Golf glossary: Talk the talk from 'fade' to 'track' — get to know all your golfing terms

Backswing: Taking the club away from the ball and setting it in position at the top of the swing above the head.
Backspin: The spin of the ball produced by contact with the club face.
Balance: The distribution of weight to address the ball and throughout the swing.
Baseball grip: A club grip in which all 10 fingers are placed on the grip of the club.
Birdie: A score of one under par on a hole.
Bladed shot: Occurs when the top half of the ball is struck with the bottom portion of an iron, resulting a low-running shot.
Bobbing: The act of raising and lowering the swing centre throughout a swing.
Bogey: A score of one over par on a hole.
Bomb and gouge: A style of play where a player hits the ball as far as possible with the driver regardless of accuracy and then 'gouging' out of the rough.
Borrow: The amount of break a player allows for during a putt.
Break: The amount a putt will angle to the left or right during a putt due to slope, grain and wind.
Bump and run: A pitch shot near the green in which the ball is hit into a slope to kill speed before rolling towards the hole.
Bunker: A trap - usually containing sand - to add to the challenge on the course.

C

Caddie: An assistant to the golfer hired to carry clubs and give guidance.
Carry: The distance a ball will fly in the air.
Centre of gravity: Point in the pelvic area where the body’s weight and mass are equally balanced.
Centrifugal force: The force felt in the downswing that pulls the clubhead outward and downward, extending the arms and encouraging a circular motion.Centre of rotation: The axis that the body winds and unwinds around during the swing.
Chicken Wing: A flaw that sees the lead elbow bend at an angle pointed away from the body, usually resulting in a pushed shot.
Chip and run: A shot played around the greens where the ball spends more time on the ground than in the air.
Choke: A term to describe poor play as a result of nervousness.
Chunk: A poor shot caused by hitting the turf well behind the ball.
Closed club face: A stance before hitting the ball where the toe of the club is closer to the ball than the heel, resulting in the ball drifting left.
Closed grip: A strong grip where both hands are turned away from the target.
Closed stance: A stance where the rear foot is pulled back away from the target line.
Closed-to-open: A swing in which the club head is closed on the backswing but then is opened on the downswing.
Coil: The turning of the body during the backswing.
Come over the top: A motion on the downswing that sends the club outside the ideal swing path.
Compression: A measure of the relative hardness of a golf ball ranging from 100 (hardest) to 80 (softest).
Connection: A description of a swing in which all the various body parts produce a solid, fluid motion.
Croquet style: A putting stance popularised by Sam Snead in which the player stands aside the ball, facing the hole, and strikes the ball with a croquet-type stroke.
Cross-handed: A grip in which the left (or lead) hand is placed below the right hand - opposite to traditional grips.
Cuppy lie: When the ball is sitting down slightly in a small depression.
Cut shot: A shot played with a slightly open club face and a swing path that travels out to in, producing additional backspin.

D

Dead Hands: A shot where the hands remain passive, resulting in a weaker shot.
Deep-faced driver: A driver with a greater height on the face.
Decelerate: Slowing the swing speed in the hitting area.
Divot: The turf a club digs up when it strikes the ball.
Double bogey: A score of two over par on a hole.
Double eagle: A score of three under par on a hole - also known as an 'albatross'.
Dormie: When a match play game sees one player leading by the same number of holes that remain.
Doubles: When a caddie carries two sets of clubs.
Downswing: The motion from the top of the backswing to impact with the ball.
Draw: A shot that moves from right to left for right-handed players.
Driving range: A practice area for hitting balls, usually before a round or just after to iron out any problems with the swing.
Duck hook: A shot that veers from right to left for right-handed players, usually unintentional.

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.
Effective loft: The actual loft at impact as opposed to the physical loft on the club face.
Explosion: A bunker shot played when the ball is buried.

