Golf Clubs

The number of clubs that are allowed to be carried during a round of golf is fourteen.

The number of clubs that are allowed to be carried during a round of golf is fourteen. All fourteen do not have to be carried, and many beginners need carry only about half that many. Clubs vary primarily in the types of club-heads they have. The club-head is the larger end of the club which makes direct contact with the ball. There are four different type of clubs, or more accurately, club-heads.

Woods

Woods used for driving the ball off the tee as well as for long shots from the fairway.

Traditionally, woods have been large-headed wooden clubs used for driving the ball off the tee as well as for long shots from the fairway. Ironically, many of the modern "woods" are now made of metal, but they still tend to be referred to as woods.

The woods typically range in number from one to five. They vary in club-head size and in loft, which refers to the angle of the clubface (the part of the club which makes contact with the ball) in relation to the ground. The more closely the clubface angle approximates a right angle (perpendicular to the ground), less loft is present and the lower the club-head will propel the ball into the air. The 1 wood, or driver, has the least degree of loft. It is intended to hit the ball low and far, with added roll along the ground from its low light pattern. Drivers vary in loft in the range of about a seven to 12 degree departure from a perpendicular clubface A beginner will probably want to start with an 11 or 12 degree driver, as the additional loft should make it a litter easier to get the ball airborne.

As the woods proceed from the driver through to the 5 wood, the loft increases slightly with each higher-numbered club up to about 20 degrees, thereby producing a higher flight of the ball and less distance with each increase in loft. Woods can be obtained with even greater loft, numbering as high as nine or more. The higher-numbered woods are preferred by players who feel especially comfortable playing with the woods. But most golfers don't even carry all five of the lower-numbered woods in order to stay within the 14 clubs limit.