Golf Glossary
Learn the language of Golf — answer-first definitions with real examples, beginner to pro.
322 terms
- 3D Swing AnalysisAdvanced3D swing analysis reconstructs the golf swing in three-dimensional space from motion capture or multi-camera video, letting angles like hip rotation or spine tilt be measured directly instead of estimated from a flat, single-angle image.
- Address PositionBeginnerAddress position is the complete setup posture a golfer takes just before starting the swing. This means grip, stance, alignment, ball position, posture, and weight distribution all combined into one starting frame.
- Adjustable Driver HoselIntermediateAn adjustable driver hosel lets a golfer change the loft (typically ±1° to ±2°) and sometimes the lie angle or face angle at the connection between shaft and head, without buying a new club.
- Aim PointAdvancedAim point green reading uses the feet to feel slope percentage underfoot, then converts that number into a finger-count aim spot near the hole. This means a systematic, feel-based alternative to purely visual break reading.
- 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.
- Analysis Confidence LevelIntermediateAnalysis confidence level is a stated measure of how reliable a video-derived swing observation is, based on factors like camera angle, lighting, and frame rate. This means a safeguard against presenting a rough estimate as a certain fact.
- Analysis ParalysisIntermediateAnalysis paralysis is trying to consciously monitor too many mechanical details during a swing at once. This interferes with the largely automatic motion a well-practiced swing is supposed to be.
- Approach ShotBeginnerAn approach shot is any shot hit toward the green with the intent of reaching or setting up the putting surface, most commonly the second shot on a par 4 or the second or third shot on a par 5.
- 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.
- Ascending BlowIntermediateAn ascending blow is contact made. At the same time, the clubhead is still moving upward relative to the ground, the intended angle of attack for a driver teed up, and generally undesired for iron shots struck off the turf.
- Attack AngleAdvancedAttack angle is the vertical direction the clubhead is moving at impact. Negative means hitting down on the ball; positive means hitting up.
- BackswingBeginnerThe backswing is the movement of the club from address to the top position. Its purpose is to create the width, shoulder turn, and wrist hinge needed to generate power on the way down.
- Backswing-to-Downswing RatioIntermediateBackswing-to-downswing ratio is the precise, frame-counted timing measurement of a swing's two halves, used by video analysis tools to track a golfer's tempo objectively across sessions rather than by feel.
- Ball CompressionIntermediateBall compression is how much the golf ball deforms against the clubface at the moment of impact, with more effective compression (from clean, centered, descending contact) producing more efficient energy transfer and a more penetrating flight.
- Ball Flight LawsIntermediateThe ball flight laws are the set of physical variables at impact. This means face angle, swing path, angle of attack, strike location, dynamic loft, and clubhead speed. This means that together determine every trait of a shot's flight.
- Ball PositionBeginnerBall position is where the ball sits in your stance — from the front foot for a driver to the center for short irons. It directly controls the low point and attack angle.
- Ball Position — DriverBeginnerDriver ball position sits forward in the stance, typically off the lead heel or slightly inside it. As a result, the club meets the ball on the upswing after the low point of the swing arc has already passed.
- Ball Position — IronsBeginnerIron ball position moves progressively back in the stance as the clubs get shorter. This comes from just forward of center with long irons to closer to center with short irons and wedges. This means supporting the slightly descending strike irons require.
- 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-First ContactIntermediateBall-first contact means the club strikes the ball before it reaches the ground, the fundamental requirement for a clean, compressed iron or wedge shot.
- BallooningIntermediateBallooning is when a shot. This means typically a driver. This means climbs steeply into the air and stalls, losing distance. This is because of excessive spin rate and too-high launch angle.
- Banana SliceBeginnerA banana slice is the exaggerated, wide left-to-right curve. This means usually starting near or left of target and bending hard right. This means most associated with beginner and high-handicap golfers.
- Baseline SwingIntermediateA baseline swing is a recorded reference swing captured before starting work on a specific change, used as the fixed comparison point every later retest is measured against.
- Beginner Slice FixBeginnerFor most beginners, a slice comes from an open clubface relative to an out-to-in swing path. The fastest fix is usually strengthening the grip and feeling the club swing more from inside the target line, not swinging "harder" or "straighter."
- Bellied WedgeIntermediateA bellied wedge is contact made with the leading edge striking the ball around its middle rather than the sole and face engaging lower. This produces a low, running shot that is less severe than a full skull but still an unwanted mis-hit.
- Best Ball vs Scramble FormatBeginnerIn best ball, each teammate plays their own ball throughout the hole and the team counts the lowest individual score. In a scramble, everyone tees off and the team picks the best shot, then all players hit their next shot from that same spot.
- Birdie and Eagle ExplainedBeginnerA birdie is a score of one stroke under par on a hole. An eagle is two strokes under par. This means both are notable, celebrated results that most golfers, even good ones, make only occasionally.
- Blade PutterBeginnerA blade putter has a slim, classic head shape with less perimeter weighting than a mallet, and is more often toe-hang balanced. This means a design that suits golfers with a natural arcing stroke and a preference for feel and feedback.
- Blade vs. Cavity BackIntermediateBlades (muscle backs) concentrate mass behind the sweet spot for feel and workability. Cavity backs move mass to the perimeter for a larger sweet spot and higher forgiveness on mishits.
