Golf shots - Which ones are there? An overview

Do you know the individual golf shots by name and do you know what characterizes each individual shot? This is actually part of golf 1×1 and should be well known. It is also very helpful when you watch the pros on TV and the presenter drops these terms. We provide an overview of the individual golf shots depending on the club, depending on the trajectory and also explain special types of shots.

Golf shots depending on the club

The most important distinction is made on the basis of the club and thus the distance to the target. It starts at every hole with the tee shot.

Discount

The tee shot puts the ball into play on every hole. On longer holes with par 4s and par 5s, you usually take the longest possible club, such as a driver, and try to place the ball on the fairway. If the fairway is very narrow, you often use a wood 3, for example, which is the longest shot in golf. For the short par 3 holes, you take the right club for the distance to the hole.

Approach

Approach usually refers to the second full stroke after the tee shot and describes the approach to the target (green). On par 4 holes, one iron is often enough. Ideally, this golf shot will land on the green. On a long par 5, this can also be a wood.

Pitch

The name pitch comes from the respective hitter, the pitcher. In today's sense, however, it usually refers to shots between 100 m and 20 m. The clubs used for this golf shot are called wedges: P or S. A pitch is characterized by the fact that it is no longer a full swing, but is based on the distance to the flag. It is often referred to as a 3/4 swing and you no longer use your full swing power. Accuracy is important here, because you want to place the ball as close to the hole as possible.

Chip

A chip is used around the green and is usually made with a wedge. The chip is characterized by the fact that it does not fly far, but rather rolls on the green over a longer distance to the hole. The swing movement is already very small here, you no longer need power, but rather feel. The difficulty here is usually the tall grass around the green, so you often can't make good contact with the ball. It looks easy, but many golfers find it very difficult.

Putt

Once you have reached the green with the golf ball, the putt comes into play. Everyone knows the situation from mini-golf: you have to hole the ball with as few strokes as possible. It also looks simple, but is often extremely challenging due to the difficult nature of the green.

Golf shots with explanation as video

We have found a very helpful video with an explanation of the individual golf shots. Not all of them are included, but the most important shots are explained quite well:

Special golf shots

In golf, there is a series of special golf shots that usually arise from certain situations.

Praise

The lob is made with the shortest wedge (usually the lob wedge) and is very similar to the bunker shot. You try to launch the ball as steeply and high as possible by opening the clubface. The flight is not long. When the ball lands on the green after a few meters, it should not roll far and stop. You need this type of shot if the flag on the green is set very short and the ball must not roll out. Or if the flag is behind a tree/wood. Or if the ball lies very badly in the deep rough next to the green and a normal chip is not possible.

Bunker blow

Bunkers are artificial obstacles and make it difficult to hit a good shot. For many, the sand is a big challenge because you can't make good contact with the ball. The ball tends to be swept out of the sand with an almost full shot. Technically, this shot is related to the lob and works in a similar way.

Punch

A punch is a full shot in which the ball does not fly very high, but has a very low trajectory. The technique for this is not quite trivial, it tends to be played from the right foot. You need the punch, for example, if you are in front of a tree and you have to hit under the branches. Or when it's very windy and you don't want the ball to blow away.

Stinger

A stinger is very similar to a punch, except that this shot is made from the tee. This shot was coined by the most famous golfer Tiger Woods, who perfected this shot. It is relatively safe and rolls very far down the fairway.

Golf shots depending on the ball trajectory

A golf shot can also be distinguished by its lateral trajectory. This refers to full shots such as tee shots or approaches. With shorter shots such as pitches or chips, you get almost no curve on the ball. Better players adapt their trajectory to the situation, which can bring enormous advantages. The normal golfer usually has a natural flight curve, which may be less or more pronounced. We are assuming a right-handed golfer here, with a left-handed golfer it is the opposite direction.

Draw

With a draw, the ball lands in the target, but it starts to the right of the target for the right-hander and then curves back to the target. This trajectory can be compared to free kicks in soccer, which are kicked from the inside. The draw is often the natural trajectory of a right-handed player.

Hook

With the hook, the trajectory is similar to the draw, only much stronger and the ball ends up to the left of the target. You need this trajectory, for example, when teeing off on a strong dogleg to the left.

Fade

The fade is the opposite of the draw. The ball starts to the left of the target and then curves back towards the target. As a right-hander, this is often a very safe trajectory that is used for difficult shots onto the green. In tennis, this trajectory can be compared to a slice.

Slice

The slice in golf is related to the fade, only the curve is much more pronounced and the ball ends up to the right of the target. This flight curve can often be seen in beginners or poor swings.

The best golf shots (Video)

Finally, we have found a great video with the best golf shots in history.