Golf A to Z Terminology and Definition

A

Ace: A score when the ball of a player tee-shot finish in the hole. This usually happened on a par-3.

Action: To impart backspin onto the ball.

Address: The act setting of the body and club up to the ball when preparing to hit a shot.

Aim: The direction in which your target lies and the direction you intend for your ball to go.

Aiming: The act of aligning the clubface to the target.

Albatross: A score of three strokes under par on a hole.

Alignment: The position of a player's body relative to the target line of the ball.

All Square: In match play, a match is all square (tied) when both players or teams have won the same number of holes.

Ambrose: A system of team play whereby each player takes a shot, and the ball is next played from the best position. All players then take a shot from this position, and so on.

Angle of Attack: A term that describes the relative angle which the clubhead approaches the ball at impact which, in turn, helps determine the distance and trajectory which the ball travels.

Approach: A shot hit towards the green.

Approach Shot: A shot intended to land the ball on the green.

Apron: The grass surface on the perimeter of the green that separates it from the fairway.

Attend (the Flagstick):  When a player holds and removes the flagstick for another player.

Axis: Generally refers to a straight line (the spine) that the upper body rotates around in the course of the golf swing.

B

Back nine: Holes 10 through 18 on a golf course.

Backswing: The motion that involves the club and every element of the body in taking the club away from the ball and setting it in position at the top of the backswing from which the club can be delivered to the ball at impact.

Backspin: The rotational movement or spin of the ball produced by contact with the clubface. The greater the backspin, the higher the ball will fly and the more it will spin, and therefore stop or even spin backwards on impact with the turf.

Balance: The proper distribution of weight both feet at address and throughout the swing.

Balata: A rubber-like substance used as a cover material for golf balls. Pure balata is rarely, if ever, used today. Instead, manufacturers use blends or synthetic material. Many players prefer balata or balata-like covers because it provides a softer feel. And can provide increased spin.

Ball (equipment): A small sphere used in playing golf, which is intended to be struck by a clubface and fly in the general direction of the green for a particular hole, if one is playing on a regulation golf course. The important thing is to be able to identify your ball and distinguish it from the balls used by other players. Normally this is done by noting the brand and number of a ball, though some players will often add personalized markings to further differentiate their own ball of choice.

Ball-marker: Any small object used to indicate where a player's ball is on the green. Coins are common ball-markers.

Ballmark Tool: A Tool used to repair an indentation on the green caused by the ball on an approach shot (often inaccurately called a Divot Tool).

Banana-ball: An extreme slice.

Bare Lie: When your ball is almost completely visible and free from interference from the grass or other surface.

Barkie: Achieving a score of par or better on a hole after the ball hits a tree on the same hole.

Baseball grip: A Grip style with all ten fingers on the grip of the club. Also known as the "Ten-Finger Grip".

Best ball: A game for two teams of two players, in which each player plays all of their shots, and the low score on each side counts as the team's score for the hole.

Birdie: A score of one under par on a hole.

Bite: Heavy backspin applied to a ball that causes it to stop quickly instead of rolling when it lands.

Blade (equipment): A term used to describe the type of iron made by forging the metal rather than from a cast mold.

Bladed Shot: Often referred to as a "skulled" shot, it occurs when the top half of the ball is struck with the bottom portion of an iron clubhead, resulting a low-running shot.

Blind: A shot that does not allow the golfer to see where the ball will land, such as onto an elevated green from below.

Bobbing: The act of raising and lowering (or lowering and raising) the swing center in the course of the swing action.

Block: A swing movement in which the rotation of the forearms is delayed or prevented throughout the hitting area, generally producing a shot that flies to the right of the target.

Bogey: A score of one over par on a hole.

Borrow: The amount of break a player allows for when hitting a breaking putt.

Bounce angle (equipment): The measure of the angle from the front edge of a club's sole to the point that rests on the ground when addressing the ball. Clubs (usually wedges) with a higher bounce angle will resist digging into the turf.

Bowed: The position of the wrists at the top of the backswing in which the top wrist is bent slightly inward.

Break: The amount a putt will curve to the side because of the slope, grain and wind that affect the movement of the ball. (The swale in the middle of the green produced a tremendous break on Palmer's putt).

Bulge (equipment): See Horizontal Face Bulge.

Bump and Run: A pitch shot around the green in which the player hits the ball into a slope to deaden its speed before settling on the green and rolling towards the hole.

Bunker: A hollow comprised of sand or grass or both that exists as an obstacle and, in some cases, a hazard.

Bunker Fairway: A hazard of bare earth or sand usually in a recessed depression. Grass and wooden walls or banks are not part of the hazard.

C

Caddie: A person paid to carry a player's clubs and offer advice. Players are responsible for the actions of their caddies.

Carry: How far the ball travels through the air.

Carry distance: The distance a ball will fly in the air, usually to carry a hazard or safely reach a target.

Carryover: When a hole is tied in a match and the bet is carried over to the next hole.

Cambered Sole (equipment): A rounding of the sole of the club to reduce drag. A four-way cambered sole is one that is rounded at every edge of a iron.

Cart (equipment): A hand-pulled cart for carrying a bag of clubs, also now available in powered versions controlled by remote.

Casting: An uncocking of the wrists prematurely on the downswing, resulting in a loss of power and control. Also known as "hitting from the top".

Casual water: Any temporary standing water visible after a player has taken his stance. Snow and ice can also be taken as casual water, as well as water that overflows the banks of existing water hazards.

