| To hit the ball, the club is swung at the motionless | | | | commonly referred to as a Banana-Slice or a |
| ball on the ground (or wherever it has come to | | | | Banana-Ball. |
| rest) from a side stance. Many golf shots make | | | | Pull : For a right-handed player the ball is 'pulled' |
| the ball travel through the air (carry) and roll out | | | | across the body and flies to the left of the |
| for some more distance (roll). | | | | intended target without curvature (the ball flies to |
| Every shot is a compromise between length and | | | | the right for left-handed players). A Pull-Hook |
| precision, as long shots are generally less precise | | | | indicates that the ball started out left of target |
| than short ones. Obviously, a longer shot may | | | | and curved even further to the left. A Pull-Slice |
| result in a better score if it helps reduce the total | | | | means the ball starts out left then curves back to |
| number of strokes for a given hole, but the | | | | the right. |
| benefit may be more than outweighed by | | | | Push : The opposite of a Pull, where the ball is |
| additional strokes or penalties if a ball is lost, out | | | | 'pushed' away from the body. The ball flies to the |
| of bounds, or comes to rest on difficult ground. | | | | right of the intended target for right-handed |
| Therefore, a skilled golfer must assess the quality | | | | players (to the left for left-handed players). A |
| of his or her shots in a particular situation in order | | | | Push-Slice indicates that the ball started out right |
| to judge whether the possible benefits of | | | | of target and curved even further to the right. A |
| aggressive play are worth the risks. | | | | Push-Hook means the ball starts out right then |
| Types of shots | | | | curves back to the left. |
| A tee shot is the first shot played from a teeing | | | | Shank : The ball is struck by the hosel or the |
| ground. It is often made with a driver (that is, a | | | | outer edge of the club rather than the clubface |
| 1-wood) off a tee for long holes, or with an iron | | | | and shoots sharply to the right for a right-handed |
| on shorter holes. Traditionally a tee shot will ideally | | | | player. |
| have a rather shallow flight and long roll of the ball, | | | | Thin or Blade or Skull : The ball is struck with the |
| while tee shots on short holes are flighted higher | | | | bottom edge of the club and not its face. This |
| and are expected to stop quickly. However | | | | may damage the surface of a golf ball with a soft |
| newer research is swaying the opinion of most | | | | cover material, and may result in a stinging |
| golf professionals to be the contrary of that | | | | sensation in one's hands on a cold day. |
| beleif. Recent improvments in golf equipment and | | | | Fat : A fat shot occurs when the club strikes the |
| ball technology has changed the optimum launch | | | | ground before the ball. A large divot is usually |
| conditions to a higher launch angle and lower spin | | | | produced along with a clubface covered in the |
| rate. | | | | divot. |
| A fairway shot is similar to a drive when done | | | | Top : The topside of the ball is struck with the |
| with a fairway wood. If accuracy and distance | | | | blade of the club. The result usually consists of |
| control are required, irons are usually played from | | | | the ball rolling forward on the ground with much |
| the fairway. Irons or wedges are often used | | | | topspin. |
| when playing from the rough. A tee may not be | | | | Sky Ball : The opposite of a Top. This occurs |
| used once the ball has been brought into play. | | | | most frequently when teeing the ball up too high, |
| Hence, playing from the fairway may be more | | | | though sometimes a Sky Ball will occur when the |
| difficult depending on how the ball lies. A clean | | | | ball is sitting on top of long blades of grass and |
| downward strike is required to "pinch" the ball | | | | the club has space to pass under the ball. The top |
| against the turf in order to get the ball airborne. | | | | side of the club strikes the bottom side of the ball |
| Mis-hits from the fairway include thin shots, also | | | | and forces the ball higher into the air than desired. |
| known as "skulls", and fat shots, also known as | | | | A true sky ball occurs when the ball travels |
| "chunks". Thin shots are characterized by striking | | | | farther vertically than it does horizontally. |
| the middle of the ball, while fat shots occur when | | | | Double-Hit : Hitting the ball twice in one swing. This |
| the club strikes the turf behind the ball. | | | | occurs most often in chipping or pitching, and is |
| A bunker shot is played when the ball is in a | | | | extremely rare in any other kind of shot. This is |
| bunker (sand trap). It resembles a pitch and is | | | | commonly referred to as a T.C. Chen, named for |
| played with a "sand wedge." The sand wedge is | | | | the Taiwanese golfer who lead the 1985 U.S. |
| designed with a wider base allowing the club to | | | | Open by 5 shots on Sunday, wherein he double-hit |
| skid in the sand. The bunker shot differs from | | | | a chip on the fifth hole and made an eight, costing |
