What Makes up a Golf Set
Knowing the right number of golf clubs to carry is an important aspect of the game of golf. Carrying and using an inappropriate number of golf clubs could result in penalties or performance below standard. The penalty for exceeding the required limit of clubs is 2 strokes for the particular hole where the foul is committed, and a maximum of four strokes.
Golf clubs that are used to strike golf balls to the holes on a golf course typically consist of club heads, shafts, and grips. Different types of golf clubs such as wood, wedge, putter, hybrid, and iron make up a golf set. These club types serve different purposes during a game of golf depending on the aim of the golfer and the distance involved.
The Wood
It has the biggest head of the bunch of clubs. It is used for long shots. The driver and fairway wood are the basic types of wood usually used by golfers.
The Wedge
It is a specialized type of iron that has the highest loft of all the golf clubs. The gap wedge, lob wedge, sand wedge, and pitching are variations of wedges a golfer can use. It is handy for short shots of high trajectories, pitches, and chips.
The Putter
This usually comes in different sizes and shapes. The choice of which clubhead to use for the putter depends on the aim of the player when finishing off the ball down the hole. The putter is arguably the most used club. It is used on the putting green to hit the ball into the hole.
The Hybrid
Also called the utility club, is a newcomer among the golf clubs. In the design of the hybrid club, elements of the wood club and iron were combined. It can be used the same way iron is used and much more. It can be used to chip the ball over an obstruction.
The Iron
It is an important club for fairway shots and shots on short holes. It is mostly made of metal. They come in different categories of 1-iron to 9-iron. For these clubs, the higher the number of the club, the higher the degree of the loft. The iron is categorized into long irons (1-, 2- and 3-irons), middle irons (4-, 5- and 6- irons), and short irons (7-, 8- and 9- irons).
How many clubs do you need in a golf set?
The number of clubs required in a club set largely depends on the experience and skill level of the golfer. The categories of players based on skill level are Beginners and Average/Experienced players. The number of golf clubs to be used can also be based on the type of play agreed upon.
Nevertheless, a standing rule of golf permits players to carry as many as 14 golf clubs in a golf bag to be used on the course. The essence of this rule is basically to ensure that there is uniformity in the game and to allow for the skills and abilities of players to determine their success or otherwise in the game.
Any number of golf clubs below this stipulated maximum of 14 clubs is acceptable. Typically, the 14 golf clubs will comprise of 8 irons (wedge and iron), a putter, and 3 woods (wood no. 5, wood no. 3, and a driver). A player can select extra 2 clubs to make it up to 14 clubs according to his preference.
Beginners
For people who are yet to master the game, a short set of the golf club can be used. A short set will consist of about 7 clubs (iron no. 7, iron no. 9, a putter, wood no.3, wood no.5- and no.3- hybrid and another hybrid club). The type of the club to be selected is based on the choice of the golfer. The idea is to maximise the available number of clubs within the acceptable range until the skill level of the player improves. This can prove reasonable since some of the clubs in a full club set can be quite complex and confusing to a newbie. To learn how to strike long-distance balls, a wood club would be appropriate for a beginner. Beginners would find the iron club quite convenient for making precise long shots.
To play short shots within the green, the newbie would need a wedge and a putter. Since golf clubs can be quite expensive, utilizing a set of the short club gives the extra advantage of saving cost while grasping the game. Regardless, newbie may choose to use the full set of clubs (The golf rule permits that). The advantage here is that it will allow the beginner to start mastering the clubs in the full set early.
Experienced golfers
Experienced golfers who are well-skilled in golfing will often prefer the full-set clubs. These clubs will assist the player for different purposes in the game. Experienced players, who have developed high- level skills and have mastered the use of the common clubs, can choose any type of club that suits them.
The golfer has the opportunity of choosing anywhere between 12 to 14 clubs. The golf clubs could likely be 1 driver, 1 wood no.3, 1 wood no.5, and nos 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7-, 8- and 9- irons, 1 sand wedge, 1 lob wedge, 1 pitching wedge and a putter. Depending on taste, some of the irons could be replaced with a suitable hybrid.
In some agreed competitions, however, professional players may decide to use the short set of golf clubs. In this scenario, the players would choose the clubs they desire within the limit of 7 clubs.
Bottom Line
A standard golf set contains 12 clubs. It usually includes 6 irons, a wedge, 3 woods, a putter and a hybrid. Golfers may decide to reduce or increase the number of golf clubs to 14, according to the rule of golf. The choice of the number of golf clubs to be used is usually dependent on the skill level of the players.