thinkingolfer Glossary

A

acceleration of ball at impact

address, distance from the ball

address position

address weight distribution

air density influence on ball flight

air resistance influence on ball flight

airflow around spinning golf ball

analogy

- hammering nails

- hammer throwing

- learning mathematics

- propeller aircraft

- tennis player

- tightrope walker

- tug of war

anatomy of the golf swing

angle of attack

angular momentum

angular velocity

arm movement

arms, passive

arms

- rotate open in backswing

- true role in the swing

Armstrong, Neil

axis of rotation

B

backspin

all shots have backspin

tilted backspin axis

backswing

- as a fashion statement

- left arm rotates

- path

balata

ball

- aerodynamics

- cover

- position in stance

- trajectory

balls

- optimised for different clubhead speeds

- different trajectories

Barber, Miller

bent right arm at impact

Bernoulli effect

big turn

biomechanics

body, pace of movement

body turn

C

carbon fibre

carry of 350 yards

centre of gravity

centre of mass of clubhead

centrifugal force on the clubhead

cetripetal force makes an object travel in a curve

Characteristic Time [CT]

checkpoints

- at impact

- at address

closed stance

closed vs. open notation

Closed, Closing Club

Club face

Conservation

- of angular momentum

- of energy

club

- design

- heavy

- immune to bad hits

- release

clubface

- open & closed (definitions)

- opening in the backswing

- orientation relative to swing path

- square (definition)

clubhead

- centre of mass

- heavy needs stiffer shaft

- mass versus ball speed

- shape

- speed 150 mph

- speed required for long iron shots

- sweet spot

- twisting at impact

collision

coming over the top

COR, coefficient of restitution

cover of ball

cupping the left wrist

curving shots are difficult to avoid

D

Daly, John

data for impact

- 5-iron

- driver

- wedge

David Leadbetter's set-up routine

distance

- chart

- from the ball

- of golf shots

divot

dimple

downswing, how to start

draw

how to set up for a draw

driver

distance in carry

drives with top spin

Duval, David

E

effect of clubhead mass on ball speed

effective loft

elastic collision

energy

kinetic

lost at impact

stored energy myth

passive transmission from club to ball

explosion shots

F

face curvature

fade

how to set up for a fade

fairway bunker shot

fairway metal

fairway wood

Faldo, Nick

fast acceleration makes up for short swing path

fat strike

feedback felt by the hands

- uncomfortable

female golfers

first move from the top-of-backswing position

flat swing

flat swings look short

flexibility of golfer's body

flyer

follow-through

force

centripetal

muscular

of gravity

of impact

forces on the shaft

forward swing

frame of reference

friction between clubface and ball

full swing vs. truncated swing

fundamentals

address position

found in all swings

checkpoints at impact

Furyk, Jim

game improving clubs

gap wedge

G

Game improving clubs

Garcia, Sergio

Garner, John

gear-effect

golf ball

Golf Channel

Golf Digest

Golf nirvana (def)

