When did golf clubs stop using wooden shafts?
Hickory became the standard material for golf club shafts until steel shafts were introduced in about 1925 in the US, and became standard everywhere from the mid 1930s. They had the advantage as they did not break like the hickory shafts and could be produced reliably with uniform feel in matched sets.
When did golf clubs change from wood to metal?
That changed in 1979 when the TaylorMade golf company began making drivers and other woods out of metal, giving rise to one of the great oxymorons of all time, the metal wood. Two years after their introduction, the first professional golf tournament was won with a metal wood — the Houston Open.
When did graphite shafts in irons?
The graphite shaft was first marketed in 1970 at the PGA Merchandise Show but did not gain widespread use until the mid-1990s and is now used on almost all woods and some iron sets, as the carbon-fiber composite of graphite shafts boasts increased flex for greater clubhead speed at the cost of slightly reduced accuracy ...
When did the graphite shafts start?
In 1968, Frank Thomas, the Chief Design Engineer for the Shakespeare Sporting Goods Company, invented the first graphite golf shaft. He had been contacted by Union Carbide, who wanted to bring carbon fiber technology to the consumer market. While highly effective, graphite shafts were incredibly cost-prohibitive.
When did metal woods become popular?
Metal woods, when they came along in the 1980s, weren't fully embraced on tour until some time in the mid-90s. Justin Leonard and Davis Love III were among the last to convert from persimmon to metal.
Does anyone still make wooden clubs?
Persimmon Golf produce some of the finest wooden golf clubs, maintaining a tradition for the many thousands of Persimmon fans who demand the experience and pleasure of playing with modern high-performance persimmon clubs.
Do any pros use graphite shafts?
In total 100% of the top 100 PGA Tour pros use graphite shafts in their drivers, fairway woods and hybrid clubs. 14 out of the top 100 use graphite shafts in their utility irons while 21 pros use steel.
How do you tell if your irons are steel or graphite?
Steel tends to have very low torque (rotation during the swing) and also a stiffer tip section, while graphite can offer much higher torque rates and more flex in the tip. This combination will help with launch and also help you swing faster with less effort.
What are old golf club shafts made of?
Shafts. Historically shafts were made of different types of wood including orangewood, ash and hickory; but, hickory became the wood of choice in the mid-1800s. The 20th century brought innovations in shaft construction including the development by Ping of laminated woods for increased strength.
Do golf pros use graphite or steel shafts?
Over the past decade, graphite has become the material of choice on the PGA TOUR for shafts in drivers, fairway woods and hybrids, as pros have shifted away from steel and into lighter composites that increased swing speed and distance.
Do pros have graphite shafts for irons?
Graphite iron shafts have been used by PGA TOUR professionals for decades including FedExCup Champion Brandt Snedeker and US Open Champion Bryson DeChambeau. There's also a third option in iron shafts which may eventually fall into the “best of both worlds” category.
Who invented steel golf shafts?
In the 1890's club designers were experimenting with other materials such as steel tubes and solid steel rods. A Scottish blacksmith, Thomas Horsburgh made the first steel shaft in 1893.
When did golf clubs start using steel shafts?
The History of Steel Shaft Golf Clubs. Golfers and club designers experimented with steel shafts as early as the 1890s, but didn't fully embrace the new technology until the mid-1920s.
What were the effects of the steel shaft on golf swings?
The typical golf swing was altered by the advent of the steel shaft. Hickory shafts required golfers to swing more with the hands, while the steel shaft allowed for a swing that used the entire body and maximized club-head speed.
What type of shafts do golfers use?
Prior to the introduction of steel shafts, golfers used hickory shafts, which necessitated a slow, smooth swing that relied on timing for a well-executed shot. As the sport grew in popularity, the golf world became concerned about the availability of hickory for use in golf shafts.
Why are steel shafted clubs better than hickory shafted clubs?
Benefits. Steel shafted-clubs made for a more durable golf club than hickory-shafted clubs, which were prone to breaking. Steel shafts also allowed golfers to hit the ball greater distances by increasing club-head speed.
When were feathered golf clubs invented?
With the introduction of the “featherie” golf ball in 1618 golf clubs continued to be made with wooden heads, although forging iron into the head was possible, because of the delicacy of the featheries. The wooden clubs were expensive due to the time and effort that went into making them and they were prone to break.
Who made the first metal club head?
Taylor-Made was the first company to produce metal club headed woods. The popularity of metal club heads over persimmon club heads didn’t become prolific until Callaway introduced the Big Bertha in 1991. The Big Bertha driver, which had an oversized metal club head, was the first of its kind.
