What are golf clubs made of?
A golf club is a club used to hit a golf ball in a game of golf. Each club is composed of a shaft with a grip and a club head. Woods are mainly used for long-distance fairway or tee shots; irons, the most versatile class, are used for a variety of shots; hybrids that combine design elements of woods and irons are becoming increasingly popular; putters are used mainly on the green to roll the ball into the hole. A set of clubs is limited by the rules of golf to a maximum of 14 golf clubs, and while there are traditional combinations sold at retail as matched sets, players are free to use any combination of legal clubs.
The most significant difference between clubs of the same type is loft, or the angle between the club's face and the vertical plane. It is loft that is the primary determinant of the ascending trajectory of the golf ball, with the tangential angle of the club head's swing arc at impact being a secondary and relatively minor consideration (though these small changes in swing angle can nevertheless have a significant influence on launch angle when using low-lofted clubs). The impact of the club compresses the ball, while grooves on the club face give the ball backspin. Together, the compression and backspin create lift. The majority of woods and irons are labeled with a number; higher numbers usually indicate shorter shafts and higher lofts, which give the ball a higher and shorter trajectory.
Woods are long-distance clubs, meant to drive the ball a great distance down the fairway towards the hole. They generally have a large head and a long shaft for maximum club speed. Historically, woods were made from persimmon wood, although some manufacturers—notably Ping—developed laminated woods. In 1979, TaylorMade Golf introduced the first wood made of steel. Even more recently, manufacturers have started using materials such as carbon fiber, titanium, or scandium. Even though most ‘woods’ are made from different metals, they are still called ‘woods’ to denote the general shape and their intended use on the golf course. Most woods made today have a graphite shaft and a mostly-hollow titanium, composite, or steel head, of relatively light weight allowing faster club-head speeds. Woods are the longest clubs and the most powerful of all the golf clubs. There are typically three to four woods in a set which are used from the tee box and, if on a long hole, possibly for the second or even third shot. The biggest wood, known as the driver or one wood, is often made of hollow titanium with feather-light shafts. The length of the woods has been increasing in recent decades, and a typical driver with a graphite shaft is now 45.5 inches (1,160 mm) long. The woods may also have very large heads, up to 460 cm3 (28 cu in) in volume (the maximum allowed by the USGA in sanctioned events; drivers with even larger club-head volumes are available for long-drive competitions and informal games). The shafts range from senior to extra-stiff depending upon each player’s preference.
Irons are clubs with a solid, all-metal head featuring a flat angled face, and a shorter shaft and more upright lie angle than a wood, for ease of access. Irons are designed for a variety of shots from all over the course, from the tee box on short or dog-legged holes, to the fairway or rough on approach to the green, to tricky situations like punching through or lobbing over trees, getting out of hazards, or hitting from tight lies requiring a compact swing. Most of the irons have a number from 1 to 9 (the numbers in most common use are from 3 to 9), corresponding to their relative loft angle within a matched set. Irons are typically grouped according to their intended distance (which also roughly corresponds to their shaft length and thus their difficulty to hit the ball); in the numbered irons, there are long irons (2–4), medium irons (5–7), and short irons (8–9), with progressively higher loft angles, shorter shafts, and heavier club heads.
As with woods, ’irons’ get their name because they were originally made from forged iron. Modern irons are investment-cast out of steel alloys, which allows for better-engineered ‘cavity-back’ designs that have lower centers of mass and higher moments of inertia, making the club easier to hit and giving better distance than older forged ’muscle-back’ designs. Forged irons with less perimeter weighting are still seen, especially in sets targeting low-handicap and scratch golfers, because this less forgiving design allows a skilled golfer to intentionally hit a curved shot (a ’fade’ or ’draw’), to follow the contour of the fairway or ’bend’ a shot around an obstacle.
