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B - C - D
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Alloy: Any combination of metal used to produce
a club head or shaft. Alloys may contain aluminum, steel,
beryllium, nickel, copper, titanium, or other metals
in varying combinations.
Back Weight: A weight, usually
brass or aluminum attached to the back of a wooden,
graphite or titanium wood head. The back weight moves
the center of gravity toward the back of the club to
assist in getting the ball airborne.
Backspin: The backward rotation of a golf ball
in flight around a horizontal axis as caused by the
club hitting the ball. The more loft on a club, the
greater the backspin.
Balance Point: The point where a shaft’s
weight is evenly distributed in both directions when
rested on a single point.
Balata: Natural or synthetic compound used as
a cover material for balls, generally preferred by better
players. Less durable than other types of balls and
characterized by a soft feel and high spin rate.
Ball Size: The size of a USGA conforming ball
must not be greater than 1.680” (42.67mm.).
Ball Weight: The weight of a USGA conforming
ball must not be greater than 1.620 ounces avoirdupois
(45.93 grams).
Belly Putter: Type of putter that positions
the grip against the player’s stomach in order
to create a pendulum effect. Most belly putters are
about 40" in length.
Beryllium Copper (BeCu): An alloy used to produce
heads for some irons. More dense than stainless and
some players claim it has a softer feel. Beryllium heads
are easily identified by their copper coloration.
Beryllium Nickel (BeNi): A beryllium and nickel
alloy used to produce iron heads. BeNi is considered
softer than stainless steel and is bronze-colored.
Beta-Titanium: An alloy of Titanium both harder
and heavier than typical cast titanium.
Big Butt Shaft: Any shaft with a butt size over
.620”.
Bi-Metal: Describes club heads constructed from
two different materials, for instance, a stainless steel
club head with a brass sole insert or brass sole rails.
Bi-Matrix Shaft: Patented by True Temper, the
BI-Matrix is a shaft that contains both graphite and
steel. BI-Matrix wood shafts have a steel tip section,
with the remainder being made of graphite. BI-Matrix
irons have a graphite tip for feel, with the remainder
of the shaft being steel for control.
Black Ice™: A proprietary club face coating
applied in order to increase spin. Most common on wedges,
but can be applied to woods, irons and putters also.
Blade: The striking face of an iron head.
Blade Style Head: Blades are also known as muscle-back
irons due to a possible concentration of weight directly
behind the center of the club face.
Blade Length: The measurement of an iron head
from the radius of the crotch of the head to the farthest
point of the toe.
Blade Height: The measurement of an iron head
at the center of the face from the ground line to the
top line.
Boron: A high strength element added to some
graphite shafts to increase tip strength. Boron shafts
are more expensive.
Bounce: The measurement from the leading edge
of the club face to the groundline. Wedges typically
have the most bounce in a set of clubs. Bounce helps
these clubs go through sand and high grass easily.
Bounce Angle: When looking at the sole of a
wedge you will notice the trailing edge hangs beneath
the leading edge. This angle in relation to the ground
plane is called bounce angle.
Brazing: The bonding technology used by many
companies to secure the club face to the head. Brazing,
done under high heat and pressure, eliminates any voids
typically found on welded club heads.
Bore Type: The term used to describe how far
a shaft penetrates into a club’s hosel.
Bubble™ Shaft: A composite shaft, proprietary
to TaylorMade, that helps stabilize the club head at
impact. It features a recessed section just below the
grip, and the butt diameter of the shaft is .800",
requiring a special grip.
Bubble™ Grip: The grip that must be used
on a Bubble shaft.
Build-Up Tape: Masking tape applied to the butt
end of the shaft to increase grip size. A single layer
of masking tape (.005” thick) will increase grip
size Approximately 1/64”.
Bulge: The curvature of the face of a wood or
metal wood from heel to toe. Bulge helps give corrective
spin to shots hit on the toe or heel of the wood face.
Butt (shaft butt): The grip end of the shaft.
Butt Cap: The end of the grip. Also the plastic
or rubber cap at the top. also called “End Cap.”
Butt Heavy: A shaft with the butt section heavier
than an equal length of the tip section. Most graphite
and parallel tip shafts are butt heavy shafts.
