Golf Glossary

Plain-language definitions of terms used across our instruction and equipment guides.

Angle of Attack: The up-or-down direction the clubhead is moving at impact, relative to horizontal. A negative (descending) angle of attack is typical for irons; a positive (ascending) angle is typical for an optimized driver strike.
Backspin: Spin that causes a golf ball to rotate backward relative to its flight direction, which generates lift and, on approach shots, helps the ball stop quickly on the green.
Bounce (wedge): The angle between a wedge's leading edge and the lowest point of its sole. Higher bounce resists digging into turf or sand; lower bounce suits shallower attack angles and firmer conditions.
Carry Distance: The distance a golf ball travels through the air, not including any roll after it lands.
Compression (ball): A measure of how much a golf ball deforms at impact. Lower-compression balls suit slower swing speeds; higher-compression balls suit faster swing speeds.
Divot: The turf displaced by the clubhead during a swing, typically in front of the ball's original position on a well-struck iron shot.
Draw: A shot that curves gently from right to left for a right-handed golfer (left to right for a left-handed golfer), generally considered a controllable, desirable shot shape.
Fade: A shot that curves gently from left to right for a right-handed golfer, the mirror of a draw and also a controllable, desirable shot shape.
Fat Shot: A mishit where the club strikes the ground before the ball, causing a loss of distance and often a low, weak trajectory.
Grip Pressure: How tightly a golfer holds the club. Excess grip pressure is one of the most common causes of restricted wrist hinge and lost clubhead speed.
Handicap Index: A number representing a golfer's demonstrated ability, calculated under the World Handicap System from the best differentials among their most recent scores.
Hook: A shot that curves sharply from right to left for a right-handed golfer, more extreme and less controllable than a draw.
Launch Angle: The vertical angle at which a ball leaves the clubface relative to the ground, a key factor (along with spin) in optimizing carry distance.
Lie Angle: The angle between the shaft and the ground when the club is soled correctly. An incorrect lie angle for a golfer's height and posture causes the clubface to aim left or right of target at impact.
Loft: The angle of a clubface relative to vertical, which determines trajectory height and, in large part, distance.
Moment of Inertia (MOI): A club's resistance to twisting on off-center strikes. Higher MOI means more forgiveness — retained ball speed and direction — on mishits.
Shank: A mishit where the ball contacts the hosel (the neck connecting the clubhead to the shaft) instead of the clubface, sending the ball sharply off-line, usually to the right for a right-handed golfer.
Slice: A shot that curves sharply from left to right for a right-handed golfer, generally caused by an out-to-in swing path combined with an open clubface at impact.
Spin Rate: How fast a golf ball rotates after impact, measured in revolutions per minute (rpm). Spin rate affects both trajectory shape and how much a ball curves offline or stops on the green.
Stock Shot: A golfer's default, most repeatable and predictable shot shape, used as the go-to choice in normal playing conditions.
Swing Path: The direction the clubhead is traveling through the impact zone, relative to the target line — a primary factor (with face angle) in determining shot shape.
Tempo: The rhythm and relative timing of the backswing versus the downswing. Inconsistent tempo, more than raw speed, is a common cause of inconsistent contact.
Thin Shot: A mishit where the club strikes the upper half of the ball, producing a low, often far-traveling shot with reduced control.