Golf Shot Names: Types of Golf Shots & When to Use Each

Understanding what’s being said during golf commentary will be just about as difficult as learning to play the game! When you hear announcers using words like punch shot, flop, or stinger, you might actually feel that you’ve landed on another planet. All of those words can make the game seem impossible to comprehend.

We will dissect essential golf shot names that you need to know. We will show you different types of golf shots by situation – i.e. the powerful driver off the tee, or the delicate flop near the pin, all so you can know your game in general and make a plan like a pro.

Table of Contents

Golf Shot Names Cheat Sheet

Below we’ve described the most used golf shot names that every golfer should be familiar with them for ease of use:

Shot Name	Shot Definition	Typical Club	When to Use
Drive	Full power swing to launch the ball the furthest distance.	Driver (1-wood)	Off the tee box on Par-4s and Par-5s.
Punch Shot	A short, low-trajectory shot hit beneath tree branches.	Low Iron (3/4/5)	Under trees, into heavy wind, or when you need more control.
Draw	Starts slightly right of the target and gently curves back left (for right-handed golfers).	Mid Iron (7/8/9)	To reach pins tucked behind obstacles.
Fade	Starts slightly left of the target and then curves gently back right.	Mid Iron (7/8/9)	To hit pins close to the right side of the green.
Approach Shot	A shot from the fairway intended to land on the green.	Mid/Short Iron (6-PW)	Anytime you’re aiming for the green.
Chip Shot	Low flight, high roll shot played close to the green.	Wedge (PW, 9-iron)	Just off the green when you need distance and accuracy.
Pitch Shot	High flight, low roll shot used for soft landings near the pin.	Wedge (SW, LW)	Inside 50 yards when you need the ball to stop quickly.
Bunker Shot	Exploding sand under the ball to lift it out of the trap.	Sand Wedge (SW)	To escape sand traps near the green.

If you’re feeling confused by all these technical golf shot names, just remember that it’s only a game! Take a moment and check out our Funny Golf Quotes to help lighten the stress a little.

Types of Golf Shots Every Golfer Should Know

Below we’ve briefly explained the different types of golf shots is what makes the game interesting, and being able to play them is your key to versatility on the golf course.

Full Swing Golf Shot Names

These shots are all about generating power and covering distance. Generally these shots are executed with a full swing from the tee or the middle of the fairway.

Drive

Definition: The biggest, fastest swing you can manage, aimed at maximum distance.
When to Use: You use the driver off the tee on basically all Par-4s and Par-5s.
How to Play: Tee the ball high and try to sweep through it instead of hitting down.

Fairway Shot

Definition: Any full swing taken from the fairway’s short grass with an iron or fairway wood.
When to use: When you have a full swing to the target, but you are no longer on the tee box.
How to play: Aim to get the ball first, then the ground, and get the “clean hit” you are seeking.

Approach Shot

Definition: This is the shot from has been played that must land on the green.
When to Use: When you’re in range of your short irons (approximately 150 yards or less) and are targeting the flag.
How to Play: You’re only focusing on the distance control, never on what is the hardest you can swing.

Draw / Fade

Definition: Curving the ball under control. A Draw curves right to left (for a right handed player) and a Fade curves left to right.
When to use: When you want to work around something in the way to the green, or you want to try and get close to the pin when it being tucked close to the edge of the green.
How to play: Change your foot alignment and the clubface sitting position relative to the swing path you want for the shot.

Hook / Slice

Definition: These are uncontrolled curves. A Hook turns sharply left, and a Slice turns sharply right (for right-handers). They’re usually swing mistakes.
When to Use: You never want to use these! They happen accidentally when your clubface or swing path is wrong.
How to Play: Fixing a slice usually means making sure your clubface is closed at impact.

Punch Shot (and Stinger)

Definition: An abbreviated super controlled swing that stays low. The Stinger is the famous super compressed low shot.
When to use: When you need to hit under tree branches, or wind is blowing hard.
How to play: Choke down on a low iron (3 iron), or don’t take a full backswing then throw it with a short follow through.

Lay-Up Shot

Definition: A safe short shot played intentionally to avoid a large hazard – such as water or to create the proper distance for the following shot.
When to use: On a hazardous Par-5 when going for the green in two shots is simply foolish.
How to play: Focus completely on accuracy and control, and pick a specific, safe spot in the fairway to land your shot.

If you want to get familiar with the technical golf shot names for those high scores, such as a Double Bogey or better, check out our master list on Golf Scoring Terms.

Short Game and Specialty Golf Shots

The short game is about feel and finesse, typically anything inside of 100 yards of the green, and these types of golf shots value height and spin, more than distance.

Chip Shot

Definition: A Chip Shot is all about getting the ball rolling fast. It’s a short, low shot that barely gets airborne.
When to Use: You use it when you’re right next to the green and you need the ball to cover most of the distance by rolling, just like a long putt.
How to Play: Utilize an iron with a minimal wrist hinge, similar to a putting stroke.

Pitch Shot

Definition: Instead of rolling like a chip, this one flies way up high, carries most of the distance, and then lands softly with minimal roll.
When to Use: You’ll need this when you’re 10 to 50 yards out and you have to clear an obstacle or just need the ball to stop instantly by the flag.
How to Play: To play it, grab your Sand or Lob Wedge and take a smooth, three-quarter swing.

