How to Do Golf Trick Shots

Pulling off a golf trick shot that drops jaws at the driving range or on a par-3 with friends is a seriously fun part of the game. These aren't just for show ponies, learning them builds incredible feel and finesse with the golf club. This article will guide you through how to learn a few classic trick shots, breaking them down into simple, manageable steps, so you can start adding a little creative flair to your practice sessions.

Before You Begin: Safety and the Right Mindset

Okay, let's get the important stuff out of the way first. When you're practicing trick shots, safety is number one. You're swinging a club at a ball, often in unconventional ways. Make sure you have a massive amount of space - way more than you think you need. A driving range, an empty field, or a backyard with no windows or neighbors in sight is perfect. Trying to learn to juggle a golf ball in your living room is a recipe for a broken television.

Patience is also a big part of the process. You are not going to nail these on the first try, and likely not on the tenth try either. Nobody does. Think of it like learning any other part of golf. It’s about practice, repetition, and not getting frustrated when the ball flies sideways. Stay loose, have fun with it, and treat every mishit as a learning experience. The goal is to develop club control, and that only comes with trial and error.

Trick Shot Tutorial #1: The Classic Wedge Juggle

This is probably the most recognizable golf trick shot. Being able to pop a ball up with your wedge and juggle it a few times before whacking it down the range is a great skill to have. It develops amazingly soft hands and an incredible feel for the clubface.

The Equipment and Setup

Your highest lofted wedge in the bag, like a 58 or 60-degree, is your best friend here. The wide, angled face gives you a great platform for the ball to sit on. Start by simply placing the ball on the face of your grounded club, getting a feel for its balance point. Stand with your feet relatively close together in a comfortable athletic stance, and hold the club with a very light grip pressure. You're trying to feel the club, not strangle it.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. The Initial Pop-Up. Start with the ball balanced on your clubface. From here, you’ll make a very small, gentle upward motion - almost like you're just lifting the clubhead a few inches off the ground using your hands and wrists. This first pop-up only needs to be a foot high, max. The goal is to get it to go straight up and come straight back down onto the face. If it’s flying off to the side, it means your clubface wasn't perfectly square to the sky at impact.
2. Catch and Repeat. Let the ball land back on the clubface and absorb the impact with soft hands, just like catching an egg. Don't fight it. Once you can consistently do one pop, catch it, and have it settle, you’ve mastered the hardest part. Do this over and over until it feels second nature. The rhythm is more important than the height.
3. Connecting the Juggles. Now, instead of catching the ball and letting it stop, try to meet it with the clubface an instant before it lands. Give it another gentle tap upwards. Think of it like patting a basketball, but much, much more delicate. You want tiny little taps, keeping the ball below your waist. As you get more comfortable, you can start to connect two juggles, then three, then four. Focus on a steady "tap...tap...tap" rhythm.
4. The Grand Finale. Once you have the juggling down, you have two options for the finish. The easier version is to get a few juggles going, then let the ball bounce once in front of you on the turf. As it comes up from the bounce, time your normal golf swing to hit it. The more dramatic finish is to hit it directly out of the air. To do this, give the ball one slightly higher juggle (maybe a few feet high), take a quick step into a normal swing stance, and time your swing to strike the ball as it falls back down. This requires good hand-eye coordination but looks incredible when you pull it off.

Trick Shot Tutorial #2: The Backspin Pop-Up

This one is a little more subtle but builds incredible club control. The goal is to pop the ball straight up off the ground with so much backspin that you can catch it, sometimes even directly in a pocket. It’s all about a very precise strike.

The Setup

Once again, grab your highest lofted wedge. Place a ball on the turf and stand over it as if you were going to chip, but stand much closer to it. You want the shaft of the club to be more vertical than it would normally be. Your focus is entirely on the leading edge of the golf club.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. The Motion. This isn't a swing. It's a quick, sharp, downward "tap" on the back-top-quadrant of the golf ball. The idea is for the leading edge to strike down with a little bit of force, pinching the ball against the turf. This friction is what creates the massive spin that makes it pop vertically.
2. Feel the Pinch. The feeling is a quick "thump." You are not trying to scoop under it or lift it. You are hitting down on it to make it pop up. It feels counterintuitive at first. You’ll know you’re doing it wrong if the ball shoots forward along the ground or if you just chip it a few feet. It requires no follow-through from your hands, just that quick, firm tap.
3. Practice Catching. The backspin will be intense. The ball should pop almost straight up, perhaps a couple of feet high, with a slight movement back towards you. At first, just practice getting this reaction and catching it in your free hand. Once you can do that consistently, you can position your body to catch it in your pocket or hat for extra style points.

Trick Shot Tutorial #3: The Happy Gilmore Run-Up

Everyone wants to try the Happy Gilmore. While it looks like a brute-force move, it's really about rhythm, timing, and maintaining the fundamentals of a good golf swing - just adding some footwork beforehand.

The Setup and Safety

Tee the ball up. Seriously, don't try this off the deck until you're a pro. Use a driver, as the big clubhead is more forgiving. You absolutely need to be at a driving range or in a wide-open and empty space. Things can and will go wonderfully wrong when you first attempt this.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Practice the Footwork. Before you even think about swinging, master the footwork. Get in your normal static starting position a few steps behind the ball. The most common motion is a simple walk-up: left foot, right foot, left foot and swing. Walk through this a dozen times without swinging. Your final "plant" foot should land in the same position relative to the ball as it would in a normal swing. This is the foundation of the shot.
2. Time the Swing with the Steps. Now, integrate the swing motion. As you take your final step (your third step, with the left foot for a right-handed golfer), your downswing should begin. It’s a rhythmic motion: "step, step, plant-and-SWING."
3. Keep Your Swing, Just Add Steps. This is the most important concept. You are not trying to invent a new "running" swing. You are simply performing your normal golf swing, the run-up is just what happens before your backswing starts. Don't lunge at the ball or try to kill it. The goal is to arrive at the ball, balanced, and ready to let your normal, rotational swing flow through impact. Keep your head relatively steady, rotate your body, and finish in a balanced follow-through. Ironically, the smoother and less aggressive you are with your run-up, the better your contact will be.

Final Thoughts

Learning golf trick shots is an extremely rewarding process that does more than just impress your friends. The club awareness, soft hands, and timing you'll develop will translate directly back into your short game and overall feel for the sport. Start slow, stay safe, and remember to have fun with it.

While mastering these tricks is fantastic for club control, we know the real challenge is applying solid fundamentals out on the course. Getting personalized advice for a tough lie or a confusing course layout has always been difficult, which is why we created Caddie AI. Our app delivers the kind of instant strategic insight and shot-making recommendations you need in those real-world situations, acting as your personal 24/7 golf coach and on-course guide so you can play with more confidence and make smarter decisions.