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how to tell different types of golf clubs

by Dr. Ayden McGlynn II Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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How to choose the right golf club

Golf club types Distance (yards)
4-iron 170
5-iron 160
6-iron 150
7-iron 140
Apr 30 2022

Full Answer

How many types of golf clubs are there?

There are 6 types of golf clubs. Let’s have a quick look: Fairway woods (Drivers and fairway woods both are known as woods by the way) Components of a golf club:

What are the different types of clubs in a golf bag?

Moving down in distance, the next type of clubs are woods. A wood can be a 1-wood all the way up to a 7-wood. But, the most common woods that you are going to find in a golf bag is a 3-wood and a 5-wood. Woods are used for three main reasons.

What is a golf club?

The Golf club is a club in golf which is used to hit the ball. There are 6 types of golf clubs. Let’s have a quick look: Fairway woods (Drivers and fairway woods both are known as woods by the way) Components of a golf club: It has 4 components basically:

What are golf clubs made of?

If you go through the history of golf, you will find that golf clubs were made of wood. Persimmon or hickory wood was used mainly. But modern golf clubs have little to do with woods. Keeping in touch with history drivers are still known as woods. The modern drivers are made from anything ranging from steel, titanium, etc.

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How do I know what kind of golf clubs I have?

The numbers stamped or marked on the heads of golf clubs relate to the club's loft. Fairway woods and irons are the clubs that are always stamped, although specialty clubs also carry some form of identification. A 4-iron, for example, has less loft than a 9-iron. In the same way, a 3-wood has less loft than a 7-wood.

How do you tell the difference between golf clubs?

Irons range from a 1-iron to a 9-iron and as with fairway woods, the higher the clubhead number, the shorter the shot. The higher the number, the higher the loft as well. A standard set of clubs comes with 5-7 irons—usually, the 3-iron to the 9-iron but some golfers carry 1- and 2-irons.

What are the 4 main types of clubs?

These clubs are classified into four main categories - woods, irons, wedges, and putters. Within each group, there are different sizes available as well, indicated by a number on the club.

What are the different levels of golf clubs?

Golf Club Lofts ChartClubStandard Lofts (Tour Level Irons)3-Hybrid19°-20°4-Hybrid21°-23°5-Hybrid24°-26°2-Iron16-19°17 more rows•Jul 24, 2021

What does G mean on a golf club?

What degree is a Gap Wedge? A gap wedge has a loft of 50 – 52º. Golfers tend to hit a gap wedge 75 – 100 yards. This club is also known as a 'G wedge”, so if you are curious a G wedge also has a loft of 50 – 52º.

How far should you hit a 7 iron?

Average 7 Iron Distance By AgeAge RangeAverage 7 Iron Distance20-30160 yards30-40155 yards40-50146 yards50-60139 yards2 more rows

What golf clubs should a beginner use?

Instead, start with a driver, a putter, a sand wedge (it's the club that has an "S" on the sole or a loft of 54 to 56 degrees) and supplement those with a 6-iron, an 8-iron, a pitching wedge, and a fairway wood or hybrid with 18-21 degrees of loft.

What are the 3 most used golf clubs?

The 3 most vital clubs are the driver, putter, and wedge, in that order. If you were to look at pro golfers then I'd probably say that order is right.

Which golf club is a driver?

The driver belongs to the woods category of golf clubs and is classically referred to as the 1-Wood. It is typically the longest club found in a golf bag and also sports the biggest head of any club. Its goal is to get the ball as far as possible towards the green.

How do I choose the right golf clubs for my shots?

3:339:22Choose the right shot EVERYTIME - Use the Five L's - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut be able to go with a club that you feel more comfortable with. So first L to begin with. I'm onMoreBut be able to go with a club that you feel more comfortable with. So first L to begin with. I'm on the fairway. So I know I've got a great lie.

What irons to use for distance?

Golf Club Distances TableCLUBMEN'S AVERAGE DISTANCEWOMEN'S AVERAGE DISTANCE5-iron160 yards140 yards6-iron150 yards130 yards7-iron140 yards120 yards8-iron130 yards110 yards10 more rows•May 6, 2022

Is a 3 hybrid the same as a 5 wood?

Differences Between a 5 Wood and a 3 Hybrid A 5-wood and 3-hybrid share a similar loft profile and lie angle, which in theory would produce the same result. However, hybrids feature a shorter shaft than a 5-wood and a clubhead with increased offset to promote straighter shots.

Woods Family

Woods are used for hitting long shots, primarily off the tee on longer holes, but players also use woods on the fairway when they’re still a considerable distance from the green.

Hybrids Family (Utility Clubs)

In the past decade, hybrids often referred to as utility clubs, have become increasingly popular with professional and recreational golfers alike.

Irons Family

Irons make up the bulk of the golf bag and are typically used within 200 yards of the green.

Wedge Family

The easiest way to describe wedges is perhaps to brand them as a specialty, blade-like irons. They enable golfers to lift the ball in and around the green and dial into the flagstick.

