Throughout the world there must be millions of weekend golfers who play the game they love just once in their hectic and sometimes very tiring week, hoping to find out the secret of this magical but really frustrating pastime. One topic inevitably crops up when we make our weekly pilgrimage around the 18 shrines we call a golf course.
Golf clubs! Now there's a subject I guarantee always comes up on a round of golf. If not on the course, then certainly in the clubhouse afterwards, where we are celebrating perhaps one good shot in a round or drowning our sorrows in a beer glass for yet another waste of a good morning.
Let's examine the clubs further. Firstly, we usually have two or three woods in the 14 permitted clubs we are allowed to carry in the bag (what a strange number). A driver is the biggest of them all - both in head size and club length - and, in theory at least, if used correctly, can and should hit the ball the longest distance. Why oh why can't I hit the ball like that nice Mr Woods just once in my lifetime. Granted he is more talented than I and he practises about 18 hours a day, but it still would be nice just once to hear that crisp click of the ball leaving the club heading in the right direction.
All higher numbered clubs are supposed to do about the same thing, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 irons are also supposed to be hit huge distances yet no matter how often I have had lessons, I can't seem to make a shot from a three iron travel any further than a shot from a five iron.
See what I'm saying about being frustrated! Next, the 6 and 7 irons - or mid irons are used if you are lucky enough to hit a half reasonable shot with a long iron, leaving the ball just a bit too far for an 8 or 9 iron (which are used for play closer to the green) you can then hit the mid-iron in the hope that you will reach the green and give yourself a reasonable chance of sinking a putt.
The sand wedge and pitching wedge are used around the green for particularly close shots that don't quite land on the green or finish up in the sand of a bunker. And finally, while on the smoother surface of the green, you get to use the putter. You have probably seen these implements in all shapes and sizes. Like broomsticks, extra pieces stuck on the handle and all sorts of different club heads.
Let's see what the generalisation is then: all iron clubs vary in degree of angle. If you imagine the one iron as being almost straight, the 2, 3, 4, etc, all have increasing angle on the club head to give you more lift when you hit the ball. Therefore, the sand iron and the pitching wedge would have the greatest angle, thus giving you the most lift from the ground.
If I sound like a text book, I am sorry. I have tried for almost 15 years to find out the secret of which club to use for which shot but I still generally finish up using a five-iron for pretty well everything.
So you'll want to start with a visit to pro shops and sporting goods stores first. Try out as many brands and styles as you can. Continue refining your search until you've found the clubs you want. Make a mental note of the price, but know that you are not going to pay nearly that much.
Your Fingers Do The Walking
Now you're ready to shop the internet, where you can find some the lowest prices on the best clubs.The billions of web pages of the internet makes for a fiercely competitive environment among online retailers. To compete with each other, and to muscle out their brick-and-mortar competition, online retailers have to sell their wares at rock bottom prices.
Plus they not only want to give you a good price, the lower operating overhead allows them to do so. For you, that can mean great deals on your golf clubs, as well as golf bags, balls, clothing, and anything else you need for your game.
Cyberspace Pirates
Be aware, though, that the internet is a refuge for crooks and thieves hoping to take your money. The internet abounds with scam artists who set up fake auction ads or entire web sites with the sole purpose of stealing your hard-earned cash. Once you send it to them, you can kiss your money good-bye. If you see unbelievable prices on golf clubs, the old adage "too good to be true" probably holds.
How To Make A Safe Purchase
Still, there are many legitimate sellers on the web and, by following safe internet buying practices, you can get a great deal without being robbed.
Once you've found the clubs you want at a fabulous price, proceed with caution to make your purchase. Never provide any personal information to someone over e-mail. Provide it only on a web site if the site is secure. You can tell a site is secure by checking the web address for https instead of http. The extra "s" stands for secure. Some sites have a little key symbol in the browser to let you know it's safe.
Next, check out any retailer on the web before you purchase from them. See if they have a phone number and a real address. You can even go so far as to research on a comparison site like MySimon.com, or on the Better Business Bureau's site.
This small amount of effort pays off in the long run, because you'll get the golf clubs you want at the best possible prices.
Both Michael Russell & Ron King are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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