In regular competitions, players may bring up to fourteen golf clubs. The number of clubs can be supplemented to 14 if it is less than 14. In golf, there are four main types of clubs: woods, irons, wedges, and putters.
In this article, I also introduced the eight elements of golf swings, including the golf grip, the stance, the spine angle, the aiming direction, the backswing, the top of swing , and the follow through and finish.
Golf Clubs Tips & Basic
Grip
There is no doubt that the grip is the most important part of a golf swing. If the grip is done poorly, it will negatively affect the address, relative ball position, stable impact, flight path, and distance of the ball.
Stance
In order to swing correctly, you must also consider how you position yourself relative to the ball. Depending on the impact effect required, you should select either an open-foot position or a closed-foot position; Drooping shoulders and arching the back are two of the most common mistakes that cause the movement to lose balance and strength.
Spine Angle
When it comes to golf address stances, this angle is paramount. Standing upright, the angle between the spine and the ground is 90 degrees, then bend the knees and lean forward about 45 degrees, which is a suitable spine angle, and maintain this angle as you swing.
Aiming
The easiest method to check is to see if the clubface is perpendicular to the target line; if not, the ball will fly off the target landing point. Alternatively, for the ball to remain on the target landing point, you may deliberately change the swing path to change the trajectory of the ball’s flight, which will result in a series of errors.
Back Swing
This is the first step toward a smooth, fluid, and powerful swing (of course, the basic stance comes first). Backswings set the rhythm of the swing, so getting the backswing right at the start is crucial. The backswing should not be too fast, and it should be done rhythmically at the start, the backswing, and the top.
Top Swing
There is a pause at the top of the swing. It is easy to swing too far, which puts pressure on the wrist and affects the fluidity of the swing. A club positioned incorrectly at the top of the swing will interfere with the downswing and finish.
Down Swing
From the top of the swing to the point of impact, the downswing will produce the correct (or incorrect) swing path and swing plane. Doing this correctly will affect whether the clubface will be able to force the ball perpendicular to the target line.
Follow through & Finish
The Follow-through & Finish actions are easily overlooked, but if your body is stable, your swing is smooth, and everything is perfect in front of you, but Follow through and Finish is inconsistent, you will not be able to hit the ball well. Because the entire swing process is continuous, if the follow-through is stiff and the finish is deliberate, then the shot has gone wrong at the moment, just look at its trajectory. It is especially important not to look up too soon.
An Overview of Golf Club Type
Wood
Wood has a long shaft and a lighter head, and it is mainly used for driving long-distance balls. Although the modern driver is called wood, more than 70% of it is made of metal. It is usually divided into l-wood (driver), and fairway woods: 3-wood, 4-wood, 5-wood, 7-wood, and 9-wood. The smaller the number, the longer the shaft length, the lighter the weight; conversely, the larger the number, the shorter the shaft length, the heavier the weight.
Driver
(Distance averaged at 210-250 yards)
The longest shafts and smallest loft angles are used to drive long shots on tees. They are usually the most expensive clubs in a golf bag, some as expensive as tens of thousands of dollars.
On the tee, professional players can hit about 300 yards with a tee. Most drivers have a face angle between 7 degrees (for a low trajectory) and 12 degrees (for a high trajectory), and some have a sweet spot as large as 6 square inches.
Some drivers use wood with a bounce effect similar to a trampoline to hit the ball farther, but this wood is generally prohibited by the rules. For example, the Callaway ERC driver has been banned. R&A and USGA have published a new rule aimed at restricting the use of high-tech clubs and balls.
3 or 4 wood
(Distance averaged at 200-230 yards)
It is common for amateur golfers to use shorter 3- and 4-wood clubs on the tee for better control of their drives. These clubs also deliver similar power and precision as long irons, with the preferred trajectory. Known as a “fairway wood,” it has a longer, softer shaft than an iron, which allows for faster swing speeds and longer shots. Some players prefer this “sweep out” shot to relieve the iron from the rough. The 5-wood has a smaller face and is capable of saving balls in rough. Wooden poles are traditionally made of hardwoods like beech, holly, and peer wood, and their shafts are mainly made of hazel, with the head tightly attached to the shaft by straps, but graphite and titanium shafts have gained in popularity over the past 20 years.
Iron
Casting and forging are two methods of making these items, usually made of stainless steel or soft iron. The iron is mostly used on the fairway or on the tee off of a par 3 hole, and its main purpose is stability, not distance. Men’s 7-iron distance is 150 yards, while women’s is around 100 yards. The irons included in the set are 2 iron – 9 iron, P pole, and S pole.
Many brands (like HONMA) also have 10 or 11 irons. It is rare for women to use a 2-iron, usually starting with a 4- or 5-iron. From a distance perspective, 2, 3, 4, and 5 irons are long irons, 6, 7, and 8 irons are medium irons, and 8, 9, P, S, and A irons are short irons.
