GOLF EQUIPMENT
GUIDE
Buying - Repairs - Alterations

E-mail: golftech@intergate.ca

If you want to play your best golf, your golf clubs must fit you !

Golfers don't look athletic. They are tall, short, stout, thin, strong, weak,
fast, slow, young, middle aged, senior, very athletic, somewhat athletic,
beginners, occasional, experienced, avid, professional, good, bad and
everything in between.
A mid handicap golfer can't effectively use the
same equipment as a Professional golfer. A beginner would find it difficult
to learn to play with the same clubs as experienced players. A 100 pound woman
won't be able to use the same clubs as a 200 lb. man. A 60 year old will find
it hard to play with the clubs used by a 25 year old and a person that hits
a ball 250 yards can't use the same equipment as a person that only hits it
150 yards.

Golf is the most difficult sport in the world to play. There is no reason to
make it harder by using poorly suited equipment. It doesn't matter what
brand of club you buy or if you buy from a pro shop, golf equipment store,
custom club fitter or the classified ads. Just make sure the equipment
is suitable for you before you buy it. While this may sound complicated it
really isn't if you know a few simple thing about golf clubs. The following
are some guidelines that apply to all brands regardless of where you
purchase them.

Start out by having your swing speed and tempo measured. Swing speeds
are measured in miles per hour just like any other speed and will range
anywhere from about 50 to120 MPH unless you are the world long drive
champion or Tiger Woods. Any pro shop, golf shop or club fitter will have
a device to measure your speed and tempo. This should be done using a
driver, take about 15 minutes and usually won't cost anything if the person
is at all interested in your business. The other method we use is to determine
what club you use to hit a shot 150 yards in the air. This has to be in the
air and not bouncing along the ground for 20 yards or a once in a lifetime
shot so be honest. If you give us this information by e-mail we can give you
a pretty accurate measurement of your swing speed and it won't cost anything.
Tempo is entirely different than swing speed. It is the amount of time it takes
to complete from the start of the backswing to the impact with the ball in
the downswing. Most swings take between 1 to 1.5 seconds but the golfer with
a 100 MPH swing can take 1.5 seconds while a golfer with a 70MPH swing can
only take 1 second. The 1 second swing is very short and quick while 1.5
second swing can be long and flowing. The best advice on this subject is the short
quick swinger should use heavier and shorter clubs than the than the golfer
with the long flowing swing. Steel shafts are a good choice for the quick swinger.
Apply this information to the clubs you want and you will have a good start to
the correct equipment.

In our recommendations we use some terms that you may not be familiar
with so here are explanations for most of those terms.

: Driver Swing Speed and Suggested Clubs in a Set

   Woods                           Irons

Swing Speed-----Shaft------Driver Loft----Add Woods/Hybrid----Shaft---Loft---Set MakeUp

50 to 60 MPH---Ultralite graphite---14 - 18 degrees--------------5-7-9-----------Same------High------7-8-9-PW-SW

61 to 70 MPH---Ultralite graphite---13 - 14 degrees------------3-5-7-9----------Same------High----6-7-8-9-PW-SW

71 to 80 MPH---Lite graphite or------12 - 13 degrees-------------3-5-7-----------Same------Mid---5-6-7-8-9-PW-SW
-------------------- Lite steel-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
81 to 90 MPH---Lite graphite or------11 - 12 degrees---------3-5-7---Reg. graphite-----Mid--4-5-6-7-8-9-PW-SW
---------------------Lite steel-------------------------------------------------------or Lite steel-------------------and or MW-LW

91 to 100 MPH---Reg. graphite or-----10 degrees-------------3-5--------Reg. graphite------Mid-------3-4-5-6-7-8-9-
----------------------Lite steel--------------------------------------------------------or Reg steel---------------PW-SW and
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------or MW-LW

101 to 110 MPH---Heavy graphite--------9 degrees -------------3---------Heavy graphite--Low----2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-
---------------------- Reg steel---------------------------------------------------Reg. steel or --------------------PW-SW-LW
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Titanium--------------------------or MW

111 Plus MPH---Heavy graphite--------8 degrees---------------3------X-Heavy graphite-Low----2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-
----------------------Heavy steel ------------------------------------------------Heavy Steel or------PW-SW-LW or drop
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------one club for a MW

Now You're Ready For

: Club Length
Have the shafts of the clubs you choose shortened or lengthened to the correct
size. This is a simple adjustment that will make it much easier for you to strike
the ball squarely. All that is required is to remove the existing grip and trim or
add the correct amount of shaft length to suit you. While the grip is off is also a
good time to measure the size of your hand and increase or decrease the grip size
to suit it before it is re-installed. Most people in the golf industry understand the
importance of correct club length and grip size and will make these adjustments
for you quickly at no additional charge. If they don't then find another dealer.