Cavity-back (equipment): A type of iron in which a portion of the back of the clubhead is hollowed out and the weight distributed around the outside edges of the clubhead. (The cavity-back irons were far more forgiving than his old blades).

Center of Gravity: That point in the human body, in the pelvic area, where the body's weight and mass are equally balanced.

Center of Gravity (equipment): The center of gravity is sometimes referred to as the “sweet spot” of the clubhead. While this can express the “feel” of hitting the ball on the clubhead’s center of gravity is one small spot point inside the clubhead. The sweet spot then must be understood as the portion of the striking face on the clubhead where an off-center impact does not substantially twist the clubhead or vibrate the hands.

Centrifugal Force: The action in a rotating body that tends to move mass away from the center. It is the force you feel in the downswing that pulls the clubhead outward and downward, extending the arms and encouraging to take a circular path.

Center of Rotation: The axis or swing center that the body winds and unwinds around during the swing. (A stable center of rotation is an important element is solid ball-striking).

Chicken wing: A swing flaw in which the lead elbow bends at an angle pointed away from the body, usually resulting in a blocked or pushed shot.

Chip: A short shot played from very close to and around the green, that is intended for the ball to travel through the air over a very short distance and roll the remainder of the way to the hole.

Chip and Run: A low-running shot played around the greens where the ball spends more time on the ground than in the air.

Choke Down: The act of gripping down on the shaft, which is generally believed to provide greater control.

Chunk: A swing that results in the clubhead hitting the ground several inches before the ball, resulting in a large "chunk" of ground being taken as a divot.

Clone: A term for generic brand golf clubs.

Closed Clubface: The position formed when the face of the clubhead is point to left of the target line, either at address or impact, which causes the ball to fly to the left of the target line after impact.

Closed Clubface (swing): A position during the swing in which the clubface is angled to the left of the target line or swing plane, generally resulting in shots hit to the left of the target.

Closed Grip: A term referred to as a strong grip because both hands are turned away from the target.

Closed Stance: A description of a stance when the rear foot is pulled back away from the target line.

Closed-to-Open: A swing in which the clubhead is closed on the backswing but then manipulated into an open position on the downswing to impact on the ball.

Club (equipment): A tool for the player to hit the ball. Maximum 14 clubs are allowed by the rules.

Clubface (equipment): The angled surface of the clubhead that is used to strike the golf ball. The center of the clubface is known as the "sweet spot." Players should strive to hit the ball on the center of the clubface to maximize energy transfer for distance and accuracy of the ball flight.

Clubhouse: This is where play begins and ends. The clubhouse is also your source for information about local rules, the conditions of the course, upcoming events and other essential information for the avid golfer. Normally, you can also purchase balls, clubs, clothes, and other golfing equipment at the clubhouse’s pro shop.

Cocked Wrists: A description of the hinging motion of the wrists during the backswing in which the hands are turned clockwise. Ideally, the wrists are fully cocked at the beginning of the downswing.

Coefficient of Restitution (equipment): COR is a barometer measurement of energy loss/retention. For example, Elastic Collision = COR 1.0 =All Energy Retained. Inelastic Collision = COR 0.0 =All Energy Lost (like dropping a chewing gum on the floor). Currently the COR of Drivers is 0.7 to 0.8. The other factors that can influence the COR are face size/thickness, impact stress by various swing speed and ball's materials.

Coil: The turning of the body during the backswing.

Come Over the Top: A motion beginning the downswing that sends the club outside the ideal plane (swing path) and delivers the clubhead from outside the target line at impact. This is sometimes known as an outside-to-inside swing.

Compression (equipment): A measure of the relative hardness of a golf ball ranging from 100 (hardest) to 80 (softest). (Like most powerful players, he preferred a 100-compression ball).

Connection: A description of a swing in which all the various body parts work harmoniously to produce a solid, fluid motion.

Come-backer: A putt required after the previous putt went past the hole.

Conservation of Angular Momentum (COAM): A law of physics that allows the player to produce large amounts of kinetic energy. As the body shifts weight and turns towards the target in the forward swing, the mass (arms and club) is pulled away from the center into an extended position by centrifugal force. By temporary resisting that pull as well as the temptation to assist the hit by releasing too early, one maintains the angle formed between the club’s shaft and the left arm and conserves the energy until a more advantageous moment. This has been referred to as a "delayed hit," a "late hit," "connection," "lag loading," "the keystone" or COAM, but when performed correctly may simply be called "good timing."

Croquet Style: A putting stance popularized by Sam Snead in which the player stands aside the ball, facing the hole, holds the club with a widely-split grip, and strikes the ball with a croquet-type stroke. A similar style, in which the player faced the hole with the ball positioned between the feet, was banned by the United States Golf Association. (A croquet-style putting stroke is popular among players who suffer from the yips).

Cross-Handed: A grip style in which the left (or lead) hand is placed below the right hand (in other words, a grip that is the opposite of the traditional grips.

Cupped Wrist:  A position in which the left or top hand is hinged outward at the top of the backswing.

Cuppy Lie: A ball lie position when the ball is sitting down slightly, usually in a small depression.

Cut Shot: A shot played with a slightly open clubface and a swing path that travels out to in. The result is a soft fade that produces additional backspin and causes the ball to stop quickly on the green.

