Nevada Bob's Golf Glossary - Terms & Definitions

Ace

A hole-in-one.

Address

When a golfer is just about ready to strike the ball, he/she will have planted their feet at some fixed position relative to the ball. This is the address position and is sometimes referred to as "addressing the ball". The other aspect to a golfer's posture at this point is that knees are slightly bent. The address is the final position taken by a golfer just before the swing.

Albatross (Double Eagle)

The British term for completing a hole having struck the ball three fewer times than par. Also known in the US as a double eagle.

Alloy

Any combination of metals used to produce a golf club head or shaft. Alloys may contain aluminium, steel, beryllium, nickel, copper, titanium, or other metals in varying combinations. Less than honest descriptions of products often have the term "alloy" in them to hide the fact that the product may only contain trace elements of the desired metal. For example, "titanium alloy" may actually contain 98% aluminium and only 2% titanium which may be used to confuse the consumer with "real titanium" that has high levels of titanium. Alloy is often a code word for substituting a cheap metal for an expensive metal.

Back Weight

A weight, usually tungsten, brass or aluminium attached to the back of a wooden, graphite or titanium wood head. The back weight moves the centre of gravity (CG) toward the back of the club to assist in getting the ball airborne.

Backspin

Backspin is the backward rotation of a golf ball in flight around a horizontal axis as caused by the club hitting the golf ball. The more loft on a golf club, the greater the backspin on the ball. Certain finishes on a club face (e.g., milling, brass-blasting) can also increase backspin.

Balance Point

The point where a shaft's weight is evenly distributed in both directions when rested on a single point.

Belly Putter

A type of golf putter that positions the top of the golf club's grip against the player's stomach in order to create a pendulum effect from a relatively stable pivot point. Most belly putters are about 1 metre (100centimetres) in length. Belly putters generally are available in several lengths to accommodate different bellies.

Bent (or Curved) Shaft

A shaft designed for use in no-hosel putters, featuring a bend or bends within 12-13 centimetres from the shaft tip. The curved shaft creates offset and face balancing.

Beryllium Copper (BeCu)

An alloy used to produce heads for some irons. More dense than stainless steel and some golf players claim it has a softer feel. Beryllium heads are easily identified by their copper coloration.

Beta-Titanium

An alloy of Titanium both harder and heavier than typical cast titanium.

Birdie

Score of one under par on a hole.

Bi-Metal

Describes golf club heads constructed from two different materials, for instance, a stainless steel club head with a brass sole insert or brass sole rails.

Blade (or Face)

The striking face of an golf iron head.

Bogey

Score of one stroke over par on a hole.

Boron

A high strength element added to some graphite shafts to increase tip strength. Boron shafts are more expensive. Since the mid 1990's boron has become less common as the technology of manufacturing graphite shafts has improved their strength and reduced torque considerably.

Bounce

The measurement from the leading edge of the golf club face to the ground line. Wedges typically have the most bounce in a set of golf clubs. Bounce helps these golf clubs go through sand and high grass easily, intended to reduce the drag effect or incidence of hitting behind the ball (fat shots).

British Open

The British National Championship organised annually by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (the home of golf) - known in Britain as "the Open" because it was the first one.

Bulge

The curvature of the face of a golf wood or golf metal wood from heel to toe. Bulge helps give corrective spin to shots hit on the toe or heel of the wood face.

Butt (Shaft Butt)

The grip end of the shaft.

Butt Cap

The plastic or rubber cap at the top end of the grip. Also called the "End Cap."

Bunker

A hazard filled with sand, also referred to a sand trap.

Buggy

See Cart.

Caddy

The person carrying your golf clubs during your round of golf.

Camber

The radius measurement of the sole of a golf club. A sole can be cambered from toe to heel, or from front to back, or both.

Cart

A motorised vehicle used to transport golfers around the course. Also known as a Buggy.

