Golf Club Buying Guide

Golf club buying tips

Buy the golf clubs that work for you. That will depend on your individual situation -- age, size, body strength, experience and skill level. That's not very helpful, but every golfer is different, making only general recommendations possible.

Each golfer is allowed a 14-piece golf club set in formal play; manufacturers have tweaked their designs to create a near infinite number of golf clubs from which golfers can choose clubs almost custom fit to their needs. These golf clubs fall into four basic categories: golf woods, golf irons, golf wedges and putters. Each category is further subdivided into different types (9 iron, 5 wood, sand wedge, etc.).

In clothing, what looks great on one person looks ridiculous on someone else. In the same way, golf gear that helps one person look like a pro will make others look the duffer. When considering buying new golf clubs, try as many golf clubs as you can and get professional advice, then research the best prices. Don't just buy cheap golf clubs pick golf clubs that fit your budget and give the most improvement to your golf game.

Golf club components

The majority of golf clubs are designed and built as right-handed golf clubs or left-handed golf clubs. A few are designed for both, but, like any compromise, it's more convenient for the maker than the user.

Grip
The grip is the soft material at the top of the shaft. It helps the golfer hold onto the golf club, but, equally important, the grip also determines the golfer's ability to feel how the head impacts the ball. Grips are available in rubber composite and leather; some also feature fiber cords. Test drive several and go with what feels most comfortable in your hand. New materials and adhesives make replacing a worn-out grip a do-it-yourself project for most people, which wasn't the case just a few years ago.

Shaft
The shaft is a steel tube or graphite cylinder with a standard length of 35 inches to 44 inches. Steel is stronger and more scratch-resistant; it won't break as easily, offers more swing control and generally costs less. Graphite is lighter and has more "flex," meaning the shaft can whip through, imparting more power to golf balls with a slower swing, adding an advantage of several yards over steel. Unfortunately, added flex means decreased control. Designated by letters -- L (lady), A (amateur, soft regular or senior), R (regular), S (stiff), and X (extra stiff, tour stiff or strong) -- steel shafts are mostly S and X, graphites run the gamut. Very few people use an X; most men prefer an S or R, while women often choose A or L.

High-tech shafts, steel-graphite hybrids and titanium, are now available, but the jury is still out on their strengths and weaknesses, although titanium has won accolades for absorbing vibration. Shaft importance cannot be underestimated; it pulls the head, giving the head the energy to hit the golf balls down range. Some manufacturers now offer semi-custom golf clubs, with several shaft options available for each head.

To determine correct golf club shaft length, stand up straight with your arms at your sides. Have someone measure the distance from the tip of your middle finger to the ground. This is your base length, which can be adjusted up or down slightly. A longer shaft gives more distance; a shorter shaft gives more control.

Hosel and ferrule
The shaft is inserted into the hosel (or neck); think of the hosel as the golfing equivalent of a pipe stem. "Lie" is the angle between the head and the hosel-shaft. Smaller players generally go for a shorter shaft and flatter lie. The ferrule is a decorative trim ring found directly on top of the hosel on many woods and irons.

Head
The head has a face, which hits the ball. It is flat, but not vertical. The face's "loft" is the angle back from vertical, defined by the golf club shaft. Lower numbers (2 wood vs. 6 wood) means lower loft angle and a longer shot. It also means less control over the flight and where the ball lands. Heads of older golf woods or golf irons were denser and smaller than modern heads, giving each golf club a smaller "sweet spot," the part of the face that should contact the golf ball for the best possible shot. Modern materials allow greater variety in a club head's density and size. In tournament golf, the head must be 460cc or less, although over-the-limit heads can be used in drive contests and sport golf among friends.

Golf club terminology

A golf course is divided into holes (or links), each of which begins at a tee, runs through the fairway, passes the hazards (at least, that's the plan) and onto the green where the hole (pin or cup) is located. Hazards include bunkers (or sandtraps), the rough (tall grass) and trees on the edge of bounded play, water hazards (artificial ponds) and, of course, the crowd. (Actually, where the crowd is concerned, hard, fast-flying golf balls are the hazard if the golfer has a really bad hook or slice.)

When considering new golf club sets or single golf clubs, choose your golf clubs based on your golfing needs. Golf clubs by number (some with their antiquarian names):

Woods	Irons	Wedges (loft, in degrees)
[1] Playclub / Driver	[1] Driving Iron	[PW] Pitching Wedge (48)
[2] Brassie	[2] Mid-Iron	[GW] Gap Wedge (56)
[3] Spoon	[3] Mid-Mashie	[SW] Sand Wedge (56)
[4] Cleek	[4] Mashie-Iron	[LW] Lob Wedge (60)
[5] Baffy	[5] Mashie	[CW] Chipping Wedge (64)
[7] Seven	[6] Spade Mashie
[9]	[7] Mashie-Niblick	Other Clubs
[11]	[8] Pitching-Niblick	Putter (4-6)
	[9]  Niblick

For example, if you need help teeing off, buy a low-number golf wood. If you need help around hazards, golf wedges are the clubs to look at. If miniature golf is all you can handle, buy a putter.

