I always thought it was a stop shot stroke hit just a hair below center.
Punch Stroke....shorter backswing and shorter follow-through----Also, the punch shot can be described as "jab like".
A shorter backswing with a high speed is a recipe for an error. Accelerating the cue quickly can cause mechanics to break down and the tip to contact the cue ball somewhere other than where intended.
If you try to use a short backswing with higher speed, accelerate the cue you have to at a high rate, a jerk, and it's easy for you to make a mistake, and that's the last thing you want to do.
However, a solid player with punch shot savy can easily adjust to softer or harder speeds.
Sorry Stan, I wasn't disagreeing with the definition (which I think is great) or if some players can perform a punch stroke well, or not.
My point was to note how the length of the backswing can affect accuracy and speed, and cause errors for those who are trying to become solid players.