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Did you know that the most important object in your golf bag isn’t your favorite wedge or fairway wood?

As great as those golf clubs are, they can’t perform at their highest potential without a solid cleaning brush. Many golfers don’t realize that failing to clean the grooves of their clubs can cost them lots of precious distance.

Now that you know how crucial it is to have a solid cleaning brush in your bag, you may have questions about which 1 to buy. We’ve compiled the following list of the 7 best golf club cleaning brushes on the market. Any of these will help your golf clubs look and perform at their best.

What to Look for in a Good Club Cleaning Brush

Not sure what to look for when buying a new golf club cleaning brush? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a short list of the top qualities to look for:

• Groove Cleaning Spike: This is an absolute must for cleaning irons. This spike must be small enough to fit into each groove to remove any dirt or debris. It also needs to be sturdy enough to hold up well over time.
• Carabiner Clip: This allows you to clip your cleaning brush onto the side of your golf bag. This will enable you to clean your clubs after each shot if needed.
• High Durability: You want a golf club cleaner brush that will last a long time. This isn’t an item that you want to spend money on constantly.
• Low Price: A good golf club brush doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Find a good deal so that you’ll have more money for golf balls.

The Top 7 Golf Club Cleaning Brushes

1. HELLAFOR Golf Club Cleaning Kit (Best Overall)

Pros

• 3 piece club cleaning kit has all you need for cleaning woods or irons
• Bottle perfectly dispenses water or club cleaner while you’re scrubbing your clubs
• The waffle-patterned golf towel easily removes dirt, sand, and grime
• All 3 items come with a carabiner clip to snap onto your golf bag
• The cleaner brush has a soft nylon side and a stiff wire side
• The retractable cord automatically snaps back into place when you let go of it

Cons

• The kit includes lots of items, but the overall cost is a bit high
• Some have had leaking issues with the bottle

This cleaning kit has all the bells and whistles, so we made it our top choice. It comes with a golf towel, a cleaning brush, a bottle that’ll hold water or club groove cleaner, and a carabiner clip for added convenience. It also has a sharp spike on the end to clean the grooves of your clubs.

2. Yoport Golf Club Brush and Club Groove Cleaner (Best Value)

For an excellent no-nonsense golf club brush at a fantastic price, look no further than this option from Yoport. It’s available in 3 different colors and does a great job of getting all the junk from the course off your clubs. If you’ve lost any amount of spin on your irons, this club brush will quickly restore it.

Pros

• Made with tough wire bristles to quickly and effectively clean the grooves of your golf clubs
• Cleaner grooves will give golfers more distance and accuracy on every approach shot
• The handle is specifically designed to strike the perfect balance between softness and durability
• It makes an affordable gift for any golfer in your life
• It can be used to clean both golf clubs and golf shoes
• It comes with a 2-foot zip line with a carabiner on the end that easily snaps onto your golf bag
• It provides a clean finish without the need to wipe down the clubhead
• Trusted by tons of golf enthusiasts around the globe

Cons

• The plastic cap on the groove cleaner can be tough to remove
• Some have had some issues with the retractable zipline

3. Thiodoon 2 Pack of Golf Club Brushes with Groove Cleaners (Best Handle)

Pros

• Currently on sale for 50% off its regular price
• It comes with nylon bristles to remove dust and dirt
• The opposite side of the brush has wire bristles to remove any type of mud or grime
• Designed with sharpeners that’ll take all debris out of the grooves of your irons
• The handle is specifically designed to be ergonomic, which means it’s easier on the hands and wrists
• The contact area of this brush is 2.5 times larger than others on the market

Cons

• If you choose the magnet attachment, some have said it isn’t quite strong enough
• Some have had problems with the wire bristles fraying after several uses

Of all the golf brushes on our list, this one gets the honor of having the best handle. It provides a comfortable grip, is easy on the wrist, and comes in striking colors. These are sold in a pack of 2, so you can keep 1 brush snapped onto your golf bag and a backup squirreled away elsewhere.

4. XinTan Tiger Golf Club Brush Groove Cleaner

Pros

• Outstanding price whether you choose the 2-pack or the single pack
• Both the handle and the bristles will hold up well over time
• Comes with a spike on top to thoroughly clean your club grooves
• The carabiner is made of aluminum so that it won’t rust easily
• The protective case increases the durability of the bristles
• Makes it easy to clean your clubs after each golf shot
• This brush is lightweight and won’t take up too much room

Cons

• The rubber cap on top of the spike can be difficult to take off
• A few golfers have had problems with the wire bristles coming off after a few rounds

Here’s another affordable golf club brush. We like that this unit comes with a protective case covering the bristles. The zipline also stretches out to 26 inches!

