Woods or Irons? Or Both? Get The Right Type Of Golf Clubs!

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The basic golf equipment that a golfer needs includes a good set of golf clubs. You could say that these 14 sticks are the most important things in your golf bag. It’s the basic set of golf equipment that every golfer needs. To start with, there are two types of golf clubs - the woods and the irons. Their names suggest their distinct characteristics and they cannot be used interchangeably.

Woods
When they were first created, wood golf clubs were actually made out of wood. Recently though, it’s been modified and steel is now used for the club head. Woods are generally used to achieve more distant hits starting with the drive (the starting shot of every hole).

Irons
Irons look very different from woods. So it’s really easy to tell the two different types of clubs apart. They have smaller heads, are made out of steel and are designed for short-distanced shots. They are also shorter and more often than not easier to use than woods.

A good golf player doesn’t stick to one type of golf club. Instead, you will want to use different clubs to achieve different desired height, distance and ball placement. For example, when you’re taking your first shot through the fairway, you should pull out your 1 wood (also known as the driver). The number 2 to 4 wood can then be used for long, low shots on the fairway and the 5 to 9 woods are used to hit higher and shorter shots.

For irons, you will have a selection from the 1 iron to the 9 iron. Each number refers to the angle of the clubface and the length of the club. The average golfer will stick to the 4 iron and below. Unless you’re a professional, there is no point wasting money on the 1 to 3 irons. They’re too difficult to use and for the results that they can produce, you’re much better off spending your money on other golf equipment.

Buying a good set of golf clubs has been known to cost a fair bit. In fact, out of all the different types of golf equipment, golf clubs may be the most expensive of them all. However, there is a solution and a way of getting cheaper golf clubs. If you’re new at the game, a set of second-hand or used golf clubs can serve you well until you get use to the game. If you decide that you like playing golf, then you can consider buying a brand new set of golf clubs.

John Lim
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The Top 3 Pieces of Golf Equipment You N

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Like any other sport, the game of golf has specific pieces of equipment that you’ll need. Unlike other sports though, the golf equipment that you will find are many, and they aren’t always immediately clear what they are for. Because there are so many items, I’ll only be focusing on the three main pieces of golf equipment you’ll need to play the game. They are golf clubs, golf balls and golf shoes.

The first thing to introduce to any golfer is the golf club. There are two kinds of golf clubs - the woods and the irons. The woods are named as such because when golf equipment was first developed, the heads of these clubs were actually made out of real wood. In time and technology, metals such as titanium are used to craft these clubs. The woods have a rounded head and are generally used to hit longer shots.

Irons are golf clubs that are easy to tell from the woods. They are shorter in length and are used to hit mid-length to short shots. The club face is sharper than that of a wood and varying club numbers have varying lofts. This is to give the golfer more control over their shots.

Next up on your golf equipment list would be the golf ball. Once made out of compacted feathers covered with leather, the latest form of the modern golf ball has a rubber core and a covering of Surlyn (a type of plastic). Standard golf balls must weigh not more the 45.93 g or 1.62 oz and must have a diameter of no less than 4.27 cm or 1.68 inches. As with golf clubs though, different brands of golf balls do produce different shots. Certain manufacturers choose to focus on tougher, longer lasting balls, others on distance, some on accuracy and so on. If you’re new at the game, then you’re better off getting used golf balls. This is because you might lose them during the game and used golf balls are that much cheaper.

One of the last things you’ll need to shop for when it comes to golf equipment is golf shoes. Similar to other sporting shoes, the difference of a golf shoe comes from the sole of the shoe. Instead of having normal grips the bottom of the shoe is filled with spikes. Now this might sound dangerous but they really aren’t at all. The spikes are there to help you get a better grip on the course. This is especially important because it’s easy to slip and injure yourself when playing on wet grass.

Apart from these three items, there are of course other golf equipment. Examples of these items are bags, hats, clothes, club head covers, tags and other accessories. These items can be used to enhance your game and make it more fun. But golf clubs, golf balls and golf shoes will always be the main items you need to enjoy a golf game.

John Lim
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Golf Exercises For A Better Body And Better Scores

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You don’t have to be at the peak of your physical fitness to enjoy golf. But if you want to play competitively or if your goal is to achieve the lowest score possible, then having a fit body helps greatly. The mistake that most golfers make when they hit the gym is build the wrong kind of muscles for golf. Don’t fall into that trap! Instead, read on and find some low impact golf exercises that will have you feeling healthier and scoring better.

Low Impact Golf Exercises

• Hip Internal Rotation - Sit on a chair with your knees pointed straight in front of you. Rotate your ankles outward keeping your knees and thighs pointed straight ahead.

• Hip External Rotation - Same position. Now, cross the left ankle in front of the right and, keeping the thighs and knees pointed straight, hold for one second. Repeat, reversing ankles.

• Hip Abduction - On your left side bend the left knee slightly and straighten your right. Raise your right leg straight up, keeping it in the plane of your body. Hold for one second and count to two as you lower the leg. Repeat on the other side.

• Hamstring - Extend your left leg, knee straight on a low bench. Keep your back straight and chin up as you slowly reach toward the toes. Hold for two seconds, then repeat on your right leg.