Wedges are a subclass of irons with greater loft than the numbered irons (generally starting at 47°–48° of loft, above the 9-irons of 44°–45°), and other features such as high-mass club heads and wide soles that allow for easier use in tricky lies. Wedges are used for a variety of short-distance, high-altitude, high-accuracy ’utility’ shots, such as hitting the ball onto the green ("approach" shots), placing the ball accurately on the fairway for a better shot at the green ("lay-up" shots), or hitting the ball out of hazards or rough onto the green (chipping). There are five main types of wedges, with lofts ranging from 45° to 64°: pitching wedge (PW, 48–50°), gap wedge (GW, also "approach", "attack", "utility", or "dual" wedge, typically 52–54°), sand wedge (SW, 55–56°), lob wedge (LW, 58°–60°), and ultra lob wedge (sometimes called the "flop wedge" or FW, 64°–68°).
Hybrids are a cross between a wood and an iron, giving these clubs the wood's long distance and higher launch, with the iron's familiar swing. The club head of a hybrid has a wood-inspired, slightly convex face, and is typically hollow like modern metal woods to allow for high impulse on impact and faster swing speeds. The head is usually smaller than true woods, however, not extending as far back from the face, and the lie and shaft length are similar to an iron giving similar swing mechanics. These clubs generally replace low-numbered irons in a standard set (between 2 and 5, most commonly 3–4), which are typically the hardest clubs in a player's bag to hit well. By doing so they also generally make higher-lofted woods redundant as well. However, some manufacturers produce "iron replacement" sets that use hybrid designs to replace an entire set of traditional irons, from 3 to pitching wedge. Sets designed for less muscular players commonly feature a combination of high-lofted woods (up to 7-wood) and hybrids to replace the 5, 6 and 7-irons, allowing these players to achieve greater carry distances with slower swings.
Putters are a special class of clubs with a loft not exceeding ten degrees, designed primarily to roll the ball along the grass, generally from a point on the putting green toward the hole. Contrary to popular belief, putters do have a loft (often 5° from truly perpendicular at impact) that helps to lift the ball from any indentation it has made. Newer putters also include grooves on the face to promote roll rather than a skid off the impact. This increases rolling distance and reduces bouncing over the turf. Putters are the only class of club allowed to have certain features, such as two striking faces, non-circular grip cross-sections, bent shafts or hosels, and appendages designed primarily to aid players' aim.
Present in some golfers' bags is the chipper, a club designed to feel like a putter but with a more lofted face, used with a putting motion to lift the ball out of the higher grass of the rough and fringe and drop it on the green, where it will then roll like a putt. This club replaces the use of a high-lofted iron to make the same shot, and allows the player to make the shot from a stance and with a motion nearly identical to a putt, which is more difficult with a lofted iron due to a difference in lie angle.
Most chippers have a loft greater than 10 degrees, which is the maximum loft permitted by the Rules of Golf for a club to be classed as a putter, so these clubs are actually classed as irons. To be legal for sanctioned play, a chipper cannot have any feature that is defined in the rules as allowable only on putters, e.g. two striking faces or a flat-topped "putter grip". This disqualifies many chipper designs, but there are some USGA-conforming chippers, and non-conforming designs can still be used for informal play.
The shafts of the woods were made of different types of wood before being replaced by hickory in the middle of the 19th century. The varieties of woods included ash, purpleheart, orangewood, and blue mahoe.
Despite the strength of hickory, the long-nose club of the mid nineteenth century was still prone to breaking at the top of the back swing. The club heads were often made from woods including apple, pear, dogwood, and beech in the early times until persimmon became the main material. Golf clubs have been improved and the shafts are now made of steel, titanium, other types of metals or carbon fiber. The shaft is a tapered steel tube or a series of stepped steel tubes in telescopic fashion. This has improved the accuracy of golfers. The grips of the clubs are made from leather or rubber.
The shaft is a tapered tube made of metal (usually steel) or carbon fiber composite (referred to as graphite). The shaft is roughly 0.5 inches (13 mm) in diameter near the grip and from 34 to 48 inches (86 to 122 cm) in length. Shafts weigh from 45 to 150 grams (1.6 to 5.3 oz), depending on the material and length.
