What is the history of the Golf Club shaft?
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 the US, and became standard everywhere from the mid 1930s.
When did golf clubs start using metal heads?
As early as 1750 some club-makers used forged metal heads for niblicks (wedges). A metal headed club may have just been saved for getting the ball out of the rough or from cart tracks. The early iron clubs, made by blacksmiths until about the 1870s, were quite crudely made, making them heavy to wield and difficult to control.
Who invented metal wood golf clubs?
They marketed “The Bombshell” which debuted in 1976. One of the early pioneers was Gerry Adams, a man considered the Grandfather of the metal wood, who would find fame as the founder of TaylorMade.
When did the USGA allow steel shafts in golf?
In 1924, the USGA finally legalized steel shafts, although the R&A continued to ban them until the Prince of Wales used a set at St. Andrews in 1929 which helped force a rule change. In 1924, the first steel shafts were allowed in the US Open, They were allowed in putters only. The winner, Cyril Walker, used one.
When did they stop using wooden shaft golf clubs?
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 was the first metal golf club?
As we mentioned earlier, shafts were usually made from whatever local wood was available. When golf was introduced in America in the early 1800s, hickory wood began to be used in shafts, due to it's availability. Hickory was far more durable and became the standard until steel shafts were introduced in 1925.
When did golfers start using metal woods?
1979That 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 was the first titanium golf club made?
1990'sThe use of titanium for golf clubs came from the technology used in the aerospace industry. The first golf clubs made from titanium date back to the early 1990's and quickly became the material of choice for driver heads due to the high strength-to-weight ratio.
When did the first metal driver come out?
1991: Callaway Launches World's First Stainless Steel Driver At 195cc it was enormous compared to what golfers were used to. It was a game changer.
Who invented the metal wood?
Gary AdamsGary Adams, founder of TaylorMade Golf, is considered the father of the modern metal wood. Adams began to market his club in the late 1970s, but it was nearly a decade until metal woods became more popular with most golfers.
Do they still make wooden golf 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.
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 steel shafts become legal?
In 1924, the USGA finally legalized steel shafts, although the R&A continued to ban them until the Prince of Wales used a set at St. Andrews in 1929 which helped force a rule change. In 1924, the first steel shafts were allowed in the US Open, They were allowed in putters only. The winner, Cyril Walker, used one.
Who made the first steel shaft?
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. He was unable to gain any interest in it as it was solid steel and very heavy. He duly allowed his patent to lapse.
What wood was used for golf shafts in the 17th century?
The golf shafts in the 17th and 18th centuries were not yet made of hickory, but rather from ash and hazel or whatever hardwood was available locally including wood from trees such as danga wood, ironheart, purpleheart, greenheart, bloomahoo and bulletwood. The US used other woods from what was being used in Great Britain, ...
Why are Spalding clubs painted tan?
The clubs had steel shafts which were painted tan to give the impression of hickory. This practice was also done by other. manufacturers to help influence golfers to make the transition from hickory to steel. Spalding's steel shaft, painted to look like hickory.
What is a whistler shaft?
Nicknamed the "Whistler", Lard's shaft was made from a solid steel bar that was bored out and milled to form 6 sides. To reduce its weight, it was drilled with hundreds of small holes.
Why is the Allan Lard golf shaft called a whistling shaft?
To reduce its weight, it was drilled with hundreds of small holes. The perforations helped enhance club head speed and reduced torque significantly. When swung, these holes caused a whistling sound, hence the "Whistler" nickname. But like the other steel shafts, they never caught on. Allan Lard's perforated steel shaft.
What wood was used for the club heads?
The US used other woods from what was being used in Great Britain, including ash and lancewood. Club heads were made from tough woods such as beech, holly, apple and pear. These were connected to the shaft using a splint and then bound using leather straps.
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 ...
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 ...
What are golf clubs made of?
Early golf clubs had wooden shafts, most commonly made of hickory. These shafts were resilient and withstood the forces created by the golf swing, but unlike modern, more stiff shafts, their high flexibility required a skilled swing to produce consistent results.
What is the purpose of a golf shaft?
While hundreds of different designs exist, the primary purpose of the golf shaft remains the same: to provide the player with a way to generate centrifugal force in order to effectively strike the ball. When properly gripped the player can hit the ...
What is stiff tip shaft?
