Glossary of golf terminology

Aiming
The act of aligning your body and club to your ideal target. The most successful shots tend to come from when the point you are aiming at is as small as possible, according to most professionals. Examples include a distant tree, pole, or edge of a bunker.

Angle of Approach
The angle at which the club head strikes the ball and the path it takes to reach the ball, thus determining the trajectory and spin of the ball. This is usually the cause of "thin" and "fat" shots.

Approach (shot)
The shot into the green. For a par 3, the tee-shot is the approach shot, where on a par 4, ideally it is the second, and for par 5's the third. But in general, any shot where the player assumes it will approach the green is your approach.

Back to alphabetical listing