Hitting a golf ball

The pre-swing

Many golfers' pre-swing looks like this:

• Golfers start with the non-dominant side of the body facing the target.
• At address the body is positioned parallel to the target line.
• The feet are shoulder width apart for middle irons and putters. 2 inches/5 centimeters narrower for short irons and 2 inches/5 centimeters wider for long irons and woods.
• The ball is positioned in the center of the players stance for short irons and putters, 1 inch/3 centimeters to the front of the center for middle irons and 1 inch/3 centimeters to the front of the center for long irons and woods.
• Most of the weight is on the front foot for short irons, equally on both feet for middle irons and putters, and mostly on the back foot for long irons and woods.
• The grip choices that are most commonly used in order of popularity:

• The Overlapping Grip: The little finger of the trailing hand (the dominant hand) is placed between the index and middle finger of the lead hand (the non-dominant hand). The lead hand thumb fits along the lifeline of the trailing hand.

• The Interlocking Grip: The little finger of the trailing hand is intertwined with the index finger of the lead hand. The lead hand thumb fits in the lifeline of the trailing hand.

• The Ten Finger Grip: The little finger of the trailing hand is placed close to the index finger of the lead hand. The lead hand thumb is covered with the lifeline of the trailing hand.

The swing

The full swing

The full golf swing as done by a right handed golfer.

The full golf swing is used in long distance shots or near the green from the fairway. Woods and irons can be used for the full swing. The golfer adjusts his/her swing to fit the circumstances of the play such as distance to the green, lie of the ball and location of the hazards. The face of the club starts on ground (except in sand play in which it is not permitted) square to the target line. For the right-handed golfer, it consists of a "backward swing" to the left, a "forward swing" back to the middle (where the ball is hit), and a "follow-through" back to the left.

The putt

The putt is used for putting the ball in the hole or closer to the hole (as in lagging) from the green or the fringe of the green. The putter is used for the putt. The golfer adjusts his/her putt to fit the circumstances of the play such as distance to the hole and slope of the green. The face of the club starts square to the target line. The club goes straight back and straight through along the same path like a pendulum.

Types of shots

The following are part of the golfer's diverse arsonal of shots:

An approach shot.

• A putt is a shot designed to roll the ball along the ground. It is normally made on the putting green using a putter, though other clubs may be used to achieve the same effect in different situations. A lag is a long putt designed less to try to place the ball in the cup than to simply move the ball closer to the hole for an easier putt into the hole.
• A chip is a very short lofted shot, generally made with an abbreviated swing motion. Chip shots are used as very short approach shots (generally within 35 yards/32 meters), as a "lay-up" shot to reposition the ball on the fairway, or to get the ball out of a hazard such as a sand trap. This requires a lofted club, usually a wedge.
• A pitch or bump and run is a variation of a chip shot, which involves pitching the ball a short distance and allowing the ball to run along the ground with a medium- or high-lofted club using a motion similar to putting.
• A punch or knock-down shot is a very low-loft shot of varying distance. It is used to avoid hitting the ball into overhead obstructions, or when hitting into the wind.
• A flop shot is when a player opens the club face on a chip shot to get the ball to fly over an obstacle and stop quickly or spin back once it hits the ground.
• An approach shot is made with the intention of placing the ball on the green. The term "approach" typically refers to a second or subsequent shot with a shorter-range iron depending on the distance required.
• A lay-up shot is made from the fairway after the drive, but intended to travel a shorter distance than might normally be expected and/or with a higher degree of accuracy, due to intervening circumstances. Most often, a lay-up shot is made to avoid hitting the ball into a hazard placed in the fairway, or to position the ball in a more favorable position on the fairway for the next shot.
• A drive is a long-distance shot played from the tee, intended to move the ball a great distance down the fairway towards the green.
• A draw is when a player shapes a shot from right to left in a curving motion (or left to right for a left-handed player). This occurs when the clubface is closed relative to the swingpath or simply with an inside-out swingpath.
• A fade is when a player shapes a shot from left to right in a curving motion (or right to left for a left-handed player). This occurs when the clubface is open relative to the swingpath or simply with an outside-in swingpath.

The following are misplayed shots:

• A hook is a shot which moves severely from right to left (or left to right for a left-handed player). More skilled players can hook the ball at will, but most commonly a hook is a misplayed shot that often has negative consequences as a result.
• A slice is a shot which moves severely from left to right (or right to left for a left-handed player). More skilled players can slice the ball at will, but most commonly a slice is a misplayed shot that often has negative consequences as a result.
• A shank occurs when the club strikes the ball close to hosel of an iron, and thus flies at a sharp angle to the right of the intended direction (or to the left, for a left-handed player). It is often called a "lateral" describing the path of the shot. Shanking can become difficult to stop once started.
• A thin shot occurs when the forward edge of the club head strikes the ball too high, causing the shot to come up short of the target.
• A fat shot occurs when the forward edge of the club head strikes the ground behind the ball, causing the shot to come up short of the target.
• A pop-up occurs when the golf ball strikes too highly on the clubface, sending the ball very high and leaving it well short of its intended target.
• A whiff occurs when the golfer swings and misses