Full Answer
What is the sole of a golf club?
When a golfer addresses the ball, the sole is the portion of the club that lays on the ground. Its width is measured from the leading edge -- where the sole meets the club face -- to the sole's trailing edge toward the back of the club.
What does the sole size of a golf iron mean?
As "Golf Digest" explains, "The sole of an iron is like the hull of a boat. The wider it is, the less it will sink." If you're hitting an iron with a wide sole, it will tend to skip off the turf rather than dig deeply into it. Golf designers try to match the width of the sole and the amount of bounce in the club.
What is the advantage of a wider sole on a club?
The wider sole also provides more bounce when it strikes the ground, which is particularly advantageous when you’re hitting iron shots on softer turf. Measure the clubhead from its bottom front edge to its bottom back edge to find out exactly how wide the sole is at a given point.
How do you measure sole width of a golf club?
Measure the clubhead from its bottom front edge to its bottom back edge to find out exactly how wide the sole is at a given point. Compare the measurement to other clubs you're considering, if sole width is a factor in your choice. Game improvement irons, for example, typically feature 1-inch-wide soles.
What does sole the club mean in golf?
The sole is located at the bottom of the clubhead and consists of the area located between the heel and the toe, and between the leading and trailing edges. The marking or engraving that identifies the golf club in question will usually be found on the sole of the club.
What is sole width?
When a golfer addresses the ball, the sole is the portion of the club that lays on the ground. Its width is measured from the leading edge -- where the sole meets the club face -- to the sole's trailing edge toward the back of the club.
How do you sole a golf driver?
3:189:02HOW TO SOLE THE GOLF CLUB AT ADDRESS! THIS AFFECTS YOUR ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIs off the ground. So when i'm coming through the shaft is going to bow forward and the sole of theMoreIs off the ground. So when i'm coming through the shaft is going to bow forward and the sole of the club is going to sit itself down so here's what that looks like.
What is a wide sole wedge?
0:054:29Wide Sole Wedge: A Secret Weapon? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWedge. White sold clubs have been on the market now for a long time. But primarily the associatedMoreWedge. White sold clubs have been on the market now for a long time. But primarily the associated with getting out of a bunker the idea of the wide sole is to create bounce.
Why are some irons thicker than others?
Thicker soles help the club glide through the turf, and lower the centre of gravity, making the club higher launching. Blades have thinner soles, while cavity back irons have thicker soles.
Do all golf irons have bounce?
Bounce and bounce angle are elements present in all iron golf clubs, not just wedges. But the terms are commonly used almost exclusively in reference to wedges.
What is sole driver?
1 prenominal being the only one; only. 2 prenominal of or relating to one individual or group and no other.
Should my driver sit flat on the ground?
The golf club should address the ball with the toe set a few millimetres in the air – the clubhead should never sit flat on the turf. You should be able to fit a small coin under the toe of the club at address, with the heel remaining in contact with the ground.
What lie angle should my irons be?
Lie angles almost always range from the mid-50 degrees (in drivers) to the mid-60 degrees (in short irons). In irons, the range is typically from 59 or 60 degrees to around 64 degrees. (Lie angles on putters reach into the 70s.)
Which wedge is best for chipping?
What degree wedge is best for chipping? For most golfers, a gap wedge or a sand wedge with loft of between 52° and 56° will produce the most consistent outcome when chipping. This is because you'll be able to play most short-game shots you're likely to come across out on the course.
What is the advantage of a low bounce wedge?
The low-bounce wedge lets the leading edge dig a little and get under the bottom of the ball. Again, at address set your shoulders parallel with the slope so the shaft is perpendicular to the ground. Most of your weight now will be on your lead foot.
What is camber on a golf club?
Camber is a term for the curvature on the sole of a golf club. It most often refers to the front-to-back (leading edge-to-trailing edge) curvature.
What is the sole of an iron?
Sole Fundamentals. As "Golf Digest" explains, "The sole of an iron is like the hull of a boat. The wider it is, the less it will sink.". If you're hitting an iron with a wide sole, it will tend to skip off the turf rather than dig deeply into it.
What does the width of the sole on an iron mean?
But the width of the sole in your irons can make a big difference in the performance of your clubs and your ability to get the most out of your game. "The sole that suits your swing should move through the ground like it isn't even there," states "Golf Digest.".
What is the difference between a wide and narrow sole?
The Difference Between a Wide Sole and a Narrow Sole of a Golf Club. The sole of a golf club is just like the sole of your shoe, the bottom part that touches the ground. A casual golfer might not pay any attention to the sole of his clubs. But the width of the sole in your irons can make a big difference in the performance ...
