CLUBS

Wilson , Callaway, Titleist, Adams , King Cobra, Yonex, Ping , Taylor Made, Mizuno, and Spaulding are all excellent name brand golf clubs. As a beginning or even a professional golfer, trying to decide which set of golf clubs to purchase, however, may often feel like taking a shot in the dark. In a society that is increasing name brand conscious, many of us are tempted to simply buy what everyone else seems to be buying.

Selecting the proper golf clubs, however, is something that you shouldn't do without having a good idea of what types are available and what the specific use of each club is. Using the proper golf club can and will greatly improve your game. Other important things to consider are choosing the right lie and the right shaft flex. The flexibility of the shaft of the club is known as the bend or flex. If you're a powerful swinger, you'll have more control with less bend. Beginners and less powerful swingers are better off with more flexibility.

If you're new to the game of golf, the first thing you need is a basic set of golf clubs. A basic set will include irons, putters, wedges and drivers, and even though most non-golfers don't believe it, each type of club is designed to improve the speed of your swing and will help you correct faults in your game. Using the right type of golf club is essential and will make the learning process quicker and easier. The first thing to consider when choosing a set of golf clubs is your basic ability level. There are basically three ability levels including: low handicaps, mid handicaps and high handicaps.

If you're a low-handicap golfer, you generally score less than ten strokes over par. Low-handicap golfers should carry at least one fairway wood and a driver as well as lower irons, and at least 3 wedges, a pitching wedge, sand wedge and either a lob wedge or approach wedge. A mid-handicap golfer in the 11-20 handicap range should add a 7-wood or even a 9-wood to their bag. The fairway woods will provide much better control and consistency than the long irons. Mid-handicap golfers should stick to the 3 and 9-irons and the same wedges recommended above. High-handicap golfers are either new to the game or just haven't mastered the basics and usually shoots over 100. It's highly suggested that high-handicap golfers use the 3-wood for the tee off and add in the 7 and 9-woods. The same wedges would apply that are suggested for the low and mid-handicap golfers.

Today, common consensus is that the most important club you can have in your golf bag is a hybrid. Many golfers have used this club to replace the three-iron. Tour players are even switching to this club. Hybrids to check out include the Taylor made Rescue Mid (which continues to dominate the market and is found in more bags on the tour than any other hybrid), the Nike CPR, and the Ben Hogan CFT. The hybrid is a club that favors the golfer who is generating good club head speed, but needs to add to long-iron trajectory. The lower center of gravity in this club produces higher shots while a short shaft will improve control and accuracy.

Drivers and woods are probably the most important clubs in the bag and everybody loves them. Mainly used for longer shots, drivers are usually the first club out of the bag on the tee. Some advanced golfers, however, may decide to use a driver off the fairway is they need a little extra distance. A fairway or metal wood is also used off the tee if you need a more accurate shot or you don't need as much distance as you would get with a driver. This club is a utility club that can also be used in fairway bunkers and tight lies in the rough. The most popular drivers on the market today are the Taylor made r7quad, the Taylor made r5 dual and the Ping G2.

Fairway woods are usually considered the most reliable golf club and seem to be a favorite because they tend to make you look better than you really are. This is a club that is evolving slowly but should definitely have a place in your bag. A fairway wood usually improves a golfer's accuracy and allows him to loft the ball higher. A few favorites include the Cobra SZ and the Calloway Big Bertha.

The iron is a club that is definitely riding on the edge of technology and surprisingly enough is getting less expensive. While this club isn't perfect yet, it's getting there, and most players should be using game improvement irons. These irons stress perimeter weighting, forgiveness and higher trajectory. The three irons that are getting the most attention today are the Ping G2, the Calloway Big Bertha and the Calloway Big Bertha Fusion. Often the most overlooked club in the bag is the wedge. This club, however, is a necessity in every golfer's bag and definitely a trusted friend to every player who's ever been on the tour. The Cleveland CG10, the Titleist Vokey, and the Cleveland 588 are three of the best. The popularity of the wedge is evident in that Cleveland and Titleist have over 112 combined wedge options.

Finally, the putter is a club that has certainly gone high tech and some of the newer Super Mallets look like they belong in Science Fiction movies. Thankfully, though the traditional putters are still performing well and remain favorites. The Super Mallet putters getting the most attention are the Odyssey 2-ball (White Steel), the Ping G2i Craz-E and the Taylor Made Rossa Monza/Mezza Monza. The old standbys of the traditional putters include the Ping G2i, the PING JAS, and the Yes! Golf C-Groove.

Once you have a general understanding of when and why you need to use a certain type of club, there are still many decisions to make before actually making a purchase. Many driving ranges have golf clubs for rent and it may be a good idea to try out a few different clubs before actually making your purchase. Golf clubs, especially the name brands like Titleist, Cleveland and Nike can be very expensive. If you're new to the sport, consider starting out with second hand clubs. If you find a set that fits, you can usually get them for a steal.