A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Face

The hitting area or surface of the club head

Face Angle

Only relevant to woods and is the angle of the club face to the sole line with the shaft bore positioned perpendicular to the target.

Face Balanced

Applies to putter design that causes the face to remain parallel to the ground when the putter is balanced at its centre of gravity. To check if a putter is face balanced, place your finger under the shaft about 10" from the head. When the putter is balanced on your finger, check to see if the face is parallel to the ground. Face balanced putters perform better for golfers with a pendulum stroke.

Fade

Type of shot that generally tends to curve to the right in the air (assuming a right-handed player.) A fade is a controlled shot preferred by many players.

Fairway

The short, mown grass between the tee and the green. This is the best place to be because the ball is sitting up nicely and is easy to hit. Off the fairway is the rough, which is not a good place to be because the grass is long.

Fairway Wood

Any other wooden club other than a driver.

Fan

To miss the ball completely

Fat

Shot type in which a player hits behind the ball, resulting in a much shorter shot than normal. Fat shots are often characterized by a player taking an excessive divot.

Fat Shot

When the club hits the ground behind the ball. This results in high or low shots with a loss of distance

Featherie

An old leather ball stuffed with compressed feathers. Replaced by the gutta percha after 1848. Also spelled feathery.

Feel

Learning to play a shot without having to think about it. Feel is particularly important around the green. Feel is developed by a lot of practice and experimenting.

Fescue

Grass of the genus Festuca, widely used on for rough on golf courses

Field

The players in a tournament

First Cut

Term given to a section of rough (or higher grass) directly bordering a fairway. The first cut of rough is deemed to be considered "light" rough and may vary from a few yards wide to over 10 yards wide, depending upon the course.

First Off

The golfer who begins the round before anyone.

Five-Iron

An iron club used for distances between 145-180 yards for men's clubs. Also known as a mashie.

Five-Minute Rule

The amount of time (5 minutes) that the R&A and USGA Rules allow a player to look for his ball. A ball not found after 5 minutes after the search for it is begun is considered to be lost.

Five-Wood

A wooden club used for distances between 190-210 yards for men's clubs.

Flag

The marker attached to the flagstick.

Flag Competition

A stroke play game in which each player has a flag. When the player has played the number of strokes equal to the par of the course plus his handicap, he places a flag in the course at that point. The winner is the player who goes farthest around the course with the alotted number of strokes.

Flagstick

A movable marker to show the location of the hole

Flange

The additional surface of the club head which protrudes at the sole

Flash Trap

A shallow and small sand bunker

Flat Lie Angle

Club lie angle that would be recommended for golfers whose hands or swing plane are closer to the ground.

Flat Swing

The type of swing that occurs when the club head is carried back in a flat manner - usually inside-out

Flex

The amount of bend in a shaft.

Flex

Measurement of how much a shaft will bend under a certain load. More flexible shafts feel softer and are more suitable for golfers with slower swing speeds and help them get the ball up quicker. Stiffer shafts are more suitable for higher swing speeds and are firmer at impact and produce a lower trajectory.

Flexpoint

Point at which the shaft flexes at impact. Low flexpoint gets the ball up quicker and a high flex point will keep the ball lower.

Flight

The path of the ball through the air.

Flip Shot

A short shot played with a high trajectory with a highly lofted iron such as an eight or nine.

Flop Shot

A short shot, played with an open stance and an open clubface, designed to travel very high in the air and land softly on the green. The flop shot is useful when players do not have "much green to work with", but should only be attempted on the best of lies. Phil Mickelson is a master of the flop shot.

Flub

A poorly hit shot usually caused by hitting the ground before the ball

Fluffy

A ball that is sitting up in grass

Flyer (Flier)

A shot that flies substantially longer than desired, usually as a result of too much grass between the club face and ball. Flyers are more common from the rough than from the shorter fairway grasses.

Follow-Through

The continuation of the swing after the ball has been hit.

Fore

The most dreaded sound in golf. It means that someone has hit a wild shot and it could be coming straight at you. Pronounced four, it is yelled to warn other players. If you hit a shot that looks as if it could hit someone, or you see someone standing in your way before you play a shot, make sure you yell Fore! to warn them.

Forecaddie

Someone employed by the course or tournament committee to mark the position of a player's ball

Forged Irons

Made from softer steel and then chrome plated. Alleged to feel softer. Forging process involves hammering head into shape.

Form

A golfer's standard of play based on past performance

Four Ball

A type of match in which two players play their better ball against the better ball of two other players.

Four-Iron

An iron club used for distances of between 155-190 yards for men's clubs. Also known as a mashie iron.

Four-Wood

A wooden club used for a distance of between 200-230 yards - for men' clubs. Also called a spoon.

Foursome

A match in which two players play against two others, with each side playing one ball. "Foursome" is also applied to any group of 4 golfers playing together.

Free Drop

A drop where no penalty is assets

Frequency Matching

An alternative to calibrating shafts as stiff or regular by measuring the deflection at the tip. The frequency matching method electronically measures and calibrates the frequency of the shaft

Fried Egg

Lie in a sand bunker in which most of the ball is below the surface of the sand. Visually, the ball looks like a "fried egg", hence the term.

Fringe

Area of grass that borders a putting green. The fringe is typically higher than the grass on the green, but lower than the grass on the fairway.

Froghair

Thick, tall grass that borders the fringe on certain courses. The froghair, due to its thickness, is a very difficult area from which to play a controlled shot.

Front Nine

The first nine holes of an 18 hole course.

Full House

A game in which a player is set a points target calculated by deducting his handicap from 36. The winner is the one who surpasses his target by the most points. Scoring is 8 points for an eagle, 4 for a birdie, two for a par and 1 for bogey.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z