What is your favourite “unconventional shot“, and where have you played it?

[Sean_A]

I shot I wouldn't hit on the practice ground leaves rather a lot of scope for the answer.  

One of my favourites was on the 12th at Mid-Pines.  I hit a weak pull deep into the trees left not all that far past the bunker.  My opening out was miles right of the narrow green which slopes front left to back right, with bunkers left and right.  Doug Braunsdorf asked me what my plan was.  I told him I was going to choke-hood a 5 iron, aim 25 yards right of the green and a hit a mother hook over the right greenside bunker.  I did exactly that and to this day it is one of the best shots I have ever hit.  Although, Doug, Brent and Mr Wilson were not terribly impressed - heavy sigh.  



Ciao

[Tim Gavrich]

Any time I have a reasonable chance to hit driver off the deck, I'll go for it.

More course specific, though, there was an alternate way of playing the downhill ~180 yard par 3 8th at Lexington (VA) G&CC that I'd sometimes undertake during practice while at W&L.  There was a stand of pine trees about 4o yards off the tee and to the right, such that it was difficult to play a medium-curvature right-to-left shot at the green.  But, there was a perfect opportunity to open up the face of my 5 wood and slash a high slice (I'm a lefty) that went to the right of the trees, rose up and headed hard left over them.  I managed to hit a couple balls to eight feet that way, which would cause my teammates to roll their eyes (they'd always make fun of me for hitting boutique-type shots...and then I'd beat them usually).

[Jud_T]

The rescue club chip from anywhere inside 30 yards on any firm and fast track (unconventional stateside anyway).  I may be a hack but I'm deadly with this shot.

[Garland Bayley]

Hit into the tree behind the bunker right of #17 at Pacific Dunes. Ball lies with room for at most 12 inches for a back swing. There is no way to accelerate the club and loft the ball over the bunker. The only option is too stoop low to get under the branches, and muster the best chip possible in that restricted space to go round the right edge of the bunker. Amazingly manage to pull it off just as I envision it, and the ball trundles down to tap in range. Isn't this a wonderful game.  

The worst thing about it was that my buddy was taking multiple strokes to get out of the fronting bunker, and didn't even see it. No matter though, I win the hole.

[George Freeman]

Putting from way off the green (up to 50-60 yards) - I was able to do this at the Bandon courses and absolutely loved it.

Using green slopes and green surround slopes to feed balls into difficult pin placements, especially if you miss a green (I'm not good enough to use them on longer approaches!) - you can do this on a number of holes at the Kingsley Club (and I'm sure many other courses).

[Bill_McBride]

When Adam was made, the mold was destroyed.  I like recovery shots along the ground, and when I was younger and much stronger I could make the ball turn L-to-R at pretty sharp angles.  Probably the most unconventional shot I've played was at Adam's prompting.  I think it was the 14th at Black Mesa and I had hit a long drive with a brisk wind that caught the greenside bunker on the downslope of the green comlex, short siding me from the pin.  I looked and looked to find a way to get the ball on the green from 30' out, and finally caught Adam making wild gestures at me that seemed to point up the slope nearly 150* away from the pin and into the rough.  There is absolutely no way that anyone could have seen a shot there, but the combination of firm ground, whispy rough, the slope, and the wind conspired to allow my sand shot to barely trickle onto the green and nearly hole-out.  It was a one in a thousand shot and Mr. Clayman acted as if nothing unusual happened.     

I saw that shot and can vouch for both Adam's creativity and Lou's skill!

During that round on the short uphill 7th, Adam called his shot, hitting a full wedge completely over the green, a blind shot.  When we got up there, Adam's ball had rolled back down the slope to tap-in range!

[Steve Wilson]

Oh Sean,

I'm so very disappointed.  I thought your people reading skills were sufficient to differentiate clinically depressed and disheartened from not terribly impressed.  I can't speak for Brent, but I was terribly impressed--terrible in its original not its colloquial meaning.  That was when the door of the match was hermetically sealed.


Still reeling from that years ago hiding,

Steve

[Matt Bosela]

As a right handed player, I always relish the opportunity to hit from the other side when it presents itself.

If I'm stymied against a tree or some hazard that doesn't allow my normal swing, I'll take a 6 or 7-iron, turn it over and play the shot left-handed.

