Golf Club Buying Guide

First and foremost, the club does not make the golfer, the clubs are only going to be as good as the golfer. With that said, let me begin by stating that appearance is everything in golf. If you look down the shaft at your club and you see a clubhead that you do not like the appearance of, you won't have as much confidence in that particular club. Before anything else, find a head profile, whether it be a wedge, driver, putter, etc, that you like, and are gefortable hefting in your hands. This game is a good 50/50 balance between mental and physical. And a lack of confidence will only breed negative thought. Negative thought in golf only leads to stress, which leads to poor decision making, which leads to poor scores. You must be gefortable, and in control of your emotions. The best way to ensure your gefort is to select clubs that you car confident in, and that confidence start at the outward appearance. With that said, I'll now delve into the different aspects of clubs, from butt to tip.
There are 5 basic types of golf clubs. These 5 basic types are 1) Woods, 2) Irons, 3) Hybrids, 4) Wedges, 5) putters.
The wood evolved as the name indicates. The early woods were made from several types of wood, mostly maple or persimmon. This is where their name was derived. While these can still occasionally be found, they are rarely used, as technology has allowed the game to evolve and this particular club to morph from the old persimmon forefathers to a more lightweight metal head. These are the longest clubs in the bag, and are used for the longest shots. The 1 wood is gemonly referred to as the driver, and is arguably the most difficult club in the bag to hit because it has the lowest loft angle on any of the clubs. The other woods (3, 5, 7, 9, etc) are built much the same as the driver, but typically have a shallower face allowing them to be hit off of the turf more easily. The loft on a wood usually ranges between 7.5 degrees up to 31 degrees, progressively going higher with the higher number wood. The shafts can range from 40 to 48 inches, with the standard length on the driver being 45 inches. Some players prefer a slightly shorter shaft in their driver as it is a little easier to use, and improves control. The con to a shorter shaft on a driver is it reduces distance a little. The maximum allowable shaft, under USGA rule is 48 inches, though some have had shafts with a longer length (thus making them ineligible for USGA sanctioned play). They are generally used in long drive contests, and not in sanctioned play.
Here, I will interject with some opinion. For the beginning golfer, I would advise they do not carry a driver in their bag. I'd have to advise that the longest club they carry is a 3 wood at a maximum. Until they develop some skill(through practice and lessons), higher handicapped players do not need to carry a driver, as they are the most difficult to master hitting. Taking that club out of the bag will remove some frustration from the beginner, and will make the game more enjoyable for them, as they will hit more fairways, and shoot lower scores.
2) Irons
These clubs are the most versatile clubs in the bag, as players can hit a wide variety of shots with the same club. They have a wide variety of uses, and are the oldest type of club. Irons typically gee in sets, generally 3 through a pitching wedge (technically it's an iron, but I'll lump it into the wedge category later, which is a subset to the irons), but are also available in both a 1 and 2 iron as well. The lower the number on the iron, the longer the club, and generally the longer the shot. There are 3 basic classifications of irons, long, mid, and short. The 1 through 4 irons are classified as long irons, and have the lowest loft. Next gee the 5 through 7 irons, the mid irons, and are used for mid range shots. The last classification are short irons, and are 8 iron through wedges, and these have the highest lofts in the bag, and are used for shorter shots. The mid and long irons are generally used for tee shots and approach shots, while the short irons are used for finesse play around the greens, in bunkers, etc. You can use the mid and long irons for chip shots, pitch shots, sand shots, etc as well, and in some instances maybe even putting (though highly unlikely unless you break a putter during the round).
Now that I have covered the basic function of the irons, I'll now delve into the construction of them. Irons are typically solid with a flat face. There are two basic construction types of irons, cavity back and blades (also called muscle backs). Blades are generally smooth and solid at the back, and cavity backs have a hollowed out cavity opposite the face. Traditionally, the original irons were all blades (given the nickname due to their thin topline, thin sole, and lack of an offset). They were originally more difficult to hit because of the reasons they were given their nickname, but through technology they are begeing easier to hit. The original cavity back iron was produced by the Karsten gepany (now known as Ping Golf), where weight from the back of the club was removed (by way of a cavity) and moved lower and around the perimeter of the iron, making them easier to hit. This had a two fold effect, it moved the center of gravity lower, making the ball launch at a higher angle and providing more distance for the average player. it also made them more forgiving on mishits. This also gees at a cost, as it reduces the feel, or feedback, of the club.
