Choosing the right golf clubs
How do I choose the right golf clubs?
Whether you are considering play golf Whether you're a first-time golfer or a seasoned pro planning your next golf trip, knowing how to choose the right golf clubs is key to your performance.
Using the right clubs can change the way you play on the golf course and help you to considerably reduce your disability.
But which golf clubs should you buy?
What should you look for when choosing your golf clubs?
Whether you are considering play golf Whether you're a first-time golfer or a seasoned pro planning your next golf trip, knowing how to choose the right golf clubs is key to your performance.
Using the right clubs can change the way you play on the golf course and help you to considerably reduce your disability.
But which golf clubs to buy ? What should you look for when choosing your golf clubs?
Whatever your level, whether you're buying a single club, a hybrid or a complete set, the number of clubs available on the market can be overwhelming.
Whether you're a complete novice to the sport or you're an avid golfer, you need to think about the same six things when you're trying to choose the right golf clubs.
How to choose golf clubs
Why take your time before choosing a type of club?
The sheer number of golf clubs available on the market is enough to baffle even the most experienced golf professional.
Depending on your abilities and your budget, the purchase of a new golf club can represent a significant investment, so it's important to do your research and not make spontaneous decisions.
Here you'll find information on how to use the different types of golf clubs and the advantages they offer.
- Driver, wood, iron, hybrid, wedge or putter - what may seem like foreign words to the uninitiated are the everyday tools of the golfer: the terms represent the different types of golf clubs.
What is the best brand of golf club?
First of all, ignore the brand name. If you regularly watch European Tour events, it's easy to assume that buying the same make and model as your favourite professionals will help you score well on your golfing holiday.
Use this intuition to help you choose your clubs, but be prepared to try and test other brands. As golf club technology has advanced, manufacturers have targeted different players when creating the latest models.
Whether it's morphology, gender, physical condition or required abilities,
First of all, ignore the brand name. If you regularly watch European Tour events, it's easy to assume that buying the same make and model as your favourite professionals will help you score well on your golfing holiday.
Use this intuition to help you choose your clubs, but be prepared to try and test other brands. As golf club technology has advanced, manufacturers have targeted different players when creating the latest models.
Whether it's your body type, gender, fitness level or ability requirements, focus on the clubs that meet your needs, not their names. After all, it's your score that counts.
Focus on the clubs that meet your needs, not on their names. After all, it's your score that counts.
Advice on choosing golf clubs
Grip thickness
The thickness of your grip can have a considerable effect on your swing. A grip that is too thin can lead golfers to make large actions. of the hand before the swing.
On the other hand, a grip that is too thick will restrict your hands and have an equally devastating impact.
What does a good grip look like?
The correct grip should enable you to hold the club using the middle and ring fingers of your left hand, with your thumb barely touching the pad. If your finger is not touching your thumb, the grip is too large.
On the market, there are shafts of different sizes and materials. The flexibility of the shaft has a major influence on swing speed.
A golfer with a fast swing will generally choose a rigid shaft. This type of shaft offers more control over power and trajectory. Conversely, a player with a slower swing will prefer a softer shaft. A flexible shaft allows you to optimise distance without too much effort. To make the right choice, you first need to understand your own playing style.
Observation of rhythm and swing is essential. Once your swing is better defined, you can choose a shaft that's really suited to your needs.
- Shaft graphite : Players with a relaxed, leisurely spin can opt for a lighter graphite shaft that gives them greater striking distance. There are also carbon shafts, similar to graphite shafts.
- Steel shaft A steel shaft: on the contrary, players with a fast swing often need a stiffer steel shaft for a more precise ball trajectory.
Bien qu’évidente, la longueur correcte du manche est une considération fondamentale lors de l’achat de clubs de golf. Les éléments clés à vérifier sont votre taille, votre morphologie et votre force physique.
As a general rule, taller players need a longer shaft to play at their best. In addition, you should also consider the flexibility of the shaft and its suitability for your swing.
