Golfing Eighteen Blog

If you are like most golfers out there the hardest club to hit in your bag is your 3 iron, or perhaps a 2 or 1 iron.  These clubs can be very difficult to master because of the steep angle and thin head.  But rest assured there is a solution to your problem, the custom hybrid golf club.  Basically a custom hybrid golf club has all the advantages of a fairway wood and long iron put together.  They have the distance you need with control and accuracy

Custom Hybrid Golf Club – What is it?

Basically a custom hybrid golf club is a club that fits right below you fairway woods and right above your five iron.  These clubs have distance similar to a one, two, three or even four iron, but have a much thicker almost wood like head.  The shafts for these clubs are generally longer than irons, but not as long as a fairway wood, hence the custom hybrid golf club name.

A custom hybrid golf club has a head that while being bigger than you irons actually gives you more control than an iron.   It is this dual nature that makes these clubs so versatile, especially from the fairway.

While they may seem to be a wonder club that will solve all of your long iron problems, this is not the case.  They are very good from the fairway, but have significant problems when the going gets tough.  They are not at all effective from the sand, and can be difficult to use when hitting out of anything but the best of conditions. You will still want to keep at least one high iron in your bag if you plan on hitting for distance out of the previously listed situations.

Also, hybrid clubs have a tendency to be almost impossible to use impart accurate spin onto a ball, effectively meaning playing hook or fade shots can be tricky business.  In addition, back or topspin will be very difficult to put on a ball so judging distances can be difficult.  Again these clubs are not meant to replace you irons, but rather to be use in some very specific situations.

So in the end it is up to you to decide whether to include a custom hybrid golf club in your bag.  I would suggest taking one or two and trying them out to see whether or not they fit your game.  For some people they are a godsend and others may find them completely useless.  I find them to be a perfect club for the 3 iron and up range, adding a significant amount of distance over a 3 iron with very few drawbacks.

If you are just beginning to become interested in the game of golf and want to own your own clubs, it may be financially more responsible to look into buying a cheap golf club set just in case you quickly lose interest in the game. For many golfers a big name brand of golf clubs can break their budget only to find out they truly stink at the game and they have a bag containing several hundreds of dollars worth of metal sitting in their garage or basement with little hope of recovering their investment.

It should not be too difficult to find a cheap golf club set to start out with, at least until you find out if you are going to maintain interest in the game. Many discount retailers sell a cheap golf club set especially for those getting started in the sport and often have sales at the end of the season in their area. These types of sets can be especially appealing if a younger player is showing an interest in the game and can be used as a starter set.

Many available cheap golf club sets will include irons from three to nine, a putter, a drive and two fairway woods, typically a three and a five. While they may not carry a brand name usually seen on the professional golfer’s tour, they can be of a quality that will last at least through a couple of seasons.

Things To Look For In A Cheap Set Of Clubs

When looking to buy a cheap golf club set you should check to see how the grips of the clubs feel in your hands. There are several different grades of grips and during the first season of play should not pose too much of a problem. However, if you end up using the same cheap golf club set the following year, you might want to consider replacing the grips with ones that feel better in your hands. They should be soft to the touch, yet feel sturdy enough to grip tight.

How the club heads are attached to the shaft is also important as you could end up with the heads flying off with some of the cheap golf club sets. Although unlikely, with some of the cheaper sets they have been known to fly down the fairway further than the ball.  There should also be an indicator on the grip that points to the center of the club head to help achieve proper alignment when addressing the ball.

The flexibility, or “flex,” of golf club shafts can make a big difference in the way you hit the golf ball. If the degree of flexibility in your golf club is poorly suited to the way you swing the club, your golf shots will not go where you aim them.

If you are a beginning golfer, you should not concern yourself with club flexibility. Beginners have enough to worry about with their stance, their grip, and their swing. If you are an intermediate golfer or advanced golfer, however, you are probably constantly looking for something that will boost your game to the next level, and changing to a golf club shaft with more or less flex may be just the thing you need to jump-start your game.

Degrees Of Golf Club Shaft Flex

The five flex ratings used in golf club shafts are (1) extra stiff, (2) stiff, (3) regular, (4) senior, and (5) ladies. The higher the number, the more forgiving the golf club will be. Usually only a scratch golfer or a professional will be able to hit the golf ball with an extra stiff club.

Consequences Of Hitting With Too Stiff A Golf Club Shaft

An amateur who tries an extra stiff club, or a stiff club that does not match the golfer’s swing, will find that the golfer’s ball will not travel as far and will have a lower loft, or height in the air, than it ordinarily does. Right-handed golfers will notice the ball fading, or drifting toward the right of the target, because the clubface is open on impact with the golf ball.

