Golfing Tips Archives - That's A Gimmie

The game of golf is hard enough as it is. All the terminology and lingo just makes it that much more complicated. Luckily for you, we’ve put together the ultimate list of golf terminology.

Our list is sorted into three separate categories.

Golf Terminology: These are terms that you would find in the official golf rules and will help you understand the game.

Golf Lingo: These are terms that are used on the golf course. Though you wouldn’t find in the rulebook are still used quite often.

Golf Slang: These terms are primarily used as jokes and come in handy if you’re looking to get some laughs on the course.

Beginners Golf Terminology

Par: the number of strokes a first-class player should normally require for a particular hole or course.

Birdie: A hole with a score of one stroke under par.

Bogey: A score of one stroke over par at a hole.

Bunker: A hollow comprised of sand or grass or both that exists as an obstacle and, in some cases, a hazard.

Divot: The turf displaced when the club strikes the ball on a descending path.

Double Bogey: A score of two over par on a hole.

Draw: A shot that flies slightly from right to left for right-handed players.

Eagle: A score of two-under-par on a hole.

Fade: A shot that flies slightly from left to right.

Lie: As it relates to the ball, the position of the ball when it has come to rest.

Line: The intended path of the ball, usually referred to in the context of putting.

Loft: The degree of angle on the clubface, with the least loft on a putter and the most on a sand wedge.

Ready Golf: This refers to a faster method of playing golf. Instead of shooting in order of who is furthest away, you shoot in order of who is ready.

Short Game: Those shots played on and around the green, including putting, chipping and pitching, and bunker shots.

Slice: A ball that curves from left to right to a greater degree than a fade.

Sweet Spot: The point on the clubface where, if it is struck with an object, the clubface will not torque or twist to either side.

Tee Box: The area where players tee to start a hole.

Break: The amount a putt will curve to the side because of the slope, grain and wind that affect the movement of the ball.

Golf Lingo

Ace: Hitting the ball directly into the hole, AKA a hole in one.

Air Mail: Shooting a ball past your target while in the air.

Albatross: A score three strokes under par ex: 2 strokes on a par 5

Back Door: When a putt falls into the back of the cup.

Beaching or Going to the beach: Hitting the ball into a sand bunker.

Big Dog: A nickname for your driver.

Bump and Run: A pitch shot around the green in which the player hits the ball into a slope to deaden its speed before settling on the green and rolling towards the hole.

Cabbage: terminology for thick rough.

Carry: The distance a ball will fly in the air

Chunk: When the club hits the ground behind the ball.

Cuban: A putt that falls just short, “it needs one more revolution”.

Dance Floor: Alternative name for the green.

Dawn Patrol or Dew Sweepers: Golfers who tee off very earlier in the day

Dog Track: When a golf course is in poor condition.

Dribbler: A Ball that rolls forward usually not even airborne.

Duck Hook: A severe hook to the left and down also known as a snap hook.

Fan: To completely miss making contact with the ball.

Flatstick: A slang term for a putter.

Flop Shot: A very high short shot. Also known as a Phil Mickelson flop shot.

Fried Egg: The slang term for a buried lie in the sand.

Frog Hair: Slang for the fringe.

Gimmie: A putt so short that the players agree counts automatically.

Hacker: Slang for inexperienced or beginner golfer. Meant to mean they “hack” at the ball.

Kick: A positive bounce that puts your ball in a better position.

Golf Slang + Golf Jokes

Afraid Of The Dark: A ball that is scared to get in the hole.

Adolf Hitler: Two Shots in a bunker

Army Golf: Shooting the ball back and forth across the fair way or green. Or as the army would say ” LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT”

Cat Box: nickname for a sand bunker.

Foot Wedge: A joke referring to use your foot to ick your ball into a better position.

Hand Wedge: Similar to foot wedge, it is a joke referring to use your hand to help your ball.

Hook: A shot that curves sharply from right to left for right-handed players.

Hosel Rocket: Hitting a ball off the hosel of a club, usually flying sharply right.

Jaws: When a player leaves his ball “right in the jaws” his putt was just short of falling in the hole.

Jungle: refers to a ball hit into the deepest thickest part of the course.

Knife: Another name for the 1-iron a very hard to hit club.

Lay Up: Hitting a safe shot to set your self up instead of going straight for the green.

Lip Out: When a putt rides the lip of the hole and does not go in.

Lumberjack: Consistently hitting the ball into the woods.

Mickey Mouse Course: A course of low quality that cannot be taken seriously.

Milk the Grip: Repeatedly squeezing the grip of club and letting go as if you were milking a cow.

Muff: A mishit or flubbed golf shot.

Mulligan: This term refers to redoing a poor golf shot. If your first shot goes poorly you may say it was a mulligan and hit again. This is not a legal maneuver.

Nineteenth Hole: The nineteenth hole usually refers to the Clubhouse bar or restaurant.

Nip It: Hitting a iron shot “thin” as you do not hit the ground or take a divot.

OB: This is golf slang for out of bounds.

Pin High: A golf term that refers to the ball travelling far enough to be at the pin. Whether it is left or right even off the green if the ball was hit the proper distance it is pin high.

Pin Seekers: A ball that is travelling directly towards the pin.