A shaft that is too stiff will result in a lower ball flight and loss of distance, while one that is too soft can result in ballooning and, again, loss of distance.
How can you tell if the shaft flex is correct? Shafts that are too stiff generally cause you to cut the ball to the right, while shafts that are too soft cause it to fly to the left.
What is a golf club loft?
An essential measurement, loft, or loft angle, is the angle formed by a line passing through the centre of the shaft and the face of the club.
Measured in degrees, a golf club with a relatively low loft, such as a 3-iron at 21-23 degrees, will make the ball go further than one with a higher loft. Conversely, a golf club with a high loft, such as a 9-iron at 45-48 degrees, will cause the ball to rise and fall in the air at a steeper angle.
You can judge loft by the upward angle of a club's face or the angle of the top of the face to the shaft. Visually, the face of a club with a higher degree of loft will appear to be more horizontal than that of a club with a lower degree.
The head of the club
If you want to get the most out of your golf club, head size is essential. Having several head sizes can offer a considerable advantage depending on your level.
Most brands offer standard, medium or oversized heads. The choice depends above all on your experience and playing comfort.
In general, the larger the clubhead, the more forgiving the swing. An oversize head often helps to correct an off-centre shot.
However, these heads are sometimes heavy and less easy to control. So it's important to strike the right balance between tolerance and manoeuvrability.
What is a round or half round of golf?
When you're starting out as an amateur golfer, you want to make sure you have everything you need to play a full 18 holes. You know that acquiring a set of clubs that suits you is the first step towards success.
But what does a complete set of golf clubs contain?
A complete set generally consists of around twelve clubs. This set will include a combination of different types of clubs adapted to different aspects of the game. But do you need all these clubs?
The answer, in most cases, is yes! Golf is a game that requires skill, technique and equipment. To make sure you're ready to tackle any course, you need to own and understand all your clubs and the purpose of each one.
How do you choose your driver and fairway woods?
Fairway woods and drivers are your best chance of getting your ball off the tee and covering good distance on your first shot. They are the ones you use to hit the ball the furthest, but they carry the risk of losing the accuracy of your shot.
The driver is the longest club in the bag and can hit the ball the furthest.
The woods are long clubs numbered according to the angle of the club face, known as the loft. A complete set generally includes three wooden clubs, depending on preference. Some golfers prefer to use a 3-wood as a driver or for long shots down the fairway.
What are shoes?
Named for their iron-shaped clubheads, these clubs offer a more versatile option. Irons tend to be more stable clubs due to their shorter shafts. They give the golfer distance without sacrificing accuracy.
A complete set includes up to six irons. The most common choices are 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 irons. These numbers are also linked to the loft of the club.
There are two criteria to consider when choosing your iron series: the structure of the head and sole and the centre of gravity and shaft.
For more power,
- Choose an iron with a centre of gravity weaker.
- When the centre of gravity is lower, you can hit the ball higher.
For greater control over the shot,
- With a high centre of gravity, control over the shot will be improved.
Many players choose to swap part of their set for hybrid clubs, combining the best elements of woods and irons. These clubs offer distance and accuracy while keeping the shaft as short as possible.
Players who want to swap part of their set for hybrids will replace the 3 and 4 irons. These irons are replaceable because they have difficulty achieving the height and consistency of their shot. Some companies even offer complete sets of hybrids.
Every golfer needs to have a putter in their set if they don't want to run into problems on the green making the last shot into the hole. These are specialised clubs designed to get the ball over those last few metres.
The putter is by far the most used club in any golfer's bag, yet many golfers are content to choose a putter that looks good on the rack or has a good reputation. There are many different styles of putter on the market and, with such a widely used club, it makes sense to pay particular attention to the one you choose.
As far as possible, everyone should be fitted with a putter by a professional. Choosing the perfect putter takes time, as it is essential that the putter is correctly weighed and gives consistent results.
