The Low Down on Golf Clubs

Navigating the golf course with its various sections can be a headache for those starting their golf journey, especially when adding in which golf club to use when and how to use it. Having this golf club training tucked under your belt will not only improve your golfing skills but will give you a well-rounded perspective on the full picture of golfing.

Due to the changing conditions of each golf course, a golf player will need to understand the different golf clubs and their uses. One of the most critical aspects of playing golf is picking the correct equipment. A golfer wouldn’t select a putter when needing to drive their golf ball across the fairway.

Types of Golf Clubs

A golfer needs to become familiar with the various clubs golfers use. With the proper golf club training, you can start catching wind with your golf skills! This will ensure golf players know when to use a specific club and why. A typical golf bag comes with 14 clubs. 

However, depending on where an individual is on their golfing journey, they may start with fewer clubs as they get accustomed to golf stances and swings.

The clubs included in a 14 club bag are:

• Woods
• Irons
• Hybrids
• Wedges
• Putters

Let’s dive a bit deeper into these types of clubs and their uses.

Woods

Even though modern-day clubs are made from titanium or steel, the original wood clubs were crafted from various types of wood.

Woods come in two varieties, driver and fairway. These club types have the largest clubheads and are hollow with long shafts. Woods have long, hollow shafts that allow these clubs to be lightweight and easy for golfers to swing.

Golf players will choose woods when driving the golf ball a distance or hitting it with great force.

Irons

Irons come in numbered from 3-iron to 9-iron. Additionally, irons come in short, long, or middle sizing.

Golf players will use the different numbers based on the type of shot they need to accomplish.

Irons are typically used for shots that are less than 200 yards. Irons tend to make the golf ball bounce as they are hard and don’t have much loft. Moreover, unlike woods, irons have smaller and thinner clubheads and are usually solid instead of hollow.

Hybrids

Hybrids are relatively newer types of clubs and are a blend of woods and irons. They combine the best aspects of wood and iron clubs so golf players can access that perfect swing.

Beginner Tip: 

Switch out irons for hybrids as hybrids are designed to assist golfers to hit the golf ball with a bit of room for imprecision in the hit. 

Wedges

Wedges are the perfect golf club for low-distance shots. Wedges are a type of iron that grants a golfer a very accurate shot when problems arise, like gettings stuck in a sand trap.

There are four different types of wedges:

• Pitching wedges
  • These wedges are used when hitting shots between 50-120 yards. In addition, approach and chip shots work well with pitching wedges as they have the least amount of bounce.
• Gap wedges
  • A gap wedge club is used when needing to hit a 100-yard shot. They also have much more loft than other clubs and are the go-to club for many different circumstances a golfer finds themselves in on the golf course.
• Sand Wedges
  • As the name implies, sand wedges are used for getting out of sand traps as they have a great deal of loft. Additionally, sand wedges are helpful for rough or fairway shots.
• Lob Wedges
  • The last type of wedge is a lob wedge. This wedge has the most loft of all the wedge clubs. Use a lob wedge when the golf ball is stuck in a deep rough in the golf course. Due to the high amount of loft, a lob wedge club contains, a golf player can hit the ball into the air and back onto the green without much trouble.

Putters

The final type of golf club a golf player will have in the bag is the putter. A putter is a specialized club used when the golf ball is extremely close to the hole.

Regardless of the shape and size of the putter selected to be included in a player’s bag, the function remains the same, to assist the golf player in making that last hit be a hole-in-one!

Try out a putter before purchasing it to see how comfortable it feels when preparing the stance or while swinging. As this type of golf club is arguably the most essential, a golf player must become highly accustomed to and comfortable using a putter. 

Beginners Tip: 

When selecting a putter, make sure it isn’t too long by following these steps:

• Allow your arms to hang down next to the slides of your legs
• Have someone measure the distance from the top of your hands to the floor
• Use this measurement as the height for the putter

Become a Golf Club Expert With IRGF

Golf is a sport for the ages. Golf club training is quick and easy. One can start at any age to learn the basics of golf or even master the art of golf. Indian River Golf Foundation is here to assist golfers, from beginners to life-long players, improve their golf club skills. We have golf mentors for every type of golfer, regardless of experience level, our golf club training will enhance your golf engagement!

Want to join our foundation in Indian River County? If so, please contact the Founder and President of IRGF, Roger Van Dyke. He is available by email at rogervandykeirgf@gmail.com or by phone at 772-713-9593. We have many different training options, such as player development and after-school training.

We’d look forward to helping all improve their game and develop life skills through golf.