Camber: The radius measurement
of the sole of a club. A sole can be cambered from toe
to heel, or from front to back, or both.
Carpenter Steel: Steel alloy made by the Carpenter
Company used to produce golf club heads. Carpenter Steel
has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than most stainless
steels, allowing for larger volume heads that maintain
structural integrity.
Cavity Back: An iron head with the weight is
distributed toward the perimeter of the head. Cavity
backs are easily identified by their recessed area on
the back of the head.
Center of Gravity (CG): The point in a club
head where all of the points of balance intersect. The
lower the CG, the higher the ball flight. Higher CG
clubs produce lower ball flight.
Center-Shafted: Hosel configuration where the
shaft enters the head toward the center. Most common
in putters.
Ceramic Fiber: Man-made ceramic materials used
in shaft or head manufacture. Ceramic is a mid-modulus
material that has better compression properties than
graphite, but not as good as boron.
Chrome Plated Finish: High-luster, shiny finish
electrostatically applied to forged irons.
Component: Parts used to assemble golf clubs,
including heads, shafts or grips.
Compression: Loosely defined as the hardness
of a ball. Identified by a number; a higher number indicates
a ball that requires more force to compress it. Lower
compression balls flatten more when hit.
Compression Molded: Manufacturing method for
graphite heads and face inserts where layers of graphite
are placed upon one another and heat cured to create
a clubhead or insert.
Conforming Club: A golf club that conforms to
standards set by the USGA.
Conforming Ball: A golf ball that is permitted
for tournament use under the USGA Rules of Golf as detailed
in Rule Book Appendix III.
Constant Weight: All of the shafts in a given
set weigh the same. The idea is to promote consistent
feel. Compare to Progressive Weight.
Core (Ball): The center of a golf ball, or any
of the materials used inside the golf ball. A solid
core ball has a hard material inside the cover, while
a wound core ball has softer core covered by a wound
materials.
Core (Grip): Inside diameter measurement of
a grip. Core sizes match shaft butt sizes.
Cover: Outside surface of a golf ball. The cover
may be one of any number of materials, Surlyn™
and balata being most common.
Crown: The top of the head of a wood or metal
wood. It's what the golfer sees at address.
CTU: Cast Thermoset Technology used by Callaway
Golf in golf ball manufacture.
Cubic Centimeters (cc’s): Measurement of
the volume of a wood head.
Curved Shaft: A shaft designed for use in no-hosel
putters, featuring a bend or bends within 5” from
the shaft tip. The curved shaft creates offset and face
balancing.
Deep Face: A club face with
higher than average distance from the sole of the club
to the crown. Deep face clubs have a higher CG and launch
the ball on a lower trajectory.
Deltahedral: Dimple pattern on a ball with 24
triangular rows of dimples.
Diamond Face: Purespin™ Golf Company's
face coating containing fine diamond crystals to enhance
backspin and face wear.
Die Cast: Injection of material into a pre-formed
die to form club heads. This process is generally used
on lower-priced heads.
Dimple: Depression on the cover of a ball providing
lift, leading to distance and/or accuracy. Deeper dimples
cause lower ball flight; while shallow dimples add to
trajectory. Large diameter dimples make the ball stay
in the air longer than do smaller diameter dimples.
Dimple Pattern: The pattern of dimples on a
ball, varying greatly from one manufacturer to another.
Distance Standard: USGA parameter for conforming
balls that limits their overall carry and roll to 280
yards or less (+/-6%).
DMC: Proprietary soft feel grip compound developed
by the Lamkin Grip Corporation.
Dodecahedral: Dimple pattern of 12 pentagonal
arrays.
Double-Cover Ball: A ball with a large central
core surrounded by two thinner materials, one of them
being the cover. Designed to add spin on shorter shots
for control and reduce spin on longer shots for distance.
Driver: The club that used to hit the ball for
the first shot on a par 4 or par 5 hole. The longest
hitting club in the set.
Driving Iron: General term given to an iron
club with little loft, usually the the #1 iron.
18-8 Stainless Steel: Stainless
steel alloy sometimes used in the manufacture of iron
and putter heads. Its composition is no more than 0.08%
carbon, 18-20% chromium, 8-11% nickel, with the remainder
being iron and a few trace elements. 18-8 stainless
cannot be treated to make it harder, and is best used
only on non-offset iron heads with thicker hosels.