F

Fade: A shot that veers slightly from left to right.
Fanning: An opening of the club face as the backswing begins.
Fat shot: When the club head strikes the grass behind the ball, resulting in poor contact.
Flange: The thick part on the sole of a sand wedge or putter.
Flat swing: A swing that is more horizontal and less vertical than normal.
Flier: A shot from rough or in wet conditions that reduces backspin with low trajectory and a skidding, further distance.
Flip shot: Usually played with a wedge, that involves a wristy swing to hit the ball with a lot of height over a short distance.
Floater: A ball struck from deep rough that comes out slowly due to cushioning between the ball and the club face.
Flop shot: Similar to a flip shot with a long, slower swing.
Fluffy lie: When the ball rests on top of longish grass, leading to a risky shot where a player may swing the club head under the ball
Fly: The distance the ball carries.
Follow-through: The 'remainder' of a player's swing after the ball has been struck.
Footwork: The action of the lower body during the swing.
Forward swing: The downward motion of hands, arms and club from the top of the backswing
Fried egg: The slang term for a ball buried in the sand.

G

Gimmie: A putt that counts as holed counts as made without being played and can be picked up, normally only used in match play — known as a conceded putt.
Grand Slam: The winning the four professional Major Championships - the PGA Championship, the Masters, US Open and Open Championship - in a calendar year. The Career Grand Slam is when a player wins each one over the course of their career.
Grain: The direction which the blades of grass grow, which is crucial on the greens as this can affect how much and in which direction a putt breaks.
Greenkeeper: A term for the course superintendent.
Grip: The rubber area at the top of a club where the hands are placed.
Grip (2): The placing and positioning of the hands on the club.
Groove: The horizontal scoring lines on the face of the club that help spin.
Groove (2): A swing that consistently follows the same path every time.
Ground: The point when the club touches the ground prior to playing a shot - it is illegal to do this in bunkers.

H

Half shot: A shot played with a shortened swing and reduced swing speed. 
Heel: The part of the club head nearest the shaft.
Heel and toe: 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. 
Hooding: The act of placing the hands ahead of the ball, both at address and impact, which tends to reduce the loft of the club.
Hook: A shot that veers sharply from right to left for right-handed players.

I

Impact: The moment when the club strikes the ball.
Intended line of flight: The planned direction path of a ball.

K

Kinesiology: The scientific study of movement and the movement of equipment in sport.

L

Lag: A shot (usually a pitch, chip or putt) intentionally left short.
Lateral slide: The movement in the forward swing in which the hips begin to rotate while weight begins to shift from the trail side to the target side.
Level-par: A term describing a score of even par.
Lie: The position of the ball when it has come to rest.
Lights-out: A term describing remaining holes when a round is curtailed due to weather or bad light.
Line: The intended path of the ball, usually referred to in the context of putting.
Line of Flight: The actual path of the ball.
Links: The term for a course built on land reclaimed from the ocean.
Lob shot: A short, high shot designed to land softly.
Loft: The degree of angle on the club face, with the least loft on a putter and most on a sand wedge.
Long irons: The 1-4 irons - for distance.
Looking up: The act of lifting your head to follow the flight of the ball before completing your swing, which can hamper the shot.
Loosened grip: When a player opens his fingers and loses control of the club.

M

Middle or Mid-irons: The 5-7 irons.
Mulligan: The custom of hitting a second ball - without penalty - on a hole, usually the first tee.

N

Nassau: A style of competition where points are awarded for winning the front nine, back nine and overall 18. 

O

Off-green putting: When a player chooses to putt from off the green rather than chip.
Open club face: When the heel of the club head is leading the toe, causing the face to point to the side of the target.
Open grip: 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.
Open-to-closed: The movement of the club face when a player fans it open on the backswing and then closes it at impact.
Overclub: To pick the wrong club (a lower one), causing the ball to overshoot the intended distance.

P

Pace: The speed of the golf swing.
Paddle grip: A putting grip with a flat surface on the front for the thumbs.
Par: The score a player is expected to make on a hole.
Path: The direction a club travels during swing or putting stroke.
Pendulum stroke: A putting stroke that moves the club head back and forth on a constant line.
Pistol grip: A grip, usually on a putter, that is built up under the left or top hand.
Pitch-and-run: A shot from around the green, usually with a middle or short iron, where the ball carries for a short distance before running towards the hole.
Pivot: The rotation of the body around a fixed point, usually the spine.
Plumb-bob: A method to help players determine the amount a putt will break by holding the putter vertically behind the ball, with the shaft indicating the amount of break.
Plugged lie: When a ball rests in its own pitch mark, usually in soggy fairways or a bunker.
Press: To force a shot and attempt to hit the ball harder than usual.
Press (2): An additional one-hole in-match competition to allow a player to make up a deficit after a match play game has already been lost.
Pre-shot routine: The actions a player takes before beginning his/her swing.
Pulled hook: A shot that begins off target and drifts further away.
Pulled shot: A straight shot that begins off target and remains straight.
Pulled slice: A shot that begins off target but curves back.
Punch shot: A low-flying shot played with a short backswing and little follow-through.
Pushed hook: Like the pulled slice, a shot that begins off target but curves back.
Pushed shot: A shot that starts off target and stays straight.
Pushed slice: A shot that starts off target and drifts further away.

