Golf Club Buying Guide - The Essentials

If you are fairly new to the game, or just new to actually going out and purchasing a club on your own, read through our quick golf club buying guide. It is sure to set you straight on what you need to know about buying the perfect golf club for your needs.

What kind of golf clubs do you have to choose from?
First, let's take a look at the types of golf clubs that make up a set. Typically, a golfer carries fourteen or fewer clubs in his or her bag. The four basic types of these golf clubs are Woods, Irons, Wedges, and Putters.

Another popular type of golf club nowadays is the Hybrid club. The Hybrid club is a cross between the Iron and the Wood, and is made for people who have difficulty using these other types of clubs. But before you get confused, let's break these categories down a bit and take a closer look at them.

Woods:
Woods are usually used to hit long golf shots. Standard woods that are carried in a golf bag are 1, 3, and 5 Woods. Your 1 Wood is typically your driver. As the number of your wood increases (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) you lose the amount of distance it can go, but you gain a higher trajectory. Recent golf club technology has made higher lofted woods for shorter distances.

Irons:
Iron clubs are mostly used for shots that are expected to go an average distance - typically from 125 to 200 yards. The lower the number of iron, the less degree on the face of the iron - resulting in the longer amount of distance the ball can go. On the other hand, the higher the number of iron, the higher the degree on the face of the iron - resulting in the higher the loft a ball has.

The most popular irons used are 3 Irons though 9 Irons, however, many companies also manufacture 1 Irons as well as 10 Irons.

Wedges:
Wedges are used for semi-short golfshots. They are also used for chipping, and sand shots. There are several types of Wedges, including sand wedges, pitching wedges, and lob wedges.

Putters:
If you have ever watched a golfer up on the green, trying to hit a short shot into the hole, then he or she was most likely using a putter. A putter is a golf club that has a low loft. This enables the ball to roll father. A putter is typically shorter than all of your other golf clubs.

Should you buy new or used clubs?
Now that you understand a little bit more about your golf clubs, you must decide whether you want to purchase a new or used set. If you are fairly inexperienced, you may lean towards buying used clubs, instead of spending a great deal of money on a new purchase. However, when buying used clubs you should be wary about defects such as cracked shafts or worn grips. After all, these things will certainly not help you learn the game the right way. And, they may accumulate into worse money problems in the end.

Our advice to anyone starting off new to the game of golf, is to invest in a new set that works right with your height and build. It doesn't have to be the most expensive set - but simply something that you can learn well on.

Should you purchase a complete set or put one together on your own?
One thing you should realize when putting together a golf set by yourself is that it will be a more expensive route to take then simply buying a set that is already put together. Putting together your own set can be quite confusing if you are merely a beginner. Our advice for starters is to get a complete starter set and go from there.

If you have leftover money, you may be better off to spend it on some golf lessons. Leave the picking and choosing to more advanced players who know exactly what they want.

In closing, have fun with your new golf clubs. Use them to learn how to excel in this challenging and entertaining game!