What do you consider a "good" shot?

[MSDOGS1976]

When I hit my intended shot. I once hit a very thin iron shot to a par 3 that rolled right into the cup. I smiled but didn't really appreciate my hole in one because I hit the shot so poorly. But I still count it. ;)

[JonMA1]

Any shot that doesn't directly cost me extra strokes is a good shot.

I do agree that it is more satisfying to hit a solid shot that is slightly offline and results in a nGIR, than a nasty thin shot that somehow makes it on the green.

The one that really gets me is the bladed pitch that's destined to roll way past the green until it hits the flag and leaves me with a makable putt.

[The Recreational Golfer]

A shot that if I hit every one like it, I would be in a position to go round in par. They don't have to be great shots. just good ones.

[Patch]

For me it's any shot that goes pretty close to my aim point, and/or does not cause me any extra grief for my next shot. Same with my putts.

[SoundandFury]

Yea, that's a good shot. It's not a perfect shot, but it stayed within your shot zone, you got solid contact, and the start line was good. It's a tough game and if you're going to be that hard on yourself, it's not going to be a whole lot of fun.

A lucky break would be completely thinning the shot and still making the green or having the ball ricochet off a tree and stay in play or something.

I'm starting to around and agree with most of the general sentiment here.  However, you could also argue that it's still luck because of the set up of the green.  If the pin had been left, and the right side was all bunker, the same shot wouldn't have been good at all...

But yeah, now that people have mentioned it, I'm pretty damned pleased any time I hit a 4 iron onto the green for a GIR.

[Strandly]

I only consider my shots good if they do exactly or very close to what I intended..

This.

[9424tm]

I consider a good shot to be anyone that ends up where I wanted. I can have a bad strike but a good shot at the same time.

[Lihu]

Only ones that pros make.

[vangator]

I'm still waiting....

[DrvFrShow]

All of us have made them. I've holed a lob shot from 25 yds. over a bunker to save par; 205 yd 5W onto the green for my third shot (GIR parred the hole); 85 yd lob wedge 5 ft from the hole (birdie putt) - these kind of shots. Where the ball ends up determines whether or not it was a good shot.

[phillyk]

I'm a picky player.  If it's not really close to what i wanted to do, in terms of distance, ball flight, and contact, I'm a little bummed regardless of how it turns out.  I should be more specific though.  If my ball did what i wanted it to and still ended up 10yds short because I maybe used the wrong club or whatever the circumstance, it will still be a good shot to me. Whereas hitting it thin and the ball still ends up a couple feet away, I'm usually bummed about because it was a bad hit (but I'll definitely take it!). But I take these "mistakes" as the way for me to always get better.  Obviously I won't ever get to the point to where every shot is good for me, but I definitely get a fair amount of good shots each round.

Luck is hard to quantify because it changes from player to player, because better players usually have smaller mistakes. So they can aim at the center of the green and generally be on the green most of the time (which would be a good shot for many) whether they miss-hit it or not.  Also a mishit might still look great and end up next to the pin.  Is this luck or just misses that aren't big misses?  Not as good players have big miss-hits and would need something special for a miss-hit to get back to the green.

[14ledo81]

I guess any good result is technically a good shot.

I just can't get much satisfaction out of "clanky" contact.

As such, some of my "best" shots were when I had really solid contact and flew the green.

[Wally Fairway]

Let me share with you the best advice I have ever received

(disclaimer - this is relevant to playing not practicing)

I only have to tell you what my score is, not where I was aiming

No different that a ball hit into the woods that bounces out, or bouncing one off a spectators head (looking at you Justin Rose - LOL).

There are too many times I hit a good shot and don't get good results  - like flying the ball to the flag stick, or hitting a sprinkler head, I say enjoy the shots that are favorable to you.

[SoundandFury]

I'm a picky player.  If it's not really close to what i wanted to do, in terms of distance, ball flight, and contact, I'm a little bummed regardless of how it turns out.  I should be more specific though.  If my ball did what i wanted it to and still ended up 10yds short because I maybe used the wrong club or whatever the circumstance, it will still be a good shot to me. Whereas hitting it thin and the ball still ends up a couple feet away, I'm usually bummed about because it was a bad hit (but I'll definitely take it!). But I take these "mistakes" as the way for me to always get better.  Obviously I won't ever get to the point to where every shot is good for me, but I definitely get a fair amount of good shots each round.

Luck is hard to quantify because it changes from player to player, because better players usually have smaller mistakes. So they can aim at the center of the green and generally be on the green most of the time (which would be a good shot for many) whether they miss-hit it or not.  Also a mishit might still look great and end up next to the pin.  Is this luck or just misses that aren't big misses?  Not as good players have big miss-hits and would need something special for a miss-hit to get back to the green.

I think this is really spot on.  The better one gets, the more often the shots that aren't exactly what you intended, i.e., misses end up fine.  For me, a year ago a miss on a par three left me about 30 yards short of the green in the trees on the right (or worse).  Now, almost all but the most egregious misses end up either on the green with a long birdie putt, or just off with a reasonable look at getting up and down.  9 holes I played this morning is a perfect example:  Iron play was definitely off; hit 3/9 GIR and still shot +1 on the round (not a very hard course to be fair).  I would say I hit MAYBE three "good" full swing shots the entire time, and two of 'em were tee shots.  So like you said, all about the quality of the miss I guess.

[billchao]

I'm starting to around and agree with most of the general sentiment here.  However, you could also argue that it's still luck because of the set up of the green.  If the pin had been left, and the right side was all bunker, the same shot wouldn't have been good at all...

The circumstances are different. You probably would have aimed a little more left, since the pin is left and to avoid a possible mis-hit into the bunkers. I don't believe you would have been in those bunkers anyway. From your original description, I imagined that you set up to hit a baby draw and started it at the center of the green and ended up with a baby fade instead. Even if the pin was left, you're on the right side of the green. Still a good shot.

[SoundandFury]

The circumstances are different. You probably would have aimed a little more left, since the pin is left and to avoid a possible mis-hit into the bunkers.

I don't believe you would have been in those bunkers anyway. From your original description, I imagined that you set up to hit a baby draw and started it at the center of the green and ended up with a baby fade instead. Even if the pin was left, you're on the right side of the green. Still a good shot.

Pretty much.  Probably aimed a couple yards right of center aiming for a slight draw back to the middle.  Like you said, got small cut in stead.

[rkim291968]

This got me thinking: do you consider a shot "good/great" based purely on the result or based on executing what you intended to do?

On a bad ball striking day, a good shot is a "safe" shot that is not in hazard, stayed in bound, not in deep rough, etc..

On a good golf day, nothing but a PGA tour pro like shot is a "good/great" shot.  E.g, a ball I intended to hit 127 yards within 5 feet of a hole.

That is, a good/great shot for me is all relative to what I was doing at the time.

[dbuck]

Luck is part of the game, but if I hit a tree and bounces back in the fairway or on the green where otherwise it would have been ob or lost, I am not unhappy but that is not a good shot. A well struck shot in the direction of the target that gets a friendly bounce off a greenside mound etc. is still a good shot. I would consider your example a good shot. The shot was struck well and the shot went in the general direction you intended, even if the curve was a little off. You still made solid contact and your alignment was good enough. Golf is about improving your misses.

At my handicap, a solid contact in the intended direction is generally a reasonably satisfactory result. I hit some at less than optimum trajectory, but if they are solid and go the the right direction, I know the face was square and the contact ok.