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For
those new to the game of golf,
the bag of golf clubs can be
a source of quandary.
The
following is a guide of what
is in the golf bag. Each club
has a purpose and situations
when you use them.
The
standard golf set comprises
of 9 irons 3 woods and a putter.
The
following we will describe the:
Typical
Distances
The
Sand Iron
Pitching
Wedge
3
to 9 Irons
Woods
Driver
- the latest developments
Putter
Shafts
Shaft
Flex
Shaft
Length
Lie
Angle
Head
Design
Specialty
Clubs
Typical
Distances
Typically
clubs are selected for the different
distances they hit the ball.
For the average female I have
been given the following distances
as a guideline:
1
wood 160 metres
3
wood 140 metres
5
wood 120 metres
7
wood 100 metres
3
iron 120 metres
4
iron 110 metres
5
iron 100 metres
6
iron 90 metres
7
iron 80 metres
8
iron 70 metres
9
iron 60 metres
Pitching Wedge 50 metres
Sand
Wedge 40 metres.
Give
or take 10 metres for hilly
or windy conditions.
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The
Sand Iron
The
irons start with the sand wedge,
usually has 56° of loft
is the most lofted club in the
bag. It is specifically designed
for shots in the bunker because
of the bounce in the sole of
the club help bounce it off
the sand and prevents it digging
in.
It is important to learn the
correct technique for bunker
shots as it is different to
other shots
in that you should purposely
hit the sand before the ball.
The ball should come out on
a cushion of sand. Please refer
to your PGA professional for
the correct technique if you
have problems hitting out of
bunkers.
You
can use the sand wedge off the
fairway as many professionals
do as it flies the ball flies
high to clear bunkers and other
obstacles and also flies the
shortest distance for a full
swing (40 meters for the average
player). In these situations
you need to be careful that
the bounce does not bounce off
the ground before hitting the
ball resulting in a thinned
shot.
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Pitching
Wedge
Sometimes
referred to as the 'wedge' usually
has 47° of loft and, apart
from full shots (50 meters),
is used for the small pitches
and chips around the green.
For
the pitches and chips most times
the ball will fly 50% of the
distance and roll the other
50% on the green depending on
the contours of the green.
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9
to 3 irons
These
are usually used for the full
swing shots chosen depending
on the distance you require
to hit the shot. This may be
distance to the flag on the
green or to a lay-up distance
that is short of a lake or other
hazard.
This
is achieved by the varying lofts
of each club from 42° for
the 9 iron to 20° for the
3 iron and the length of the
shaft which are in 1/2"
increments.
The
longer irons from 5 to 3 are
usually more difficult to hit
and therefore can be less accurate.
This is because of the greater
length of the shaft is harder
to control and the lower loft
that can create more sidespin
that slices or hooks the ball
to the right or the left.
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Woods
The
number 1 wood is commonly called
the driver and has the lowest
loft usually between 9°
to 12° and has the longest
shaft at around 43.5".
This is designed to hit your
maximum distance but can be
the hardest club to hit.
The
drivers is usually hit off
the tee on a tee for the
best chance of a solid strike
but can also be used on
a fairway where you have
a long way to the green.
This must be tempered though
as a poorly hit driver covers
less distance than a well
hit fairway wood or iron.
Also off the fairway the
driver results in less height
and may not cover the expected
distance. See more on the
driver.
The
3 wood typically has 15°
or 16° of loft and a 42"
shaft making it easier to hit
than the driver. Although
classed as a fairway wood the
3 wood is used by many off the
tee because it is easier to
hit. For some, it will hit the
ball further than a driver for
those that typically hit the
ball low the extra loft will
give a greater distance.
The
5 wood typically has 19°
or 20° of loft and is usually
used on the fairway as the club
as it results in greater distances
than your irons.
Fairway
woods by their design do not
"dig in" as easily
as irons making them easier
to hit as they slide along the
top of the grass. In the rough
they also an advantage as they
are less likely to be caught
up in the long grass as long
as the ball is not sitting down
too deeply where you need to
hack it out with a wedge.
Although
the fairway woods have a lower
loft than and of the irons the
head design allows you to hit
the ball higher and the extra
length in the shaft gives you
the length.
This
being the case many find fairway
woods easier to hit than their
long irons and have replaced
their 3, 4 and sometimes 5 irons
with 7, 9 and 11 woods which
will hit the equivalent distance
with a higher flying ball.
This
higher flying ball also has
the advantage that it will not
roll as much and may stop on
the green where the iron will
bounce and roll right off. This
high ball flight is not so good
on windy days and some professionals
will swap their woods for irons
when playing in windy conditions.
For
those new to the game woods
were named when they were in
fact made out of wood. Today
most woods are made out of metal
which leads to the term 'metal
wood'.
