Golf Information

Choosing the Right Golf Clubs


Planning on becoming the next Tiger Woods? If so, the first thing you might consider is getting some new golf clubs. Choosing the right golf clubs can make the difference between spending your time on the fairways and greens and spending your time in the rough. Although famed golfer Ben Hogan once said, "The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight", for my money, having the right set of golf clubs runs this a close second.

First, I'll assume you aren't a pro. Otherwise, you probably wouldn't be here; you'd be out perfecting that already outstanding golf swing. For the amateur golfer, choosing the right golf clubs hinges on two factors - distance and accuracy - and, of these, accuracy is the more important. The ability to hit the ball half-way across town may sound great, but if you can't keep it on the fairway, out of the bunkers, and heading for the flag, then all the distance in the world isn't going to help your game. So, the starting point for all of us needs to be accuracy. Once the ball starts going just where we want it to go with reasonable consistency we can start working on building distance.

Of course, cost can be a big issue when choosing a new set of clubs, but since that's a personal conversation between you your wallet - and maybe your spouse - we won't cover it here. Don't forget though that you don't need to buy tailor-made golf clubs and that a good starting point may well be one of the many outlets for discount golf equipment. Another good starting point is to look at pre-owned golf clubs.

Begin by analyzing what's going to best fit your needs. The primary set of clubs in every golfer's bag is the irons, so that's what I'm going to concentrate on here. Irons have several characteristics to consider when you're choosing golf clubs.

The first thing to look at is the method of manufacture. Irons are normally made either by casting or forging. For the novice golfer cast irons are generally better because they have a bigger sweet spot on the club face. The sweet spot is the area on the club face that you want to contact the ball and, as a general rule, the larger the sweet spot the greater the room for error in your swing. In other words, with a large sweet spot you can miss hitting the ball directly on the center of the club face and still end up with a decent shot. Forged irons are better for more advanced golfers because they allow for better control of trajectory, allowing you to hit the ball at a desired angle to get the height necessary for the result you want.

The next thing to consider is the size of the head. As a novice golfer, you'll find a definite trade-off here. A bigger head equals a bigger sweet spot and more tolerance of miss-hits. However, at the same time, a bigger head is also a little harder to control. You'll probably want to start with a set of irons with medium-sized heads. They're easier to control than the oversized-heads, but they still have a bigger sweet spot than the traditional, smaller heads.

Bet you didn't know there were this many factors to choosing the right set of golf clubs! Well, I'm not quite done yet.

Another factor to think about when choosing golf clubs is what the head is made of - cast iron, stainless steel, or titanium. Titanium heads are best for novice golfers as this light material allows for a bigger head, without making the club too heavy. Bigger head equals bigger sweet spot! If the cost of titanium heads is beyond your wallet's reach, then consider cast iron rather than steel. They're durable and the harder material can help improve both accuracy and consistency.

Swing speed is also important in deciding upon the right golf clubs. Golfers with lower swing speeds can benefit from more flexible graphite shafts that are a bit longer and lighter. With a higher swing speed, it's more likely you want to focus on accuracy, so stiffer and heavier steel shafts can help you develop that accurate ball placement that gets your name on the leader board.

Obviously, there are many factors to consider when choosing the right golf clubs. But consider what the comedian Henny Youngman once said, "The other day I broke 70. That's a lot of clubs." Choosing the right golf clubs for your game and level of play can reduce both your handicap and the number of clubs you get the urge to break!

Copyright 2005 Donald Saunders

If you're relatively new to the world of golf then choosing a suitable set of golf clubs can be a daunting task. Check out the local golf clubs suppliers in your area and start improving your golf swing today.


MORE RESOURCES:

Washington Post

Annika gracefully entering last phase of her career - Golf
ESPN - 2 hours ago
This was December in British Columbia, five months ago, and Sorenstam was engrossed in the role of golf course designer, one of the many off-course projects ...
Annika Sorenstam expected to stay involved in her golf tournament The Canadian Press
FACTBOX-Golf-Annika Sorenstam Reuters UK
Annika Sorenstam to Retire From Golf Tour After 2008 (Update1) Bloomberg
Chicago Tribune - ESPN
all 763 news articles


This week's golf tournaments
The Canadian Press - 8 hours ago
Course: Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Ross Bridge (7503 yards, par 72). Purse: $1.7 million. Winner's share: $255000. Television: (Friday, 6:30-8:30 pm; ...
This Week in Golf - May 15th through May 18th Sports Network
WORTH NOTING Biloxi Sun Herald
PGA Mail – keeping the industry posted PGA of Australia
all 28 news articles


Trio assaulted man 'with golf clubs, bars, knife'
ABC Online, Australia - 2 hours ago
Police say the men - aged 18, 20 and 47 - assaulted the man with golf clubs, metal bars and a knife in a house at Greta about 10:00am (AEDT). ...
Three charged over golf club attack The Australian
Three men charged after man assaulted – Greta NSW Police Online
all 23 news articles


AFP

Bush: I quit golf over Iraq war
AFP - 3 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President George W. Bush said in an interview out Tuesday that he quit playing golf in 2003 out of respect for the families of US ...
Bush forced to quit golf over Iraq War Scopical
Bush warns of Iraq disaster Politico
Bush gives up golfing because of Iraq war. Think Progress
WJLA
all 8 news articles


Pukka Headwear renews Supporting Partnership of Golf Retirement Plus
PGA.com - 1 hour ago
Pukka Headwear, a designer and manufacturer of custom golf headwear and accessories, has renewed its supporting partnership of Golf Retirement Plus. ...
PGA Learning Center hosts free Youth Golf Day this Saturday, May 17 PGA.com
all 2 news articles


State develops campaign to draw golf travelers The Business ...
Bizjournals.com, NC - 4 hours ago
The NC Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development on Tuesday announced a new half-million dollar marketing campaign for golf in the state. ...


RailCorp managers sanctioned golf days, ICAC told
Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - 10 hours ago
RAILCORP senior management have sanctioned a series of contractor-funded "golf days" - and even attended some of them - for many years, a corruption hearing ...


Powell receives award at inaugural Halle Berry Celebrity Golf Classic
PGA.com - 1 hour ago
Renee Powell of East Canton, Ohio, the 2003 PGA First Lady of Golf, went across country recently to be honored in a locale where she has never competed ...


What Annika has meant to women's golf
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - 25 minutes ago
Her decision to "step away" from competitive golf at the end of this season - Sorenstam refused to use the "R-word," as she put it - might surprise casual ...


Maple Grove's Kelly O'Brien going for third trip to state golf meet
Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN - 1 hour ago
Kelly O'Brien holds the state's fifth-best scoring average among girls in Class 3A golf, shooting an average of 78 per round. A junior at Maple Grove, ...

Golf - Google News

home | site map
© 2006