Article 29

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Club Components

Know Your Tools...........Article 29

Written by Greg Peddie

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Have you ever wondered why golf clubs cost so much. I mean come on, other items made of the same materials cost half as much. In this article we will take a quick look at a golf club and the components that make up a club. Due to the wide variety of club types, we will examine only irons today.

A club is made of three basic parts, the club head, the shaft and the grip. There can be other parts on a club, however these three parts are common in all golf clubs.

First let's look at the grip. Grips are available in many different styles and feels. With the recent advances in synthetic materials and the ability to combine synthetic and natural materials golf grip technology is booming. Today you can purchase grips in any color combination you choose. Some are available with team logos or with molded finger placement knobs (Note: USGA does not allow clubs with finger placement knobs or finger placement identification markings in tournament play. These grips are for practice only).

Most grips are molded one piece parts that are slipped over the club and glued on with a special two sided tape. Grips can be manufactured with a look that simulates the old wrapped leather style, with or with perforations or with a cord like material embedded in the rubber in either half cord or full cord.

No one can tell you which style grip is better for you. It just boils down to how it feels in your hand. Next time you are in a pro shop, pick up and feel as many different grip styles as you can, you just might find something you like better. And its the easiest and least costly component to change on a golf club. If fact you should probably replace your grips every two to three years, depending on how often you play.

The shaft is often referred to the engine of the club. Again, modern synthetic technology is increasing the options available for shafts everyday. Metal shafts are still the most popular shafts for irons, but its loosing ground rapidly. Metal is a little heavier than graphite, however metal offers more consistency from one shaft to the next. This is one reason you will find more metal shafts on irons than on woods.

Graphite shafts are great for woods. They are lighter and usually available with greater variety in specifications. Many players will pick graphite solely because they like the look. I say as long as you get the right specification for you, why not choose on look alone.

The club head should be the only part of the club to make contact with the ball. Club heads are available in cast carbon steel, bronze or stainless steel and more recently these materials are combined with special alloys and plastics. Carbon steel and stainless can be forged giving the club more feel or feedback for the player.

Old school players will tell you that blades are the best. I am not old school, but I do love the look and feel of blades. Cavity back, especially some of the newer models, offer the most forgiveness for both the average player and the professional. More and more PGA Tour players are switching to cavity back irons or a progressive set. Progressive sets are blades in the scoring clubs, wedge, 9, 8, 7 irons and cavity back or hybrid in the 6, 5, 4 and 3 irons.

When purchasing new clubs make sure you select the right shaft based on your swing speed. Next select a club that appeals to you, it will give you more confidence. But make sure the club fits you. Make sure shafts are the right lengths and that the lie and loft are correct for you and your swing. Nothing beats a tailored set of irons.

If you are crafty person that enjoys building things, try building some of your own clubs. Golfsmith makes it real easy with their on-line tutorials and training manuals and tapes.

Regarding the high cost of equipment. Major golf club manufactures have teams of mechanical and material engineers. The amount of enginnering in a major brand club is staggering. With the high cost of research and enginnering, the relative low quantity of precision manufacturing and the strong marketing dollars, prices will remain high. Both engineering and manufacturing are relatively fixed cost. The only way to reduce cost is to decrease the marketing. This will only happen if players or new players buy more.

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Your questions or comments are always welcome. Let us know if this article was helpful to you.

Greg Peddie