Cavity Back

An iron head with the weight distributed toward the perimeter of the golf head. Cavity back irons are easily identified by their recessed area on the back of the club head.

Centre of Gravity (CG)

The point in a golf club head where all of the points of balance intersect. The lower the CG, the higher the ball flight. Higher CG golf clubs produce lower ball flight.

Centre-Shafted

Hosel configuration where the shaft enters the head toward the centre. Most common in putters.

Chrome Plated Finish

High-luster, shiny finish electrostatically applied to forged irons and to steel shafts.

Component

Parts used to assemble golf clubs. The three primary components of a golf club are the head, shafts and grips. Other components include ferrules, labels, tape, and epoxy.

Compression

The hardness of a golf ball, identified by a number - a higher number indicates a ball that requires more force to compress it. Lower compression balls flatten more when hit. 100 would be a high compression golf ball, 80 would be a low compression golf ball.

Compression Molded

Manufacturing method for graphite heads and face inserts where layers of graphite are placed upon one another and heat cured to create a club head or insert.

Cover

Outside surface of a golf ball. The cover may be one of any number of materials, Surlyn and balata being most common.

Crown

The top of the head of a wood or metal wood. It's what the golfer sees at address.

Cubic Centimetres (cc's)

Measurement of the volume of a wood head.

Deep Face

A golf club face with higher than average distance from the sole of the club to the crown. Deep face clubs have a higher CG and launch the ball on a lower trajectory.

Diamond Face

A face coating containing fine diamond crystals to enhance backspin and face wear. Primarily used on golf wedges.

Die Cast

Injection of material into a pre-formed die to form club heads. This process is generally used on lower-priced heads such as zinc alloy irons and aluminium alloy woods. It is also commonly used on putters made from brass and zinc.

Double Bogey

A score of two over par on a hole.

Driver

The club that is used to hit the ball for the first shot on a par 4 or par 5 hole. The longest hitting club in the set. Drivers commonly have lofts between 7 and 12 degrees, but can go as high as 14 degrees.

Driving Iron

A golf club with low loft and a muscle or hollow body similar to a wood. The driving iron is a utility club most commonly used by golfers who have difficulty hitting their long irons.

Eagle

Finishing a hole in two strokes less than par. This means taking three shots on a par five, two shots on a par four or one shot on a par three.

End Cap

The plastic or rubber cap at the top end of the grip. Also called the "Butt Cap."

Etiquette

The correct behaviour on a golf course. It is an important part of golf. Not knowing what to do can ruin other people's enjoyment of the game and result in your being asked to leave the course.

Face (or Blade)

The striking face of a golf iron head.

Face Angle

Position of the golf club face relative to the intended line of ball flight. For right-handed golfers, a square face angle aligns directly at the target; an open face aligns to the right, while a closed face aligns left.

Face Insert

An epoxy, graphite or fibrous material in the centre portion of the face on a wooden, composite, or metal head.

Ferrule

Decorative trim ring, directly on top of the hosel on many woods and irons.

Flat Lie

A lie flatter than specification. For example, if the spec is 60 degrees, a 2 degree flat club would have a lie angle of 58 degrees.

Flex

The relative bending properties of a golf club shaft. Flex is usually identified by a letter and is related to the golf players ability to generate club head speed:

• L for ladies
• A for senior, club head speed of 70-79 mph (110-128 km/h)
• R for regular, club head speed of 80-94 mph (129-152 km/h)
• S for stiff, club head speed of 100 mph (161 km/h) and
• X for extra stiff, club head speed of 100 mph (161 km/h)

A stiff shaft is also known as a firm shaft and is then identified by the letter F.

Flexible Face

A golf club face designed to "flex" upon ball impact, potentially propelling the ball a longer distance than if the face did not flex. See also "Spring-Like Effect" or "Trampoline Effect".

Flow Weighting

Head design where weight positioning shifts from one club to the next. For example, a #1 iron may have more weight concentrated on its toe, a #2 iron slightly less, and so on. Also called "Progressive Weighting".