What wood is used for golf clubs?
Hickory quickly became the standard wood of choice for club-makers due to its availability and better durability. In 1848 the “guttie” ball was introduced by Rev. Adam Paterson, which quickly made the “longnoses” or drivers obsolete. Bulgers emerged to replace the longnoses which had a bulbous head, resembling modern woods.
What were the clubs made of in the 1500s?
In the 1500s a set of clubs consisted of: a set of play clubs, “longnoses”, for driving; fairway clubs or “grassed drivers”, for medium range; “spoons” for short shots; “niblicks” similar to wedges; and a putting “cleek”. These golf clubs were made up of wood with the shafts being made from ash or hazel and the club heads being made ...
What is the evolution of golf?
The Evolution of the Golf Club. Since the inception of the game of golf, players have continually tried to improve upon their equipment. The earliest golf clubs were initially carved by the golfer themselves and typically out of wood. Golfers soon turned to skilled craftsmen to produce higher quality equipment.
What is the R&A golf club?
The R&A, named from The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, is the governing body of the game of golf. The R&A finally legalized the use of steel shafted clubs after the Prince of Wales used them on the Old Course at St Andrews in 1929. The steel shaft provided for greater accuracy and durability.
What were the names of the golf clubs after World War II?
The traditional names of the clubs, like “niblicks” and “spoons”, were replaced by the standard numbering system used to this day. There was little development and advancement for the next few decades. After World War II development of golf clubs were influenced by research into synthetic and composite materials.
When did golf clubs use steel?
The use of steel was trendy in the 1920s. However, it was widely contested until 1929, when the Prince of Wales used it in a match. Clubs made with steel shafts were more robust and lighter and could produce better accuracy. However, this posed another dilemma. With a lighter club, a golfers swing also had to change.
What are golf clubs made of?
Most clubs were made with a solid piece of wood, but some were fused and connected by leather straps. While wood/iron fusions worked for shorter range clubs like wedges, longer drivers became too heavy to maneuver. Other metals were cheaper and more desirable but were prohibited due to the type of ball used.
What are the different types of golf clubs?
At that time, there were five main styles of clubs from which to choose: 1 Play Clubs or Longnoses, for driving 2 Fairway Clubs or Grassdrivers, for medium-range shots 3 Spoons for short shots 4 Niblicks, which are similar to wedges 5 Putting Cleek
What wood is used in golf clubs?
Woods were typically made with popular persimmon wood due because it was both durable and powerful. Until 1991 when the first “metal” wood emerged, persimmon was the wood of choice for most golfers. Wedges had already been fused with metals since the late 1800s.
What is a Haskell golf ball made of?
It was made from a solid piece of rubber called gutta-percha. Greater distance and durability gave this golf ball precedence over others. Later in 1898, the Haskell three-piece ball was invented and became the standard for the next ninety years.
When was the featherlite golf ball invented?
Other metals were cheaper and more desirable but were prohibited due to the type of ball used. The Featherlite golf ball was invented in 1618. It was made from leather and feathers. If golfers hit the Featherlite with anything other than wood, it would occasionally explode upon impact.
When did golf clubs become more popular?
Metal and the Modern Era. The history of golf clubs took a turn when the casting method of mass production began in 1963. Metals like steel and iron became cheaper to produce, nearly eliminating individual craftsmen. With industrialization, clubs became more affordable and greatly expanded the popularity of the game.
When did golf clubs change to grooves?
One of the most important changes was the move in around 1908 from smooth faces on the irons to the grooves that are used today. The grooves enabled more backspin on a ball, resulting in more distance.
What were golf clubs made of?
Early Clubs. For hundreds of years, golf clubs were made out of wood, and it was not until late last century that the wooden shaft was replaced by other materials. Players initially carved their own clubs and balls from wood, though they soon turned to skilled craftsmen to produce competitive equipment.
What are the different names for golf clubs?
For a long time different clubs were known by a variety of names, such as: Longnoses - for driving. Bulgers - like today's woods as they have a bulbous head. Fairway clubs (or grassed drivers) - for medium range shots. Spoons - for short range shots . Niblicks - like a wedge. Cleek - for putting.
What woods were used for golf clubs?
The shafts of the early clubs were made out of local European woods like ash or hazel. Club heads were made from tough wood such as beech, holly, pear and apple. The heads of the wooden clubs were long and thin, resulting in them being known as "long-nose woods".
What are wood and iron made of?
They are also made using advanced materials such as titanium, graphite and zirconia.
When were iron clubs invented?