Shafts are quantified in a number of different ways. The most common is the shaft flex. Simply, the shaft flex is the amount that the shaft will bend when placed under a load. A stiffer shaft will not flex as much, which requires more power to flex and "whip" through the ball properly (which results in higher club speed at impact for more distance), while a more flexible shaft will whip with less power required for better distance on slower swings, but may torque and over-flex if swung with too much power causing the head not to be square at impact, resulting in lower accuracy. Most shaft makers offer a variety of flexes. The most common are: L/W (Lady/Women's), A/I (Soft Regular, Intermediate or Senior), R (Regular), S (Stiff), and X (Tour Stiff, Extra Stiff or Strong). A regular flex shaft is generally appropriate for those with an average head speed (80–94 mph (129–151 km/h)), while an A-Flex (or senior shaft) is for players with a slower swing speed (70–79 mph (113–127 km/h)), and the stiffer shafts, such as S-Flex and X-Flex (Stiff and Extra-Stiff shafts) are reserved only for those players with an above average swinging speed, usually above 100 mph (160 km/h). Some companies also offer a "stiff-regular" or "firm" flex for players whose club speed falls in the upper range of a Regular shaft (90–100 mph (140–160 km/h)), allowing golfers and club makers to fine-tune the flex for a stronger amateur-level player.
At impact, the club head can twist as a result of torque applied to the shaft, reducing accuracy as the face of the club is not square to the player's stance. The ability of a shaft to twist along its length due to this torque is fundamentally a function of the flex of the shaft itself; a stiffer shaft will also torque less. To counter torque in more flexible shafts, club makers design the shafts with varying degrees of torque through their length, particularly along the thinnest part of the shaft where it joins with the club head. This results in a point at which the shaft is most flexible, called the "kick point"; above that point the increasing diameter of the shaft makes it more rigid, while below that point the shaft is reinforced internally to reduce torquing of the club head. Shafts have typically been classified as having a low, medium or high kick; a low kick means the shaft will store energy closer to the club head, which means the club head can twist more but also allows for higher club head speeds. A high kick shaft will store energy closer to the grip; such a shaft will feel firmer when swinging it and will give better control over direction, but the same strength swing will flex the shaft less, which will reduce club-head speed.
Widely overlooked as a part of the club, the shaft is considered by many to be the engine of the modern club head. Shafts range in price from a mere US$4 to over US$1200. Current graphite shafts weigh considerably less than their steel counterparts (sometimes weighing less than 50 grams (1.8 oz) for a driver shaft), allowing for lighter clubs that can be swung at greater speed. Beginning in the late 1990s, custom shafts have been integrated into the club-making process. These shafts will, within a given flex rating, address specific criteria, such as to launch the ball higher or lower or to adjust for the timing of a player's swing to load and unload the shaft at the correct moments of the swing for maximum power. Whereas in the past each club could come with only one shaft, today's club heads can be fitted with dozens of different shafts, each with slight variation in behavior, creating the potential for a much better fit for the average golfer.
The grip of the club is attached to the opposite end of the shaft from the club head, and is the part of the club the player holds on to while swinging. Originally, the grip was composed of one or more leather strips wrapped around the shaft. The leather outer wrap on a grip is still seen on some clubs, most commonly putters, but most modern grips are a one-piece "sleeve" made of rubber, synthetic or composite material that is slid over the shaft and secured with an adhesive. These sleeve grips allow club makers and golfers to customize the grip's diameter, consistency (softness/firmness) and texturing pattern to best fit the player. Clubs with an outer "wrap" of leather or leather-like synthetic still typically have a "sleeve" form underneath to add diameter to the grip and give it its basic profile.
