Golf Glossary - 'O'

ob - (aka: "out of bounds", "Oscar Brown", "O.B.") out of bounds. Usually marked with white stakes or noted on the scorecard. a ball is unplayable out of bounds regardless of whether or not it can be found. Example: "Uh, oh Megan. I think that went ob."

offset - a golf club characteristic in which the face of the club is not 'in line' with the shaft when the club is held in the address position. This can be either a forward offset (having the face ahead of the shaft) or a backward offset (having the face located behind the club shaft).

one-piece takeaway - the beginning of the backswing where the hips, arms and hands all move away from the ball in one motion.

one-putt - an indication that a player required or requires only one putt to hole out on any green. Example: "How many one putts did you have on the back nine?"

open - a tournament or competition where there are no conditions for a player to attempt to qualify (i.e. both amateurs and pros will play together). Example: The US open is the one of the most popular open tournaments."

open - ("open clubface", "open stance") describes the alignment of a player who is aligned to the left of the target line (for a right handed golfer) or whose clubface is lined up right of the target. Example: "I think that one of the reasons that you are slicing the ball is because your stance is so open."

Oscar Brown - see "ob".

out of bounds - see "ob".

outside - (aka: "away") the opposite of "inside". A relative term meaning that a golfer is farther away from the hole than somebody else. Example: "Looking at our balls lying on the green from way back there I thought that yours was outside mine but it looks like I am away."

outside-in - describing a swingpath that from the top of the backswing travels outside of a line drawn through the target and the ball as it lies and then finishes through impact and into the follow through to the inside of this same line. Example: "I think the reason that you are slicing the ball, Jon is because you are coming down at it outside-in."

overall weight - (aka: "dead weight", "swing weight") the weight of a golf club including the clubhead, shaft and grip.

overlapping grip - (aka: "overlap", "Vardon grip") used to describe ones grip of a golf club where the pinky of the bottom hand overlaps the index finger of the top hand or lies between (but also on top) of the index and middle finger of the top hand. All the while both thumbs are pointing down the length of the shaft. One of the most popular grips in golf.