Effective Bounce: The combination of bounce
angle, loft, sole width and camber that affect the playability
of a wedge during a shot. The more effective bounce,
the easier it is to play in soft conditions.
Effective Loft: The actual face angle at impact
created through the relationship of loft and face angle.
For example, if a driver has a measured loft of 8 degrees
and has a two-degree open face, its effective loft will
be 6 degrees.
Elastomer™: Used to describe a variety
of materials used in some golf balls and grips.
End Cap: The end of the grip of a golf club.
The same as “Butt Cap.”
E.R.C.: Famous non-conforming flexible-face
driver manufactured by Callaway Golf, (E.R.C. = initials
of the company’s founder, Ely Reese Callaway).
Face Angle: Position of the
club face relative to the intended line of ball flight.
For right-handed golfers, a square face angle aligns
directly at the target, an open face aligns to the right,
while a closed face aligns left.
Face Centerline: An imaginary line intersecting
the center of a club face.
Face Insert: An epoxy, graphite or fibrous material
in the center portion of the face on a wooden, composite,
or metal head.
Face Progression: The measurement from a shaft’s
centerline to the front of the club face.
Face Screw: Aluminum, brass or steel screw(s)
used to secure face inserts into wooden or graphite
wood heads.
Fat Shaft™: A shaft designed by Wilson
with an oversize tip, over-hosel design to improve head/shaft
stabilization on off-center hits.
Ferrule: Decorative trim ring, directly on top
of the hosel on many woods and irons.
15-5 Stainless: Stronger, lighter alloy of stainless
composed of 75% iron, 5% nickel and 15% Chromium. Commonly
used in oversize driver heads.
Fire Forged: Extremely high-temperature forging
of titanium wood heads or faces.
Flange: Mainly applies to putters, it's the
part of the putter from behind the face to the very
back of the head.
Flat Lie: A lie flatter than specification.
For example, if the spec is 60 degrees, a 2 degree flat
club would have a lie angle of 58 degrees.
Flex: The relative bending properties of a golf
club shaft. Flex is usually identified by a letter:
L for Ladies, A for Amateur, R for regular, S for Stiff
and X for Extra Stiff.
Flexible Face: A golf club face designed to
“flex” upon ball impact, potentially propelling
the ball a longer distance than if the face did not
flex. See also “Spring-Like Effect.”
Flow Weighting: Head design where weight positioning
shifts from one club to the next. For example, a #1
iron may have more weight concentrated on its toe, a
#2 iron slightly less, and so on.
Form Forged: Iron club head manufacturing process
in which a club is first investment cast from an alloy
of carbon steel and then formed to shape through a series
of forging dies.
431 Stainless Steel: Stainless steel used in
iron and putter head construction, not more than 20%
carbon, 15-17% chromium, and 1.25-2.5% nickel, with
the remainder being iron and a few trace elements.
Forged Titanium: A method of wood head manufacture
in which the body and sole of the head is forged from
100% pure titanium. The face and hosels are usually
cast from 6-4 Ti.
Forging: Producing a golf club head from a series
of forging dies stamping the head to final shape. Forged
heads are made of softer metals than cast heads and
require hand finishing and chrome plating.
Four Piece Ball: A golf ball with a central
core surrounded by windings covered by a harder secondary
cover (for distance) and a softer outer cover (for spin
and feel.)
Four Way Radius: The sole design of an iron
or wood with a measurable radius of the sole both from
heel to toe and from trailing edge to leading edge.
Gear Effect: The effect that
tends to cause a ball hit toward the toe or heel side
of face center to curve back to the intended target
line.
Gooseneck: general term given to a putter (or
iron) that has an extremely offset hosel.
Graphite: Synthetic filament material used for
shaft and head production, produced through a series
of heating steps. Graphite fibers may differ greatly
in strength and modulus.
Grip Collar: Plastic collar used to secure the
bottom of a grip in place on the shaft.
Grip Core: The internal diameter of a grip as
measured in thousandths. For example, a grip with a
.600” core is called an M60 grip.