5. CHAMPKEY PRO Retractable Golf Club Brush

Pros

• The brush head is 2.5 times larger than most other golf club brushes on the market
• The handle is specifically designed for maximum comfort
• The handle also has a unique texture that provides plenty of traction and grip
• Has a retractable spike to clean each groove of your golf club
• Fantastic price
• Lightweight, so it won’t weigh down your golf bag

Cons

• Only available in 3 colors
• Some have had durability issues from the clip and the retractable cord

If you want clean golf clubs in the shortest amount of time, this may be your best bet. This golf club brush has one of the most prominent heads on the market, which helps golfers get their clubs clean in a hurry. The handle is also designed to be ergonomically friendly, so your hands won’t have to work very hard.

6. Callaway Premium Golf Club Brush With Retractable Cord

Pros

• Callaway is one of the most trusted names in the golf world
• The brush is easy to use and easy on the hands
• It can be used to clean both golf clubs and golf shoes, which is a nice plus
• It comes with a durable carabiner clip to hang off the side of your golf bag
• It has both soft and hard nylon bristles to make cleaning your clubs a breeze
• Designed to be gentle on your irons and not scratch them

Cons

• Lack of wire bristles could make cleaning heavy grime and dirt more difficult
• There is no spike, so cleaning the grooves of your irons could be a hassle

Though Callaway is more well known for making golf clubs and golf balls, they also offer some nice golf club brushes. With this brush, golfers can easily clean both their clubs and shoes. Callaway made this brush with ergonomics in mind, so it’ll be easy on any golfer’s hands.

7. KVV Golf Club Brush with Magnetic Clasp & Rubber Grip

Pros

• It has a nylon brush for cleaning woods and a wire brush for cleaning irons
• It comes with a magnetic button so that you can easily remove it from your golf bag
• The grip is made with a non-slip texture, so your hands won’t have to work too hard
• The groove cleaner pin can be extended or hidden for greater safety
• Available with a regular grip or an oversized grip
• The spike can be used to clean golf clubs or golf shoes

Cons

• Some golfers have said that the magnet isn’t as strong as it should be
• It has a smaller brush head than some other brands on the market

Here’s another solid golf club brush at a ridiculously low price. KVV offers this brush in 5 different colors, and each one is less than $7. With 2 different brushes and a groove cleaning spike, it has everything that golfers need to get their clubs incredibly clean.

Mike Noblin

Mike has been involved with sports for over 30 years. He’s been an avid golfer for more than 10 years and is obsessed with watching the Golf Channel and taking notes on a daily basis. He also holds a degree in Sports Psychology.

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Last year, at the beginning of December as the world wondered when Tiger Woods would officially return to golf, 20 of the best golfers in the world gathered in the Bahamas for the Hero World Challenge. Jordan Spieth finished last of the 20, in part because of a penalty he very much could have avoided.

Spieth and playing partner Henrik Stenson teed off from an incorrect tee box on one of the holes at Albany golf course during the tournament, and were penalized for doing so. Shortly after his round, Spieth explained what had happened and was caught referencing the Hero as, essentially, a hit and giggle. Here’s what he said about the 20-player, no-cut tournament.

“I actually didn’t think we were going to get penalized because it’s a charity event, but then I realized there’s world ranking involved and all that,” said Spieth. I think the frustrating part for us now is that every other group’s going to be — they’re making sure to tell them, but for us they didn’t. It obviously didn’t matter for us, which is fortunate, I think, for those guys.”

Spieth received 2.4 Official World Golf Ranking points for finishing five shots out of 19th place (coincidentally, occupied by Stenson).

But is the Hero, despite its OWGR points available, really just a charity event at the end of a long year like Spieth alluded to, or can it tell us more about the players who play well at the end of a calendar year before rolling into the next? In other words, is this 20-player field simply a weigh station for OWGR points before the best in the world put the clubs away for Christmas, or is it a harbinger for what’s to come over the next 12 months?