Specialty Club Family

Although lots of recreational golfers forego specialty golf clubs, the reality is that adding some of these clubs to your bag can lower your score. Specialty clubs fill the gap between normal clubs in terms of loft, yardage and feel.

Putter Family

One of the biggest challenges a golfer faces is deciding on the type of putter they should carry in their bag.

Recognizing Every Type of Golf Club in Your Bag

We hope you now have all the information you need to select the ideal golf clubs for your bag. Our exhaustive list includes 19 different types of golf clubs with sharp pictures so you can quickly identify each club.

How to choose a golf club?

But as a general rule, the best way to choose a club is to know your hitting range first. So, if you know your shortest and longest range, from there, you can build up your golf club collection. A number factor comes into play choosing a golf club like distance, placement, and conditions of play.

What is a golf club?

So we recommend have a peep and continue further. The Golf club is a club in golf which is used to hit the ball. There are 6 types of golf clubs.

Why are wedges different from irons?

Wedges can simply change the outcome of the game because of its specific use and characteristics. These clubs are very identical to irons because of their look and build. Wedges can be distinguished from the irons by their lofts. These clubs have higher loft degrees ranging from 46 to 64 degrees.

What is the best golf club in 2018?

Callaway golf clubs are the hot favorite in 2018. It has accumulated a number of awards from the Golf Digest’s Hotlist 2018. It was awarded gold rating for the best drivers, best fairway woods and best irons in 2018. For best Mallet putter and best blade putter, you have to look into some other brand.

Why are hybrid golf clubs used?

Hybrid golf clubs are most commonly known as the club for recreational golfers. It’s because of the ease at which you can make strokes. But, professionals have slowly started to use them due to their added advantages. With a hybrid club, you get a clubhead of a larger surface area.

What is hybrid club?

The distinctive feature of the hybrid club is it has both the combination of wood and an iron golf club.

How many golf clubs can you carry in your bag?

According to the rules of golf, you are allowed to carry at most 14 golf clubs in your bag. The restrictions are only on the number of clubs you can carry. But there is no restriction on the type of clubs. From driver to putter, you can have whatever you like.

1. Drivers

On most Par 4 and Par 5 holes, you’ll want to hit your driver off the tee. The driver is the most powerful club in your golf bag because it has the longest shaft length. Many golfers nickname their driver “the big stick” or “the big dog” since it will travel the furthest distance of any club in the bag.

2. Fairway Woods

Fairway woods come in handy after a nice tee shot that ends up in the short grass. They are most commonly used on second shots of a Par 4 or Par 5 hole. There are three different types of fairways woods: 3-Woods, 5-Woods, and 7-Woods.

3. Hybrids

Hybrid golf clubs have been around for several decades but didn’t become immensely popular until the early 2000s. Think of a hybrid as half-iron and half-wood. Engineers wanted to create an easier-to-hit club than traditional fairway woods but with better accuracy.

4. Irons

Irons make up the majority of clubs in a golfer’s arsenal. Most golfers carry at least five different irons (5-9) in their bags, and some may even carry as many as seven (3-9). Irons are primarily used for approach shots when you’re trying to reach the green.

5. Wedges

If you’re close to the green and need pinpoint accuracy, consider hitting one of your wedges. Wedges have the most loft, so they’re the best choice for hitting a high shot. For more information on wedges, check out my previous article: Pitching, Gap, Lob, and Sand Wedge Lofts: A Complete Guide.

6. Putters

Your putter is arguably the most important club in your bag because you’ll use it each time you’re on the green. One of the most accurate golf sayings is “you drive for show and putt for dough.”

FAQS

No, just because you’re allowed to carry 14 clubs doesn’t mean you have to have exactly 14 in your bag. The USGA limit is 14 clubs, but you’re allowed to have less than that in your bag. Young kids can learn the game with just a few clubs.

Woods

The woods are the larger clubs in the bag. They will have the largest club head, be made with the lightest material, and have the longest length of any other golf club in the bag. Woods tend to be either a favorite club of the golfer or a least favorite.

Irons

The next major category of golf clubs in the irons. The irons tend to be divided even further by middle irons, long irons, and short irons. These are the distinctions used to determine the length of the club and the length that you should be able to hit each of the clubs.

Wedges

Golf wedges are considered to be the scoring clubs. When you get close to the green but need to be able to get the ball in the hole, you will need the golf wedges to help you do it. One thing worth mentioning about the golf wedges is that many people believe the pitching wedge, and sometimes the gap or approach wedge is part of the iron set.

Putters

A golf putter is truly the most important club in the bag. Without the putter, you would not be able to get the ball in the hole. Putters come in two basic styles, the mallet putters and the blade putters. Mallet putters have a large clubhead and are great for those that need help with alignment and feel.

How Do I Know Which Golf Clubs I Should Play?