Consequences Of Hitting With Too Flexible A Golf Club Shaft

On the other hand, if you try to play with clubs that are not stiff enough, you will hit “sky balls” that fly far higher than they are meant to fly according to their loft. Golfers will also see most of their shots “draw” toward the left of their target.

Overall, shaft flex can influence distance, direction, and trajectory of the golf shot.

Ego Gets Involved

Invariably, golfers feel that they are identifying themselves as beginners or amateurs when they hit a club with flexible shafts. Low-handicap golfers are embarrassed to be seen hitting a club with a regular shaft, even if it would improve their golf game. Actually, golfers should err on the side of flexibility if they get the wrong shaft. A more flexible golf club shaft is much more forgiving for players with a less-than-perfect swing.

Most times, finding the best deals on new and used golf clubs is in the fall, or near the end of the season as many sports stores and pro shops have golf club sales to clear out old inventory to make room for the next year’s clubs. While new models of clubs do not evoke as much interest as the new model year for vehicles, golf club sales often draw in a nearly predictable number of men with a passion for the game.

Typically, a sports outlet offering golf club sales will attempt to have factory representatives on hand to help answer any technical questions about how their brand of clubs are made and what the benefits are of using their brand of clubs. Manufacturers may also offer many different incentives and those attending major golf club sales that include several manufacturers may be able to buy a new club or two at a discounted price.

Sometimes, on the last day of an exhibition held as part of golf club sales, the clubs, which are now considered used, are sold at less than half price, enabling golfers to pick up the top name clubs at a fraction of their usual cost. Some companies at these sales also offer additional incentives to buy new clubs by offering free rounds of golf at selected courses in the area.

Pro Shops Work With Club Makers On Sales

Many golf course pro shops work closely with manufacturers with some of them offering golf club sales throughout the year. Some manufacturers place their clubs in the shops on a contingency basis, meaning there is no charge to the pro shop unless the clubs sell. At the end of the season the shop can return the clubs to the manufacturer or the manufacturer will sponsor golf club sales in order to move the clubs without having to take them back at the end of a model year.

Occasionally, a manufacturer will stop making a particular brand or style of clubs and will authorize deep discounts on remaining stock in stores. These golf club sales offer a vastly reduced price to golfers who can take advantage of the timing and receive some fantastic deals on a new set of clubs.

Many retailers, especially in seasonal zones only sell golf clubs a few months out of the year and at the end of the season will hold golf club sales to clear their space to make room for sporting goods for other seasonal merchandise.

So, you have a free Sunday afternoon somewhere between the Super Bowl and the NBA Finals. And, with absolutely nothing better to do, you decide to pull out your golf clubs and give them the once over yearly overhaul they so richly deserve.

In a matter of minutes, you realize that your clubs need a bit more love and attention than your simple sponge and soapy water can give them. Yes, it is those words every true golfer loathes to utter, ‘It is time for some golf club refinishing.’

Can I Do It Myself?

Golf club refinishing is actually composed of a variety of techniques. For example, a wood driver can be stripped of its fading varnish and resealed with a fresh coat of paint much like a piece of antique furniture. The process, based on your skill level, should take about 3 hours to do and a few days to dry.

In addition, small cracks in the head can be repaired relatively quickly and easily with the application of some epoxy filler product or water proof glue that can be found at most hardware stores. And, the final product can be honed to a beautiful luster with the application of some hard wax. There are a variety of websites that detail this process; although, many of the sites are selling handbooks about the process.

I Got It. But, What About The Irons?

Your ability to do the golf club refinishing on your irons will greatly depend on the situation. Minor damage can be quite quickly and easily removed with steel wool. For those more Bob Vila types out there, slightly more severe damage can be addressed by using a steel-brushed grinder attachment on a power drill. Here again, in this type of golf club refinishing you run a greater risk of personal injury and permanent damage to the club face.

Oh Come On, There Must Be Something I Can Do Myself!?

Other golf club refinishing techniques are certainly doable for the average golfer. For example, changing handgrips or gluing a new face onto the club head are activities that take both little skill and even less time to do.

It depends greatly on the quality of your club, as to whether or not to do your own golf club refinishing. A cheap club is probably not going to feel like too big of a deal if you screw it up. But, destroying the driver your dying grandfather gave to you on his deathbed is another matter entirely. In the end, if you have some doubts about your ability to handle the project, you should definitely considering handing over the club to trained golf club refinishing professionals. Both your clubs and your game will thank you for it.

