Get out of trouble shots

[Nasty Nate]

I've been finding myself in the rough lately and have been really struggling with getting out of trouble. I guess the problem is, when and how do you play it safe and when do you try to be a hero? Do you lay up and take a 4 or play aggressively and maybe save a 3?

What kind of shots do you use to get out of trouble? The other day I tried a big forehand roller over some trees but it didn't quite land how I wanted and I ended up behind trees on the other side of the fairway. Then my shot was to hyzer around the trees towards the basket, but I hit a tree on the right instead.

Yesterday I was under a thorny tree near the basket with no clear shot. I tried a small pitch out and I hit a tree that was right in front of me. It was a dumb mistake but I actually made my putt from there.

I just can't seem to get out of trouble :wall:

 

[flowinowen]

What are you doing off the box to get into that trouble?

Played a course with a corridor par 5 (579 ft). Nastiness left and right. I went Mcpro roc 3, Mcpro roc 3, layup putter for the easy 4. Previously, it went - crank on a driver to rough, scramble, scramble, scramble some more to save the 6.

 

[Nasty Nate]

Just throwing like shib. Not having good drives. I sometimes grip lock but I've been able to correct that for the most part. The course I played yesterday has a lot of huge, low hanging trees so it's almost impossible to get around them at some point. Many of the tees have a low, 10 foot window you have to hit right from the start. I'm about to go play a round so we'll see how I can manage.

 

[Brodysseus]

Have a conservative game plan so you can throw cocky.

 

[thirtydirtybirds]

I just saw my buddy land a great thinner out of the rough earlier. Nice and low, landed upside down and slid right up to the pin. Between that, forehand rollers, and the occasional turbo over really thick junk, he usually finds his way back into a good spot. Just gotta get creative sometimes

 

[ILUVSMGS18]

Well my first advice is to not land in the rough in first place. If the rough is unavoidable no matter what you do, go out and practice shots from that rough until you find what works best. I personally bag a warped R-Pro Rhyno for its ability to magically hit whatever line I put it on. FYI there's a hole on my home course where I have to land in the rough for a 4 if I don't I always card 5+ on it. Sometimes the rough can actually lead you to better opportunities than the fairway can.

 

[lucasgg]

I use backhands, forehand rollers, overstable discs, understable discs, but for me the most helpful factor is simply thinking before acting and choosing the right disc. Also, low glide discs like a firebird or gator are good options as they don't go flying past a gap or basket. FH rollers are extra finicky for me because i often throw them too hard onto the ground and screw up the contact angle.

 

[Pymm]

I use overhands a lot. Pretty reliable for the most part with either Thief or Verdict, depending on the length. Actually threw my Comet on a thumber this weekend because I was only 60 feet or so away. Put it really high through a tight gap and dropped it close enough to make a par putt. I don't have rollers and have never thrown a scooby or anything like that.

 

[RomServo]

The courses here sometimes leave me in tight spots with no room for a full swing. So, a lot of the time i use lightweight US discs (138g Starlite RR) for standstill FH/BH shots. I also carry a heavy flick for meathooks and long low skipshots. Both for short rollers to pitch out if needed.

 

[Shamis]

My best get out of dodge utility shots are usually a kneeling forehand roller (to get out of bushes, or out of extremely low ceiling trees). And the tomahawk putter pancake to pitch over some tall bushes/trees to get somewhere near the basket, and possibly even make a run at the basket.

 

[ThrowBot]

Advice on getting out of trouble:

1.) Shoot for the first gap that you want your disc to hit. If the rough is so dense that you have to hit multiple gaps in order to get free, focusing on the 2nd or 3rd window on the line won't help if you miss the first one. Pick your disc/shot selection based on the line required to get you out of jail, and just focus on the first gap...the disc will do the work after that.

2.) Utilize body extension. (For a right handed thrower), put your left foot on the mark and see how far to the right you can reach and throw a FH, then see how far left you can reach to throw a backhand in the "Patent Pending" stance. For a player of average height, this range of motion should be over 10' from farthest left release point to farthest right. That range gives you a lot more options for what gaps you can aim for. Heck, if you're only a few feet into the rough, you can often lean out into the fairway and have a clean shot.

 

[The Shide]

Playing it safe or going for it will likely depend on the game situation. If you are in a tournament where you are ahead, play it safe. If you're behind, you might go for it, but it depends on the probability of the shot at hand. It's pretty much situational.

Now if you're talking about non-tourney, then screw it, always go for it. Just take a moment to assess the shots available, figure out which disc will give the best chance for success, then commit to the shot. You're not likely to succeed with a 1/2-ass shot.

Practice, practice, practice. And when you are tired of practicing, practice some more.

