The Golf Guy's Posts (7)
Sort by
Golf Guy: You did a great job with your first swing. The attempt at hitting the ball was perfect.
Student: But... the ball is still there. How could my attempt be perfect?
Golf Guy: Let's try another swing. This time concentrate on getting the golf ball in the way of that perfect swing you had last time.
Student: I hit the ball!
Golf Guy: How did that feel?
Student: What a great feeling that was! How come the ball only went a little way out there on the grass?
Golf Guy: Tiger Woods did not hit the golf ball 300 yards the first time he swung a club. Golf takes patience and commitment.
Student: OK. Do I use this seven iron?
Golf Guy: Yes. It is easier to learn to swing than using a wood. We will try to use a wood later.
Student: I'm nervous and very tense.
Golf Guy: Golf is all about being relaxed. You are outdoors and nature is all around you. Try to feel loose and hold the golf club like you would hold a bird. Tight enough to keep it in place, loose enough that you will not hurt it.
Student: How do I swing the club like that?
Golf Guy: Imagine you are trying to swing a bucket half full of water without spilling. The swing needs to be a consistent speed and a consistent movement not to spill the water. Use this thought for swinging that seven iron.
Student: I missed the ball! 
Golf Guy: No one ever said this would be easy.
This is not a complete list but will help you enjoy watching The Masters in English. Have a great weekend everyone!
Stroke each hit, or attempted hit of the ball is considered a stroke. Your total score for each hole is determined by the amount of "strokes" one takes from the first attempt of hitting the ball in the "tee box" to finishing by getting the ball in the "hole" of the intended played "hole".
Par the score determined by the golf course as an "even" score for that hole played.
Birdie a score one under par on a hole.
Eagle a score two under par on a hole.
Bogey a score of one over par.
Double bogey a score of two over par.
Triple bogey a score of three over par.
Woods though all modern clubs are made of composites, the term wood is still used to describe your driver(1 wood), fairway woods (3 - 5 woods) and utility woods( 6 and over).
Driver club to use off the tee to hit the ball the farthest. The toughest to control the golf ball for accuracy.
Fairway woods clubs that you can hit off the fairway, or "tee box" that go further than an iron. They can be tough to control the golf ball as well but generally easier to control than the driver.
Utility woods clubs that were designed to replace long irons ( 2-4 irons) for better control and consistency.
Par the score determined by the golf course as an "even" score for that hole played.
Birdie a score one under par on a hole.
Eagle a score two under par on a hole.
Bogey a score of one over par.
Double bogey a score of two over par.
Triple bogey a score of three over par.
Woods though all modern clubs are made of composites, the term wood is still used to describe your driver(1 wood), fairway woods (3 - 5 woods) and utility woods( 6 and over).
Driver club to use off the tee to hit the ball the farthest. The toughest to control the golf ball for accuracy.
Fairway woods clubs that you can hit off the fairway, or "tee box" that go further than an iron. They can be tough to control the golf ball as well but generally easier to control than the driver.
Utility woods clubs that were designed to replace long irons ( 2-4 irons) for better control and consistency.
Iron a club with a steel head on it. generally a 2 iron through to 9 iron. The smaller the number, the further the ball should go if hit properly. Though, the smaller number clubs are much more difficult to control the accuracy of the golf ball compared to the irons with the higher numbers.
Wedge refers to the clubs after the 9 iron that are used when you are to close to the green to hit a 9 iron. They can be, in this order, a pitching, sand, or lob wedge.
Putter an almost flat edge club that is used on a green to roll the ball into the hole.
Golf ball dimpled small ball that one uses to play the game of golf. It is designed to maximize distance and control.
Wedge refers to the clubs after the 9 iron that are used when you are to close to the green to hit a 9 iron. They can be, in this order, a pitching, sand, or lob wedge.
Putter an almost flat edge club that is used on a green to roll the ball into the hole.
Golf ball dimpled small ball that one uses to play the game of golf. It is designed to maximize distance and control.
Tee a little wooden platform that you are allowed to place the ball on when one "tees" off from the designated area on the "tee box". The tee can only be used in this area for the initial contact of the ball on that hole.
Hole there are 18 holes on a regulation golf course.
Tee box there are 18 tee boxes on a regulation golf course. An area that has low cut grass and an even surface.
Hole there are 18 holes on a regulation golf course.
Tee box there are 18 tee boxes on a regulation golf course. An area that has low cut grass and an even surface.
Green a low cut grass area where a hole is cut into and a pin is placed. There are usually small hills or rolls on the green that make it more difficult for the golfer to "sink the putt" into the hole. The hole is the goal of the golfer to have the ball finish.
Fairway an area that occupies the space between the "tee box"and "green". It is the prefered place to be and is generally another area of low grass.
Rough a another area that occupies the space between the "tee box"and "green". It is not the prefered place to be and is generally an area of higher grass which makes it tougher to hit out of.
Sand bunker a another area that occupies the space between the "tee box"and "green". It is not a prefered place as it is a sand area that is very difficult to hit out of.
Water hazard a another area that occupies the space between the "tee box"and "green". It is not a prefered place as it is a nearly impossible to hit out of. In most cases, one will take a "penalty stroke" and play another ball as it is unretrievable.
Fairway an area that occupies the space between the "tee box"and "green". It is the prefered place to be and is generally another area of low grass.
Rough a another area that occupies the space between the "tee box"and "green". It is not the prefered place to be and is generally an area of higher grass which makes it tougher to hit out of.
Sand bunker a another area that occupies the space between the "tee box"and "green". It is not a prefered place as it is a sand area that is very difficult to hit out of.
Water hazard a another area that occupies the space between the "tee box"and "green". It is not a prefered place as it is a nearly impossible to hit out of. In most cases, one will take a "penalty stroke" and play another ball as it is unretrievable.
Out of bounds when a golf ball is hit "out of bounds" it is considered that the ball has been hit out of the course boundaries. The player must play another ball from the exact spot he or she hit the original shot and will be penalized for what is considered "stroke and distance". A two shot penalty.
Penalty stroke if one cannot hit the ball, that is within course boundaries, then one must add a stoke to their score on that hole before moving the ball to a playable area before hitting the ball again. This happens when a ball may come to rest beside a tree, or maybe in a bush, and it is physically impossible to hit the ball with a club. The player cannot move the ball closer to the hole and generally will be given a set distance(one or two club lengths) to drop the ball and put it back in play.
Relief a player may get relief, without penalty, when the ball ends up in an area that is unplayable due to circumstances out of the players control. Man made objects like tents, sprinkler heads, or areas that might be overrun with water due to rainfall fall into this category. The player must ask the competitor or official to verify this ruling of relief before taking action on this.
Student: Relaxed "athletic position"? I do not understand.
Golf Guy: Have you snowboarded or surfed before?
Student: I tried to snowboard in Canada last year. I fell down lots but it was really, really fun.
Golf Guy: Snowboarding is lots of fun. To stand properly on a snowboard your body needs to be relaxed and your body weight needs to be centered over the board.
Student: Yeah... I realized that the more relaxed I was, the easier it was to stand and turn.
Golf Guy: Correct. That feeling of balance you found snowboarding is the same you will need for golf.
