Golf Swing Secrets – Part. 2
Buying a Driver or Fairway Wood
Choosing the right driver and fairway wood can be difficult if you don’t know how big the club head size is supposed to be. Here are a few tips.
When you are choosing a wood there are three different club head sizes to choose from. The standard club head size measures approximately 150-155 cubic centimeters. This size has a smaller sweet spot but will give you better control.
The midsize size measures around 195 cubic centimeters and offers a few benefits. This will give you a medium sized sweet spot and the club is also much lighter than the oversized club head.
The oversized club head is the biggest you can choose from. The club head can be found at sizes up to 300+ cubic centimeters. This adds for a very large sweet spot with any of the head sizes. This is much more difficult for you to control and is heavier than the other two variations.
The club head comes in two materials. These materials can only make a difference with the way they feel and the way they look. These materials are stainless steel and titanium. They also differ in price significantly.
Stainless steel is much less expensive and heavier than titanium. The look of a stainless steel club is more traditional and feels that way too. The head is smaller because of the heavy weight.
The titanium is much lighter and allows for the club to have a larger club head. There is a larger sweet spot and the club proves to be much more forgiving than the traditional stainless steel models.
The loft of a club face head makes a big difference in the distance you might hit the ball. You need to know how to choose the loft of your club if you want to add more distance.
Loft is the measurement of the angle of the clubface head. The greater the loft measurement is the greater the angle will be on the face of the club head. This will allow for more control of the ball but less distance in your shot. The less loft on the club face the greater the distance. The more distance you have, the less control you will have over the ball.
Your swing will also make a difference with the type of loft you need with your clubs. If you have a slow swing you want the highest loft. This means you will look for clubs with a 10.5 to 12 degree loft.
If you are an average golfer with an average swing then you need to find a loft of 9.5 to 10.5.
The professionals have the fastest swings and they will have the lowest loft at around 8 to 9.5. If you are swinging over 90 mph you might want this loft too.
Buying the Right Fairway Woods
Fairway woods are an excellent solution to the alternative to drivers off the tee and for long hard hitting irons like the 2-, 3-, or 4- irons. There are three factors which make the fairway woods the preferred club.
Many golfers feel more comfortable while standing over a long fairway with a longer and lower profile wood rather than a long iron that is harder to hit.
It is easier to get the ball in the air out of the fairway if you have a lower center of gravity. This is also true if you are in the rough or in the sand.
You can take advantage of more distance without having to over swing when you have a larger club instead of a long iron. You can also have more control with the length.
Many people are replacing their long irons with fairway woods. If you want to try to use a wood rather than an iron for these benefits of distance and control you might want to consider these few things.
A 5- wood has the equivalence of a 2- iron, 7- wood for a 3- or 4- iron, and a 9- wood for a 5- iron.
Choosing the Right Irons
The irons are used for the golf shots that are shorter. These might range from 200 yards or even less than 100.
The ability of the golfer to hit the distance and the loft of the club head will be the determining factors for choosing the right iron. There are two primary types of irons which include the cast irons and the forged irons.
The cast irons have a cavity back construction which is also called perimeter weighting. The weight of the head is mostly around the outside. The cast irons have a larger sweet spot because more weight is put around the edges of the club face. These irons are best for beginners who miss the ball and they are also more forgiving than the forged irons.
There really isn’t a weight distribution that occurs with the forged irons on the back of the club head. The center of gravity occurs in the center of the club head. An advanced player can used a forged iron for better trajectory because of the weight begin higher in the face. This iron allows for more accuracy also when you have missed hits.
Irons have the same types of club heads as the woods and they are also made with titanium and stainless steel. The less advanced players should play with the stainless steel irons because of the provided durability and consistency.
Wedges
There are four different types of wedges. Wedges are used to get yourself out of a tough spot and sometimes it may require a bit of a distance. The different types of wedges include the pitching wedge, sand wedge, gap wedge, and the lob wedge.
The pitching wedge is used for longer wedge shots from 125 yards. The sand wedge is used for the sand.
The gap wedge is considered a compromise between the sand and the pitching wedge.
The lob wedge might be used over an obstacle like a tree where you need some height weight the ball in the air but not quite so much distance.
Which Iron to Use
When you are using an iron there are different considerations based on how you need to hit the ball. There are three irons you should understand which include the short iron, mid-iron, and the long iron.
When you use a short iron the ball will be in the middle of the stance and the club will be slightly behind it. The right ball position is smack dab in the middle of your stance.
The apex of your swing should be a couple balls forward. This means that you will hit the ball at a steep angle, producing a big divot. Your feet will be closer to the ball than they will be when you use a long iron.
The mid sized iron is used slightly different. The ball will not be right in the middle of your stance but it will be slightly forward. The longer the iron is the more forward the ball will need to be. You will still hit the ball with a hard blow but not as steep as you need with the short iron. The divot will also not be as deep either.
When you use a long iron the ball will be furthest from you. You want to hit the ball in a sweeping motion rather than hitting down on the ball. The best way to hit the ball is right at the apex of your swing arc.
There is not need to force the ball up by hitting the ball on the upswing. The ball will automatically become airborne because of the angle of the attack of the way you hit the ball.
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