The irons weigh from 14½ ounces for the No. 2 to 16½ for the No. 9. Sand wedges will go up to 17½.

Shafts of clubs are graded in three types, flexible, medium, and stiff. Most of the bigger, stronger pros use the stiff shaft. The medium shaft is for the average player. The flexible is generally considered best for players of more advanced age and for women. It is best suited for a slow swing. The limber-ness of a shaft is known to the manufacturers as shaft deflection.

We have heard a great deal, for years, about swing weight. The term is tossed about so loosely, in fact, that few players have much of an idea what it is. Swing weight indicates the distribution of the weight of a club. It is the proportion of the weight in the head compared to the shaft and the grip. Swing weights are listed from C—0 to D—9.

But a D—9, for instance, doesn’t mean that 9 ounces of a club weighing 13% ounces are in the head. D—9 is merely one of the calibrations on what is known as a lorythmic swinging weight scale.

A D—9 is no club for the average player to use, either. It is what Arnold Palmer and many of the other pros use, and it is for a strong, fast swinger. For the average player the ideal swing weight is from D—1 to D—4. For women the range is from C—4 to C—6.

In a general sense, the more you “feel” the head of the club when you waggle it or swing it, the higher the swing weight. You have often heard players say, and no doubt you have said it yourself, when handling a new club, “Feels like a lot of head in this.” What you are feeling is the swing weight.

You could be fooled, of course, by the shaft. A medium swing weight, for instance, in a club with a flexible shaft, would feel like a very high swing weight. You would “feel” an inordinate amount of head when you swung it. In fact, with a club like this, you would have a very difficult time developing a decent swing at all. But the manufacturers have taken care of this. They do not put out clubs with high swing weights on flexible shafts. In men’s clubs the swing weights for a flexible shaft are D—0 and D—1. For medium shafts they are D—1 to D—4. For stiff shafts they are D—4 to D-9.
Which Clubs to Carry

Since the USGA permits the carrying of fourteen clubs, it would be difficult to persuade the average golfer that he shouldn’t take full advantage of the rule. He would not be happy, indeed he would feel himself laboring under a handicap, carrying fewer than the rule allows. So, which ones should they be?

From the conventional set of three woods, nine irons, a sand wedge, and a putter, the average player should drop the No. 1 iron and the No. 2 wood. For these he should substitute the No. 4 wood and a pitching wedge. The No. 2 wood and the No. 1 iron, with their relatively straight faces, are the hardest clubs of all to use. Many pros dispense with the No. 2 wood, the old brassie, though most of them carry a No. 1 iron, mostly for use off a tee. If the pros cannot use them effectively, what chance does a 16-handicapper have to make them behave?

It is also a fact that most golfers find a lofted wood easier to handle than a long iron. This seems to be specially true as the player grows older. If you are one of these, and do not want to or cannot take the time to master the longer irons, then drop out the No. 2 and pick up a No. 5 wood.

Generally speaking, we recommend the carrying of a driver, Nos. 3 and 4 woods, Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 irons, a pitching wedge, a sand wedge, and a putter.

There are some to whom the No. 1 wood, the driver, seems to be a special type of poison. There is no logical reason for this. Anybody who can hit a 3 wood, or any other wood, off the fairway has more than enough ability to hit a teed-up ball with a driver. If you hook or slice so badly with the driver that you are afraid to play it, something is radically wrong with your swing.

The average driver can weighs 13¼ to 13½ ounces and is 43 inches long, measured from the base of the heel to the tip of the shaft. The other woods are shorter by about a half inch with each number. The No. 2 iron is about 38% to 38⅝ inches, and the others drop about 7/16 of an inch each, down to the No. 9.

If I were to get the opportunity to write a golf driver tip for a magazine, I&’d say something against the norm. Something teaching instructors wouldn&’t want to hear. Do you want to know what it is? It&’s not some quick fix, because they never work long-term.

The &’only&’ thing that works long-term is working on you.

Your body has a current level of physical ability. I don&’t care how many balls you hit at the range; how many lessons you take; and what driver you&’re swinging. Hitting the ball further takes an increase in clubhead speed. Period. So hitting more balls or taking more lessons won&’t improve this.

The only thing that can improve clubhead speed is strengthening your core rotational strength and flexibility. Your core is the engine to your swing. A weak or inflexible core will not give you the results you are looking for.

The golf swing a turn back and a turn through. Isn&’t that about as simple as you can make it? If that&’s true, why wouldn&’t you improve your body&’s ability to rotate quicker and more powerfully?

This is the ticket to longer drives!

There are many simple, yet effective core rotational exercises you can do in your home, or even office to greatly improve your clubhead speed and driving distance.

Do you want an easy one you can do right in your chair?

Cross your arms in front of your chest. Sit up tall and erect. With a fixed head position, rotate to the right and left slowly. See how far you can go. Do this without stopping. As you feel a loosening of the core, start to rotate faster and faster. Do this 20 or 30 times when you think about it and I guarantee you&’ll feel it.

Since time is such a valuable commodity, you&’ve got to get creative. I&’ve put together a complete section of my manual that covers simples stretches and exercises you can do right in your chair in your office. You can&’t get more convenient than that.

I hope I didn&’t disappoint you with this golf driver tip.

If you cannot play a round due to weather, work, or other events, virtual golf games allow you to feel like you are playing a round without you having to leave your living room. With virtual golf, you can swing, position the ball, gauge weather conditions, and much more. While this is not exactly like the real thing, it is pretty close. Some virtual golf games include plastic clubs that you can use to simulate your clubs.

In addition to golf gadgets, there are clothing and other golf accessories that you can purchase that will enhance your game or just make it a little more fun. Accessories include golf caps, club protectors, gloves, and tees. You can also choose from a wide range of clubs, balls, and bags that allow you to show off your personality on the course.

No matter if you are a beginner golfer or if you are an experienced one, having the right golf equipment can make any game even better. Since golf has increased in popularity, there are many shops, online stores, and catalogues, and other venues for you to find the latest golf equipment and accessories. Whether shopping for yourself or for a friend, you will have a wide variety of items to choose from that can improve your game or just make it more enjoyable.