How to Buy Golf Clubs

Lesson begins with the required apparatus. For golfing, your apparatus are your golf clubs. At first sight, they look alike. But on research about the game and golf clubs, one learns how different they are. The amount of precision the game needs can be delivered only with the right club in hand. Seriously, hats off to Tiger Woods!!

There are several brands available in the market. I am not a brand person; I buy on the basis of requirement. If you believe in the same, then only the vital stats of the clubs should matter. Otherwise you can select your favorite brand and then pay attention to the details. Bottom line: the vital stats should be kept in mind, period!

The basic golf club types are:

Woods: Woods are the long distance clubs. The ones that can help you yank the ball far far away towards the hole. These clubs, generally have a large head and a long shaft. Earlier, these clubs used to be made of wood (hence the name) but now they have graphite shaft and a titanium, composite, or steel head.

Irons: Irons are golf clubs with a shorter shaft and a flat-angled face than a wood. They are designed for shots approaching the green or from more difficult lies like the rough, through or over trees, or the base of hills. They get their name because they were originally made from cast iron.

Hybrids: Hybrids are a mixture of wood and iron. This gives these clubs the wood's long distance as well as the iron's swing. A hybrid can take place of an iron because it is easier to hit than the respective iron club. These clubs are often referred to as "Rescues" as the "TaylorMade Rescue" was the first one, made with this design.

Putters: Putters are a special class of clubs with a maximum of a 10-degree loft. The obvious exception being chippers. Putters were designed, primarily, to roll the ball along the grass, generally from a point on the putting green towards the cup. As many may not know, putters do have a 5 degree loft from a perpendicular impact. This helps to lift the ball from any indentation it has made.

The anatomy of a golf club has the following parts:

Shaft:The shaft is a tapered tube made of, usually, steel or carbon fiber composite (graphite). The shaft is around 0.5 inches (13 mm) in diameter near the grip and between 35 and 48 inches (89 and 122 cm) in length. Shafts weigh around 45 - 150 grams (1.6 - 5.3 oz) depending on the material and length.

Grip: According to the Rules of Golf, "all club grips 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 on at least one plane. Grips may taper from thick to thin along their length (and virtually all do), but are not allowed to have any waisting or bulges. Minor variations in surface texture are not counted unless significant."

Hosel: The hosel is the part of the golf head to which the shaft is attached. The hosel is imperative for the right balance, feel and power of a club.

Clubhead: The 2009 USGA rules of golf, page 135 states, "The clubhead must have only one striking face, except that a putter may have two such faces; if their characteristics are the same, and they are opposite each other." the USGA rules of golf, page 127 states, "A putter is a club with a loft not exceeding ten degrees designed primarily for use on the putting green."

Ferrule: The ferrule is the decorative trim ring. It is usually black and may have additional trim colors. It is found on top of the hosel on many woods and irons.

Did you expect so many intricacies in just selecting the gear for a sport? Well, this is golf, it ain't low-maintenance. So now, you know what to look out for when you go to buy golf clubs. So enjoy the shopping and all the best for the golfing!