Cut or the cut: after the first two rounds of a four days tournament, a select number of players will have earned the right to play over the weekend for a chance to win the championship on Sunday, by having a score at or lower than this number. The cut is calculated as (??) the mean average? median average? of all scores. As an example, if 5 players in a tournament score respectively 148, 144, 142, 140, and 146, then 142 would be the cut, and those scoring higher will watch as those who scored lower play on through the weekend.

D

Dead: TV-broadcaster slang for a shot in which there is no favorable outcome possible.

Dead Hands: A shot in which the hands remain relatively passive in the hitting area, resulting in a shot that flies a shorter distance than it normally would.

Deep-Faced Driver (equipment): A driver with greater-than-standard height on its face.

Decelerate: A decreasing of the clubhead speed in the hitting area.

Delayed Hit: A golf term used to describe the Conservation of Angular Momentum.

Divot: The chunk of grass and soil (either fairway or rough) displaced when an iron or wedge shot is played. The indentation on the green caused by the ball on an approach shot is called a pitch mark, not a divot).

Dogballs: Scoring an 'eight' on any single golf hole. The origin of the term is in reference to what the number 'eight' looks like on its side.

Dormie: In match play, a player is dormie. When leading a match by as many holes as there are left (i.e. 4 up with 4 holes to play). The player who is down must win every hole to save the match and force its continuation past the last regular hole (if a winner must be determined) or halve the match (in a team competition such as the Ryder Cup).

Double Bogey: A score of two over par on a hole.

Downswing: The swing forward from the top of the backswing. (The clubhead accelerated smoothly on the downswing).

Double Cross: A shot whereby a player intends for a slice and hits a hook, or conversely, intends to play a draw and hits a slice. So called because the player has aimed left (in the case of a slice) and compounds this with hitting a hook, which moves left as well.

Draw: A shot that, for a right-handed golfer, curves slightly to the left of the target; often played intentionally by skilled golfers. An overdone draw usually becomes a hook.

Drive: A tee shot of great length, usually done with a driver.

Driver: A type of golf club.

Driving Range: Another term for a practice area. Also known as a golf range, practice range.

Duck Hook: A shot that flies sharply from right to left for right-handed players. It is usually hit unintentionally, since it is difficult to control.

Dynamic Balance: Transferring the focus of weight appropriately during the golf swing while maintaining body control.

E

Eagle: A score of two-under-par on a hole.

Early Hit: When a player prematurely releases the cocking of the wrists on the downswing, resulting in a loss of power at impact. This is also known as "casting from the top."

Effective Loft: The actual loft on a club at impact as opposed to the loft design of the club. Effective loft is determined by, among other things, the lie and the position of the hands relative to the ball at impact.

Etiquette: Etiquette is the long established procedures and customs about the game is played.

Explosion: A shot played from a sand bunker, usually when the ball has buried or settled down into the sand.

Extension: The width of the swing as measured by the target arm on the backswing and the trail arm on the follow-through.

F

Face Progression (equipment): The distance measured in inches or millimeters from the centerline axis of the hosel bore to the most forward point of the leading edge on the clubhead. While it is technical specification that has chiefly been used in metalwood design, face progression can be measured and expressed on metalwood heads, iron heads, wedges and putter.

Fade: A shot that, for a right-handed golfer, curves slightly to the right; often played intentionally by skilled golfers. An overdone fade usually becomes a slice.

Fairway: The short grass between the tee box and the green.

Fat Shot: A description of a shot when the clubhead strikes the turf behind the ball, resulting in poor contact and a shot that comes up well short of the target.

Flange (equipment): A portion of the sole of a club such as a sand wedge or putter. (The wedge's wide flange made it an effective club from the deep, powdery sand).

Flat Swing: A swing that is more horizontal and less vertical in plane than is typical.

Flier: A shot where the ball is in the rough and grass is likely to become trapped between the ball and the clubface at the moment of impact. Flier lies often result in "flier shots", which have little or no spin (due to the blades of grass blocking the grooves on the clubface) and travel much farther than intended.

Flip Shot: A shot, usually played with a wedge, that involves a wristy swing movement to hit the ball a short distance but with a lot of height.

Floater: A ball struck from the deep grass that comes out slowly and travels a shorter distance because of the heavy cushioning effect of the grass between the ball and the clubface.

Flop shot: A short shot, played with an open stance and an open clubface, designed to travel very high in the air and land softly on the green. The flop shot is useful when players do not have "much green to work with", but should only be attempted on the best of lies.

Fluffy Lie: A lie in which the ball rests atop the longish grass. This can be a tricky lie because the tendency is to swing the clubhead under the ball, reducing the distance it carries.

Fly: The distance the ball carries (He can fly the ball 280 yards with his driver).

Follow-through: That part of the swing that occurs after the ball has been struck.

Footwork: The coordinated action of the lower body during the golf swing.

Fore: "Fore!" is shouted as a warning when it appears possible a ball may hit other players or spectators.

Forward Press: A slight movement of the hands and arms (and occasionally the legs) that initiate the golf swing.

Forward Swing: The downward motion of the hands, arms and club from the top of the backswing to impact. Another terms for downswing.

Fourballs: In fourballs teams of 2 players compete against each other. There are four balls in play at any time, one for each player, with the player with the lowest score among the four competitors winning the hole for his team. This shouldn’t be confused with the term ‘fourball’, which is often used to describe a casual or social game with 4 players. Fourballs are the opening matches played on the Friday and Saturday of the Ryder Cup.

