- The first golfers used local woods to make clubs. Most used hickory for the shafts and American persimmon for the head. Around the 1850s, iron became the new standard for club heads, followed by iron shafts in the 1890s. Eighty years later, the golfing community adopted graphite for club shafts. Graphite is exceptionally strong but also much lighter than iron. By 1980, most clubs, including woods, were made from metal. The latest brands continue to use graphite shafts but now feature ultra light titanium heads.
- This new metal technology has changed the physical dimensions of the clubs. Older wooden and iron clubs had to have thick shafts to prevent the club from breaking. Heads were relatively small in order to reduce the overall weight of the club. New titanium heads are able to be larger because they are relatively light. The graphite shafts are stronger and thinner than the older iron and wooden shafts. The thin shaft allows for a cleaner and more powerful swing.
- The long-distance club is called the wood. The wood club is made with a large head and a long shaft and is built for driving distance. The iron club is used for distances closer to the green. The wedge iron is used for even shorter distances. Many golf experts use the wedge for attacking the green because it is an accurate club. Wedges exist for multiple occasions--like the pitching wedge, gap wedge, sand wedge and the lob wedge. Putters are designed for accurate shots toward the cup. Popular brands of golf clubs include Callaway, Cleveland, Cobra, Nike, Ping, TaylorMade, Titleist and Wilson.
- Each club has a shaft. The top of each club has a special grip. Most grips have a circular cross section and some kind of surface texture. Each club has a hosel that attaches the head to the shaft. The hosel provides the club with balance and power. Golf club heads have a face that is used to hit the ball.
- The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and the United States Golf Association have set certain regulations pertaining to golf clubs. Golfers can carry up to 14 clubs at a time. Most golfers use one putter, two woods, a driver, a sand and pitching wedge, a set of irons and a hybrid.
