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What do I need to consider while buying a Golf Club ?
Golf club is the golf equipment used
by a golfer to hit a golf ball. The key features of a golf club
are loft, lie, and shaft.
Loft - The number on the
bottom of a club indicates its loft. The higher the number, the
greater the club's loft. The lower the club's loft, the longer
the club. Longer clubs generate more distance, but are much
harder to hit, which means that it will be less accurate.
Lie - Lie is the angle the
hosel makes with the club's shaft. Hosel is the part of the club
that connects with the shaft. It can be altered to fit a
golfer's individual characteristics. Small players generally
prefer shorter clubs, which feature flatter lies.
Shaft - The shaft is a key
club component. Every shaft has flex, which refers to how much
the shaft bends when you hit the ball. The weaker the shaft, the
more flex it has. The more flex it has, the more it bends when a
player strikes the ball. If the shaft has too much flex it bends
too much, and the player loses control of the ball's flight. The
stronger a player is, the stiffer a shaft he wants.
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Golf is played with golf clubs of
various types. There are four major categories of clubs: woods,
iron, putters and hybrids.
WOODS - Woods feature deep
(from front to back) club-heads that are made of metal usually
steel or titanium alloy. They are so called because earlier
club-heads used to be made of woods. However they were not found
to be very forgiving. Today, woods are made from a variety of
metals. They're much more forgiving than previous versions. Club
heads are also larger, providing more club with which to hit the
ball. Woods are generally for hitting long shots from the
fairway and for driving off the tee. They are the longest clubs
in the bag and are used for long shots.
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IRON
- They are used for relatively shorter shots than woods. Irons
are the most versatile clubs in the bag. Irons are used to make
approach shots, recovery shots, and chip shots, among others.
PUTTER
- The putter is the most-used club in golf. Putters come in a
variety of head shapes and have a very low loft and often a
short shaft. The key features of a putter are club-head,
alignment system, loft, and head shape. Putters also come with
inserts, which reduce skipping at impact. Of all the clubs,
putters are the most used one.
WEDGES - Wedges are, of
course, irons. But wedges are often talked about separately,
placed in their own category, because they are specialized
irons. Wedges are of different types, namely- most golfers mean
the gap wedge, sand wedge and lob wedge. Wedges feature the
shortest shafts and highest lofts of any golf clubs.
HYBRID - They are the
relatively recent addition to the pantheon of golf clubs, and
they are growing in popularity because they are designed to be
easier to hit for recreational golfers. Hybrids denote a cross
between an iron and a wood. These clubs are easier to hit than
the longer irons but generate the same distance.
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A golfer can carry any combination
of 14 clubs in his/her bag, according to the rules of golf. The
standard set of golf clubs includes 3 woods (1, 3, 5), 7 irons
(3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9), a pitching wedge, and a putter. People
who are new to the game, should preferably start with cheap
used/rental golf clubs and not buy new golf club set since they
may at a later stage discover that this game is not for them.
Also people can only know about the best suitable golf club
during the learning stage.
Using rental golf clubs gives a beginner an idea about the type
of clubs that are best suited for him or her, which can be
obtained only after hitting with different clubs for a period of
time. The key when buying golf clubs is the feel. The feel of a
golf club clearly seems to be all-important. Also important
while buying used clubs or using rental ones is to consult golf
experts with a good knowledge on golf equipments. Alternatively,
one can also search the internet for used golf club reviews. The
final choice depends on one’s own ability. It is recommended to
use graphite shafts, ideal for beginner since its lighter
overall weight allows faster swing. It is important to look out
in used grips for cracks, splits and worn areas. |
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In general (other than beginners), while
buying golf clubs one should try out different clubs, because only
then can he or she get an idea of the type that suits them the best.
For example, irons allow advanced players to hit a variety of
different shots with the same club. When buying irons, one can buy
"game improvement" irons or traditional irons. Game improvement
irons are good for an average player or below. They offer features,
like an oversize face or a low center of gravity, that compensate
for imprecise ball striking. Traditional irons are good for an above
average player. They don't necessarily come with special shot making
features, but they do provide more feel and better control. There
are many things that can affect how a putter feels, namely, grip,
which many believe, that a thicker grip helps prevent wrist bend,
but a thicker grip is not comfortable for all, weight of a putter is
entirely a personal preference. A putter with an offset shaft or
hosel is generally a good thing for a recreational golfer. Offset
helps the golfer line up with his or her forward eye over the ball,
and with a good line of sight. In case of wedges, gap and lob wedges
are common in the bags of better players, and sand wedges are fairly
common for all players. Hybrids are easier to hit for all golfers.
Having technical features that aid in getting the ball airborne,
they dampen the effects of mis-hits.
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Article Contributed By: Shaonli
Dasgupta
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