How to pick the right golf clubs for you

What you need to know about golf clubs to play your best:

The claims that are made about golf club performance, in my opinion are greatly exagerated. When you get beyond the marketing, the truth is that there is little difference in the performance of most decent quality clubs.

I remember when I decided to take up golf as a profession. I got a job in the back shop scrubbing clubs and played everyday with my old knock off irons and the first metal wood made by Taylor Made. I became a pretty good player and got a deal on some brand new Ping irons, and Taylor Made woods. They had very little if any impact on the quality of my game. The woods were bigger so they were a little more consistent on mishits.

I found that the irons were very straight, but I could not work the ball as much with them.

The truth is that most good players could use wooden mallets and play quite well. The tour players that hit their drives 300 yards could probably get close to that with an old persimmon wood. The blade irons that many tour players still play are very similar to what was being played 20-30 years ago, but the lofts have changed so that a seven iron now can be similar in loft to a five iron back then.

When it comes to putters, it is mostly a matter of preference. A putter that feels and looks good to you will perform as well as any other. The technology is not that important other than balance.

So having said all that there are basically four things that the average player should consider when thinking about their golf clubs:

Golf Club Heads

Many people are hung up on materials. The only real factor that comes into play with deciding on steel or titanium (these are the only materials you really need to worry about with club heads), is the weight factor. Because titanium is lighter than steel, larger heads can be made without increasing the weight. This provides more forgiveness on mishits giving you more control and the perception of greater distance because when you mishit the ball it will go farther if it is closer to the sweet spot. You would probably find that there would be little difference between steel and titanium when the ball is hit right on the sweet spot.

So if you want lower scores, you would probably want to get larger club heads, especially if you have a high handicap and rarely hit solid sweet spot shots. Good players can also benefit from larger heads, but the need is less, and often smaller heads allow you to "work the ball" more effectively. They also tend to be more pleasing to the eye.

Of course I am most concerned with the mental aspect of the game, and I am a firm believer that the look of the club and the confidence you feel when you look down at it is as important as anything else. So make sure that you like the look of the club at set up and that it appears to you that there is enough clubhead there.

Golf Club Shafts

Once again there is not much of a performance difference between graphite and steel. Graphite is lighter but it can also give you less control, especially at high swing speeds. This is why you don't see many tour players using graphite shafts in their irons, and probably why Tiger Woods has steel shafted woods. Graphite shafts may give you some extra distance, because they can be made longer. They can also be easier on your hands and arms because they absorb more shock.

The flex of the shaft is more important than the material. This can greatly influence ball flight. A stiff shafts will give more control but also leads to a lower ball flight which can greatly reduce distance and the ability to stop the ball on the green. A flexible shaft can give you higher ball flight and therefore more distance, but may be more difficult to control directionally.

As a rule of thumb, the faster your swing speed, the stiffer the shaft you would use. Most average golfers should probably be playing with regular shafts unless they have high swing speeds. To determine your swing speed you can see your local PGA professional.

Golf Club Lie Angle

Lie angle is another very important consideration in choosing golf clubs, and unfortunately most clubs you buy off the shelf do not make this obvious and may not suit you (Ping being the exception with their color coded system). Some golf clubs can be bent at the hosel by a club maker to suit your lie, but some materials cannot be.

Your ideal lie angle can be determined by swinging a club on a lie board, or by looking your divots. A divot that is deeper at the toe says that you have too flat a lie, while a heel deep divot says that you have a lie that is too steep.

A too flat lie will cause the toe to hit the ground first causing the head to turn in a manner that will cause your shots to be pushes because the face opens. A lie that is too steep will do the exact opposite.

Having your golf clubs custom made is a way to ensure that they fit you properly including lie angle. This is not as important with the woods, but you should test your lie angle needs with all your irons. You may find that the lie you need with your 9 iron is different from your 4 iron for instance.

Golf Club Loft

Loft is the other thing you should consider, especially with your woods. Most irons have relatively standard lofts until you get into the wedges where you can be more creative.

Drivers range from about 6 degrees to 12 degrees, each producing a different launch angle which will be a major factor in your distance. Combining loft with shaft flex will be the biggest consideration with your driver. Again swing speed is the key consideration. A slower swing will require more loft and more flex. The opposite of course being true for a faster swing. Most tour players are between 6 and 9 degrees. Higher handicappers should usually be between 10 and 12 degrees.

Ideally you will be able to try different golf clubs on the course or at the range to see the ball flight. This is the best way to determine what is best for you.

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Sean Harder (owner)
Mission, B.C., Canada
sean@lowerscoregolf.com