For somebody unfamiliar with the game of golf, golf clubs all look the same. Each club is made from a long shaft with a club head and grip. Subtle differences in the club head affect the distance and angle that the ball will move. With practice, a golf player will intuitively select the right club for each shot.

A standard selection of golf clubs will have fourteen clubs. It generally has three to four woods, one putter and as many as nine irons. One to three clubs known as wedges, a subset of irons, are included in the choice of irons. Along with knowing the difference between the types of clubs, a player needs to understand the numbing system that is used to mark the club heads. The number is a measurement of the the loft, or how sharply upward that the ball is projected away from the ground. As the numbers get larger, the club will send the ball for a shorter distance and at a higher angle.

Most golf clubs move golf balls both forward and upward at the same time. The most commonly used club is known as a putter. This club head propels the ball on the grass. The primary differences between putters is the length of the shaft, generally slightly less than three feet long. However, the club heads can be shaped like flat bottomed mallets or flat blades.

A club known as a wood will send a golf ball farther than any other. With practice, a player should be able to send the ball over 200 feet. Once made from the wood that they were named for, modern woods are usually made from metal alloys such as steel. Other woods are made from hollow carbon fiber and titanium. These heads are round with flat bottoms, making it easy to move the ball nearly parallel to the grass. The loft is also very low compared to other clubs. These two features give woods the unmatched power to hit balls the farthest. A 1-wood, called a “driver”, is best for long distances, due to its low loft. When golfing on a tee or in the fairway, a wood with a higher number is appropriate.

The clubs known as irons originally had club heads have from iron, but modern golf clubs use steel because of its additional strength. Irons have a medium loft. Using an iron is a good choice for distances under 200 feet. Irons with the numbers 1 and 2 are considered difficult for most players to use, so are not part of a standard selection of clubs. Most sets will have irons starting with 3 and go as high as 9, with higher lofts and less distance.

Wedges are generally used to lift the ball up, rather than moving them forward. Their loft is higher than the other clubs, making them ideal for removing the ball from obstacles such as tall grass or sand. Even a wedge with a low loft will only move the ball a maximum of a hundred or so feet forward. The most commonly used wedge is the pitching wedge with loft of under 50 feet. This club is found in most sets. Lob wedges have a slightly higher loft and gap wedges have the highest loft at as much as 64 degrees.

The United States Golf Association (USGA) and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) are two international organizations that now are responsible for determining which clubs may be used in competitive golf. As styles and newer materials are introduced, rules may be adapted in order to keep competition fair. Guidelines for which clubs are allowed change as newer materials become available for golf club construction. In order to ensure that your clubs will be considered acceptable, never forget to check the most latest guidelines before purchasing golf clubs.

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