what are the different golf shots?

Most shots in golf can be categorised into the following types of shot:

• Drive. This is a long distance shot usually taken from the tee, but can also be taken from the fairway if necessary.
• Approach. This usually refers to the second or any subsequent shot that has the intention of delivering the ball on the...
• Putt. This is a short distance shot intended to roll the ball...

Full Answer

What are the three types of shots in golf?

“There are three types of shots,” Claude says. “There’s a good shot, a good-enough shot, and a bad shot.” That framework for evaluating shots may sound simple, but it’s important, Billy says, because too often golfers think about their shots as either good-or-bad.

What is the easiest shot in golf?

Most often, players use a short iron or wedge for an easy shot. A layup is one of the simplest shots in golf. The pressure is off somewhat, and all you need to do is swing easily and get the ball into your preferred area of the fairway.

What is a flop shot in golf?

The flop or the lob is a short game shot players used to get up and over sand traps and water hazards around the greens. It is a great way to add backspin onto your ball,too, so if hit right, you can cut under your ball and stop it dead on the green.

How do you hit a tee shot in golf?

For a successful tee shot, position the ball on the inside of your front foot. This makes it easier for you to strike the ball after the low point in your swing, to send your tee shots high and long. 2. Lay Up A layup is a viable shot option if you cannot reach the green or wish to avoid a hazard.

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What are the 9 basic golf shots?

Looking to add another dimension to your shot shaping ability when on the course? This simple drill will have you ready for anything the course throws at you. Shots include a High Draw, Mid Draw, Trap Draw, High Straight, Normal, Punch, High Fade, Mid Fade, and Low Fade.

What are the names of the different golf shots?

Par-5 HoleDouble eagle: On a par-5, means you finished the hole in 2 strokes.Eagle: You finished the hole in 3 strokes.Birdie: You finished the hole in 4 strokes.Par: You finished the hole in 5 strokes.Bogey: You finished the hole in 6 strokes.Double bogey: You finished the hole in 7 strokes.More items...•

What is the most common shot in golf?

Naturally, putting is the clear leader in shots played, with 41% of the round taking place on the green. That's why this feature covers both long and short putts. But elsewhere, your most common shots are driver off the tee, longer approaches, wedge approaches and greenside chips.

What are the four shots in golf?

Butch Harmon: Four Shots You Need to KnowBUNKER PLAY: YOU'RE UNDER THE LIP. Here your standard bunker shot won't get the ball up fast enough to clear the bank in front of you. ... CHIPPING: THE PIN IS WAY BACK. ... PITCHING: THE BALL IS BURIED.PUTTING: YOU NEED TO MAKE IT.

What is 4 birdies in a row called?

1 = Strike. 2 = Double. 3 = Turkey or Gobbler. 4 = Hambone. 5 = Recently heard referred to as yatzee or five bagger.

What are the 7 golf scoring terms?

We've compiled a list of 100+ golf terms that are useful to know, but the golf scoring terms we'll cover in this guide are among the most essential when you're out on the course or watching televised golf.

What is 3 shots under par called?

Albatross. An albatross is—you guessed it—a term for three under par. Like the bird itself, achieving an albatross in golf is rare indeed.

What is a good golf shot?

95-100 Avg Score: 38% Hitting the fairway is a good shot, but in my opinion, a successful tee shot is really about the opportunity on your approach shot.

What golf shots should I practice?

A good way to practice is to hit 2 or 3 balls on the same hole or practice a tough tee shot with a couple of balls. This is a great way to learn to focus on the target. This on-course practice is also a great way for beginning golfers to see what club to hit from each distance.

What is the first shot in golf called?

The first stroke, usually a pitch, a bunker shot or a chip, gets the ball 'up' onto the green, and the subsequent putt gets the ball 'down' into the hole. A variation is called “up and in”.

What is a bad golf shot called?

Shank - A shot struck on the clubs hosel that travels dead right (for a right-handed player). The shank is typically considered the worst shot in golf – even worse than a “whiff”.

What is a left to right shot called in golf?

A fade moves from left to right. Professional golfers often talk about how they shape their shots, rather than speaking in general terms and saying something like hitting a “straight shot.” Golf swing speed and angle are also important, but here we'll break down these two shots.