Foursomes: In foursomes teams of 2 players compete against each other. Players alternate hitting the same ball. The first player tees off, the second player hits the second shot, the first player hits the third shot, and so on until the ball is holed. Players alternate hitting tee shots so that the same player doesn't hit every drive; therefore, one member of each team will always tee-off on the odd holes and the other will tee off on the even holes. Only one ball is used by each pairing in foursomes. If Player A teed off on the first hole and Player B holed the final putt, Player B would still tee off at the second, even though this means in effect 2 consecutive shots (over 2 holes) by Player B. The team with the lowest score wins the hole. Foursomes can be played as stroke play or match play. As match play, foursomes are the matches played on the Friday and Saturday afternoon of the Ryder Cup, with 4 ‘foursome’ matches being played on each day.

Fried Egg: A term for a ball buried in the sand situation.

Front nine: Holes 1 through 9 on a golf course.

G

Gimme: It is a shot on the putt green that the other players agree can count automatically without actually being played (under the assumption that the putt would not have been missed). "Gimmes" are not allowed by the rules in stroke play, but this is often practiced in casual matches.

Golf Etiquette: Etiquette is the long established procedures and customs about the game is played.

Golf range: A facility where people can practice their golf swings by hitting balls and, in some cases, their short games. The golf Range is also where beginner golfer learnt the golf swing techniques.

Grain: The direction which the blades of grass grow, which is of primary importance on the greens (particularly Bermuda grass greens) as this can affect how much and in which direction a putt breaks.

Grand Slam: The Modern (or Professional) Grand Slam describes winning the four professional Major Championships -- the PGA Championship, the Masters and the United States and British Opens -- in a calendar year. The Career Grand Slam describes winning each of these events once in a career. Only Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have accomplished this. No one has ever won the Modern Grand Slam. In 1930, Bobby Jones won the U.S and British Amateurs and Opens, a feat which was termed the Grand Slam and has never been duplicated. The 28-year old Jones retired from competitive golf that year. In addition, The PGA of America's Grand Slam of Golf is a late-season event that features the winners of that year's four Professional Major championships.

Green or putting green: The area of specially prepared grass around the hole, where putts are played.

Greenkeeper: An older, outdated term for the course superintendent.

Greensomes: In greensomes teams of 2 players compete against each other; greensomes is a variation of foursomes. Players alternate hitting the same ball on every hole; however, both players tee off on every hole, with each team selecting the best tee shot on that hole. The first player becomes the player on that hole with the chosen tee shot and the second player hits the second shot i.e. the first player’s ball from its position after the tee shot. The first player then hits the third shot, and so on until the chosen ball is holed. The team with the lowest score wins the hole.

Green in regulation (GIR): A green is considered hit "in regulation" if any part of the ball is touching the putting surface and the number of strokes taken is 2 or less than par, i.e. with the first stroke on a par-3 hole, second stroke on a par-4, etc. Greens in Regulation percentage is a statistic kept by the PGA Tour.

Grip (Equipment): That part of the golf club where the hands are placed.

Grip: The placing and positioning of the hands on the club. The various types include the Vardon or overlapping, the interlocking and the 10-finger or baseball grip. (The Vardon grip is the most popular grip today). There is also the reverse-overlapping grip, in which the index finger of the left or top hand overlaps the smallest finger of the right or bottom hand. This is primarily used in putting, although some players use this grip when chipping the ball.

Groove (equipment): The horizontal scoring lines on the face of the club that help impart spin on the ball.

Ground: When referred to in the Rules of Golf, it means the point when the club touches the ground (or water) prior to playing the shot. (It is against the Rules of Golf to ground your club in a hazard).

Group Lesson: A teaching session in which several students work with one or more golf teaching Professionals. This type of lesson is particularly effective for beginners, especially juniors.

Ground Under Repair (GUR): An area of the golf course that is being repaired. A free drop is allowed if the ball lands in an area marked "GUR".

H

Halved: In match play, a hole is halved (drawn) when both players or teams have played the same number of strokes.

Handicap: The term “Handicap” in a golf game is the official level of playing skill in a competitive game. For inter-club competition, the rating generally is A-division 12 and below, B-division 13 to 18 and C-division is 19 to 24. The men will start with a 24 and women with 36.

Hardpan: A lie consisting of very hard turf.

Hazard: Physical aspects of the course such as sand or water traps, hills, and bunkers that impede play and add strokes.

Heel (equipment): The part of the clubhead nearest the hosel.

Heel and Toe Weighted (equipment): A club design where weight is distributed towards the heel and toe of a club, usually an iron, to reduce the effect of mis-hits.

High Side: The side of the hole that a putt breaks from.

Hitter: A player who favors a forceful, aggressive style of swing.

Hole In One (or ace): A score when the ball of a player tee-shot finish in the hole. This usually happened on a par-3.

Hook: A undesired poor shot that, for a right-handed golfer, curves sharply to the left (may occasionally be played intentionally but is difficult to control).

Horizontal Face Bulge (equipment): Horizontal bulge is normally referred to simply as bulge, with the assumption that bulge only refers to curvature in the horizontal plane, toe to heel on the metalwood head. Bulge is measured in inches or millimeters of the curvature and is different for each metalwood head, depending upon the breadth of the head.

Hosel (equipment): The part of the club connecting the shaft to the clubhead.

Hosel Offset(equipment): A technical specification more predominant within the irons head, wedge and putter designs, hosel offset is the distance measured in inches or millimeters from the forward side of the hosel to the most forward point of the leading edge of the clubface.