Form Forged

Golf iron club head manufacturing process in which a golf club is first investment cast from an alloy of carbon steel and then formed to shape through a series of forging dies.

Forged Titanium

A method of wood head manufacture in which the body and sole of the head is forged from 100% pure titanium. The face and hosels are usually cast from 6-4 Ti.

Forging

Producing a golf club head from a series of forging dies stamping the head to final shape. Forged heads are made of softer metals than cast heads and require hand finishing and chrome plating.

Gear Effect

The effect that tends to cause a ball hit toward the toe or heel side of face centre to curve back to the intended target line.

Gooseneck

A putter (or iron) that has an extremely offset hosel.

Graphite

Synthetic filament material used for shaft and head production, produced through a series of heating steps. Graphite fibres may differ greatly in strength and modulus.

Grip Collar

Plastic collar used to secure the bottom of a grip in place on the shaft. Most commonly seen on leather grips.

Gunmetal

Dark, almost black, finish applied to the surface of iron heads for cosmetic reasons or to prevent rusting of a carbon steel head.

Heel-Toe Weighting

A type of golf club head design with weight positioned toward the heel and toe of the club head, resulting in stabilising the club head (and produces straighter shots) on off-centre impacts.

High-Modulus Graphite

A shaft material stiffer than standard graphite. The higher the modulus of graphite, the lower its compression strength.

High Polish Finish

Shiny (mirror) finish applied to stainless steel golf iron heads through a series of polishing operations.

Hook Face

A golf wood with a closed face angle. Hook face woods may help players who slice to hit the ball straight.

Horizontal Flow Weighting

Distributing weight from club to club in a set of golf irons, with the highest concentration of weight moving from the toe of the longer irons to the heel of the shorter irons.

Hosel

The entry point of the shaft into the head on any golf club.

Inset Hosel

A club design with the hosel toward the centre of the club face in an attempt to reduce head twisting.

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Leading Edge

The front edge of the clubface.

Lie

The angle from the shaft to the ground line when the club is measured in normal playing position.

Lift

Upward force on a golf ball as it flies.

Lightweight Shaft

A shaft that falls within 3.80-4.24 ounces in steel or alloy shafts and within 3.20-3.60 ounces in composite shafts.

Loft

The angle measurement in degrees, of the golf clubface in relation to the shaft that controls trajectory and affects distance. Also see "Strong Loft", "Backspin" and "Driver Loft".

There are no official loft angles; manufacturers are free to choose the loft of each club. Drivers, 2 and 3 Irons have very little loft, however wedges and short irons typically have a larger loft. The higher the loft angle of the club, the higher and shorter the trajectory of the golf ball.

The following angle measurements (in degrees) are typical for a set of iron golf clubs:

• 2-Iron - 18 degrees
• 3-Iron - 22 degrees
• 4-Iron - 25 degrees
• 5-Iron - 28 degrees
• 6-Iron - 31 degrees
• 7-Iron - 34 degrees
• 8-Iron - 37 degrees
• 9-Iron - 41 degrees
• Pitching Wedge - 45 degrees
• Gap Wedge - 50 degrees
• Sand Wedge - 55 degrees
• Lob Wedge - 60 degrees

Low Balance Point (LBP)

A shaft with a high percentage of its weight toward the tip.

Low Profile Head

An iron or wood head that is shorter from top line to sole line than typical.

Mallet

A type of golf putter head identified by its broad appearance from front to back when positioned at address.

Melonite

Black corrosion-resistant plating applied to some golf club heads.

Milled Face

A golf club face milled to 0.002 centimetres for flatness to promote smoother roll.

Midsize Wood

Any wood with a club head around 185cc (cubic centimetres) in size.

Modulus

The measure of a fibre's stiffness or resistance to bending. The higher the modulus, the stiffer the material.