I can usually surprise people with the shot, which is a huge part of the fun, as I can hit it close to 150 yards with a little cut if I hit it just right.  The reason is that I grew up playing hockey and baseball and did both left-handed but my father switched me over to the right side in golf because of better equipment selection.

I'd guess I get to play about 5-10 left-handed shots a year on the course and sometimes I'll hit a few on the range for fun too.

[Lou_Duran]

The putter from 150-200 yards.  I've hit it lots of places.  Some guys here saw it at Kingsley on the redan, #16.

I don't remember the hole, but it was on the back nine at Pajaro Valley in the King Putter, where Lynn Shackelford and I were having our way with an out-of-sort Gib Papazian and Shivas.  The latter had hit a huge drive on a par 4 a couple zip codes to the right- really, maybe two fairways right- and was seemingly out of hole.  As we approach the green, there is an unexpected ball on or near the green; we figured that Shivas was lying three or four, but two instead, somehow managing to hit something over two or three sets of trees, probably some 225+ yards out.  It was not a "favourite"- it kept them in the match for a little longer, but it was very unconventional, no matter how it was done.  Given the man's propensity for width, I suspect that he has many "favourites".

[Scott Sander]

Well, since ya asked...

This fall, I met another GCAer for a round at Eagle Creek (Pete Dye/Tim Liddy) in Indianapolis.  As is my fashion, I raced out there right from work - failing to rememeber that I had pulled my clubs out of the trunk one day prior.  

All I had was a fresh sleeve and an out-of-favor 5 iron, but fortunately, the terrain is severe and unkempt.  

96 strokes later, I can say with absolute confidence that I'm now somewhat proficient in all sorts of otherwise utterly useless shots:
-The 5i from a greenside bunker
-The 86 yard 5i to the pond-guarded front pin
-The 125 yard 5i from the downhill lie to an elevated green
-The hooded 5i off the tee of a wide-open 550 yarder.

That said, it was an absolute blast and it definitely re-acquainted me with a bunch of shots I used to love but of late had left untouched in the quiver, where they go dull and rust.

I was also reminded of something I've long believed but had forgotten:  if you can divorce yourself from the notion that "better" is always better, you can find all sorts of fun on a golf course.  Specifically, I smile MUCH wider watching a 100-yard 5-iron trundle, scurry and bounce to 15 feet from the flag than I do watching a wedge fly and stick to 14 feet.  One feels like success and the other like failure.
Makes absolutely no sense, but there you have it...

[Doug Wright]

Though I hate trees (or perhaps BECAUSE I hate trees) I always enjoy a well-executed recovery from the forest.

[Garland Bayley]

The Oregon Golf Association suspends handicap reporting for 3 months in the winter. One year I decided I would play with a limited set to practice the clubs I have the hardest time hitting. I carried a 3 wood (tough for the old man to get it in the air), a 5 iron (longest iron in the set I was using then), and a lob wedge (tough to hit cleanly). Hitting all approaches with a 5 iron simply amounts for the most part to partial swings just like you use when you are too close for a full swing with a wedge. However, one short par 3 with a creek fronting and OB behind created a conundrum. I played a wide open club face on the 5 iron aimed very wide with a half swing with a much higher success rate than I could have imagined ahead of time.

My buddies got tired of me begging for strokes with this partial set, but still winning money from them, so I have not returned to such practices.

[Lloyd_Cole]

I still enjoy the driver off the fairway. Into the wind on a links or heathland you can get a lot of value (run) from this shot. It's been a long, long time since I hit a draw with this shot, though...

[Tim Martin]

Anyone had success using the toe of the putter on a bunker shot buried in the face?  I have tried it a couple of times without success.

Jason-Although I have not used it out of the bunker I have used it just off the green as a substitute for a bellied wedge. When it works you look like a genius and when it doesn`t I guess you don`t.

[Dan Kelly]

My favorite (which I could practice, but don't): the knockdown driver. I use it a lot; it's the only shot that ALWAYS goes left to right.

As for my favorite which I've never played (and never will play): It's No. 8 on this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpQPXWmOcxg&feature=youtu.be

[Lou_Duran]

The shots that Marino and Stricker hit are incredible.  I can't stand still on firm ground with a flat lie.  All those guys are good.