The pastime of golfing has made a comeback like no other in recent years, as new players flocked to courses across the country for fresh air and a stab at a new sport. The number of adult golfers on full-length golf courses increased by 2.1 million in 2020, bringing golfing figures to their highest in more than 20 years. But with golfing bosses concerned that a subsequent drop-off in interest is not far behind, new drives to re-engage brand-new players are being considered. One of the main barriers to entry for golfing is the knowledge required to set foot on the green – and what clubs to use represents a significant anxiety for players new to the game. As such, the following is a brief primer on golf clubs and their function.
Woods and Irons
There are two distinct categories of golf club named for the materials with which they were specifically made – the wood and the iron respectively. The materials and their shape imparted different qualities to their clubs; woods are especially suited to sending the golf ball for long distances, while irons are largely better suited to short distances with greater loft and more bound. These materials were eventually phased out, and replaced with better-performing, lighter-weight materials such as titanium. The naming convention remains, but technology marches on – to the extent that a new category of club is emerging in the form of the hybrid club.
Drivers
Golf drivers are an essential part of any golfer’s arsenal, and often the first clubs to come out on a given golf hole. Their design is to drive the ball as far along the hole as possible, getting you closer to the green straight from the teeing ground. A driver would technically be designated a 1-wood, though wooden drivers are vanishingly rare in the modern game. Drivers generally have a lower loft angle than other clubs, giving you more control over the golf ball’s distance. Higher loft-angles are possible to source, but harder to manage.
Wedges
Wedges are the princes of loft in the game of golf, producing high loft angles to enable escape from numerous difficult scenarios. The sand wedge is named for its most common task, chipping a golf ball out from a bunker – though it can also find use on the fairway. Lob wedges are commonly used close to the green, as a safe way to get the golf ball close to the hole; the high loft results in bouncing as opposed to rolling. Pitching wedges are a the furthest-hitting of the wedge family, straddling the gap to the 9-iron – while the gap wedge itself covers the distance between the sand wedge and the pitching wedge, hitting at a lower angle and further distance than the sand wedge but not nearly as far as the pitching wedge can manage.
Putter
Lastly, the putter is a vital instrument in every golf player’s arsenal. It is a precision implement, designed to give you complete control over the ball for short distance swings. The putter is used on the green, in the final swings of the golf hole to tap the ball into the hole. Its flat surface enables clean and consistent contact with the golf ball, and different weights and heights are available to cater specifically to the individual player’s style.