Gunmetal: Dark, almost black, finish applied
to the surface of iron heads for cosmetic reasons or
to prevent rusting of a carbon steel head.
Heel-Toe Weighting: A type of
club head design with weight positioned toward the heel
and toe of the clubhead, resulting in stabilizing the
clubhead (and produce straighter shots) on off-center
impacts.
High-Modulus Graphite: A shaft material stiffer
than standard graphite. The higher the modulus of graphite,
the lower its compression strength.
High Polish Finish: Shiny (mirror) finish applied
to stainless steel iron heads through a series of polishing
belt operations.
High Spin Ball: A golf ball designed for maximum
spin and control. High spin balls are generally soft
feeling and are preferred by better players.
Hook Face: A wood with a closed face angle.
Hook face woods may help players who slice to hit the
ball straight.
Horizontal Flow Weighting: Distributing weight
from club to club in a set of irons, with the highest
concentration of weight moving from the toe of the longer
irons to the heel of the shorter irons.
Hosel: The entry point of the shaft into the
head on any golf club.
Hump Shaft™: This shaft is identified by
an enlarged area directly above the hosel, extending
approximately 5” up the shaft, available in both
steel and graphite.
Hybrid: A golf club with characteristics of
both a wood and an iron. Often used in place of long
irons in a player’s set.
Icosahedral: Most popular type
of golf ball dimple pattern in use today. 20 triangular
groups of dimples allow the same air pressure on all
parts of the balls as it flies through the air, reducing
wind resistance.
Inset Hosel: A club design with the hosel toward
the center of the club face in an attempt to reduce
head twisting.
Large Butt Shaft: Any shaft
with a butt diameter of over .620”.
Leading Edge: The front edge of the clubface.
Lie: The angle from the shaft to the ground
line when the club is measured in normal playing position.
Lift: Upward force on a golf ball as it flies.
Lightweight Shaft: A shaft that falls within
3.80-4.24 ounces in steel or alloy shafts and within
3.20-3.60 ounces in composite shafts.
Line Scored: Lines or grooves on the face of
an iron or wood club.
Liquid Center: A golf ball, usually three-piece,
with a liquid-filled center.
Lithium: Element added to some golf balls to
promote feel and/or durability. The covers of these
balls may be labeled as “lithium surlyn” or
“lithium balata.”
Loft: The angle of the clubface that controls
trajectory and affects distance.
Low Balance Point (LBP): A shaft with a high
percentage of its weight toward the tip.
Low Profile Head: An iron or wood head that
is shorter from topline to soleline than typical.
Low Spin Ball: A golf ball designed for less
spin. Reduced spin generally yields more distance.
Mallet: A type of putter head
identified by its broad appearance from front to back
when positioned at address.
Maraging Steel: A steel alloy harder than are
non-maraging steels such as 17-4 and 15-5. Maraging
steel is commonly used in club face applications, rather
than in entire club heads.
Melonite™: A black corrosion-resistant
plating applied to some club heads.
Milled Face: A club face milled to .001”
for flatness to promote smoother roll.
Midsize Wood: Any wood with a clubhead around
185cc in size.
Modulus: The measure of a fiber’s stiffness
or resistance to bending. The higher the modulus, the
stiffer the material.
Momentus: A brand name for a weighted golf swing
training aid popularized by PGA Tour players, among
them David Duval.
Multi-Layer Ball: Design of a ball with a large
core surrounded by one or two outer layers of material,
with one of those being the cover.
Multi-Material Shaft: A shaft containing both
graphite (composite) and steel.
Multi-Metal: Generic term for any golf club
made of two or more metals.
Muscleback Iron: See Blade Style Iron.
Niblick: Antique club name equivalent
to modern #9 iron.
Nickel-Cobalt: Strong face material often used
in stainless steel metal woods, lighter and stronger
than typical 17-4 stainless steel.
Non-Conforming Ball: Any ball that does not
conform to Appendix III of the USGA Rules of Golf.
Non-Conforming Club: A club whose construction
does not allow it to be played in any event (either
professional, amateur or club-level) as sanctioned by
USGA Rules.
Non-Conforming Club (Driver) List: A list of
clubs (particularly drivers) that do not conform to
USGA equipment requirements. The list, updated regularly,
is available at www.usga.org.
