Essentials to Get Your Golf Club Swinging like a Pro

When you’re a budding golfer, knowing how to build up your golf gear can be daunting. With a few tips, even the greenest amateur will move confidently in their golf shoes, knowing when and where to use any golf club. Not only will your game improve, but you’ll enjoy every swing even more when you're set up for success.

Get a grip on your golf clubs

Get to know the complete set of golf clubs. Each golf club has a different function, and using the wrong one can throw off your game. Once you’re confident with the role of each club, your swing and putting will get an instant boost.

A Golf Club for Every Occasion

First, you have to understand the loft. Loft refers to the angle of the club head with respect to the shaft. More loft, like medium-loft and high-loft, means the club head is bent to a higher degree. The golf club number, like a 3-wood or 5-iron, indicates the club’s loft amount. A bigger digit equals a higher loft.

A golf club’s number also indicates the clubs length. An 8-iron or 5-wood is short, and a 1-wood or 2-iron is long. Longer clubs are often harder to play with than medium or short clubs.

Wedge Golf Clubs

A wedge golf club has an iron club head like iron clubs, but with more loft.

Pitching Wedge (PW)
Gap Wedge (GW)
Sand Wedge (SW)
Lob Wedge (LW)

This wedge has the lowest loft but hits the farthest of the PWs. Use the PW when you want to get a ball off of the fairway and on to the green.

The in-between wedge has a higher loft than a PW and lower loft than SW. Use the specialised GW between the sand bunker and the fairway pitch.

The SW is a no-nonsense wedge that takes beached golf balls seriously. Use the SW to get the ball out of the sand bunker.

This wedge has the highest loft in a golf set. Shots with a lob wedge will cause a ball to shoot into the air quickly. Use the LW to get the ball over trees or to dodge excessive ball roll on the green.

Wood Golf Clubs

Traditionally, a woods’ club head was made from wood, but nowadays the club boasts a hollow head made from steel or titanium alloy. Use these light-weight golf clubs to hit hard on the fairway. The Driver (1-wood) is the most difficult to master. Amateur and beginners should start with shorter fairway woods like a 3-wood or 5-wood.

Hybrid Golf Clubs

A hybrid club (also known as utility and rescue club) is a mix between an iron and a wood club. These golf clubs are easier to swing and control than the long irons (e.g. 2-5 iron) they replace. The larger club head can improve a player’s swing and other golfer mistakes.

Iron Golf Clubs

Iron clubs (also known as blades) often have grooved and very narrow club heads. Advanced golfers play with solid iron golf clubs (also known as muscle or blade style), but amateurs will have a more enjoyable game with lighter cavity-back or hollow irons. Use iron golf clubs for fairway and tee shots.

Putter

All golfers need one putter in their club set. The putter is the golf club you’ll use on the green to drive the ball into the hole. Finding the perfect putter boils down to what feels right. The club head style can be mallet, blade or heel-toe, and the length varies between standard, belly and long.

What clubs are in a set of golf clubs?

When you look at a standard modern golf club set, you’ll see a putter, a pitching wedge, six irons, one hybrid and three wood clubs.

What the Basic Amateur Golf Set Needs

If you’re a beginner, you won’t need a full set yet. Start with half a golf set and focus on mastering the golf clubs that you have. When you’re looking at golf clubs for sale online or in store, try to find clubs with a “game improvement” badge, and fit them to your height. The best place for buying golf clubs is the golf shop near you, as you can test the grip and height clubs before committing.

A good set of golf clubs for a beginner’s golf bag includes:

1. Driver

2. 5- or 7-wood

3. 5- or 7-iron

4. 9-iron

5. Pitching wedge

6. 2- or 4-hybrid

7. Putter

Dress for Success

Traditionally, golfers had to comply with strict dress codes to get onto the pitch. Collared shirts and slacks might’ve left golf players feeling a bit bland, but their attire got them into the club. Lately, golf fashion is breathing new life as contemporary colours and styles enter the mix. Now golfers can match their swing with swag.

Even though golf trends are on the up and up, many clubhouses still prohibit the following:

· Jogging attire and gear

· Flip-flops and beachwear

· Sleeveless shirts and T-shirts

· Headgear

Why Golf Shoes Matter

Young, old, inexperienced or pro, all golf players need the same support underfoot. Golf shoes are designed to give golfers a non-slip base that holds steady in wet and dry conditions. The inside of the golf shoe is made to keep feet from twisting or sliding as a golfer takes a swing. Not only do golf shoes take care of your feet, but the right shoe can also give your game momentum.

Luckily, the right pair is a click away. Golf loafers made by Duca del Cosma are ergonomic, light-weight, breathable, water-resistant and significantly stylish.

Our Top Picks for Men’s Golf Shoes