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Woods
are used for hitting the ball a long way, and they are called
woods because that is what the club head used to be made from. Nowadays
though, they are usually made from steel, titanium or a mix of graphite
& titanium and very rarely some are still made from wood from
the persimmon tree. Irons
can do everything that the woods can do, but they don’t hit the
ball as far. Irons are numbered from 1 to 9, and you have iron clubs
called wedges. The No.1 iron hits the ball low and
long, while the No.9 and the wedge irons hit high, short
shots. (Remember again – smallest number hits furthest). Putter
–the job of the putter is to give the ball a smooth roll across
the green to get it into the hole. It is the only club that isn’t
designed to hit the ball into the air. Your first set of golf clubs will probably be or probably were a mix and match combination of hand me downs taken from relatives and friends no longer using their clubs. An assortment of clubs in varying conditions and from different manufacturers is nothing to be embarrassed by. Many famous professionals have favourite clubs, which they will not give up, regardless of how old they are or which manufacturer’s clubs they use. The rules of golf allow you to carry and use up to 14 clubs during a game. You do not have to carry or use all 14 or have a standard matching set of 3 iron to Sand Wedge. At first, even if you have been given a full set of clubs you probably will not use them all. The more you play the more you will realise which clubs suit your game and you will use these clubs when playing. Although
your relatives and friends will only be trying to help you, their
old clubs probably will not be good for your game. Your Dad’s
shoes probably don’t fit you so why should his golf clubs. Senior
clubs may be too long, too heavy, too stiff and with the wrong lies.
If you have the clubs cut down to your size they will become even
stiffer, making it very difficult to hit the ball any great distance.
The clubs may well be free but playing with the wrong clubs will
cost you in the long run. Once you become more serious about playing
golf you will be better off paying for specialist junior clubs.
Junior sets are normally half sets containing 3 or 4 irons, a wood, putter and bag. Although this removes the problem of which combination of clubs to buy the choice will still be a difficult one as buying golf clubs can be very confusing. Golf club manufacturers adverts all seem to claim that their products are the best clubs to improve your game and golf shops all claim to have the best price. To find more information about clubs – read on.
If you have ever seen a golf club manufacturer’s brochure they contain a section on club specifications. There are many different aspects of the specifications that influence your ability to swing the club and therefore how well you hit the ball. From the top of the club downwards the key specifications are as follows:
Your golf trousers fit your waist; your golf cap fits your head so you your grips should fit your hands. Golfers can quickly measure the correct grip size by using the following measurement: when you are gripping the club, the tip of your left hand ring finger should just touch the heel pad of your left hand. If there is a gap the grips are too big and if your finger digs into your hand the grips are too small. Grips size is important because grip pressure will affect the shot you play. If your grip is too small you may overuse your hands when swinging, often causing a hook. A grip that is too large causes you to under-use your hands, often causing a slice. There are many types of grip available but with our weather often being wet, even in the summer, try to avoid a smooth grip that will be difficult to hold when damp. Your local pro shop will be able to grip your club with different size grips or put layers of tape under the grips to make them larger. More often than not when you begin playing your shafts will be too stiff for your swing. Try to avoid this, as it is far better to have a shaft that is whippier. Stiff flex shafts make it difficult to square the clubhead to the ball at impact and difficult to get the ball in the air. Shafts that are too flexible cause the clubhead to snap shut before impact. You can consider your shaft to be the engine of your golf clubs. You will not find a BMW with a Ford Fiesta engine because it will not allow the car to perform as it should. Buy the correct shaft to get the best results from your clubs. Graphite shafts will be more expensive than steel and as you are growing quickly you might be better buying steel shafts, besides you will notice that most professional golfers use stell shafts in their clubs. Many pro shops will have a device to measure your swing speed at the point of impact with the ball. Although this isn’t the only way of testing which flex shaft you require it is the most common. As a rough guide if you swing under 60 miles per hour you need a very flexible shaft, which are often marked "F" If your swing is between 60 and 80 miles per hour a less flexible shaft, often marked "A" is required. 