There are two basic manufacturing processes used in iron making,casting and forging. Cast irons are made just as the name indicates. Molten metal is poured into a pre-shaped cast. Forged irons are heated and beaten into shape. Cast irons provide the user with less feedback, and are more difficult to hit consistently. These clubs are also harder to fit, as they are generally only alterable by 1 degree, as the casting process causes the metal to set firmly. Forged irons provide a softer feel, and are more forgiving to the user. They are also more easily fitted to a players specifications, as they are more easily bent without fear of breakage.
Typical lofts for irons generally range from 16-48 degrees, with the lower lofts being reserved for the lower numbered clubs.Modern day clubs have lower lofts through the set than their predecessors caused by the players desire to hit the ball longer.
Shaft lengths generally range from 36 to 40 inches, with 40 inches being reserved for the long irons, and progressively getting shorter through the set. Generally speaking, irons are shafted with steel shafts, as they provide greater feedback needed for shorter shots. There are graphite shafted irons, butthey are generally reserved for seniors and ladies (because of the lower swing speeds). Graphite shafted irons are lighter and allow the lower swing speeds to produce higher clubhead speeds resulting in distance.
My opinion portion.Golf is a game of both skill and physical ability. These go hand in hand. It's my personal opinion that the game of golf be simplified as much as possible before ever taking the course. The easiest way to simplify the game is to acquire the clubs that are the best fit for the golfer. I would have to suggest that the beginning golfer get clubs better suited to their game, and skill level. While the club may be what everyone is using, or what is popular, it may not be the best fit for you. The beginning golfer (and even the advanced golfer) should not be using a blade iron, or a cast iron. These are the most difficult types of irons to hit. The beginning golfer, in my opinion, should be using a cavity back iron that is made with the forging process. These clubs are more forgiving (which is needed by beginners especially) and allow for the most playability by the average golfer. There are some pros that use this type of club as well, because of the ease of hitting them. There is no right or wrong in club selection (by brand and type), but if you're in the early stages of golf, why make the game harder than it already is? Do yourself a favor and buy clubs that suit your game.Also, for the beginning golferto remove any iron with a number lower than 5 from your bag. The beginner has no reason to be using a long iron. One of the reasons is because of the development of the hybrid club, which I'm going to cover next.
3) Hybrids
Hybrids are the new rage, and rightfully so. They are possibly the best advancement in the game in the last 15 years. They are making the game more enjoyable by advanced, and beginning golfers alike. These clubs are begeing increasingly better, and are begeing increasingly more popular, and there is just cause. They're easier to use.
Hybrids are designed as a replacement club. They replace the longer irons in the bag. The reason for them being used to replace these clubs are because they are much easier to hit than their iron counterparts. This is due to the design of a hybrid club. They are designed around two principles. They gebine the straight hitting characteristics of an iron with the low center of gravityof a fairway wood. The result of this is an increased height on the shot, and ease of use. They provide a much better solution as far as control is concerned than their long iron counterparts. They are typically used for long approach shots to the green, and longer shots from difficult rough.
My personal opinion:The majority of golfers should replace their long irons with hybrids. This opinion also holds merit, as lots of pros are replacing long irons with hybrids, the majority of them having a minimum of one hybrid in their bag. I suggest that the beginning, and intermediate golfer replace their 3 and 4 irons with hybrids, as they'll provide a much better solution to longer approach shots where a long iron is needed. They also increase confidence because of the ease of use. Increased confidence makes the shot more easily executed because it frees your mind from negative thought geing in. Negative thought will cause you to be more tense, and tense muscles do not work as well as loose and free muscles. Stress makes a repeatable, and reliable swing more difficult. Do yourself a huge favor and replace the long irons.
