Gaby Lopez - Water Left On A Par 3

Gaby Lopez takes us through her entire process for hitting a shot on a par 3 with the water left of the green. She first looks at wind direction, visualizes the shot, and executes.


Transcript

So we were at number 17.

How far you think it is?

I'm guessing it's 154.

159.

Not far off. Looked like an eight, maybe a little seven for me if the winds keep coming in.

[? Things ?] picking up? So 159. A little bit into the wind. We'll see--

I mean, that's the first thing we've got to establish. Don't we-- where is the wind, right?

If it's hurting, how much is hurting? And then what type of shot I want to hit.

Are you seeing a shot like a low shot in your head as soon as you get up here?

Yes. Yes, as soon as I get up here.

Because I am. I'm thinking driving it in there.

Yeah. Me too.

Not throwing it way out.

No. I don't want to be waving it all around. No. So--

159 almost 160 is got to be playing half club over there.

Yeah. For sure. I'm going to hit a--

Seven?

Yeah. And keep it low seven.

Is there anything that you-- Is there anything else here you try to manage? Like is there an ideal spot to be on this hole? Like are you thinking, I'd like to keep it right of the pin, or left of the pin, or short of the pin, or--

Yeah.

--on this one?

especially in this hole. I like to keep it maybe a short right just because that's actually the straightest and--

Straighter putt.

--uphill putt. But, yeah, pretty much of the TV tower up there.

So what will guarantee for you in your swing a little lower flight? Will you do something a little hold on?

Yes. So what I'll do is-- I like ball position. It's for me key. So instead of-- I'll have it just-- I like it up a little here.

One of the things I'll also do is that the quicker you swing-- the harder you swing, the more spin. So the higher you go so-- I like to keep it smooth and simple. I'm not going to rip it in two. I know it's going to be--

So you've got plenty of club and maybe a little less velocity?

Mm-hm. Exactly. So--

That'll keep it down with a little tiny ball back. Is that right?

Right. And I like to make sure I'm going to my left in my left side of my swing. I don't want to be this way, because if I know once I'm on the right side, my hands are going to be [? activated ?] and they're going to go left. So I like to just swing nice and smooth.

Smooth. Little three quarter. Plenty of club.

Well, you did say you wanted to just short right of the hole.

Yeah. You're right.

That's perfect. I mean, you didn't bring any--

Everything can not--

--You didn't bring any water into play. You didn't bring any bunker in the left. You've basically hit it exactly where you wanted to.