Golf Clubs - A Major Part of Golf
August 16, 2008
Golf Clubs - A Major Part of Golf
By Anne Clarke
Since the Scots began hitting balls more than 500 years ago, clubs have been a source of pride for golfers everywhere. As any experienced player will tell you, a quality set of equipment can drastically improve your play, which is why most players care for their clubs like they would a family member!
So now you’ve seen the players out on the course and you think it looks fun, but where do you start? This informational article will provide a brief rundown of the different types of clubs and their purposes.
There are three general kinds of clubs: woods, irons and putters. Woods, or drivers, are the most powerful clubs; they are used for long-distance shots. Players begin each game with a wood, which they use to drive the ball down the fairway. The face of these clubs is round with a flattened sole so it doesn’t dig into the ground during a swing. Drivers also generally tend to have a longer shaft than other clubs; some players prefer to use shorter drivers, however this reduces their distance. Like their name suggests, woods were made out of wood until the late 80s, when club manufacturers began to use steel or titanium. Today, many drivers are made from ultra lightweight materials like carbon fiber, but they still retain the wood title for tradition-sake.
Irons have a shorter shaft than woods an angled face. After a player uses a wood to drive the ball down the fairway, they use irons to perform technical shots, getting the ball closer to the green. The angled face allows players to hit in difficult situations, including sand, rough, through, over trees and other obstacles. These clubs are also numbered according to their length. For example, 1-4 irons are considered long irons, which provide more power. 5-7 are mid-irons, and 8-plus are short-irons. Also, the angle of the face changes between clubs - sand wedges have an angle of 54-58 degrees.
Putters have flat faces which are designed to push the ball toward the hole when it’s in close proximity to it, especially when it’s on the green. Because of the preciseness of these clubs, they are among the most valuable pieces of equipment for a golfer. The advantages of putters include: smooth stroke, good glide, and bounce-less topspin - all of which increase the club’s performance near the hole.
Golf bags are especially valuable for a player to transport their clubs. The round-shaped bags can be made of leather or nylon and they allow players to organize their clubs into easily-accessible categories (i.e. size, length, type). New bags come with wheels that make them easy to pull, but traditional golfers carry them. Pockets on the side also make it easy to store and transport items like extra balls, gloves and towels.
Golf is a sport ripe in tradition - it’s also extremely difficult to master. However, a solid knowledge of clubs is a perfect jump-off for anyone interested in learning the game.
Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for Web sites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background also includes teaching, gardening, and a variety of outdoor recreation and sports. For more of her useful articles on golf, visit Golf Equipment, supplier of many useful articles on golf and equipment.
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How You Can Benefit From A Site with Golf Equipment Reviews
August 16, 2008
How You Can Benefit From A Site with Golf Equipment Reviews
By Chris Robertson
Sometimes I think back of the days when I started playing golf. Things were simple then. A wood was still made of wood, and a 5-iron was a 5-iron. Or at least that’s what I thought until I learned more about equipment. Still, things were relatively simple, but they are not anymore. Just read some golf equipment reviews. It’s totally amazing how technology has changed the game of golf, and how radically golf equipment has changed over the past couple of decades.
As someone interested in new gadgets, I have been fascinated by the introduction of Golf GPS. Let me give you a few basics. GPS stands for Global Positioning System and uses satellites and a receiver to determine where you are on the planet with amazing accuracy, as close as a couple of feet. GPS is available in most new cars and it’s also available for golf where it can help you improve your game. It’s not a traditional training aid, though. What a Golf GPS receiver does is figure out where you are on a course, and then give you the exact distance to the green, water hazards, bunkers and fairway boundaries. This way you know the number of yards, golf clubs to pick, and even the size of the green from the angle you’re approaching it!
How did I learn about all this? Certainly not by going to an electronics store. If I want information on golf, I go to websites dedicated to golf and golf equipment. I love to read what golf enthusiasts have to say about golf shoes, golf bags and other equipment, as I have no use for the usual marketing hype. I mean, where else than at a golf enthusiast site could you read comparisons of electric golf carts and what’s important when you consider getting one of your own? Did you know, for example, that you can create tricked-out custom golf carts with special suspensions, paint jobs and fancy wheels?
But it’s not only emerging technologies like Golf GPS or big ticket items like carts that you can get good information on at a golf review site. There are probably thousands of different golf bags out there, and I love to read about the latest from some of the best companies like Burton, Ogio or Nike, and that includes the good and the bad. Nothing’s perfect, and I rely on unbiased reviews to give me the real scoop.
Same with clubs. We all have our favorites, of course, but I keep an open mind. Nothing can replace trying out a club, and that’s where the pro shops come in, but I like to do my research online. Did you know companies like Ping actually have online fitting systems? Or that Titleist clubs are no longer just for top-level players with low handicaps? The company is clearly going for new and aspiring golfers with their new lines of clubs. Again, I found out on an enthusiast golf site that also does golf equipment reviews. There’s just nothing like it.
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Golf Equipment Reviews or Majon’s Sports directory.
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Guide To Buy Used Golf Clubs For Beginner Golfer
August 16, 2008
Guide To Buy Used Golf Clubs For Beginner Golfer
By Andrew Webb
If you are just starting out to play golf, you should never buy a new golf club set immediately as you may discover that this game is not for you later on. Furthermore, you are yet to find the type of golf clubs that fits you during the learning stage. The good choice is to start with cheap used golf clubs. And here are some guidelines to help you to hunt down your first used golf club set:
Golf Rental Clubs
First, you may want to play with the rental clubs at a driving range. During this time, don’t be afraid to ask your friends or other golfers to try their clubs on the range. This is a good opportunity for you to judge which type of clubs is right for you. After hitting for a period of time at the driving range and you think it is time to buy your own clubs, then ….