What is a left to right shot called in golf?

A fade moves from left to right. Professional golfers often talk about how they shape their shots, rather than speaking in general terms and saying something like hitting a “straight shot.” Golf swing speed and angle are also important, but here we'll break down these two shots.

What is a short shot in golf called?

Chip A short shot (typically played from very close to and around the green), that is intended to travel through the air over a very short distance and roll the remainder of the way to the hole.

What is golf albatross?

Albatross: This term means three under par, but the "double eagle" synonym is simply a continuation of the aviary theme of good scores. The albatross is rare, as is a three under par.

What is the difference between a pitch and a chip in golf?

The chip shot is a one-lever move where more of the shoulders are used without a wrist hinge, whereas a pitch shot is a two-lever movement that includes the trunk and the wrist. Engaging the arms and the wrist allows you to generate more power because you are farther away from the hole.

What is the most challenging part of golf?

Perhaps the most challenging part of any amateur’s game is driving the ball. Getting the ball up in the air and down the middle of the fairway is a technical task that players need to get right to ensure they get their hole off to a good start.

What is a punch shot?

Like a stinger, a punch shot is usually used with a low iron or a wedge to literally punch the ball off the ground. The player will hit down onto the ball with a fast club speed and kill his follow through onto the ball, forcing the ball out from the ground to make it skip up into the air. The problem with punch shots is they don’t carry very far and have a lot of backspin, meaning they don’t roll far either.

What is a lob shot?

The flop or the lob is a short game shot players used to get up and over sand traps and water hazards around the greens. It is a great way to add backspin onto your ball, too, so if hit right, you can cut under your ball and stop it dead on the green. Phil Mickelson is the master of the flop shot, as you’ll see below.

What is a stinger shot?

Essentially it’s a low driving shot that you’d generally hit with a 4 iron or perhaps a driving iron. It’s called a stinger as if hit right, it’ll fizz low and hard through the air towards your target.

What is hook in golf?

A hook is the opposite of a slice and is another shot you don’t want to hit off the tee. It is an exaggerated draw that can again be useful if you’re trying to get around an obstacle or a hazard, but it’s one you need to avoid if you’re looking to score low.

What does it mean when a golfer draws?

Perhaps one of the most challenging shots to hit on the course, a draw reduces the amount of spin on the ball, meaning that once it lands, it will travel further than most other kinds of shots you can play.

Is Jordan Speith a good putter?

Despite a recent poor run of form, Jordan Speith is back in action, and his putting is better than ever. After winning the Open Championship back in 2017, Speith became renowned as one of the PGA Tour’s best putters.

What is a golf shot?

A golf shot is the name for the shot that a player makes when hitting a golf ball. This could be with any club over any distance. A 300 yard shot is called a golf shot and so is a 2 yard shot.

What are the different shots called in golf?

There are 9 basic types of shot in golf. These basic shots mostly depend on how far you are hitting the ball and the type of club you are using:

What is a chip shot in golf?

The chip shot (or just “chip”) is a bit like a pitch shot but even shorter. A chip is played when the golfer has just missed the green. The shot may be no longer than 10 yards in length.

What are approach shots?

An approach shots is any shot which is hit with the intention of getting the ball on the green. This is because the player is “approaching” the green.

What are the different types of golf shots?

There are several different types of approach shots such as chip shots, pitch shots and flop shots.

What is a full swing?

Full swings involve pulling the golf club all the way back so that it is parallel to the ground , swinging through the ball with near maximum effort and finishing with the golf club once again parallel to the ground or slightly pointing down toward the ground. Full swings are typically performed with drivers and irons while comparably abbreviated swings are used for chip shots, putts and other shots.

What is a drive in golf?

Drives are shots hit from the tee in the tee box. This is the initial shot a golfer hits on a golf hole. The majority of these initial tee shots are hit with a driver. However, some tee shots are hit with low-numbered irons.

What is a fade shot?

