Golf Clubs - The Basics

Before you buy your first set of golf clubs [or buy individual pieces] you need to understand certain basics.

Every club is built basically to the form above"

Head: the part that strikes the ball  Shaft: connects the cub head to the grip  Grip: The part you hold onto

The head of course, strikes the ball and is usually made of metals with steel, titanium and bronze most commom. The woods golf club head is the largest to give you the most mass to drive the ball farther. The woods golf club, referrred to as "the Driver", has the largest head. Irons have the most variations in their heads to give different lofts and characteristics and wedges have equally unique chracteristics for for shots like sand play from the bunker. The putter usually has the smallest head and designed more to tap and roll the ball than drive it.

The shaft of golf clubs today are made of metal [usually steel] or a composite carbon fibre and resin. The composite shafts are much lighter but has a different "feel" when striking the ball. The "stiffness" of the shaft can also be varied and can play a role in how you hit and drive the ball.

The grip is the only contact point you have between you and the club and well, the ball. Grips are made from rubber or leather and can vary in thickness. A grip that is too small or too big for your hands will hinder how well you will hit the ball. The grip  basically has to be round and without significant lumps, bumps or hollows for your fingers but you will see a wide variety of grips well withing those parameters.

All golf clubs have to conform to specifications set by the USGA [United States Golf Association] or by The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of Saint Andrews in Scotland.

• Woods are the longest clubs in your bag, with the largest heads with the driver the largest. These clubs are made to drive your golf ball as far down the fairway as possible.
• Irons come in a great deal of variety. Some drive the ball far, some lower or higher with the special ones like the wedges designed to hit  your ball just a short distance but in a high, arcing shot.
• Putters are smaller to give the golfer a small, steady, controlled swing to simply tap or roll the ball into the cup from just a short distance.

 What does the number on the club mean?

On each golf club you will find a number. This number indicates the loft of that particular club. A low numbered club [say a #3] will have a lower loft than the next highest number [a #4 in this case] The number also indicates the length of the club as well- a #3 being longer than a #4. The lower loft coupled a longer club will give you greater distance but will give you lot less accuracy. Longer clubs are harder to hit. Quite often professional golfers will have their clubs made shorter than standard to give them more control over a shot while giving up some distance.

The #1 club is called the Driver and hits the bal the farthest down the course.
The #2 club is a little shorter than the #1 and will hit the ball higher in the air.
The #3 club is a little shorter than the #2 club and hits the ball a little higher than the #2.
and so on....you get the idea.

Note the variation in loft angle on the different clubs 

What makes up a "set" of golf clubs?

A standard set of golf clubs is limited to a maximum of 14 clubs. Which 14 [or less] golf clubs you decide to carry in your bag will be entirely up to you. For most people, a set will usually include the following clubs numbers:

      Irons: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, PW [pitching wedge]

      Woods: 1, 3, 5

      and a putter. Note that most golf clubs sold in sets never include a putter due to so much individual preferences.

Note that you do NOT have to carry all of the clubs shown above. If you wanted to stay very simple you could take a driver [#1], several irons [#3 #5 #7], a pitching wedge and a putter.

Note that you can also buy different kinds of wedges with different lofts as well - you can get a sand wedge, a pitching wedge an approach wegde or a lob wedge. There can be a lot of variation in each of the clubs we have talked about.

Note that it is always best to keep your swing the same and let the club loft and length do all the work. It is wise to practice with as many different clubs as available and take notes of how far and how high you hit shots with each one. Then you can decide which clubs you want to use for differing situations on the course. This can take a lot of guesswork out of your play and make you feel more confident in each situation.