Muscle Back Iron

See Blade Style Iron.

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Offset

The distance from the forward most point of the hosel to the leading edge of the blade. Offset will help a player to align the club face with the target, reducing a slice, and may produce higher ball flight.

Oversize Iron Head

Any iron head larger 43 millimetres and a blade length of 75 mm.

Oversize Wood Head

A wood head with volume greater than 200cc's (Cubic Centimetres).

Par

The number of shots a good player should take either on a given hole or for the duration of an 18 hole round. For a short hole the good player should take three shots; on a medium length hole the number is four and on a long hole it is five. We call these holes a par three, a par four and a par five. Par for the course is the pars of all the individual holes added together. On an average 18-hole course the par is 72. It can vary from the low 60s for a very short course to 74 for a long course.

Perimeter Weighting

Redistributing weight on a club head to the heel and toe in an attempt to stabilise the golf club on all types of impacts.

Progressive Offset

Iron sets with longer irons having more offset and shorter irons having less.

Progressive Weighting

Head design where weight positioning shifts from one club to the next. For example, a #1 iron may have more weight concentrated on its toe, a #2 iron slightly less, and so on. Also called "Flow Weighting".

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Rails

Raised areas on the soles of metal woods, lowering the centre of gravity of the club and providing less resistance as the club travels through the turf.

Rescue

A name given to any number of golf clubs that combine features of a wood and an iron. "Rescue" is also the trademarked name of this type of club from TaylorMade that began the trend. See also "Hybrid."

Roll

The measure of face curvature from crown to sole on woods.

17-4 Stainless Steel

Stainless steel alloy used in Iron and metal wood head construction. 17-4 is no more than 0.07% Carbon, between 15 and 17% Chromium, 4% Nickel, 2.75% Copper, and 75% Iron and trace elements. Harder than 431 stainless steel.

431 Stainless Steel

Stainless steel used in iron and putter head construction, not more than 20% carbon, 15-17% chromium, and 1.25-2.5% nickel, with the remainder being iron and a few trace elements. The most common iron making material in high quality irons. Softer than 17-4 stainless steel.

Sandblast

Light grey finish applied to the some iron and wood heads. Applied using an air compressor and sandblasted with aluminium oxide sand.

Satin Finish

"Brushed" finish applied to some stainless steel iron heads and metal wood soles by finishing belts.

Scoring Lines

Lines or grooves on the face of an iron or wood club.

Shaft

Usually made of steel but also graphite, the golf club shaft is the tapered tube between the clubhead and the grip. Prior to the 1930's hickory was the common material for shaft manufacturing. Steel shafts were widely used for the next half of the century, until most recently in the 1960s when graphite and composite shafts have been used.

Shafts are able to be quantified in a number of different ways. The most common is the shaft flex. It is measured using the following scale:

• L for ladies
• A for senior, club head speed of 70-79 mph (110-128 km/h)
• R for regular, club head speed of 80-94 mph (129-152 km/h)
• S for stiff, club head speed of 100 mph (161 km/h) and
• X for extra stiff, club head speed of 100 mph (161 km/h)

In general, the appropriate shaft stiffness is dependant on the club-head speed reached by a golf player. A regular flex shaft is for those with an average head speed of 80-94 mph (129-152 km/h), while an A-Flex (or senior shaft) is for players with a slower swing speed 70-79 mph (110-128 km/h), and the stiffer shafts, such as S-Flex and X-Flex (Stiff and Extra-Stiff shafts) are reserved only for those players with an above average swinging speed, usually above 100 mph (161 km/h).

Shallow Face

Any wood or iron having a face height shorter than normal.

Sole

The bottom or underside of any type of golf club. It is where the club rests on the ground in playing position.

Sole Weighted Iron

An iron head with the majority of its weight concentrated near the sole of the club, producing a lower centre of gravity (CG).