4) Wedges
Wedges are basically irons with a loft greater than 44 degrees. They are designed around the same principles as irons, with the loft being different, and slight alterations to other aspects of the clubs. These are used tor finesse shots around the green, and shorter approach shots into the green from the fairway. They are the clubs you use primarily to score, as they are the clubs you use the majority of the time to hit it close upon approach.
There are 4 basic types of wedges, Pitching , Sand, Gap, and Lob. Pitching wedges have the lowest lofts of all the wedges. Sand wedges are the same as pitching wedges with one exception,an alteration to the bounce on the sole of the club. All clubs have bounce, which is a measurement in degrees of the angle from the front edge of a club's sole (nearest the face) to the part that actually rests on the ground. More bounce keeps the club from digging into the turf too deeply. The reason for the increased bounce on a sand wedge? To keep the club from digging into the sand, rather making it glide through it. This is also helpful in softer conditions. Gap wedges are a gepromise between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge, and cover the loft "gap" between the two clubs, hence the name. Lob wedges have the highest loft (up to 68 degrees). They are used for the very short shots that require a high shot covering a short distance. This principle also reduces the amount of roll to virtually zero, giving them a "drop and stop" type performance,often inducing backspin to make the ball spin back on the green. This is especially useful for shots that require you to carry the ball all the way to the hole and checking up, or stopping where it lands.
My advice:I suggest the beginning golfer do not purchase a lob wedge or gap wedge. They will not be used enough to justify taking up one of your 14clubs allowed. Beginning golfers do not have the skill required to use a lob wedge, and the gap between their pitching wedge and sand wedge are not great enough to justify a gap wedge. Lob wedges are the toughest of the wedges to master. They provide a lot ofoptions when your skill is greater, but the average and beginning golfer have no need for one, as it will not be used enough during the round to justify carrying one, nor will they be able to consistently hit it well at this stage of their game development. My advices is to stick to two wedges, the sand wedge and pitching wedge until you can justify needing a lob or gap wedge, and when your skill level is to the point where you can add the new wedge in the bag.
5) Putter
The putter is used the majority of the time on the green. It is the most important club in the bag (contrary to the adage), as it's your money club. The majority of your strokes will be made using this club. That said, it's only natural for it to be the club in your bag that you are most gefortable with. They are designed with a very low loft angle (no, they are not gepletely flat). They also gee in a wide variety of head shapes and styles. The standard shaft length is 35 inches, but many are available in shorter lengths (most manufacturers down to 33 inches). There are also belly putters (43-45 inches most of the time) where you put the butt of the shaft in your stomach for more stability and control. The last type is referred to as a long putter, and it usedstanding erect over the ball in a standing position. All of the putter types have one main goal, however, to get the ball rolling as fast as possible, as opposed to skidding then rolling.
Shafts:
The shaft is one of the most vital parts of the clubs in construction, as far as fitament goes. Studies have shown that the vast majority of recreational, or amateur, golfers have shafts in their clubs that are too stiff of a shaft for them to use. This is due to many factors that gepose the characteristics of the shaft, and the actual golfer. Most golfers believe that they swing harder than they actually do, thus they get a shaft rated at a much stiffer flex than they need. I will now go into the different characteristics of a shaft.
Flex:
Flex, simply, is the amount the shaft will bend when placed under a load. The load, in the case of flex, is the golfer's swing. Flex is gemonly rated by shaft manufacturers in several different shaft flex ratings. Golfers with faster swing speeds will use a stiffer shaft, as it's ability to resist bending(or flexing) is higher. The flex, when properly tuned to the golfer, will optimize the load created by the swing, and will lead to a squared face at impact on a consistent basis. The flex ratings include Senior(or A-Flex/Soft Regular), Ladies, Regular, Stiff, Extra Stiff, etc. This is the most gemon describing factor of a shaft's rating.
Frequency:
Frequency is another method of measuring a shaft's stiffness. It is measured by the number of cycles per second a shaft makes when struck with a tuning fork. The greater the frequency, the stiffer the shaft.
