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Golf Glossary
Learn the language of Golf — answer-first definitions with real examples, beginner to pro.
517 terms
- Double Bogey and Blow-Up HolesBeginnerA double bogey is two strokes over par on a hole. A "blow-up hole" is the casual term for any hole that goes much worse than that. Limiting them is usually a beginner's single biggest lever for a lower score.
- Double-Breaking PuttIntermediateTo read a double-breaking putt, split it into two parts. Read the break near the hole first, because the ball is slowest there and breaks most. Then work back to find a start line that sends the ball into that last curve.
- Double-HitBeginnerA double hit is when the club strikes the ball twice during one swing. It is most common on slow, decelerating chips and pitches near the green. Under Rule 10.1a it counts as one stroke with no penalty, and you play the ball as it lies.
- Down-the-Line ViewBeginnerThe down-the-line view films the swing from behind the golfer, along the target line. It is the best angle for swing plane, club path, and delivery position.
- DrawBeginnerA draw is a controlled shot that curves gently right to left for a right-handed golfer. The face is slightly closed to the path but open to the target line.
- Draw BiasIntermediateA draw bias is a repeatable tendency to curve shots right to left (for a right-hander). It can come from a natural swing, a deliberate stock shot, or equipment setup.
- Driver LoftIntermediateDriver loft is the angle stamped on the club face — usually 8–12° for tour players, higher for moderate swing speeds. The correct loft maximizes carry by delivering the optimal launch-spin combination.
- Driver Swing vs Iron SwingIntermediateThe basic motion is the same, but the setup changes. With a driver, tee the ball high, play it off your lead heel and tilt slightly away from the target to hit up on it. With irons, play the ball nearer the middle and strike down, ball first.
- Driver vs 3-Wood Off the TeeIntermediateHit driver when the landing area is wide enough for your usual miss. The extra distance usually leaves a shorter, easier approach. Take a 3-wood or hybrid when trouble pinches the fairway at your driver distance, or when the hole is too short to need driver.
- Driving Iron (Utility Iron)IntermediateA driving iron, also called a utility iron, is a low-lofted iron with a wider sole and a thicker or hollow head. It launches higher and is more forgiving than a traditional long iron, but flies lower than a hybrid. Many players use it off the tee on tight holes or in wind.
- Driving Range EtiquetteBeginnerAt the range, hit only from your own bay or between the markers, and never walk past the hitting line to get a ball. Leave space between you and the next golfer. Keep noise down, and replace or neatly pattern your divots on grass.
- Drop ProcedureIntermediateThe modern drop releases the ball from knee height, straight down, into the relief area. It is simpler than the old shoulder-height drop but often done wrong.
- Duck HookAdvancedA duck hook is a low, hard shot that dives suddenly left. It comes from a face closed to a steep out-to-in or overly in-to-out path at impact, often with an active release and hand flip.
- Dynamic LieAdvancedDynamic lie is the club's lie angle at impact, measured as the angle of the lower part of the shaft relative to level ground. It shows whether the toe or heel was up at the strike, which can differ from how the club sat at address. Fitters compare it with the static setting.
- Dynamic LoftAdvancedDynamic loft is the actual loft presented by the face at impact — not the loft stamped on the club. It is the main driver of how high the ball launches.
- Early ExtensionAdvancedEarly extension is when the hips thrust toward the ball during the downswing. The golfer stands up out of posture and has to compensate at impact.
- Early ReleaseIntermediateAn early release is when the wrists unhinge and the forearms fire before the hands reach the hitting zone. It costs lag, speed, and compression.
- Embedded Ball (Plugged Lie Relief)BeginnerAn embedded, or plugged, ball sits in its own pitch mark with part of it below ground. In the general area, including the fairway and rough, you get free relief under Rule 16.3, except in sand not cut to fairway height. Drop within one club-length of the spot right behind where it was embedded, no nearer the hole. There is no free relief for a plugged ball in a bunker or penalty area.
- Explosion ShotIntermediateAn explosion or splash shot is a standard greenside bunker shot. The club slides under the ball in a spray of sand, lifting the ball out without touching it.
- Extension Through Impact (Golf)IntermediateExtension in golf means both arms reach full length just after impact, with the club swinging out toward the target instead of folding in. To get more, keep your chest turning through the ball and let the club's speed pull your arms straight. Don't steer it with your hands.