Choosing the right golf club heads can greatly affect your game. Different golf club heads are recommended for different types of players, depending on a player’s level of skill, age or gender. The material that a club is made from is one of the things that affects the quality and suitability of a golf club.

The material that your club is made from is the most important factor here, brand names don’t always matter. Although established brands have taken time to research what makes a better club there are many cheaper clubs out there that will do the same thing for you.

Starting Out

When you first start out you will probably be using lighter golf club heads. Beginner sets use clubs that are made from titanium alloy or aluminum. In the beginning you should be concentrating on your swing and technique, the golf club heads that you use shouldn’t matter so much.

Intermediate Clubs

Once you have been playing for a while and feel that you have mastered your game then you should graduate to woods made from HST Aluminum. This is a harder aluminum than the aluminums used in beginner sets. A lot of large drivers will use this type of metal.

Going Pro

Professionals will not use the same clubs that most people use on the course. Professional standard golf club heads are usually made from 431 stainless steel or 17-4ph stainless steel. Typically these metals are used in iron heads though there are some woods that will use the 17-4ph stainless steel.

Some of the best woods in the game are made with maraging metal, this is basically a stainless steel that has been hardened through a special process. Another popular metal used in making high-end golf club heads is titanium. This gives you maximum strength while remaining lightweight. Clubs made from titanium are the most expensive on the market.

Avoiding Bad Clubs

Some unscrupulous dealers will try to get you to part with your hard earned cash for something that is definitely not worth the price you are paying. For instance if anyone tries to sell you clubs that are made from Ti-Alloy for more than a beginner set might cost then you are being taken for a ride.

Ti-Alloy is actually aluminum with traces of Titanium. Clubs made from this type of metal are the cheapest and are meant for beginners and older players. Look somewhere else for your clubs.

Re-gripping your own golf clubs will save you a lot of money in the long run and give you a closer bond with your clubs. The grips are critical because they are your only direct link with the club.  This is a detailed, step-by-step tutorial on how to re-grip your own golf clubs using items commonly found around the house.

Re-Gripping Golf Clubs – Step #1

The re-gripping process at times can be a messy one, so a garage or basement is probably the best location for this kind of work. Many people wear gloves during this process because you are dealing with toxics like glue and lighter fluid. Make sure there is good ventilation in your work area and that it has a good source of fresh air. As a safety measure, do not smoke during this project or allow anyone into the work area that is smoking. You will also need a vise and a special rubber shaft holder.

After you have very carefully cleaned the area around the grip area, use a utility knife to make a clean cut all the way through the grip, just touching the tape underneath. You should be extremely careful not too cut deep into the actual shaft while all along remembering to always make the cut away from your body, not towards it.

Re-Gripping Golf Clubs – Step #2

Pry open the grip area where you made the cut and then spray lighter fluid into the cut area. The objective is to get lighter fluid between the grip and the shaft. Use a screwdriver to peel back the old grip if necessary; a lot of grips will come off easily by just pulling on them without the use of a screwdriver or lighter fluid.

Re-Gripping Golf Clubs – Step #3

Remove the tape that remains on the shaft, making sure all residue is removed, thereby assuring the new tape will stick. Using two-sided tape, tape as far down the shaft as the new grip will extend.

Re-Gripping Golf Clubs – Step #4

Stick a golf tee into the hole at the end of the new grip and then pour ½ of a shot glass of lighter fluid into the new grip and also over the new tape that is now on the shaft. Make sure you clean up any spillage that occurs along the way.

Re-Gripping Golf Clubs – Step #5

Slide the new grip onto the shaft. This should be a very smooth process, and usually if it is not, then more lighter fluid should be used. Pull out the golf tee from the end of the club and force the grip completely onto the club. Quickly align the grip before the glue sets up.

The Red Sky golf club has two amazing golf courses, one designed by Greg Norman and the other by Tom Fazio. This is a private members club but there is an opportunity to play here if you are not a member. Red Sky golf club is open to all players during the summer golf season as soon as the weather permits.

It has made the list of America’s Top 100 Private Golf Communities, something to be proud of and definitely something that speaks volumes about the atmosphere of this club. There are many facilities and amenities provided that would make you want to come back again and again.

Stay and Play

If you live too far away and the distance doesn’t warrant a day trip to the Red Sky golf club then don’t worry. There is an opportunity for you to stay in luxurious accommodation and play golf. You can stay for as little as one night so that you can play as much golf as you want during the day and then relax and earn a good night’s sleep in the lap of luxury.

