What Is a Lateral in Golf?

Hitting your ball into a spot where you can't swing forward is one of golf's more frustrating moments, but knowing how to play a lateral shot can turn a potential disaster into a simple recovery. This is a fundamental part of smart course management that separates scrappy scorers from players who let one bad swing ruin a hole. This guide will walk you through exactly what a lateral is, when you should play one, and the step-by-step technique to get your ball safely back in play.

What Exactly Is a Lateral Shot?

At its core, a lateral shot is exactly what it sounds like: a shot you hit sideways. The entire goal is to move the ball from an unplayable position (like behind a tree or deep in the woods) directly out to the side and back into the fairway. It’s a shot of retreat, not advancement. You're not trying to gain distance towards the green, you are strictly focused on escaping trouble and giving yourself a clean look for your next shot.

Many golfers make the mistake of heroically trying to thread a needle through two tree trunks or bend a shot 40 yards around an obstacle. While those shots are fun when they work, they often lead to more trouble, compounding the initial error. A well-executed lateral shot, by contrast, is a high-percentage play that stops the bleeding and helps you manage the damage on your scorecard.

Playing a Lateral Shot vs. Taking Lateral Relief

It’s important to clarify the difference between playing a lateral shot and taking lateral relief. They sound similar but are two completely different things.

• Playing a Lateral Shot: This is an action you choose to take. You find your ball and decide that the most sensible play is to hit it sideways, out of trouble. You are playing the ball as it lies.
• Taking Lateral Relief: This refers to specific actions under the Rules of Golf (primarily Rule 19 for an unplayable ball or Rule 17 for a a ball in a penalty area). It involves picking your ball up and taking a drop, usually with a one-stroke penalty. One of your options when taking unplayable ball relief, for example, is to drop within two club-lengths of your ball, no nearer the hole. This sideways move is called lateral relief.

This article is focused on the first scenario: the recovery shot you actually hit with a club to get yourself out of jail.

When to Play a Lateral Instead of Risking It All

The decision to play a lateral shot comes down to honest self-assessment and a bit of a mental shift. You have to accept that advancing the ball isn't the priority. Your priority is to escape. Giving up a stroke to get back in position is almost always better than taking a wild swing that could lead to hitting another tree and ending up with a triple bogey or worse.

Consider playing a lateral shot in these common situations:

• You're Directly Behind a Tree: This is the classic scenario. If a tree trunk or heavy foliage completely blocks your path to the green or even to the fairway ahead, don't try to be a hero. The smart play is to find the quickest exit to the side.
• You're in Deep Trouble: If your ball is nestled in a thicket of bushes, dense woods, or other heavy vegetation, a forward punch shot might just ricochet further into trouble. A simple chip out to the side gets you free and clear.
• You're Against an Obstruction: Sometimes you find yourself tight against an out-of-bounds fence, a maintenance shed, or a large boundary rock. If the obstruction prevents you from making a backswing for a forward shot, a lateral shot is often your only move.
• You Have an Awkward Stance on a Steep Slope: If your ball is on a very severe sidehill or downhill lie where you can't maintain your balance for a full or even partial forward swing, chipping out sideways onto level ground is far safer. You can't make solid contact if you're falling over.

The mental discipline to take your medicine is huge. Most high-handicap golfers lose strokes not just from bad swings, but from bad decisions following those swings. Choosing to play a lateral isn't giving up on the hole, it's making a veteran move to save it.

How to Hit the Perfect Lateral Shot: A Step-by-Step Guide

Once you’ve made the smart decision to play sideways, the execution is fairly simple. It’s a low-stress, low-power shot that relies on good setup and a smooth tempo. Think of it less like a golf swing and more like a firm, long putt with an iron.

Step 1: Choose the Right Club

Leave your woods and long irons in the bag. You need a club you can control that will keep the ball low to avoid any overhanging branches. An 8-iron, 9-iron, or pitching wedge is usually the best choice. These clubs have enough loft to get the ball airborne just enough to hop over any small ground obstacles, but not so much loft that you risk sending it up into the trees. Using a less-lofted club like a 7-iron can also work well if the ground is very clean in front of you.

Step 2: Take Your Stance Sideways

This is the most important part of the setup. Completely reorient your body. Your "target" is no longer the green, it's the patch of fairway directly to your side.

• Aim Your Body: Set your feet, hips, and shoulders so they are square to this new target line. You should feel as though you are playing a short par-3 that's 90 degrees away from the actual hole.
• Aim Your Clubface: Point the clubface directly at your sideways target. A common mistake is to aim the body sideways but still subconsciously point the face slightly forward. Commit fully to the sideways path.
• Ball Position: Place the ball in the middle of your stance, just as you would for a standard chip shot. This ensures a clean, downward strike on the ball.

Step 3: Adjust Your Grip and Setup

Adopt your normal, neutral grip - this isn't a shot that requires any special hand positions. However, for added control, it’s a great idea to choke down on the handle an inch or two. This shortens the club, effectively making it easier to control the clubface and the length of the swing.

Your posture should be athletic but relaxed. Bend from your hips, let your arms hang naturally, and stand a comfortable distance from the ball. No need to get tense, this is a finesse shot.

Step 4: Execute a Simple, Smooth Swing

Power is your enemy here. The swing for a lateral shot is all about tempo and solid contact, driven by the rotation of your body, not a big, arm-heavy effort.

1. Shorten Your Backswing: Your backswing should feel very compact. Think about bringing the club back only to about waist height or, at most, hip height. A smaller swing promotes better control and prevents you from generating too much speed.
2. Just Turn: The swing itself should feel like a simple rotation of your torso. Turn your chest away from the "target" (the fairway) and then turn it back through. This body--driven motion, similar to a putting stroke, is much more reliable than trying to hit the ball with just your hands and arms.
3. Accelerate Through The Ball: Even though the swing is small, you still want to make an assertive stroke through the impact zone. Don't decelerate into the ball. Make a smooth, brushing motion that sends the ball on its way.
4. Abbreviated Follow-Through: Your follow-through should mirror your backswing - short and controlled. Finish with the club pointing towards your sideways target, with your chest rotated to face the fairway. Hold your finish and watch the ball roll to safety.

The goal is to produce a low, running shot that travels 10-20 yards and escapes the trouble. Nothing more, nothing less. Treat it like you're pitching onto a green, but your "green" is the fairway.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hitting a Lateral

• Getting Greedy: The number one error is trying to get a little forward direction on the shot. This fundamentally changes the swing, often causing you to catch a tree or branch you were trying to avoid. Commit 100% to going sideways.
• Too Much Swing: Taking a big, fast swing introduces all kinds of variables and robs you of control. Remember, it's a small feel shot.
• Lifting Your Head: It's tempting to peek early to see where the ball is going. Stay down through the shot and trust your setup. A simple, repeatable motion will get the job done.
• Wrong Club Choice: Grabbing a sand wedge with lots of loft is a common mistake that can cause the ball to pop up into overhanging leaves and branches, dropping it right back where you started. Keep it low.

Final Thoughts

Mastering the simple lateral shot is a true sign of a maturing golfer. It demonstrates good course management, emotional control, and the understanding that sometimes the smartest play is a strategic retreat. By swallowing your pride and punching out sideways, you give yourself the chance to recover and often save multiple strokes per round.

Knowing the theory is one thing, but making the right call under pressure on the course is another. When you're stuck in the trees and unsure whether a lateral is truly the best option, we built Caddie AI to analyze your exact situation in seconds. By snapping a photo of your lie, you can get immediate, expert advice on the smart play, helping you turn a potential blow-up hole into a manageable recovery and play your entire round with more confidence.