13 Other Terms for the Dreaded Whiff in Golf

The whiff. Ouch. It hurts to even say the word. The whiff is one of the most dreaded "shots" in golf, certainly the most-embarrassing. But at least you can always find your golf ball when you whiff!

Of course, that's because your ball is still right where it was. You missed. You swung, and you missed the golf ball — that's a whiff.

While the whiff itself isn't fun, the lingo that golfers use often is. So here are 13 other terms that golfers use for the dreaded whiff:

Air shot: "Nice air shot, Bob. Try to actually hit the ball on the next swing, OK?"

Air ball: Also spelled "airball." Probably the second-most common term used, after whiff.

APB: "APB" is what cops in the United States issue over the radio when looking for a suspect or some other object of a search. "Put out an APB on Gary's golf ball, he can't find it on the tee."

Blow dry: "Juanita's trying to blow dry the ball, I guess."

Drive-by shooting: "Call 9-1-1! Chuck just had a drive-by shooting!"

Fresh air: "Fresh air is great, pal, but not that kind."

Gale warning: "High winds on the golf course today, a gale warning has been issued for Dorian's driver swings."

Missing persons report: "Hello, FBI? I need to file a missing persons report on Bob's golf ball. No, the ball isn't missing — Bob just keeps missing the ball."

Passing wind: "Jeez, Mildred, stop passing wind, you're grossing us out."

Strike one/Swing and a miss/Just a bit outside: Your fellow-competitors might toss out one of these baseball terms when you whiff.

Wave at it: As in, "Did your driver wave at it as it went by?"

Related articles:

• 34 slang terms golfers have for bunkers and sand
• 18 other names and nicknames for the driver
• 20+ other terms golfers have for the mulligan