The Shaft

The shaft is the tapered tube of metal or carbon composite, often referred to as graphite, that makes the handle of the club.  Typically a shaft is half an inch in diameter near the grip and anywhere from 35 to 48 inches in length.

The shaft length and what is called flex are both very important to consider when choosing clubs.  The flex refers to how much the club will bend when under weight or pressure.  Less flex means that there is less of a whip effect when the ball is hit which means there is more power or strength needed on the part of the golfer himself or herself to compensate for this.  A more flexible shaft whips with more power on its own so there is less strength needed on the part of the golfer.  This also means that it can be used with too much power and may over-flex, resulting in less control when the ball is struck.

The varieties of flexes include:

• L – Lady
• A – Soft Regular, Intermediate or Senior
• R – Regular
• S – Stiff
• X – Tour Stiff, Extra Stiff, Strong

Typically a regular flex is appropriate for those with an average swing speed, and the stiffer flex is better for those with an above average swing speed.

Torque

If the ball is hit off-center, the club head actually twists, albeit slightly.  This is because of the torque of the ball being hit in any way but square on the club head.  This reduces the accuracy of the shot as the ball does not fly straight but may hook or slice.

Many manufacturers today have begun producing low torque shafts that are aimed at reducing the twisting of the club head when the ball is hit, but these are typically a bit stiffer.  They may not work well for those average or below average swing speeds.

Stiff tip shafts seem to combat this problem as they offer the same flex along the shaft so that there is this whip effect, but their stiffer tip cuts back on the amount of torque produced when the ball is hit.

Performance Shafts

You never want to underestimate the importance of the shaft of the club you’re using.  Golf is a game of skill, not power, so thinking you’ll just smack the ball as hard as possible for a great shot is a mistake.  You need control over where the ball is headed, not just how far it’s going to go.

Performance shafts are meant to address specific parts of the swing and certain elements of the golfer’s own stance and stroke.  Clubs used to have just one type of shaft but today there are many varieties available.  Typically they’re used to adjust the timing of the player’s swing so that there is maximum power upon contact but so that accuracy is not compromised either.

Carbon fiber, or graphite, is a favorite material for most shafts and especially for performance shafts.  This material is lightweight enough to be flexible which creates great speed on the club head but the tradeoff is a bit more torque, which means slightly less accuracy.  Steel is still used and preferred by many for irons and this means less torque and greater accuracy.  These clubs of course stress accuracy over distance, so it’s not unusual for a serious golfer to have graphite shafts for woods and steel shafts for irons, wedges and putters.

The Grip

The grip is also vitally important when it comes to the comfort and ease of use for a discriminating golfer.  A bad grip will make the entire club uncomfortable and the body will naturally react by making adjustments, most of which will be detrimental to a good swing.  A bad grip will also rub and wear on the skin of the hands, even when wearing a glove, which will mean some discomfort every time you pick up a club.

According to the rules of golf, all club grips with the exception of the putter must have a circular cross-section.  Many advances have been made in the manufacturing of grips, but of course no matter what they’re made of they do still wear out and need to be replaced.  They may also get dry and will also harden.  You can purchase replacement grips which are typically very affordable and which you replace yourself; these are usually very high quality and acceptable.  However you can also get custom grips that are installed by a clubsmith, a person that is an expert on the construction and manufacture of golf clubs and who also helps golfers choose and maintain their clubs.  This of course is much more expensive but can be worth it for the serious golfer.  This type of re-gripping usually involves a vise to hold the club steady while the replacement is done.  The adhesive used for these types of grips are typically stronger and provide a better bond between the club and the grip.

Putter grips are not allowed to have a thinner section of the grip surrounded by thicker sections above and below it or any bulges.  They may have any cross section that is symmetrical along the length of the grip.  A putter’s grip is also important although it may not affect the stroke as much as the grip of other clubs.

But golf clubs are very unique in how they’re designed and in the materials used.  It’s very important to understand this as you need clubs that fit your body size, strength, and so on.

By now you probably know that woods are used for long distance fairway shots, irons for a variety of shots but in shorter distances, and of course putters are used on the greens only in order to have more control and to roll the ball into the cup.

