure a way to clear the water??? Toe and tops are the usual.

Take more club?

 

Lots of courses have such a hole. For me I focus on making a good strike rather than the result. Typically I club down for holes like this as I find I pumped up and swing a bit harder (so the opposite of take more club😁). 

 

Years ago I actually volunteered to hit shots at our club on par three just like this for a charity event. Spending the day hitting balls into the green helped create some really positive vibes about the hole. Maybe you could head out in the evening and hit some shots there...

Edited May 13, 2023 by 2bGood

[Abh159]

6 minutes ago, platgof said:

The 16th hole is about 140 yards and for some reason everyone chokes there and in the water. I have a real problem being positive about getting on the green. Please help me figure a way to clear the water??? Toe and tops are the usual.

 

Until you fix this nothing will change. 

 

Stop focusing on the water (or being scared of it) and just make a normal swing. I imagine you're standing over it thinking about all the stuff you should do to not hit it in the water instead of just hitting a normal shot like you would on any other hole. 

[jholz]

Yeah, I don't know if there's anything much to it. The course designer put that water there to mess with your mind.

 

140 yards is 140 yards - regardless of what might be between you and the target. I'm sure you can hit that shot in your sleep.

 

Just get up there and focus on hitting the ball. That's all you need to do.

[bladehunter]

Take one more club.  This way you have no urge to gun it.  And learn to focus on a target that’s above it all. Like a notch in the top of a tree behind the green. Or whatever   is back there.  Anything to keep you from thinking “ water “ while over the ball.  Then. Focus on a dimple and let it go.  

[Hawkeye77]

Nick Faldo: "I'm going to hit it there!"  Not thinking about all the places you don't want to go.  Totally agree, especially if it is downhill, focus on something above the green where the ball is going to fly as a target.

[getitdaily]

Stop worrying about the water. Give up control to gain control.

 

Target 

Pre shot

Go

[darkhelmet]

My suggestion is similar to what bladehunter said above.  There's a hole I play about 175 downhill with water front and left -- always had problems with it.  One time I focused on a huge tree behind the green, and just imagined that I was going to launch it into the upper branches of that tree.  Hit a nice solid shot, ended up about 12 feet from the hole.

 

Don't think you need extra club, just go with whatever club would put you in the middle of the green.  Pick a big, high target behind the green, and visualize the ball soaring into it.  Target could even be a cloud if there's no real backdrop.

[phizzy30]

I find that psyching yourself out by pretending the hazard isn't there and making an aggressive swing usually works out.  Being scared and taking a s*****/passive swipe at it always leads to disaster. 

Edited May 11, 2023 by phizzy30

[jordan2240]

Water, what water?

[betarhoalphadelta]

Generally this is the same mental issue every golfer faces with every water carry. Best bet is to be target-focused, not hazard-focused. This is hardest to do when a hazard is where your typical miss is (like me and anything left), but tops aren't a typical miss, they're a complete and total mishit. 

 

Also this is a perfect time to think about your distance target being the back 1/3 of the green, regardless of pin location. Take the stress out of the shot by knowing slightly missing the sweet spot will still put the ball on the opposite side of the water. A toe hit from 140 if you're clubbed for the back 1/3 of the green should still be just fine. If you strike it pure and you're 35 feet past a front pin? Oh well... Just try to two putt.

 

Even a three-putt bogey because you left a longer putt is better than dunking it, re-teeing and playing for double. 

 

[platgof]

19 hours ago, darkhelmet said:

My suggestion is similar to what bladehunter said above.  There's a hole I play about 175 downhill with water front and left -- always had problems with it.  One time I focused on a huge tree behind the green, and just imagined that I was going to launch it into the upper branches of that tree.  Hit a nice solid shot, ended up about 12 feet from the hole.

 

Don't think you need extra club, just go with whatever club would put you in the middle of the green.  Pick a big, high target behind the green, and visualize the ball soaring into it.  Target could even be a cloud if there's no real backdrop.

I will give this a shot (pun intended!)

[platgof]

A big thanks for your comments. I have been doing a lot better on water holes, and plenty of them in Sarasota Florida for sure.

[me05501]

23 hours ago, platgof said:

A big thanks for your comments. I have been doing a lot better on water holes, and plenty of them in Sarasota Florida for sure.

 

I love that area. Last time I was down I played Sara Bay CC and Longboat Key. 

 

I don't ride motorcycles but I've been told that they generally go where the rider is looking, especially during turns. A rider who is looking at the guardrail is much more likely to hit it than the rider with his eyes focused down the road. 

 

I think we're the same way on the course. We need to focus where we want the ball to go and try to ignore the areas we want to avoid.

 

Our subconscious can be either our biggest ally or worst enemy. 

[platgof]

Hmmm, like looking at trees?

[fronesis]

No clue if this is part of the OP’s problem, but playing with a lot of random mid and high handicappers I notice two really common mistakes on par-3s with water:

1. As mentioned by many here, they read the yardage off the card and pick the club that they hit that distance, when they hit it perfectly.

Unless you are a single digit handicapper, that’s mis-clubbing. Take the club that will get you near the back of the green if you hit it 95% as well as you can. Allow yourself the room to make less than a perfect shot and still clear the water. 

I learned this from playing a lot of tournament golf while being a really mediocre ball striker. If you want to score (and that’s what golf is about, shooting the lowest score possible) then you can’t assume you are going to hit every shot perfect, especially when less than perfect would mean penalty strokes.

 

2. They tee the ball way too high. I see this All the time – par 3s of less than 150 yards and the golfer tees it up like they are hitting 3 wood. Yes, pros can tee the ball up on a par 3 and then strike the ball first with a downward blow, taking a divot that extends WAy in front of the ball. But your average 15-handicapper does not know how to make that swing, and when their eyes see the ball that high on the tee, they naturally swing up on it. And you can’t swing up on a 9-iron and expect a good result. It never works. If you have 7 iron or less in your hand, tee the ball completely level.  

Edited June 25, 2023 by fronesis