If you’ve recently enjoyed golf videos on YouTube, chances are you’ve seen videos of professional golfers, such as Tiger Woods, pulling off incredible, jaw-dropping shots at some pristine Florida practice facility.
No matter the different golf shots laid at their feet, these pros can pull off everything thrown their way. While that’s fun to watch, it also provides insight into how you can improve your game.
The most challenging shots are worth working on because every golf course will force you to get creative, and that’s why Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler can pull them off like we hit a lag putt.
In this article, we will outline all types of golf shots and give you reasons why you should work to improve them for the betterment of your golf game.
What are the 9 shots in golf?
There are nine types of golf shots that amateurs playing golf routinely hit on the course. Each requires a different golf club to pull off and take time to master with proficiency.
With each of these golf shots explained below, we’ll detail these types of golf shots and give you a few quick golf tips on how to practice them during your next visit to the practice range.
Tee Shot
The opening shot of a hole, a tee shot (or drive shot), sets the tone for how the hole will be played.
On most holes, the tee shot comes off a driver’s face via a full swing. But on shorter par 3s, golfers may play with an iron to increase accuracy and spin.
With the first shot of a hole, golfers can get creative by hitting a fade (left-to-right ball flight) or a draw (right-to-left ball flight for a right-handed golfer).
With a drive shot, golfers routinely hope for the maximum distance possible to make their second shot easier and shorter.
Approach Shot
Routinely a long-distance shot, approach shots are the entry shots into the green. A player hits their approach shot after their drive with the ball closer to the hole.
Typically, a player hits their second shot with an iron because it needs height and spin to land safely and softly on the putting surface.
If the ball is safely in the fairway, chances are the amateur will attempt to hit a straight shot into the green.
However, the golfer must get creative with their next golf shot if they are dealing with wind, water, or a cleverly placed sand trap near the hole.
Pitch Shot
Golfers can utilize a pitch shot from around 25-50 yards from the pin to get the ball closer to the hole. A pitch stays relatively low to the ground, comes out soft, and is intentionally hit with a slower swing speed.
Pitch shots are hit with a half golf swing and a lower lofted club to get backspin, which helps control the shot as it lands on the green.
A short shot in relation to approach shots, pitch shots are slightly longer and less delicate than a chip shot.
Chip Shot
Next to the green, a golfer will hit a chip shot that requires a great touch to get the ball next to the pin.
Typically played with a lower lofted club, chip shots don’t rise high into the air as they demand a more steady bounce to help the ball roll up toward the cup.
Similar to a putt, the golfer keeps their feet closer together to improve stability as the club has a very short backswing and follow-through.
The golfer’s hands stay ahead of the ball, close to the waist to maintain control.
Putt
Routinely the final shot of a hole, a putt uses the putter to roll the ball into the cup. The club strikes the ball with its longer blade to promote a forward roll that smoothly handles the putting surface.
Bunker Shot
Sand shots, also known as bunker shots, are played with a controlled swing that uses an open club face to move just under the ball to help it pop up and out of trouble.
A right-handed player will open their stance, taking the left foot out from the square position to create the proper swing path to get the face under the ball.
Sand traps can be thin and hard or deep and soft, so golfers must be ready to play different shots depending on the consistency of the material in the bunkers.
Flop Shot
When the ball is nestled deep in the rough around the green or the golfer is facing a tough shot over the sand trap that lies in between the ball and the cup, a golfer needs to hit a flop shot.
The shot carries a high ball flight that lands softly with back spin, so it stops quickly near the hole.
Flop shots are not easy to master because they involve a wide, open stance with a lob wedge laid open. The club face slides underneath the golf ball and pops it up into the air.
The ball typically lies toward the front of the open stance, and the hands stay even when impacting so as not to de-loft the wedge.
Punch Shot
A punch shot is a low shot that must either stay under a tree limb or low hanging brush or release from trouble such as deep rough.
The punch swing has a short, compact backswing with increasing velocity on the downswing that moves quickly through the ball.
Usually, with the ball back in the stance, the golfer hits down on the back of the ball and traps it against the ground, sending it out low and with plenty of top spin.
The punch shot is far less concerned with where it lands and more with getting the ball out of trouble.
Lay-up Shot
A golfer hits a lay-up shot when facing danger. Primarily, these shots come on longer par 5s when the golfer can’t reach the green or the putting surface is guarded by water or a large bunker.
A lay-up can also come when a golfer hits a wayward tee shot into deeper rough, can’t reach the green, and punches the ball out toward the green to set up a reachable third shot on a par 4.
While most amateurs consider a lay-up shot conservative, a professional golfer utilizes the shot to get the ball in a position where they can post the lowest score possible without jeopardizing their game with a bad shot.
What are the names of bad golf shots?
Topped Shot
When a golfer hits the very top of a golf ball with their golf club and it pops up and rolls a very short distance from their current position, they’ve hit a topped shot.
These golf shots are very embarrassing because they don’t travel very far even though the golfer has made a full swing on the golf ball. So it is advisable to know how to stop topping the ball.
Thin Shot
A thin shot comes when the golfer hits the ball with the bottom of the face, creating a line drive that feels “thin” off the face.
A thin shot moves the ball low with velocity, causing problems if the shots are a short distance from the hole. With a low ball flight, there’s plenty of forward roll once the ball hits the turf.
Pulled Shot
For a right-handed player, a pulled shot is when the face closes shut at impact, and the ball goes to the left. With a left-handed player, the opposite is true, as the shot goes hard to the right.
Typically, a pulled shot comes with irons or even a driver, but rarely with a pitching wedge or when facing other short-game shots.
Push Slice
Also known as a banana slice, a push slice goes from left to right with a low flight that remains uncontrolled.
The ball continues to spin away from the intended target with an unpredictable rollout for the amateur golfer.
Hook Shot
With a severe outside-in swing path, the golfer traps the ball with a closed face and pull the ball in a low line drive that hooks from right to left. For a left-handed player, the ball moves from left to right.
The pull hook is one of the uglier plays in golf as it contains too much draw and strays far away from the target line.
Must read: How to Stop Hooking the Ball
What are all golf shots called?
Basic Shots
Everything that golfers routinely hit on the golf course, such as a drive, approach shot, and putt are basic shot attempts.
These controlled shots make up the bulk of the swings a right-handed player will make during their day at the golf club.
Speciality Shots
Flop, lob, and chip shots, plus other different types of golf shots, require a unique method of attack known as specialty shots.
These different golf shots demand patience and precision as they typically must cover a short distance with enough spin to stop quickly in order to give the right-handed player a short putt to finish the hole successfully.
Recovery Shots
Swings from the sand and rough are known as recovery plays.
Since the golfers has accidentally hit the ball into trouble, they must use strategy and rely on their skill set to recover the ball from these unfortunate lies and course situations.