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Golf Glossary
Learn the language of Golf — answer-first definitions with real examples, beginner to pro.
517 terms
- 14-Club Limit (Maximum Clubs in Your Bag)BeginnerUnder Rule 4.1b you may not start a round with more than 14 clubs or have more than 14 during it. In stroke play, an extra club costs two strokes for each hole where the breach happened, up to four. In match play, the match score loses one hole for each hole in breach, up to two.
- 3D Swing AnalysisAdvanced3D swing analysis reconstructs the swing from motion capture or several cameras. Angles like hip rotation are then measured, not estimated from a flat image.
- Abnormal Course Conditions (Casual Water and GUR)BeginnerAbnormal course conditions are temporary water, ground under repair, animal holes and immovable obstructions such as cart paths. If one touches your ball or gets in the way of your stance or swing, Rule 16.1 gives free relief, except in a penalty area. In the general area, drop within one club-length of the nearest point of complete relief.
- Accidental Deflection Off a PlayerBeginnerNo, there is no penalty if your ball accidentally hits you, your bag or your cart. Under Rule 11.1a, the ball is usually played as it lies. Two exceptions apply on the putting green. A putt that hits another person on the green, other than you or someone attending the flagstick, must be replayed. In stroke play, a putt that hits another ball at rest on the green costs two strokes.
- Across the LineIntermediateThe club is across the line when, at the top of the backswing, the shaft points right of the target for a right-handed golfer (left of it for a left-hander). It often comes with a long backswing or a flying trail elbow. Many coaches link it to an inside-out path with blocks and hooks, though some players shallow the club and play well from it.
- Adaptive Golf (Golfers with Disabilities)BeginnerYes, you can play golf with a disability, and the Rules of Golf include Rule 25 to help. It modifies some rules for golfers who are blind, amputees, use assistive mobility devices or have intellectual disabilities. Many golfers also use adapted clubs, single-rider carts and lessons from adaptive coaches.
- Address PositionBeginnerAddress position is a golfer's complete setup just before the swing starts: grip, stance, alignment, ball position, posture, and weight distribution.
- Adjustable Driver HoselIntermediateAn adjustable driver hosel sits where the shaft meets the head. It lets a golfer change loft (usually ±1° to ±2°), and sometimes lie or face angle, without a new club.
- Aim PointAdvancedAim point reads greens by feel instead of by eye. The feet sense the slope percentage, and that number becomes a finger-count aim spot near the hole.
- Aiming a PuttBeginnerTo aim a putt, pick a spot on your start line a few inches ahead of the ball. Set the putterface square to that spot before you set your feet. Many golfers use a line on the ball, pointed along the start line rather than at the hole, then match the putter's sight line to it.
- Albatross, Hole-in-One and CondorBeginnerAn albatross, also called a double eagle, is three under par on one hole. That means a 2 on a par 5 or a hole-in-one on a par 4. A hole-in-one, or ace, is holing your tee shot, most often on a par 3, where it counts as an eagle. A condor is four under par on a hole and is extremely rare.
- AlignmentBeginnerAlignment is the direction the body and clubface are aimed at address. Poor alignment is one of the most common causes of off-target shots even with a good swing.
- Alternative to Stroke and Distance (Local Rule E-5)IntermediateModel Local Rule E-5 gives an extra option for a lost or out-of-bounds ball where a committee has adopted it. For two penalty strokes, drop in a zone between where the ball was lost or went out and the fairway, no nearer the hole. Without the Local Rule, stroke and distance applies.
- Analysis Confidence LevelIntermediateAnalysis confidence level is a stated measure of how reliable a video-derived swing observation is. It keeps a rough estimate from passing as a certain fact.
- Analysis ParalysisIntermediateAnalysis paralysis is consciously monitoring too many mechanical details mid-swing. It interferes with the largely automatic motion of a well-practiced swing.
- Apex (Peak Height)IntermediateApex, or peak height, is the highest point of the ball's flight, measured from the height it was launched. On TrackMan's PGA Tour averages, most clubs from driver to wedge peak at about 25 to 29 meters (roughly 27 to 32 yards). Slower swings peak lower, and the right height for you depends on your ball speed.
- Approach ShotBeginnerAn approach shot is any shot hit toward the green to reach or set up the putting surface. It is usually a par 4's second shot, or a par 5's second or third.