Golf club categories

Woods
Golf woods are the long-range golf clubs, designed to launch the golf ball from the tee down the fairway. The large head and long shaft are designed to put force on the ball, delivering maximum thrust and distance. The 1-woods, often called golf drivers, give the longest shots; higher numbers, sometimes called fairway woods, are better for mid-range shots getting the ball close to the green. The heads were wood until the 1980s, when steel and titanium began to be used. Titanium, being less dense, allows for heads up to one-third larger, with shafts longer by two or three inches for greater distance; but steel continues to hold advantages in price and control. Aluminum, scandium and other metals are available, but these new alloys represent only a tiny fraction of clubs used.

Irons
Once the golf wood places the ball on the fairway, golf irons make the mid- to short-range shots that get the golf ball on the green (at least, that's the plan). The increasing loft of high-numbered golf irons decreases distance by increasing the height of the flight arc (like a pop-fly in baseball) and increasing backspin. These give the golfer increased control over the point of landing and reduce the distance a golf ball rolls after landing.

A cast iron golf club head usually features perimeter weighting; putting a hollow in the back of the head and the weight around the rim. This creates a larger sweet spot and more forgiveness when you make a less than perfect shot (which you will more often than not). Likewise, beginners often choose a larger head, which gives fewer mis-hits. Many advanced players choose forged irons, which distribute the head weight across the entire face. With the center of gravity in the center of the golf club head, players have greater trajectory control.

Wedges
The highest loft of modern golf irons is 44 degrees. Lofts above that are still, technically, golf irons but are more and more often called golf wedges. These golf clubs are used for short or specialized shots: shots out of the rough or bunker, for example. Steel shafts are preferred for golf wedges; they are more durable in shots from rough ground, and the added weight provides greater control.

• Pitching: This common golf wedge, with a loft of 46-51 degrees, is great for shots under 125 yards.
• Sand: Other than getting out of sand traps, this golf wedge, lofting 55-57 degrees, is also good for close shots requiring much height and little distance.
• Gap: Named for the gap between other golf wedges, at 51-53 degrees, it serves well on shots that might be borderline choices between a pitching wedge and sand wedge.

• Lob: When you have to get around or over a serious obstacle, at 60-64 degrees loft, this golf wedge will really make your ball look like a pop-fly.

Hybrids or utility clubs
Utility clubs are a new class, similar to woods in some ways, to irons in others. Some golfers prefer them to long-irons (lower numbers) because they make it easier to hit the ball well.

Putters
When the golf ball is on the green, you don't want any flight at all, so the loft of golf putters is less than 10 degrees. Putters are used to roll golf balls along the ground and into the pin. A chip wedge was designed to use a slow swing to give the ball a short hop (chip-shot) onto the green. Design changes now give this club a putter-like appearance, and new-model chippers are sometimes classed with putters. Choose your putter with care; statistically, you'll use it on more strokes than any other single club.

• Blades: This flat, narrow club gives the best feel for the ball, making it popular among low handicap golfers.
• Mallets: With a large, rounded head, the weight is balanced throughout the club, imparting a more consistent stroke.
• Inserts: The insert is a composite of softer materials; it offers a better feel and smoother roll, and since the insert is in the face of the putter, it defines the club's sweet spot.
• Offsets: The blade of the putter is set back from the shaft (behind the shaft as viewed from above); this allows the golfer's eyes to be right over the ball and increases top spin for a more spot-on roll.

Golf club care

Whether you spend a small fortune on a premium, custom golf club set or you buy discount golf clubs, a few minutes of care will maximize the performance of every single golf club in your set.

First: Don't take your mistakes out on the club. Sounds obvious, but many golf shop techs complain about the number of golf clubs they repair after outbursts of temper or frustration.

Second: Clean your clubs regularly, at least monthly or before every round, if possible. Use water and mild dish soap for metal golf clubs, water only for graphite golf clubs. Graphite clubs have a protective sealant. If this sealant wears off, individual fibers may break, making your golf clubs more prone to snapping in half. Check and reseal graphite as needed. Clean the dirt out of all of the grooves in the golf club head. Rinse thoroughly and towel dry. Replace grips every year, if you play frequently, or every other year for occasional players. (Some golf course pro shops provide this service if you want to pay the fee.)

Third: Inspect your clubs regularly for scratches, nicks, and general wear and tear. Use very fine steel wool to remove minor rust or scratches. All of these need immediate attention to keep your club and game going strong.

Finally: Keep a towel handy and wipe off each golf club after use. This will also help your game, as dirt, grass, sand and other debris will affect how the head and ball connect.