How to Know Which Golf Club to Use

The average golfer has more than a dozen clubs in their golf bag. Someone starting and heading out onto a golf course for the first time may not yet understand which golf club to use. How far you want to hit the ball or where you are near the hole will dictate the type of golf club you take out. 

Until a player develops the instinct to know which golf club is best, here are some basics for learning what a situation calls for.

Golf Clubs

Golf clubs are numbered from low to high. The lower numbers will let you hit the ball further, whereas the higher numbers are meant to help you with shorter distances. Though not all golf club types are numbered, several are. The number refers to the loft, aka the angle the golf club faces. As you change the loft, so will the golf ball's height and distance.

Golf Putters

Most non-golfers think of putters when thinking of a golf club. A putter is used to carefully roll the ball along the green and sink it into the hole. New and used putters range in size from 34 to 35 inches tall. There are also putters with a flat or mallet and different subcategories for those above average height.

Golf Drivers

A golf driver is all about driving for a distance. It has the lowest loft angle of any golf club. That said, it's pretty easy to use. For beginners, they may not get the control and consistency with a driver as they could with a slightly smaller club.

Golf Wedges

Wedges are your go-to when lifting your ball above tall grass and getting up and off a sand trap. They're available in several types, ranging from 45 degrees of loft which is a pitching wedge, or 64 degrees with a lob wedge.

Hybrid Clubs

Many golfers favour hybrid clubs. They are a combination club, blending a fairway wood head with an iron-length shaft design. As we mentioned, drivers being more difficult to handle for accuracy, a hybrid would be what most would grab instead. 

A hybrid club is more likely to give you the spin and soft landing you want. It will also help guide your ball exactly where it needs to be.

Golf Irons

Irons have the power to help you out of almost any situation. Grab your irons if you need a club with the most power possible. They find their best use within 200 yards of the green. The closer you are to the green, the higher the number you want. As a general guideline, irons range from a 2-iron for 105 to 210 yards up to a 9-iron for 55 to 135 yards.

Fairway Woods

Fairway woods are pulled for use on the fairway. If you're not sure what to grab for a given shot, fairway wood is a solid choice most of the time. If you aren't sure which fairway product is most suitable, some general distance guidelines are a 3-wood for 125 to 240 yards, a 4-wood for 110 to 220 yards, a 5-wood for 105 to 215 yards, or a 7-wood for 90 to 170 yards. 

Golf Club Length

Before collecting each golf club for your game, ensure they are properly fitted to your height. A golfer using clubs not appropriate for their height will notice that the clubs feel heavy, their posture is too upright, it will feel like you're standing too far away from the ball, and your angle may be difficult to judge.

Golf Practice

Even if you have all the right clubs, you won't get the performance you expect if you don't know how to use them. Every club hits a little differently. A driver should be swung slightly upwards to launch the ball upward. Iron should be driven down into the ball so that the loft puts in the work to launch it off the ground. The saying, "Practice makes perfect." is truer than with one's golf game.

The best golf club to use depends on your ability to know how much you can hit the ball with each club. So practice. Hit roughly 50 balls with each club. Take away the five longest shots and the five shortest shots, and figure out your middle of those 40 remaining shots. This can be a chore, but you will have your average yardage at the end of this practice, reinforcing the best golf club for any given shot.