A Buyers Guide to Woods
What is a Wood?
A wood is
the club that is used for long distances off the fairway. It can also be used to
tee off, if the player doesn’t want to gain as much distance as they would if
they used a driver.
There are many different aspects and things to
know about when choosing a wood, it can be very complicated trying to choose one
that will suit your style of play. This guide is designed to inform you about
all details of a wood in order for you to gauge your preferences and needs and
work out the best wood for you.
Lofts
The loft is the term given to the name of the
backward facing slant on the face of a club. Depending on the angle of the face
depends on how high the ball will rise into the air when struck. Obviously the
higher the loft then the more altitude the ball will gain. The lower the loft
the straighter the ball will fly, gaining longer distances. 3 woods are for long
distance and are about 15°, 5 woods are for distance shots to the green and from
light rough 18°, 7 woods are about 21°.
Shaft
Whether to have graphite or steel shaft. The
steel shaft will obviously weight more, and takes a little more power and
accuracy to make the swing, this is usually the choice for stronger males who
have experience in the game. A graphite shaft is lighter, therefore easier to
swing with more force and gain more accuracy. This is favoured with ladies,
juniors and seniors.
Flex
This simply means how flexible the shaft is. The
steel shafts will be less flexible than graphite shafts. Steel shafts will be
stiff and are mostly used again by more professionals who like to get a feel for
the shot and who have experience and greater accuracy. The graphite shaft will
be more flexible thus allowing for more forgiveness on off centre shots.
Head Shape
The traditional head shape is the rounded
head. This is the most aesthetically pleasing and are easy to control. Becoming
a lot more popular are the triangular heads, these are more aero-dynamic and
will enable players to swing their clubs with greater speed to drive the ball
further. Over the last few years the square headed club has become more popular,
they have a high MOI and are more accuracy.
Steel Club Heads
These are a lot cheaper than other
clubs as they are heavier, the club head will be smaller so that the shaft can
support the weight of the steel. They are very durable and offer a solid
consistent connection.
Titanium
A very costly metal,
this material will drive the price of the clubs a lot higher, but it is well
worth paying the extra money. As titanium is a lot lighter it means that the
club heads can be made bigger, as is apparent when looking at the newer style
clubs especially the hybrids. The larger the club head then the bigger the
sweetspot, which allows for more accuracy and forgiveness in the swing.
Plugs and Weights
Many
clubs now have small weights that can be inserted into the club heads. This
allows the player to specifically tailor the club to their exact strengths and
styles, allowing them to make the perfect shot.
We have a large range of woods. Click here to see our full range
GolfGear.co.uk
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