: Metal Drivers & Fairway Woods
During the past 5 years, bigger was considered better and in some clubs that is
true. A driver with a large head gives you a better chance of hitting the ball
off centre and still ending up with a reasonable shot. This only happens because
the ball is sitting on a tee 1 1/2 inch or more off the ground. When choosing a driver
select one that is at least mid size which is 400 cubic centimetres in volume.
Legal driver heads can be up to 460cc's and tend to look massive which can make
some golfers think they have to swing harder. If you let these massive clubs
do all of the work then they are easy to hit and great for distance. When it comes
to fairway woods bigger is not better because the ball is no longer sitting on a tee.
The ball is sitting right on the ground and to get it airborne your club must hit
the ball below it's centre. The easiest way to do this is with a shallow faced low
profile fairway wood. This means the club face is not higher than the ball itself
and so it gets the ball airborne more easily. Shallow faced IRONS will also get
the ball up in the air rapidly for any golfer that has a problem with low shots.

: Hybrid Utility Woods
Have become very popular over the last 3 years and are a replacement for the
long irons 1-2-3-4-5 and are much easier to use. Utility clubs look like a small
wood head and are larger than a iron which gives the golfer more confidence in
using them. Many of these clubs use a wood shaft which is smaller in diameter
at the tip than a normal iron shaft. This makes the tip of the club more flexible and
produces a higher loft and softer landing on the green. Even the Professional golfers
are beginning to use utility clubs now on the Pro Tour. If golfers of this skill level are
using them then every amateur should take notice and try them.

: Irons
If you are considering purchasing a set of irons, there is a excellent study
that has been done by club designer Ralph Maltby on the difference between
brands and how each relates to a golfer's skill level. This measurement is called
the "Playability Factor". The guide divides brands and models into 6 categories
from the Ultra Game Improvement designs to the Player Classic designs used by
Professional golfers. You can read this guide at a couple of web sites. One is Ralph
Maltby's own Company page at www.golfworks.com or www.franklygolf.com which
is the web site of Frank Thomas former Technical Director of the United States Golf
Association ( USGA ). Frank is credited with the developing the equipment testing
systems and parameters that are requirements of the golf industry today for both the
amateur and professional. The Playability Factor is interesting information regardless
of where you buy your irons, new or used. You can either click on the highlighted print
from this page or go to them on your own.

: Launch Angle
This is a new term in golf but is a old idea. With recent technology there is now equipment
that can determine the optimum trajectory a ball should take to produce the most distance
for a tee shot. This piece of equipment is called a "launch monitor". You won't see many of
these around as they are still quite expensive. The optimum launch angle is based largely on
swing speed and a simple physics formula that states "the longer a ball stays in the air, the
further it will travel". Pretty simple stuff when you think about it. If you don't have access to
a launch monitor the here is basically what it will tell you based on swing speed and club face
loft by the AVERAGE golfer to achieve the greatest distance with your drives
If your swing speed is 50-60 MPH your driver loft should be 14 - 18 degree
If your swing speed is 60-70 MPH your driver loft should be 13 - 15 degrees
If your swing speed is 70-80 MPH your driver loft should be 12 - 13 degrees
If your swing speed is 80-90 MPH your driver loft should be 11 - 12 degrees
If your swing speed is 90-100 MPH your driver loft should be 10 - 11 degrees
If your swing speed is 100-110 MPH your driver loft should be 8 - 10 degrees
If your swing speed is 110-120 MPH your driver loft should be 7 - 9 degrees

While this may seem radical thinking to some golfers who believe that a lower
lofted club will actually give them more distance, loft monitors have proven
conclusively that it just doesn't happen so get a driver loft that fits your swing speed.

: Club Head Material
Both woods and irons are made in many exotic materials and the manufacturers
are only limited by their imagination and the consumers pocketbook. If you can
afford the very latest space age material then buy it however remember it is
not what the head is made of but how it is designed that will help improve your
shots. Heads are made of wood, stainless steel, aluminium, ceramic,
titanium, bi-metals, tri-metals, liquid metals, nickel, copper, bronze and all
kinds of alloys each promising longer shots and lower scores. Most golf club
foundries are now located in Asia so don't be surprised when your American
brand name $500 driver or $1500 irons clubs now say made in China, Taiwan etc.

: Shafts
The shaft is the engine of any golf club and is the only active part of the club.
If you want to invest in the important part of a golf club here is the place to
spend your money. The most common materials that shafts are made from is
steel or graphite and each has its own advantages depending upon
the speed and skill of the golfer using it. Most of the brand name companies
buy their shafts from one of the shaft manufacturers such as Aldila, Grafalloy,
UST, Paragon, Penley, Royal Precision & True Temper being the most common .