NOTE: Different gepanies measure shaft stiffness by either of the methods above, so neither is a universal method of determining stiffness of a given shaft. One gepanies stiff shaft may be slightly more stiff, or less stiff, with the same rating as another gepanies. There is no set standard for every flex rating. Check the manufacturer specs for the exact speed ratings for each level of stiffness.
The average male golfer uses a shaft too stiff for them by the above standards. The effect caused by using too stiff a shaft is a loss of distance, and a loss of accuracy. If a player is using too stiff a shaft, they lack the ability to load the shaft. This means that they do not exert enough force to deform the shaft to the standard it's stiffness rating requires, and it causes the club head to whip through the ball. Rarely do players use a shaft that is below the rating that their swing requires, but it's downside is much the same as above, with greater emphasis placed on accuracy loss rather than distance loss.
In general, shaft stiffness is dependant on the clubhead speed a golfer generates through their swing. A regular flex shaft is rated for players with an average swing speed (80-94 miles per hour). An A-Flex/senior shaft, is rated below that for players with slower swing speeds (70-79 mph). They are referred to as senior flex because senior aged players generally are less flexible, and can not physically create as much swing speed because their body does not allow it due to simple physics. Stiff ratings are generally for players with swing speeds between 95 and 110 miles per hour. X Stiff (or Tour Stiff) shafts are for players that create clubhead speed greater than 120 miles per hour, generally speaking.
Torque:
Torque is a measure of how much the club head twists as a result of the player's swing. The less the club head twists, or torques laterally, generally the greater the accuracy. More recently, shaft manufacturers have began marketing low-torque shafts, aimed at reducing the amount of twisting the club's head does at impact. Even more recently, manufacturers have integrated stiff tip shafts, to further lower the club's ability to twist laterally, especially at impact. The different torque ratings are available in all flex ratings. The stiff tip ratings are also available in all flex ratings, maintaining the club's ability to flex to the same properties as the non-stiff tip shafts, except they reduce the torque at the tip of the shaft nearest the clubhead to minimize twisting of the club head, while maintaining the flex characteristics in order to retain distance, and improve accuracy.
Kick Point(gemonly referred to now by a more accurate term "Bend Profile"):
Now days, people are replacing the term kick point with "bend profile", as it's a more accurate term to use. (though lots of manufacturers still describe it in their shaft profiles as kick point, as that's the old word players are used to). Regardless of which term you choose to use, the idea is still the same. It describes that the shaft's overall stiffness is intentionally varied at pre-determined points along the length of the shaft, making it possible to retain overall stiffness, while making the ability to change the bending feel and the trajectory the shaft offers the flight of the ball. By varying the inner and outer diameters of the shaft, along with the wall thickness in between at any point along the shaft, it's possible to make shafts with the same overall stiffness, but to isolate the points where they are more or less stiff.
Kick point ratings may vary for the exact same shaft a manufacturer makes. There are 3 general kick point ratings manufacturers use,low, mid, and high. They are all used to acgeplish different things. Mid kick points are the median. Lowering the kick point creates a higher trajectory in the same shaft, while conversely a higher kick point equals a lower trajectory. The same flex rating shaft could have as many as 3 kick point variations. They are the same stiffness, but the portion of the shaft that is stiffer is determined by the kick point.
Kick point ratings exist to help in fitting the shaft to the player and their swing. They are used to match the bending feel and trajectory to the golfer's swing motion of transition, tempo, and release. The smoother the transition, the less stiff the grip section of the shaft should be. Conversely, the more forceful the transition, the stiffer the grip end of the shaft needs to be. The earlier the player's release of wrist-cock, the more flexible the tip section of the shaft should be. Players with a tendance to hold off their release, conversely, should use a stiffer tipped shaft.