Octohedral: Popular about 30
years ago, a pattern of dimples with 8 triangular groupings
of dimples on the ball.
Offset: The distance from the forward most point
of the hosel to the leading edge of the blade. Offset
will help a player to align the club face with the target,
reducing a slice, and may produce higher ball flight.
Oversize Iron Head: Any iron head larger 43
millimeters and a blade length of 75 mm.
Oversize Wood Head: A wood head with volume
between 200 and 250 cc’s
Perimeter Weighting: Redistributing
weight on a club head to the heel and toe in an attempt
to stabilize the club on all types of impacts.
Progressive Flexibility: Longer irons are fitted
with more flexible shafts to promote feel and aid in
getting the ball airborne and shorter irons utilize
stiffer shafts for added control.
Progressive Offset: Iron sets with longer irons
having more offset and shorter irons having less.
Rails: Raised areas on the soles
of metal woods, lowering the center of gravity of the
club and providing less resistance as the club travels
through the turf.
“Rescue”: A name given to any number
of clubs that combine features of a wood and an iron.
“Rescue” is also the trademarked name of this
type of club from TaylorMade that began the trend. See
also “Hybrid.”
Rifle™ Shaft: Royal Precision Golf's steel
shaft without steps.
Rocker Sole: See Camber Sole.
Roll: The measure of face curvature from crown
to sole on woods.
Roll Face™ Putter: Patented by Teardrop™
Golf, Roll Face™ putters feature a uniformly curving
face from top to sole.
Round Grip: A grip that tapers uniformly along
its length and has no discernible ribs.
Sandblast: Light gray finish
applied to the some iron and wood heads. Applied using
an air compressor and sandblasted with aluminum oxide
sand.
Satin Finish: "Brushed" finish applied
to some stainless steel iron heads and metal wood soles
by finishing belts.
Scoop (Dig) Sole: An iron with a leading edge
lower than its trailing edge.
Scoring: Marking on a club face for decorative
or alignment purposes.
Sensicore™: A vibration dampening insert,
developed by True Temper™, to reduce vibration
in a shaft. Sensicores™ are used in wood and irons
shafts, both steel and graphite.
17-4 Stainless Steel: Stainless steel alloy
used in iron and metal wood head construction. 17-4
is no more than 0.07% carbon, between 15 and 17% chromium,
4% nickel, 2.75% copper, and 75% iron and trace elements.
Shallow Face: Any wood or iron having a face
height shorter than normal.
6-4 Titanium: Titanium used in wood head manufacture
with formula is 6Al-4V, 90% titanium, 6% aluminum and
4% vanadium. Often used in oversize and larger heads.
Sole: The bottom or undersideof any type of
golf club. It is where the club rests on the ground
in playing position.
Sole Width: The measure of a sole from the leading
edge to the trailing edge. A narrow sole is better from
firmer ground; wide soles are helpful in getting the
ball airborne from softer ground.
Spin: The amount of spin on a golf ball. A high-spin
ball will carry longer and roll less than a low spin
ball, and are easier to draw or fade as a result. Low
spin balls fly lower and roll farther so their overall
distance may be greater.
Sole Weighted Iron: An iron head with the majority
of its weight concentrated near the sole of the club,
producing a lower center of gravity.
Sole Width: The measurement between the leading
edge and the trailing edge at the face center.
Sole Camber: The curvature from the leading edge
to the trailing edge.
Solid Ball: Also known as a two-piece ball,
a solid ball has a durable cover molded over a central
core. Solid balls have a harder feel than other types
of balls.
Spring-Like Effect: How much the face of metal-face
woods compress and decompress (flex or spring back)
upon ball impact.
Square (Box, "U") Grooves: Face lines
or grooves pressed, cut, or cast into a rectangular
shape.
Standard Size Wood: Any wood head with volume
of around 150cc.
Standard Weight Shaft: A steel shaft within
the range of 4.25-4.62 ounces.
Step: Where the diameter of a steel shaft "steps
up" noticeably to a larger diameter.
Stepless: Steel shafts without"steps up"
in diameter. FCM Rifle and Apollo Balistik are stepless
shafts.
