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