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Golf Equipment: Golf Clubs, Callaway, TaylorMade, Discount And Used Clubs
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Published: July 19, 2007
A baseball player has one bat, football and basketball players each have one ball, but golfers use several pieces of golf equipment. A golfer carries multiple golf clubs when he heads out to the first hole. USGA regulations say golfers are limited to 14 golf clubs, but that law still allows golfers a world of choice between different types and measurements of golf clubs.
Before getting into the types of golf clubs, it is important to be familiar with the names for the components of a single club. Golf clubs are comprised of three parts: the head, the shaft and the grip. The head is the large part that makes contact with the ball, the shaft is the long part extending from the head and the grip is the rubber part at the other end of the shaft where the golfer places his hands.
All golf clubs have these components, but there are varying types of golf clubs, intended for different driving distances and situations. Woods, irons and putters are the three main categories of golf clubs. One of each type just will not do the job, so woods and irons come in different measurements, or lofts. The loft is the angle of the face of the club (the part of the head that hits the ball) compared to an imaginary straight line perpendicular with the ground. The higher the loft, the more of a slope the club has on the face. The numbers on golf clubs go up as loft increases. A golfer typically carries (or has his or her caddy carry) three woods, eight irons and a putter in the golf bag.
Woods are the golf clubs used for hitting balls over long distance ranges – the rule of thumb is 175 feet. As the name would suggest, woods used to be made of wood, but now metal is commonly used to lower the center of gravity, which gets the ball higher into the air. On woods, the number 1 indicates this wood is called a driver. With a loft of 7-12 degrees, the driver has the lowest loft of all golf clubs and is used on the first stroke on a par 4 or 5 hole. The other two woods often seen in a golfer's bag are the 3 (with a loft of 15-18 degrees) and the 5 (20-22 degrees). In addition to the change in loft, the club length decreases a half inch as the club number increases (a 7 is a quarter of an inch shorter than a 3, for example – woods are only marked with odd numbers).
Golfers use irons when they need to hit shorter distances, but still are not to the green yet. As with woods, irons vary in loft size. The number of iron used depends on how far the golfer is away from the green; a golfer will want to use a higher iron number as he approaches the green. Golfers usually have iron golf clubs with loft numbers 3 through 9 in their bag, as well as a special type of wedge club called a pitching wedge, which has a loft number of 10 making it both a high iron and a low wedge. Wedges are like irons with exceptionally high lofts, ranging from 48 to 68 degrees and are good golf clubs to use when the ball is stuck in a sand trap.
Finally, the putter is the club a golfer will use last, to gently push the ball into the hole. Putters do not have loft numbers like the other types of golf clubs, but instead are chosen based on the head design. These golf clubs come in designs like blades, mallets and offset putters. Blade putters are flat and narrow, and are popular with golfers using a low handicap. In contrast, mallets have rounded, large heads. Golfers do not want a putter too long or too short for them, as it will distort their view of the putting line. The putting line is an imaginary line – golf likes to rely on imagination – between the putter and the hole.
Brands like Callaway and TaylorMade stand out amongst golfers looking for a trusted name on their golf clubs. The brands know their reputation and price their golf clubs accordingly. A set of Callaway X-18 irons (all sizes 3 through PW) will set a golfer back $700, and other Callaway sets cost $900 or $1000. Golfers looking at discount clubs may want to check sport outlets as opposed to specialty golf stores. Dick's Sporting Goods offers a TaylorMade OS2 set of discount clubs for $400. Callaway has a special website where golfers strapped for cash can buy used golf clubs. A set of Steelhead X-14 irons – Callaway's best selling irons– is going for $287.99 on the site.
Golf is an expensive sport – good clothes and balls are also required – but quality golf clubs are of immeasurable value to a golfer, and getting stuck with bad golf equipment can hurt a player's game. Golfers are advised to stay away from businesses that seem shady, hawking what they claim is a legit brand name when it is actually a counterfeit. This hurts the major brand's business but really affects the golfers game the most, so it is important to buy golf clubs from a trusted authority.
Sources:
"Golf Lesson #1: The Basics of Golf Clubs." Pinemeadow Golf Products, Inc. 30 June 2007.
http://www.pinemeadowgolf.com/clubs101_1.html
"Golf Lesson #5: Golf Club Clones vs. Brands." Pinemeadow Golf Products, Inc. 30 June 2007.
http://www.pinemeadowgolf.com/clubs101_5.html
"Golf Lesson #8: Terminology and Definitions." Pinemeadow Golf Products, Inc. 30 June 2007.
http://www.pinemeadowgolf.com/clubs101_8.html
"How To Buy A Putter." DICK's Sporting Goods. 30 June 2007
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/sm-putter-buye rs-guide--bg-222915.html
"How To Choose The Right Club(s)." Golf Club Palace. 30 June 2007.
http://www.golfclubplace.com/howtochoosri.html
Before getting into the types of golf clubs, it is important to be familiar with the names for the components of a single club. Golf clubs are comprised of three parts: the head, the shaft and the grip. The head is the large part that makes contact with the ball, the shaft is the long part extending from the head and the grip is the rubber part at the other end of the shaft where the golfer places his hands.
