Having the right golf clubs will probably be the easiest and fastest way for you to learn and improve your golf game.

Golf clubs come in many varieties that cater to different golfers with a wide range of experience and abilities.

The price you pay is not an indicator on how good a fit they will be to any individual.

There are a number of options available to you.

Original Manufacturers First on the market.

They do the research and development that determines how the clubheads will be manufactured. They then have the clubhead manufactured for them, in foundries, (most likely located in China).

They buy shafts and grips and have all three components assembled.

Brand name golf club manufacturer, spend a lot of time and money, developing and promoting new clubhead variations.

Once a golf club design has proven to be successful, they are copied.

Clone is the generic name given to these clubs.

These club makers do not have the research, development or promotional costs the Original Manufacturer's have and can sell their clubs much cheaper.

If a golf club is made from the same materials, using the same shapes, with the same weight distributions and overall weight, it should perform the same as another club similarly constructed.

Quality can vary in clone type golf clubs.

The quality of these clubs will depend on the manufacturing process, types materials used and the manufacturer that assembles the clubs.

Each of these manufacturer will have their own specifications based on what they believe will appeal to the largest market.

Popular Style Clubs

Not actually clones. They are designed (legally) to be in the same style as certain famous clubs.

Some manufacturers will design their own club-heads using similar design features, the same materials and manufacturing process (it could possibly be the same casting foundry used by the the original club maker).

The difference between these clubs and clone-like clubs is that these manufacturers have made an effort to make an identity for themselves, based on the clubs they produce.

Look-Alike-Designs

Like Popular Style Clubs these are designed in the same style as other clubs.

These companies want to remind you of that particular popular brand of golf club. But the company will make no attempt to mimic the identity of the original.

“They have their own name on the clubs they produce”.

These golf clubs are marketed under their own name and are promoted as similar to a specific name brand club.

When you look at these clubs you will be reminded of another club but you will know it’s from another company.

Since none of these companies are trying to fool you and they accept full responsibility for their clubs. These can be very good clubs and are an excellent choice for most beginners.

Knock-Offs/Copy-Cats

These companies produce clubs that resemble the popular clubs and they also try to mimic the identity of the company they are trying to imitate.

“The companies that produce these clubs almost always want to stay anonymous”.

Sellers of these clubs often claim they have the same abilities as the clubs they are copying. Most of the time this not the case.

There may be similarities because of the design, but rarely are they of the same quality, both in materials used, and how they are assembled.

These clubs are not all bad, some are suitable for beginners who swing slower and do not want to invest a lot of money on golf clubs when first starting out.

Custom Built

They use existing clubs off the rack and modify them to a limited number of specifications, such as length, lie angle and grip size.

Custom Fit

They have a large variety club-heads, shafts and grips to fit the golfer build, swing speed and swing characteristics.

Usually for more advanced players, who are familiar with their swings, swing speed and ball flight pattern.

Buying a complete set of golf clubs has always been popular with new golfers.

A modern set of golf clubs typically consists of three woods (#1 (driver), #3, and #5), at least 1 hybrid (3H) seven irons (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Pitching Wedge), and a putter.

In a hybrid golf club set, the #3 and #4 and possibly the #5 irons are typically replaced with easier to hit hybrid/utility clubs that are designed to hit the ball the same distance.

Pitching Wedge — even though it is called a wedge it is usually grouped with the other irons and is included in most sets.

There are other wedges available but, with the exception of the “sand wedge” you should not concern yourself with them too much.

"Learn how to use your basic golf clubs first."

If you do decide to buy one it should offer extra bounce. Bounce is a feature on the sole of the club that helps it glide through sand or rough.

Gap Wedge — fills the gap between a pitching wedge and sand wedge. Its uses are similar to a pitching wedge.

Lob Wedge — allows players to hit the ball high and drop down to the green with little or no roll.

As a beginner reaching retirement age, you will need clubs more suited to your age and swing speed.

Clubs that have game improvement features that will help make your shots more consistent and with greater height and distance, especially when you don't hit the ball with the center of the clubface.

"Take full advantage of the more forgiving clubs and the newer hybrids".

Men and women, fifty years old and over, have become very popular and manufacturers are making more and more equipment strictly for this generation.

Most men's senior golf club sets will be suitable for men reaching retirement age.Women's golf sets are specifically designed for women of all ages (graphite shafts, lady flex and a higher loft), game improvement features will be an important part of this selection.

Unless you are going to spend a lot of time and money on lessons and practice focus on the golf clubs that will give you maximum forgiveness.

Driver

Your driver head size should be large, so that the club face and hitting area are increased. Also, additional loft of at least 12—15 degrees will help increase the height of your shots and help keep it on line. (The added loft will increase the backspin on your ball and reduce the risk of left or right curves).

You should consider a driver with a large 460 cc head to increase the hitting area and it's Moment of inertia. The loft should be 12° for men and 14° for women.

