Walking up to a bag of golf clubs can feel like looking at a set of complicated tools with no instructions. You've got 14 of them, and for some reason, they all have different numbers, shapes, and names. This guide is here to clear that up. We're going to break down each type of club in your bag, explain its specific job, and give you a simple framework for making a confident choice on the course.
A golfer is allowed to carry a maximum of 14 clubs, and each one is engineered to fulfill a different role. The two primary differences between them are loft and shaft length. Loft is the angle of the clubface, which dictates how high the ball launches and how far it travels. Generally, a lower loft number means the ball will fly lower and farther, while a higher loft number sends the ball higher and shorter. Paired with shaft length, these two factors create a full "set" where each club has a specific, predictable travel distance.
The driver, also known as the 1-wood, is the most recognizable club in the bag, boasting the largest head, the longest shaft, and the least amount of loft (typically between 8-12 degrees). Its single purpose is to hit the ball as far as possible down the fairway.
You’ll almost exclusively use your driver from the tee box on par 4s and par 5s. It's built for maximum distance when you have plenty of room for slight misses.
Fairway woods (like a 3-wood or 5-wood) are like smaller, easier-to-hit versions of your driver. Hybrids are a modern invention, designed to blend the ease of a fairway wood with the swing mechanics of an iron. They are extremely versatile and often take the place of hard-to-hit long irons (like a 3, 4, or 5-iron).
Swing a fairway wood similar to a driver - with a sweeping motion. The ball position should still be forward in your stance, just not quite as far up as with a driver. For a hybrid, think of it as getting your ball back into a better position. Hit with a slightly downward strike, much like you would with an iron. This ability to get through rough is a plus for many amateur golfers.
Your irons are your precision tools, designed to hit the ball a specific distance with an eye towards accuracy. They make up the bulk of your set and are numbered for convenience. For most intents and purposes, a 3-iron is a long iron (like for a long approach shot), a mid-iron for mid-range shots, and a short iron for closer approach shots. As the number on the club gets higher, the loft increases, and the shaft gets shorter, meaning the ball travels higher and shorter.
Irons are used for most of your "approach" shots to the green. From 75 yards up to 200 yards (or more for a skilled player), you'll be grabbing an iron.
Unlike woods, irons are designed to hit the ball with a descending strike. Your goal is to make contact with the back of the ball first, then take a shallow divot in the grass after the ball. Here's a simple guide for ball positioning:
Wedges are your go-to tools from inside 100 yards and around the green. They have the most loft of any club, making them perfect for high, soft landing shots onto the green, as well as getting out of trouble spots like bunkers.
Nearly 40% of all strokes are taken with a putter, making it arguably the most important club you own. There are many styles and designs, from blades to more modern mallets, but they all share one common job: to roll the ball smoothly across the green and into the hole. It has no loft (or very little, ~3-4 degrees) because its purpose is to roll the ball, not lift it airborne.
Knowing your equipment is essential, now you need a strategy for choosing the specific club to use for each shot. This is often called "course management," and boils down to a simple two-step process:
You can't choose the right club if you don't know how far each one goes. This is the single biggest step new golfers can take toward smarter decisions. The process of figuring this out is called "gapping."
Here's how to start: On the driving range, hit about 10-15 balls with each club in your bag. Ignore your worst mishits and your single best shots. Focus on where the majority of good shots end. What's the average distance you achieve with this club? Let's say it's 140 yards - write this down. Do the same thing for your other irons. You'll start to see a consistent distance "gap" between clubs (for example, your 8-iron might go 130 yards, while your 6-iron might go 160 yards). Now you have a baseline!
Distance isn't the only factor. Before you pull a club, ask these important questions:
A simple piece of advice most golfers benefit from is: "when in doubt, club up." Most non-professional golfers end up short of their target. Taking one extra club (like a 6-iron instead of a 7-iron) with a smooth swing almost always yields a better result than swinging harder with your chosen club.
Learning your golf clubs is a journey from seeing 14 different sticks to recognizing a toolbox where each item has a clear function. Understanding that drivers are for distance, irons are for precision, wedges are for scoring, and putters are for finishing the job clears the fog and empowers you to be your own caddie on the course.
Bringing all of this information together and making smart decisions under pressure during the round is where the real skill lies. That skill can be a challenge, which is why a dedicated golf tool can be so helpful. With Caddie AI, you can get reliable club selection recommendations instantly. If you're stuck deciding between clubs or facing a strange lie in the rough, you can even snap a photo, and the app will analyze the situation and suggest the smartest play - taking the uncertainty out so you can focus on executing a confident swing.
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