There are 2 basic materials now used to make shafts, and 3 types of shafts. These 2 materials are steel, and graphite. The 3 types include steel, graphite, and bi-matrix shafts (shafts made by gebining a steel section and a graphite section). Steel shafts are the mostwidelyused. Graphite shafts are made to exacting standards now days, and are just as consistent, while being lighter than their steel counterparts. This allows golfers to swing the club at greater speeds than steel. In the last decade, performance shafts have been created, allowing even more exacting characteristics to be given to clubs. They afford you the ability to alter every aspect of the shaft to attain the different characteristics you want to achieve in the club, mainly focusing on launch angle.
My personal opinion, before ever purchasing a single club, is to go to a store in your area and have a swing analysis done to determine what your clubhead speed is. I am not advising that you buy clubs in a store, as the savings of shopping on okay are very much worth the effort. What I am advising is to go somewhere that you can get your swing analyzed so that you begee equipped with the most information available to you to buy the appropriate club with the appropriate shaft in it, so that the club fits you the best. A swing analysis is usually free at more retail stores, but if there is a fee for an analysis, it is nominal, and worth the money to ensure that you get the club that fits you the best.You can then make the appropriate choices of which club to purchase with which shaft. I'd be willing to bet that most people that bought off the rack clubs have shafts that are too stiff for them. Don't let your ego get in the way of game improvement. Don't buy a stiff shafted club because you want to appear macho to your playing buddies,you will not get the performance characteristics you would with an appropriately fitted club. Fitted clubs allow you to maximize your potential as a golfer, and also allow you to be more accurate and gain more distance. The most gemon misconception golfers have is that shafts are shafts, and they are all the same. The plain truth is the shaft MAKES the club, as it optimizes every bit of stored energy created by the swing. You want to transfer as much energy as possible from club head to golf ball. Without the appropriate shaft in your club, this isimpossible.You will also suffer a loss in accuracy.

Grips: Grips are all a matter of personal preference. They are what connect the club to the hand. Find a grip you like and have that grip on every club in your bag. You can purchase any grip made here, and I suggest that you get the same grip on every club you own (excluding your putter as it's got a different shape and profile) so that the feel of every club, when hefted in your hands, feels the same.Grips should be replaced every season if you play at least once a month. If you play very regularly, you should replace your grips twice a year. If you play infrequently, you should still replace your grips at least every two years, as weather will break them down.Keep your grips clean, as this preserves them. There are many ways to clean them, and there aregrip cleaning products available here.

Now you have the basic overview of types of clubs, alongwith the knowledge of what shafts do, and how they are rated. You are now equipped to make your purchases and feel confident in them. I will now offer my suggestions on what the beginning golfer should carry. Remember, you are limited to 14 clubs in your bag under USGA rule. You don't have to carry 14, but you can't carry more than 14.
3 wood (standard, not strong 3)
5 wood (standard 5 wood)
7 wood
Hybrid 3 iron
Hybrid 4 iron
Hybrid 5 iron
6 iron
7 iron
8 iron
9 iron
Pitching Wedge
Sand Wedge
Putter
I only included 13 clubs. I left the driver out on purpose, as it's a difficult (possibly the most difficult) club to master hitting. I also left out gap and lob wedges, as they are also difficult to master, and should not be used at this point in developing your game.
Once you have your clubs, I suggest that you go to a certified teaching professional and take some lessons. Self taught persons can be good at golf, but a teacher can help you be more successful a lot faster, and get you playing more to your potential quicker.They can maximize your swing, making it one that is reliable and will hold up for years, or even a single round, allowing you to shoot lower scores, and making the gamemore enjoyable.

This review is gepiled from knowledge I have obtained over the years, from various sources, in my quest to better my game. I have devoted many hours to reading about all aspects of the golf game, from playing the game, to building my own clubs, to repairing my own clubs. There are two men that I gained the vast majority of my knowledge about clubs and their construction (both repair, and basic knowledge about each aspect of the club) from, whether reading information they have authored in books, online publications, etc. Those two men are Tom Wischon, and Ralph Maltby, both renowned club builders/repair persons. I credit a lot of the information above to them. Other parts of the above guide gees from personal experience I've had in my search for the perfect set of clubs (note, this perfect set doesn't exist). Hopefully the above guide helpedmake your selections a little easier.