Fades are golf shots in which right-handed golfers hit the ball from the left to the right. Alternatively, a left-handed golfer executes a fade shot when hitting the ball from the right to left. If the fade is excessive, it qualifies as a slice as detailed above. Fade shots begin straight yet curve to one side as they move toward the hole. Fades result from a clubface that slightly points to the side or an outside-in style golf swing. Though fade shots are often a mistake made by beginning and intermediate level players, the golf experts use fade shots in a strategic manner. Fade shots help talented golfers avoid objects in the flight path of their golf ball, ultimately making it that much easier to hit the intended target landing area.

What is a three quarter shot?

Three-quarter shots are those in which the golfer restricts his backswing’s length to 75% of the swing amplitude. Three-quarter golf shots are used when golfers are close enough to the flagstick or other target, necessitating a swing with 75% power.

What is a pitch shot?

A pitch shot is best described as a type of approach shot performed with a golf club that has a comparably high loft. Pitch shots are hit high in the air in order for the golf ball to land softly on the surface of the green and hopefully roll toward the hole.

What is the purpose of a wedge in golf?

Clubs with particularly high lofts, such as wedges, are used to execute chip shots with the overarching goal of the golf ball bouncing onto the green and rolling toward or even into the hole. Another part of what distinguishes chip shots from other shots is chips require a comparably short motion.

The Slice

For right-handed golfers, a slice is a shot that curves from left to right. It is the opposite of a draw. A golfer who hits many slices may wish to adopt an open stance to reduce their tendency toward a slice.

The Push Draw

The push-draw are the types of golf shots in which the ball starts out to the right of the golfer and curves back to the left before it comes to rest. For right-handed players, it will begin well to their left and fade back towards their body. Lefties will see the ball start left and fade right.

A knockdown Shot

Shot selection is important when designing a golf course. Many golf courses have mounds and other natural obstructions to consider, such as trees and ravines. Players must decide what technique will provide the best result if they are to play an accurate shot.

A bump-and-run shot

Golfers generally use their woods off the tee since they are longer than irons. However, if a player wants to hit it further but still has control of where they want to hit it on the fairway, this shot is recommended.

Flop

A flop shot is the opposite of a punch and is designed to take the ball over objects. The ball takes a very high arched trajectory compared to the distance it travels forwards. Flop shots are also used when the player wants the ball to stop quickly upon hitting the ground.

Shank

The shank is the type of golf shot that happens when the player miss-hits the ball. The club strikes the ball too near the joint between the clubface and the shaft causing the ball to dramatically veer off to the right for a right-handed player or left for a left-handed player.

Chip Shot

A chip shot is a shot played with an abbreviated swing, usually made with a short iron, and executed from the ground near the green. It gets its name because it borrows aspects of chipping in the game of golf; namely, using the leading edge to lift and propel the ball towards its target.

What is the most well known shot in golf?

Along with the drive shot, the putt is one of the most well-known among golfers and people who don’t play golf. It is usually taken on the green and is meant to softly push the ball into the hole. Accuracy is key to making a great putt. Greens are usually slanted in many areas, so golfers must know the terrain. A putter should be the only club you use for this shot.

What is the drive shot in golf?

The drive. This shot is one of the most well-known in the game of golf. It is usually taken at the tee but can be done on the fairway if necessary. It is a long distance shot that is meant to make the ball travel as far as possible towards the green.

What is it called when you hit the ball too hard?

If you hit the ball to the left or right too hard, it is called a shank . A top shot happens when a golfer hits the ball on the horizontal center, resulting in a short roll across the ground. When a golfer hits the ground too much before the club hits the ball, it is called a fat shot.

Why do golfers use wedges?

It is also used to get out of a sand trap. Wedges are popular clubs to use for this shot because they create force with the ability to aim.

What is a draw shot?

These shots have other names and include a draw and a fade. A draw is an alteration that isn’t always desired. This happens when a right-handed player hits the ball on a leftward trajectory or when a left-handed player hits the ball to the right. If the ball curves too much to one side, that is called a hook.

Why do you use a punch and a flop in golf?

Both of these shots are taken to avoid objects like trees and canopies. The punch keeps the ball low to the ground, while the flop sends the ball over objects along a short trajectory. Utility clubs work for both of these shots.

What is it called when a ball curves too much?

If the ball curves too much to one side, that is called a hook. When a right-handed player sends the ball from left to right or a left-handed player shoots the ball from right to left, it is known as a fade. If there is too much fade, it is called a slice.