All golf clubs have these components, but there are varying types of golf clubs, intended for different driving distances and situations. Woods, irons and putters are the three main categories of golf clubs. One of each type just will not do the job, so woods and irons come in different measurements, or lofts. The loft is the angle of the face of the club (the part of the head that hits the ball) compared to an imaginary straight line perpendicular with the ground. The higher the loft, the more of a slope the club has on the face. The numbers on golf clubs go up as loft increases. A golfer typically carries (or has his or her caddy carry) three woods, eight irons and a putter in the golf bag.
Woods are the golf clubs used for hitting balls over long distance ranges – the rule of thumb is 175 feet. As the name would suggest, woods used to be made of wood, but now metal is commonly used to lower the center of gravity, which gets the ball higher into the air. On woods, the number 1 indicates this wood is called a driver. With a loft of 7-12 degrees, the driver has the lowest loft of all golf clubs and is used on the first stroke on a par 4 or 5 hole. The other two woods often seen in a golfer's bag are the 3 (with a loft of 15-18 degrees) and the 5 (20-22 degrees). In addition to the change in loft, the club length decreases a half inch as the club number increases (a 7 is a quarter of an inch shorter than a 3, for example – woods are only marked with odd numbers).
Golfers use irons when they need to hit shorter distances, but still are not to the green yet. As with woods, irons vary in loft size. The number of iron used depends on how far the golfer is away from the green; a golfer will want to use a higher iron number as he approaches the green. Golfers usually have iron golf clubs with loft numbers 3 through 9 in their bag, as well as a special type of wedge club called a pitching wedge, which has a loft number of 10 making it both a high iron and a low wedge. Wedges are like irons with exceptionally high lofts, ranging from 48 to 68 degrees and are good golf clubs to use when the ball is stuck in a sand trap.
Finally, the putter is the club a golfer will use last, to gently push the ball into the hole. Putters do not have loft numbers like the other types of golf clubs, but instead are chosen based on the head design. These golf clubs come in designs like blades, mallets and offset putters. Blade putters are flat and narrow, and are popular with golfers using a low handicap. In contrast, mallets have rounded, large heads. Golfers do not want a putter too long or too short for them, as it will distort their view of the putting line. The putting line is an imaginary line – golf likes to rely on imagination – between the putter and the hole.
Brands like Callaway and TaylorMade stand out amongst golfers looking for a trusted name on their golf clubs. The brands know their reputation and price their golf clubs accordingly. A set of Callaway X-18 irons (all sizes 3 through PW) will set a golfer back $700, and other Callaway sets cost $900 or $1000. Golfers looking at discount clubs may want to check sport outlets as opposed to specialty golf stores. Dick's Sporting Goods offers a TaylorMade OS2 set of discount clubs for $400. Callaway has a special website where golfers strapped for cash can buy used golf clubs. A set of Steelhead X-14 irons – Callaway's best selling irons– is going for $287.99 on the site.
Golf is an expensive sport – good clothes and balls are also required – but quality golf clubs are of immeasurable value to a golfer, and getting stuck with bad golf equipment can hurt a player's game. Golfers are advised to stay away from businesses that seem shady, hawking what they claim is a legit brand name when it is actually a counterfeit. This hurts the major brand's business but really affects the golfers game the most, so it is important to buy golf clubs from a trusted authority.
Sources:
"Golf Lesson #1: The Basics of Golf Clubs." Pinemeadow Golf Products, Inc. 30 June 2007.
http://www.pinemeadowgolf.com/clubs101_1.html
"Golf Lesson #5: Golf Club Clones vs. Brands." Pinemeadow Golf Products, Inc. 30 June 2007.
http://www.pinemeadowgolf.com/clubs101_5.html
"Golf Lesson #8: Terminology and Definitions." Pinemeadow Golf Products, Inc. 30 June 2007.
http://www.pinemeadowgolf.com/clubs101_8.html
"How To Buy A Putter." DICK's Sporting Goods. 30 June 2007
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/sm-putter-buye rs-guide--bg-222915.html
"How To Choose The Right Club(s)." Golf Club Palace. 30 June 2007.
http://www.golfclubplace.com/howtochoosri.html
