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sclaff

sclaff

1 9.9
A poor golf shot when the club hits the ground before the ball
  • noun
  • Archaic
: golpe fallido
  • She blamed the wet grass for her unexpected sclaff on the last hole.

Examples

  • He made a terrible sclaff on the first hole.

  • He ruined his approach shot with a sclaff just short of the green.

  • A sclaff like that can add several strokes to your round.

  • I witnessed a sclaff during the tournament.

  • After several practice swings, he finally made solid contact instead of a sclaff.

  • She was frustrated when her drive turned into a sclaff, sending the ball just a few feet.

  • The golfer sighed in disappointment after hitting a sclaff on the first hole.

Synonyms

to shank
vssclaff
  • Jargon
6 8.7

To hit the ball with the club heel so it goes off course

involves striking the ground before making contact rather than heel contact
to shank the ball
vssclaff
  • Jargon
1 9.1

To hit a ball badly so it goes far off target

hits the ground before contact rather than causing a sharp veer

Surface Forms

sclaff singular
sclaffs plural

Etymology

A helpful way to remember the noun sclaff is to link it to scuff ('to scrape') and the dull 'sclaff' sound of a club striking the ground. So a sclaff is a poor stroke where the club hits the turf before the ball.