The early iron clubs, made by blacksmiths until about the 1870s, were quite crudely made, making them heavy to wield and difficult to control. The advent of drop forging technique in the late 1800s resulted in lighter and better made clubs that could be mass produced in factories. The early 1900 was a period of experimental golf club designs, ...
What wood was used in the early 1800s?
The shafts of the early clubs were made out of local European woods like Ash. The introduction of golf into America in the early 1800s lead to hickory wood being used in the shafts, which was found to be far more durable than other woods. Hickory became the standard material for golf club shafts until steel shafts were introduced in about 1925 in ...
When was the steel shaft invented?
For the sake of this piece were going to stick with the modern evolution of the game’s equipment starting off with the invention of the steel shaft in the early 1900s. Some of the first steel shafts came from a fishing rod producer in Britain by the name of Apollo and we’re developed in the early 1920s. The shafts were much more consistent ...
Why is the golf club called the "driver"?
Now to the “big stick.”. The term “driver” comes from the idea that the longest club was meant to be driven as far as possible from the teeing area and hence the name stuck. The club heads were made of persimmon, because of the strong dense nature of the wood.
When did golf clubs start using aluminum?
In the early 70’s, the first club designers began working with metal, initially aluminum, in an effort to revolutionize the long game. It took two decades before they became ubiquitous on the PGA and European tours. Aluminum was eventually bypassed for titanium, steel or composite material.
When was the Taylormade head metal driver made?
TaylorMade produced a standard-sized head metal driver in 1979 with a famous tag on the sole of the club, “Pittsburg Persimmon”, a nod to the steel city and the material utilized for the club. TaylorMade’s first metal driver debuted three years after Pinseeker, which was quickly on its way to obscurity. While Adams and others deserve credit, the ...
What is the Advent of the Metal Driver?
The Advent of the Metal Driver. Most golfers born after 1980 never experienced the joy of a well-struck tee shot with a wooden-headed driver. If you caught it just right, the sound and the feel were extraordinarily different than the noise and feedback you get from today’s latest drivers.
Who won the 1985 Michelob Open?
Ron Streck , one of Adam’s earliest disciples, won the rain-shortened Michelob Open in 1985 with a TaylorMade driver. By the early 90’s, the next evolution in the driver was the introduction of the oversized head. Suddenly, players looked down and saw a clubhead dramatically larger than their old persimmon model.
Who won the 1982 Bing Crosby Pro Am?
Jim Simons won a PGA tour event with a metal driver at the 1982 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am (now the AT&T). Simons had a TaylorMade driver in the bag that week. Lee Trevino became the first person to win a major championship (1984 PGA Championship) with a metal wood. Ron Streck, one of Adam’s earliest disciples, ...
When did golf clubs have grooves?
The grooved marking of faces on antique iron clubs was not introduced until the first few years of the 20th century. While this will not rank as an exact method of dating an old golf club, a smooth face would certainly indicate that it is a club that dates prior to 1905. The Metal Club Head - Simple test.
What are golf shafts made of?
The wood shafts are made of hickory for it's strong and yet elastic flex and feel, and they are generally tapered to be a smaller diameter at the head and larger at the grip. The handle end of the shafts are larger so that you could apply one layer of friction tape and a user desired leather grip to create a standard grip for use by most golfer.
What are golf club heads made of?
Most wooden golf club heads are made from persimmon wood which was considered the highest-quality golf club heads for those clubs referred to as "woods". Persimmon woods are still made, but in far lower numbers than in past. The wood shafts are made of hickory for it's strong and yet elastic flex and feel, and they are generally tapered ...
What are the grips on a golf club?
The grips are usually real leather strips, cut and wrapped around the handle end of the club. These grips are held on with two sided friction tape, tacks and waxed linen thread that is used to transition to the wood, just as on the irons.
What is the wood shaft test?
The Wooden Shaft Test - Whether or not the shaft is made of wood is a primary indicator of age. Steel-shafted golf clubs were introduced in the 1920's about the same time that some club makers started using the current numbering system to identify different clubs instead of the old creative names. Some of these clubs had metal shafts ...
What are putters made of?
What Age Characteristics To Look For On The Putter. Putters are mostly found with a blade style head. They are usually made of forged steel and have a great feel when struck properly in the sweet spot.
What are iron heads made of?
On the irons you will notice that the iron heads are made of forged steel, with an old look and feel. Like the woods, the iron heads may be stamped with the name of the maker or the professional’s name and the golf course he was associated with. The iron heads will also be stamped with one of the old colorful names that are common ...
