Clearing up confusing golf terminology

So many folks feel befuddled by the peculiar language of golf. Still others get confused as to the real meaning of a variety of golf terms, with misinterpretation and misunderstanding sometimes becoming embarrassing. And not just beginners.  Some helpful clarification may be long overdue.

It has been my experience that many golfers don’t grasp the reality of how the growth pattern of grass on the putting greens can affect the roll of the golf ball. Individual blades of grass grow in a prevailing direction on almost all greens – this pattern is called the “grain” of the grass. Drainage configurations, strains of grasses, prevailing winds, amounts of shade and other variables will determine the grain. The course superintendent will answer these questions. The grain of longer grass also affects how the clubhead reacts, most dramatically as you try to hit iron shots out of the rough into the grain.  

When explaining playing proper golf in breezy conditions at one of our golf schools Herb Wimberly suggested that one of our students that he try to hit a little “knockdown” shot into the wind. “Beg your pardon?” the gentleman replied, not having a clue what Herb was saying. When you find yourself hitting an iron shot into a stiff breeze you need to hit the shot lower so it doesn’t balloon up and get carried off line by the wind. There are swing alterations that will help create a straight shot with lower trajectory that bores through the wind. It’s recommended that you play the ball slightly back in your stance, make a partly abbreviated backswing and follow-through. The exaggeration of that shot is what Tiger Woods called his patented “stinger.” It takes some practice, however.

Some golfers new to the game are sometimes confused about a “fade” and a “draw.” It all has to do with the flight of the golf ball as imparted by the spin. A ball that fades (for righthanders) is a a left-to-right ball flight, often called a “slice” when it over-fades. A ball that draws moves right to left. An extreme draw is a “duck hook,” also known as “quacker”  or a “dead yank” among other things. Accomplished players are skilled enough to control the spin of both type of shots, while inexperienced golfers leave it  to chance.

When instructing golfers how to play shots out of sand bunkers, teaching pros tell their students to let the “bounce” of the club do the work by opening the face of the sand wedge. Most recreational players don’t really understand the function of bounce. Sand wedges are designed with a rounded bottom sole, or flange, that is lower to the ground than the front, or leading edge, of the clubhead. That flange has the effect of deflection whereby the drag from hitting the bottom of the club into the sand is reduced. According to Titleist expert wedge designer Bob Vokey, “Bounce is your friend. It stops you from digging and helps you to glide through the sand and turf.” Measured in degrees of angle from the  club’s leading edge to the sloe’s bottom, bounce typically ranges from zero degrees To 14 degrees, so knowing the right bounce for your swing dynamics and the particular conditions at your course is very important.

Lastly, there are no sand traps, as such, on a golf course; nor are there any hazards as such – both according to  USGA Rules of Golf. Only “Penalty Areas.”