SHOTS AND STROKES
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Chili Dip |
When the top of the ball is struck by the bottom of the club, causing it to jump straight up and plonk back down. |
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Chip |
Hitting the ball into the air with enough height to land on the green and roll across the green towards the hole. |
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Chip and Run |
A shot played like a chip over a greater distance. |
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Chip Shot |
A chip with the application of some spin. |
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Cut |
Striking the ball, causing it to move from inside to out of your stance. |
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Cut Shot |
To put a backspin onto the ball when striking it onto the green, causing it to stop more quickly after landing. |
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Draw |
To induce spin onto the ball causing it to move from outside to in on your swing. Opposite is Fade. |
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Drive |
A shot from the tee area. |
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Duck Hook |
To induce too much topspin onto the ball causing in to move from outside to in on your swing. Normally caused by turning your body too quickly through your swing. |
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Fade |
To induce spin onto the ball causing it to travel through the air following inside to out swing. Opposite is Draw. |
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Fat Shot |
When the club strikes the ground well behind the ball. |
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Hook |
To induce spin onto the ball causing in to move from outside to in on your swing. Opposite is slice. |
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Hosel |
The shank of the club head that attaches it to the shaft. |
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Knockdown Shot |
A shot played low into the wind. |
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Lob Shot |
A shot which flies to maximum height and minimal distance. Normally used to hit the ball from close range when trying to avoid an obstacle. |
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Pitch |
The ball is hit high into the air onto the green using a lofted club. |
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Pitch and Run |
To pitch the ball onto the green using a club that enables the ball to roll on impact. |
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Pop up |
A high shot over a very short distance. |
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Pull |
When the ball flies in an inward direction after being stuck. Opposite of the push. Not the same as draw/hook, as these are shots affected by spin. |
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Punch Shot |
Where the ball is struck on the down-stroke of a partial swing resulting in a short low shot; typically used to hit the ball out of rough or to keep the ball below the wind. |
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Push |
When the ball flies in an outward direction from the desired line of flight after being struck. Not the same as fade/slice, as these are shots affected by spin. |
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Putt |
Act of hitting golf ball on the green. |
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Quarter Shot |
A shot hit with a significantly reduced swing. |
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Run-up |
To hit the ball along or close to the ground toward and onto the green. |
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Shank |
To strike the ball with the part of the club head where the heel is joined to the shaft. |
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Skull |
Hitting the ball above its center, thus making it fly very low to the ground. |
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Sky |
When the club head only just strikes the very bottom of the ball causing it to fly straight up into the air. Normally happens when the ball is on a tee or in the rough. |
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Slice |
To induce too much spin onto the ball causing it to travel through the air following inside to out swing. Opposite is Hook. |
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Snap Hook |
To severely hook the ball. |
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Snipe |
To hook the ball such that it drops quickly. |
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Straight Flight |
A ball traveling in a straight line during flight. |
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Thin Shot |
To strike the ball above its center ,causing it to skip and bounce along the ground rather than rise through the air. |
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Thread |
To coax the ball through a tight gap. |
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Top |
To strike the ball above its center, causing it to skip and bounce along the ground rather than rise through the air. |
OTHER BASIC TERMINOLOGY
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Carry |
The distance that the ball travels in the air after being struck. |
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Club Face |
That part of the club head which comes into direct contact with the ball. |
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Club Head |
The end of the club that includes the clubface. |
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Club Loft |
The angle of the clubface - affects the flight and distance of the ball when struck. |
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Face |
That part of the club head which comes into direct contact with the ball. |
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Flange |
The base of a club, the part that rests on the ground. |
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Flex |
The degree that a club's shaft bends upon impact with the ball. |
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Flight |
A ball is in flight when traveling through the air. |
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Head |
The end of the club that includes the club face. |
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Heel |
Where the club head is attached to the shaft. |
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Impact |
When the club strikes the ball. |
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Iron |
A metal headed club that is not a wood. |
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Layout |
The design of the course. |
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Lie |
The position of the ball at rest. |
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Line |
The intended trajectory of the golf ball. |
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Line of Play |
The intended travel of the ball after it has been struck. |
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Line of Putt |
The intended travel of the ball after it has been struck on the green. |
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Links |
Golf course within 4 miles of the coast. |
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Loft |
The angle of the clubface in relation to the ground that dictates the trajectory of the ball as it rises in the air. 0 degrees loft is perpendicular to the ground. |
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Long Game |
That part of a golfer's game, which involves hitting the ball over 180 yards. |
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Lost Ball |
Any ball which cannot be located once struck. |
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Majors |
The most significant golf championships. In the men's game these are: The Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open, and the PGA Championship. |
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Make the cut |
To qualify for subsequent rounds in a tournament. |
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Middle Wedge |
A metal iron with loft between that of a pitching wedge and a sand wedge. |
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Mulligan |
A free drive, esp. off the first tee after a poor shot. |
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Open Stance |
At address the golfer stands with their front foot further from the ball line than their back foot. An open stance is used by a player when they want to fade or slice the ball. |
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Pin High |
Means that the ball has landed on the green level with the hole as you are looking at it. |
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Pitching Wedge |
An iron with a club face angel of 48 to 50 degrees. Used to hit a high shot. |
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Run |
The distance that the ball continues to travel after its initial impact with the ground. |
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Running iron |
An iron used to make short shots which roll. |
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Set |
The number of golf clubs carried (maximum is 14). |
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Shaft |
That part of the club between the head and the grip. |
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Short Game |
Chipping, Pitching and Putting. |
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Shot |
An attempt to hit the ball. |
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Sole |
The underside of the club head. |
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Sole plate |
The metal underside of a wood's club head. |
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Square stance |
When your left and right feet are level and at right angles to the ball when you take your stance. |
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Stance |
To place your feet in preparation for a swing. |
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Stroke |
An attempt to hit the ball. The stroke starts on a player’s downswing. |
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Sweet Spot |
The preferred spot on the clubface with which to strike the ball. |
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Swing |
The action of hitting the ball. |
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Takeaway |
When the club head is moved back from the ball at the start of a swing. |
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Tee |
A small peg stuck into the ground on which a golf ball is placed. It is also area where golfers play first stroke of any given hole. |
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Tempo |
The speed of a golfer's swing. |
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Toe |
That part of the club head at the opposite end to the heel. |
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Torque |
How far a shaft twists during a swing. |
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Turn |
The midway point on a golf course, the end of the 9th hole. |
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Up and Down |
Means missing the green in regulation but still achieving par. Usually by playing one chip or bunker shot followed by just one putt. |
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Waggle |
The movement of the club head as the golfer prepares to swing. |
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Whiff |
To completely miss the ball. |
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Wood |
Clubs used for long-range shots. Traditionally made with woodenhead they are now mostly made with metal alloy heads. |