Lip outĪ lip out is when a putt rolls over the edge of the hole, almost goes in, then 'lips out'. Typically, this is a mental game problem. YipĪ 'yip' refers to a putt or chip where the golfer makes an abrupt movement and hits a terrible shot. This is one of the worst types of shots in golf because it almost always results in a penalty stroke. If you are a right-handed golfer, this results in the ball traveling severely right of your target and usually out of play. ShankĪlso called a 'hosel rocket', this is when you hit the ball with the hosel (club's neck) instead of the clubface, resulting in an erratic shot. When a golfer makes contact with the lower portion of the club face, causing the ball to fly lower than usual and in most cases, further than intended. Similar to a chunk, but this specifically refers to when you duff a chip shot. ChunkĪlso known as a 'duff', this is when a golfer hits the ground or turf behind the golf ball, causing poor contact and reduced distance of the shot. When a golfer hits the top section of the golf ball, causing it to go a short distance. While you might think this doesn't count as a shot hit, according to the official rules of golf, it does! Even though you didn't hit the ball, it counts as a ball hit :( Hook Shotįor right-handed players, this is a shot that curves right to left and ends left of the target.įor the right-handed player, a pull shot is where the ball starts left of the target and flies relatively straight.įor the right-handed player, a push shot is where the ball starts right of the target and flies relatively straight.Ī complete miss of the ball during a swing, resulting in no contact. This is the most common problem that amateur golfers have. Slice Shotįor right-handed players, this is a shot that curves left to right and ends right of the target.

This is the most common shot among amateur golfers, but many pros also hit this shot as their 'go-to'. Fade ShotĪlso known as a 'cut', for right-handed players, this is a shot that starts left of the target, curves left to right, and ends at the target.įor a left-handed golfer, this is a shot that curves right to left. Most amateur golfers struggle to hit this shot properly. On this page, you'll find every golf term, phrase, and golf slang I've ever heard in my 15+ years of playing golf.Īfter skimming these terms, you'll be able to 'talk the talk' and enjoy your rounds knowing that you're 'in the loop' with all the common golf slang and golf terms.īelow, you'll find all the common golf terms, plus:įor right-handed players, this is a shot that starts right of the target, curves right to left, and ends at the target.įor a left-handed golfer, this is a shot that curves left to right.

Golf lingo fore