An Overview Of the Different Golf Club Components

A golf club is made up of many golf club components and each component has evolved into a modern science that has produced a series of options and advancements that have made the game different now than it was just 10 years ago. Here is a rundown of the basic golf club components and a little information on each one.

The Head

The head is the part of the golf club components that makes contact with the ball. If it is for a club referred to as a wood then this particular golf club component will be a large piece with an angled front and an area of mass behind that surface that creates energy to allow the ball to travel far. The other kind of club head is called an iron head and this is also an angled surface with significantly less mass behind it.

The surface that makes contact with the ball is called the striking area and in the middle of that is usually called the "sweet spot". The more angle that the striking area has the higher the ball will go. Woods are usually designed for low trajectory distance and the irons are designed for high trajectory shots that allow for control and accuracy.

The Shaft

There are two types of the golf club component known as the shaft. The metallic looking shaft is referred to as a metal shaft and the black looking one is a graphite shaft. The metal shaft is usually very stiff and some players believe this allows them more control over their swing.

The graphite shaft moves more during the swing and this can give some golfers more distance on their shots and some also believe it gives more accuracy. There is traditionally more metal shafts than graphite shafts out there but as the technology of the graphite shaft continues to advance it threatens to be the golf club component that replaces the metal shaft for good.

The Grip

At the top of the shaft is the golf club component known as the grip. This is usually made of a tacky material such as rubber and is the part of the club that the golfer actually grabs on to in order to execute the swing. Grips used to be the one golf club component that had not changed for many years but recently there has been a new type of grip released that is gaining popularity.

Thicker grips are starting to become very popular and while they are still made of rubber they tend to be softer feeling and easier for the golfer to hold on to while making contact with the ball. Worn grips can be dangerous as they can become slippery can cause the club to fly out of the golfer's hand while swinging. These new thicker grips seem to go a long way in eliminating that problem.