Simdean Custom Golf Clubs
Drivers
Matching A Wood Head To A Player's Game
There are three key elements of a golf club: the head, the shaft and the grip. By combining these three elements in the proper configuration, a club maker is able to create a golf club that best matches a player's abilities. Often the very first step and certainly one of the early steps in fitting, is the selection of which club head to choose for the player. Let's examine the design characteristics of some of the more popular wood heads and how they relate to specific playability. There are several key playability specifications in a wood head. These include face angle, loft, lie, weight, volume and centre of gravity. In addition to these, cosmetics must be considered. If the head does not "look right" to the golfer, there is little chance that he or she will hit it very well. While cosmetics do not relate directly to ball flight, psychologically they have a tremendous effect on how the player may hit the golf club.
FACE ANGLE - Face angle is the direction that the face of the club points in relation to the target. A club face that points directly at the target is said to be square of 0º,one that points to the right of target is labelled as open or slice and one aligning to the left is known as closed or hook. A closed face may be helpful for a player who has slicing problems, while an open face may help the player who has directional problems to the left (vice versa for Left Handed players). Face angle is the single most important determinant of ball direction in woods.
LOFT - Loft is defined as the angle of the clubface as related to the ground line. A higher loft will tend to produce higher ball flight. Higher lofts in woods are usually best suited to slower swinging players and to those who may seek accuracy over distance. You may be surprised that for most players whose swing speed is less than 85 miles per hour, a higher lofted driver may actually produce greater carry and more distance.
LIE - Lie angle is the relationship between the shaft angle and the ground line. A club with a more upright lie may tend to tilt the club's face plane to the left of target (a potential help for golfers who tend to slice). A flatter lie will do the opposite. The trend in equipment manufacture is toward more upright lies in all clubs, not only woods.
The length, lie, loft and face angle of the club especially the higher numbered irons and wedges is most important.
