Clubs - The Basics



Big Bertha, Killer Whale, Boom Boom, Cobra.


These are just a few of the golf clubs on the market today. Question is - which one is correct for you?
The golf industry is flooded with various sizes and shapes of golf clubs, so many factors should be considered before buying. Most companies attempt to sell their clubs based on the design of the head of the golf club, claiming one feature or another will improve you game. The truth is the head of the club is not the most important factor! Most amateurs should be using a golf club with a cavity-back, perimeter weighted head. This type has been designed to provide more hitting surface as compared to a forged model and is easier to hit.



WOODS / IRONS DEFINED



Historically the "wood" was made of wood (hence the name), but they now come in a variety materials. They are also generally "bigger", in terms of size, than other clubs. "Woods" are typically long distance clubs meant to be used when distance is more important than accuracy. A driver is usually a '1' wood with somewhere between 8 and 12 degrees of loft (0 degrees of loft would be perpendicular to the ground). Irons were originally made using "iron", but are now generally made from steel. "Irons" are smaller than "woods", and are considered to be "finesse" clubs, meant to be used when accuracy is needed rather than distance.

2 Iron through Pitching Wedge


For the most part, the number "represents" the loft of a club. The lower the number, the lower the loft. The lower loft will result in greater distance with a loss of accuracy. This also equates to lower numbered clubs being more difficult to hit.



"Set" of Clubs


A "set" of golf clubs is restricted to no more than 14 clubs. What constitutes this "set" depends on your preferences. In general, a "set" will include the following clubs: Irons: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, PW; Woods: 1, 3, 5 and a putter. This is not to say you have to carry all of these clubs. For example, a beginner may carry a Driver (1 wood) or 3 wood, a 3, 5, 7, and 9 iron, as well as a putter.



Types of Irons


Investment Cast means that a "positive" or master model of the clubhead is made, usually made of aluminum, which contains all engraved markings, scoring lines, and even the hosel hole. Wax is injected into the master, which yields a positive "wax" clubhead. The clubhead is then dipped into ceramic several times to produce the negative mold. The wax is then melted, and stainless steel poured into the ceramic mold. When the ceramic casting is removed, you have the clubhead ready to be painted.

Forging a club is very similar to what the village blacksmith used to do. Dies are "sunk" or cut, by milling the desired impression, and forging is accomplished with a "drop hammer". The manufacturer is then presented with a raw forging, which is a close approximation of the clubhead desired. The clubhead must then be finished by milling, grinding and drilling.






Blade irons, also known as a "muscleback", has generally been associated as a "forged" iron. While the manufacturing process isn't really important, the design of the clubhead is. The muscleback iron distributes the weight evenly throughout the entire head, producing a small "sweet spot" in the center of the head. This is to say that a shot hit in the center of the face will produce a longer, straighter flight trajectory. Shots which aren't hit pure (off-center) will produce a shorter, unpredictable flight trajectory.







A cavity back iron, also known as perimeter weighted, has generally been associated as an investment cast iron. Again while the manufacturing process isn't really important, the design of the clubhead is. The cavity back iron distributes the weight around the perimeter of the head, producing a large "sweet spot". This makes the off-center shots more forgiving, flying longer and straighter, than an off-center shot with a muscleback iron.



Now what you really want to know: When investment cast heads were first introduced, several companies claimed that the "feel" of the head was lost. These same companies also claimed it was more difficult to "work" the ball with the cast heads. Keep in mind that most golfers tend to believe that a muscleback iron (usually forged) produces more "feel" than the cavity back models (usually investment casted). They also say that it is easier to "shape" the shot using the blades over the perimeter weighted clubs. Before making a decision, you should try a few muscleback and cavity back irons and see for yourself.



Types of Woods


Persimmon

When a driver is made out of wood there are basically two types of wood used--persimmon and maple. Solid heads are usually persimmon while laminated ("plywood") heads are usually maple. Persimmon heads are made by using a sophisticated turning machine. The process is much like making a duplicate key for a lock. The second, and most commonly used, wood is laminated maple. Generally, 1/16-inch veneers of maple are laminated together much like a sheet of plywood. Then the veneers are heated and pressurised, and finally turned like the persimmon heads. While many golfers indicate that they have a more solid feel at impact with persimmon heads, studies show no support of this. Other golfers prefer the laminated maple, reasoning that they last longer. Presently it costs roughly three times as much to use persimmon as it does laminated maple.

Investment cast
Metal heads have gained popularity, mainly because of the added control of peripheral weighting (which was not a true design goal, but a product of the casting process to achieve proper weight). The stainless steel heads are cast hollow to restrict excessive weight, and usually filled with polyurethane to muffle impact noise. Metal "wood" heads have also been noted as adding distance to center and off-center shots.

Graphite
The same material that is used for graphite shafts is also used to make graphite heads. There are two subtle variances in manufacturing techniques. In one case, the graphite is mixed with an ABS plastic, and is injection moulded into a head. In the second version the graphite is given an epoxy base and the mixture is compression moulded. Graphite heads are manufactured with the same weight as the wood and metal heads, but are generally much larger than conventional heads. This increases the size of the "Sweet spot". No tests yet have proven graphite heads to be more forgiving or longer than other materials.

