Golf seems like a really easy game to pick up and play. But this isn’t the case once you become a little bit of know-how of it. You will come to know that golf just seems simple on the surface and there is a lot of nuisance when it comes to the professional level.
The most basic example we can of it is that there are so many different types of golf shots. There are tee shots, drives, and so many others. Today, we are going to take a look at all of these shots and learn more about them.
Table of Contents
14 Different Types Of Golf Shots
Tee Shot:
The first and common commonly known shot is of course the tee shot. A tee shot is always the first shot that you take on a golf game. Now when it comes to the club that is used for a tee shot, it changes upon preference. Most people simply use a driver to hit the tee shot. But there are a lot of players that use fairway woods as well. You get pretty much the same distance as a driver but with much better accuracy.
Now, if you are playing on the long course, then your tee shot should be a long one with a shallow flight and a long roll. This will ensure that you reach as near to the hole. If the hole is short, then the best play would be to have a higher flight so that the ball stops quickly and doesn’t go much farther.
Putt Shot:
These are the shots that are played with a putter. A putter is specially designed for these shots. You play this shot depending upon the placement of the ball on the green. There are a lot of times where the ball goes outside the green and you use a putter to play that shot off the course. A putter is one of the most common types of clubs used in a game of golf. It is mainly used on the green.
There are a lot of professionals who advise beginners to train with a putter more than anything another club. It is really useful if you train yourself to become better and hit put shots effectively. It is also the shot that you commonly use to pot the ball in the hole.
Approach Shot:
Approach shots are the ones in which your aim is to hit the green as close to the hole as possible. Mastering these shots is crucial. An approach shot is further divided into three categories:
- Flop Shot
- Pitch Shot
- Chip Shot
Flop Shot:
These are the shots in which there are obstacles present and there is a little bit of green. So, in this case, you need to play a flop shot. For this purpose, you need to make sure that the ball flies into the green by rolling. The club that is used for taking a flop shot is either a sand wedge or a lob wedge. You can use either of these to play a flop shot effectively.
Pitch Shot:
A pitch shot is very different from a flop shot as it doesn’t require that much rolling. You only play a pitch shot if you are inside 150 yards of the green. If there is more distance, then you should prefer using a flop shot. In a pitch shot, your main focus is getting a high trajectory. It is because as the ball travels higher in the air, it will stop immediately and won’t go that much further. This will allow you to reach the hole. You can use any wedge to play a pitch shot.
Chip Shot:
This is another shot that is known due to its short trajectory. The ball doesn’t need to be high in the air in a chip shot. It is a low approach shot so you need to hit the green by lifting the ball a little bit off the ground. With this type of shot, you will be able to take the ball towards the green and it will roll towards the hole. The most ideal clubs for a chip shot definitely have to be irons and wedges. You will choose the club depending upon the trajectory that you need.
Bunker Shot:
If you are thinking about what is the hardest shot in golf? A bunker shot is one of the hardest shots to play in golf. Nobody wants to experience this shot as it is really difficult to pull this one out. In a golf game, it is really common for the ball to land on a sand bunker. This isn’t an unusual sight and is very common. But the most challenging thing is to get the ball out of the sand bunker and onto the green.
For hitting a bunker shot effectively, you need to make sure that you are hitting the sand just below the ball so that it pushes the ball out of the sand and onto the green. Your only purpose is to hit the sand so that it pushes the ball out. But it is easier said than done. It is a really difficult shot and most people struggle to get it right.
Fairway Shot:
This shot is very similar to a tee shot. You play a fairway shot once the ball has landed on the fairway or the rough. You can also say that it is played after a tee shot. The difficulty of hitting a fairway shot lies in the placement of the ball. It will either be really easy or difficult. The club that you will use to play a fairway shot also depends upon what you need. If you are looking to get the best distance then you will use wood or a hybrid. For accuracy, using an iron is the best.
Recovery Shots:
There a lot of times when even on the first shot, the ball goes onto a very unfavorable place. Getting the ball from those places onto the greens is known as a recovery shot. This is because basically, you are recovering the ball from somewhere it isn’t supposed to go. Sometimes these shots can be really difficult and players need to be creative in their shots to get out of that tricky situation. The type of golf club that you will use to play a recovery shot will depend upon the surface that ball is on.
Hook Shot:
A hook shot is the one in which the ball curves to the left. This happens due to the following reasons:
- Using a closed clubface
- Low Grip of the Swing
- Quick Rotation of the Upper Body
A hook shot is not executed on purpose and is very problematic to control. You should be careful of the above-mentioned reasons if you want to stay away from a hook shot.
Straight/Pure Shot:
This is the shot in which the ball reaches the hole or near the target with perfection. This is a really hard shot to hit and there are a lot of things that need to be taken into consideration. This is the dream shot of every golfer but is not easy to pull off as there are factors like the wind in action.
Draw Shot:
A draw shot is the one in which the ball goes in a straight line at first but goes onto the left when it nears the target line. The cause for this type of shot is mainly due to the:
- Clubface
- Bad Swing
These shots are often played on purpose by professionals in order to avoid different hazards and to get a better putting angle. This shot is really difficult for beginners and amateurs to play a draw shot on purpose. It is because they hit most of their draw shots are due to mishitting.
Fade Shot:
A Fade shot is similar to a draw shot but the only difference is that the ball goes in the right direction from the target line. The cause of fade shot is due to:
- Clubface
- Outside-in Swing
These shots are also used by professionals if they want to get a better putter placement. It is really hard to master these types of shots.
Slice Shot:
A slice shot is most commonly executed by beginners on accident. In this shot, the ball goes directly to the right side of the target line. The causes can range from:
- Stiff Upper Body
- Using an Open Clubface
On the other hand, professionals use slice shots to get the ball out of tricky situations and near the hole. Mastering this shot can take a lot of time and practice.
Conclusion:
Golf is a really fun game but is really hard and tricky for beginners. Learning golf can take quite a while as there are a lot of different types of shots involved. All of the above-mentioned shots are the most common types of shots played in golf. For getting good at golf, it is really important for beginners to practice more and more. So, if you want to become a professional player, you need to learn all these shots in order to be successful in this sport.