I

Interlocking grip: A grip style where (for right-handed players) the little finger of the right hand is hooked around the index finger of the left. Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods use the interlocking grip.

Iron (equipment): A type of club for hitting the golf balls.

Inside-to-In: A description of the swing path that, all things being equal, will produce the greatest percentage of solid, straight and on-target shots. It refers to a path in which the clubhead travels from inside the target line, to impact, and then back inside the target line.

Inside-to-Out: A description of the swing path in which the clubhead approaches the ball from inside the target line and, after contact, continues to the outside of the target line before turning back to the inside of the target line.

Impact: The moment in the swing when the clubface strikes the ball.

Intended Line of Flight: The direction a player plans for his ball to begin after impact.

Iron Byron (equipment): A testing device modeled after Byron Nelson's swing. It is used to test clubs and balls.

J

Jersey Bounce: Any ball that is advanced toward the green by virtue of the ball striking a cartpath, or highway running alongside a fairway, and remains or returns in bounds.

K

Knock-down: A type of shot designed to have a very low trajectory, usually employed to combat strong winds.

Kinesiology: The scientific study of man's movement and the movements of implements or equipment that he might use in exercise, sport or other forms of physical activity.

Kinetic Energy: The form of energy associated with the speed of an object. Its equation is: KE=1/2mv2(squared); or kinetic energy= ? mass x velocity squared. (It is obvious from the formula that increasing clubhead velocity has more potential for producing distance than increasing the clubhead weight.)

L

Lag: A shot (usually a pitch, chip or putt) designed to finish short of the target. (Since the green was severely sloped from back to front, he hit a lag putt that stopped just short of the hole.)

Lagging: On the downswing, how far the clubhead "lags" behind the hands prior to release.

Lateral Slide or Shift: A body movement early in the forward swing in which the hips begin to slide to the target and rotate while, at the same time, weight begins to shift from the trail side to the target side. The timing of this motion is crucial to a proper swing.

Lay Off: When the swing plane flattens out at the top of the back swing, it causes the club to point to the side of the target and the face to close.

Lay-up: To hit a conservative shot intentionally short of the target or hazard.

Level-Par: A term describing a score of even par.

Lever System: The skeletal system is composed of numerous bones which, in mechanical terms, act as levers. The two primary levers in the golf swing are: 1) the target arm, comprised of the radius and ulna of the lower arm and the humerus in the upper arm, and 2) the club when the target wrist becomes cocked.

Lie: The position of the ball when it has come to rest on the ground.

Lie angle (equipment): The angle in degrees between the center line of the hosel and the sole of the clubhead, when the sole is touching the ground at the center of the face scoring area. Incorrect "lie angle" calibration will result in toe-first or heel-first contact with the ground when swinging the club.

Line: The intended path of the ball, usually referred to in the context of putting.

Line of Flight: The actually path of the ball.

Links: The term for a course built on linksland, which is land reclaimed from the ocean. It is not just another term for a golf course. (The Old Course at St. Andrews is the most famous links in the world.)

Lob Shot: A short, high shot, usually played with a wedge, designed to land softly.

Loft angle (equipment): The angle in degrees between a plane that intersects the center of the striking clubface and a vertical plane which is perpendicular to the sole line. The putter has the least loft angle and the sand wedge has most loft angle.

Loft: A description of the of hitting a shot.

Long Irons (equipment): The no. 1 to 4 irons. (The long irons are often difficult for people to hit, so golf professionals often recommend replacing them with fairway woods.)

Looking Up: The act of prematurely lifting your head to follow the flight of the ball, which also raises the swing center and can result in erratic ballstriking.

Loop: The shape of the swing when the backswing and forward swing are in different planes. (Jim Furyk has a distinct loop in his swing but his swing is very effective).

Loosened Grip: Any time a player opens his fingers and loses control of the club. When this happens at the top of the backswing, it is often referred to as "playing the flute".

M

Mechanics: The mechanics of a golf swing or putting stroke.

Medal play: Style of scoring in which the player with the fewest strokes wins. Most professional tournaments are medal play. Also known as "stroke play".

Mis-read: When a player takes an incorrect line on a putt.

Middle or Mid-irons: The no. 5 to 7 irons.

Mulligan: The custom of hitting a second ball without penalty on a hole, usually the 1st tee. (Mulligans are not allowed according to the Rules of Golf).

Mickey Mantle: making a score of 7 on a hole.

N

Nassau: A type of bet between golfers that is essentially three separate bets. Money is wagered on the best score in the front 9, back 9, and total 18 holes.

O

Off-Green Putting: When a player choose to putt from off the green rather than chip.

Offset (equipment): A measure of the distance between the leading edge of the hosel and the leading edge of the clubface.

One-Piece Takeaway: Sometimes called the "modern" takeaway, it describes the beginning of the backswing when the hands, arms and wrists move away from the ball, maintaining the same relationship they had at address.

Open Clubface: When, either at address or during the swing, the heel of the clubhead is leading the toe, causing the clubface to point to the side of the target.

Open Grip: Also referred to as a weak grip, it is when the hands are turned counter-clockwise on the club.

Open Stance: When the left or lead foot is pulled back farther from the target line than the rear or right foot. This stance generally helps promote a left-to-right ball flight.

Open-to-Closed: A description of the movement of the clubface when a player fans it open on the backswing and then closes it at impact.

