by JC Campbell

Created on: November 17, 2008

The variation in the golf clubs you have at your disposal during a round is one of the things that adds to the enjoyment of the sport, affording you the opportunity to play different types of shots for different situations. Having a choice of golf clubs in your bag gives you the option to hit shots that are high or low, long or short, with a specific club designed for any given situation. The fact that you are permitted to carry a total of 14 clubs in your bag, means you can select those that you feel will be most beneficial to your game. For beginners to the game of golf, here is a basic summary of the types of clubs available.

WOODS

Most golfers will carry at least two woods in their bag, the No1 Wood or Driver and a Fairway Wood which has a loft that is a little higher. These are both clubs that can be used from the tee, though most will favor the driver in an effort to gain some extra distance with the tee shot. The driver comes with various degrees of loft and the greater the loft angle, the easier it is to hit the ball straight. The driver usually varies from 8 degrees to 12 degrees but the crucial factor is always going to be the shaft and how this relates to your personal swing. Your fairway wood may be anywhere from 15 degrees to 22 degrees and this is a matter of preference.

IRONS

It is always important to select irons that feel comfortable for you and most amateur golfers will favor cavity back irons which tend to result in a better hit and more distance. The irons basically fall into three categories within a set. 3 and 4 irons are referred to as long irons, 5,6 and 7 as mid-irons and 8 through pitching wedge as short irons. Added to this, you will most likely also have a sand irons for playing from bunkers and around the green. Many golfers now carry other wedges such as lob or gap wedges. Most professional golfers usually carry 3 or 4 wedges with them as they consider these as their "scoring" clubs.

PUTTER

The putter is a club that players will experiment with until they find one that works for them. You have a choice of standard length putters or longer ones such as the belly putter or the broom handle. There is also a wide variety of putter heads to test as you seek the one that feels good for you. This is a club you can test easily in golf stores who have a practice putting green and a large selection of putters for you to try. Many golfers will keep a selection of putters at home and bring out a different one when their putting stroke abandons them.

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