According to the rules of golf, all club grips must have the same cross-section shape along their entire length (the diameter can vary), and with the exception of the putter, must have a circular cross-section. The putter may have any cross section that is symmetrical along the length of the grip through at least one plane; "shield" profiles with a flat top and curved underside are common. Grips may taper from thick to thin along their length (and virtually all do), but they are not allowed to have any waisting (a thinner section of the grip surrounded by thicker sections above and below it) or bulges (thicker sections of the grip surrounded by thinner sections). Minor variations in surface texture (such as the natural variation of a "wrap"-style grip) are not counted unless significant.
Advances in materials have resulted in more durable, longer-lasting soft grips, but nevertheless grips do eventually dry out, harden, or are otherwise damaged and must be replaced. Replacement grips sold as do-it-yourself kits are generally inexpensive and of high quality, although custom grips that are larger, softer, or textured differently from the everyday "wrap"-style grip are generally bought and installed by a clubsmith.
Re-gripping used to require toxic, flammable solvents to soften and activate the adhesive, and a vise to hold the club steady while the grip was forced on. The newest replacement kits, however, use double-sided tape with a water-activated adhesive that is slippery when first activated, allowing easier installation. Once the adhesive cures, it creates a very strong bond between grip and shaft and the grip is usually impossible to remove without cutting it off.
The hosel is the portion of the club head to which the shaft attaches. Though largely ignored by players, hosel design is integral to the balance, feel and power of a club. Modern hosels are designed to place as little mass as possible over the top of the striking face of the club, which lowers the center of gravity of the club for better distance.
Each head has one face which contacts the ball during the stroke. Putters may have two striking faces, as long as they are identical and symmetrical. Some chippers (a club similar in appearance to a double-sided putter but having a loft of 35–45 degrees) have two faces, but are not legal. Page 135 of the 2009 USGA rules of golf states:
Page 127 of the USGA rules of golf states:
Therefore, any double sided club with a loft greater than 10 degrees is not legal.
The trim ring, usually black (It may have additional trim colors), that is found directly on top of the hosel on many woods and irons. The ferrule is mostly decorative, creating a continuous line between the shaft and the wider hosel, but in some cases it can form part of the securing mechanism between hosel and shaft. Ferrules of differing weights can fine-tune the center of mass of the overall club head, but for these minute adjustments, screw-in weighted inserts at specific points on the club head are usually used instead.
The rules of golf limit each player to a maximum of 14 clubs in their bag. Strict rules prohibit sharing of clubs between players that each have their own set (if two players share clubs, they may not have more than 14 clubs combined), and while occasional lending of a club to a player is generally overlooked, habitual borrowing of other players' clubs or the sharing of a single bag of clubs slows play considerably when both players need the same club.
The most common set of men's clubs is:
The above set is only 12 clubs; these (or equivalent hybrid substitutes) are found in virtually every golf bag. To this, players typically add two of the following:
Women's club sets are similar in overall makeup, but typically have higher lofts and shorter, more flexible shafts in retail sets to accommodate the average female player's height and swing speed.
Variations on this basic set abound; several club options usually exist for almost any shot depending on the player's skill level and playing style, and the only club universally considered to be indispensable is the putter. Some consider the modern deep-faced driver to be equally irreplaceable; this is cause for some debate, as professional players including Tiger Woods have played and won tournaments without using a driver, instead using a 3-wood for tee shots and making up the difference on the approach using a lower-lofted iron.
The most common omissions are the "long irons", numbered from 2 to 5, which are notoriously difficult to hit well. The player can supplement the gaps in distance with either higher-numbered woods such as the 5 and even the 7-wood, or may replace the long irons with equivalently-numbered hybrid clubs. If hybrids are used, higher-lofted woods are often omitted as redundant, but ladies' and seniors' sets commonly feature both hybrids and high-lofted woods, omitting the long irons entirely in favor of the lofted woods, and replacing the mid-irons (5–7) with hybrids. The combination allows for higher launch angles on the long-distance clubs, which gives better distance with slower swing speeds. Where a club is omitted and not replaced with a club of similar function, players may add additional clubs of a different function such as additional wedges.