These shafts offer the same flex throughout most of the shaft, in order to attain the "whip" required to propel the ball properly, but also include a stiffer tip, which cuts back drastically on the lateral torque acting on the head.
How much does a spherical shaft weigh?
Shafts weigh between 45 and 150 grams depending on the material and length.
When was graphite shaft invented?
Graphite shafts began to emerge in the late twentieth century. The graphite shaft was invented by Frank Thomas in 1969 while working as Chief Design Engineer for Shakespeare Sporting Goods, in collaboration with Union Carbide.
Can shaft lengths be altered?
Shaft lengths can be altered to suit golfers of different heights. Golf shafts are manufactured in various weights to suit players of any skill or strength level. New drivers come out all the time with new concepts of how its design is supposed to make you hit the ball further, however that is not the case.
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 start selling?
Spalding & Brothers sporting goods saw an opportunity. The company was already selling golf balls when, in 1905 , it became the first in America to offer its own brand of golf clubs.
Where were Spalding irons made?
Starting in 1900, Spalding opened clubmaking factories in London and in Fife, Scotland, producing forged iron heads for Spalding clubs sold both in the UK and U.S. Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark.
What is the name of the club with a narrow face and little loft?
Spalding's lead-faced putters also provided better touch for players. One of the most famous Spalding clubs was the Cran Cleek (club with a narrow face and little loft) for poor fairway lies and even putts. Today, collectors prize the narrow-faced Cran Cleek.
What is a spalding club?
Spalding introduced many variations of hickory-shafted clubs to bring distance and control to the professional and duffer alike. The company was selling aluminum fairway clubs by 1910, and its Gold Medal series (1910 to 1919) featured aluminum bronze. Spalding's lead-faced putters also provided better touch for players. One of the most famous Spalding clubs was the Cran Cleek (club with a narrow face and little loft) for poor fairway lies and even putts. Today, collectors prize the narrow-faced Cran Cleek.
How many clubs are in a golf bag?
Golf bags bulged with 20 to 25 clubs, and the USGA, fearing too many specialty clubs had watered down the game's skill levels, took action. In 1938, the USGA passed an edict limiting players to 14 clubs.
What was Spalding's design?
The design gave the clubs an exotic bamboo look; the underlying message being that these clubs offered players bamboo's legendary flexibility and whip-like strength.
Did Spalding cease making golf clubs?
The success of Spalding golf clubs had compelled the USGA to act, but this success was not destined to last forever. Mismanagement and a growing golf market has seen Spalding cease manufacturing golf products, selling off popular brands like Top Flite to Callaway in the early 2000s.
What was the first material to be used in golf clubs?
Iron was the first material that altered the so popular persimmon, by which golf clubs, especially golf shafts, were made up to the 19th century. Today is scarce to find a golf club made of pure iron. Developed alloys dominate in the production of the club heads and shafts.
What is the most common type of steel used in golf clubs?
Chrome-plated steel is another very commonly used steel in the golf club industry. It is a complex type of steel similar to the qualities of titanium, used to make both shafts and club heads. It is a prevalent material for making up irons and wedges with proven compression and distance characteristics.
What is the best metal for golf clubs?
Tungsten is another preferred metal alloy for making up golf clubs due to its strength, density, and high resistance to wear. The alloy is mainly used for making club heads. Club heads made by Tungsten provide the necessary strength and durability without adding extra weight, which makes them quite comfortable.
What is the softest steel for golf?
Carbon Steel is another type of soft steel, along with 304 steel, one of the softest known steels. Consequently, it provides perhaps the best feel possible for woods and irons. However, the restricted capability to compress the ball and lower distance makes Carbon Steel unpopular among professional golfers.
Where did golf originate?
Although historians attribute the origin of golf to 14 th -century Scottish society, some historical versions trace the appearance of the prototype of golf in ancient Rome. Romans used to play a game called Pangania, in which the basic idea was to hit a filled leather ball with a bent stick. (1) Nowadays, golf is conceptualized under the regulations of the R& A and USGA, which ratify every single component of this fantastic game.
What is the hardest metal to play golf?
Maraging Metal is considered the hardest metal in golf. It is a type of Stainless Steel, got through a unique process of hardening. It is not among the most popular materials in the golf industry but finds preference for making up high-performing woods and utility irons.