golf is a serial game

rules

golf swing

good

perfect

golfer

female

handicap player

left-handed

professional player

strong

good golf swing

gravity

Greg Norman's backward kick

grip

grip strength

grip twisting at impact

H

half swing

hammer analogy

hammer throwing analogy

hands player, hands and arms player

hands and shoulders, overuse of

head kept still

heavy versus light clubs

height of shots

high hands exercise

high tech materials

hip turn

hips facing target at impact

hitting down

hitting versus swinging

Hogan, Ben

hook

quick hook

how to hit draws and fades

from grass

how we learn golf

I

impact

acceleration of ball

clubhead speed at impact

force

velocity of ball

velocity of club

impact vs. address positions

importance of being earnest

improve with scientific approach

initial conditions determine the ball flight

initial velocity

inside-to-out swing myth

Internet

iron

perimeter weighted

Ping

irons

distance chart

short irons hit straight

trapping

J

Jones, Bobby

K

kinetic energy from the body transfers to the club

Kuehne, Hank

Kuykendall, Jack

L

lack of understanding of fundamental physics

lag is essential in the swing

late hit

launch angle

keep low into strong wind

Leadbetter, David

learning process for adults

left arm bent in follow-through

left arm kept straight during the swing

left arm rotation in the backswing

left hand grip characteristics

left heel

left-handed golfers look different

Leonard, Justin

letting shots ride the wind

lift on ball

negative

Lindeberg apparel

lob wedge

loft

effective

negative

positive

long swing path makes up for slow acceleration

longdriving

long hitters, what to learn from photos

looping the swing

lorythmic scale

low swing speed equals small forces in the swing

M

main cause of slice is a faulty backswing

mannerisms seen in good players

margin for error

hitting the ball

hitting the target

mass of an object

measuring swing-weight

metal wood

Michelson, Phil

mishit

misinformation

confuses golfers

is abundant

missing link of golf

modern swing

MOI, moment of inertia

club

clubhead

momentum

linear

angular

muscles and tendons do not store energy

muscular action

muscular force

myths

a steep swing plane is better from rough

accelerate through the ball

drives hit with top spin travels further

hit down to get the ball in the air

hook spin gives more distance

inside-to-out produces a draw

swing from the inside

the hands whip the club through at impact

the shaft is the engine of the swing

you need to trap the ball when hitting irons

N

Nelson, Byron

newton, unit of force [N]

Newton

Nicklaus, Jack

Norman, Greg

Norman, Moe

notations

O

O'Connor Snr, Christy

off-centre hit

one-piece takeaway

on plane swing

open stance

Open, opening Club, Club face

optical illusion

distorts the way we perceive heights

shows unreal shaft flex

ounce-inches

out of bounds [OB]

P

pace of the body movement

perfect swing

perimeter weighing

physical strength is not that important for good golf

physics, a fundamental lack of understanding

Ping - the company

Ping irons

plane

play smart and score low

playing professionals

playing safe

power source of the swing

preventing the club from releasing

professional golfers a long hitting bunch

propeller aircraft analogy

pulling down with the arms from the top

purpose of the backswing

Q

quick hook

quitting on the shot

R

reach for the sky

release of club

happens automatically

is complete after impact

reverse-C position

right hand comes off the grip

right hand grip

role of

the hands

the legs

Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews [R&A]

rotation axis for the body

rough, hitting from

S

safe play

sand iron

Scott, Adam

scramble (match form)

science

scientific principle

sculled shot

Search for the Perfect Golf Swing (book)

serial game

set up in an alert posture

set-up geometry

shaft

dynamic forces

flexible

loaded during the swing

mass

perfect

stiffness

strained during the swing

torsional stiffness

shot

curving

explosion

shoulders, arms and hands rotate as one unit

sidespin on ball

Singh, Vijay

slice

Snead, Sam

software for golf analysis

sole-plate

Solheim, Karsten

Sörenstam, Annika

speed of clubhead required for long iron shots

Spin

Backspin

Sidespin

Topspin

Hookspin

Slicespin

spine angle

spine position at address

springiness of ball

of clubface 24

spring-like effect

Square

Clubface

Stance

stance

square

closed

opened

starting down from the top

steep swing plane

better from rough myth

stored energy myth

straight left arm

Strata (ball brand)

strike

effortless

less than perfect

perfect

thin

heavy

stroke and distance penalty

strong golfer

strong grip myth

sweet spot

swing

from the inside

objective

path

perfect

wristy

on plane

swing plane (definition)

as a frame of reference

swing thought keep position of shoulders and hips intact

legs turning the shoulders

swinging on plane

swinging versus hitting

swing-weight

how to measure

lorythmic scale

T

taking a turf

target line

tennis player analogy

tension

doesn't equal power

unwanted

test the solidity of your grip

thin strike

three quarter swing

titanium

top spin on a golf ball is a fallacy

Top-Flite (brand name)

Top-of-backswing position

topped shot

torque from a bad hit

from club's weight

from impact

torsion stiffness of shaft

transfer of energy from club to ball

trapping the irons

Trevino, Lee

true role of the arms

tug of war analogy

turn, big

two primary movements

two-lever system

U

United States Golf Association [USGA]

unwanted tension

use a video camera to record your swing

V

vector

velocity

angular

initial

of ball

of club

video camera

record your swing

video camera

use to check dynamic lie angle

W

websites specialising in golf instruction

wedge distance chart

weight shift

what is a fundamentally sound swing?

whiplash-effect

why to avoid a wide, one piece takeaway

width of stance

Wie, Michelle

wind influence on ball flight

on club selection

how to play in wind

Wolter, Carl

woods (clubs)

distances

wooden club

Woods, Tiger

work done by aircraft propeller

worm-killer (topped shot)

wrist action should be passive

wrist cupping for a late hit

wristy swing

Y

yo-yo, centripetal force

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