Golf Equipment Glossary
Golf Balls
Come in a variety of performance variables from soft cover, soft feeling & higher spinning balls providing more feel and golf ball control around the grounds or hard cover, hard feeling & lower spinning balls designed for durability and to fly straighter and farther. Different color balls help identify and may be easier to see for some.
Putter
The putter or flat stick is used to roll the ball on the putting green and into the cup. Putters come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Larger Mallet style putters are best for beginners. Experienced golfers should be custom fit for stroke style and ball flight. You drive for show and putt for dough ($).
Wedges
Wedges are the shortest length clubs with the highest loft and are used for full swing yardages and Pitching & Chipping as you get close to the green. Wedges are available in Pitching Wedge (46 to 48 degrees of loft), Gap Wedge (50 to 52 degrees of loft), Sand Wedge (54 to 56 degrees of loft) or Lob Wedge (58 to 64 degrees). Knowing how far you hit each wedge is critical for good golf.
Pitching Wedge
Pitching Wedges are typically 45 to 48 degrees of loft and can be thought of as simply a 10 iron where it will be 1/2″ shorter in length, 4 degrees more loft, and travel 8 to 10 yards shorter than a 9 Iron. A pitching wedge will be used with full swing yardages and chipping and pitching when you are looking for a ball to land and roll more when it lands vs. the same shot with a sand wedge..
Gap Wedge
A Gap Wedge is typically 50 to 52 degrees of loft and fills the yardage gap created between a full swing pitching wedge and full-ish swing sand wedge. A gap wedge will be used with full swing yardages and chipping and pitching when you are looking for a ball to land and roll more when it lands vs. the same shot with a sand wedge..
Sand Wedge
Sand Wedges are typically 54 or 56 degrees in loft and are used out of the sand as well as full swings from grass and short shots from grass around the greens. Know your full swing sand wedge yardage from grass and use it for all yardages as you get closer to the green.
Irons
Used for accuracy and hitting from specific yardages to land the ball on the green. Irons are numbered 3 thru 9. Short irons (8 or 9 iron) are shorter in length and have more loft vs. Longer Irons (3, 4, 5 irons) are longer in length and have less loft. Ideally, each iron in your set will travel 8 to 10 yards apart with a high trajectory where the ball will land and stop on the green.
Hybrid Clubs
Shown here in the middle, hybrid clubs combine the profile of both irons and metalwoods to provide more forgiveness with off center hits and easier performance hitting the ball higher in the air. Hybrids replace longer irons in a players bag.
Metalwoods
Originally made of wood, now made of metal. These golf clubs provide higher ball flight from farther distances and are available in 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, or 11 wood or 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 24+ loft combinations.
Driver
The driver is designed to hit the ball the farthest and is the longest length club with the least amount of loft making it the hardest club to hit accurately. Beginner golfers should not use a driver until they develop a sound movement pattern in their golf swing. Everyone should be custom fit for a driver to produce a high line drive ball flight.
Golf Clubs
Each golf club is designed to create a specific trajectory and distance. Golf clubs are progressive in length from short to long. Shorter golf clubs have more loft creating higher ball flight and short distance with better ball stopping ability.. Longer clubs have less loft producing flatter trajectory and longer distances.
Beginner Golf Clubs
Beginners only need to learn with a Pitching Wedge, 9 Iron, 7 Iron and Hybrid for a Driver. Once basic movement patterns are established add practicing with a Driver. Once yardage gaps are created between clubs you can fill in the set with the 8 & 6 Irons.
Club Head Speed
The speed the head of the golf club travels through the impact zone. Average PGA Tour Club Head Speed 110MPH, Senior PGA Tour 105MPH, LPGA Tour 95MPH with a driver
Ball Mark Repair Tool
Used to repair the indent a ball creates when it lands on a green. A sign of a respectful golfer.
Ball Marker
Used to mark the spot where you balls lies on the putting green so the other golfer can putt their ball and not hits yours if your ball sits in their way. Can be any shape it just needs to be flat incase a ball does happen to roll over it. It may be a luck coin or charm of your choice.
Golf Shoes
Golf Shoes have special cleats to provide traction and stability for the golf swing as your feet and ground create sheer force to help generate club head speed for power. Golf Shoes can be waterproof, or not, and provides function as well as fashion. Golf can be played in a tennis shoe but should not be played in a running shoe.
Golf Glove
Worn on your lead hand, left hand for a right handed golfer. A golf glove provides traction between your lead hand and grip to control the club face without holding the club too tight which reduces feel and mobility in your hand. A glove may alway provide minor protection against wear and tear of your hand thru practice or play.
Golf Bag
Holds your wallet, golf clubs, golf balls, gloves, umbrella and extra layers of clothing. Some models are designed to be lighter and easier to carry if you walk and others are designed to be more sturdy to withstand the bumps if you ride in a card.
Golf Towel
A golf towel is necessary equipment to clean your clubs after every shot. It is important the grooves of your clubs are clean of debris to allow for optimal golf ball spin and performance for each shot.
Custom Fitting Golf Clubs
Custom Fitting golf clubs will help you play better golf. You can be custom fit for drivers, irons, hybrids, fairways, putters and golf balls to improve your performance. Custom Fitting variables may include model type, shaft length, shaft flex, lie angle, bounce, grip type, grip size, and set composition. During a club fitting you will be measured and have the opportunity to hit different clubs with different specifications to find the best overall performance for you.
Loft
Loft is the angle the club face is pointing up into the air relative to the ground for each club. Golf clubs are typically 3 to 4 degrees of loft apart from each other throughout a set which provides approx. an 8 to10 yard gap between each club in your bag. The driver has the lowest amount of loft at an average of 10.5 degrees. A 7 iron may have 32 degrees of loft, 8 iron 36 degrees, 9 iron 40, etc.. and a Sand Wedge has 56 degrees of loft.
Elements of a Golf Club
A golf club is assembled with a club head, shaft and grip. Types of golf clubs include Drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges and putters.
Heal, Toe, Sole, Leading Edge, Trailing Edge, Top-Line, Crown
A golf club is assembled with a club head, shaft and grip. Types of golf clubs include Drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges and putters.