- Arm SwingIntermediateThe arm swing is the movement of the arms across and around the body during the golf swing. This must coordinate with body rotation to produce a consistent, powerful arc.
- Arm-Lock PuttingAdvancedArm-lock putting uses a longer putter whose grip is held against the inside of your lead forearm. The shaft and lead arm move as one, which leans the shaft forward and quiets the wrists. It is legal, because Rule 10.1b lets you hold the club against a forearm.
- Ascending BlowIntermediateAn ascending blow is contact made while the clubhead is moving upward. It is the goal with a teed-up driver but usually unwanted for iron shots off the turf.
- Asking for Advice (The Advice Rule)IntermediateNo, in a competition you must not ask a playing partner what club they hit. Under Rule 10.2a you may ask only your caddie, or your partner in a team format. Asking or giving advice brings the general penalty: two strokes in stroke play or loss of the hole in match play.
- Attack AngleAdvancedAttack angle is the vertical direction the clubhead is moving at impact. Negative means hitting down on the ball; positive means hitting up.
- Average Golf Handicap for Men and WomenBeginnerIn September 2024 the USGA reported an average Handicap Index of 14.2 for men and 28.7 for women among US golfers who hold one. Index holders include many regular players. The average for all golfers may be higher. A good handicap is one that keeps coming down for you.
- BackswingBeginnerThe backswing is the movement of the club from address to the top position. It creates the width, shoulder turn, and wrist hinge needed for power on the way down.
- Backswing-to-Downswing RatioIntermediateBackswing-to-downswing ratio is the frame-counted timing of a swing's two halves. Video tools use it to track tempo objectively across sessions, not by feel.
- Ball Above or Below Your Feet (Sidehill Lie)IntermediateWith the ball above your feet, grip down the club, stand a little taller and aim right, since the ball tends to curve left. With the ball below your feet, flex your knees more, keep your weight toward your heels and aim left, since it tends to curve right. These directions are for right-handers, and left-handers reverse them.
- Ball Against the CollarIntermediateWhen your ball rests against the collar of longer grass, try a bellied-wedge putt. Hold a sand wedge like a putter, raise it slightly and strike the ball's equator with the leading edge. The club skims through the grass and the ball rolls like a putt.
- Ball CompressionIntermediateBall compression is how much the ball squashes against the clubface at impact. Clean, centered, descending strikes compress it well for a more penetrating flight.
- Ball Flight LawsIntermediateThe ball flight laws are the impact variables that decide how a shot flies. They are face angle, swing path, attack angle, strike location, dynamic loft, and clubhead speed.
- Ball in a DivotIntermediateTo hit a ball sitting in a divot, play it slightly back in your stance with your hands a little forward. Make a steeper, shorter swing that hits down on the ball before the ground. Expect a lower shot with less spin and more roll, so allow for it. A divot hole is not ground under repair under the Rules, so you play it as it lies unless a local rule says otherwise.
- Ball Moved at Rest (Accidentally Moving Your Ball)BeginnerIf you accidentally move your ball at rest, replace it and add one penalty stroke under Rule 9.4. There is no penalty on the putting green, while searching for it, or while marking, lifting or replacing it under a Rule. If wind or water moves it, play it from its new spot without penalty.
- Ball Overhanging the Hole (Ten-Second Rule)BeginnerYou get a reasonable time to walk to the hole, then ten more seconds to see if the ball drops. If it falls in during that time, you holed it with your last stroke. If it falls in after that, it still counts as holed, but you add one penalty stroke.
- Ball PositionBeginnerBall position is where the ball sits in your stance: off the front foot for a driver, near the center for short irons. It directly controls the low point and attack angle.
- Ball Position — DriverBeginnerDriver ball position sits forward in the stance, usually off the lead heel or slightly inside it. The club then meets the ball on the upswing, after the low point of the swing arc has already passed.
- Ball Position — IronsBeginnerIron ball position moves back as clubs get shorter: just forward of center for long irons, near center for wedges. It supports a slightly descending strike.
- Ball SpeedIntermediateBall speed is how fast the ball leaves the clubface, measured in miles per hour. It is the single biggest driver of carry distance.
- Ball Under the Bunker LipIntermediateWhen your ball sits right under a bunker lip, first decide whether any shot can clear the lip. If one can, open the face of your most lofted wedge, set your shoulders along the slope and swing hard into the sand behind the ball. If not, play out sideways or backward.
