The 'Nobble' (Nobbler) Golf Shot Definition

Let's nibble on "nobble": What type of golf shot does that slang term describe? We'll bite. When a golfer nobbles the ball, he makes contact above the equator of the golf ball, or merely with the very top of the ball. Nobble, in other words, is another term for a "top" or topped shot.

Topping the ball equals nobbling the ball. A golfer who topped it also nobbled it. A topper, or a topped ball or topped shot, is a nobbler. "I'm topping the ball a lot today" would be "I'm nobbling the ball a lot today."

"Nobble" is chiefly a British term and much less commonly used than top/topped. We've also seen the alternate spellings of knobble/knobbled/knobbler, as well as "knobbed it" or "knobbing it" (minus the "l" in nobble).

When a golfer's club approaches the golf ball at too shallow an angle, the golfer might make contact near the equator, called catching it thin. But if the golfer is way off in her swing, she might hit the ball above its equator. This is often caused by the golfer lifting up her hands or torso just before impact. It's an instinct many beginning golfers have, thinking they are helping lift the ball into the air. Another common cause is leaning your upper body away from the target before impact.

When a golfer nobbles it, the resulting shot is never good. And a particularly bad nobbling means almost missing the golf ball entirely — catching just the dome of the ball, which, embarrassingly, barely sends the ball forward. (But don't let that embarrassment linger — every golfer has done it.)

This video goes over some common causes and fixes for golfers who nobble: