Golf Foundations

Golf Swing Foundations: Learn the fundamentals of golf

Equipment

History

As you probably already know, the game of golf was introduced by the Scotts. Every club was handmade from the native woods and if a club broke it took quite some time to get it replaced. It was an expensive sport and was only for those that were well off.

Names like Brassie, Spoon, Mashie, Niblick, and Baffling Spoon were common before the 20th century. Each had its function just like the clubs of today. However, today's clubs are much more high tech and are more easily replaced. If you wrap your 7 iron around a tree, you don't need to spend weeks while someone whittles you a new mashie-niblick. I guess we are spoiled today.

Early golf balls were known as "featheries" because that is what they were made of; feathers stuffed into a leather jacket and hand sewn. Also difficult to make and replace, which added expense to the game. Different materials where tried and tested over the years including a sap called gutta-percha. The gutta-percha balls became dented after some use and people found that the dented balls flew better. This is the reason for the dimples on the golf balls of today.

Equipment Today

Today's clubs come oversized with groves that give the ball spin so we can make them do things you just couldn't do with the old fashioned clubs. Different methods for making club heads like casting or forging have a major impact on the effect to the ball.

Special equipment allows the pros to do things that the weekend golfer just can't afford to do. We see the huge amount of spin the pros put on the ball that makes it back up on the green and we dream of doing the same thing on the course. However, we are just lucky to be able to hit the green much less make it do anything else.

14 clubs but so many choices. You are only allowed 14 clubs in your bag, so which ones do you choose? That is a tough question. We are faced with fairway woods, hybrid clubs, utility clubs, driving irons and so forth. The answer is ... it depends.

I think every golfer I have played with has a club in their bag that they avoid using. I have a very difficult time hitting my 5 iron. This club could be replaced by a more useful club in my bag. So you really have to figure out what clubs you can and cannot hit well and adjust accordingly.

Golf balls today come in quite a variety. The beginner is swamped with decisions of which one to buy. My suggestion is to get the cheap ones first. Until you get some consistency and accuracy in your shots, you will loose balls. Buying expensive balls out of the gate will only get frustrating. After that it is really up to you to find the ball you like the best.

As technology improved, so did the golf ball. Certain restrictions were applied to keep the playing field as equal as possible. Today's golf ball cannot weigh more than 1.62 oz., cannot be less than 1.68 in. in diameter and have a maximum velocity of 250 feet per second.

Gadgets

This was probably the most fun part of the website to research. We love our gadgets. Some extremely useful, that lend themselves to actually lowering our score, to the not so useful like the potty putter, which consists of a grass mat that goes in front of the toilet and a ball and hole to putt into. Yes, this product accutally exists.

One of the really handy devices one can purchase to aid in golf is the handheld GPS. Knowing the precise distance to the middle of the green is quite nice. Of course it also helps the distance for each of your clubs.

Swing trainers are also handy, but do they really work. Personally, I think nothing is better than hitting the driving range with your own clubs. However, there is a hinged club out there call the Medicus, that will help you to discover how to get the club to work for you. Elsewhere you have read how to use the weight of the club to deliver greater club head speed. This tool forces you to use that weight correctly.

Another helpful gadget is simple and inexpensive. That is the ball marker. This tool simply puts a straight line on your ball for putting purposes and lining up your putt. Use the line to line up with the start of the ball path. Too often when you are standing over the ball to make your putt, you lose the original ball path. This line shows you how to swing the putter to get the ball going down the intended line.

As I find more useful gadgets I will add them here.

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