80 to 95 miles per hour is a regular flex "R" Most strong junior golfers will use a regular flex. There are also stiff "S" and extra stiff shafts "XS" for the really strong hitters. The length of your clubs is very important because your stance and balance when you swing are vital. If your clubs are not the correct length you will stand in an unbalanced position. If you are unbalanced at address, your body will struggle to remain balanced when you swing the club. If you are concentrating on staying balanced you cannot be concentrating on hitting the ball. Usually if your clubs are too long you will stand too far from the ball and your swing will be flat, causing you to hit shots that are too low. If your clubs are too short you will stand too close to the ball, causing you to lift the club steeply in your swing and then chop down on the ball. As well as causing problems with your stance clubs that are the wrong length make it more difficult to hit the sweetspot on the clubhead. Too short and you tend to hit towards the toe, too long and you will hit towards the heel. The further from the sweetspot you hit the ball the more distance you will lose every time you play a shot. Your golf pro can test you to find the correct length but the best way is to actually hit golf balls. Special tape can be put on the face of your clubs so that when you hit the ball it leaves a mark, the pro can tell from this any problems with the length of your clubs. The
lie angle is measured by a line from the centre of the shaft to
the ground when you address the ball. When the lie is correct the
bottom of the club should sit flat on the ground. If the toe of
the club is too far off the ground you will tend to hit the ball
left and if the toe is too far towards the ground you will tend
to hit the ball to the right. Loft
Angle Both the club head weight and overall weight of your clubs are very important to you. As a junior golfer your muscles will not have developed fully and you might find it hard to control heavy clubs when you swing. There are two weight measurements for clubs: the swing weight and the static weight. The swing weight is the relation between the length of the club and the weight of the head, measurements are given in ounces/inches and are given a letter and number such as C6 or D3. Static weight is the actual weight in ounces of the club. Often the best way to judge the correct weight for you is to test different clubs and decide which weight feels the best for you. Clubs that are too heavy, will be difficult for you to control.
This might sound an obvious question as you don’t use your wood on the green or your putter on the fairway but do you really know which club is the correct one to use and why? Irons As
we mentioned earlier, each iron has a different loft angle which
causes the ball to be hit different lengths. Usually there will
be 4 degrees of loft difference between each iron in a full set.
4 degrees is around an extra 10 yards of distance. Do you know how
far you hit each of your irons? Professional golfers know exactly
how far they hit each club so when they have a shot of 150 yards
they do not need to guess which club to use, - they know. When you
practice try to go through each of your clubs and make a note of
how far you hit the ball with each club, your game will improve
as a result. Woods If you are a younger Junior you might find that you hit all your longer irons the same distance. This is because the long irons are the hardest to hit with and you will hit the ball further using a fairway wood. This is the reason why Junior sets of clubs are sold without an iron lower than a 5 and a driver with the loft angle of a standard 5 wood. Many equipment manufacturers also sell 7, 9 and even 11 woods to use rather than long irons. These woods known as fairway or utility woods have a bigger sweet spot and are designed to not get caught in grass when playing from a difficult lie. Putters You will find that the only way to choose which putter suits you best is to try different ones. There are three different types of putters; blade, mallet and the less common box putters. Wedges There are four types of wedge to choose from; pitching wedge, sand wedge, lob wedge and gap wedge. Don’t be confused by these choices as you will not need all these – there are very few golfers that carry all four wedges in their golf bags. Begin playing with just one wedge – Junior sets come with a sand wedge- you can always add clubs as your game improves.
