Golf Lingo!

[SpoiledRotten]

I've searched for a topic similar to this and haven't found one. It seems that every hobby, sport, business, etc., has it's own lingo, or language, associated with it. There are many terms that I hear while watching a tournament, or reading forums such as this one.

If this has not already gotten a spot on this forum, I would like for this to serve as a place where golfers, more than likely, beginning golfers, can come and ask about a certain phrase that they have come across, and ask what it really means.

I'll start it by asking:

* What does "shanking" mean? Is that when you hit the ball with the bottom of your iron rather than getting under it as you should?

* What does it mean by draw? While shopping for clubs, I found where some are set up for a "draw". Not really sure what that set up means, although I would think it means that you pull it to the "inside" of your swing, whether left or right handed, maybe like a hook shot. Not sure why you would set your club up for a hook, unless you have a natural tendency to slice most of the time.

Again, this is just a start. I'll have many more questions, as I'm sure others will as well. Thanks, in advance, for addressing them.

[SpoiledRotten]

Just read another one I don't know what it means:

but when you hit like 2 white stakes off the tee

What does it mean by hitting "2 white stakes off the tee"? Sounds like it might have rolled a few feet after contact.

[sean_miller]

Just read another one I don't know what it means:

I'd never heard that one before. Boundary stakes are typically in bounds and you can hit them all you want - it's a bit risky though because once the ball passes the outer plane of the line of stakes, it's out of bounds. Do you suppose he actually meant he'd hit "2 balls out of bounds (or OB)"?

[DavidFehertysBike]

White stakes mark out of bounds areas. Your ball cannot come to rest out of bounds or you have to replay your shot from where it was struck. Wheather or not if a ball hits them is irrelevant. A shank is when you hit the ball off of the hosel of the club (the part that connects the clubhead to the shaft)

Youre a righty, so a draw would be where a ball starts out going to the right of you, and then swings back to the left towards the end of its flight. You dont swing a draw biased club any differently that you normally would any other club. Its designed to help golfers that flight a slice.

[SpoiledRotten]

I read that in the thread "Cheating Friend". He was complaining about his friend cheating on the score card, so I have no clue what was meant by it. Maybe that poster will chime in.

[treebound]

Run a search for golf lingo on amazon.com and you will find a few books on the subject.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is...7?k=golf+lingo

I recently saw the Let The Big Dogs Eat at a local used bookstore, makes for a fun read but I left it on the shelf.

I think in the cheating thread the OP was talking about his opponents not recording all of their penalty strokes. "OP" = Original Poster or the person who started the thread.

[dbuck]

I've searched for a topic similar to this and haven't found one. It seems that every hobby, sport, business, etc., has it's own lingo, or language, associated with it. There are many terms that I hear while watching a tournament, or reading forums such as this one.

As to the "S" word, many golfers will not speak that word as the results are so catastrophic!! Many prefer "lateral" or one of many other coloquial names to avoid saying it, LOL. It refers to an uncontrolled shot that goes violently outside-meaning almost sideways( to the right for a right hander, left for a left hander). It gets its name from the action of basically hitting the "shank" of the club-where the hosel meets the face with the face extremely open (away from) the golfer, although I don't think you actually have to hit the hosel to produce this very frustrating shot. There is an old wives' tale that this is the closest miss to a perfect shot. The only time I think that is true is on certain wedge shots where you are trying to produce a certain flight with other than a square face and just get off a bit on timing and motion.

A draw is a gentle or controlled curve to the inside of the golfer's line (left for a right hander, right for a left hander); the opposite of a fade which is a curve to the outside of the line. A hook is a severe draw, a slice is a severe fade. I think a lot of people have clubs with a draw set up to avoid a slice, but some do it just because they want to play a draw consistently.

[shades9323]

I'd never heard that one before. Boundary stakes are typically in bounds and you can hit them all you want - it's a bit risky though because once the ball passes the outer plane of the line of stakes, it's out of bounds. Do you suppose he actually meant he'd hit "2 balls out of bounds (or OB)"?

He meant his friend hit 2 balls out of bounds. His friend then carded a 5.