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The
Driver - new developments
There
has been great developments
in driver technology of
late resulting in the jumbo
oversize heads approx. 400cc-
450cc(compared with 260cc
for a standard driver) and
thin face spring technology.
All of the manufacturers
now have offerings that
compete for your dollar
with this technology.
The
larger 400cc heads size
definitely makes it easier
to hit. There is a bigger
sweet spot and this give
you more confidence and
allow you to swing freely
at the ball. Typically you
can hit the ball further.
It takes some time to get
used to it as they look
so big. They also need to
be teed up very high with
the standard 1/2 ball showing
above the head. You may
need to use super long tees
that are available.
The
thin face spring technology
allows the ball to rebound
off the face with more force
and efficiency allowing
you to hit the ball further
without any more effort.
The result of this is that
you can hit the ball further
and with greater levels
of confidence. There has
been concerns over the legality
of using some of the 'hotter'
clubs in competition which
is an issue in the PGA in
the US but does concern
us here as we are controlled
under the R&A which
presently deems these clubs
legal.
Even
the pros use them. They
are very accurate at hitting
the ball but still do not
hit every ball out of the
middle and this technology
is helping them too.
Many
women do not hit the ball
high enough with the driver
and thats why their 3 wood
sometimes goes as far. If
this is your situation you
should look to a high lofted
driver. You will find some
drivers with a 12 degree
loft and I have seen one
with 14 degree loft that
will give you a higher ball
flight. Most
of these new drivers have
a low centre of gravity
designed to help you hit
the ball high.
There
is a great range of brands
available and vastly different
price ranges. This is your
choice. The moderately priced
clubs from the likes of
PGF, Precept and Powerbuit
and a host of others can
perform well as the more
expensive offerings. The
high end of the market there
is the likes of Callaway,
Taylor Made, Titleist, Cleveland,
Mitzuno, Ping etc that have
done much of the R&D in
this area and command a
premium price. With these
there would be no question
of their performance and
they engender a pride of
ownership but there is a
price to pay. I also believe
the premium club will fetch
a much better resale value
when you want to upgrade
in the future.
As
with any club but more so
with the driver the shaft
is important that it is
suitable for your swing.
Make sure you have it rated
to your swing to enable
the optimum ball flight,
accuracy and distance from
your driver.
The
shaft length and the subsequent
lie angle is important to
the ball flight and should
be checked and many pro
and golf shops have a fitting
process that can tailor
the club to you.
Do
test as many clubs as you
can as each feels different
due to their balance and
it must feel right for you.
Some adjustments can be
made to a club to optimise
its balance for you.
As
you can see I cannot give
you a definitive answer
to what driver your should
buy but hopefully can give
you knowledge to find the
driver that will perform
best for you.
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Putter
Putting is a very important
part of the game with up 50%
of the shots made in a game
are with the putter.
Most
golf shops display an enormous
variety of putters and at an
equally enormous range of prices.
You may ask "Which putter
is the best for me ?"
Putters
are very personal. The correct
putter is the one you feel comfortable
and confident with.
A
few characteristics of putters
that you may consider.
The
weight of the putter when you
swing can influence your putting.
The momentum of a heavier putter
helps smooth out your swing
and keep it on line more easily.
Mallet putters have bigger heads
and are usually heavier. You
can loose some feel for your
put with too heavier head.
The
putter can be heel and toe weighted
where most of the weight is
concentrated on the extreme
ends of the putter. Like cavity
backed irons this make the putter
more forgiving by helping to
keep the blade square on off
centre hits.
Alignment
of the putter can vary in different
models. It is important that
when you lay the putter on the
ground in your normal address
position that you do not have
to twist it around with your
hands to get it pointing square
to the putting line. This depends
on your putting style, whether
you align your putter forward
or backward in your stance and
if your hands at address are
in front of the putter or behind.
Try a number of putters to see
which aligns best for you.
Many
of the newer putters have a
soft face using a synthetic
insert. This gives a softer
feel to the put especially with
the harder distance and lady
balls. This allows you to have
more control over the putt.
The
length of the putter is important
so that you feel relaxed over
the putt and your eyes are correctly
over the ball. Sometimes it
will be necessary to grip down
on the putter if it is too long.
Alternatively you can have it
cut to size.
There
also different length putter
that are longer than standard.The
belly putter is designed to
have the butt end sit into your
stomach and pivot from there.
The long putter is longer still
and is held at the butt around
your chin.
Many
professionals have a number
of putters and they use what
they like on the day.
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Shafts
Shafts
are either made from steel or
graphite fibreglass. Many women's
sets come with graphite shafts
standard.
Many
professionals use steel shafts
as they find them more consistent
but they also have greater strength
and hit the ball further than
most amateurs.
Graphite
shafts are considerably lighter
than steel and enables you to
swing the club faster therefore
getting more distance. For most
amateurs this is more important
than the level of consistency,
which has less significance
with our inconsistent swings.