 

[Improbably]

As a rule I never never never throw overhands, rollers, or even take a knee. Refusing to lower myself to the aforementioned hack methods has sharpened my abilities with real golf shots. I do not sweat escapes.

 

[armiller]

Advice on getting out of trouble:

1.) Shoot for the first gap that you want your disc to hit. If the rough is so dense that you have to hit multiple gaps in order to get free, focusing on the 2nd or 3rd window on the line won't help if you miss the first one. Pick your disc/shot selection based on the line required to get you out of jail, and just focus on the first gap...the disc will do the work after that.

2.) Utilize body extension. (For a right handed thrower), put your left foot on the mark and see how far to the right you can reach and throw a FH, then see how far left you can reach to throw a backhand in the "Patent Pending" stance. For a player of average height, this range of motion should be over 10' from farthest left release point to farthest right. That range gives you a lot more options for what gaps you can aim for. Heck, if you're only a few feet into the rough, you can often lean out into the fairway and have a clean shot.

Both very good points: 1) make sure you hit the first gap, and 2) learn to get as far sideways as is practically possible.

I think getting out of trouble is tough but you need to practice to know what shots have a high percentage chance or working for you and which ones are not worth attempting. Lately, I've had plenty of opportunities to practice, since my drives are starting to go farther but also get me into some tough spots.

I'm no good at rollers, but I occasionally use forehand/thumber rollers for real short outs when I have no other option. More frequently, I use overhands (thumber or tomahawk) with various angles and flights. Forehand skip shots and high forehand flex shots are also very useful. For backhands, I've been utilizing my Comet when I'm in a tight spot. It still works quite well with low spin/torque, so I can use a really short reachback or not follow through as much as normal.

 

[armiller]

As a rule I never never never throw overhands, rollers, or even take a knee. Refusing to lower myself to the aforementioned hack methods has sharpened my abilities with real golf shots. I do not sweat escapes.

Sarcasm? Serious?

Some of my best forehand and backhand outs worked because my knee allowed me to make a "real golf shot." Overhands are simply the best option in some cases, and I wish I had a decent roller in several situations. Either you must not end up in trouble very much, or you must pick up extra strokes when you get there.

 

[Hampstead]

Sometimes I'll deliberately throw bad drives so that I can practice getting out of trouble. I'll try a variety of shots to see what works best and what tends to have a higher percentage of success.

 

[Nasty Nate]

:thmbup: Thanks, everyone. It's good to gain some perspective on tough shots like these. My last few rounds were crap and I was hitting almost every tree I could. Especially at Simsbury DGC the rough is very thick and unforgiving. I had to take a drop on one shot because there was literally no way I would have made it out in less than 3 shots.

I need to work on rollers a lot more and maybe even try some tomahawks even though I hate throwing overhand. It's tough to stay out of the rough on a few courses that I play. Why are there always huge thorns everywhere??

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

As a rule I never never never throw overhands, rollers, or even take a knee. Refusing to lower myself to the aforementioned hack methods has sharpened my abilities with real golf shots. I do not sweat escapes.

I learned the little forehand roller out of trouble from Ron Russell himself, watched him doing it for practice at Addison Oaks back in the '90s. Stratus/Stingray type Discs do it best. If "hack" methods are used by world champions, then call me a hack!

 

[mizunodave]

when and how do you play it safe and when do you try to be a hero? Do you lay up and take a 4 or play aggressively and maybe save a 3?

Ask yourself this: If I played this same situation 100 times going for it and 100 times playing safe and counted the scores for each, which would score better?

If I go for it, will I make enough pars to offset the double bogeys when I don't pull it off?

In my experience, if you're asking yourself this question the answer is usually to play it safe and get those strokes back elsewhere.

I went out the other day to our toughest course and only played the half dozen holes that give me the most trouble. I threw every shot I know on each hole multiple times trying to find the best way to minimize the chance of a big number. One of them I've decided to play for bogey from the tee.

A stroke is a stroke. Whether it is a birdie or a bogey that you didn't let become a double bogey, same value.

 

[lucasgg]

Ask yourself this: If I played this same situation 100 times going for it and 100 times playing safe and counted the scores for each, which would score better?

If I go for it, will I make enough pars to offset the double bogeys when I don't pull it off?

In my experience, if you're asking yourself this question the answer is usually to play it safe and get those strokes back elsewhere.

I went out the other day to our toughest course and only played the half dozen holes that give me the most trouble. I threw every shot I know on each hole multiple times trying to find the best way to minimize the chance of a big number. One of them I've decided to play for bogey from the tee.

A stroke is a stroke. Whether it is a birdie or a bogey that you didn't let become a double bogey, same value.

well said, well said