Descriptionary

match a golf game played by holes rather than a course. The player winning the most holes wins the match.

midiron No. 2 iron. mid mashie No. 3 iron.

Mulligan a second shot allowed off the first tee in nonprofessional or casual games.

neck the socket where the shaft of a club joins the head.

net a player's score after his handicap has been sub­tracted.

open a tournament open for both amateurs and professionals.

open stance a stance in which the left foot is placed in back of the ball's flight path, allowing a player to face in the direction he wishes to hit.

out of bounds the ground outside the course.

overclubbing using a bigger club than is necessary for a particular shot so that the ball travels further than desired.

par the theoretical number of strokes considered necessary to get the ball in the hole; hitting below par, or with fewer strokes, is superior; hitting above par, or with more strokes, is considered inferior.

penalty stroke a stroke added to a player's score for breaking a rule.

pin the flagstick.

pitch a short, lofting shot to the putting green, often with backspin.

pitch and run same type of shot as a pitch but with­out the high arc or backspin, allowing the ball to roll after it hits the putting green.

pitching niblick No. 8 iron.

pitching wedge an iron used for making pitch shots.

playing through the point in playing a hole when one group of players catches up to another group and is allowed to pass ahead.

plugged lie a ball that has been buried in the sand of a bunker. Also known as a fried egg.

pot bunker a small, deep bunker.

pull a ball hit straight but nonetheless to the left of target.

punch a low shot "punched" into the wind with a short, slamming swing.

push opposite of a pull.

putt to stroke the ball lightly, as on a putting green. putter No. 10 iron.

putting green the short-cropped area around the hole.

quail high a long, low shot.

rabbit a ball that bounces erratically after landing.

referee the person who sees to it that all rules are followed.

rough any areas of relatively long grass on a course.

run the distance a ball rolls after striking the ground.

sand trap a sand hazard; bunker.

sand wedge an iron designed for shots out of sand traps.

scoop a poor swing technique in which the club head dips.

scoring lines the indented lines on the faces of irons.

scratch to play at par.

scruff cutting the turf with a club head.

scuffing hitting the ground behind the ball with a club head.

short game collective term for pitching, chipping, and putting.

skulling hitting a chip or pitch shot too far.

sky hitting the ball too low with the club head, sending it "skyward" in a flight resembling a pop fly in baseball.

skywriting a poor swing technique in which the club head makes a looping motion at the top of the backswing.

slice a shot that curves to the right of target. slider a low shot that bounces erratically. snake a very long putt.

snipe a severely hooked ball that dives quickly. sole the bottom of a club head. spade mashie No. 6 iron. spoon No. 3 wood.

spray an extremely poor shot hit far off line.

sudden death when a match is tied at the end of the allotted number of holes, the continuation of play until one opponent wins a hole.

sweet spot the center of the face of a club.

tee a wooden or plastic plug on which the ball is balanced for driving. Also, the area of the first shot of each hole.

thread a shot through a narrow opening between two obstacles.

toe the outer part of the club head.

toe job a ball hit too much from the club toe.

top hitting the ball above center, causing it to roll or hop.

turn starting the second nine holes.

underclubbing using a club designed for shorter distances when longer distance is needed.

unplayable lie a ball in a position where it cannot be played.

up the number of holes a player is ahead of his opponent.

waggle flexing the wrists and slightly swinging the club back and forth before hitting the ball.

wedge a club with a heavy flange on the bottom.

whiff to miss the ball completely.

wood a club with a wooden head.

yips shaking that causes a player to miss a short putt.

gymnastics

aerial cartwheel a leaping, midair cartwheel, as performed on the balance beam.

afterflight in a pommel horse or other routine, the finishing fight leading to a landing.

back lever on the rings, a position in which the legs are extended out so that the body describes an L-shape.

back Moore on a pommel horse, making circling movements with hands on one pommel or behind the back.