| other golf shots in that the ball is not touched by | | | | him the championship. |
| the clubhead, but is lifted together with an amount | | | | Flyer : This type of shot usually occurs when |
| of sand. | | | | playing from deep rough. Grass blades come |
| Punch/Knockdown/Stinger: a low shot that carries | | | | between the club face and the ball, preventing the |
| through the air in order to clear a low hanging | | | | grooves of the club from imparting maximum |
| tree branch or sometimes high winds. | | | | backspin on the ball. This loss of lift from backspin |
| On the green, a putter is used to putt the ball. | | | | will typically cause a lower, longer shot than a |
| The ball rolls on the ground, never becoming | | | | cleanly contacted shot. The resulting flight of the |
| air-borne. | | | | ball is that the target is overshot by 10 or more |
| An approach shot is played into the green from | | | | yards and the ball does not stop as quickly on the |
| outside the green, usually over an intermediate or | | | | green. |
| short distance. Types of approach shots are: | | | | Hood : Somewhere during the swing the clubface |
| Pitch: an approach shot that flies the ball onto or | | | | becomes more perpendicular to the ground, or |
| near the green. Depending upon conditions (wind, | | | | angled more toward the golfer. The clubface may |
| firmness of fairway and green and/or contour of | | | | strike the ground first or get caught up in heavy |
| the green) a skilled player may hit a high, soft | | | | rough. This results in the ball flying lower to the |
| landing shot with little roll or a low running shot | | | | ground than intended and usually resulting in a Pull |
| attempting to keep the ball in the air as much as | | | | as well. |
| possible. Depending upon the way the ball is | | | | Worm burner, Groundhog Killer or Sally Gunnel : |
| struck, this shot may roll out, stop or even spin | | | | The ball is hit extremely low to the ground, or |
| backwards towards the player. Pitch shots are | | | | bounces rapidly across the ground, essentially |
| usually hit with any club from a six iron to a lob | | | | "burning up worms" or hitting groundhogs as it |
| wedge. | | | | speeds along. |
| flop: an even higher approach shot that stops | | | | Chili Dip : A common miscue while chipping where |
| shortly after it hits the ground. It is used when a | | | | the ball is flubbed only a few feet forward. |
| player must play over an obstacle to the green. It | | | | Sometimes referred to as a Chunk. |
| is usually played with a sand wedge or a lob | | | | Fried Egg: This situation occurs when the ball lands |
| wedge, with the face laid wide open. This shot | | | | in a sand bunker and does not move from its |
| has been glorified and mastered by golfer Phil | | | | landing spot. A small crater, or frying pan, encircles |
| Mickelson | | | | the "egg" (golf ball), and makes the next shot a |
| Chip: a low approach shot where the ball makes a | | | | difficult one. This is more commonly known as |
| shallow flight and then rolls out on the green. Chips | | | | "plugged". |
| are made with a less lofted club than the "pitch" | | | | Foot Wedge : An illegal act of literally kicking one's |
| shot or "lob" shot in order to produce the desired | | | | ball to a better location. The character Judge |
| flatter trajectory. | | | | Smails uses this technique In the movie |
| Poor shots | | | | Caddyshack. |
| There are several possible causes of poor shots, | | | | Whiff: Missing the ball completely after stepping up |
| such as poor alignment of the club, wrong | | | | to hit counts as a stroke. Usually results in a form |
| direction of swing, and off-center hits where the | | | | of embarrassment, followed by another shot. May |
| clubhead rotates around the ball at impact. Many | | | | be referred to as Practice Swing. |
| of these troubles are aggravated with the "longer" | | | | Iron Hooker: Holding the club too far forward |
| clubs and higher speed of swing. Furthermore, the | | | | causing a flicking action which results in a major |
| absolute effect of a deviation will increase with a | | | | hook. |
| longer shot compared with a short one. | | | | Gunnell: A Gunnell is a low shot where the club |
| Some of the more common poor shots are | | | | face makes contact with the top of the ball. |
| explained below: | | | | Shots that go 3 distance in this manner are |
| Hook : The ball flight curves sharply to the left for | | | | usually referred to as a 'Gunnell', or 'A runner, but |
| a right-handed player (to the right for left-handed | | | | not a looker'. The expression originated in England, |
| players). A severe hook is commonly called a | | | | and is a reference to former Olympic sprinter |
| Duck-Hook or a Snap hook. | | | | Sally Gunnell |
| Slice : The ball curves sharply to the right for a | | | | Lateral: also known as a shank, occurs when the |
| right-handed player (to the left for left-handed | | | | ball is hit off the hosel resulting in a shot that |
| players). For beginning golfers this is the typical | | | | travels more laterally than forward. |
| outcome of most shots. A severe slice is | | | | |