Overhead shot?

[LarryLong]

Had an eventful round on the weekend, with the highlight being a topped drive that sped into the base of a tree about 50m away, bounced up off the trunk and lodged in the branches, just above the height that I could reach with my hands. The bloke who found it for me said "I guess you could try hitting it", which I probably would have done if I wasn't having a good round at the time. As it was, I went back to the tee.

However, for argument's sake, would you ever have a go at this, and how would you play it? There was enough of the ball showing that I reckon I could have hit it rather than the tree if I made good contact. I'm thinking I would go with the driver because you couldn't use a lofted club or the loft would send the ball sideways, and the bigger face area would improve your chances of getting something on the ball (although the longer shaft would make it harder). I would have to do it with an action like casting a fishing rod - I just swung a club around over my head a few times and that's the only thing that worked for me.

Anybody ever tried it?

[TheTrueReview]

Bernard Langer did in 1981 but he got up into the tree.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2743/4473164923_e10a976515.jpg

[virge666]

Didn't Faldo do it at pebble ?

[markTHEblake]

I had a shot where the ball was waist high hanging in grass off a bunker lip yet I had a perfectly flat stance.

I had 80m to the green and hit close to a full 4 iron and got it quite close. Went bloody high though. The hardest part about that shot was not hitting it backwards.

[AndyP]

What about the toe of the putter, LL?

[WBennett]

I snapped a 5 iron trying to do something like that - ball was eye height, so I took a softball swing... Caught a decent size branch on the way through and snapped the shaft.

Then took an unplayable.

[Peppas]

So this might be a dumb question... so if its up in the branches, and you can get to it with an overhead swing, ala Slammin' Pete Sampras, you can have a whack at it, right?

[LarryLong]

Didn't Faldo do it at pebble ?

Google tells me he climbed a tree but didn't find the ball. Interestingly, he shook the tree to try and dislodge it too. A bloke at work today said he thought that I could shake the tree to dislodge the ball without penalty, but that didn't seem right to me. Ever heard of that one?


What about the toe of the putter, LL?

Possibly a better option - shorter shaft would be good, but smaller head might mean you're more likely to miss. Of course, if you're swinging upwards you would have to use the heel of the putter, wouldn't you? The toe of the putter is only for fooling yourself into hitting soft - I want to smash this one 180m, gun-barrell straight.


I snapped a 5 iron trying to do something like that - ball was eye height, so I took a softball swing... Caught a decent size branch on the way through and snapped the shaft.

Then took an unplayable.

Ouch. Hadn't considered that possibility. :)


So this might be a dumb question... so if its up in the branches, and you can get to it with an overhead swing, ala Slammin' Pete Sampras, you can have a whack at it, right?

Yep. I'm pretty sure if you can hit it, you can hit it. :)

[Johnny Canuck]

I had a ball stay up in reeds over a metre off the ground. The only shop option I had was to swing the club like an axe, from over my head, downwards, and hit the ball "backwards" from where I was facing. It came out perfect, rolled up a hill and stopped less than 3 feet from the pin. Best shot of my life.

I missed the putt.

[Minor_Threat]

I have hit plenty of overhand shots with the putter walking off the green!

[sms316]

So this might be a dumb question... so if its up in the branches, and you can get to it with an overhead swing, ala Slammin' Pete Sampras, you can have a whack at it, right? I'd like to see anyone try to swing like a tennis serve when the size of the racquet is so dramatically reduced. Take the unplayable. It's just not worth it.

[Dotty]

Google tells me he climbed a tree but didn't find the ball. Interestingly, he shook the tree to try and dislodge it too. A bloke at work today said he thought that I could shake the tree to dislodge the ball without penalty, but that didn't seem right to me. Ever heard of that one?
I'd say penalty and the ball would have to be replaced in the original spot, before proceeding. So you could incur two penalties, one for moving your ball and another, if you take an unplayable.

At a rules course, the facilitator suggested the safest procedure for a ball up a tree is to declare that you will take an unplayable before disturbing the tree. (Yes, you give up the chance to hit it out of the tree.) If the ball moves, then take the unplayable as planned (two club-lengths, line of sight or back to last hitting spot). If it is not found, then it is back to last hitting spot.

[Dude, Where's my Par?]

Years and years ago I was out on course with a mate. I had my 5 wood in hand and he threw a ball at/to me. Now, as an "adult" I can see one of several possibilities that could have happened, most of which end up with someone visiting the emergency ward. Instead the one possibility that I thought of at the time came off. I swung and connected with the ball sweet as sugur glazed cherry dipped in honey. The ball sailed safely metres over his head and flew what would have been over 200. I reckon I could try that a brazilion times and not do it again

[Hawkers2008]

There is a youtube video around of mickelson hitiing a shot backwards.