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7AnimalMother's avatar
7AnimalMother
3 years ago

Which shot types sit on your bench?

Hey all,


Would love to hear what shot types you normally use, which ones you seldom use,  and which ones you never use.  I’m curious when people are using certain shots and what they believe the advantage is for the situation.

I start with the ones I never use.

1. Stinger

2. Knock down

These first two are wind cheater shots, but I have not really found any scenario in which I prefer them to a normal drive or approach/finesse shot.  Am I missing the boat here?

3. High Flop

Regular flop always seems preferable in every situation where I would consider using this due to the tighter dispersion.  Maybe there is a situation where I’ll need to use this due to an extreme elevation change, but I haven’t found it yet.  Once again, am I missing something?

4. Blast


Pick seems preferable in all situations due to quick stop and tighter dispersion.  Any reason to ever use this shot?

Now for the seldom used shot types:

1.  Power Approach:  Only use this on long par 5s where I need extra distance from a 3 wood to reach in two.  Otherwise no real advantage to this shot type. 

2.  Texas Wedge:  I use this only if I miss the green and am in the fairway on a mostly level approach to the hole.  To be honest this situation doesn’t happen all that often. I’m mostly using a chip or flop within a few yards of a green. 

3.  Runner:  I find the normal pitch to be more controllable in most any situation this shot is available.  The only time I use this is if I’m below a green that has a severe slope toward me. 

4.  Long Flop:  only used when outside of normal flop range and there is an extreme uphill elevation change OR an extreme downhill elevation change and I’m in the rough so spinner isn’t an option.

5.  Punch: only used if drive went wayward under a tree and this is the only way to get back into play.

6.  Hack:  Most frequently used of the “seldom” used shots.  Use this in the thick stuff when I’m not getting 90%+ distance from a finesse or approach shot. 


Most Used Shots

1.  Power Drive:  Used on 95% tee shots where I am using a driver.  Pretty much only NOT using it if it will cause flying over a drivable par 4 or going into a hazard like a creek that cuts across the entire fairway.  When you can still hit the fairway 85%+ of the time when using this, there is no reason not to. 

2. Finesse: preferred shot from the fairway or tee when the yardage is not dead on.  Tighter dispersion than either the Drive or Approach.  Also more preferred on green that have extreme slope toward me.

3.   Drive:  Used with the driver as mentioned above or on par 3s where this shot type gives the correct yardage given the conditions.

4.  Approach:  Used less than finesse due to the larger dispersion circle.  Needs to be nearly exact yardage or to a green sloping away and I need the extra spin to hold. 

5.  Chip:  preferred shot within 2-4 yards of the green out of any lie but minimal elevation change.

6.  Flop:  preferred shot within 5+ yards of the green out of any lie and there is an extreme elevation change in comparison to the ball (either uo or down).

7.  Spinner: preferred shot type when in the fairway, to far to use a chip/flop, to close to use finesse. Far more accurate and faster stopping than normal pitch.


8. Pitch:  go to shot when to far to use chip/flop, to close to use finesse, and in the rough so the spinner is unavailable. 


9.  Pick: only shot worth using out of the sand around the green.  Superior accuracy and distance control than the blast. 

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10 Replies

  • PalomaMarvel24's avatar
    PalomaMarvel24
    Seasoned Ace
    3 years ago
    @7AnimalMother I also use the same rotation in your most used shots; the shot added from your list is the Hack. I don’t have stinger so I am not sure what it does.

    The 3 shots in my bench are Blast, Punch and Knock Down; these shots just go to cloud 9 especially Blast.
  • ELF014's avatar
    ELF014
    3 years ago

    I think it is no surprise. I use 8 shot types in this game but predominantly:

    1. Power Drive

    2. Drive

    3. Finesse 

    4. Spinner

    5. Flop

    6. Long Flop

    7. Pick

    8. Chip

    But I could easily get around the course and score consistently low with 3.

    1. Drive

    2. Flop

    3. Pick

    The game is not difficult, as I have said... I am sure most of us have posted scores in the 50's.