Graphite
shafts also have a softer feel.
The graphite dampening much
of the vibration, that is felt
with a steel shaft, on a miss
hit shot.
The
feel of the swing with graphite
shafts may be different that
with steel shafts because of
the swing weight, where there
is less weight in the shaft
compared to the head. This can
result in a head heavy feel.
Some like this feel, some do
not. Some manufactures have
addressed this by having lighter
heads to match the graphite
shafts.
Graphite
shafts are more expensive to
manufacture as indicated by
the higher prices for graphite
shafted sets.
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Shaft
Flex
When
purchasing clubs it is important
to have the correct shaft flex
that suits your swing. Most
retail outlets have facilities
to check your swing and recommend
the appropriate shaft flex.
If
the flex is not suiting your
swing it makes it difficult
to hit your correct distance
as the shaft is not bending
and recovering at the correct
time to get the most out of
your swing. This may also cause
you to fade slice or slice the
ball too much when it is too
stiff or alternatively draw
or hook the ball if too flexible.
You
can also have your shafts
changed in your existing
clubs if you find the flex
unsuitable. Over time your
swing may change that will
ideally require a change
in shaft flex.
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Shaft
Length
Not
everyone is the same size therefore
there is not a one club size
that fits all. The shaft length
may need to be adjusted to your
height and reach. Fortunately
most golf shops will fit your
clubs when you purchase them
and unless you are a child your
height and reach remain static.
Shaft
lengths of the correct length
allow the club head to sit flat
on the ground. Sometimes this
is checked during the swing
as it can be different than
when addressing the ball. If
the shaft is too long the toe
of the club will be up and the
face not square promoting a
hook in your ball flight.
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Lie
Angle
The
lie angle determines how the sole of you club contacts the ground during
your swing.
  
Many
women use clubs that are too long which results in the lie angle being
too flat where the toe sits up in the air.
The
result of the incorrect
lie angle tends to create
a ball flight to the right
or left which you have to
compensate in your swing
to get the ball to flight
straight.
  
Another
consequence is the tendency
is the heel or the toe of
the club to dig in the ground
making it difficult to hit
the ball cleanly.
What
can you do about your clubs if the lie angle is not correct? If the shafts
of your clubs are the correct length for you, the heads of most clubs
can be bent to alter the lie angle. Check with your local pro or club
fitter.
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Head
Design
For
the majority of players, except
for maybe the single digit handicap
players, the oversize cavity
back club iron heads are most
suitable.
Cavity
back clubs are the most prevalent
in the market. When looking
from the back of he club head
you can see the cavity back
with all the weight distributed
around the edge of the club.
This creates more forgiving
club when the ball is not struck
in the centre of the club the
resulting shot is still quite
good.
The
oversized iron heads give you
more hitting are to hit the
ball with and also contribute
to their forgiveness of less
than perfect shots. The aesthetic
of the iron heads have determined
the amount of oversize the manufactures
have taken their clubs to and
this is your choice also.
Some
manufacturers make iron heads
specifically weighted for women
with matching lighter ladies
shafts.
Oversized
woods especially drivers have
not been so limited. Where drivers
typical had a size by volume
of 175cc some new drivers have
are 450cc. This has made them
easier to hit for all players.
Even the professionals are using
these large oversize drivers.
These
large oversize drivers are made
out of exotic metals like forged
titanium that is very light
and strong but also makes them
expensive. These large heads
allowing large faces to be created
making them much easier to hit.
Recently
the spring effect of the
driver face has been touted
by the various manufacturers
with claims these drivers
to hit the ball further.
It is accepted by the market
that the new drivers hit
the ball further but it
not solely on the spring
effect.
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Specialty
Clubs
Apart
from additional 7, 9 and 11
fairway woods mentions above
there are other clubs in the
market place that you can put
in you bag. Remember you have
a 14 club limit in your bag
you can usually add a club or
two.
Many
of the pros carry additional
wedges the Gap Wedge and the
60° or Lob wedge.
The
Gap Wedge has a loft in between
the Pitching Wedge and the Sand
Wedge. With the longer hitters
the distance gap between these
two clubs can be 20-30 metres
and the Gap Wedge is used to
hit the gap between these distances.
Most players do not have this
large gap between their clubs
and is not necessary.
The
60° or Lob wedge allows
you to hit very high shots a
short distance. This can be
achieved by using the sand or
pitching wedge and laying them
open but this takes quite a
lot of skill and judgment. Although
many professionals use the lob
wedge
they typically hit the ball
longer with their sand wedge
and need the shorter club. It
depends if you need a shorter
club than your sand wedge.
Chippers
are a handy club for many golfers.
They are like putter but have
loft on the face to hit the
ball in the air. They are used
with your putting stroke for
chips around the green. If you
are having problems chipping
around the green, hitting thin
shots or stubbing chips into
the ground and losing control
try the chippers.
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