One of the hardest decisions for the average golfer is which clubs they need to keep in their bag. With only fourteen clubs allowed, you will need to find options that allow you to hit the ball straight, far, and with the proper loft as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

The different types of golf clubs available on the market bring up many questions about the best options. Here are a few of the questions that we are asked most often.

Conclusion

There is a lot to learn about golf equipment, and it only changes every year. There are new technologies constantly being added and improved. However, the basis of all of this is first to understand the different types of golf clubs.

What is the last club on the golf list?

The last club on the list is a putter, and I am sure if you are on a golf site then you have heard of one. The putter is used on the green and is the last club that you will use on every hole in most cases.

What is a hybrid golf club?

A hybrid is a type of golf club that has become popular relatively recently and it is a mix between a wood and a long iron. The point of them is to be more forgiving and able to use in rougher lies compared to woods.

Why are woods used in golf?

The first reason is that they are great off of the tee if a golfer is struggling to keep their driver straight. The second reason that woods ae used is that they hit the ball a bit shorter than a driver, so there are situations for it. The third reason is that they can be used in the fairway if you are a long way out.

What is the range of mid irons?

The next category of irons is the irons in the range of 5 to 7. Mid irons are common clubs that golfers use on par 3’s and approach shots with 160 yards. That number can fluctuate greatly depending on how much power a golfer has.

What is the distance of a pitching wedge?

A pitching wedge is a wedge with the lowest loft, meaning that it has the farthest distance. A typical male golfer hits a pitching wedge 110 yards. For women, the average distance is more like 90 yards ( source)

What is a long iron?

Long irons are considered any iron between 1 and 4. The important thing that beginners mix up is about the distance that each iron goes. The smaller the number, the less loft so it goes farther. For example, your 3-iron should go much further than a 7-iron!

Why do you tee the ball up for a driver?

The reason that you tee the ball up for a driver is that the sweet spot is higher up off the ground and no touching the ground. The driver ball flight is usually medium to high in trajectory and rolls out very nicely.

What are the different types of irons in golf?

Numbered 1 through 9, the irons possess a higher degree of loft than the woods, with the 9-iron having the most. 1-, 2-, and 3-irons are called long irons and have little loft, meaning they can send the golf ball the farthest. The 4- , 5- , and 6-irons are known as the middle irons and are used when the ball is about 150 to 170 yards from the hole. The short irons are the 7-, 8-, and 9-irons and get the ball in the air quickly due to their loft. The normal golf set contains a 3- through 9-iron because the 1- and 2-irons are the most difficult to master.

What is the farthest club in golf?

Woods are the clubs that propel a golf ball the farthest, from 200 to 350 yards, when used properly. At one time, the head of this type of club was made of wood, such as persimmon or hickory, which gave the club its name. Nowadays, however, woods are actually metals, such as steel and titanium, along with other alloys.

What is the loft of a pitching wedge?

These clubs are lofted much higher than the others; for example, a pitching wedge has a loft between 46 to 51 degrees, and a lob wedge's loft can be as high as 64 degrees.

How far to hit a wedge in golf?

Golfers usually select a pitching wedge when the shot is as far as 130 yards to the green and a sand wedge to escape from bunkers and very tall grass. A gap wedge allows the golfer to take a full swing and hit the ball about 110 yards.

How tall is a putter?

It is utilized to roll the ball along the green toward the hole. Putters come in different sizes, with the standard putter about 34 to 35 inches tall.

Which wood is the least lofted?

The driver, or 1-wood, is the least lofted and is employed to hit the ball the farthest. Woods with higher numbers are more lofted and can be used to hit the ball in the fairway or when on a tee.

When to use lob wedge?

The lob wedge is chosen when the ball needs to rise quickly to clear a hazard but not have to carry a great distance. Golf sets generally come with a pitching wedge; other wedges must be purchased separately.

What are the two types of putters?

The two types of putters, easily identified by the shape of the head when you set up to putt and look down at it, are “blade” putters with long thin heads and “mallet” putters with large blocky heads, often of various shapes . Golfweeks' Adam Woodard breaks down the results from the match.

Why do golfers use big lumber?

Because the ball is perched on a tee, drivers are designed with large heads that minimize backspin and create a large “sweet spot” where the ball can be hit with reasonable accuracy, even if the player does not strike it perfectly.

What is a short iron called?

Another group of very short irons with more loft and heavier soles are called wedges, and are often referred to as the “scoring clubs” because they are so useful between 100 yards out and the green. Wedges typically have between 48 and 64 degrees of loft, and are divided into four categories—from least to most loft, they are the pitching, gap, ...

What is the purpose of Golfsmith?

Golfsmith carries a wide variety of clubs and provides information to help you determine which ones best suit your game, but all of them fit into these categories.

How many degrees of loft are there in a wedge?

Wedges typically have between 48 and 64 degrees of loft, and are divided into four categories—from least to most loft, they are the pitching, gap, sand and lob wedges.

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