Sit back and we will go through a few basic tips to help you in determining which golf clubs are right for you.

To begin with, it can be stated that "off the shelf" golf clubs will work for nearly everybody standing between 5 feet and six feet tall. And it doesn't matter if you are male or female, the general rule applies. Everyone else will want to consider having clubs made to fit.

Will that be cast iron or forged?

Cast iron is the normal route to take when buying new clubs.

The major reason? Because most standard cast iron golf clubs have a larger "sweet spot". This is the are in the center of the club face where "forces" are said to be perfectly balanced to deliver the perfect shot. The bigger the sweet spot, the better chance of hitting it every time. Being a little off center will not affect your shot to any great degree. It is for that main reason the beginners are steered towards cast iron clubs. Without a steady consistant swing, a larger striking area will produce better shots overall. This is the major reason why you see larger or even "oversized" clubs made, especially the oversized drivers today. These clubs allow for a larger sweet spot and make the game a lot easier for the average player

By contrast, forged iron golf clubs are "harder to hit" with as they have a smaller sweet spot.

So why are forged clubs even made?

Because the "softer" forged metal gives the golfer a better feel than the harder cast iron. The more experienced player has a much more defined and repeatable swing, allowing them to hit the smaller sweet spot with much more consistancy. They don't need that larger "margin of error" the beginner needs. And now, the better "feel" allows him or her the added advantage of being able to manoevre and/or "shape" his shot to the circumstances as needed.

The next consideration is the material for the shaft. Steel or composite?

The crucial touchstone here is club speed. An ordinary duffer on the links will have a club speed in the range of 80-94 mph. Generating lower speeds typically implies you should use a shaft of composite material . The problem with lower speed is you get less distance on your shots. You need to generate more speed or find some way to compensate until you can. And that is where the composite golf club shaft enters the picture. It gives you a lot more distance than you would get with your normal swing and a steel shaft.

On the other hand, if you already have good distance on your due to good swing speed, you can add some touch and feel to your game very similar to that obtained by using the forged iron clubs. You get the best of both worlds.

Determining your own swing speed is not difficult. If you don't have a local pro shop with the right equipment, you can find small microwave Doppler radar devices that are run by AAA batteries. You simply set it near your tee and swing away.

With just these few starting hints, it is generally best if you rent a few different sets of clubs as you play and take note of how each club assists or blocks your game. You are searching to determine your personal strong points and weaknesses. Try out the diverse types and sorts of clubs available to you and see what works best for your own game.

Never stop understanding and tweaking your own golf game.