What are Wedges?
Wedges are among the most frequently used clubs on an 18-hole course. So if you want to improve your game and reduce your score, consider adding the right wedges to your arsenal.
To begin with, a wedge is an iron with a loft greater than 45 degrees. The loft of a club is the angle at which the face is located in relation to the shaft. Wedges are the most lofted of all clubs. The higher the loft, the higher the trajectory of the ball.
These clubs can be considered specialist irons, but any good set should include at least three. The three wedges that most golfers use are a pitching wedge, a sand wedge and a lob wedge.
The sand wedge has a higher loft than the pitching wedge, generally ranging from 54 to 58 degrees. As its name suggests, it's particularly popular for getting out of bunkers, but it's not the only one.
The wider, more rounded clubhead allows the club to glide under the sand and bounce off the other side rather than sinking and getting stuck.
Of course, it's not just used for bunker shots. The sand wedge is often used for approaches that require less distance, given its higher loft.
Which golf club should a beginner choose?
It's very easy to get carried away by the initial enthusiasm of starting a new sport and buying the best golf equipment, but beware of beginners.
It's best to buy golf clubs gradually, purchasing more advanced clubs as your experience grows and you progress in the sport.
If you have just introduction to golfIt's worth borrowing a game or buying second-hand clubs.
Once you've played a few rounds and become familiar with the game, you can decide whether you want to go ahead and buy your first golf clubs.
As we explained earlier, custom-made or branded clubs are neither necessary nor suitable for beginners.
For your first golf clubs, we recommend you buy a set of beginners' clubs including a driver and a 3-wood, odd irons (3, 5, 7, 9) and a putter.
In addition to the basic decisions between men's and women's clubs and right- or left-handed clubs, you can choose between steel and graphite-handled clubs.
At this stage, we recommend that you choose clubs with steel shafts, as they are more durable and less expensive.
Golf clubs for intermediate and experienced golfers
Which golf club for the average player?
For players with a year's experience or more, you can start building a set of golf clubs more suited to your physical characteristics and abilities.
Intermediate players should start building their game as their game improves over the years.
For experienced players, considering the big brands and the latest models is not such a risky investment.
While your understanding of your strengths and weaknesses will guide your choice, custom fitting may also be an option.
Matching the length and flex of the club shaft, as well as the rake angle and loft of the clubhead to your specifications, is a worthwhile investment if you want to become a serious golfer.
Most golf clubs can in fact be used by both men and women.
Although some of the top golf brands offer some of the best golf sets designed specifically for women.
A key aspect to note is the shafts. Women generally use a women's flex or an 'L' flex on their clubs. The latter are more forgiving because they are more flexible.
How to choose golf clubs that are easy to play?
Playing with unsuitable equipment can undermine the world's most talented athletes in all sports, not just golf.
More than half of today's golfers have not had their clubs properly adjusted and could therefore play to their full physical potential, but are missing out on opportunities to reduce their scores on the course because of their equipment.
Just like a made-to-measure garment versus a store-bought garment, a bespoke set of clubs is made to your specifications, designed to highlight your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses.
Designed to help you play your best, the custom fit gives golfers increased confidence in their clubs. And don't forget to use a laser telemeter to be more precise.
Because golf for us is synonymous with meeting and sharing, at The Belvédère Annecy Golf Club, you won't just find a beautiful training facility,you'll also find a soul, an atmosphere...
In other words, an ever-smiling welcome that will make you want to extend your sporting experience with a moment of relaxation.
At The Belvédère Golf Course, just outside d'Annecy, you can enjoy a meal with a breathtaking view of the Aravis massif.
You will also find at your disposal some very nice infrastructures such as :
- A 230-metre multi-storey driving range
- A putting green
- An approach area
- The Annecy Golf Academy with two instructors
- Adapted golf clinics In summer and weekend
- Adapted golf courses for children during school holidays
- A 9-hole golf course to put your training into practice