There are many places to buy your clubs each having advantages and disadvantages: Golf Pro shops Golf professionals are trained to know golf equipment and which clubs will suit you best. If you are a member of a club or taking lessons from a professional ask if they have a club fitting service. They will then match clubs to your swing, size etc and you will probably be able to test the clubs. If you have problems with the clubs the pro will be at hand to help you and make any alterations that are required. A great way to buy equipment although the prices could be more expensive and you may be limited to buying only the brands the professional has in stock. A good pro will only sell you a set of clubs that will improve your game, so it will be money well spent. Custom Clubmakers As with professionals, custom clubmakers will match clubs to suit your swing and characteristics. Your set will be made individually for you, usually in around 7 days. If you have any problems with the clubs then the clubmakers should correct them free of charge. Prices shouldn’t be too expensive although you may have to travel to find your nearest clubmaker. Department Stores Department stores offer low prices on golf equipment as they are able to buy a lot of stock at low prices, however this can often be older stock. You will probably have little choice on flex, weight, loft and lies and no way of testing the clubs. If you are just starting to play golf this may be okay for you as the clubs will be cheaper than in other places. If you are serious about your golf you might want to look elsewhere. Specialist off-course Golf Stores Specialist golf stores will offer a wide range of choice, often at low prices. Some of the specialist stores stock most of the top brands of junior equipment, giving you the opportunity to compare different makes. If you know which clubs you want to buy then off-course stores are a very good choice. Check carefully though that the store has a good reputation for customer care. Beware of any store where an assistant is not knowledgeable enough to be able to answer any of your questions regarding the differences between various brands, and what specification is best suited to your needs. Mail Order/Internet Often very cheap but not a good choice unless you know exactly which clubs you want to buy. You are not able to test the clubs and will not be given advice on what is best for you. Mail order and the Internet are great for buying accessories but not for your clubs. Used Clubs Used
clubs will be at a low price and often very good if you have a small
budget. Advertisements can be found in local papers and many pro
shops allow people to "trade in" their old set when buying
new clubs. They will often have junior clubs that have become too
small for golfers as they have grown. Be careful when buying used
clubs, look for wear on the club faces, pitting or rusting on the
heads and shafts, check for any rattles in the clubs and ask if
you can test them before buying. Used clubs can be a great bargain
if they have been well looked after but you will not get a guarantee
if anything goes wrong with them. A word of warning Although
there is nothing to stop you getting advice from your professional
and then buying the clubs from a cheaper off course stores, it isn’t
a good idea. Your professional often earns his living from the equipment
he sells and might not be too happy if you use his help but then
don’t buy from him.
What to consider when buying clubs When you buy your clubs ask the following questions. If the sales person can’t answer your questions they may not be experienced in golf equipment and may not sell you the most suitable set of clubs. Can I test the clubs? If not, then do you really want to spend your money without trying them? Can the clubs be adjusted to suit my swing? Some shops only sell standard sets but most golfers are not a standard size. If the clubs cannot be adjusted they might not be suited to you. How will the shaft help my game? There are many choices of shaft, all with different playing characteristics. This will let you know how much the seller knows about the equipment and will help you learn about the different choices available. Is there any warranty on the clubs?Golf clubs can go wrong – you are hitting a hard ball at high speed. Make sure there is a warranty on new clubs and check how easy it is to get the clubs repaired.
Do not rush into buying your clubs. The main choice is a set of clubs that will improve your game, there is no point wasting hundreds of pounds on a set that are not suitable for you and that wont improve your game. Always think about the choices of where to buy from, even if you are on a tight budget and buying a second hand set. Look around before buying and make sure you are getting the best set you can.
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The
loft angle is the angle that the clubface faces upwards when the
club sits correctly behind the ball. The loft angle is measured
in degrees - your sandwedge faces steeply upwards and will be around
56 degrees, your driver is not so steep and will be around 13 degrees.
This means that shots you hit with your sandwedge go higher and
not so far as your driver. Loft angle is the reason why your irons
hit the ball different lengths even though you swing them at the
same speed. Even your putter has a loft angle (usually 2 degrees)
because even when putting you have to hit the slightly off the ground
to allow it to roll smoothly. 
