Golf Clubs � The Low Down

Whacking a golf ball with your golf clubs may seem kind of straightforward. So what are all those different golf clubs for? Check out our beginner's guide.

Golf clubs

Golfers are pretty clued up. The reason the professional golfers have caddies to carry their bags around the pitch is because they know how heavy they can be when filled with the maximum 14 golf clubs.

You'd be forgiven for wondering why you need 14 different golf clubs to hit a ball. In fact, going back to the 16 th century in the UK , golfers had different golf clubs for different strokes. They had longnoses for driving, fairway golf clubs for medium range shots, spoons for short range and niblicks for putting. Then steel replaced wood in the 1920s. By the eighties, technology had taken the human race to the moon and back, created planes faster than the speed of light, invented mobile phones and so not surprisingly golf clubs morphed with hi-tech materials such as graphite and titanium.

Now the range of golf clubs is extensive. But it can all be slightly baffling if the closest you've come to the sport is a game of mini golf.

Golf clubs explained

• Driver. Range 200-240yds. Used to tee off when maximum distance is required.

• 3 or 4 wood. Range 190-220yds. Some recreational golfers prefer this golf club to tee off. These golf clubs create greater swing speed and greater distance.

• 2 iron. Range 180-200yds. Iron golf clubs are numbered according to the angle of the face. The lower the number, the steeper the face. One for the professionals.

• 3 iron. Range 170-190yds. Good for long approach shots to the green.

• 4 iron. Range 160-180yds. Shorter shaft than the 3iron so feels less upright and intimidating.

• 5 iron. Range 150-170yds. Perfect mid-range golf clubs that combines distance with control.

• 6-iron. Range: 140-160yds. The easiest of all golf clubs, an ideal golf club for learners.

• 7 iron. Range: 130-150yds. Ideal for shorter approach shots.

• 8 iron. Range: 120-140yds. A good attacking club with consistent accuracy.

• 9-iron. Range: 110-130yds. Either pitch it long or chip it gently. These are flexible golf clubs.

• Pitching wedge. Range: 90-110yds. Ideal for shots and chip shots or use a lobbing wedge for shots from the rough.

• Sand iron. Range: Up to 80yds. For use in the sand.

• Putter. Putters come in all shapes and sizes and are used for almost half of your shots on the course.

A division of Confidence Sporting Goods, inc., the famous manufacturer from Palm Springs , California , we have been making quality sporting goods for 35 years. We sell a huge range of sports equipment, including golf clubs. Because we sell directly to you, you can expect to save up to 70% on normal retail prices when buying from us. To order, phone 1-800-603-0004.