Rely on golf expert
When you go out to buy used golf clubs, you should always rely on people who know golf equipment well. You can look for your local pro at your local municipal course as a source of information and advice. Or you can consult the experts at the golf shop or even your friend who plays well or who knows anything about golf clubs. Alternatively, you can search the Internet for used golf club reviews. You can always ask people for advice but keep in mind that what suits them may not necessary prove good in your hands. Therefore, it is more important to identify the golf club set that suitable to your ability yourself.
Golf beginner’s half set
As a novice golfer, you are advised to learn with a half set of clubs with all matching iron of the same model. The half-set could be made up from a few combinations of clubs. In general, the half set combination consists of five iron clubs, including 4, 6, 8, pitching wedge and sand iron, in addition to 3 and 5 woods plus a putter. The driver is not recommended in the beginner’s half set because it is the hardest club to control. Majority of beginners would achieve better results using a 3 wood on the tee box. Likewise, 1, 2 or 3 irons should be avoided at the early stages of the game, as each of these long irons requires an accurate strike from the middle of the clubface with plenty of club heads speed in order to achieve good results. In contrast, a 5 wood with distance almost equivalent of the 2 iron - the ball can still travel a fair distance despite being hit off-center. Besides, a lofted wood is more forgiving than the thin blade of an iron club heads.
The half set combination not only sufficient for most novice golfers on the golf course for every situation but also makes club selection much easier. It is a good combination of clubs to help the novice to improve their swing technique until they are good enough before they advance to the full set golf clubs. Therefore, you have to make sure to select a golf model for your half set from a reputable manufacturer that can be added to at a later stage.
Golf Feels
The best way to purchase a used golf clubs is to actually hold them in your hand and swing them to get a feel for what you want. The feel of a golf club clearly seems to be all-important. But, what is ‘feel’? There is no scientific formula that defines it. In general, feel can be described as the way a golfer feels a club when he or she swings it depends on its swing weight and the flexibility of its shaft.
Iron Club head
Look for club head that made of stainless steel and avoid inexpensive alloy heads. For beginner, you should select the ‘heel-and-toe’ (or, perimeter-weighted) club head design, cavity backed (hollowed out in the back) and over-sized golf club. You should get bigger club heads because they are more forgiving with enlarges ’sweet spot’ that can produce maximum distance even with off-center contacts.
Golf Shafts
Graphite shafts is ideal for beginner even though it is more expensive that steel shafts. Its lighter overall weight allows beginner to swing the club faster even with enlarged clubhead.
Golf Grips
If you have purchased used golf clubs where the condition of the grips could be less than perfect or the grips don’t fit properly for you, then make sure you replace them. Grips are fairly easy and inexpensive to change by a pro or club repairman. Ensure all the grips are replaced with same size and design.
Finally, if you are just starting out with golf, chances are your swing is more likely to let you down rather than the golf clubs itself. Having said that, it is still important to try out the golf clubs before buying them in order to find a golf club set that suits your swing, body and game. Most importantly, makes you feel confident when you use it.
Andrew is the owner of Used Golf Clubs Guide, a website that provides complete guide to used golf clubs - where to buy/sell/trade in used golf clubs, what to check before buying a used golf clubs, how to choose a used golf clubs set… and more. You can visit his website at:http://www.used-golf-clubs-guide.com/
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Are Hybrid Golf Clubs Right For You?
August 16, 2008
Are Hybrid Golf Clubs Right For You?
By Christopher W Smith
If you’ve ever been in a dilemma between buying expensive, name brand golf equipment and that of a lesser-known company that makes products with the same high quality and features, you know what a difficult decision it can be. Or maybe you’ve found some clubs that you admire aesthetically and are trying to reason with yourself to get another brand that isn’t quite as attractive to you but which costs much less. How do you make decisions like that?
Maybe if you struggle with these kinds of decisions in choosing your clubs, you will find that hybrid golf clubs are what you’ve been looking for all along. There are hybrid golf club reviews available which will help you choose the perfect clubs for your needs. This article focuses on the information you will need in order to buy the hybrid clubs which are right for you.
Hybrid golf clubs are often constructed of two different types of materials, so they look different than other golf clubs. Of course, some of these clubs actually work much better than regular clubs do. One example of a hybrid club is made by Adams. These clubs are constructed of both fairway wood and iron making them very sturdy and durable. In addition, these clubs often allow you more control in hitting the ball where you want it to go.
If you’re a beginning golfer, the Ping G5 Hybrid clubs might be ideal for you. They are heavy enough to provide stability, but still light enough to give you a more disciplined swing. If you look at hybrid golf items online, you’ll be able to see pictures of them from all angles so that you can choose the ones that have the features you’re looking for.
While you’re searching for reviews on hybrid golf clubs, take a look at the brands you already know and trust. Mizuno is a company which has produced highly-reputed irons for golfers for many years. Clubs made by Lantana are excellent for golfers at any level of the game. By looking over the different brands and the products they offer, you can decide if hybrid clubs will be right for you.
Most of the websites devoted to discount golf equipment are also loaded with tips for the optimum use of the products they sell. You’ll be able to buy excellent items from these sites and know how to maximize their use by the time they arrive at your door.
You may want to spend some time browsing the online “Golf Weekly” magazine. In it you’ll find articles written by and about professional golfers which explain their use of the different clubs as well as brands and hybrid brands which are considered the best. You will also find many tips that will help you improve your game.
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