EA Sports PGA Tour is finally out after nine years of hiatus. While the game has had a mixed impact among golf simulation fans, it's also the closest real-life golfing game we've played till now. The game is in a great shape after the last EA Sports PGA TOUR updates and fixes. Yet many have criticized the game's lack of tutorial or more explanations on the shot types. Golf, in general, is not an easy game to play. So understanding the shot types is as crucial as the uses of power and projection.

So I decided to write about all 20 different shot types of EA Sports PGA Tour for those new to Golf and want to understand when to use which shot to gain an advantage during the play. These shots give you the tools to attack every Hole on every course. So let's get right into them.

Drive: First is the Drive, obviously. This shot is executed off the Tee Box. This is a standard full-swing shot for consistent distance and accuracy of the Tee Box.

Power Drive: The Power Drive is a more powerful full-swing shot for gaining extra distance off the Tee. This shot is ideal for longer par four and five and shooting you to get further down the Fairway.

Stinger: The Stinger is a low powerful shot that keeps the ball under the wind and generates a lot of rolls. It's an ideal shot for playing on Lynx courses where you will gain a lot of roll on the farm Fairways.

Approach: The Approach is a full-swing shot that gives you consistent distance and accuracy when playing from the Fairway.

Power Approach: The Power Approach, on the other hand, is a more powerful full-swing shot when you want more distance from the terrain that comes with a larger shot dispersion circle than the Approach. This is an ideal shot when you are in between clubs and require extra distance from the Fairway.

Punch: The Punch shot is a really low shot without a lot of power that keeps the ball under the wind and generates a lot of rolls. It's used to get out of trees and back into the playable areas, ideal when in hazards.

Knock Down: The Knock Down is a full swing shot that gets the ball to fly lower than a normal approach that is high enough to still land soft and keep the ball on the Green.

Finesse: The Finesse is a shorter and more versatile shot that can go a wider variety of distances used for distances between clubs on your normal Approach. It's an ideal shot for getting dialed into the pins.

Hack: The hack is a powerful full-swing shot only used from the first cut and heavy rough and ideal for getting back into play or attacking the flag sticks.

The shot type varies when you're in the Short Game. So it's important to understand which shot to select in which condition. 

Runner: The Runner is a low-flying half-swing shot that runs out a lot more than the Pitch. Even if you shoot from a distance and after the ball lands on the front part of the Green, it will run out well up toward the Flag.

Spinner: The Spinner is a half-swing shot with more speed put into the impact. This shot generates more spin on the ball and gets the ball to check up almost quickly once landing on the Green.

Flop: The Flop shot is a long swing that lobs the ball high into the air and ensures the ball lands softly on the Green. A Flop shot stops the ball immediately after landing.

Long Flop: The Long Flop is a version of the Flop that goes a greater distance but has a larger shot dispersion. These shots are ideal for anything just short or in and around.

High Flop: The High Flop is another version of the Flop shot that goes extremely high, lands, and stops immediately. It's very useful when there is no space between the end of the green and the Flag.

Pitch: The Pitch is a standard half-swing shot that gets the ball up onto the Green with a normal amount of rollout. Compared to other games, on EA Sports PGA Tour, you might find the Pitch shots running out a bit more than you would expect. So you'll have to play the backstop here as it comes back off the slope perfectly all the way down to the cup.

Then the Bunker shots. The ball will often fall or roll into a Bunker, and the game gets more difficult in such a situation. But there are times when it's a good strategy to get the ball in a bunker if it's close to the Flag and use the right shot for a Par or even a Birdie.

Blast: The Blast is specific to bunkers. This swing hits the sand behind the ball to loft up out of the sand and onto the Green, causing the ball to roll out more since the sand impact reduces the spin.

Pick: The Pick shot is an alternative Bunker shot. It's a cleaner strike that hits less sand and more of the ball, allowing it to spin more and less roll out. This was a fantastic recovery shot and more useful for getting out of the bunker when the Flag distance is closer.

Finally, the Putt.

Putting: Last but not least, the Putting shot types up first in your stranded Putt, a stroke that instantly gets the ball rolling and is only used on the Green or Fringe. Before playing the Putting shot, understanding your ball positioning on the Green's above, below, or level is essential to adjust your swing accordingly.

Chip: Chip shot is a short-putting stroke-style shot with wedges and short irons that bumps the ball into the air for a few yards and gets the ball rolling quickly. If you can master this shot, it's an ideal shot in and around the Green.

Texas Wedge: Texas Wedge is a stroke with the butte that instantly gets the ball rolling but can be used when not on the Green. It's ideal if you're just off the Green or on the Fringe.

While you can use different shots in EA Sports PGA Tour based on your strategy or how you attack the Flag, it's also important to calculate the wind direction and terrain condition. The game suggests a shot type by default and also points to the location of the shot suitable, but they are mostly never idea if you want to hit Par, Birdie, or Eagle. So to avoid Double Bogey, Double Eagle or Triple Bogey, select the right shot type and of course, adjust your shot's projected landing location.
 

Azfar Rayan (@AzfarRayan)
Editor, NoobFeed