: Grips
The grip is the only part of the golf club you touch when you are swinging. It's
only purpose is to feel comfortable in your hands. If the grip is too small, too
big or too slippery you will feel uncomfortable swinging the club which will turn
into a bad shot. If your game suddenly goes bad check your grips first. Most
grips are tapered so that your lower hand is on a smaller part of the grip than
the upper hand. The next time you have your grips changed have the dealer
use build up tape on the club shaft to make the grip the same size for both
hands. It's easier for both hands to work together this way. Grips are like
shafts, they are seldom made by the club manufacturer. The most common
grip companies are Avon, Golf Pride, Lamkin, Royal, and Winn.

: Golf Balls
While this subject doesn't have anything to do with golf clubs it is important
to recognize that the ball and the golf shaft are the 2 main reason that most
golfers hit the ball further today than they did 10 years ago. Here is a simple
suggestion to using all of the different brands of golf balls. If you regularly
score in the 70's or lower then use the premium higher compression balls.
These balls allow the better golfer to work the shot hi, low, left or right
If you regularly score in the 80's and up then use softer low compression balls.
These balls have a lower spin rate and will travel further and straighter for the
average golfer. The brand has nothing to do with it as all ball companies have
products that fit into these specifications. For your own personal choice go to
our directory page <www.golftechcanada.com> and click on the heading
Golfballs 101 to see the most suitable balls for your game.
The better golfer wants to be able to control the flight shape of the shot which
is easier with the ball that spins faster. The average golfer want to hit the ball
further and straighter which is easier with the lower compression ball.

: Brand Name Clubs
These are manufacturers of finished golf equipment that is marketed with the
same name on the head, shaft and grip even though the parts are from a
number of sources. They are very good quality companies that have invested
huge amounts of money into research, design and advertising to build a
reputation for their Company name. Some of the most familiar brands are
 Callaway, Cleveland, Hogan, Cobra, Lynx, Mizuno, Orlimar,
Maxfli, Ping, Titleist, Taylor Made, Wilson and Yonex.

: Custom Fitted Golf Clubs
These are rapidly growing suppliers that develop and follow trends in the
golf industry. Their parts are from the same foundries, shaft manufactures,
and grip manufacturers as brand name clubs but there is not the same amount
of money spent on brand recognition. When assembled the head, shaft and
grip may have a different names on them. The name are usually the true
manufacturers mentioned under shafts and grip suppliers. The components
from suppliers such as Golfsmith, Golfworks, Wishon and GolFoundry
are of very high quality and if assembled by a qualified club fitter and using
similar quality shafts and grips are as good as the name brands but are not
as well recognized. There is also a trend for some of the smaller brand name
products to align themselves with the growing component giants. Some of
those lesser known brand names such as Snake Eyes, Killer Bee, Toski,
Maltby and Wishon can now be ordered customized to a golfers' size,
strength and skill level instead of standard "off the shelf" specifications.

: Knock Offs, Look-a-Like, Clones or Copies
These heads usually appear similar to popular brand name lines.
This can be both good and bad. The good side is they are very inexpensive and
can still be assembled with a good shaft and grip. The bad side is the fear
of quality control on head specifications and the unknown changes that are made
to avoid patent infringement of the name brand designs. Many of these non brand
manufacturers have had stock seized and been heavily fined in the past for design
copyright infringement. Is it worth the risk is a question only the purchaser can
decide. A qualified and reputable club fitter can confirm the specifications of the head
but it is very difficult to determine the quality of the casting. These clubs can be
tremendous value but make sure the manufacturer has been around for a while and
spend a few dollars more for a good shaft and grip.

: Used Clubs
There is nothing wrong with buying used clubs. Golfers trade in or sell
good club for two reasons. They just want to upgrade in the belief that
the latest, newest designs will improve their game or the clubs never were
properly fitted to the golfer's size strength and skill level in the first place.
Obviously a used club must fit those three requirements for you as well or
they won't work any better than they did for the original owner. Just review
the fitting information we discussed at the beginning of this article and you can
end up with a good set of used clubs that will last you for many years at a
fraction of the cost of a new set.

: Wedges
Wedges are a very lofted specialty clubs that usually don't carry any given
number (ie. 5-6-7 etc) They come with lofts from about 47 to 68 degrees to
maximize the ball trajectory. Wedges are also the heaviest clubs so if you are
a club thrower wedges will fly further into the bush. The important thing to
understand about buying a wedge is what kind of grass you usually play on.
The sole of a wedge can be anywhere from very flat to very rounded and this
shape is referred to as bounce which ranges from "0" degrees or flat to "15"
degrees which is very rounded. If the courses you play closely mown grass
that lays very flat then your wedges should have very little bounce but if the
grass is cut longer and stands up and bristled like a brush then buy wedges
with more bounce. If you often hit a wedge thin and low it is usually a sign that
your club has too much bounce for the type of grass you play on. Any good
repair shop can reduce the bounce of a wedge by grinding it down so you don't
have buy new ones to solve the problem.