Dining

If you would like to make your visit to Red Sky golf club more than just golf there is every opportunity to make the best of it. There are two wonderful restaurants that you can dine in and you can even host special events. Perfect for a romantic getaway with a spouse or the right place to plan a small, intimate gathering of friends and family for a special occasion.

Events

The food, décor and service will be sure to charm you into ordering more and eating more than you should. With accommodation available this could be the perfect place to have a gathering of friends or family, or both, for a weekend party.

Red Sky golf club may not at first seem like the first place you might think of when you think of wedding venues but this might be the perfect place for you to exchange vows. Surrounded by the majesty of mountain peaks, the peace and simple elegance of nature, this would make the perfect place to have an outdoor wedding.

The staff will be on hand to assist you in planning your perfect day. Since Red Sky golf club can handle weddings, rest assured that any other type of event could easily be handled here. Whether you want to have a birthday dinner, renewal of vows, or anniversary soiree; this is the place to do it.

Here you are on the fairway still jazzed about just crushing a monster drive right down the middle of the fairway. You fish around in your golf bag looking for just the right club. You set up for the shot and take your swing. Unfortunately for you, your shot came up 10 yards short and now resides at the bottom of the algae-filled pond next to the green.

Judging golf club distances can be very difficult for even the most seasoned of golfers; let alone, for the inexperienced player. The key to successfully choosing the right club at the right time is consistent driving range practice. You have to understand, not only, what your clubs can do, but also what they cannot do for you.

Okay, I Got My Bucket Of Balls, Now What?

Most new players believe you have to master every club in your bag to be a successful golfer. This is just not the case. It is far better to be able to consistently and accurately hit three or four clubs at good golf club distances; rather than, just yanking a club out of the bag and taking an uneducated and ugly swing at the ball.

You should spend some time finding the clubs that allow for you to have the greatest control over both the direction of the ball and the best control over your golf club distances. It serves little purpose for you to use a club that you cannot control on the driving range out on the course where it matters most.

But, I Have A Bag Full Of Clubs. What Should I Do?

The optimal situation would be for you to have clubs that work at short, medium, and long golf club distances. For example you might have good control over a 9 iron for your short game. You could then select a 7 iron for the intermediate yardage, and 2 iron for those longer second shots. You should also practice in a variety of weather conditions to understand what they do to your golf club distances.

You should practice a variety of strokes with each club. Also, it is very useful to either videotape your range sessions, or have a partner work with you. You can then solely focus on the consistency of your swing. And, you can leave the camera or your partner to judge your accurate golf club distances.

Don’t feel like you need to be perfect in these practice sessions. It is a great opportunity to work on different back swings. And, you can use the time to work on other aspects of your game, and the effect they have on your personal golf club distances. So that, the next time out on the course you can swing with confidence knowing where that ball is going to go.

There are so many reasons you should never, ever, ever buy golf club clones. Quality and performance are the two main ones.

Quality Issues With Golf Club Clones

When you purchase a name brand golf club, you purchase the quality of the company behind the brand. In most cases, you know that years of research and development have gone into the product you are buying, and you know there is someone important standing behind your golf clubs.

You know that, if there are problems with the club, you have some recourse. When you buy a set of name brand golf club, like Nike, Ping, or Callaway, you have the ultimate confidence that your clubs are up to the competition. The grips won’t peel; the shaft won’t crack, and the head won’t come flying off on your backswing.

Performance Issues With Golf Club Clones

With golf club clones, you don’t really know what to expect. Golf club clones are often described as “in the tradition of” or “comparable to” a name brand club. What is that supposed to mean? “Comparable to the Nike SQ Sumo2 hybrids” doesn’t mean the golf club clone was developed by the renowned clubmakers at Nike’s state-of-the-art golf club facility in Ft. Worth, Texas. It just means the cloned golf club looks like the Nike SQ Sumo2.

People buy golf club clones for one reason: because they’re cheap. Both the clubs and the people who are buying them are cheap. People who play golf with clones aren’t fooling anyone on the golf course. An experienced player who plays with authentic gear can spot a knockoff club one fairway over.

The performance of a golf club clone is simply inferior to the performance you will get from an authentic, name brand club. Do you think that the golf greats like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods would play golf with no-name golf club clones? No. All three of those veterans insist on authentic, name brand golf equipment when they play. Playing with golf club clones would be a waste of their time.

Saving Money On Authentic Clubs

You may think that you can’t afford to buy authentic branded golf clubs. But if you plan carefully, have patience, and are willing to wait for things that are worth waiting for, you can fill your bag with real golf clubs, not no-name golf club clones.

Watch for end-of-season sales at your pro shop, and don’t be embarrassed to ask about a payment plan or even a layaway plan.