Sole Width

The measure of a sole from the leading edge to the trailing edge. A narrow sole is better from firmer ground; wide soles are helpful in getting the ball airborne from softer ground.

Sole Camber

The curvature from the leading edge to the trailing edge.

Spring-Like Effect

A golf club face designed to "flex" upon ball impact, potentially propelling the ball a longer distance than if the face did not flex. See also "Flexible Face" and "Trampoline Effect".

Square (Box, "U") Grooves

Face lines or grooves pressed, cut, or cast into a rectangular shape.

Standard Size Wood

Any golf wood head with volume of around 150cc (cubic centimetres)

Standard Weight Shaft

A steel shaft within the range of 4.25-4.62 ounces (120-130 grams).

Step

Where the diameter of a steel shaft "steps up" noticeably to a larger diameter.

Stepless

Steel shafts without "steps up" in diameter. FMC Rifle and Apollo Balistik are stepless shafts.

Step Pattern

The pattern made by the sequence of steps of a steel shaft which vary by manufacturer and shaft model.

Strong Loft

A golf club, usually an iron, with loft that is less than the standard specification for that club. Stronger lofted golf clubs tend to hit the ball lower and longer than standard lofts, but may sacrifice some control.

Super-Steel

Alloys of steel that is stronger and lighter than 17-4 stainless.

Swingweight

A golf club's weight distribution around a fixed fulcrum point. The fulcrum point is typically 35.5 cm from the butt of the club. It is measured in alpha-numeric units such as D-1, D-2, and so on with higher letter-number units indicating more weight in the head relative to the grip.

6-4 Titanium

Titanium is used in wood heads manufactured with the formula 6Al-4V: these are 90% Titanium, 6% Aluminium and 4% Vanadium. Titanium is often used in oversize and larger heads.

Ti-Alloy

Alloy used for wood heads that contains some Titanium, but a much larger amount of less expensive (generally Aluminium) alloys.

Tip Stiff

A shaft with a tip stiffer than the rest of the shaft. Tip stiff shafts are generally designed with harder swinging golf players in mind.

Titanium

Golf club head metal primarily for woods with a higher strength-to-weight ratio than most steel alloys. See also Forged Titanium and 6-4 Titanium.

Top line

The top part of an iron blade, running from heel to toe visible to the golfer at address.

Torque

Measure of a shaft's resistance to twisting. Low torque shafts twist less and are recommended for stronger golf players.

Total Weight

Weight of the entire assembled golf club as expressed in ounces or grams.

Trajectory

The shape and height of a golf ball's flight in relation to its direction.

Trampoline Effect

A golf club face designed to "flex" upon ball impact, potentially propelling the ball a longer distance than if the face did not flex. See also "Flexible Face" and "Spring-Like Effect".

Trailing Edge

The back edge of the sole.

Tri-Metal

A golf club head comprised of three separate metals.

Triple Bogey

Three over par on one hole.

Trouble Club

Golf clubs used to play the ball from a difficult lie. Trouble golf clubs often have unusual sole construction - perhaps rails - that lower the centre of gravity (CG). Trouble clubs may be irons, woods or hybrids.

Tungsten

A heavy steel/tungsten compound is used to add weight to a club head, either as a swingweighting material in the shaft or as a defined weight attached somewhere in/on the head.

U-Groove

Used in iron face structure, more pronounced than "V" grooves. See "Square Grooves."

Ultralight Shaft

Composite shafts weighing less than 2.00 ounces or 65 grams.

Upright Lie

A club's lie that is more upright than the standard specification for that particular head.

Utility

See Rescue

V Grooves

Face grooves pressed, cut, or cast into a "V" shape during club manufacture.

Velocity

The speed of a golf ball.

Vertical Flow Weighting

Club set weighting with weight shifting vertically from a concentration of weight toward the sole of long irons to more traditional weighting on short irons.

Volume

The measurement of the size of a wood head as measured by liquid displacement.

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