Loft of the Clubs

A club’s loft is the angle between the club’s face and the vertical plane.  This loft is what makes a golf ball fly on an arc when struck rather than flying straight.  Many are under the mistaken impression that it’s the swing of the golfer that makes the ball fly in an arc but swings typically hit the ball in a straight horizontal motion; there just isn’t enough room between the ground and the ball even when it’s on a tee to get under the ball and hit it on much of an angle.

The impact of hitting the ball compresses it which leads to energy that makes the ball move forward.  The dimples on the ball give it a backspin, meaning that it’s actually spinning backwards toward the golfer while moving forward away from the swing.  These two components create lift, something that’s obviously needed to get the ball over the treetops.  However this arc also cuts down on the distance the ball moves since that energy is spent in the arc and not in distance.

The numbers you see on woods and irons indicate the shaft and loft; higher numbers mean higher loft.

Woods

These of course are the long distance clubs, used to hit the ball from the fairway toward the hole.  Their large heads and long shafts allow for maximum speed.  Materials used today include not just graphite, steel and titanium but also carbon fiber and scandium.  No doubt there will be even more materials used as time goes on and manufacturers have a better understanding of how to mix metals and manipulate them into lightweight materials.  While they are typically made from metal they are still called woods because of course they began as real wooden clubs.

Irons

The angled faces of irons are what make them better clubs for difficult lies such as the rough, through trees or over them, or when hitting from the base of hills.  Their shorter shafts and smaller faces give less distance to strokes, which is good when approaching the green.

Like woods, irons are numbered.  The higher the number, the lower the amount of angle of the face of the iron from 90 degrees.

A cavity back iron has an amount of the metal across the back of the head removed.  This allows the weight to be repositioned on the perimeter of the head, away from its center of gravity.  A muscle back iron does not have this cavity so the weight is evenly distributed across its face.

Wedges

A wedge is a type of iron that is used for very short distances, high accuracy shots, higher altitudes shots, or hitting the ball out of a rough or hazard and onto the green (chip shots).  A wedge has a higher loft than a 9 iron, which is usually lofted at 45 degrees.  The standard five types of wedges are:

• pitching wedges, 48 degrees
• gap wedges, 52 degrees
• sand wedges, 56 degrees
• lob wedges, 60 degrees
• ultra lob wedge, 64 degrees

Hybrid Clubs

A hybrid is a cross between a wood and an iron so that the club gives you the distance and accuracy of both clubs.  Typically these are used in place of the higher numbered woods.

Putters

For putters, the loft does not exceed ten degrees; many believe that they have no loft at all but this is not true.  Without a loft there would be virtually no distance achieved with a putter.

Putters are designed to roll the ball along the grass on the green.  Because of their smaller face they are not appropriate for hitting out of the rough or fairway.

The golf clubs no doubt went through the most amount of evolution over the years.  They have often been made with the material and wood that was most readily available at the time.  Hickory and American persimmon were very commonly used for many years because of their strength and the hardness of the material.  As the golf ball itself evolved over time, iron clubs were also developed due to their strength as well.  No doubt the evolution of the steel and iron industries also helped to encourage the governing bodies of golf to adapt clubs to the use of these metals!  What was good for golf was also good for the economy.  Steel shafts were somewhat slow to develop and be accepted, and in the 1970’s as manufacturing techniques began to be improved, graphite became popular because of its strength and light weight.

Today, titanium is a popular option for clubs because it’s stronger than steel or iron while still having a “springy” feeling that theoretically increases the distance when the golf ball is struck.  Clubs today are typically a combination of graphite for the shafts and titanium for the heads.

Equipment Today

When you go out onto a public golf course, you can typically bring whatever clubs you prefer within their own particular rules.  If you make up a club yourself in your garage or metal shop class, this is your prerogative.  If it’s made of bamboo or steel or anything else, your options are limited only by the rules of the particular course.

Tournament play however is very different.  As with most sports, the equipment used by professionals is strictly regulated by governing bodies that sponsor and organize these tournaments.  Many private courses also strictly forbid the use of any other type of equipment, so it’s good to know if the equipment you’re using or buying is adhering to regulations or not.

Woods, irons and putters of course make up the golf equipment used on the links.  We’ll discuss these in greater detail in another section, but woods are meant for longer distance while irons give you shorter distances but more control over your stroke.  Putters are used only on the green itself and are meant for short distances but maximum control.  You’ll notice how putters have a flat face; this is for just pushing the ball along the green and does not allow an arc or angle the way woods and irons do because of their slanted head.