Shaft flex is the stiffness or flexibility in the shaft or the resistance to bend. The slower ones swing speed, the more flexible the shaft should be. This is important for two reasons. The first reason is that if a golfer has a slower swing speed, they have more difficulty getting the optimum trajectory (and hence distance) from their clubs. The second reason is that using the correct flex will help to minimize directional problems. Nine out of ten women who tell us that they have a problem with hooking the ball, upon further questioning, will reveal that they are using men's clubs or steel shafted clubs.
The industry standard for naming shaft flex is :
S= Stiff Flex
R=Men's Regular Flex
A=Senior Men's Flex
L=Ladies Flex
LL=Ladies Flexible
However, many companies have derived their own convention in naming shaft flex. But whatever it is called, it all means the same thing and a lady golfer should use a shaft flex that suits her swing speed. We have developed a proprietary method which is very accurate in determining a lady golfer's club head speed. This is derived from the distance she normally hits (carry only) the ball with her driver. See the table below for your best fit to shaft flex.
What length of club should I use?
Women who are between 4"11 and 5"2 should use a ladies petite length club (i.e. -1 inch ladies standard length) Women who are between 5"2 and 5" 8 should use a ladies standard length. Women who are between 5'8" and 6'1" should use a ladies tall length (i.e. +1 inch above ladies standard). If you are on the cusp between lengths then it is recommended that you use a wrist to floor measurement to more accurately estimate your required length. Additionally, if you have used ladies standard length clubs before and found them to be too long or too short, this can help determine what side of the cusp best fits you. All of the clubs we sell can be customized to length with the exception of the following pre-packaged beginner sets. These sets come in a ladies standard length only.
What is the difference between men and women's clubs?
There are three main differences between ladies clubs and men's clubs. First, the shaft flex is much stiffer. (See the importance of club flex above.) Second, they are longer. Men's clubs are one inch longer than women's clubs using the same type of shaft. (It is important to note that graphite shafts are ALWAYS one inch longer than steel shafts.) We mention this because sometimes a customer will call and say I just received my clubs and they are the same length as my husband's clubs. If his clubs are steel and yours are graphite, this is why. In order for clubs to be made at the proper swing weight, graphite shafts must be 1 inch longer. (More on swing weight later). The last and most important difference is the lie and loft of the clubs. Women's clubs have a flatter lie and a higher loft. Because women have a slower swing speed, they have more difficulty getting height on their hits. This is compensated for in club making by using a higher loft and flatter lie, which helps to get the optimum trajectory and distance.
What is meant by closed face woods?
Close faced woods are woods in which the face of the wood is angled inward slightly when the club is in the set up position. Most off-the-rack woods and drivers are square faced. Closed face woods can be very beneficial to women who have a tendency to slice or fade the ball. A closed face is a design factor in woods that directly offsets medium errors in the swing path and/or the ability of the golfer to rotate the clubface back to square at impact with the ball.
Should I use graphite or steel shafted clubs?
We do not recommend that women use steel shafted clubs unless they are a low handicap golfer with above average strength. The reason is that steel shafted clubs weigh more and one begins to feel tired near the end of a round of golf when using steel. This reduces a lady golfers enjoyment and accuracy. Additionally, graphite shafts can help to add distance to any women's game.
Is there any difference in expensive clubs versus inexpensive clubs?
Absolutely! Two things make up the price of golf clubs. These are the club components used in the club and the marketing cost. First lets discuss the differences in components. Clubs are made from three components: 1) the club head, 2) the club shaft and 3) the club grip.
Club heads are made from three types of material. These are composite alloys, stainless steel or titanium.
1. Composite alloys are a softer material and are less expensive than the other two types. This means club heads made of this material are more affordable. However, the disadvantages are that they are more easily nicked and damaged with off center hits, they tend to be less forgiving and they are often heavier. Do not be fooled that a club head is titanium if it says something like "titanium matrix" or "titanium alloy". This simply means that the club contains some small amount of titanium. It could even be in the paint on the club head. This is because U.S. regulations state that any item containing titanium must be labeled as such.