While 14 clubs is a maximum, it is not a minimum; players are free to use any lesser number of clubs they prefer, so substitutions for the common omissions above are not always made; a player may simply choose to play without a 5-wood or 2–4 irons, instead using a 4-wood and moving directly to their 5-iron as desired distance decreases (a 4-wood in a skilled golfer's hands averages 200 yards; a 5-iron in the same player's hands would be about 160, which is a large gap but not unplayable). Other clubs may be omitted as well. On courses where bags must be carried by the player, the player may take only the odd-numbered irons; without the 4, 6 or 8 irons (the 3 is sometimes removed instead of the 4) the bag's weight is considerably reduced. Carrying only a driver, 3-wood, 4-hybrid, 5-7-9 irons, pitching and sand wedges, and a putter reduces the number of clubs in the bag to 9; this is a common load-out for a "Sunday bag" taken to the driving range or to an informal game. A skilled player can usually overcome the lesser selection of club lofts by reducing their swing speed on a lower-loft iron and/or placing the ball further forward in their stance to get the same carry distance and/or launch angle as the next higher loft number. Another increasingly common informal format is a deliberately low upper limit such as four clubs, or three clubs plus putter, with a typical load being a wood or hybrid, middle iron, wedge and putter, although often with significant variation between players with regards to which specific clubs are favored in each role.
The ruling authorities of golf, The R&A (formerly part of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews) and the United States Golf Association (USGA), reserve the right to define what shapes and physical characteristics of clubs are permissible in tournament play. The current rules for club design, including the results of various rulings on clubs introduced for play, are defined in Appendix II of the Rules of Golf.
The overarching principle of club design used by both authorities is defined in Appendix II-1a, which states: "The club must not be substantially different from the traditional and customary form and make. The club must be composed of a shaft and a head and it may also have material added to the shaft to enable the player to obtain a firm hold (see 3 below). All parts of the club must be fixed so that the club is one unit, and it must have no external attachments." In addition, Appendix II-4a states, regarding club heads, that "the club head must be generally plain in shape. All parts must be rigid, structural in nature and functional. The club head or its parts must not be designed to resemble any other object. It is not practicable to define 'plain in shape' precisely and comprehensively."
These two rules are used as the basis for most of the more specific rules of Appendix II, including that no club may have a concave face (1931) and various rules defining what is "traditional" about the shapes of specific clubs, while allowing for the progression of technology. The "traditional and customary" rule was originally used to ban the introduction of steel club shafts (patented in 1910), as that material was not traditional for shafts; that specific ban was rescinded in 1924 by the USGA (the R&A would continue to ban steel shafts until 1929), and steel would become universal until the development of graphite shafts whose introduction was less controversial. The "plain in shape" rule was more recently bent to allow for non-traditional driver club head shapes, such as squares, as a compromise to club-makers after imposing and enforcing a 460cc volume limit on these same club heads.
Many recently developed woods have a marked "trampoline effect" (a large deformation of the face upon impact followed by a quick restoration to original dimensions, acting like a slingshot), resulting in very high ball speeds and great lengths of tee shots. As of 1 January 2008, the USGA and R&A have settled on a regulation that limits the acceptable "trampoline effect" to a coefficient of restitution (COR)—a measurement of the efficiency of the transfer of energy from the club head to the ball—of .830.