Punch Shot: A low-flying shot played with an abbreviated backswing and finish.

Saddam Husein: Going from Bunker To Bunker

Sand Bagger: Someone who plays much better than there stated average score. Used to win tournaments and bets

Sandie: Saving par after being in the sand.

Short Stick: Slang for putter

Snowman: Shooting a score of eight on a hole.

Texas Wedge: Slang for a putter when putting from off the green.

The Tips: The Championship or GOlf Tee blocks

Twigs: Slang for your clubs also known as “sticks”

Up And Down: Shooting the ball up onto the green and putting it down into the hole in one putt.

Weekend Warriors: Golfers who can only find time to play on the weekend usually don’t play well.

Wormburner: A hard golf shot that never gets more than a few feet off the gorund.

Yips: Nerves cause your hands began to shake potentially causing you to mishit your putt.

In your average round of golf, putts tend to make up about 40 percent of your total score. Now considering that your putter is the only club you’re going to use this often it makes sense that it should be your main priority when looking to shave a few strokes of your game.

Not to mention the fact that you can practice your putting anywhere with just a few simple drills. Throughout this article, we’re going to breakdown fifteen different ways you can improve your putting. Now like most golf tips most of these aren’t going to be your saving grace but if you give them all a shot somethings gotta stick.

Utilize your Putter Lines

Yeah, you know that stripe that looked awesome in golf town, the one you used to knockdown ten straight-eight footers on their indoor perfectly flat green.

If you get your use out of this line it should extend off the line of the ball and give you a bit larger target line to help visualize your next putt. Now this only works if your able to line it up properly so you may have to tackle that first. Or head back to golftown…

Read the distance not just the break

The majority of golfers tend to take a quick look at how far away the hole is, they then proceed to spend way too long staring at the slopes of the green trying to determine the perfect line. Turns out your average golfer is much worse at depth perception that one thinks. May sure you take that few extra seconds and maybe even walk the putt distance to ensure you have a good grasp of the weight.

Don’t Under Read The Break

According to a study completed by golf magazine, 65 percent of golfers under-read their putts. You’re going to spend the rest of the thinking about how poorly you putted anyways so spend that extra thirty seconds get a good read and knock it down.

Conduct A Left To Right Read

When reading your putt from your ball to the hole you tend to focus or the uphill or downhill nature of the ball. Spend a little more time thinking about the break the ball will take to the left or right. One good way of doing this is to imagine placing two coins on either side of the hole about one foot away. This will allow you to see the horizontal changes in the green.

Take A Look At The Green From The Low End

If you’re trying to get an accurate read on the green your best bet is to get to the lowest point and look up. Think of it like reading a newspaper, it’s much easier done when the paper is tilted towards as opposed to lying flat. By reading the green from the lower point it is much easier for your eyes to pick up on the slopes and hills you’ll have to adjust for in your putt.

Practice Success

By practising your shorter putts (inside ten feet) you will gain confidence in your putting stroke. This confidence should help you lose some of the jitters next time you walk up to the green.

Pick a spot on the back of the hole

By focusing on a location on the pack of the hole it will help you stay consistent with your target. This should also allow you to stay focused each time you look up from the ball.

Try Putting With One Hand

No not on the course but definitely for few strokes on the practice green. If you are able to hit your putts relatively well when putting one hand this means that your setup is correct. If you are struggling with putting one-handed you may want to work on your putting setup.

Keep Your Grip Pressure Light

This isn’t a swing out of the tee blocks where you may jump right out of your shoes. A putting stroke is a light short swing, if you think about it there’s is no need to be gripping your putter tightly. Let it hang naturally from your hands and this should help you feel out your stroke.

Get A Proper Fitting Putter

You want to make sure you have a putter that compliments your putting stroke well. The two major factors of your putter are the length and the lie angle of the putter. Getting these factors corrected will lead to cleaner contact on the ball with each putt. Putters can be professionally fitted, but if you are a more casual golfer your best bet is to just keep testing until you find one that feels right for you.

Adjust your putts based on the weather

When doing something as precise as putting it makes sense to take all factors into account. A lot of casual golfers don’t realize the effects the weather can have on the speed of the greens. The largest difference you will notice is after rainfall. Wet greens are considerably slower than dry greens so you’re going to want to give you putting a little more power. More advanced adjustments include putting with less power on windy days. The wind tends to take the moisture out of the greens thus making the ball roll faster. Lastly, on hot days, you need to pay close attention to the greens. Heat can produce dryer greens resulting in a faster ball though it can also cause the growth of the grass to increase making the ball roll slower. Make sure to pay attention to the weather when putting and adjust accordingly.

Know You Are Going To Miss Sometimes

Putting is arguably the hardest part of golf and something that pros on the tour often struggle with. To think that with your 23 Handicap you’re going to be lining up and knockdown ever putt on your local course is a tad optimistic. The reality is your putting is always going to have room for improvement but what you can do is take small steps and continuously improve. Know you’re going to miss some putts learn from them and stay committed to trying out new tips and strategies to shave off a couple of strokes.

Conclusion

We hope that throughout this putting guide you have been able to find some helpful tips that will lead to improved putting for your next round.

If you enjoyed this check out our clothing store for some funny golfing t shirts

Golfing Tips

Golf Terminology – The Ultimate List