Golf — Glossary

Every Golf term explained in plain language: technique, equipment, rules and slang – with tips on avoiding the classic mistakes.

Ace (Slang)
A throw from the tee straight into the basket — a hole in one. The single biggest moment a round can produce, and the loudest word on any course.
Alignment Stick (Cheat code)
A thin rod — two old clubs do the same job — laid on the ground to check your target line against your foot line. The fastest cure there is for crooked shots.
Birdie & Bogey (Rule)
Score names relative to a hole's par: a birdie is one under par, a bogey one over, an eagle two under. Golf almost never states a score in absolute strokes.
Break (Green Reading) (Movement)
The sideways curve a putt takes because the green slopes. You therefore aim at a point beside the hole rather than at it, and let gravity do the rest.
Divot (Rule)
The strip of turf your iron lifts out of the fairway on a strike. Replacing it, or filling the scar with sand, is the core piece of course-care etiquette.
Flight (Playing Group) (Slang)
The group you play a round with. In German golf this one word carries everything: tee time, pace of play, etiquette — and your most reliable practice partner.
Grip Styles (Overlap, Interlock, Ten-Finger) (Movement)
The three ways your hands connect on the club: overlap (little finger resting on top), interlock (fingers hooked together) and the ten-finger or baseball grip.

General

Terms from training theory that apply in every sport.

1RM (One-Repetition Maximum) (Rule)
The maximum weight you can move for exactly one clean repetition. The reference value behind almost every training plan.
BMR & TDEE (Rule)
BMR is your basal metabolic rate at complete rest; TDEE is total daily expenditure including everyday movement and training. Nutrition targets always work off TDEE.
Cadence (Movement)
Steps per minute when running, or pedal revolutions when cycling. For most runners, 170–180 steps per minute sits in the sweet spot.
Core Tension (Movement)
Active stabilisation of abdomen, back and pelvis — the bridge that lets force travel between legs and arms at all.
Deload (Cheat code)
A deliberately lighter week with volume or intensity clearly reduced, so adaptation can catch up.
DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) (Cheat code)
Delayed muscle soreness 12–72 hours after unfamiliar load. Not a measure of training quality.
Knee Valgus (Movement)
The knees collapsing inward during squats, jumps and landings. One of the key risk markers in technique analysis.
Progressive Overload (Cheat code)
The one principle no training works without long-term: the stimulus has to grow over time, otherwise adaptation stops.
RIR (Reps in Reserve) (Rule)
How many clean reps you had left at the end of a set. RIR 2 means two more were available.
RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) (Rule)
A scale for perceived effort. In strength training it usually runs 1–10, where RPE 8 means you had two more reps in the tank.
Zone 2 (Aerobic Base) (Cheat code)
The easy endurance zone where you can still hold a conversation in full sentences. The base of almost every endurance plan.