- Eyes Over the Ball (Putting)BeginnerMany coaches suggest setting your eyes directly over the ball or just inside it, on or slightly closer to you than the target line. Eyes well outside or well inside the line can make the line look bent and pull your aim off. Check it by holding a ball at the bridge of your nose and letting it drop.
- Face AngleAdvancedFace angle is where the clubface points at impact, relative to the target line, in degrees. It determines roughly 75–85% of the ball's starting direction.
- Face Closure Rate (Rate of Closure)AdvancedFace closure rate, or rate of closure, is how fast the clubface rotates closed through impact, measured in degrees per second. A lower rate sounds more forgiving, but biomechanist Sasho Mackenzie notes there is currently no evidence that golfers with lower rates hit more fairways.
- Face-Balanced PutterIntermediateA face-balanced head is weighted so that, resting the shaft across a finger, the face points at the sky rather than rolling over. The design resists twisting through a straight-back-and-through motion, and it is most often found in mallets.
- Face-On ViewBeginnerThe face-on view films the swing from in front of the golfer. It best shows hip and shoulder rotation, weight transfer, spine tilt, and early extension.
- Face-to-PathProFace-to-path is the difference between face angle and club path at impact. It is the single number that determines how much, and which way, the ball curves.
- FadeBeginnerA fade is a small, controllable left-to-right bend for a right-hander. It is a slice's tame, repeatable cousin, and many pros play it as their stock shot.
- Fade BiasIntermediateA fade bias is a repeatable tendency to curve shots left to right (for a right-hander). Many better players prefer it for consistency and control, at some cost in distance.
- Fairway Bunker TechniqueIntermediateFairway bunker technique puts clean, ball-first contact ahead of distance. It uses a slightly narrower stance, a more level swing, and often one extra club.
- Fairway WoodBeginnerA fairway wood is a lower-lofted, larger-headed club, commonly a 3-, 5-, or 7-wood. It is designed to be hit off the turf as well as a tee, covering long shots between the driver and hybrids or long irons.
- Fairways HitBeginnerFairways hit measures driving accuracy: the percentage of par-4 and par-5 tee shots that finish in the fairway. It is a key input into greens in regulation.
- Falling Forward Through ImpactIntermediateFalling forward through impact is an overcorrected weight shift. Momentum carries the golfer's body noticeably past a balanced finish, toward or beyond the target, instead of finishing in control.
- Feel vs RealIntermediate"Feel vs real" is the frequent gap between what golfers feel and what a camera shows. The mismatch is normal, and it is why video review is so valuable.
- First Move Down (Starting the Downswing)IntermediateIn most good swings, the lower body starts the downswing. Pressure moves into the lead foot and the hips shift slightly toward the target while the upper body finishes the backswing. Then the hips and chest turn, and the arms and club follow.
- First-Tee NervesBeginnerFeeling nervous on the first tee is normal, and it shows you care. Slow your breathing with a few long, deep breaths, run through your usual pre-shot routine and picture a good shot before you swing. Hit a club you trust to put the ball in play, even if it goes shorter, and count a committed swing as a success.
- Flagstick In or Out When PuttingBeginnerUnder the Rules of Golf you choose before each stroke: leave the flagstick in, have it removed, or have someone attend it. This applies even when putting from on the green. If your ball hits a flagstick left in the hole, there is no penalty and you play it as it lies. A ball resting against the flagstick counts as holed if any part of it is below the surface of the green.
- Flared DivotIntermediateA flared divot is wider or more angled at its start than at its end. It indicates the clubhead was rotating (opening or closing) through the strike rather than moving cleanly along a single path.
- Flat Lead Wrist at ImpactIntermediateA flat lead wrist at impact means the back of your lead hand lines up with your forearm, with no cup. To get there, keep your hands ahead of the clubhead and keep your body turning through the ball. Don't flip the club with your hands.
- FlipIntermediateA flip is a flick or scoop of the hands at impact, instead of forward shaft lean. It adds loft, kills compression, and is a defensive reaction to poor sequencing.
- Flop ShotAdvancedA flop shot is a very high, soft-landing chip or pitch played with a wide-open lob wedge. It stops quickly and is used when there is little green between the ball and the hole.
