by Charles Ray

Created on: December 01, 2009

Achieving a smooth, consistent swing is essential if you wish to play golf well. In order to develop a swing that will have you playing championship level golf, along with practice, acquiring the right clubs is important. Golf clubs are the most expensive, and the most critical items in the golfer's inventory, so it is important to give careful thought before you buy. Here are some of the factors that will assist you to find the right golf club for you and your game.

Skill level. If you are a beginning golfer, you will want to start with a relatively inexpensive and simple set of clubs. A driver (or 1-wood), 3-wood, 5-wood, and 4-9 irons, pitching wedge, sand wedge, and putter are more than enough for the starting golfer to master, and allow you to make most shots. As your skill increases, you might consider adding a lob wedge, 3-iron and a rescue wood (equivalent to a 3-wood) to your bag. For the scratch golfer the 1- or 2-iron will add a whole new dimension to your shot making.

Strength. The selection of a shaft type is important. If you are a strong swinger, able to generate high club head speed, consider steel shafts which don't have much flex. The new graphite or composite shafts, which are recommended for weaker golfers, can, when swung by a powerful golfer, cause a lot of vibration of the club head, throwing it out of plane on the downswing.

Head size. For drivers, the big head is definitely best. The oversize drivers have a larger sweet spot and are much more forgiving of mishit balls. For fairway and rescue woods, the low-profile heads are more like irons and often easier for amateur golfers to hit.

Shaft length. Golf is a game of whatever is given by the one hand is taken back by the other, and shaft length is a classic example. The longer the club shaft, the higher potential club head speed, and consequently, the longer distance you can hit the ball. The long shaft, though, is more prone to getting off plane when swung, and you are also more prone to mishit balls with the longer shaft clubs. The shorter the shaft, the more accurate are your shots - on average. One way to control the swing plane is to do one-half and three-quarter swings with the longer clubs (driver, 3- and 4-woods) until you can comfortably and accurately full swing.

Illegal clubs. The beauty of golf is that anyone with enough desire can learn to play a relatively decent game. Illegal clubs (and other non-sanctioned equipment) undercut the personal achievement factor and should be left in the store. Learn the game with the regulation clubs, and in the end, it will be much more enjoyable.

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