Other large scale USGA rulings involve a 1990 lawsuit, and subsequent settlement, against Karsten Manufacturing, makers of the PING brand, for their use of square, or U-grooves in their immensely popular Ping Eye2 irons. The USGA argued that players who used the Eye2 had an unfair advantage in imparting spin on the ball, which helps to stop the ball on the putting greens. The USGA utilized John L. Saksun, founder of Canadian golf company Accuform Golf, as a consultant to set up methods of measuring the unique grooves and determining PING's compliance with the rulings. Saksun, by proposing a cost-effective solution to help PING change the design of subsequent Eye2s, saved PING hundreds of millions. PING subsequently withdrew their US$100 million lawsuit against the USGA. Ping’s older clubs were "grandfathered in" and allowed to remain in play as part of the settlement. However, the USGA has begun phasing in a ban on square grooves in golf. Manufacturers were required to discontinue noncompliant clubs by January 1, 2011. According to the USGA, as January 1, 2010, professional golfers on one of the top tours, or those attempting to qualify for one of the three Open Championships (since then four) will need to use new conforming wedges (those without square grooves). Moreover, those who plan to qualify for any other USGA championship (Amateur championships—under 18, Amateur, over 25, and over 50 in both sexes, and four-ball, along with international team championships), will need new conforming wedges by 2014. In addition, this regulation includes IGF and USGA-sanctioned regional amateur events as well, as a "condition of competition". Wedges that conform to the new standard are often marketed as "CC" or "Condition of Competition" wedges; this moniker is likely to fall into disuse as players upgrade clubs and the use of non-conforming irons diminishes.
Notes
Bibliography
Media related to Golf clubs (equipment) at Wikimedia Commons
So, what are golf clubs made of? Golf clubs are made of either metal alloy or carbon fiber composite (usually graphite). Purists willing to pay a premium can still find clubs or clubheads made from wood. Clubs have improved dramatically from the sticks and clubs historians say were first used to hit pebbles more than 500 years ago.
The rules of golf formed by the U.S. Golf Association limits the number of golf clubs you can carry in your bag to 14. Most golfers carry two or three woods and a putter; all the others are irons. The clubs have a club head that gets attached to a shaft. The shaft has a grip at the top of the handle to give better control and reduce slipping.
Your woods have the longest shafts and biggest club heads of all the clubs in your bag, according to golf club ratings. That’s because they’re designed to hit balls long distances. Almost every golfer has a 1-wood, called a driver.
Your drivers typically have the lowest amount of loft and are usually only used from the tee. That’s because the bottom is rounded and that makes it unsuitable for hitting fairway shots. The other woods in your bag are called fairway woods because they work just as well on a long fairway shot as they do from the tee box.
A good golf driver can help a golfer consistently cut strokes from their score because it can send a tee shot the furthest of any club. Because of that, some people spend hundreds for a really good driver. Some golfers will spend even more.
The gold standard of drivers is the Honma Beres 5-star driver, at $4,500. The shaft is a metal core enhanced by fiber overlay but the club head is made of wood inset with precious metals, like gold. Yes, it is a wood that is still made of wood.
“The process in making of our driver starts with a block of persimmon head and then it gets rolled over to the CAD design and final finishing to a metal head,” explained a Honma employee.
Standard sets of clubs include a 3 and a 5-wood. There is a 7-wood but it’s not something you see every day. In fact, I have never golfed with anyone who carried one in their bag. Have you?
Woods are called “woods” because, until the 1980s, they were made from wood. The shaft was often made from hickory trees and the head was most often made of persimmon. These days, the shaft of your “woods” are likely made of graphite and the head is probably made of a metal or a composite. But, the set of the 1-7 woods are still called woods to distinguish them from your irons.
Many golfers were happy when woods made of metal and composites became available because they didn’t break as easily as ones made of wood.
Commonly, golfers carry 3-9 irons as part of their club lineup. Although there are 1-irons and 2-irons, you don’t see them very often. These clubs got their name because they were originally made from forged iron. Just as woods were made from wood, irons were made from iron. Marketing wasn’t the thing back then that it is now.
The shafts of most irons are cast from steel alloys. The technique of investment casting, a method of casting to enhance the perimeter weighting of iron clubs, was commonplace by the 1970s, and a decade later “woods” made of metal were in widespread use by tournament professionals, according to Brittanica.com. Forged irons can still be bought, though they are more expensive and harder to find.