Flop Shot

Definition: An extremely high, soft-landing specialty shot intended to stop nearly immediately on the green.
When to Use: When you have almost no green to work with and a big hazard – like a bunker – is right in front of you. High risk, big reward.
How to Play: Open the face of your Lob Wedge wide open and swing hard, trying to slide the club underneath the ball.

Bump and Run (or Chip-Run)

Definition: A low shot designed to “bump” onto the front of the green and then roll like a long putt.
When to Use: When the ground is firm and you have lots of open green between you and the pin. ‘s significantly better than attempting to pitch.
How to Execute: Take a lower lofted iron (like a 7, instead of a 9), choke down, and use a simple putting stroke.

Knockdown Shot

Definition: It’s a shortened, controlled swing that flies much lower than normal, specifically designed to resist strong winds.
When to Use: When the wind is really fierce and you need the ball to just pierce the air without ballooning, you play this.
How to Play: For technique, take one more club than you think you need, shorten your backswing and keep your hands pressed ahead of the ball all the way through impact.

Putting and On-Green Golf Shots

Putting is the last and most crucial phase. This is purely about precision and feel, not about power.

Putt

Definition: A gentle stroke used on the green to roll the ball straight into the hole.
When to Use: You only do this on the green, though pros sometimes putt from the fringe right next to it.
How to Play: Use a pendulum motion powered by the shoulders, making sure those wrists stay still.

Straight Putt

Definition: A putt that doesn’t need any adjustment for slope, you aim right at the cup.
When to Use: On flat parts of the green when gravity will not pull the ball away.
How to Play: Alignment The putter face must be perfectly square to your target line.

Lag Putt

Definition: A long putt (40 feet or longer) where your objective is to simply get it close enough for a simple tap-in.
When to Use: Anytime you’re facing a considerable distance; distance control and feel are very important elements when you’re putting from so far away.
How to Play: Focus completely on speed and length, allowing feel to dictate the stroke.

Break Putt

Definition: A putt that curves because of the slope of the green, meaning you have to aim high or low of the hole itself.
When to Use: On any green that isn’t perfectly flat.
How to Play: Read the slope carefully and always aim for the “high side” of the line.

Recovery and Trouble Golf Shots

These different types of golf shots are for when your ball lies in a poor position, they’re all about mitigating bad results, and simply getting back in play safely.

Bunker Shot / Sand Shot

Definition: A shot executed from a sand hazard, in which you hit the sand behind the ball in order to lift the ball out.
When to Use: To get out of sand traps around the green or when a ball is in the fairway.
How to Play: Grab a Sand Wedge, open the face of the club, take a massive splash by hitting the sand 1-2 inches behind the ball.

Punch-Out Shot

Definition: An easy (low risk) shot getting the ball out of very deep trouble (ex: under trees, or heavy rough) back on the fairway.
When to Use: When there is a large obstruction on the way to the green, and you just need to clear your next shot.
How to Play: Pull a higher lofted iron, take a short swing, and concentrate on simply getting the ball back in the short grass.

Escape Shot / Recovery Shot

Definition: General names for a golfer’s shot played when the ball is in a challenging lie. An example would be deep rough, or mud.
When to Use: The ball is not sitting nicely on the tee, fairway or green.
How to Play: Grip down, use the most forgiving club, and focus on making solid contact to advance the ball.

Types of Golf Shots by Trajectory & Spin

When advanced players hit shots, they often utilize the ball flight for the purpose of more control. A good knowledge of these golf shot names is very useful when dealing with weather and course conditions.

High Shot (Balloon Shot):This shot helps to negotiate obstacles and flies higher than normal.
Low Shot (Knockdown): This shot is used to fight the wind or safely hit a shot under low branches; flies lower than normal.
Backspin Shot: This shot stops a ball quickly once it lands on the green; requires clean contact and fast swing speed with the club and the increased friction of the clubface.
Topspin Shot: This shot increases the rolling element after landing; again sometimes intentionally done with a driver off the deck.
Knuckleball Shot: This is a very unusual shot, which flies with virtually no spin on the ball meaning the ball will typically travel erratically through the air, but will usually travel further distance.

Mastering Golf Shot Names Takes Practice

Becoming competent with all of these golf shot names is part of the education process of becoming a more adaptable, and confident golfer. Now you are aware of the general types of golf shots, which can be helpful at the right time.

The key to improvement is practice. Go to the range, practice hitting different names of golf shots to develop feel and trust throughout the bag. While you’re at it, don’t forget to track your scores accurately, you can use our Free Golf Handicap Estimator and check out our full Golf Terminology Guide to keep learning!

FAQs

What are 9 shots in golf?

There is no specified list of 9 shots. When someone refers to nine shots, they refer to the possible nine shot flights, as they refer to the 3 shot types (low, medium, high) and the three shot type (draw, fade, straight.).

What are 5 strokes in golf called?

The golf shot names score depends on par: five strokes over par is a Quintuple Bogey and five strokes under par, called an Ostrich, is arguably impossible on a regulated hole.

What is the most common & rare shot in golf?

The Bogey (one over par) is the most common score in amateur golf. The absolute rarest score ever recorded in golf is the Condor (four under par) which would be a hole-in-one on a Par-5.

In golf, what does 10 strokes mean?

A score of 10 strokes on a hole is called a Decuple Bogey (if it’s 8 over par). In competition or with friends, players will usually pick up before they get to this number to help keep pace of play.