: Putters
This is THE most important club you have but unfortunately there is no perfect
putter. Putting is a fleeting art that requires tremendous practice and good
hand eye coordination. A good putter will putt well with any brand or style for
awhile and then suddenly the putts fail to go in so it's time for a change. Most
better golfers have 4 or 5 putters of varying styles. The basic designs are (a)
the center shafted blade which has the same thickness from the heel to the toe,
(b) the offset shaft with a head that is heavy in both the heel and toe but very
thin in the center where the ball is struck and referred to as a heel/toe
weighted putter, (c) the mallet shape which when viewed from the top looks
like the letter "D" and appears very heavy, (d) the blade putter with the shaft
attached at one end of the head. This is the classic shape that has been
around since golf began and is the closest to the shape of all other clubs.
The heel/toe weighted putter is generally considered the easiest to use.
It is important to make sure whatever kind of putter you use that it has
sufficient loft to get the ball rolling with over spin, generally 3 to 4 degrees.
There are of course variation of each of these styles as designers try to
solve the greatest mystery in golf, why does the ball go in the hole some days
and not others.

: And finally, a few tips
Every golfer has swing faults and these faults are so ingrained in our minds
that unless we are going to turn professional it would be best to learn to work
with what you have. Unless you are prepared to take lessons and practice
daily what you have been taught then here are a few special club designs that
will help overcome some of the worst faults.

Slicing Problems-try offset design clubs or hook faced clubs and use a driver
with higher lofts such as 12 - 14 degrees and more upright lies
Hooking Problems-try open faced clubs, lower lofts and larger grips.
Distance Problems-(usually the lack of) try longer and lighter
weight shafts but be prepared to lose some accuracy so don't overdo it.
Tempo Problems-if you have a quick tempo and short backswing, use shorter
STEEL shafts instead of graphite. This makes the club a little heavier which
slows you down and the shorter shaft is a little stiffer which improves your
accuracy. Most average golfers will benefit from slightly shorter shafts in
any of the longer clubs in both woods and irons

Keep in mind, woods are your distance clubs and irons are your
accuracy clubs. With distance clubs you don't care if you shot is 10
yards left or right on the fairway but 10 yards left or right of the green
means you missed it altogether. Chances are someone who brags about
how far they hit a wedge doesn't hit many greens.

: Practice
Here are some considerations on how practicing the correct shots will improve
your game. In any round of golf by a golfer of any skill level, the one club that
is used most often is the putter. If you want to lower your score then spend at
least 30% of your time on the practice green putting. Spend 20% of your time
around the practice green chipping. Spend 20% of your time hitting short iron
shots to a practice green. Spend 20% of your time at the range hitting fairway
woods and mid irons and only 10% of your time with a driver.

Most golfers practice the other way around. But if you think about the average
golf course it will have 4 par three holes where you don't use a driver. There
are usually 2 par four holes that are short and narrow where you should use
a 3 wood or long iron for more accuracy. This leaves on 12 holes where a
driver should be used and on those holes you will be left with 12 second
shots with either a wood or longer iron and 50% of those shots won't get
on the green- -requiring short pitch or chip shots. Then the average golfer will
take 36 puts after they reach the green. Over 60% of a golf game is
spent pitching, chipping and putting.

Practice those shots for a while and see if your game doesn't improve.

For More Information on
Repairs and Alterations
Click Here

If we have missed something and you would like an answer please e-mail
us at golftech@intergate.ca

: About the Author
My name is Garry Beaton, I am a self taught golfer that regularly shoots in
the 70's and have played the game for over 40 years. I also have a golf club
repair business and have worked on thousands of club for golfers that had a
problem. Every golfer I talk to has a problem that they want solved for them.
I am also a certified club fitter which simply means I understand how to make
any club fit the skill level of a golfer to improve their game. I have personally
made over 35 thousand golf clubs for every kind of golfer. The right golf
equipment will improve anyone's game but nothing will take the place of a
lesson and a lot of practice. I have tried to present this information in a
straight practical manner but there obviously are exceptions to everything.
If you would like specific information tell me something about yourself and
your game and I will try to help you out.
Contact me by E-mail at: golftech@intergate.ca
or Fax/Phone 604-931-2869

Sincerely, Garry Beaton
Senior Club Fitter for
Golftech Canada

International Member
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Left Handed Golf Equipment
Golf Clubs For Slicers
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Distance Master Golf Sets
Alpha Golf Equipment
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Tom Wishon Golf Equipment
Toski Golf Equipment
Used & Demo Golf Equipment

E-mail: golftech@intergate.ca
www.golftechcanada.com

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