The larger the club-head, the more weight around the perimeter of the face, the higher the loft, the lower the center of gravity, the more forgiving your driver is going to be on mishits.

Fairway Woods

The main benefit of the fairway woods is getting the ball airborne on a steep trajectory, and this is dependent on a smaller,“low profile club-head”.The importance of club-head size lessens as the clubs get shorter and the loft is increased.If the center of gravity of the club is low and far back from the face, the ball will have a tendency to fly higher. This helps golfers with slower swing speeds who have a hard time getting the ball up in the air. The farther back and lower the CG, the more game improvement.

Don't overlook the square-headed driver and fairway woods. The idea of the square-headed golf driver is to move the weight farther to the perimeters and increase it's moment of Inertia (MOI). Another feature of the square golf driver is that it aids in the alignment of tee shots. The square club helps players visualize the line of the shot much more easily than conventional drivers.

Hybrid golf clubs will be your best friend.

Most hybrids clubs can safely fall under the game improvement label, with a few exceptions.Hybrids are easier to control than comparably lofted fairway woods and irons.

Hybrids are the best of both worlds. You will also see golfers opt out of using 5 woods, replacing it with a #2 hybrid.

Use an all hybrid set #3 – pitching wedge, or a combination iron set, with # 3 and # 4 and possibly the # 5 irons are replaced with easier to hit hybrid clubs that are designed to hit the ball the same distance.

Beginners and the higher handicap golfer should carry at least three of the newer hybrid clubs that are available today.

Irons

Avoid the hard to hit #3, #4 and maybe the #5 irons.Game Improvement irons feature a large hitting area, extra-wide soles to help prevent digging, thick top lines to inspire confidence at address, tons of perimeter weighting to mitigate mishits, lots of offset to keep the clubface square and a low-back center of gravity to help get the ball up.

Off-set clubs

A club with an offset club head will also help, as the clubface arrives at impact slightly later. This results in the club head being closed rather than open at the moment of impact with the ball. The offset of the club head will also induce the hands into moving forward slightly in the grip, which will help you with the problem of hitting the ground before hitting the ball.

Putter

The two main styles of putters are the traditional putter and the belly putter. The traditional putter is shorter (about hip height) and allows you to play a more natural stroke. The belly putter is longer (about chest height) and requires you to stand straight up, with a more open stance, swinging the club with your two hands apart. Some older golfers and beginners prefer the belly putter because they feel it offers more control, but either type of putter is fine for beginners. The heads are either wide (mallet) or blade (thin). With either club, you'll want a larger head to provide more stability and control.

Shafts

The two main differences in golf club shafts are the composition, steel or graphite and shaft flex, the amount of bend in the shaft during the swing.

The shaft controls the total weight of a golf club more than any other part. Graphite shafts are lighter than steel and will be easier to swing

Graphite shafts generate more swing speed, which is usually a plus for women golfers and men over fifty.

FlexAs we get older, swing speeds generally slow down, and it is unlikely you will be able to generate swing speed above the regular flex level.

Senior mens golf clubs that are designed for people in your age group should have a flex range that most of you can use successfully.

As a new golfer reaching retirement age.

• Women — graphite shafts with ladies flex.
• Men — graphite shaft with with senior flex.

Graphite shafts are more expensive, but the extra cost will benefit your game.

Shaft Length

Most golfers use standard length clubs. Unless you are very short or very tall, or if your arms are longer or shorter than the average person, most standard length clubs will fit you.

Grips

Standard grips are suitable for the average golfer. Unless your hands are very large or very small standard size grips will fit you.

If you're not sure of your commitment to the game.

You should probably look for a cheaper set of golf clubs or even some second-hand clubs. They will work out the best for a new player who is testing out his or her enjoyment of the game.

A more serious golfer may want to look at their current abilities while allowing for swing improvements. No one wants to buy clubs they will quickly out grow.

A set of golf clubs will provide you with everything you need to get started, from the driver to the putter.

Buying golf clubs on-line offers you more choices, saves you time and money.

Shop safely.
Signs of a reliable website when buying golf clubs on-line.

• They have a phone number (800 preferred) and contact information easily available.
• They offer a warranty on their product. Make sure it is posted clearly on their site.
• A money back guarantee. Since you can't physically see the product, this is advantageous if you get the clubs and they are not what you expected.
• They take major credit cards through a secure shopping cart.
• Never give your social security number or birthday to any online retailer.
• Find out the seller’s physical address.
• Check the seller’s privacy policy.

The Better Business Bureaus of the United States and Canada are good resources to find out specific information about merchants.

Credit cards, personal information.
On the web page where you enter your credit card or other personal information, look for an "s" after http (https:) in the web address of that page. Never enter your credit card information on a page that is not encrypted. Also make sure there is a tiny closed padlock in the address bar, or on the lower right corner of the window.

Choose your clubs carefully, they come in many varieties, that cater to different golfers with a wide range of experience and abilities.

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