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Golf Lingo

A

  • Ace: A hole-in-one.

  • Address: The golfer's stance and positioning of the clubface behind the ball.

  • Albatross: A score of three under par on a single hole (also known as a Double Eagle).

  • Alignment: The direction your body and clubface are aimed at the target.

B

  • Backspin: The backward rotation of the ball in flight, which helps it stop quickly on the green.

  • Birdie: A score of one under par for a hole.

  • Bogey: A score of one over par for a hole.

  • Bunker: A hollowed-out area on the course filled with sand (often called a "trap").

C

  • Carry: The distance the ball travels through the air before hitting the ground.

  • Chip: A short, low-trajectory shot played from just off the green.

  • Compression: The flattening of the golf ball against the clubface at impact, essential for maximizing distance.

D

  • Divot: The piece of turf or sod sliced off the ground during a swing.

  • Dogleg: A hole that bends to the left or right between the tee and the green.

  • Draw: A controlled shot for a right-handed player that starts right of the target and curves gently back to the left.

E

  • Eagle: A score of two under par for a hole.

  • Equipment: The clubs, balls, and other gear used to play the game.

F

  • Fade: A controlled shot for a right-handed player that starts left of the target and curves gently to the right.

  • Fairway: The groomed area of the course between the tee and the green.

  • Fore: A warning shout used when a ball is headed toward another person.

G

  • Gimme: A short putt so close to the hole that your playing partners agree it’s a "given" and don't require you to hit it (usually only in casual play).

  • Grain: The direction in which the grass on the green grows, which affects the speed and path of a putt.

  • Grip: How a player holds the club (e.g., Interlocking, Overlapping, or Ten-Finger).

H

  • Handicap: A numerical measure of a golfer’s potential, used to allow players of different skill levels to compete fairly.

  • Hazard: Any permanent feature on a golf course which is designed to be difficult to play out of (e.g., water or bunkers).

  • Hook: A shot that curves sharply from right to left (for a right-handed golfer).

I

  • Impact: The exact moment the clubface strikes the ball.

  • Iron: A club with a solid metal head, usually numbered 3 through 9, used for various distances.

L

  • Lag: A long putt intended to stop close to the hole rather than necessarily go in, leaving an easy follow-up.

  • Lie: The position of the ball as it sits on the ground (e.g., "a good lie" in the fairway or "a buried lie" in the sand).

  • Loft: The angle of the clubface that determines how high and far the ball will fly.

M

  • Mulligan: An unofficial "do-over" shot allowed by playing partners (not allowed in official rules).

P

  • Par: The standard number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to take to complete a hole.

  • Pitch: A high-arcing shot intended to land softly on the green with little roll.

  • Provisional: A second ball played when a golfer fears their original ball may be lost or out of bounds.

R

  • Rough: The longer, thicker grass bordering the fairway.

S

  • Shank: A shot where the ball is struck by the hosel (the part where the shaft meets the clubhead), causing it to shoot sharply to the right.

  • Slice: A shot that curves sharply from left to right (for a right-handed golfer).

  • Stableford: A scoring system where points are awarded based on the number of strokes taken on each hole.

T

  • Tee: The small peg used to elevate the ball on the first shot of a hole.

  • Thin: A shot where the clubhead strikes the ball too high (near the equator), resulting in a low, fast trajectory.

  • Top: When the club strikes only the top half of the ball, causing it to roll or bounce weakly along the ground.

U

  • Up and Down: When a player misses the green but still manages to get the ball in the hole in just two strokes (one chip/pitch and one putt).

W

  • Wedge: A highly lofted club used for short, high shots (e.g., Pitching Wedge, Sand Wedge, Lob Wedge).

  • Whiff: A complete miss of the ball during a swing.

🔬 The Technical Lab: Understanding Your Data

Advanced metrics to help you master the physics of your swing.

Angle of Attack (AoA)

The vertical direction the clubhead is moving (up or down) at the moment of impact.

  • Iron Play: You generally want a negative AoA (hitting down on the ball) to create clean contact.

  • Driver: You generally want a positive AoA (hitting up on the ball) to maximize distance and reduce spin.

Club Path

The horizontal direction the clubhead is moving at impact (relative to the target line).

  • In-to-Out: The club is moving toward the right (for a righty), a prerequisite for a draw.

  • Out-to-In: The club is moving toward the left, which often results in a fade or slice.

Dynamic Loft

The actual loft on the clubface at the moment of impact. This is different from the "static loft" engraved on the bottom of your club. Your hand position and shaft lean at impact change this number, which directly affects how high the ball launches.

Face to Path

The difference between the Face Angle and the Club Path. This is the "magic number" that determines how much your ball will curve. If the face is closed relative to the path, the ball curves left; if it’s open, it curves right.

Launch Angle

The initial angle at which the ball leaves the clubface relative to the ground. Finding the "optimal launch" is the key to maximizing your specific swing speed.

Smash Factor

A measure of energy transfer efficiency. It is calculated by dividing Ball Speed by Clubhead Speed.

  • The Goal: For a driver, a "perfect" smash factor is 1.50. This means you are hitting the center of the face and getting the most "bang for your buck."

Spin Loft

The three-dimensional angle between the direction the club is moving (Path/AoA) and the direction the face is pointing (Dynamic Loft). Think of this as the "compression" number—the greater the spin loft, the more backspin the ball will have.

Spin Rate

The amount of backspin on the ball immediately after impact, measured in Revolutions Per Minute (RPM).

  • Too much spin with a driver causes the ball to "balloon" and lose distance.

  • Too little spin with an iron makes it difficult to stop the ball on the green.

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