Golf · Guide
Golf clubs explained
You can carry up to fourteen clubs. The lower the loft, the further the ball goes: driver for distance, irons for approach shots, wedges around the green, and the putter on it.
| Club | Used for |
|---|---|
| Driver | Tee shots on long holes. The least loft and the longest shots. |
| Fairway woods (3, 5) | Long shots from the fairway, or off the tee when accuracy matters more. |
| Hybrids | Replace long irons; easier to hit high from the fairway and the rough. |
| Irons (usually 4 or 5 to 9) | Approach shots. Each number up gives more loft and less distance. |
| Wedges (pitching, gap, sand, lob) | Short approaches, bunker shots and shots around the green. |
| Putter | Rolling the ball on the green. |
Loft
Loft is the angle of the club face. More loft makes the ball go higher and land softer, but shorter. That is why a 9-iron goes higher and shorter than a 5-iron, and why a sand wedge is used to get out of bunkers.
A beginner's half set
- A driver or a 3-wood (a 3-wood is easier to hit)
- A hybrid
- A 7-iron and a 9-iron
- A pitching wedge and a sand wedge
- A putter
Add clubs as you learn which distances you are missing. Getting fitted at a pro shop once you play regularly is worth it: the right length and shaft make a real difference.
The fourteen-club limit
Carry more than fourteen clubs in a competition and you are penalised: two strokes for each hole where the breach happened, up to four strokes a round in stroke play. See golf rules.
Quick answers
- How many clubs are you allowed in golf?
- Fourteen at most.
- What clubs does a beginner need?
- A half set is plenty: a driver or fairway wood, a hybrid, a few irons (such as 7 and 9), a pitching wedge, a sand wedge and a putter.
- What is the difference between a hybrid and an iron?
- A hybrid has a wider, rounder head, and is easier to get airborne than the long iron it replaces.
- What is the loft of a golf club?
- The angle of the face. More loft sends the ball higher and shorter; less sends it lower and further.