2 iron
(Distance averaged at 190-210 yards)
The smaller the number, the straighter the clubface. In fact, only skilled players use 2-irons, and most amateurs use 3-woods or two-shot strategy. Alternatively, you can buy a 1-iron, also known as a “teeing iron”, but it’s not common unless you’re a very skilled player. The pros typically use a 2-iron for long-distance shots with a low trajectory, such as low-travel curveballs in the woods.
3 iron
(Distance averaged at 180-200 yards)
A 3-iron is a long iron in a modern set of clubs. It is often used for long par-3s. The backs of the iron heads are now hollowed out, creating a large sweet spot, where the club becomes merciful even when the ball isn’t hit well. The center of gravity of the club head changes lower, making it easier and more ballistic to hit. The backs of iron heads now have hollowed-out areas that create a sweet spot, allowing the club to be merciful even when it is not played well. Iron heads are typically used on long greens or even long par 3s. A lower center of gravity makes hitting the ball easier and more ballistic.
4 iron
(Distance averaged at 170-190 yards)
The club is most popular among amateurs with high handicaps because it’s shorter than a 3-iron, so you’re not intimidated by it. The 7-wood is a better alternative to the 4-iron if you prefer woods, but the ball control is much worse. With irons, the ball spins more than with wood, and it rolls very little, allowing it to stop near the target. As the iron face has grooves, the ball has more spin, which is why it is often cleaned off the tee.
5 iron
(Distance averaged at 160-180 yards)
It is a medium-range club with a good balance between distance and controllability. While it’s still a long-distance club, it has a loft that provides a great feel and trajectory. You can also chip the ball with it if necessary, and you will find that it can hit the ball lower than a 7-iron or 9-iron.
6 iron
(Distance averaged at 150-170 yards)
It is a club that most players consider the easiest to hit, and it is also a club many beginners choose for their first swing. You can get different shots by varying your swing range.
7 iron
(Distance averaged at 140-160 yards)
7-irons are best used for short shots on greens, and they’re especially effective for bouncing rolls on Links courses, or for low ballistics in strong winds. The 7-iron is also commonly used for driving range practice, as it is more efficient for a three-quarter swing than an 8-iron or 9-iron.
8 iron
(Distance averaged at 130-150 yards)
It is a club suitable for attacking greens, and its large loft allows the ball to roll a short distance and stop near the pin, which is usually achieved with a backspin shot. The clubhead hits the back of the ball before it touches the ground, which is known as a backspin.
9 iron
(Distance averaged at 120-140 yards)
The 9-iron can be used in a variety of ways by experienced players. You can hit the pitch with a full swing or chip in front of the green with precision.
Wedge
P, S, and A are abbreviations for wedges, which are short game irons, also called special irons. This club has a shorter body than iron, a heavier swing weight, a large loft angle (45-60 degrees), and a large rebound angle. The wedge is commonly used around the green and when saving from bunkers or rough.
It is broken down into pitching wedge (PW), relay wedge (GW), bunker wedge (SW), and high throwing wedge (LW) according to its characteristics.
PW: Its angle is normally 45-49 degrees, and its hitting distance is about 110 yards for men, and 90 yards for women;
GW: Its angle is usually 49-54 degrees, and its hitting distance is about 100 yards for men and 85 yards for women;
SW： Its angle is usually 54-57 degrees, and its hitting distance is about 90 yards for men and 80 yards for women;
LW： Its angle is usually 54-57 degrees and above, and its hitting distance is about 90 yards for men and 80 yards for women;
Pitching wedge
(Distance averaged at 110-130 yards)
There are a variety of wedges (Ps) available with different lofts. The typical wedge loft is 50 to 52 degrees, which is a good choice for hitting close-range greens and chips.
A high-throw wedge, with a loft of 60 degrees, is suitable for precise chipping on the edge of the green, especially when there is deep grass on the edge. Most professional players carry two wedges, one P and one S (bunker).
Sand iron
(Distance averaged at 110-130 yards)
Specially designed for sand pits, it drives the ball using the impact force of the club face’s lower edge so that the ball bounces back or stops immediately after hitting the ground, or stops immediately after it falls. It can also be used in the fairway to avoid trouble near the greens. The ball can also hit the fairway, where a high-spin shot is needed to avoid trouble near the green. However, only experts are usually capable of hitting it.
Putter
There are mainly two types of putters: strip (also called knife-back) and hammerhead. A putter has a short shaft and a loft angle of no more than 5 degrees and is used to put the ball on the green toward the hole.
Most professional players have multiple putters, and they choose which one to use based on their recent performance. This putter is responsible for 40% of all shots on the fairway, depending on the player’s touch.
Putters come in four different types: weight is evenly distributed around the head, creating a good balance between the head and shaft, blade putters, which have a small sweet spot, large putters, which have a higher consistency, and center-axis putters, which have a straight ball path.
>> Have trouble playing golf? Here’s what you need to know. Click here to join the course and get tips to improve your golf game!
Leave A Comment