Ostrich: A score when a hole played five strokes under par. This is widely considered impossible, requiring a hole in one on a par six.

Outside-to-In: A description of a swing path when the clubhead approaches the ball from outside the target line and then continues to the inside of that line following impact.

Out-of-bounds: The area designated as being outside the boundaries of the course. When a shot lands "O.B.", the player "loses stroke and distance," meaning that he/she must hit another shot from the original spot and is assessed a one-stroke penalty. Out-of-bounds areas are usually indicated by white posts.

Overclub: To pick the wrong club, usually for an approach shot, causing the ball to go over the green.

P

Pace: The speed at which a putt should be moving to get to the hole. Pace and break are the two components of green-reading.

Par: (apocryphally an abbreviation for "professional average result"), standard score for a hole (defined by its length) or a course (sum of all the holes' pars).

Paddle Grip: A putting grip with a flat surface where the thumbs rest.

Path: The direction the club travels during the swing or the putting stroke.

Pendulum Stroke: In putting, a stroke that moves the clubhead back and forth on a constant line, without deviation.

PGA: Any Professional Golfers' Association, especially the Professional Golfers' Association of America.

Pin-high: Where the hole on the green is position on the back portion of the green.

Pinch Shot: A shot played around the green in which a player strikes the ball with a crisp, clean descending blow.

Pistol Grip: A grip, usually on a putter, that is built up under the left or top hand.

Pitch: A short shot (typically from within 50 yards), usually played with a higher lofted club and made using a less than full swing, that is intended to flight the ball towards a target (usually the hole) with greater accuracy than a full iron shot.

Pitch-and-Run: A shot from around the green, usually with a middle or short iron, where the ball carries in the air for a short distance before running towards the hole.

Pitch mark: Another term for a divot on the green caused when a ball lands. Players must repair their pitch marks, usually with a tee or a divot tool.

Pivot: The rotation of the body around a relatively fixed point, usually the spine.

Plugged Lie: A undesired lie when the ball comes to rest in its own pitch mark, usually in a bunker or soft turf. In the bunker where the ball is at least half-buried in sand. Also known as a "buried lie" or a "fried egg".

Plumb-bob: A method many players use to help them determine the amount a putt will break. It involves positioning yourself behind the ball and holding the putter vertically so it covers the ball. In theory, the shaft of the putter will indicate the amount the ball will break. It does not, however, measure the speed of the green, which is an important element is reading a putt.

Pop-up: A poor tee shot where the top of the clubhead strikes under the ball, causing it to go straight up in the air. In addition to being bad shots, pop-ups frequently leave white scuff-marks on the top of the clubhead. Also known as "sky shots".

Press: To try and hit the ball harder than usual. This also describes an extra effort to play well. In betting terms, it's an additional bet made after a player falls behind in a match.

Pre-Shot Routine: The actions a player takes from the time he selects a club until he begins the swing.

Private Lesson: Generally speaking, when a teaching Professional gives a lesson to a single students.

Pro: A professional is a golfer or person who plays or teaches golf for financial reward, may work as a touring pro in professional competitions, or as a teaching pro.

Pronation: An inward rotation of the hands towards the body’s centerline when standing in a palms-facing-forward position. (The term was inaccurately used for many years to describe the rotation of both hands through the impact area. In fact, one hand, the right, was pronating while the left was supinating. Obviously, it is impossible to pronate both hands through the shot.)

Pulled Hook: A shot that begins to the side of the target line and continues to curve even further away.

Pulled Shot: A relatively straight shot that begins to the side of the target and doesn't curve back.

Pulled Slice: A shot that starts well to the side of the target but curves back to the target.

Punch shot: a shot played with a very low trajectory, usually to avoid interference from tree branches when a player is hitting from the woods. Similar to the knock-down, it can also be used to avoid high winds.

Push: a shot played severely to the right; as opposed to slices, which curve from left to right, a pushed shot goes directly right. Similar to the "block". Also, term used in Match Play where neither competitor wins the hole.

Pushed Hook: A shot that begins to the side of the target but curves back to the target.

Pushed Shot: A straight shot that starts to the side of the target.

Pushed Slice: A shot that starts to the side of the target and curves further away.

Putt: A shot played on the green, usually with a putter.

Putter (equipment): A special golf club with a very low loft that makes the ball roll on the putting green.

Q

Q-School: PGA or LPGA Tour Qualifying School, a week-long, six-round tournament in which the Top 30 finishers (of nearly 200 entrants) earn their "Tour Cards", making them exempt for the following year's tour. Aside from the major championships, Q-School may be the most pressure-filled tournament in golf.

R

Radius: The distance between the center of the swing arc (the target or forward shoulder) and the hands on the grip.

Raised Swing Center: Elevating the central area in the body (somewhere between the top of the spine and the center of the neck) around which rotation takes place. What the novice frequently refers to as "looking up" and results in a swing that is too high.

Rap: To hit a putt with a short, firm stroke.

Reading the Green (or Putt): The entire process involved in judging the break and path of a putt.

Recover: To successfully hit a shot from a poor location.

Release: The point on the downswing at which the wrists uncock, the clubhead square to the ball at impact, producing a powerful shot.

Reverse Weight Shift: A swing flaw in which the weight moves forward on the backswing instead of to the back leg.

Rhythm: The coordination of movement during the golf swing or putting stroke.

Road Hole: The par-4 no.17th hole at the Old Course at St. Andrews, one of the most famous and difficult holes in the world.

