What does mishitting mean?
Mishitting means hitting or playing a ball badly, particularly when the ball is struck inaccurately or fails to travel in the intended direction. The word is especially common in golf, where a mishit can be a poorly controlled swing, a badly struck iron shot, or a putt that misses the intended line. A mishit is not necessarily the same as a miss: the ball may still make contact with the club, even when the result is unsatisfactory. In general conversation, mishitting usually suggests that an attempted contact went wrong rather than that no contact occurred at all. The term is concise and slightly informal, making it useful in sports reporting and in describing an awkward or unsuccessful shot. It can also be applied more broadly to unsuccessful attempts in other ball games, though that usage is less frequent.
verbTo strike a ball badly or inaccurately, especially in golf.
- To strike or play a ball badly or inaccurately, especially in golf.
"He kept mishitting his shots in the strong wind."
"He kept mishitting his shots in the strong wind."
"The player recovered after mishitting the approach and sending the ball into the rough."
A mishit still makes contact—which is why a bad shot and a total miss are not quite the same thing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mishitting come from?
Mishitting is an English compound formed from the prefix mis-, meaning “wrongly” or “badly,” and the verb hit, meaning “to strike.” The prefix developed from the earlier English word miss and was already used to form words indicating faulty or mistaken action. Related English formations such as mistake, misjudge, and misfire use the same prefix to express error or failure.
Related word forms
How mishitting is actually used
Most often encountered in golf commentary and informal descriptions of ball sports; its use outside sports contexts is uncommon.
Easily confused with mishitting
A miss means failing to hit or reach the intended target, whereas a mishit means making contact but striking the ball badly or inaccurately.