NCG’s Golf Glossary: What is break?
Don’t know your dormies from your doglegs? NCG’s Golf Glossary is here to help
Here at NCG we pride ourselves on being the publication for the everyday player, so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to delve into the wonderful world of the golfing lexicon.
Sometimes the most obvious terms have the most interesting story, so you might find yourself an interesting conversation starter…
What is break in golf?
The break is the amount a ball moves left or right of a straight line on a putting green in response to the contours. It can also refer to how much the green slopes.
If the golfer decides there are three inches of break from right to left between his ball and the hole, he will aim three inches to the right of the hole.
Check out this amazing photo we took to illustrate the break…
How would you use it in a sentence?
Dave was sure his putt was going to break from left to right, but it turned out to be dead straight.
What are its origins?
While we think it’s rather self-explanatory, if anyone knows the origins of why the word “break” is used in golf, please get in touch.
Any other business?
When Tiger Woods left himself with a chip that had several feet of break from left to right on the 16th at Augusta in 2005…
Well, you know the story. Let’s enjoy it again.
Click here to see NCG’s full Golf Glossary
Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
