Welcome to Golf Accessories Guide
Golf Wedges Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
Choosing the Right Golf Clubs
from: Donald SaundersPlanning 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
About the Author
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.
Golf Wedges News
HIGH SCHOOL GOLF: Records set as performances shine in first day of San Angelo ... - San Angelo Standard Times
HIGH SCHOOL GOLF: Records set as performances shine in first day of San Angelo ... San Angelo Standard Times Kamryn Cummings, Central 78; Taylor Hernandez, Coronado 78 SAN ANGELO, Texas β It may have been the finest day ever at the San Angelo Girls Golf Classic on Friday as three teams broke course records at both Bentwood Country Club and San Angelo Country ... |
Callaway Golf Introduces the All-New HEX Black Tour - Sacramento Bee
Callaway Golf Introduces the All-New HEX Black Tour Sacramento Bee About Callaway GolfThrough an unwavering commitment to innovation, Callaway Golf Company (NYSE:ELY) creates products and services designed to make every golfer a better golfer. Callaway Golf Company manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, ... |
Rickie Fowler retools for 2012 season - USA TODAY
 USA TODAY | Rickie Fowler retools for 2012 season USA TODAY The fan-friendly, media-savvy rising star with a mammoth following belied his good nature and cut ties with those longtime buddies β his golf clubs. Golf's history is littered with those making equipment changes only to lose their games in short order. |
New clubs, same work ethic for Donald in 2012 - Golf Channel
 USA TODAY | New clubs, same work ethic for Donald in 2012 Golf Channel βWorking on very similar stuff,β Donald said on Wednesday at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. βI am really trying to get my swing a little bit more solid, especially with the longer clubs and create a bit more consistency with that.β It is interesting that his ... Sneak peek Stanley ties 54-hole tournament record Finding 'The Old Tiger' is proving a bit tricky |
Golf Capsules: On The Fringe - Stanley ready to move on from Torrey collapse - Brownsville Herald
Golf Capsules: On The Fringe - Stanley ready to move on from Torrey collapse Brownsville Herald Harmon said Woodland is hitting the ball an extra 15 yards β "I know that's hard to believe," he said β to the point where he had to switch the model of his golf ball. Harmon liked the short game but is working on lower the trajectory of his wedges. |
Feel Golf to unveil new SG and PVD clubs at PGA Merchandise Show - WorldGolf.com
Feel Golf to unveil new SG and PVD clubs at PGA Merchandise Show WorldGolf.com Feel Golf Co., Inc., known for manufacturing some of the best wedges in the golf industry since 1985, will be unveiling a number of new products at the 2012 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. Headlining Feel Golf's product line-up is a new line of wedges ... |
Rickie Fowler retools for 2012 season - Tucson Citizen
Rickie Fowler retools for 2012 season Tucson Citizen The fan-friendly, media-savvy rising star with a mammoth following belied his good nature and cut ties with those longtime buddies β his golf clubs. Golf's history is littered with those making equipment changes only to lose their games in short order. |