Roll (equipment): see Vertical Face Roll.

Rough: The grass that borders the fairway, usually taller and coarser than the fairway.

Round Robin: A tournament format in which players or team play a variety of other teams, the winner being the player or team that accumulates the highest number of points.

S

Sandbagger: A golfer that carries a higher official handicap than his skills indicate, eg, carries an eight, plays to a two. Sandbaggers usually artificially inflate their handicaps with the intent of winning bets on the course, a practice that most golfers consider cheating.

Sand Save:  When a player gets up and down from a greenside sand bunker, regardless of score on the hole. Sand Save percentage is a player statistic kept by the PGA Tour.

Sand Trap: A greenside sand filled bunker as opposed to a grass or waste bunker.

Sand Wedge (equipment): A lofted club designed especially for playing out of a bunker.

Sandie: A Sand Save (see above) that results in a score of par or better. Sandies are counted as points in some social golf games.

Scoring Clubs: The driver, putter and sand wedge.

Scotch foursomes: In scotch foursomes teams of 2 players compete against each other. Players alternate hitting the same ball. The first player tees off, the second player hits the second shot, the first player hits the third shot, and so on until the ball is holed. To this point, the definition of ‘scotch foursomes’ is the same as that of ordinary ‘foursomes’; however, players do not alternate hitting tee shots as they would in foursomes. If Player A teed off on the first hole and Player B holed the final putt, Player B would not tee off at the second, meaning that Player A could, in theory, play every tee shot on the round. The team with the lowest score wins the hole.

Scramble: To recover from trouble or a popular form of team play in which the team members pick the ball in the best position and everyone plays from that spot.

Scratch golfer: A player's whose handicap equals zero.

Separation: When any of the various body parts and/or the club move either faster or slower that the other elements of the swing.

Setup: The process of addressing the ball, so that the club and body are properly aimed and aligned.

Shaft Bend Point (equipment): The position of maximum deflection on the shaft when the shaft is subjected to a bending force.

Shaft Flex (equipment): The shaft’s resistance to bending when subjected to a longitudinal force.

Shaft Torque (equipment): The shaft’s resistance to twisting when subjected to a specific rotational force.

Shank: A severe mishit in when the ball is struck on the hosel of the club, usually sending it shooting off to the right.

Short game: Comprised of shots that take place on or near the green. Putting, chipping, pitching, and bunker play are all aspects of short game.

Shape: To curve a shot to fit the situation. The word is also used to describe the flight of the ball.

Short Irons: The 8 and 9 irons and the pitching wedge. The sand wedge is considered a scoring or specialty club.

Shut: A position in the swing when the clubface is closed relative to the target line.

Sit: Telling the ball to drop softly, and not roll after landing.

Skin: A skins game pits players in a type of match play in which each hole has a set value (usually in money or points). The player who wins the hole is said to win the "skin," and whatever that skin is worth. Skins games are often more dramatic than standard match play because holes are not halved. When players tie on a given hole, the value of that hole is carried over and added to the value of the following hole. The more ties, the greater the value of the skin and the bigger the eventual payoff.

Sky: A high, short shot caused by the clubhead striking the underside of the ball.

Sole (equipment): It is the bottom of a clubhead.

Sole  When referring to the swing, it is the point when the sole of the club touches the ground at address.

Sole-Weighted: A design, usually for fairway woods, that incorporates additional weight along the sole of the club. This makes it easier to get the ball into the air and is also effective from the rough.

Square:  A term frequently used in golf. It can be used to describe a stance (His feet, hips and shoulders were all square to the target line) or the clubface (His club was perfectly square to the target line) or to describe contact with the ball (The key to greater driving distance is making square contact). It can also refer to the status of a match (The were all-square (tied) at the turn).

Slice:  A poor shot that, for a right-handed golfer, curves sharply from the left to the right (may occasionally be played intentionally but is difficult to control). 9 out of 10 golfers suffer from slicing the ball.

Smothered Hook: A low, right to left shot that dives quickly to the ground. The cause is an extremely closed clubface.

Snap Hook: A severe hook that usually goes directly left rather than curving from right to left. Also known by the somewhat redundant term "Pull-Hook".

Snowman: An eight on a hole.

Splash Shot: A shot played from a good lie in the bunker. The club "splashes" through the sand, throwing the ball into the air.

Spoon: A term for a 3-wood that is seldom used today.

Spot: Another term for marking the ball on the green so it might be lifted.

Spot Putting: Using an intermediate target such as a discolored blade of grass or an old ball mark as a means of aiming a putt.

Stableford Scoring System: a scoring system using points. The winner accumulates more points over the course of a round. Stableford points are awarded as 1 point for one stroke over a fixed score, perhaps par, on a hole; 2 points for the fixed score; 3 points for one stroke under the fixed score; 4 points for two strokes under the fixed score; etc. There are "modified" Stableford scoring techniques, like that used in the International Tournament on the PGA Tour, which award points (or loss of points) for various scores over or under a fixed score.

Stance: The position of the feet at address.

Steer: An attempt to guide the flight of the ball that usually results in a loss of distance.

Straight-Faced: The description of a club with very little loft, such as a driving iron, or a driver that lacks the standard bulge and roll.

Stroke Play: Also known as medal play, it is a form of competition based on the cumulative number of strokes taken, either over one round or several. (Most professional tournaments are stroke play events).

Strong Grip: A terms used to describe a grip in which the hands are turned counter-clockwise on the grip.