Oversized
The general consensus is that "oversized" heads, generally made of stainless steel or graphite, create a larger "sweet spot". This produces a longer and straighter flight trajectory on off-center hits. When using stainless steel, the walls of the head must be made thinner to keep the overall weight "normal" (191-205 grams for a 1 wood). This has caused some metal "wood" faces to "crush" or dent. For this reason, some manufacturers are bringing "Mid-sized" metal woods to market, which allows the "sweet spot" to stay large, yet keeps the walls of the head thick to prevent denting.

In conjunction with "oversized" clubheads, manufacturers are starting to use "face inserts" (normally plastic, graphite or lightweight metals) which is known as metal with a composite face. This allows them to produced the larger sized heads without worrying about the face crushing or denting. This also allows them to keep the overall weight of the head down. Face inserts, in metal "woods", is a fairly new design, and tests regarding their playability and forgiveness have not been published.

Now what you really want to know: The type of "wood" you should use can only be determined by what "feels right". While metal and graphite heads can offer forgiveness on off-center shots, some argue that you lose the feel you receive from true "wood" heads. Like the irons, you should try several before buying.


Types of Shafts


Once the distinction between forged blades and cavity-back head design has been determined, a number of factors must be looked at. The shaft is the most complex piece of a golf club, and probably the most important. With varying degrees of flex, flex locations, weight, length, materials, torque, etc., an article devoted entirely to the shaft is needed, but not available. I'll do my best to answer some of the questions regarding them.


Steel shafts are generally made from either carbon steel or stainless steel. For the most part, the manufacturing process between the two are similar. A steel strip is rolled into a tube, and is drawn over a mandrel until the diameter and wall thickness are reduced to their exact specifications. At this point the step pattern is formed on the shaft. Then the walls are made thinner at the grip and thicker at the tip to give the shaft its flex characteristics. Then it is hardened tempered, straightened and stress relieved. The final step is to polish and chrome plate the shaft. One of the best features of the steel shaft is the ability to have the same "feel" throughout the entire set. This means that the stiffness in the 3 iron will will be the same as the 9 iron. Other features are its durability and price.

Graphite shafts are made from a graphite tape. The tape, which has an epoxy binder, is wrapped around a steel mandrel. The wrapped shaft is then temperature cured and the mandrel removed. The raw shaft is then sanded and cut to proper length, at which point it receives a clear or coloured paint coating. Its most talked about feature is its light weight. It also helps dampen the vibration caused by clubhead impact with the ground. A few of the drawbacks are the "feel" of the shaft (some people complain that a stiff graphite shaft does not feel like a stiff steel shaft), the stiffness is not consistent throughout a set, and its price tag.

Titanium shafts, some titanium shaft features are its weight (lighter than steel), and its vibration dampening. Some complaints are that the shafts are too stiff, and it carries a big price.


Other Factors


Shaft length, shaft flex, shaft deflection, lie angle, loft angle, weight and swing weight and grip size are all critical factors in determining which club is right for you.


Proper shaft length can often improve squareness of hit and balance in the golf swing. Correct shaft flex results in more frequent square hits with increased club head speed and more consistent ball flight.

The proper lie angle for a golfer can only be determined dynamically when the golfer strikes the ball with his/her normal swing. Lie angle has a direct effect on the direction of the shot. The optimum angle for a player is one that provides the best combination of trajectory and direction.

Too little loft is one of the biggest killers of the golf swing.

The stiffness, flex, or deflection of a shaft defines the bending characteristics of the tube, when a load is applied to the shaft. The most common shaft flexes are designated as X (extra-stiff), S (stiff), R (regular), A (man's flexible), or L (ladies'). For people with high swing speeds, it's desirable to have a stiffer shaft to keep the club head from lagging behind. For people with slower swing speeds, the more flexible shafts offer an extra "kick" at the bottom of the downswing to help propel the ball.

The kickpoint, bendpoint, or flexpoint defines the point where the shaft bends the most while in motion and determines the trajectory of the shot. It affects the trajectory of the shot; the higher the kickpoint, the lower the trajectory, the lower the kickpoint, the higher the shot. The three points: High, Mid, and Low offer different flight trajectories: low, mid, and high respectively. For someone that generally hits the ball with a high shot trajectory, a High kickpoint is desirable in a shaft. For someone with a low shot trajectory, a Low kickpoint helps get the ball airborne and on a higher flight path.

Generally torque is a rating applied to a graphite shaft. It specifies the "twisting" characteristics of the shaft. The normal torque rating of a steel shaft is about 2.5 degrees. The general range of torque ratings found on graphite shafts are from 3.5 to 5.5 degrees, although it is possible to get shafts with lower or higher ratings. The higher the torque rating, the more the shaft twists for a given twisting force. The torque rating also seems to be tied to the stiffness of a shaft. The lower the torque rating, the stiffer the shaft.

Now what you really want to know: The type of shaft a person should use is one of the most often asked questions. It is also one of the most unanswered questions. Choosing the material, flex, and kickpoint of a shaft will depend entirely on what "feels" right when you swing the club. Someone with a high swing speed may choose a steel shaft with a flex rating of X and a low kickpoint, while someone with the same swing speed may choose a graphite shaft with a flex rating of R and a high kickpoint. The general consensus is see your local Pro and see what he/she recommends. Make your decision from there.
Which Club?

#1 wood, 245 yards
#3 wood, 225 yards
#4 wood, 210 yards
#1 iron, 210 yards
#2 iron, 205 yards
#3 iron, 195 yards
#4 iron, 185 yards
#5 iron, 175 yards
#6 iron, 165 yards
#7 iron, 155 yards
#8 iron, 145 yards
#9 iron, 135 yards
wedge 120 yards