• Lower Back - Sit with head erect, shoulders squared on a low bench. Slowly turn to your left, to slightly less than maximum. Reach hands around as if reaching for a seat back. Remember to keep your feet nearly flat on the floor. Hold for two seconds, then repeat on right side.

• Forearms - Extending your left arm straight out with the palm face-up, use your right hand to pull back the fingers of your left hand. Then turn your palm down and again use your right hand to gently pull back the fingers of your left. Hold each position for 10 to 20 seconds, then repeat, switching arms.

As the weeks progress and you feel yourself getting stronger, feel free to add some weights on your angles and wrists. They will help provide more resistance and a tougher workout.

Those are some golf exercises you can do to strengthen and tone your muscles to achieve better golf fitness. But what’s also important is stretching and warming up before the game to avoid injury.

Stretching
Good putting requires relaxed concentration and a good drive strength and limber joints. So start your stretches by rotating all the 'golf' joints. This means your hands and fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. Once you’re done with the minor parts of your body, loosen up the main area, your neck and spine, by rotating the head gently counter then clockwise. Remember, the following instructions are just general golf exercises you can use. Keep in mind of your age and fitness before trying out awkward angles and extensions.

• Starting slowly, stretch yourself just less than the maximum possible. Hold each stretch for several seconds and repeat until you work smoothly out to the maximum extension.

• Standing straight, stretch the arms straight up, rotate the forearms, then wrists, then flex the finger joints. Follow by rotating the entire arm, first one then the other then both together. Reverse directions and repeat.

• With elbows bent and hands clasped above the head, use the right hand to pull the body right, followed by the left hand to pull the body left. That stretches those major muscles called the latissimus dorsi. (The long ones running from the shoulder blades down to the waist.)

• Separate the feet to about shoulder width and bend side to side, front to back. Remember to keep pressure off the lower back, by keeping the angles shallow until you've achieved athletic golf fitness.

John Lim
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Mastering the Golf Swing

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You don't have to understand all the ins and outs of the golf swing in order to play well, but it certainly will help.

A person usually cannot pick up a golf club for the first time and swing it with perfection.

But, the body can learn the correct way to swing a golf club.

One gotcha is to be sure to NOT lift your head to view the alignment of the club face during the back swing and/or downswing.

The best focusing points for a consistent swing are:

1) efficient golf swing mechanics and
2) the body.

By keeping your joints supple and flexible, you could help ensure the length of your golf swing and even your club head speed.

Golf Swing Mechanics and Your Body

In order to learn efficient golf swing mechanics, the golf swing has to match your body's ability.

The ability to maintain your body in the correct "balanced" position, while going through your golf swing, requires intense neuromuscular control.

Training muscles involved in the golf swing, particularly the lower body and torso muscles, helps to hit the ball a greater distance.

The key is to play with optimal golf swing mechanics to reduce stress on your spine. If you ignore either the body or the mechanics, it would be safe to say that your golf swing and game will suffer.

It is also important to mention that the motion of a golf swing, if done incorrectly, can cause injuries in many parts of the body.

Injuries to the key muscle groups used in the golf swing can be significantly lowered by improving flexibility.

Remember Your Posture

Your posture sets the tone for an unobstructed, free-flowing and uncomplicated golf swing.

Every error in your posture magnifies itself throughout your golf swing, and nowhere is that more amplified than on the backswing.

Look at your posture.

Proper posture allows you to make the golf swing and protect your back. You should focus to physically try to stay in your golf posture until the end of your swing.

Finally, The Swing

Without question the golf swing is one of the most important aspects about the game of golf.

Timing is the key to a great swing.

The set-up is the first crucial part of golf swing timing. If your swing is off, the golf ball could fall too short or go too far.

Allow your eyes to go to the ball to begin your swing. Remember your posture and your stance.

Now the backswing. The backswing does not hit the golf ball, but this does not mean that executing a good backswing is not important.

All of the motion ties into one another. It can be hard to master, as the golf swing is not a natural motion for most people.

But practicing and focusing on key aspects will go a long way to improving your swing.

Remember your body is one of these key aspects.

A strong lower back is critical to making an effective turning motion in the golf swing. And don't rush into it. Never try to hit a golf ball until your swing is second nature.

Now that We Have the Basics, How to Improve

Practice, practice and more practice. This doesn't necessarily mean time spent every day, but it does mean to focus on all the key aspects each time you do practice.

Two aspects require tuning and development of you wish to improve the power in your golf swing; timing and form.

You can work on drills to improve your golf swing timing, always remembering to start with a solid setup. In regard to form, powerful abdominals will improve posture at the address and help to prevent lower-back pain associated with the golf swing.

Also, by working on your stance and finishing position, your golf swing is on its way to giving you a perfect game.

Maintaining Power

As time goes on you may be losing your ability to produce power in your golf swing.

An inefficient golf swing decreases the amount of power delivered to golf swing. Great players attest that focussing on proper body stance and a smooth, focused swing maximizes your power and develops an athletic golf swing with perfect balance.

Many things go into playing a great game of golf, none as important as having the proper golf swing and body form.

This will not just increase your ability in the game, but also your enjoyment.

Lee Collins
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