A golf club (the instrument, not the place) has three primary parts – the Shaft, the Head, and the Grip.

Look into a standard set of clubs and you’ll find the following sets: a putter, eight irons (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and Pitching Wedge), and three woods (the 1, 3, and 5) for a grant total of twelve clubs. Official golf rules state that each golfer can carry up to 14 clubs in the bag. The easiest and most useful addition is a specialty wood or another iron.

Woods – Woods are used to hit long shots. If a golf hole is 430 yards from the tee to the green, most golfers will use a wood to hit it off the tee. A wood is a hollow-bodied large headed golf club. When you have 175 yards or more to the green, use a wood .

The Driver – This club (also called the 1 Wood) has the lowest “loft” of any golf club. (Loft is the angle of the club face). The face of the club determines and affects distance. The face also controls the ball trajectory. On a 1 Wood, the face has a loft of 7-12 degrees.

Most golfers also carry 3 and 5 woods in their bags. A 3 wood has a loft between 15 and 18 degrees, and a 5 wood has a loft between 20 and 22 degrees. The higher the golf club number, the higher the loft. In addition, the higher the golf club number, the shorter the club.

Irons – These clubs are generally used when you have less than 200 yards to go to get to the green. Use a higher iron if you are closer to the green. As mentioned before, a standard set of irons consists of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 irons and the PW.

Wedges – Wedges are really just specialty irons. The first wedge is the PW, which is usually about 48 degrees in loft. Wedges increase by 4 degrees increments. So wedges commonly come in 48, 52, 56, 60 and 64 degree lofts. The PW is the highest lofted iron in a standard set and lowest loft of the wedges.

Wedges are extremely useful. Most avid golfers have a few wedges and couldn’t live without them. Wedges are generally designed as “blade clubs” because you are close to the green. Wedges are necessary for increased shot control.

Putters – A putter is a golf club with a very specific purpose: getting the ball into the hole while on the green. After you have whacked the ball 270 yards right down the middle of the fairway, smacked your second shot 160 yards into the sand trap (bunker), and then chipped it onto the green, it is time to putt. There are many styles of putters: short, belly, long, bent, heel-toe, and others.

In this post, I’ve listed the main ingredients of a Golf Club, the primary piece of Golf Equipment that an aspiring golfer needs.

Even if you purchase the most expensive golf equipment in the world and you plan to play on the finest golf courses in the country, it is nothing without the other side of the equation: quality golf instruction. I cannot emphasize good golf lessons for the beginner.

Those lessons may be public group lessons (at a large discount) or private lessons with a local course pro. A combination of both public and private is the best way to go because you get to struggle with others (as they struggle) and you get a chance to zoom in on your playing weaknesses and tendencies.

Taking quality private lessons from a professional has enormous advantages: let’s be honest, if you are paying anywhere from $45-125 per hour to learn how to play a little game, you will do what you can on the side to improve your skill. A professional (even one from the local course) can take you further than a family member or friend could ever take you (though their help is appreciated as well).

Secondly, the local professional can critique your game objectively on the course. Your friends and family will not be as patient after the twentieth or thirtieth time they correct you (in normal relationships). Also, the pro will hone your strengths while getting you over the hump of your weaknesses. Being encouraged by a professional goes further than your long and straight drive when it comes to building your confidence in this game.

Thirdly, the pro you choose is an experienced professional. This is the profession he has chosen to excel in. He’s good at the game and he teaches others for a living; that should say something. The local course pro has been good enough to be called a professional, so that person had to be good (if you don’t think the value for your money’s, select someone else).

There are a whole host of instructors who would be willing to teach beginning golfers the art and skill of driving a ball 250 yards or chipping the ball out of the bunker. To be fair, though, not all pros are good teachers, and that’s something you will need to think about too.

Lastly, a pro will help you with your stance, grip, swing, control, follow through, aim, strategy, club selection, and game psychology. You will be able to enjoy the game more fully. The professional instructor is normally worth the extra money you spend to learn the game.

Budget a quality golf professional into the game strategy when you’re first learning how to play. He (or she) is a welcome addition to the golf gear you have so carefully placed in your designer bag.