For instance, Taylor Made’s Tiger Woods irons (P7TW) are made from stainless steel. According to a company employee I chatted with, the head is forged, then milled before its attached to the shaft.
You can watch one of their videos to see steel being poured into a mold and watch a machine grind out the clubface grooves and then have the edge milled by a computer-controlled machine.
A wedge is a special type of iron that is useful for shots that are too short for your 9-iron and have higher lofts than other irons. Most pitching wedges have lofts between 44 and 49 degrees. Other, specialized wedges include sand, lob and gap wedges and each has a niche use. Since you can carry up to 14 clubs, you should have room in your bag for at least one more wedge. They are typically made of the same metallic or fiber that other irons are constructed from.
Putters are the strangest animal in most golfer’s bag because if a non-pro will customize a club, it will be the putter. Serious golfers will spend a lot of money in search of a driver that will reduce their score but they usually buy the same expensive driver that others like them buy.
There is such a demand for custom putters that a number of small, independent artisans create custom putters for reasonable amounts that many golfers can afford. Custom putters are an affordable luxury for serious golfers because they can be created for a few hundred dollars, or less.
One custom putter creator explained to Golf Digest he, “works with a variety of metals—from common stainless steel and copper-nickel alloy to the more exotic Damascus steel and layered steel laminate Mokume-gane historically used to make swords” to make putters.
Whether you’re an experienced golfer or just starting out, understanding these key differences could mean the difference between selecting a decent quality set that lasts for years or having to constantly replace worn-down clubs. Keep reading to learn about all the different materials available and why one might be better suited for your unique game than another!
Read more: What Putter Does Tiger Woods Use?
The first golf club materials were made from wood, specifically hickory and apple trees. The shafts were made from straight, flexible hickory trees while the clubheads were carved out of apple tree wood. This was the standard material for golf clubs for several centuries, from the early days of golf in Scotland to the early 20th century.
The heads of these early golf clubs were small and compact, and typically had a wooden dowel inserted into a socket at the end of the shaft. This dowel was then wrapped in leather or sheepskin to protect the club from damage. As golf evolved and the sport became more popular, the design of golf clubs also began to change.
In the late 1800s, steel shafts began to replace hickory shafts as the material of choice for golf clubs. Steel shafts were more durable and provided greater consistency in terms of flex and torque. The clubheads also evolved, with the introduction of iron and steel clubheads in the early 20th century.
Today, golf clubs are made from a variety of materials, including steel, titanium, and graphite for the shafts, and a range of metals and composites for the clubheads. While traditional wooden golf clubs are still made and used by some enthusiasts, they are now considered more of a novelty item than a practical golfing tool.
Stainless steel is the most common material used in iron clubheads. It is an alloy of steel, chromium, and nickel, which provides the clubhead with excellent durability and resistance to corrosion. Stainless steel clubheads are relatively heavy, which provides golfers with better control over their shots. They are also relatively inexpensive compared to other materials and offer golfers a good balance between cost and performance.
Titanium is a popular material used in drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids. It is a lightweight and strong material that allows clubhead manufacturers to create larger and thinner clubheads. The use of titanium in clubheads has increased in popularity due to its ability to provide more distance, a better launch angle, and a larger sweet spot. However, titanium clubheads can be expensive compared to other materials.
Carbon steel is a high-quality material used in some iron clubheads. It is a mixture of steel and carbon, which provides the clubhead with excellent durability and a soft feel. Carbon steel clubheads are relatively heavy, which provides golfers with better control over their shots. They are also relatively expensive compared to stainless steel clubheads.
Aluminium is a lightweight and soft material that is used in some beginner sets or budget golf clubs. It is an affordable option for clubhead manufacturers, but it is not as durable as other materials. Aluminium clubheads are also relatively light, which can provide golfers with more swing speed. However, they do not offer as much control or accuracy as other materials.
