Types of Golf Shots

Every shot in golf has a name, a purpose, and a club it tends to be played with. This page is the master index of every shot-type term defined on Golfing Fore All — from the full-swing drives off the tee, to the approach shots into the green, to the chips, pitches, flops, and bunker shots that save par, to the curving draws and fades the best players use to shape shots around obstacles.

If you’re learning the short game, troubleshooting a slice, or just trying to understand the commentary on a Sunday telecast, the terms below are your reference library. Every entry links to a plain-English definition reviewed by a PGA-credentialed editor.

The Essentials

  • Drive — the full-swing tee shot, almost always with a driver
  • Approach Shot — the shot into the green, usually with an iron or wedge
  • Chip — a low, rolling shot from just off the green
  • Pitch — a higher, softer-landing short-game shot
  • Flop — the highest, softest landing shot in golf — used to clear obstacles
  • Draw — a controlled right-to-left curve (for a right-hander)
  • Fade — a controlled left-to-right curve (for a right-hander)
  • Hook — an uncontrolled, exaggerated right-to-left curve
  • Slice — the right-handed amateur’s most common miss — a big left-to-right curve

How These Terms Relate

Shots fall into two broad groups: full-swing shots and short-game shots. Full-swing shots include the drive (the tee shot off a driver), the approach shot (the iron or fairway-wood swing into the green from 100 to 250 yards), and full-swing wedge shots. The short game starts inside roughly 50 yards from the green and includes chips (low and rolling), pitches (higher and softer), flops (very high and soft, used to clear obstacles or to attack tight pins), bump-and-runs (a chip that runs along the ground), and bunker shots from the sand.

Within each category, the ball flight has a name. Shots that curve are classified as either intentional or unintentional. Intentional curves are draws (right-to-left for a right-hander) and fades (left-to-right). Unintentional curves are hooks (an exaggerated draw that turns into a duck-hook) and slices (an exaggerated fade that arcs out wide right). The amateur’s most common miss is the slice, caused by an open clubface and an outside-in swing path at impact. Other directional misses — pushes (straight right), pulls (straight left) — start offline rather than curving offline.

The short game has its own taxonomy. A chip is played with a low-lofted club (often a 7- or 8-iron up through a pitching wedge), lands quickly, and runs to the hole — best when you have green to work with. A pitch is played with a wedge, flies higher, and stops faster — best when you have to fly over rough or a bunker. A flop is the most extreme: a 60-degree lob wedge, face wide open, long soft swing, ball goes almost straight up and lands almost dead. Bump-and-runs and stingers are low-trajectory specialists for wind or escape. Punch shots and knockdowns are full-swing variations that flight the ball lower for control or under tree branches. Mastering shot selection — knowing which shot to play, not just how to play it — is what separates a good player from a great one.

The Complete Index

Every term in this cluster, alphabetised, each linked to its full plain-English definition.

Common Questions

What is the difference between a chip and a pitch?

A chip is a low shot played with a low-lofted club (usually a 7-iron through pitching wedge) that lands quickly on the green and rolls toward the hole. A pitch is a higher shot played with a wedge that lands closer to the pin and stops faster, with less roll. Use a chip when you have green to work with and want to keep the ball low to take wind out of play. Use a pitch when you need to fly over rough, a bunker, or a hump in the green.

Why does my ball slice?

A slice is caused by an open clubface relative to your swing path at impact. Most amateurs slice because they swing across the ball from outside-to-in with the clubface open. The fastest fix: strengthen your grip (rotate both hands clockwise on the club for a right-hander, so you can see two or three knuckles of your left hand), feel the clubhead swing more from inside the ball line, and release the right hand to rotate the face closed through impact. Slice cures are about getting the face square at impact and the path swinging more from the inside.

What is a flop shot, and when do I use one?

A flop is the highest, softest landing shot in golf. You play it with a 60-degree lob wedge, the face wide open, a wide stance, ball forward, and a long, soft, downward swing. The ball goes almost straight up and lands almost dead. Use a flop when you have to clear an obstacle (a bunker, a hump) and stop the ball quickly on a tight pin with very little green to work with. Avoid it from a tight or hardpan lie — the open face needs grass under the ball to slide under and lift it.

What is the difference between a draw and a hook?

Both curve right-to-left for a right-hander. A draw is a controlled, intentional curve of 5 to 15 yards. A hook is an uncontrolled, exaggerated curve of 25 yards or more. The distinction is degree, not direction. Most professional right-handers play with a draw because it produces more distance (lower spin) and is easier to control than a fade. Most amateurs who hook tend to do so unintentionally — usually from a too-strong grip and an inside-out swing path combined with a closed face.

What is a bump-and-run?

A bump-and-run is a short-game shot played from just off the green with a low-lofted club (a 7-, 8-, or 9-iron) that lands on the fringe or front of the green and runs the rest of the way to the hole. It is the lowest-risk short-game shot when you have green to work with and is the staple shot of links golf, where you cannot count on the ball stopping if you fly it high to a firm green. Picture it as a long putt with a slight loft to clear the immediate collar.

What is the difference between a punch shot and a stinger?

Both are low-flying full-swing shots, but they are built differently. A punch shot is shortened on both sides — abbreviated backswing, abbreviated follow-through — and produces a controlled, low ball flight, often used under tree limbs or into a strong headwind. A stinger is Tiger Woods’ invention: a full backswing with an abbreviated, downward-finishing follow-through, designed to fly the ball very low with very little spin for maximum total distance. The stinger is harder to hit consistently but goes considerably further.

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