4 Lesser-Known Shots You Need in Your Toolbox

Swinging hard with the driver is amazing when you connect, but it also leads to volatility. If you come upon a narrow fairway and just need to keep the ball in play, here’s the step-by-step, as demonstrated by the LPGA’s longest driver @polly.mack:

-STEP 1: Tee the ball up really low, as in ~1 ball off the ground height
-STEP 2: Move the ball back in your stance 1-2 balls.
-STEP 3: Shorten your back swing to ~75% and swing a tad easier than you normally would (to help with face control)
-STEP 4: Unlike a normal driver where you don’t want your torso to be in front of the ball at impact, do the opposite. Try to cover the ball with your torso almost like you would with an iron shot.

PRO TIP: Some will say on this shot that you should swing left or try to hit a heel-cut (off the inside of the club face). Both are good swing thoughts but moving the ball back in your stance and trying to cover the ball at impact essentially accomplishes the same feeling. Just find the swing “feel” that works for you.

The dreaded fried egg- how could the golf gods be so cruel?!! It’s not enough to penalize a poor shot, why did they have to do you dirty like this? Lucky for you, there’s a relatively easy solution…

-STEP 1: Grab your most lofted club, ideally a 58-60 degree wedge and point the toe down with a closed club face.
-STEP 2: Close your stance and make sure the ball is either in the middle or back of your stance.
-STEP 3: Unlike a traditional greenside bunker shot, put your hands forward and use the leading edge of the club, trying to make sand contact with the toe first.
-STEP 4: Most coaches will tell you to swing harder with a fried egg or plugged lie, but when adopting this approach, try taking a relatively smooth, easy swing.

PRO TIP: The ball will almost certainly come out lower and with little to no spin, so plan for it to run out after it lands.

When you’re faced with a short-sided shot or super-fast greens, the “Auto Scoop” is the shot you never knew you needed. This unconventional skill shot can be a strategic weapon when you need to hit a short flop that stops quickly. PGA Tour Coach, Shauheen Nakhjavani demonstrates how to pull it off:

-STEP 1: Set the ball 1-2” back from the center of your stance.
-STEP 2: Open your club face slightly.
-STEP 3: Preset the handle back with your trail wrist in flexion. In other words, angle the club handle toward your rear foot and keep your wrists locked in this position.
-STEP 4: Rotate your torso to turn back and through without changing your arm/wrist structure.

WHY IT WORKS: The traditional flop shot requires a ton of wrist action, which is super prone to error if you don’t make precise contact. Conversely, the “Auto-Scoop” requires no wrist action and instead relies on body turn with the club pre-set at the proper angle.

If you ever find your ball right up against the collar of the green where the fringe meets the taller rough, the “bellied wedge” is the play. Former Tour Pro Parker McLachlin explains:

-STEP 1: Choke down a tad on your wedge and stand a bit closer to the ball.
-STEP 2: Take your stance with the ball in the middle of your set-up.
-STEP 3: Raise the club off the ground just slightly, aiming to hit the perfect middle “equator” of the ball to get it rolling end over end.
-STEP 4: Simply rock your shoulders, with zero wrist action whatsoever.

PRO TIP: You can actually practice this on the greens just like you are putting. Drop a few balls and aim to hit the equator of the ball with the center of your wedge to a variety of holes. And be careful not to hit the ball off the toe of the sole as that area is typically more rounded and will shoot the ball WAY out to the right (for right-handed players)!

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