Last Updated on May 30, 2024 by Britt Olizarowicz
Some golf shots are just plain embarrassing. It really doesn’t matter if your normal score is 102 or 72; sometimes, we do things as golfers that make us want to walk off the course, trade in the clubs, or send them for a swim! Here’s the good news: bad golf shots are just part of the game. You have to get used to that concept. Most bad shots have a quick and simple fix. As a golf professional, I can tell you that these golf shots are listed in no particular order – they are all awful!
The Whiff
Description: Completely missing the ball during a swing.
Missing the ball is a hard one to recover from. Not because of your score but because of your ego! Most of the time, you change your spine angle before getting to the ball. In addition, your tempo was likely out of control.
For the next swing, simply keep your head more centered and over the golf ball. Try to take the club back in two counts and down in one count, and don’t lose your footing.
You should at least make contact!
Topping the Ball
Description: Hitting the top of the ball, causing it to roll along the ground, usually not more than a few yards.
The top is a tricky one because it often happens when you are trying to hit a big shot. Anytime your golf shots are a little more difficult or you try to do something ‘special’ you risk an issue with consistency and performance.
You’ll want to check your posture and ball position to make sure they are not causing the issue.
Sometimes, if the ball is too far forward in your stance, you catch the top of it as part of your upswing.
You’ll want to try moving it back a bit and ensuring that your club at least brushes the ground when you swing through the ball. Hitting a little more down on the ball is good in this situation.
A Chunk
Description: Hitting the ground before the ball, resulting in a short and heavy shot. Happens often on shorter shots.
You’ll notice that the chunk shot often happens on the short ones around the green. This is sometimes because you slow the club down as it comes through impact.
Instead, you’ll want to make sure you accelerate through your shot and practice hitting the ball first and then the turf.
You can use alignment sticks to help you work on swing path and ball striking; also, ensure you have the ball positioned correctly in your stance. If you chunk your chips, often take a narrower stance and see if it helps you clip the ball clean.
The Banana Ball (Slice)
Description: A big old slice off the tee is a shot that curves dramatically to the right (for the right handed golfer).
There are a few reasons you may experience a banana ball, so you’ll need to check them out one by one; start here and work your way down the list:
Make sure your stance is not too wide that it’s causing you to slide and glide through the ball instead of pivot.
Now, strengthen the grip a little.
Check the swing path to make sure it is more inside out and that your clubface is square at impact. Practice closing the clubface in slow motion and see if your arms and wrists are not rotating as they should be through the ball.
Duck Hook
Description: A shot that curves sharply to the left (for right-handed golfers).
The duck hook is hard to watch because it gets you into trouble right away. If you are duck hooking, it’s likely because you take the club too far inside and then wrap it around you on the follow-through.
I’ll be honest; this is not the most common golf error. To get the duck hook under control, there are two things to do.
The first is to focus on a more even tempo. Push the club back down the line instead of wrapping it inside on the takeaway. Work on ensuring the clubface is not closed when you get to impact.
Pop-Up Shot
Description: Hitting the ball too high on the clubface causes it to pop up into the air with little distance.
Most of the time, this happens on the tee back when the ball is too far forward in your stance. Play the ball off the inside of your lead foot, not the outside!
Try moving it back a little and then maybe pushing the tee down just a 1/4 inch further into the ground. It should be enough to get this done.
Shank
Description: Hitting the ball off the hosel of the club, sending it off to the right.
We saved the shank for last. Honestly, it’s not a shot we’d like to talk about.
If you shank a few shots in a row, sometimes the best thing to do is to call it quits for the day and come back tomorrow. In all seriousness, it usually comes because you are standing too close to the ball.
Try hitting a few half-swing shots with your feet together. See if it helps you straighten things out and hit the ball in the center of the face again.
It should do the trick.
Final Thoughts
At this point, you are well on your way to a much less embarrassing round of golf. Again, even professionals make these mistakes. If you saw the recent braodcast lately of professional golfer Johnson Wagner showing a pro shot, he really struggled. HIs wedge shots were not looking like professional wedge shots and he had it in his head and thats when things get bad. Make the quick adjsustments to your game and then you won’t have to worry about this creeping into your mindset.