    With other golf games I need to always be aware of the slope of the green. I many instances I want to leave myself an unhill shot, whether it's  a chip or a putt. In this game it doesn't matter... my flop and pick shots appear to put spikes on the ball. And putting is the same as I can just set how far I want the ball to roll. 

    Being that putting is distance based rather than velocity based, it is far too east to judge.

  • Scraper15's avatar
    Scraper15
    3 years ago

    I am similar to most player here.

    1. Power Drive

    2. Drive

    3. Finesse

    4. Knock Down

    5. Spinner

    6. Flop

    7. Long Flop

    8. Pick

    9. Chip

    10. Pitch

    I am surprised no love for the knock down. I find it useful at certain distances into the wind.

    Perhaps I'm missing something and need to work harder on mastering my spinner.

  • 7AnimalMother's avatar
    7AnimalMother
    3 years ago

    I haven’t really figured out how to use the knockdown more effectively than a normal drive/approach or a finesse shot.  Do you calculate carry distance/roll out/spin back differently than one of the other shots?  If so,  how do you do it?

  • Scraper15's avatar
    Scraper15
    3 years ago

    I only use knock down into the wind.

    I calculate the same distance as approach and finesse but don't get the ballooning or the spin back on the green.

    Maybe its just the style of play, hard to master all the shots. I certainly haven't.

  • ELF014's avatar
    ELF014
    3 years ago
    @Scraper15 I have used the knockdown shot in the past. But have found that I can get around the course effectively without it.

    The flop and pick shots are total get out of jail free shots... I feel that is really all you need.

    They really need to do something about some of the shots types as well as the putting mechanics to inject some realism into the game.
  • frankhjr's avatar
    frankhjr
    3 years ago

    I have used almost all the shot types at one time or another but the ones I seldom use are

    1. Runner. Unless I select it by accident, which happens more than I like to admit.

    2. Stinger. Only really works on courses with a lot of fairway roll but most of the time the shot won't reach the fairway

    3. Blast. Have used it on occasion but prefer the pick.

    4. Punch. Only because I don't find myself in the trees that often. Does come in handy every once in a while though

    5. Power Drive. I don't have this and I only use the power approach on occasion.

    I use the Knock Down quite a bit and don't feel it is a cheat. I love using it in the wind and on holes where the green is 25-150 ft below your lie. The wind affects the ball much more on those holes and the knock down works great. I have even used it when I have a tail wind since you don't get as much roll with it.

    I use the spinner more than the chip because it is easier to get it closer to pin. Wouldn't mind if they made that and the pick a little more difficult to use.

    I also use the Texas Wedge quite a bit when on the fringe or just off the green and the hole is only a few paces on.

  • Par-Jaffa's avatar
    Par-Jaffa
    3 years ago

    The stinger just looks cool, no real benefit just somethin to play around with, 10th tee shot at Sawgrass for instance where the fairway runs out is a nice opportunity to use a low drawn stinger, also the 10th at Augusta with the downhill run. I don't have it unlocked though with my current 73ovr created golfer that I've religiously been using and it sits on the bench.
    If there was a way to have it unlocked without juicing up my players driving stats, I would a hundred have it.

    Knock-down I found can be very effective on softer greens like Banff, Wetlands where you want the ball to stop quicker with less spin, usually playing to a back pin, again though sits on the bench and I haven't got it unlocked.

    The only shots I really use are power approach, pitch, chip, runner, punch and blast. And of course, drive and approach.

    I have finese and flop in my shot selections but very rarely will use them, find these shots make the game a bit too easy and will only use them if the shot is crying out to be played. Think I've used flop only 3 times in 350+hours of gameplay lol I find pick, hack, knock down and spinner make the game too easy also, so I leave them on the bench.

    I really like using the contours, watching the ball roll out with the short game, I will only use pitch and chip. I think using the crutch shots like spinner, pick and flop shots take a lot away from the golf and don't punish poor approach shots or poor course management enough.
    Find finese and Knock-down too easy to dial in distances when in-between clubs, much prefer to hit a softer or harder approach, or conversely, just play under the hole.
    Hack nullifies the rough too much and dont have it unlocked.

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