Most golf improvement advice concentrates on helping to
achieve a better golf swing or getting more distance
through the use of tips and drills.

Whilst this information may be useful, little or none of it
ever takes account of one of the most important factors
that will allow us to play the best golf we are capable of
playing; i.e. the specification of our clubs. Indeed, the
over-zealous teacher may try to cure a pupil's slice by
trying to change their swing when, in fact, the problem may
not be the swing but the clubs!

In this article - which will concentrate on the irons - I
shall be giving an overview of the seven key elements of
the golf club that should be taken into account when
assessing which clubs are best for you.

1 - Head Design

Essentially there are two types of Iron Head Design; cavity
back or "perimeter weighted", and muscleback or "blades".
As the name suggests, the former is distinguishable by the
recessed area in the back of the head and the visible
re-distribution of the weight around the perimeter;
conversely, "blades" are identifiable by their relatively
flat backs.

The purpose of re-distributing the weight around the head
perimeter in cavity backs is, putting it technically, to
increase "the moment of inertia". This is the scientific
way of saying "reducing club head twist on off-center hits".

Because the vast majority of golfers are inconsistent in
the way they strike the ball, the more "forgiving" cavity
back clubs will be better suited to them than the "blade".

2 - Length

Firstly let me dispel one of the great myths of golf and
that is, "The taller you are, the longer your clubs should
be".

One of the primary factors to take into account when
determining how long your clubs should be is the length of
your arms, so it is important that this is taken into
account when deciding which clubs to buy.

To be fair, "standard" length clubs will suit the majority
of players (that's why they're "standard"!) , but it is
something you need to be aware of.

3 - Lie

The ideal lie of the club is that which allows the sole to
be flat to the ground at impact.

If a club is too "upright" at impact, the heel "digs" in,
turns the head to the left resulting in a shot to the left.
Conversely, a club that is too "flat" at impact will dig
its toe in and cause a shot to the right.

I have been careful to define the lie at impact. This is
very important; if the sole of the club sits flat on the
ground at set up, it is highly unlikely to be in that
position at impact. This is because the shaft will bow
during the swing with the result that the lie angle at
impact will be flatter.

4 - Loft

Generally speaking the "standard" loft on clubs is pretty
much suited to everyone.

There is, however, one thing to be aware of if you consider
altering the loft on your clubs and that is by adjusting
the loft you will change the "bounce". The effects of
"bounce" are outside the scope of this article but I will
just say that if you considered increasing the loft on your
clubs with the intention of making it easier to get the
ball airborne, you would increase the "bounce" which could
actually be counter-productive insofar as you would risk
"thinning" your shots.

5 - Shaft Flex

The importance of having the correct flex in your shafts
cannot be over-stated. This is a huge subject but,
generally speaking, the faster you swing the golf club the
stiffer your shafts will need to be.

The shaft is really the most important component of the
golf club and is often described as the "Engine"; get the
right shaft flex and your game can improve beyond
recognition.

6 - Grips

We all know there are a huge variety of grips on the market
today and it is important to find a grip that feels
comfortable; you may prefer the softer feel of a tour
velvet, a rougher-feeling corded or a combination of the
two.

It is also extremely important to check the wear on your
grips as worn grips can result in the golf club twisting at
impact.

Last but not least you should be measured for the size of
grip that is right for you. The wrong size grip can
seriously affect your performance by encouraging, for
example, a slice or hook.

7 - Weight

There are really two elements in one here.

First, the overall weight of the club: second, the swing
weight. The first is self-explanatory: the second can be
defined as the relationship between the weight in the grip
end of the club and that in the head end.

Again, this is more about comfort than anything else, and
as long as the club feels comfortable there is no need to
worry too much about weight considerations which is, in
itself, a subject that can warrant much discussion.

If you are about to buy a new set of clubs or are not
playing as well as you would like with your existing set, a
little time spent considering the above Elements could
result in a huge improvement in your golf game.