- Bladed IronIntermediateA bladed iron is a severe thin strike where the leading edge, not the face, contacts the ball. This produces a low, hard, running shot with essentially no spin or control. This means the full-swing counterpart to a skulled chip.
- Block PracticeIntermediateBlock practice is repeating the same shot with the same club to the same target over and over. This builds a new motor pattern quickly but transfers less reliably to the varied conditions of an actual round.
- Blocked PushIntermediateA blocked push is a straight shot that starts and stays right of target with almost no curve. It is caused by a clubface that 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. This means the face is held open and the ball flies straight right (for a right-hander) with no draw curve.
- Bogey GolfBeginner"Bogey golf" describes shooting roughly one over par on every hole. This means around 90 for an 18-hole, par-72 course. This means a common and respectable benchmark for a solidly developing recreational golfer.
- Bounce (Wedge)IntermediateBounce is the downward angle built into a wedge's sole, measured in degrees, that helps the club glide through sand or turf instead of digging in. This means higher bounce suits soft conditions and steep swings, 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. This means usually the first major scoring milestone a new golfer aims for. 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, a milestone typically associated with a single-digit handicap and generally requiring consistent ball-striking across every part of the game rather than one standout skill.
- Breaking 90BeginnerBreaking 90 means finishing 18 holes in fewer than 90 strokes, the milestone that typically separates a developing golfer from a genuinely competent one. It usually requires a reliable short game more than a longer drive.
- Bump-and-RunBeginnerA bump-and-run is a low chip that uses the fringe and green to deliver the ball. This means bumped onto the surface just past the fringe and allowed to run to the hole like a putt.
- Bunker ShotIntermediateA bunker shot is any stroke played from a sand hazard. The two families play nothing alike: greenside, where the club never touches the ball, and fairway, where clean ball-first contact is the whole objective.
- Camera Angle GuidanceBeginnerCamera angle guidance is instruction on where to place the camera before filming a swing for analysis. This means typically down-the-line and face-on. Because the wrong angle can hide or distort exactly the information the analysis needs.
- Camera-Based Launch MonitorIntermediateA camera-based launch monitor uses high-speed cameras and image processing to capture club and ball data from the fraction of a second around impact, rather than tracking the ball's full flight through the air.
- Carry DistanceBeginnerCarry distance is how far the ball travels through the air before it first lands — distinct from total distance, which includes roll.
- CastingIntermediateCasting is releasing the wrist angles too early in the downswing. This means like a fisherman throwing a line. This means which destroys lag, reduces speed, and adds loft at impact.
- Casting from the TopIntermediateCasting from the top is when the wrists unload immediately at the start of the downswing. This comes from the very top of the backswing. This means before the lower body has had a chance to lead.
- Center of Gravity (Club)AdvancedA clubhead's center of gravity is the balance point manufacturers shift low and back to raise launch and reduce spin, or forward and low to promote a lower, more penetrating trajectory. This means a key design lever behind driver and iron performance.
- Chicken WingIntermediateA chicken wing is the lead elbow bending and pointing away from the body through and after impact, instead of extending, usually a compensation for an out-to-in path or a blocked, stuck downswing.
- Chili-DipBeginnerA chili-dip is the most extreme version of a chunked chip. This means the club digs. As a result, far behind the ball on a very short finesse shot that the ball barely moves at all, sometimes traveling just a few inches.
- Chip-and-RunBeginnerA chip-and-run is a low, bouncing chip that gets on the putting surface quickly and rolls toward the hole. This means the safest short-game choice when there is room between the ball and the green edge.
- ChippingBeginnerChipping is a short shot played from just off the green. This means a small swing that gets the ball rolling on the green quickly. This uses the putting surface to carry it to the hole.
- Chipping StanceBeginnerA good chipping stance narrows the feet, leans the shaft and weight slightly toward the target, and plays the ball back of center. This means a setup built for crisp, ball-first contact rather than the full-swing posture used for longer shots.
- ChunkBeginnerA chunk (fat shot) is when the club strikes the ground before the ball. This means too early a low point. This means sending a short, low shot that often loses most of its distance.
- Chunked ChipBeginnerA chunked chip is a fat contact on a short finesse shot near the green. This applies where the club strikes the ground well before the ball, absorbing speed and leaving the shot sharply short of the target.
- Claw Grip (Putting)IntermediateThe claw grip separates the trail hand from the lead hand on the putter, holding the handle more like a pencil against the palm than wrapped around it. This means a popular fix for excess trail-hand wrist action and the putting yips.
- Closed StanceBeginnerA closed stance aligns the feet, hips, and shoulders right of the target line (for a right-hander), a setup sometimes used deliberately to hit a draw but more often an unintentional cause of a push or hook.
- Club FittingIntermediateClub fitting is a launch-monitor-based process that matches shaft, length, lie angle, loft, and head design to an individual golfer's swing, rather than relying on stock, off-the-rack specifications built for an average golfer.
- Club LengthIntermediateClub length is fitted to a golfer's height, arm length, and posture at address. This means a mismatched length changes lie angle at impact and forces compensations that can undermine consistency more than most golfers realize.
- Club PathAdvancedClub path is the horizontal direction the clubhead is moving through impact, relative to the target line, in degrees. Positive is in-to-out (a draw bias); negative is out-to-in (a fade or slice bias).
- Club SelectionBeginnerClub selection is choosing the right club for each shot based on real carry distance, lie, wind, elevation, and hazard placement. This means one of the highest-impact decisions in scoring.
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