What Golf Clubs Do I Need? Understanding the Different Clubs to Play a Round of Golf

By Ben Jarratt •  Updated: 07/14/23 •  7 min read

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What golf clubs do I need? Understanding the different golf clubs and what is required for a game of golf. Golf can be an expensive sport, so it’s important to know what you need before going out and buying anything.

The first thing that will likely come to mind when thinking about what golf clubs you will need is your set of clubs. You might be wondering what is the difference between Callaway edge and strata? However, there are many more things that could be necessary to play one round of golf! So, we’ll cover some basics below:

What Golf Clubs Do I Need - set of clubs

The first step in determining what kind of clubs you will need is figuring out if this club type suits your playing style. Generally speaking, there are two types – woods and irons. Woods produce shots with higher trajectories, but less distance and are typically used for long holes. Irons have lower trajectories but greater distances and are usually used on short or par-three holes.

Next, you will need to decide what club length is best suited for your height and swing speed. Longer clubs provide more power, while shorter clubs allow increased accuracy due to their smaller hitting surface area. If the correct length cannot be found in a single type of club, it may be necessary to mix woods and irons to cover different yardage gaps from 100 yards up to 230 yards (some courses).

The technique can also vary depending on whether one prefers using an overlapping grip or interlocking grip when swinging a golf club. These grips affect posture at address and the angle created at impact.

Woods are used for longer shots, as their metal heads provide more forgiveness on poorly struck balls than irons do. In addition, the wood’s long shaft allows a player to make an extremely straight shot if it hits the ball in the center of its face, but there is significant distance loss when using a wood from off-center due to greater clubhead speed relative to iron clubs.

This means that woods can be dangerous weapons for players with slower swing speeds because they don’t have enough time to correct mistakes made by not hitting the ball squarely (known as a “fade”). With these risks in mind, most golfers use either irons or drivers, depending on which type of shot will fit best into their strategy for the hole.

A hybrid golf club is a cross between an iron and a wood, typically having either two or three of these elements: long shaft/straight shot ability (like woods), metal face with forgiveness on poorly struck balls (like irons), and head size similar to that of today’s drivers; in other words, somewhere in-between what you might find among traditional clubs. Hybrids are designed as “all-around” clubs to replace many types of clubs. Their name comes from the idea that they can be used like any typical type of club.

Irons have short shafts because they are explicitly made for shots requiring more precision than those which would be accomplished using a driver or longer fairway woods. 

Woods is designed to give the golfer a high trajectory with maximum distance and accuracy, but they also have less of an ability to stop quickly on short shots due to their long shafts.

Putters are used for putting only—no other type of shot is allowed with them because when a putter strikes the ball, it is not meant to impart any additional spin or loft on the golf ball; in general, this club should be at least 36 inches (91 cm) from heel end to toe end so that there’s enough space between your hands and arms while you’re swinging back and forth during your stroke.

Wedges typically consist of irons which create variations in both height and direction as well as a loft of 45 degrees or less, and they are often used for moves that demand a high degree of control over the golf ball’s trajectory.

There is also one other club in this category: the lob wedge, which has been designed to help you safely get the ball close to (or onto) any green without carrying it too far past your target; these clubs have lofts between 60-63 degrees with an angle range from 50° at address up throughout their swing arc.

One more note about wedges—be careful when buying them! Make sure what type of groove pattern is on each iron before purchasing because there are three different types available: round nose, Vardon, and U grinds. The differences can be subtle, so ask an expert or read what the differences are before buying.

Best set of clubs for beginners

What Golf Clubs Do I Need - golf clubs lined up in golf school

The best set of clubs for a beginner golfer would be a set that includes a driver, a hybrid club (can be replaced with an iron), five irons of varying degrees depending on the player’s skill level, and three wedges. Most sets also include putters in different lengths for specialized shots around the green or to make putting more accessible from long distances.

What set of clubs do pros use?

What Golf Clubs Do I Need - golf bags

Professional golfers are allowed to have 14 clubs in their bag, including a driver (some use two), three woods (sometimes four for long-distance shots), and eight irons of varying degrees depending on skill level.

Best grip for golfers

golfer about to swing the ball

Grip: The grip is what players hold onto when swinging a golf club. It can be referred to as either a firm or soft-grip, depending on how much pressure is applied by the player’s hands during swing execution. For example, a person with a firm grip has their thumbs wrapped around the golf club’s shaft for more control over where exactly they hit it. In contrast, someone who uses a softer grip will have their fingers loosely wrapping around it instead (which provides less feedback from what you’re holding onto).

Firm – A firm grip is very stable but not as much feedback from the ground. This type of grip can be suitable for beginners who might have trouble getting control with the club because it makes it easier to swing without over swinging or under swinging since there’s more stability than some other types of grips. It may also work well for players who tend to hit hooks or slices due to less wrist action required when making contact with the ball at the impact point.

However, the downside to a firm grip is that there’s not as much feel with the ground, which can lead to difficulty controlling distance and ball landing location due to less feedback. For example, players may need more shots for the same result if using this type of grip instead of getting more significant input from what they’re holding onto during swing.

Firm Grip: This is similar to an Ironman-style golf club but has many benefits. The first benefit is weight placement; it allows for increased control over the club’s center of gravity through its low point on your hands (a design element common among irons). Secondly, when making contact with the ball at the impact point, a player will have better access to both left and right sides of the ball, which will help to prevent hooks and slices.

In Conclusion

There is a lot that goes into finding the right clubs that suit your playing ability the best. The most important thing to remember is to find what you like and what works best for your swing.