THE GOLFER’S LEXICON: Speak the Game depression, from which turf or soil has been removed and replaced with sand, designed as a hazard on a golf course. • Sand Wedge: A specific type of golf club with a high loft and a wide sole (bounce) designed to help the club glide through sand, making it easier to get the ball out of a bunker. • Explosion Shot: The primary technique used to get the ball out of a greenside bunker, where the club hits the sand behind the ball, lifting both the sand and the ball out together. • Bounce: The angle on the sole (bottom) of a golf club that prevents it from digging too deeply into the sand or turf, allowing it to glide or “bounce” through impact. Crucial for bunker play. • Open Clubface: A technique where the clubface is angled slightly open (pointed towards the sky) at address, which increases the loft and bounce, making it easier to hit the sand behind the ball. • Open Stance: A stance where your lead foot is pulled back slightly from the target line, helping you swing along a path that cuts across the ball, essential for explosion shots. • Target Line: An imaginary line from your golf ball directly to your intended target. In a bunker shot, your body and clubface might be aligned differently relative to this line. • Splash Out: Another term for an explosion shot, referring to the action of the sand “splashing” out of the bunker along with the golf ball. • Fat Shot: A shot where the club hits too much ground (or sand, in this case) before making proper contact with the ball, resulting in a loss of distance and often a poor outcome. • Thin Shot: A shot where the club hits the top or middle of the ball without enough contact with the ground/sand, causing the ball to fly low or run too far.
• Follow-Through: The continuation of the golf swing after impact, crucial for maintaining balance, consistency, and ensuring the club finishes correctly. In bunkers, a full follow-through helps get the ball out. • Weight Distribution: How your body weight is balanced during the swing. In bunkers, often more weight is placed on the lead foot to encourage a downward strike into the sand.
Tee Shots & Woods
• Driver: The largest club in the bag, used for the longest shots, typically from the tee box. • Fairway Wood: A club with a larger head than an iron, designed for long shots from the fairway. • Hybrid: A club that combines the best features of an iron and a fairway wood, offering a high- launch, easy-to-hit alternative. • Tee Box: The designated area from which you start each hole. • Fairway: The area of short grass that runs from the tee box to the green. • Sweet Spot: The optimal point on the clubface to make contact with the ball for maximum distance and accuracy. • Slice: A shot that curves sharply from left to right for a right-handed golfer (or right to left for a left-
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