Different Types of Golf Shot - Do you know your lob from your flop?
Different Golf Shots and when and why to play them
Similar to other sports such as tennis, with a forehand and a backhand, golf has a variety of shots that players can hit out on the golf course. Generally there are different shots and setups for different situations.
Tiger Woods - Master of the ‘Stinger’ (and every other shot!)
The more types of shots a golfer can master, the lower they can shoot at the end of the day.
Golf has both a mental and physical aspect to it.
Once a player has the mental aspect down, such as how to strategise and not let bad scores disrupt a round, it comes down to being able to hit different shots.
In this article, find out about the different types of golf shots players can hit!
Golf Shots from Off the Tee or On the Fairway
The Fade Shot
The fade is a shot that goes from left to right for right-handed golfers, generally between 5-10 yards in width.
The easiest way to hit this type of shot is to have an outside-in swing path where the backswing is away from the body and the downswing is closer, towards the body.
This will help to generate sidespin that goes from left to right. A fade is used off the tee to gain more carry and end up on the right side of the fairway.
The Slice Shot
The slice is a more extreme version of the fade, where the ball goes from left to right for right-handed golfers, and is more than 10 yards in width.
This shot is generally used to get around obstacles such as trees, or to take advantage of holes that have a left to right dogleg layout.
A dogleg is an abrupt change in the layout of a hole.
Most holes are generally straight, but there are times when the fairway moves abruptly left or right, and as such it is called a dogleg to the left or right.
The Draw Shot
The draw shot is the opposite of a fade, where the ball goes from right to left for right-handed golfers, with a similar width, between 5-10 yards.
Hitting this shot also requires the opposite of the fade shot, where the swing path is inside-out to generate sidespin from right to left.
A draw is generally used on tee shots to get more roll once the ball hits the fairway. Hence, you’ll see most golf professionals hitting this type of shot to get maximum distance.
The Hook Shot
A hook shot is a more extreme version of a draw shot that goes right to left for right-handed golfers, at a width of more than 10 yards.
Similar to a slice, it is generally used to get around obstacles or take advantage of dogleg left holes out on the course.
The Chub Shot
The chub shot, also known as a fat shot, occurs when a player contacts the ground before the golf ball on their downswing.
This generally results in the ball going much shorter than it is supposed to distance-wise.
The most common cause for this shot is dipping the right shoulder, especially for right-handed golfers on the downswing.
The Topper Shot
The topper shot occurs when a player hits the top half of the golf ball on the downswing and not the bottom of it, hence the name.
The golf ball will generally not go more than a few feet off the ground, but it will gain considerable distance.
The most common cause for this shot is when a player takes their eyes off the ball and looks up towards the target before fully striking the golf ball.
The Punch Shot
The punch shot occurs when a player has a much lower trajectory on their ball flight than normal, generally resulting from playing the golf ball further back in the stance.
The punch shot is used to clear through obstacles, and it is also used in high wind conditions to maintain distance.
It can also be used on approach shots into greens, in order to gain more control over the spin of the ball.
The Stinger Shot
The stinger shot differs from a punch shot in that punch shots generally do not involve a full swing, whereas a stinger shot is meant to be hit with a full swing, with the ball placed further back in the stance.
The effects are similar, in that the golf ball is kept as low to the ground as possible on its flight to avoid obstacles or gain more distance in windy conditions.
The Shank Shot
The shank shot generally occurs when a player hits the golf ball near the hosel of the clubhead (nearest to the shaft) or off the toe of the club (furthest from the shaft).
The general result is that the shot will go immediately to the right for right-handed golfers, but there are times when it could go immediately left if the clubhead is close and the ball contacts with the hosel.
Either way, the ball will go in an extreme direction without much distance.
The Blind Shot
The blind shot refers to an occasion when players hit a shot and they cannot see where the ball will end up.
For instance, if a player is behind a tree and they decide to hit over it but they cannot see where the golf ball will end up, it is referred to as a blind shot.
There are also blind tee shots, where players cannot see where the ball will end up.
The Cut Shot
A cut is when you are looking to shape the ball from left to right but without an exaggerated curve on the ball like a fade.
It is as if you are trying to get the ball to leave the club face at a diagonal 30-degree angle. Perhaps you have a lot of trees on the left meaning you can’t hit the ball dead straight but yo want the flight of the ball to turn slightly when it gets to its maximum height.
The cut is often seen when you are playing to a green that is below your feet, circa 100-140 yards to the right. You do not want to use a fade for fear of running away through the right of the green but need to just ‘cut’ the angle and get it to drop onto the dancefloor.
Golf shots from near or around the Green
The Lob Shot
The lob shot is generally hit around the green with less than 75 yards to go.
The main purpose is to get the ball in the air so that it will stop relatively quickly, but this shot can also be utilised to get over obstacles such as bunkers near the green.
The Pitch Shot
The pitch shot generally occurs between 25-100 yards from the green, and simply refers to a normal shot that a player hits at this distance.
It does not require the player to hit the ball higher or lower in the air than usual, although some pitch shots can be a bit lower to gain more control over the spin of the golf ball.
The Flop Shot
The flop shot is similar to the lob shot, with two main differences.
The first difference is that the shot is normally hit with less than 25 yards into the green.
The second difference is that the ball can (and should) go much higher in the air than a normal lob shot.
The flop shot is generally used to get out of trouble, whether it is hitting a shot where there is not a lot of green or directly over an obstacle onto a downslope, for instance.
The main objective is to get the ball as high in the air as possible so the golf ball will stop immediately on the green.
The Bump and Run Shot
The bump and run is a popular chip shot used around the greens.
The main purpose of the shot is to get the ball on the green as quickly as possible so it can check up and roll to the desired distance.
The shot is generally played towards the back of the stance with a low trajectory.
The Explosion Shot
The explosion shot is used in bunkers when the ball has become embedded into the sand.
It requires a player to use a lot of force in order to get the ball out and often results in a lot of sand going up in the air, as if an explosion were occurring.
This shot can also be played in deep rough around the green, where the golf ball is embedded and players need to apply a lot of effort to get the ball out.
