Golf Glossary - 'R'

rake - (aka: "trap rake") just alike a garden rake. Usually placed in sand traps for convenience so that a player (or hi/her caddy) can "rake the trap" after taking a shot out it such that it is smooth for the next player who might be so unfortunate to land in the bunker. Example: "After blasting out of the trap I used the rake to fix the trap. When I was done you couldn't tell that I had ever even been in the trap."

range - see "driving range".

range ball - (aka: "practice ball") the golf balls that are used on a driving range. Usually marked with a stripe or oddly colored (yellow and black) to identify them as range balls and discourage theft.

ranger - see "marshal".

read - the act of studying the terrain (usually the green) to discern the direction in which a ball will roll/bounce based on the undulations evident. Example: "I can get to the green alright but I am totally unable to read the green and so I don't generally score all that well."

recovery - (aka: "recovery shot", "trouble shot") a shot that is taken to get oneself out of a difficult situation (including, sand traps, weeds, rough, trees etc.) including mental stress. Example: "Tim scored very well although he wasn't on the fairway all day. His recovery skills are excellent".

release - with respect to 'the swing' it is a term used to 1. (aka: "let it go") generally thought of as the act of allowing the centrifugal force of the swing (body/arms/ hands/clubhead) to take its course on the downswing rather than holding on or inhibiting it. or 2. the moment when a ball stops spinning backwards and begins spinning forwards. Often used around the green when a player is looking to get more roll out of a shot. Example: "He was afraid of hooking the ball, so he wasn't releasing." or "The ball bounced onto the front fringe and Vicky started yelling, "Release! Release!" in an attempt to make it roll to the back of the green where the pin was."

relief - a term meaning that you may remove the ball from the present situation into a new location as dictated by the rules. a penalty stroke(s) may or may not apply. Example: "My ball rolled to a stop on the cart path and so I took relief from the cart path and was not required to count a penalty stroke."

reload - a slang term meaning that the player is going to hit a second (or third or fourth or...) shot from the same location as he/she just did. Often used on the tee and even more often when the first shot was hit out of bounds. Example: "Curtis, that shot's long gone. You might as well reload."

reroute - a term used to describe the swing path of a club that is dramatically different on the downswing as compared to that on the backswing. Example: "You paused nicely at the top of your swing but then you rerouted your club coming down at the ball."

reverse overlap - (aka: "reverse overlap grip") the most common grip used for putting - a method of placing the hands on the club such that the index finger of the top hand rests on top of the fingers of the bottom hand.

reverse pivot - (aka: "reverse weight transfer") a term used to describe the incorrect pivot or weight transfer during a golfers swing. The weight is in the reverse/opposite position to what it should be. When the golfer is in his back swing the weight shifts to the front foot and when the golfer swings though the ball and follows through the players weight shifts to his/her back foot. This is the opposite to the weight transfer that is considered ideal. Golfers generally do not try to reverse pivot.

rough - grass that is cut at a higher length than that on the fairway, tees and greens. Usually surrounding the golf hole. Example: "A drive that lands in the rough usually doesn't roll as far as it would have on the fairway."

round - 18 holes of golf. Example: "Do you want to get out and play a round on Thursday?"

rub of the green - bad luck or a bad break. Usually with the ball in a particular position for which there is no relief under the rules. Anywhere on the golf course and not necessarily on the green. Example: "Player A - 'I think that the ball bounced off of a sprinkler head and went out of bounds!' Player B - 'That really sucks but its the rub on the green. You might as well hit another one.'"