Equipment Used For Golf
Ok, You've arrive at this webpage looking for answers about golf clubs and equipment right? On this and the linked pages, I will provide you with the tools you need to make informed decisions on your golf purchases.
After all, if you're like me, it drives you crazy to think that you might spend your hard-earned money on something that is useless or just totally marketing hype. I know exactly how you feel- We just don't have a whole lot of extra cash laying around to blow on our hobby and so what little we have, we have to make it count right?! The best way to ensure SCORE IMPROVEMENT and satisfaction with your purchase is to be INFORMED!
This page has the basics that you should read first.
O.k., let's begin with some hot tips all golfers should know.
**Beginner's could help themselves out a lot by buying oversized irons and/or woods. The reasoning is simple, the larger the head, the easier it will be to hit a ball on a spot (sweet spot) that will give a good result. Remember when oversized tennis rackets came on the scene? Some thought they should be illegal because they made the game too easy. Same thing with golf.
**Most golfers will help their score by buying the new utility or "hybrid" woods. These are woods that are designed to replace the 3,4,5 iron and they have high lofts up to 25 degrees. Trust me, they are so much easier to hit than long irons. This is definitely a trend that could make the average score of us weekend golfers drop a bit over the next few years as they become more common.
**Make sure to get a sand wedge. This is one of the greatest golf inventions of the 20th century. I can't believe the pros in the old days played without them, now that takes a serious touch to hit out of a bunker without bounce on a wedge. See definition of bounce below.
**If you are a very tall or very short person, you will need to get clubs that are not the standard set. You can either get fitted by a pro at your local golf shop, or you can buy a set from a maker that takes your measurements and builds the clubs to your specs. Pinemeadow golf does this online for you with a very good line of inexpensive clones
**Unless you are a very good player, save your money and buy the cheaper golf balls. Most players would actually help their score by playing a cheaper ball! Hard cover/hard core balls are best for amateurs who swing the club fast. Hard cover/soft balls are best for those with low swing speeds.
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Definitions for golf equipment  
Shaft- "handle" of the club. Usually made of a Graphite composite or steel. Used to be made from hickory in the old days. Higher handicap players can really benefit from playing the correct shaft. See "flex" below.
Head- The "business" end of the club. Sometimes it looks like the shaft and head are one piece due to very good attaching or wrapping, they are not. Different shafts can be matched to different heads for the individuals needs.
Grip- End of the shaft that the hands will hold. Very underrated part of the club. Do not underestimate the importance of choosing proper material for your game. Made from many variations of man-made soft composites.
CC- Cubic centimeters. Measurement of size of the head usually only refers to drivers. With lighter head materials, this has allowed clubs to be over 500 cc in recent years. Many clubs these days have that number as part of the driver model name. Average driver CC today is probably around 350cc. Larger CC clubheads can make for larger sweetspots. Huge clubs could have extra air resistance and reduce swing speed, which would reduce your distance.
Sweet spot- all clubs have a spot that if struck on it, the best shot result will happen.
Flex- how far the shaft will bend when you swing the club. In general, faster swinging golfers require a stiffer-flexed shaft. Slower swingers will get more distance from a more whippy-flexed shaft.
Kick Point- the point on the shaft that has the most bend in it when the head moves and the butt-end of the shaft remains still.
Torque- how much a shaft will twist when put in motion. Low torque is needed for fast swingers to help keep shaft consistent. Some torque will help slower swingers improve distance. Steel shafts are very low torque which is why many pros use steel shafts especially with irons.
Lie angle- the angle formed between the shaft and the head. At address, if the angle is too great for the player, the toe of the club will touch the ground. If too small, the heel end will touch the ground. The idea is to have a lie angle that fits your stance so that the club is flat to the ground at address and when striking the ball.
Loft- Each club has a face that strikes the ball. The face is angled to launch the ball the desired height which is called "Loft". The highest loft is on the wedges (up to 62 degrees angle from straight up and down) , the lowest loft is on the driver (down to 6 degrees on really long hitters but usually around 10-13 degrees on average). Higher loft means higher shot. Lower loft gets lower shot.
Grooves-Indented lines running across the face of the club. The edges of these cuts on the face actually grip the ball and make it spin when hit. No grooves on a clubface will reduce or eliminate spin.
Square grooves-Most grooves are "V" shaped. Some clubs are "U" or Square-shaped which can make for a sharper edge on the groove that bites into the ball a little more creating more spin.
Coefficient of restitution (COR)-"Springlike effect". Manufactures were making club faces very thin in order to have the ball jump off the face like a kid jumping off a trampoline. The rules now limit this to a measurement of .83. For most of us, having the new clubs that are at the maximum .83 COR is what you want, so ask for it. Most new clubs are at .83. Some clubs were and are built exceeding that maximum if you don't mind breaking the rules. The Calloway Big Bertha ERC II is one that can be bought used for cheap. Look for it here: Calloway Golf preowned
If you are using a driver over 2 years old, you probably are missing out on some easy distance increases that can be gained by getting a newer one. Don't underestimate your potential for your equipment used for golf.
Swing speed this is how fast you swing the club in miles per hour (mph). An average pro swings it 110-130 mph. Average amateur about 80-90. If you don't know your swing speed, go to a proshop and have it timed. This number is very important to choosing the type of shaft to attach a club to.
Perimeter Weighting- Also known as "cavity back". Irons that have a metal all around the edge of the club head that results in a larger sweet spot. From the back of the clubhead, it looks like a hollow cavity is formed. All beginners should play this type but many very good golfers and pros play this style for the same reason.
Blade Irons-Also known as "muscle back". Irons that are solid all-round. Better players that want to be able to control the shape of their shots play these. Also, a "Blade putter" is a putter that has a very slim line (not much metal behind the face).
Center of Gravity- the point on the club where the maker concentrates the most metal. They will say "Lower center of gravity" in ads. This means the weight is nearer the bottom of the club which helps to get the ball airborne for those that have trouble getting the ball up.
Forged/Cast Irons-These are the two ways irons are made from base metal. For most of us, the biggest differences between the two are looks and price. Forged is chrome-like and Cast is a dull look. Forged are more expensive.
Offset clubs In plain terms, these are clubs (usually a wood) that, at address, are turned inward or closed to help fight the banana slice. The shaft enters the head in such a way as to make the face of the club hit the ball a little more delayed in the swing so that the slicer has a little bit better chance of closing the club to reduce a slice. A buyer of these clubs can get some relief from a slice swing, however, if you only have one or a few clubs that are offset, then you may end up training yourself to slice even more on your other clubs that are not offset.
Bounce The bulge at the bottom of an iron, usually just the sand wedge has any significant bounce. This keeps a club from digging into soft material. If you play courses with fine, soft, fluffy sand, then you want a sand wedge with more bounce. If you play courses with harder sand, then you want less bounce.
Clones Off-brand clubs that look almost exactly like the expensive major-brand name clubs, except the logo of course. My recommendation for these is Pinemeadow
**Bottom Bottom line to buying clubs and equipment used for golf- You have to try them out and be satisfied with them before you make a purchase that you can't get out of...Best bet is to buy online at one of the large golf sites or anywhere that will allow you to try their clubs out for 30 days with a money-back guarantee. You will find that it is not enough just to hit it a few times into a net or even on a range. You must try them out on a real course under your normal playing conditions. It only makes sense right? This is the most important decision you will make regarding your equipment used for golf, by far.
My recommendation for buying any equipment used for golf is:
Edwin Watts - Special Offers
Kids golf clubs
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