R

Radius: The distance between the centre of the swing arc and hands.
Raised swing centre: Elevating the central area in the body around which rotation takes place.
Rap: To punch at a putt with a short, firm stroke.
Reading the green: The entire, sometimes lengthy process involved in analysing the break and path of a putt.
Recover: Getting a ball back on course after a wayward stroke.
Release: Returning the club head squarely to the ball at impact, producing a powerful shot.
Reverse weight shift: A flaw in which the weight moves forward on the back swing instead of to the back leg.
Road Hole: The most famous hole in golf, the par-4 17th hole at the Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland.
Round robin: A competition format in which players or teams all play each other to find a winner.
Rough: The area of overgrown grass and flora such as heather and reeds just off the fairway.

S

Scoring clubs: The driver, putter and sand wedge - vital to getting the ball in the hole.
Scramble: To recover and save a hole after being in trouble.
Separation: When any of the moving elements in a swing becomes faster or slower than all the others, resulting in a poor shot.
Set-up: Addressing the ball, so that the club and body are properly aimed and aligned.
Shank: When the ball is struck on the heel of the club.
Shape: To force the ball into a curved shot to fit the situation, usually to avoid an obstacle.
Short game: Shots played in and around the green, including putting, chipping, pitching and bunker shots.
Short irons: The 8 and 9 irons and pitching wedge.
Shut: Opposite of and open club face, when it is closed relative to the target line.
Sky: A poor shot which goes high and short, caused by the club head striking the underside of the ball. Also known as a 'pop-up'.
Slice: Shot that curves from left to right more so than a fade.
Smothered hook: A low, right-to-left shot that dives quickly to the groundcaused by an extremely closed clubface.
Sole: The bottom of a club.
Splash shot: Played from a good lie in the bunker, throwing the ball into the air. (He splashed the ball out of the bunker, landing the ball within a foot of the hole).
Spotting: Marking the ball on the green so it can be lifted.
Spot putting: Using an intermediate target on the green (such as an old pitch mark) as a means of aiming a putt.
Square: Perfect contact between club face and ball.
Stance: The position of the feet at address.
Steer: Forcing the flight path of a ball, resulting in a loss of distance.
Straight-faced: A club with little loft, such as a driving iron.
Stinger: A low, powerful tee shot.
Stroke play: Competition play based on the collective number of strokes taken, either over one round or several.
Swaying: An exaggerated lateral movement of the body during swing, resulting in inconsistent shotmaking.
Sweet spot: The perfect point on the club face for contact with the ball.
Swinger: A player whose swing is based on timing and rhythm.

T

Take away: The movement of the club at the start of the backswing.
Target line: An imaginary, visualized line from the ball to target.
Tee box: The area where players start a hole.
Tempo: The speed of the swing.
Three-quarter shot: A shot played with a shortened backswing and less speed.
Tier: A rise or level on a tee or green.
Toed shot: A shot hit off the toe (front) of the club.
Topped Shot: A low, bouncing shot when the bottom of the club hits the top half of the ball.
Touch: A player’s vibe and feel around the greens.
Track: Following the ball's journey after it has left the club face.
Trajectory: The height and angle of the ball.
Transition: The change from the back swing to the forward swing.

U

Upright: A steep swing plane.

V

Visualization: A mental imaging of a swing or shot.

W

Weak grip: A term describing a grip where the hands are turned to the left for a right-handed player.
Whiff: A complete miss of the ball.

Y

Yips: Nervousness or loss of concentration that leads to a game falling apart.

Reproduced with thanks to the PGA of America