Specialty Shot
A specialty shot is any golf shot played with a deliberately altered setup or swing to produce a ball flight the standard swing cannot, such as a flop shot, punch shot, stinger, or intentional draw or fade.
What is a specialty shot in golf?
Specialty shot is an umbrella term, not the name of one particular shot. A golfer’s normal, repeatable swing produces what coaches call a stock shot: a predictable height, curve, and amount of roll. A specialty shot changes something on purpose. The golfer adjusts grip, stance, ball position, or swing length to make the ball fly higher or lower, curve one way or the other, or roll out more or less than usual.
Golfers reach for these shots when conditions demand it. Strong wind, an overhanging branch, a firm green with little room to land the ball, or a pin tucked behind a bunker can all make the stock shot the wrong choice. Under Armour’s golf guide puts it simply: specialty shots differ from regular shots because the ball must be struck in a different way than normal.
The boundaries of the category are informal. Some guides include bunker shots and chips, while others treat those as ordinary short-game or recovery play, so two golf sites can draw the line in two different places. What every definition shares is the idea of a non-standard technique chosen for a specific situation.
Common types of specialty shots
The table below covers the shots most guides place in this category, along with what each one does.
| Shot | Ball flight | Typical situation |
|---|---|---|
| Flop shot | Steep, high flight with almost no roll after landing | Short-sided over a bunker with little green to work with |
| Punch shot | Low and short, with an abbreviated swing | Escaping from under tree branches or out of trouble |
| Stinger | Low, piercing, full-distance shot that runs out | Windy days and tight tee shots |
| Knockdown | Full swing with lower flight and reduced spin | Approach shots into the wind |
| Bump and run | Low chip that lands early and rolls like a putt | Firm ground with open green between ball and hole |
| Draw / fade | Deliberate right-to-left or left-to-right curve | Shaping around doglegs or toward tucked pins |
A few of these deserve extra context. The flop shot is usually played with a lob wedge, the highest-lofted club in the bag. Loft is the angle of the clubface relative to the ground, and according to the Galvin Green golf glossary, lob wedges typically range from 58 to 64 degrees, which is what sends the ball almost straight up.
The stinger became famous at the 2006 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, where Tiger Woods hit 2-iron tee shots that stayed low and, per Golfing Lab, ran out to roughly 280 yards on the baked-out fairways. The shot itself is much older. Keiser University’s College of Golf notes that Open champions of the late 1800s and early 1900s, including Harry Vardon and James Braid, built their games on the same low knockdown flight to handle Scottish wind.
The bump and run rewards restraint rather than power. Jason Guss, a Golf Digest Best Young Teacher, recommends flying the ball only about 30% of the way to the hole with a 7-iron through pitching wedge and letting it roll the rest.
How specialty shots change ball flight
Every specialty shot works by changing the conditions at impact. Opening the clubface adds loft, so the ball launches higher and stops faster: that is the flop shot in a nutshell. Leaning the shaft toward the target and playing the ball further back in the stance removes loft, producing the low flight of a punch, knockdown, or stinger.
Curve comes from the relationship between the clubface and the swing path. A face slightly closed to the path spins the ball right to left for a right-handed player (a draw); a face slightly open to the path spins it left to right (a fade). Under Armour’s guide points out that a fade carries more backspin, so it lands softer and rolls less, while a draw runs out further after landing.
Recognizing these cause-and-effect relationships is enough to follow what a player is attempting on television or on the course. Executing them consistently is a different matter, which is why most instruction treats specialty shots as material for lower-handicap players.
Specialty shots vs. standard and recovery shots
Golf shots are often sorted into three loose groups, and the confusion between them is where most questions about this term come from.
| Category | Defining idea | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Standard shots | The stock swing, hit as intended | Drive, approach, chip, putt |
| Specialty shots | Technique altered by choice to change ball flight | Flop, stinger, knockdown, intentional draw |
| Recovery shots | Whatever gets the ball back in play after a miss | Pitching out sideways from trees, hacking from deep rough |
The categories overlap in practice. A punch shot hit from under a tree is both a specialty shot (altered technique) and a recovery shot (escaping trouble). The cleanest distinction is intent: a specialty shot is a deliberate strategic choice, while a recovery shot is forced on the golfer by a poor previous result. Golf Influence draws the same line, grouping sand and rough escapes as recovery plays and reserving the specialty label for shots that demand a unique method of attack.
Related Golf Terms
- Layup shot — A deliberate short shot to a safe position short of trouble.
- Wind cheater — A low, boring shot designed to cut through wind.
- Bump shot — A low running chip played into a slope near the green.
- Greenside flop — A high, soft flop shot played from near the green.
- Skipper — A low shot intended to skip across water or hard ground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a bunker shot a specialty shot?
Sources disagree. Under Armour lists it as one because the technique differs from any other shot: the club strikes the sand an inch or two behind the ball rather than the ball itself. Other guides file bunker play under recovery shots.
Are specialty shots only for advanced players?
Mostly, though not entirely. Shots like the flop and stinger carry real risk and are usually recommended once a golfer strikes the ball consistently. The bump and run is the exception; it uses a simple putting-style stroke and suits beginners well.
What is the difference between a punch shot and a stinger?
A punch is a short, abbreviated swing used to escape trouble. A stinger is a full swing that flies low on purpose, most often off the tee, and is meant to cover normal distance with extra roll.
Do specialty shots require special clubs?
No. They are hit with ordinary clubs using an adjusted setup. The flop shot favors a lob wedge because of its high loft, but that club is standard equipment in many bags.
Sources
- Under Armour. “Top Golf Shots You Need to Know.”
https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/t/playbooks/golf/top-golf-shots-you-need-to-know/. Accessed July 6, 2026. - SpineAlign Golf. “Shot Types.”
https://spinealigngolf.com/golf-knowledge/golf-terms/shot-types/. Accessed July 6, 2026. - Lazrus Golf. “What are the Different Types of Golf Shots: When and How to Use Them.”
https://lazrusgolf.com/blogs/news/different-types-of-golf-shots. Accessed July 6, 2026. - Golf Digest. “3 shots you need to know how to hit to play links golf.”
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/links-golf-how-to-hit-knockdown-bump-and-run-bunker-shot. Accessed July 6, 2026. - Keiser University College of Golf. “What is a Golf Stinger?”
https://collegeofgolf.keiseruniversity.edu/golf-stinger/. Accessed July 6, 2026. - Golfing Lab. “How to Hit a Stinger in Golf.”
https://golfinglab.com/how-to-hit-a-stinger/. Accessed July 6, 2026. - Galvin Green. “Golf Terms: Ultimate Golf Glossary with Definitions.”
https://www.galvingreen.com/pages/golf-terminology. Accessed July 6, 2026. - Golf Influence. “Types of Golf Shots (And Why You Should Master Them).”
https://www.golfinfluence.com/blog/types-of-golf-shots/. Accessed July 6, 2026.