- Flyer LieIntermediateA flyer lie is one where grass gets trapped between the clubface and the ball at impact, cutting backspin. The ball comes off with less spin, flies or rolls farther than normal and is hard to stop on the green. Expect it when the ball sits up in light rough, and allow for extra distance.
- Flying ElbowIntermediateA flying elbow is the trail elbow lifting up and away from the body during the backswing. It disconnects the arms from the torso's rotation and often produces an overly steep, arms-dominant swing.
- Follow-ThroughBeginnerThe follow-through is the club's path after impact, up and around to a balanced finish. It is not just for looks: a full, free finish shows the swing did not slow down.
- Forced CarryBeginnerA forced carry is a shot where the ball must fly over trouble, such as water, a ravine or a waste area. This is because it can't roll through. You need enough carry distance, not total distance, to clear it. Many holes offer a safer route or forward tees to avoid it.
- Forged vs Cast IronsIntermediateForged irons are not automatically better. Forged heads are shaped from a solid billet of steel, while cast heads are made by pouring molten metal into a mold. Many players say forged irons feel softer. Casting costs less and makes forgiving cavity backs easy to build.
- Forward PressIntermediateA forward press is a small move of the hands or right knee toward the target just before the takeaway. It triggers the swing with consistent timing.
- Foursomes (Alternate Shot)IntermediateFoursomes, also called alternate shot, is a format where two partners play one ball and take turns hitting it. They also take turns teeing off, so one partner hits the first tee shot and the other hits the next hole's tee shot. It can be played as match play or stroke play.
- Frame Rate (Video Capture)IntermediateFrame rate is how many images per second a video captures. It directly determines how precisely fast moments of a swing, especially impact, can be measured.
- Free ReliefIntermediateFree relief is moving the ball to a better spot without a penalty. It covers cases like an immovable obstruction, ground under repair, or an embedded ball.
- Fried Egg Lie (Plugged Bunker Shot)IntermediateA fried egg is a ball plugged in its own crater in the sand. To dig under it, the usual method is a square or only slightly open face, with your weight leaning toward the target. Make a steep, digging swing into the sand just behind the ball with a short finish. The ball comes out low with little spin and rolls a long way, so aim for the fat part of the green.
- Game-Improvement IronsBeginnerGame-improvement irons use wide soles and hollow or perimeter-weighted heads to maximize forgiveness and launch. They are recommended for most everyday golfers.
- Gap WedgeBeginnerThe gap wedge, usually 50° to 52° of loft, fills the gap between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge. Some brands call it an approach wedge, or A-wedge.
- Gear EffectIntermediateGear effect is the extra spin and directional change from a strike away from the clubface's center of gravity. The clubhead twists slightly at impact, like two meshing gears.
- Getting a Golf HandicapBeginnerTo get a handicap, join a golf club or golf association authorized to issue a World Handicap System Handicap Index, then post your scores. Your national association sets how many holes you need, up to 54. In the USGA system it is 54 holes from any mix of 9- and 18-hole rounds.
- Getting Kids Started in GolfBeginnerThere is no single right age to start golf. Children can begin as soon as they enjoy swinging a club, as long as sessions are short, playful and social. Use clubs sized for their height, start with putting and chipping games and short holes, and let them play other sports too.
- Getting the Ball in the AirBeginnerTo get the ball in the air with an iron, hit down on it and let the club's loft lift it. Trying to scoop it up makes the club bottom out early and catch the top of the ball. Play the ball near the middle of your stance, move your weight to your lead side and strike the ball before the turf.
- Gimme PuttBeginnerA "gimme" is a short putt that playing partners agree is close enough to the hole. It can be counted as made without actually being holed. It is a casual convention rather than an official rule, and formally allowed only in match play through a genuine concession.
- Golf Ball Compression RatingIntermediateCompression rating is how much a ball deforms at impact. Low-compression balls feel softer for slower swings, high-compression balls firmer for faster ones.
- Golf Ball DimplesBeginnerDimples are the small indentations covering a golf ball. They cut air drag and manage lift, so the ball flies farther and more predictably than a smooth one.
- Golf Club DistancesBeginnerThere is no single right distance for each club, since it depends mostly on your swing speed and how solidly you strike the ball. In USGA Best Tees research, the average male golfer hit a 7-iron about 138 yards and the average female golfer about 100 yards. Measure your own carry with each club and plan from those numbers, not from a chart.
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