Carbon graphite is a composite material made from carbon fibers and resin. It is a lightweight and strong material that is used in some driver clubheads. Carbon graphite clubheads are relatively expensive compared to other materials, but they offer golfers more distance, forgiveness, and a better launch angle. They also have a larger sweet spot than some other materials, which provides golfers with more forgiveness for off-center hits.
Club shafts can be made from a variety of materials, each with its own unique characteristics and performance benefits. The most common materials used in club shafts are:
Steel: Steel shafts are the most traditional and common type of shaft material. They are durable and provide a consistent feel, making them a popular choice among many golfers. Steel shafts also tend to be less expensive than other materials.
Graphite: Graphite shafts are lighter than steel and offer a greater degree of flexibility. This can help golfers achieve more clubhead speed, which can result in greater distance. Graphite shafts also tend to absorb more shock than steel, providing a smoother feel.
Multi-Material: Some club manufacturers use a combination of materials in their shafts, such as graphite and steel, in order to achieve a specific balance of weight, flexibility, and durability. These multi-material shafts can offer the benefits of both materials while minimizing their drawbacks.
Titanium: Titanium shafts are lighter and stronger than steel, making them a popular choice among high-end club manufacturers. They offer a higher degree of flexibility than steel, allowing for greater clubhead speed and distance.
Composite: Composite shafts are made from a combination of materials, such as graphite and Kevlar, and offer a unique blend of strength, flexibility, and durability. They tend to be more expensive than other types of shafts but can provide a significant performance advantage for certain golfers.
Club grips are typically made of rubber, synthetic or composite material. Golfers often prefer the softer, synthetic material because it provides a better feel and control of their shots. Rubber grips offer more durability than synthetic material, but they can also be slick when wet. Composite materials offer a combination of both softness and durability, allowing golfers to customize the grip on their clubs for optimal performance. Some club manufacturers also offer hybrid material grips as well.
There is no “best” material for golf clubs, as the ideal material will vary depending on the golfer’s preferences and playing style. Some golfers may prefer the feel and control provided by stainless steel or carbon steel clubheads, while others may prioritize distance and forgiveness and opt for titanium or carbon fiber clubheads.
The best material for a golfer’s club will depend on factors such as their swing speed, skill level, budget, and personal preferences. It is recommended that golfers try out different materials and clubhead designs to determine what works best for their game. Consulting with a professional club fitter can also help golfers select the ideal materials and clubhead designs to improve their performance on the course.
Golf clubs are an integral part of the game. However, just like any piece of equipment, they must be maintained properly to ensure they last as long as possible and perform optimally. Here are some tips for keeping your clubs in good condition:
These simple tips can help keep your golf clubs in the best possible condition and ensure they last for many rounds of golf. With regular maintenance, your clubs will continue to provide you with the performance you need on the course.
The materials used in golf clubs are varied and greatly impact each club’s performance. Golf equipment manufacturers have become quite adept at combining different materials, such as steel and titanium, at creating clubs that provide a perfect blend of balance, stability, comfort and power.
Players considering upgrading their clubs should research the different material combinations available and make an educated purchase based on the specs those materials provide. While several material combinations are employed by golf equipment manufacturers today, these three – steel, graphite, and titanium – remain among the most popular.
Regardless of your skill level or preferences as a golfer understanding the various components crafted into your clubs is important in ensuring they are well-suited for your play style so you can enjoy maximum control and enhanced performance on the course.
The best golf clubs for beginners will typically vary depending on the individual’s skill level and what they are looking to achieve. Beginners should look for clubs that provide a good combination of accuracy, control and distance while being easy to use. Graphite shafts are typically preferred as they offer lighter weight and greater consistency than other materials. Additionally, cavity back irons with perimeter weighting on the club head can help provide more control and accuracy. Ultimately, what works best for one beginner may differ from what works best for another, so it is important to test out various options and select the most comfortable.
It depends on what type of performance the player is looking for. Professional golfers typically prefer graphite drivers because they offer more distance and lighter weight. However, pros who seek a more traditional feel may still prefer steel drivers or require greater control and accuracy.
