Venues & surfaces
Putting green
The area of very short, smooth grass surrounding the hole on a golf hole.
Venues & surfaces
Definition
The putting green, often just called the green, is the area of very short, smooth grass around the hole at the end of each golf hole. It is prepared so the ball rolls truly and predictably, which is what makes accurate putting possible.
On the green players use a putter to roll the ball toward and into the hole, rather than lofting it through the air. Reaching the green in as few shots as possible is a central part of scoring in golf.
Where you’ll hear “putting green”
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Equipment
- Golf clubA shafted club with a specialised head used to strike the ball around a golf course.
- DumbbellA short handheld weight used for strength and fitness training.
- Padel racketA solid, stringless perforated racket used to play padel.
- BasketballA large, inflated ball with a dimpled surface used to play basketball.
- Badminton racketA lightweight strung racket used to hit the shuttlecock in badminton.
Playing surfaces
- GrassNatural turf grown on soil — the traditional surface for many field sports and, in tennis, a fast court with a low, skiddy bounce.
- IceA prepared, frozen sheet kept hard and smooth; its extremely low friction lets skaters, pucks and stones glide with very little resistance.
- TrailNatural off-road terrain of dirt, rock, roots, grass and mud that varies constantly and rewards surefootedness in trail running, mountain biking and hiking.
- Artificial turfSynthetic grass, often filled with sand or rubber, that gives a firm, even, all-weather surface. It plays faster and truer than worn natural grass.
Facilities
- Football pitchThe large rectangular grass or artificial-turf field on which football (soccer) is played, with a goal at each end.
- Multi-use games area (MUGA)A fenced outdoor hard-surface area marked for several sports, common in schools, parks and community facilities.
- Sports hallA large indoor hall with multi-sport line markings, used for court sports like basketball, volleyball and badminton.
Skills
Sports science
- Reaction timeThe short delay between a signal and the start of the movement made in response to it.
- Range of motionHow far a joint can travel through its movement — the arc available at a joint, and the foundation of flexibility and mobility.
- ProprioceptionThe body’s internal sense of where its parts are and how they are moving — the awareness behind balance and coordinated movement.
- Motor controlHow the brain and nervous system organise the muscles to produce coordinated, controlled movement.
Practice & sessions
- Technical sessionA session built around technique — grooving and refining the mechanics of how a movement or shot is executed.
- Conditioning sessionA session built around physical conditioning — developing the fitness qualities a sport draws on, rather than its skills or tactics.
- Tactical sessionA session built around tactics — how you use space, position and patterns of play, rather than the mechanics of a shot.
- Mobility sessionA session built around moving well through a range of motion — gentle, controlled work to help the body move freely.