Golf Clubs

Golf clubs are the most important items for a golfer in order to play well. There are many different types of clubs, from irons, woods, drivers to hybrids, and each brand has its own specifics as well. Choosing the right one for the right shot, and ideal situation, will determine your overall performance in the game. Although a golf club can come in many forms, its basic parts more or less stays the same. It typically comes with a Head, a Shaft, and a Grip.

If your swing is good, then you can probably make use of most types of golf clubs with relative ease. If not, then you will be constrained to a specific golf club build, usually one easier to handle, which will make up for some of the skills you lack. But the more you improve, the better you can utilize all the clubs in your golf set bag, so just keep practicing and playing.

What is in my golf bag?

A typical golf bag setup generally contains the following types of clubs: 3 wood types, 7 irons, a putter, and 1 hybrid. That’s twelve clubs in total. However, golf actually allows up to 14 types in one bag, so it is not atypical to see other golfers carry an extra wedge and special club. There is not a minimal requirement for golf clubs in your golf bag but you should not take more than the maximum allowance of 14 golf clubs. You can get several types of golf bags; some carry bags can fit 8 clubs and tournament golf bags can fit the maximum of 14 clubs. Many golfers take a golf trolley on the course for convenience.

These club types will be the main discussion of this article. And the more familiar you are with them, the easier it will be for you to make use of their full potential.

Going Far with Woods

Out of all the different types of this golf tool, the wood type is the best at covering long distances. A proper swing, using a wood club, can give you up to 200 to 350 yards of ball travel. This type is proven most useful when there is a significant distance between tee and green.

The main characteristics of a wood club is its hollow body and its large and rounded head. Back then, the head of this specific golf tool is made of actual wood, like persimmon or hickory, which is the reason why it got its name. However, most modern iterations of this club type are now made up of either steel, titanium, or alloy. But they do still maintain the traditional wood club design.

Aside from having a big and rounded head, a wood club also has a wide face and some degree of loft. If you do not know already, a loft is the angle of the club head that will determine how high or how low your shots will fly. And depending on the angle range, a certain number is also given to golf clubs. The higher number, the higher the loft.

The “driver”, or formally referred to as 1 wood, has the lowest loft out of all other club types, which measures around 7-12°, on average. However, others may prefer something lower than 10°, for an even higher trajectory, but this only ever works for a few experienced golfers.

Just as mentioned before, your club bag will normally have at least three wood clubs, with one being the driver. As for the other two, they are usually numbered 3 and 5. The former has around 15-18° of loft, while the latter measures between 20-22°.

The number 3 and 5 woods are also known as “fairway woods”, since you are expected to be already on the fairway of the golf hole, readying for your second shot, while using either of these two wood clubs. Any number higher than these two are considered utility woods.

Getting Halfway with Irons

The best way you can make use of iron golf clubs is when you are already less than 200 yards away from the green. A standard golf set comes with 7 of these, numbered from 3-9, with the addition of a pitching wedge.

The loft range in irons can also vary from those of woods. For the iron, the number 3 and 4, or any below that, are the hardest to hit, which is why many novices opt for a modified club set, wherein they replace these lower iron numbers for wood clubs numbered 7 and 9. If you are just starting out, then following the same route will give you a better game performance.

Get in Close with Wedges

These clubs are typically used to get your ball on the putting/green surface. And it is for this purpose that most wedges sport a blade design, since it provides increased control, and delivers the most influence to your shot. Wedges are also best used for scooping your balls out of sand traps and on to the green.

Wedges come in different forms. There is the pitching wedge, the approach wedge, sand wedge, lob wedge, and high-lob wedge. The former wedge has the lowest loft out of all others, with an angle of 46-48°, and increases by increments of 4 degrees up to the latter wedge, respectively. However, there is another wedge type called the “last wedge”, which has the highest loft degree, measuring at 68°.

Finishing Off with Putters

As what the name suggests, a putter is what you will use to put the ball inside the golf hole. Consider it your finishing clubs. It can come in either a flat blade or a flat-surfaced mallet design.

Just like the other club types, the putter can also have different styles. Some of the more popular ones include the long, short, belly, center-hosel, heel-toe, and mallet, among plenty other. Since the function of putters is to mostly roll the ball, their standard length also usually ranges from 33 to 35 inches tall, which encourages you to take on a closer body position that will give you the best putting stroke.

No two golf players are ever the same. You may have a different play style than others, and the more you improve on it, the better your golfing experience will be. And this includes picking the right club that will be suit your method of playing.