Supination: An outward rotation of the hands (thumbs turning out) away from the body's centerline when standing in a palms-facing-the-body position. In the golf swing it is the right-hand rotation motion on the backswing and the left's on the forward swing.

Swing: The movement a golf player makes with his/her club to hit the ball. A golf swing is made up of a series of complex mechanical body movements. A perfect golf swing is regarded as the "holy grail" of the sport, and there are many approaches as to how to achieve "perfection".

Swaying: An exaggerated lateral movement of the body on either the backswing, forward swing, or both, which results in inconsistent shotmaking.

Sweet Spot: The point on the clubface where, if it is struck with an object, the clubface will not torque or twist to either side. (To find the sweet spot on his putter, he held the grip with his thumb and forefinger and let it hang vertically. Then he tapped the face of the putter with the eraser-end of a pencil until the putter head moved back without any twisting).

Swing Arc: The entire path the clubhead makes in the course of a swing. It is a combination of the swing's width and length.

Swing Center: A point, usually near the base of the neck and the top of the spine, around which the arms and upper body rotate during the swing.

Swinger: A player whose swing is based on timing and rhythm, as opposed to a "hitter," whose swing is based on sheer power.

Swing Plane: An imaginary surface that describes the path and angle of the club during the swing. (As a rule, tall players tend to have a more upright swing plane than shorter players).

Swingweight (equipment): The expression of the weight distribution of a golf club about a fixed fulcrum point. Swingweight is not an actual weight but is supposed to be a way to compare the weight distribution of one club to any other.

Swingweight Scale: A device for measuring swingweight. (Every PGA Professional knows how to use a swingweight machine).

T

Takeaway: The movement of the club at the start of the backswing.

Tap-in: A ball that has come to rest very close to the hole, leaving only a very short putt to be played. Often recreational golfers will "concede" tap-ins to each other to save time.

Target Line: An imaginary (often visualized) line drawn behind and through the ball to the point a player is aiming. If the player is planning to curve the ball, this point is the initial - not the ultimate - target.

Tee (part of the course): The specially prepared area, usually grass, from which the first stroke for each hole is made (teeing ground in official terminology). Also known as the “Tee Box”.

Tee (equipment): a small peg - made of wood or plastic - placed in the teeing ground, upon which the golf ball may be placed prior to the first stroke on a hole.

Tee Box: The area where players tee to start a hole.

Tempo: The speed of the swing (not necessarily the clubhead speed).

Texas Wedge: A term describing a shot played with a putter from well off the green. It is a good shot for players who lack confidence in their chipping and pitching, or in extremely windy conditions.

Thin shot: a poor shot where the clubhead strikes too high up on the ball, resulting in a shallow flight path. Also known as "skulling" or "blading" the ball.

Three-Quarter Shot: A shot played with a shortened backswing and lessened arm speed.

Through line: When putting, the imaginary path that a ball would travel on should the putted ball go past the hole. Usually observed by PGA players and knowledgeable golfers when retrieving or marking a ball around the hole.

Tier: A rise or level in a green or tee. (It was important to land you approach shot on the proper tier).

Timing: The sequence of motions within the golf swing.

Toed Shot: Any shot hit off the toe of the club (Facing a fast, downhill putt, he toed his approach putt and left it short of the hole).

Topped:  an undesired shot where only the upper half of the golf ball is struck, causing the ball to roll or bounce rather than fly.

Touch: A player's sense of feel, generally around the greens.

Trajectory  The height and angle the ball travels in the air.

Transition: The change of direction in the swing, from the backswing to the forward swing.

U

Up and down: when a player holes the ball in two strokes starting from off of the green. The first stroke, usually a "pitch" or a "chip", gets the ball 'up' onto the green, and the subsequent putt gets the ball 'down' into the hole. (var.) "up and in".

Upright: A steeper-than-normal swing plane. Upright also refers to a club's lie in which the shaft is placed at a steeper-than-standard angle.

Uncock: The release of straightening of the wrists during the downswing.

V

Vardon grip: A grip style in which (for right-handed players) the right pinkie finger rests on top of the left index finger. Also known as the "overlapping grip," most golfers grip with this style. It is named for Harry Vardon a champion golfer of the early 20th century.

Vector: A quantity or measure related to force that has both magnitude and direction. An important factor in determining the distance and direction a ball travels.

Visualization: A mental image of a swing or ball flight performance.

Vertically Face Roll (equipment): Vertical roll is normally referred as roll, with assumption that roll only refers to curvature in the vertical plane. Roll is measured in inches or millimeters of the curvature and may be different for each metalwood.

W

Waggle: A motion or several motions designed to keep a player relaxed at address and help establish a smooth pace in the takeaway and swing.

Weak Grip: A term describing a grip where the hands are turned to the left for a right-handed player.

Wedge (equipment): A type of golf club

Wedge shot: A Shot hit by a wedge.

Whiff: A complete miss. Also known as an "air ball".

Wood: A type of golf club which the clubhead is made of wood.

X

X-out: an inferior golf ball that does not meet quality control standards and is sold as a discount (often with several X characters printed over the original logo).

Y

Yips: A condition, generally believed to be psychological, which causes a player to lose control of his hands and club. In Great Britain, the condition is referred to as the "Twitchies." This generally occurs when putting or in the short game, but it can also afflict people when hitting a tee shot. (Bernhard Langer has fought the yips for much of his professional career).