Walking up to your bag and seeing up to 14 different sticks can feel a little much, especially when you’re starting out. They all look sort of similar, but they all do very different things. The truth is, each club in your bag has a specific job, and understanding the role of each one is the first huge step you can take toward playing smarter, more confident golf. This guide will break down the different types of clubs, what they do, and give you a simple framework for knowing which one to pull for your next shot.
While a full set of golf clubs can seem complicated, almost every club fits into one of three main categories. Think of them as different tools for different tasks. You wouldn’t use a hammer to turn a screw, and you wouldn’t use a driver to chip onto the green. Once you understand the basic purpose of each family, everything else starts to click into place.
There's also a fourth, super helpful category called Hybrids, which we'll cover. They blend the characteristics of woods and irons and have become a favorite for many golfers.
When you need pure, unadulterated distance, you reach for a wood. Their larger, hollow heads and long shafts are engineered to send the golf ball soaring. They are all about creating clubhead speed to maximize how far the ball travels.
The driver is the big dog. It's the longest club in the bag with the biggest head and the lowest amount of loft (the angle of the clubface), typically between 8 and 12 degrees. Its only job is to hit the ball as far as possible from the tee.
Fairway woods are the driver’s smaller, more versatile siblings. A 3-wood has more loft than a driver (around 15 degrees) and a 5-wood has more than a 3-wood (around 18 degrees). That extra loft makes them monumentally easier to hit off the ground.
Irons are your bread and butter. They’re built for accuracy and distance control more than raw power. You’ll use irons for most of your shots approaching the green and some tee shots on short par 3s. The defining feature that separates one iron from another is the loft.
It’s a simple concept: the lower the number on the iron, the less loft it has, which means it will fly lower and go farther. The higher the number, the more loft it has, which means it will fly higher and go a shorter distance.
Traditionally, these clubs are for your longest approach shots. They have the least amount of loft among the irons and are designed to hit running shots that cover a lot of ground. Truth be told, these are often the most difficult clubs in the bag for amateur golfers to hit consistently.
These are your go-to clubs. For most golfers, the majority of approach shots on a typical course will be hit with a mid-iron. They offer a fantastic blend of playable distance and the control you need to land the ball softly on the green.
These are your "scoring" clubs. When you're within about 130 yards of the hole, distance becomes less important than precision and feel. These high-lofted clubs are designed to pop the ball up high, so it lands softly on the green and doesn't roll too far. Your set of irons stops at the 9-iron and then moves into the family of wedges.
For a huge number of golfers, hybrids have been the answer to the long iron problem. A hybrid (sometimes called a "rescue club") takes the easy-to-hit, forgiving shape of a fairway wood and combines it with the length and general distance of an iron. They are a true miracle of modern golf technology.
You hit your driver a dozen times a round. You might hit a few mid-irons. But you will use your putter on almost every single hole. Hitting long drives is fun, but sinking putts is what lowers your score. The putter's mission is simple: get the ball rolling smoothly on the short grass and into the cup.
Each golf club is a specialized tool, but you don't need to be an equipment scientist to use them well. Simply understanding that woods are for distance, irons are for accurate approaches, and the putter is for finishing the job gives you an enormous advantage. Knowing that a 9-iron will fly higher and shorter than a 7-iron is the foundation of smart club selection and better course management.
While an understanding of your clubs is a massive head start, real-world golf is rarely straightforward. Shot selection gets complicated with wind, uphill or downhill lies, and the simple pressure of the moment. We built Caddie AI to be your personal expert for those very moments. If you're stuck between a 7-iron and an 8-iron, you can ask for a recommendation based on the yardage and conditions. Stuck with an ugly lie in the rough? You can snap a photo, and our AI will suggest the smartest way to play it. We want to remove the doubt so you can always step up to the ball knowing you've made a good choice.
Thinking about hosting a golf tournament fundraiser is the first swing, executing it successfully is what gets the ball in the hole. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from laying the initial groundwork months in advance to watching your happy golfers tee off. We’ll cover everything from securing sponsors and setting your budget to planning the on-course fun that makes an event unforgettable.
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Figuring out which spikes go into your new (or old) pair of Puma golf shoes can feel like a puzzle, but it’s much simpler than you think. The key isn't the brand of the shoe, but the type of receptacle system they use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify your Puma's spike system, choose the perfect replacements for your game, and change them out like a pro.
The Golf Genius app is one of the best tools for managing and participating in competitive golf events, but figuring it out for the first time can feel like reading a new set of greens. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to use the app as a player. We’ll cover everything from logging into your tournament and entering scores to checking the live leaderboard so you can enjoy the competition without any tech headaches.
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