2. Stainless steel heads are in the medium price range. It is more expensive than a composite alloy because the steel must be cast or forged. However, this harder material will add more distance to your hits and is more durable and forgiving. The Nancy Lopez Albany 250 ST uses a special proprietary stainless steel which creates qualities similar to a titanium driver.
3. Titanium (i.e. beta titanium or 6-4 titanium) is the most expensive material which compose golf heads. Titanium is harder than stainless steel and lighter in weight. Because the face of the club is thinner, it will produce more of a spring-like effect. (i.e. the face will slightly give on impact and thus "spring" the ball off of the face.) Additionally, because the face is larger, titanium heads are normally more forgiving on off center hits due to the increased "sweet spot".
Shafts are made from either steel or graphite material Steel shafts are less expensive than graphite. However, because of the high weight (90g.), we do not recommend them for women golfers. Graphite shafts come in varying qualities. This quality is what drives the cost. There is a difference in the cost and quality of graphite shafts. Lower end graphite shafts have more variability in their flex point and stiffness and are also heavier, usually weighing in the 75g range. Higher grade shafts are manufactured with much more consistency from shaft to shaft. Ultra- light shafts, which are of high quality, weigh around 50g.
There are many types of grips available for clubs and these can cause variation in the the price of a club. There are rubber formed grips, Tour Wraps and leather wraps. Rubber formed grips are the least expensive and absorb the least amount of vibration. A tour wrap is made from a synthetic (man-made) material that looks much like leather but is less expensive than leather wraps. They are also very effective in absorbing shock and vibration. Ironically, the more expensive your grip, the more frequently you should have your clubs re-gripped. Having a steady grip is an integral part to a great shot. So don't overlook this important part of maintaining your clubs.
Don't forget that marketing also plays a factor in the price of a club. The more a brand is marketed the higher the cost of the club. That is because you the consumer must help the manufacturer recoup their marketing cost. Therefore, clubs which are extensively used (and marketed) by professional golfers carry a higher price. We have found that the the Nancy Lopez and Square Two lines are very comparable in construction to those more highly recognized name brands. However, the degree with which those highly recognizable name brands are marketed makes up a significant portion of their cost.
What is meant by swing weight?
The most common way to measure a club’s weight is by using sSwingweight. Swingweight is simply the relationship between how much weight is in the grip end of the club compared to how much is in the head end of the club. In lay terms, this measures how heavy the club head feels when you swing it. The swing weight of ladies golf clubs is generally between a C3 and C9 range (The swing weight of men's clubs is between a D3 and D9). The higher the number, the more weight there is in the head end of the club.
I am a beginner and don't want to invest a lot of money, what do you recommend?
We highly recommend that women use a "better" club as it will increase their enjoyment of the game. If price is a factor, consider a partial set makeup. A good partial set makeup is a 5, 7, 9 and SW iron and a 3 and 7 wood. Most pros will steer any beginning golfer away from using their longer clubs until they master their swing. That is because the longer the club, the harder it is to control the club head and square it on impact. It is better to hit the ball straight at 100 yards than to hit it 200 yards into the woods, the rough, or the water . The above set makeup using better clubs accomplishes greater enjoyment and accuracy. When you get your swing down, you can add the rest of the clubs to fill in your set.
However, if you are adamant about getting a full set of clubs (including a bag and putter) and want to keep your costs under $300, then we recommend a pre-packaged set if you are of average height (between 5'2" and 5'8"). But please understand, that you will probably outgrow these clubs within a couple of years if you play more than twice a month.
If you are not of an average height, then unfortunately no pre-packaged sets exist which will fit you. Therefore, we recommend the Square Two Accord series club which can allow you to keep your costs (clubs only) near $300. These clubs are customizable based on your height. You will have to add a bag and putter to round out your complete set needs.
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