When did those WTF shots stop happening for you?
 

Currently shooting consistently mid 80's since I've started getting back into golf a few months ago. I have definitely progressed a lot in these past few months but every once in awhile ... I'm talking like 1 in 30 shots I get a WTF shot where I just sit there and think to myself where the hell did that come from? I'm not talking like a pull or a push, I'll furiously duck hook something, top it, shank it, chunk it, skull it, and just think, wow what a waste of a stroke. I literally mark the throw away shots on my card just to get an idea of how many shots are just thrown away to a WTF shot. If I can get rid of some of these I really may have a chance at 70's if I can get my putting in order.

I look at this guy (and I know hes a pro and comparing myself to a guy who makes a living playing this game is a poor comparison) but Mark Crossfield, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stAuT...feature=relmfu this guy can literally pick up any club, adjusted any which way, and make a beautiful sounding, and beautiful looking shot every single time.

So at what score level/handicap did these throw away shots get reduced to almost nothing for you?

I try to think of it the opposite way:

"When i get a good consistent swing and minimize those shots, what will my scoring potential look like"

I agree with this way of thinking completely, it absolutely makes sense. But, there has got to be a direct correlation to scoring and minimizing these types of shots. I understand an excellent putter could save a ton of strokes on the green but I can't imagine a guy who shanks 1/30 shots with great putting is going to shoot consistently in the low 70's range.

Especially considering a shank doesn't usually mean you give up just one stroke, it could be two before you are actually back in a position to finish the hole.

Even the pros have WTF shots and we see them on TV.

I dont think those WTF shots ever end. Even Ben Hogan said that he expected to hit 8 bad shots per round.

I had the exact same thought a while back. As I got more consistent I figured they would go away completely but one always sneeks up on me once in a while. That got me annoyed until I watch a pro in a PGA Tour event duck hook his driver 150 yards and into the trees on a dogleg par 4...then I felt better and decided it's just part of the game.

They don't ever stop for anyone. They will happen and you just have to deal with it when they do. I think they key is getting to the point of reducing them as much as possible and making them manageable. Instead of a WTF duck hook OB, it becomes a WTF pull hook into the trees and you don't have a penalty.

Biggest thing for me is to not get too upset and come up with a game plan to minimize the damage on the hole. i.e. if you blade a wedge over the green into a horrible spot, don't try and hit the miracle flop shot to save par, get the ball back on the green, save bogey and move on.

They have yet to stop for me. I can be swinging lights out for 17 holes and then a duck snort on 18. It happens man.

They haven't ended for me but they are getting fewer and far between each round. I normally get the wtf shots when I get up around the green and try to chip or pitch it up to the green.

I remember that...always makes me feel better about my own game

When they do stop happening for me....you'll be the first to know! http://www.thehackersparadise.com/fo...bulgy-eyes.png

As you get more consistent they become fewer and farther between. And when they do happen you get better at minimizing the damage.

I shot 67 yesterday and had one on a simple, 135 yard par 3. I hit a squirting, nasty PW 40 yards right of my target under a bush. I have no idea how it happened. I didn't hit anything else like it all day. Biggest thing was figuring out how to make no worse than bogey rather than trying something high-risk for par.

Shanked with my Galaxy S2 using Tapatalk

Happens to me all the time, I just hope that the miss leaves me with a swing.

When my round ends hehe


^^^^^^ I Tapped That.....On My iPad ^^^^^^

i think they always happen its just when you minimize them that you can start scoring better..... i know the more i practice and get to play the less they happen. but i try to play practice a lot. right now its about 4-5 times a week for me. even when i am practicing im doing so for a good 3 hours normally too. i think its really hard at least it was for me to get to a level where i was happy and to stay there i have to hit buckets a lot and keep my swing where im happy with it.

They never completely go away, the Peter Hanson vid above is a great example. He missed that shot so bad he did not even go into the creek and had an approach shot to the green. The last time I played with OG & KB (along with Lefty78) I totally chunked one on a par 3, had to hit a full SW to the green, embarassing but I did make the putt for par so it was not the disaster it could have been.

Those WTF shots still happen for me. I'm not sure they'll ever end. My current WTF shot is when my normal draw shot turns into a giant slice. Not sure where they come from, and I usually won't hit two slices in any given round, but it just shows up once in awhile.

~Rock

Haven't stopped for me yet.

WTF shots never end, but your definition of WTF definitely changes as your skill increases.

Not much to add that hasn't been said except that I agree with the major points. They never end. They may (and should) become less frequent but the key is how you deal with them.