Lots of amateur golfers will relate to a time where they hit a really cool golf shot (whether on purpose, or not!) that immediately drew the applause and admiration of their playing partners, so what if I told you that you could have that feeling more often?
In this video and article, Golf Monthly's Joe Ferguson breaks down our list of the 6 coolest shots in golf and shares some helpful tips on how you can produce them to steal the show this weekend...
1. The Bombed Driver
Irrespective of ability or handicaps, we all crave that feeling of crushing a drive down the middle of the fairway. Players that are able to turn it up a notch on command, such as the likes of Rory McIlroy, are undeniably cool and have the ability to power up their golf swing with great success.
Much of it comes down to creating the optimal launch angle with the driver, paired with avoiding too much spin, to create the perfect conditions for hitting bombs. The first tip to achieve this is centred around tee height, as a higher tee position will help you to sweep up on the ball in that kind of 'tennis forehand' motion.
You also need to keep the ball position forward in your stance, right off that front toe, which will also support that sweeping motion that we are looking for. Take a nice wide stance, to promote additional stability, and from there it's all about speed!
To do this, try 'reaching' a little more in your backswing, creating maximum width as you take the club back. From the top, spin your body as hard as you can through the ball and watch as it soars majestically through the air.
2. The Stinger
This is not only one of the coolest, but also one of the most 'instagram-able' shots in golf.
You could use this as a safety shot on tight holes, but what impact conditions do we need to create to be able to execute the stinger? Firstly, dynamic loft on your club needs to be low, so take your longest iron to hit this shot. By utilising shaft lean, and closing the clubface down, we can create the ideal position for this low-penetrating ball flight.
Some golfers like to put the ball back in their stance, but for me that creates a steeper attack angle and can actually create a little too much spin. Instead, I like to play a stinger from my normal ball position, and feel like the logo on my golf glove is pointing down at the ground for as long as possible. This closes the clubface, allowing us to turn hard and hold the face off to knock down the loft.
A second method is to cover the ball a little bit more, as I demonstrate in the video above, and make sure the handle stays ahead of the clubface. This shot will not only help you keep the ball in-play, but also look good doing it.
3. The Flop Shot
Whether you think of Mickelson, Spieth or any of the other great short-game wizards of the game, the flop shot is arguably the coolest to play around the greens.
This shot uses an open clubface to shoot the ball high in the air, but still comes down like a butterfly with sore feet. A word of warning, however, as you need to use this shot in the right situation to get the best results.
In the video above, I have missed the green left and I am coming down onto a severe downslope on the putting surface. If I play a normal chip shot in this situation, I would have very little chance of stopping the ball on the green.
One of the first things you need to do is open the clubface before you take your grip. Place the club in behind the ball, with it slightly forward in your stance. We are looking for quite a level impact through the ball, as we certainly don't want to hit down, or even worse – try to scoop the ball up in the air.
Imagine the ball is standing on little legs, and you are trying to nip them away from under it through impact.
This is the scary bit, as you are going to need some more momentum with a very open clubface. Take a big full swing, so that you can hit the ball way up in the air without it travelling too far forwards.
4. Hook Around The Tree
For most golfers, finding those tricky spots on the golf course can be a regular occurrence. Still, just because you find the trouble doesn't mean you can't look cool escaping it.
Getting this shot right is just simple geometry. All you need to do is make sure your clubface is pointing left of the path of your club, as the spin axis will then tilt and create that right-to-left hook shot you are looking for.
The bigger differentiation between club and path, the more the ball is going to move, but you need to get the set-up right first. You can create the desired club path by simply aiming your body to the right of the target, and from this position all you need to do is turn the toe of the club in to close the face slightly.
This is a hard shot, so I would recommend practicing it before trying it out on the course.
5. The 50-Yard Bunker Shot
The appeal of this shot lies in its difficulty, and will certainly impress your mates when you execute it on the course. If you can get a really precise contact you can carry the ball the entire way, and even get some groovy spin action on the way back.
Take your most lofted wedge, and instead of a normal splash shot where you might aim to hit the sand an inch or two behind the ball, we want to actually get pretty close to ball first here.
This is where the difficulty lies, as if you get the ball first you might sail it well over the green but catch it too far behind and you could find yourself taking a second shot from the sand.
Use a standard bunker shot technique, but really focus on that precise strike. Good luck!
6. Driver Off The Deck
We saved the best for last, as this is the true flex of a fairway MVP! The driver off the deck is rare, probably because you need a specific set of circumstances to get this right.
This shot used to be a lot more difficult with the old-styles of driver, but the newer models make this achievable. You need a decent lie, and a slight uphill slope will also help. When you are hitting off a tee peg your angle of attack will be upwards, but with the ball at ground level you need to move it back around half a ball in your stance.
Aside from that, it's just a case of setting up right and committing to the shot. This one might be a last resort for your weekend Stableford, but if you pull it off you might just be the talk of the clubhouse.