- Ball-First ContactIntermediateBall-first contact means the club strikes the ball before it reaches the ground. It is the fundamental requirement for a clean, compressed iron or wedge shot.
- BallooningIntermediateBallooning is when a shot, usually with a driver, climbs steeply and stalls. Too much spin and too high a launch angle cost it distance.
- Banana SliceBeginnerA banana slice is the exaggerated, wide left-to-right curve most associated with beginner and high-handicap golfers. It usually starts near or left of the target and bends hard right.
- Baseline SwingIntermediateA baseline swing is a reference swing recorded before you start work on a specific change. It is the fixed point every later retest is measured against.
- Beginner Golf Club SetBeginnerA beginner does not need a full 14-club set. A half set of seven or eight clubs is enough to learn with: a driver or fairway wood, a hybrid, a few irons, a pitching wedge, a sand wedge and a putter. Choose forgiving clubs with a shaft flex that suits your swing speed.
- Beginner Slice FixBeginnerFor most beginners, a slice comes from a face open to an out-to-in path. The fastest fix is usually a stronger grip and swinging from the inside, not harder.
- Bellied WedgeIntermediateA bellied wedge is a strike where the leading edge hits the ball around its middle. The shot comes out low and running: milder than a full skull, but still a mis-hit.
- Best Ball vs Scramble FormatBeginnerIn best ball, each teammate plays their own ball through the hole, and the team counts the lowest individual score. In a scramble, everyone tees off, the team picks the best shot, and all players hit their next shot from that spot.
- Birdie and Eagle ExplainedBeginnerA birdie is one stroke under par on a hole, and an eagle is two strokes under par. Both are celebrated results that most golfers, even good ones, make only sometimes.
- Blade PutterBeginnerA blade putter has a slim, classic head with less perimeter weighting than a mallet, and it is more often toe-hang balanced. That design suits golfers with a natural arcing stroke who prefer feel and feedback.
- Blade vs. Cavity BackIntermediateBlades (muscle backs) put mass behind the sweet spot for feel and workability. Cavity backs move mass to the perimeter for a bigger sweet spot and more forgiveness.
- Bladed IronIntermediateA bladed iron is a severe thin strike where the leading edge, not the face, hits the ball. It comes off low, hard, and running, with almost no spin or control.
- Block PracticeIntermediateBlock practice repeats the same shot with the same club to the same target. It builds new motor patterns fast but transfers less reliably to real rounds.
- Blocked PushIntermediateA blocked push is a straight shot that starts and stays right of target, with almost no curve. The clubface matches an in-to-out path, but the whole delivery is aimed too far right.
- BlockingAdvancedBlocking is when the arms and club fail to fully release through impact. The face is held open, so the ball flies straight right (for a right-hander) with no draw.
- Body Stall (Stalling Through Impact)IntermediateWhen your body stalls, your hips and chest stop rotating before or during impact. The arms and hands then take over and whip the club past the body. It often causes flips, hooks and blocks. Keep turning through the ball until your chest faces the target.
- Bogey GolfBeginner"Bogey golf" describes shooting roughly one over par on every hole, around 90 for an 18-hole, par-72 course. It is a common and respectable benchmark for a solidly developing recreational golfer.
- Bounce (Wedge)IntermediateBounce is the downward angle built into a wedge's sole that helps it glide through sand or turf instead of digging in. Higher bounce suits soft conditions and steep swings, while lower bounce suits firm turf and shallow swings.
- Bowed WristAdvancedA bowed wrist at the top of the backswing means the lead wrist flexes toward the palm (like a bow), closing the clubface and storing power for a powerful, face-controlled delivery.
- Breaking 100BeginnerBreaking 100 means finishing an 18-hole round in fewer than 100 total strokes. It depends far more on avoiding disaster holes than on hitting great shots.
- Breaking 80IntermediateBreaking 80 means finishing 18 holes in fewer than 80 strokes. The milestone is usually associated with a single-digit handicap.
- Breaking 90BeginnerBreaking 90 means finishing 18 holes in fewer than 90 strokes. It usually requires a reliable short game more than a longer drive.
- Bump-and-RunBeginnerA bump-and-run is a low chip that lands on the green just past the fringe and rolls to the hole like a putt. It uses the fringe and green to deliver the ball.
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