Is a wide sole better than a narrow sole?
The Golf Channel compares a wide sole to a knife blade turned on its side and a narrow sole to a knife blade with its cutting edge facing the turf. Since a wide sole doesn't dig into the ground as sharply, you aren't as likely to chunk shots as often. As Oob Golf expalins, a wide sole has more forgiveness, making it a better choice for higher handicappers with more erratic swings. In addition, wide soles concentrate more weight at the bottom of the club, which makes it easier to launch shots with higher trajectories.
What is the sole of a golf club?
When a golfer addresses the ball, the sole is the portion of the club that lays on the ground. Its width is measured from the leading edge -- where the sole meets the club face -- to the sole's trailing edge toward the back of the club.
What is wide sole golf?
Wide-sole clubs are generally classified as game improvement or super game improvement equipment , as opposed to the thinner soles that professional and low-handicap players generally prefer, as Stachura notes. “If you're really looking for game improvement, focus on sole width,” Stachura adds.
Why do you replace long irons with hybrid clubs?
Noted swing coach Butch Harmon recommends that players replace long irons with hybrid clubs, in part because of their wider soles. He says that “if you do mishit it, the hybrid's wide sole and low center of gravity will minimize the damage.”
Does a wide sole golf club help?
Club designer Tom Stites notes that while the wider sole “doesn’ t change the degrees of designed-in bounce angle,” it does “keep the sole from digging” into the turf. This aspect of wide-sole clubs helps players who sweep their fairway shots rather than hitting down on the ball, says Barr.
Why do players prefer thicker soles?
Although there are exceptions, better players tend to gravitate toward thinner soles for versatility while higher-handicappers favor thicker ones that lower the center of gravity and assist in getting the ball airborne while also mitigating the effect of shots hit fat.
Why did O'Hair put a priority on his new irons' soles?
Bottoms Up: O'Hair put a priority on his new irons' soles because he wanted less digging action.
Who said "dig his game out of the dirt"?
Ben Hogan is well known for saying he liked to "dig his game out of the dirt." As such, it should surprise no one that, when it came to iron design, Hogan realized the importance of the sole.
What irons did Sean O'Hair use?
O'Hair had used the company's muscleback irons for some time, but he preferred irons with more bounce on the sole, leading to a switch to the RocketBallz, which have a more rounded sole and leading edge. Still, O'Hair went one step further, having TaylorMade round the sole even more.
What is the purpose of a golf club sole?
Regardless, everyone needs a sole that helps the club move through impact with the least resistance. Those precise curves and angles on the shape of a sole are not a trivial piece of engineering, says Jeff Brunski, vice president of research and development at Cleveland/Srixon.
What is a wide sole iron?
Wide—or narrow—sole designs build in forgiveness with playability. Some game-improvement irons position extra mass toward the sole to help shots launch higher. But by adding relief on the trailing edge, there’s less surface area contacting the ground. Meanwhile, the narrow soles on players irons use softer, rounded leading edges for more forgiveness and less digging at impact.
Why are irons wide soled?
Sole design is more complex than it might seem. Irons with wide soles have more mass low in the clubhead. This translates into a lower and often deeper center of gravity to help launch the ball higher and farther. An exceptionally wide sole can also help the club slide through the turf on those dreaded fat shots.
Why do amateur golfers lack body rotation?
Other times a physical limitation prevents a healthy turn. Often rotation is lacking because the golfer doesn’t know what a proper swing should feel like.
Is it better to use wider soles on irons?
For players who like to control trajectory or work the ball with fades and draws, this is less than ideal.
Do golfers rotate their bodies?
Most golfers who hit behind the ball don’t rotate their body enough, if at all, says Kevin Sprecher, director of instruction at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. “A wider-sole iron is going to be more forgiving for players who hit fat shots, but you still have to turn.”.
CAN THE RIGHT SOLE END THE FAT SHOT?
Sadly, no, your swing plays a big role, too. However, the right sole design can mitigate fat shots. A Wilson study of players with a 10-handicap or higher revealed that nearly 12 percent of their shots were hit fat. “Our research shows that at a minimum this is a 10-yard problem, but because some shots in our test didn’t go anywhere and couldn’t even be recorded, this could be a 50-yard problem,” says Bob Thurman, vice president of Wilson Labs. It led the company to design its LaunchPad irons with a wide sole meant to help the club glide rather than dig into the turf. Even elite players whose swings are faster and steeper are looking to have the club not get stuck in the ground at impact. That’s what motivated designers at Srixon to add more relief to the front part of the sole on its irons. The design reduced by half the turf’s negative effect on clubhead speed through impact.