How many wooden clubs do golfers use?
Players use 20 to 30 wooden clubs of various functions to hit featheries, hard leather balls stuffed with feathers. 1856: America's hickory trees get the shaft when Robert Forgan exports them to Scotland to make golf clubs.
When did graphite clubs become popular?
1973: Lightweight graphite-shaft clubs become popular among women and senior golfers. The rest of the world—ahem, PGA Tour players—catches on by the mid-1990s. 1980: In Caddyshack, Rodney Dangerfield's character stocks his bag with a driver that dispenses beer.
When did golf start allowing dorky apparel?
1939: Golf's rule-making authority decrees the use of no more than 14 clubs in a round but puts no limits on dorky apparel. 1959: Engineer Karsten Solheim invents a putter with more weight at the heel and toe of the blade and a thinner, lighter sweet spot.
What year did Alan Shepherd hit two golf balls on the moon?
He quits his day job, creates the golf-equipment brand Ping, and makes a fortune. 1971: Alan Shepard takes one small swing for a man, one giant drive for mankind when he hits two golf balls on the moon at the end of the Apollo 14 mission. The second travels over a mile.
Who invented golf clubs?
This need was filled by Wilson Staff and their golf clubs, and inspired by the assembly line techniques of Henry Ford. The company first began making golf clubs as the Thomas E. Wilson Sporting Co.
When did Wilson Staff start making golf clubs?
Open win, a need for a major golfing brand was inherent in the U.S. market. This need was filled by Wilson Staff and their golf clubs, and inspired by the assembly line techniques of Henry Ford. The company first began making golf clubs as the Thomas E. Wilson Sporting Co.
When did Wilson irons come out?
In 1933 , Wilson introduced the Wilson Ogg-mented irons. These new irons revolutionized clubs in the United States, moving the weight of the club away from the heel and to the ball-striking sweet spot of the head.
Who invented the sand wedge?
Introduction of the Sand Wedge. Also in 1933, Gene Sarazen began experimenting for Wilson with a club that would move through sand bunkers smoothly. He welded a piece of metal to the sole of the club, giving it a weighted bottom that would bounce off the sand or ground.
Who made Wilson clubs?
Sam Snead, Patty Berg and club makers Hall of Famer Bob Mendralla would join the Wilson Advisory Staff by 1947, and would direct the company in the production of clubs for years to come. The 1970's would see Wilson Staff introduce more revolutions into the golf club world, including the Dyna-Power, the Fluid Feel and the FG Series blades. By 1983, Wilson clubs were the number one club on the PGA Tour.
When did the Staff Tour Blade come out?
1980's and 1990's. The company would remain the number one club throughout the 1980's, introducing the Staff Tour Blade in 1985 . This club would be introduced alongside the Staff persimmon woods, which featured aluminum face inserts, and would go on to be the top woods in the sport.
The History of Golf Clubs: A Look-Back
Original Club and Ball Designs
- Clubs were often crudely made from carved wood.Early in the history of golf, players designed and crafted their own clubs. Most clubs were made with a solid piece of wood, but some were fused and connected by leather straps. While wood/iron fusions worked for shorter range clubs like wedges, longer drivers became too heavy to maneuver. Other metals were cheaper and more de…
Golf Gains in The 20th Century
- Great gains in golf happened in the early 1900s. After a solid ball was brought forth, it led to other adaptations in club design. Former “Longnoses,” or drivers, were too heavy when fused with iron. Bulgers or woods then replaced them. Woods were typically made with popular persimmon wood due because it was both durable and powerful. Until 1991 when the first “metal” wood emerged, …
Metal and The Modern Era
- The history of golf clubs took a turn when the casting method of mass production began in 1963. Metals like steel and iron became cheaper to produce, nearly eliminating individual craftsmen. With industrialization, clubs became more affordable and greatly expanded the popularity of the game. As access to more materials like fiberglass, titanium, an...
Clubs of The Future
- As technology advances, so does the game of golf. While the clubs we use today look quite different from golf clubs used earlier in history, one fact remains. A golfer is only as good as the tools he uses. Standard wooden clubs have evolved the most. Actual wood was replaced with lighter titanium and graphite shafts, and head size expanded to its maximum 460cc. Having a m…
A Hole in One
- The history of golf clubs is fascinating, but Our Golf Clubsis most excited about the future of golf. We are here to provide you interesting and useful content to enhance and simplify your own golfing experience. Our Golf Clubs provides you with everything best in golf. Stay tuned to Our Golf Clubs for all your golfing needs. If you’d like more information on clubs and which style is right f…