Strong Loft: A club, usually an iron, with loft
that is less than the standard specification for that
club. Stronger lofted clubs tend to hit the ball lower
and longer than standard lofts, but may sacrifice some
control.
Stronomic™: Face insert material from Odyssey™
Golf.
Studio Design™: A line of milled putters
made by Scotty Cameron for Titleist.
Subflex: A shaft flex designation within a standard
flex, for instance S200, S300 & S400 are all subflexes
of stiff.
Super-Steel: Alloys of steel that are stronger
and lighter than 17-4 stainless.
Surlyn™: A thermoplastic resin very common
in durable cover balls.
Swingweight: A club’s weight distribution
around a fixed fulcrum point. The fulcrum point is typically
14” from the butt of the club. It is measured in
alpha-numeric units such as D-1, D-2, and so on with
higher letter-number units indicating more weight in
the head relative to the grip.
1030 Carbon Steel: A softer,
more malleable steel alloy used in iron forgings.
Teryllium™: Proprietary insert material
used by Titleist™ in many of their Scotty Cameron
putters.
Tetrahedral: Dimple pattern on a ball consisting
of four large triangles.
Three-Piece: Any golf ball with a center core,
rubber windings and a cover. A three-piece ball may
also have a center and two “cover” materials,
instead of windings.
Ti-Alloy: Alloy used for wood heads that contains
some titanium.
Tip Stiff: A shaft with a tip stiffer than the
rest of the shaft. Tip stiff shafts are generally designed
with harder swinging players in mind.
Titanium: Club head metal primarily for woods
with a higher strength-to-weight ratio than most steel
alloys. See also Forged Titanium and 6-4 Titanium.
Titanium Ball: A golf ball that has either a
titanium based core or contains titanium as part of
its cover material.
Titan-Steel: An alloy of titanium and steel,
or a club with a a titanium component as well as a steel
component.
Topline: The top part of an iron blade, running
from heel to toe visible to the golfer at address.
Torque: Measure of a shaft's resistance to twisting.
Low torque shafts twist less and are recommended for
stronger players.
Total Weight: Weight of the entire assembled
club as expressed in ounces or grams.
Tour Weighted: Generic term for composite shafts
that weigh approximately 125 grams.
Trajectory: The shape and height of a golf ball's
flight in relation to its direction.
Trailing Edge: The back edge of the sole.
Tri-Metal: A club head comprised of three separate
metals.
Trouble Club: Clubs used to play the ball from
a difficult lie. Trouble clubs often have unusual sole
construction - perhaps rails - that lower the center
of gravity. Trouble clubs may be irons, woods or hybrids.
Tungsten: A heavy steel compound used to add
weight to a club head, either as a swingweighting material
in the shaft or as a defined weight attached somewhere
in/on the head.
Two-Piece: Type of ball characterized by a center
core surrounded by a cover, usually made of a durable
material.
U-Groove: Used in iron face
structure, more pronounced than "V" grooves.
See "Square Groove."
Ultralight Shaft: Composite shafts weighing
less than 2.00 ounces or 65 grams.
Upright Lie: A club’s lie that is more
upright than the standard specification for that particular
head.
Urethane: Synthetic golf ball cover material
that is durable, yet has a soft feel.
Variable Face: A golf club face
with a different face thickness on one or more areas.
Very Lightweight Shaft: A steel or alloy shaft
weighing 3.40-3.79 ounces or composite shaft weighing
2.00-3.19 ounces.
VFT: Variable Face Technology. Also the name
given to a line of Callaway woods and irons.
"V" Grooves: Face grooves pressed,
cut, or cast into a "V" shape during club
manufacture.
Velocity: The speed of a golf ball.
Vertical Flow Weighting: Club set weighting
with weight shifting vertically from a concentration
of weight toward the sole of long irons to more traditional
weighting on short irons.
Volume: The measurement of the size of a wood
head as measured by liquid displacement.
Warbird™ Sole: Bi-concave
sole patented by Callaway™ Golf for use on their
Big Bertha™ line of woods.
Wound Ball: Golf ball with a cover over a matrix
of rubber windings that cover a central core.
X-out: Usually top grade balls
with a slight cosmetic or manufacturing defect, X-outs
are identified by a row of “X’s” somewhere
on the cover.
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