What Is a Good Shot?

Ben Hogan, arguably one of the best ball strikers of all time, was once asked after shooting 65 how many shots did he hit as intended? He answered 5. Assuming Hogan wasn’t including putts, he hit somewhere around 30-35 shots less than perfect. Add in the fact Hogan was not a good putter, he still shot 65 with only 5 shots hit as intended. It would stand to reason even some of his less than perfectly struck shots turned out pretty good, right?

It begs a question.

What is a good shot in golf?

It’s a great question. Ask a golfer this question and the response is something like, “Well struck drive down the middle,” or “A wedge to three feet,” or “A solidly struck iron close to the hole.”

While those are good shots, those answers paint an interesting picture. There isn’t any room for error. It also places too high an expectation. Too many golfers judge a good shot based on being perfectly struck with perfect flight to a very small target area.

If you view good shots in golf the same way, it’s time to change your thinking.

Let’s start with my basic definition of a good shot in golf.

A good shot in golf is a reasonably well struck golf shot in the general area of your intended target with an opportunity to play the next shot in a reasonable manner.

For example, you hit a normal driver 230 yds. with a fade or slice shot shape. You set up for your normal shot but hit it a little towards the toe. The ball ends up not fading and finishes 5 yds. in the left rough 220 yds. off the tee. The shot leaves a clear shot to the green.

Most golfers get upset with this shot because it wasn’t exactly what they intended to do with the golf ball.

Based on the distance the ball travelled and having a clear shot to the green, under my definition, this would be a good shot. Sure, it wasn’t what was intended or struck perfectly, but it was struck well enough to a place with a clear shot to the green.

Here’s another example I see often.

A golfer is 100 yards out with a wedge in their hand. They hit their shot 20-25 feet from the hole and get upset at the poor shot.

Maybe a tour player can consider it poor shot, but recreational golfers shouldn’t consider this a poor shot. While not a great shot, it’s a good shot. The ball ended up on the green and affords the player a reasonable opportunity to make a putt.

Look at it a different way. A tour player has an average dispersion with a driver of 60 yards. This means a tour player can miss the center of the fairway by 30 yards left or right. Any drive within the 60 yard window which still affords a clear path to the green on a par 4 or clear path to a normal layup on a par 5 is a good shot.

In terms of approach shots to the green, most golfer would be better off thinking any shot which ends up on the green is a good shot. I get wanting to hit the ball to 5-10 feet, but the reality is those shots are not the norm. Golf is hard. Having unrealistic expectations sets us up for failure. Thinking approach shots have to be in close proximity to the hole to be acceptable as a good shot is bad thinking.

Hitting a fat shot, topping a shot, skulling a pitch shot over the green, rifling a ball 40 yards out of bounds, etc. are bad shots. It’s ok to get upset with those. But if the shot is struck reasonably well and still presents an opportunity to play a shot towards an intended target, then it’s a good shot. Be happy with it. You’ll get mot enjoyment out of the game, and you will likely find your scores improving, too.

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As always, be grateful every time you play. Be thankful you have the privilege and opportunity to play this amazing game. Now, go golf!