There are a number of different ways to break this down, but the simplest is to look at what the top three and bottom three on the final leaderboards of the Hero did in the years directly following their performances. I went back to the 2016 Hero World Challenge and pulled the top three and bottom three in every year, except for 2020 because the tournament was canceled amid the COVID-19 outbreak (in case of ties for third or 18th, I averaged players’ numbers together).

The data here is interesting, and seemingly more representative of the field makeup than anything else. There doesn’t seem to be a massive differentiation in the following year’s performance for those who finished in the top three at the Hero World Challenge compared to those who finished in the bottom three.

For example, Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns and Patrick Reed formed the top three last year, and that group went on to win six times in 2022 (with four of those coming from Scheffler). However, Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson and Jordan Spieth finished in the bottom three, and they combined to win five times in 2022 (with McIlroy contributing three of those victories). The takeaway is unsurprising: All 20 players at the Hero World Challenge are really good.

If you start to look at each and every year, one theme does begin to emerge. While there’s no guarantee that the top three at the Hero will have a better following year than the bottom three, it is clear that the top three almost always have tremendous following years while the bottom three don’t always follow suit.

A good example of this came at the 2016 Hero World Challenge where Hideki Matsuyama won, Henrik Stenson finished second and Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar tied for third. Even when averageing the following years for those in third, that group won five times and gained 5.36 (!) total strokes per round in 2017. The bottom three of Tiger Woods, Russell Knox and Emiliano Grillo? Not so much.

The lesson here appears to be that the Hero almost always has a great field full of players up and down the leaderboard who are going to have a ton of success the following year. However, if you do happen to finish in the top three, you’re almost certainly — and this should not be a surprise given the time of year and the caliber of player involved — going to be part of a group that has an incredible following year. That’s something to keep in mind when this leaderboard shakes out in the Bahamas this weekend

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The Netherlands is to host the Solheim Cup for the first time in 2026, with Bernardus Golf named as the venue for the biennial contest.

Bernardus Golf, located in Cromvoirt close to Eindhoven, opened in 2018 and has hosted the Dutch Open on the DP World Tour on two occasions, with it scheduled to be that tournament’s venue once again in 2023.

Robert van der Wallen, the owner of Bernardus and the chairman of PSV Eindhoven, said: “We are very excited to be hosting the Solheim Cup in 2026 and to partner with the Royal Dutch Golf Federation, IMG, the LET and LPGA. The opportunity to host such a globally significant sports event is a huge honour for our whole team. Experience is what we are all about at Bernardus and our preparations are already under way to ensure we play our part in providing the stage to host a best-in-class Solheim Cup experience in September 2026.”

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When I first became a golf professional, I had several students tell me that the “loft” wedge was a club they would never use. 

When I realized that by “loft,” they meant lob wedge, I wanted to learn more about why so many high handicappers and beginners were scared of this club, because its very similar to the sand wedge.

I love both the lob wedge and the sand wedge. I’ve learned to use each in the unique ways they are designed to help for approach shots, chip shots, sand shots, and pitches. If you are unsure why you are carrying these wedges, what they are for, and when to use them, take a look at our lob wedge vs. sand wedge guide here. 

Overview of a Lob Wedge and Sand Wedge

Before you can decide when to use the lob wedge and the sand wedge, you have to know what each club is and how it is designed. Here is a brief overview of the lob wedge and sand wedge and what to expect. 

Sand Wedge Overview

The sand wedge is a golf club typically has between 54 and 58 degrees of loft. Although it is called a sand wedge, the club can be used anywhere on the golf course. The sand wedge is a great club for getting out of sand traps as it has a high initial loft and typically a soft landing. 

Some golfers have a sand wedge that is a unique style of a wedge, and others play with something that matches the rest of the irons in their bag. With a sand wedge, you can expect plenty of spin, good performance around the greens, and plenty of control of your golf shots. 

Lob Wedge Overview 

The lob wedge traditionally has between 58 and 62 degrees of loft. This will almost always be the highest lofted club in a golfer’s bag. 

The lob wedge can be a great club for high-pitch, flop shots, bunker shots with no green to work with, and more. Some lob wedge shots go higher than farther, so keep that in mind when you are choosing to use this club. 

Lob wedges are very commonly sold as a blade style, but there is some cavity back lob wedges. Most lob wedges are not offered in a standard golf iron set. 

Differences Between a Lob Wedge and Sand Wedge

The lob wedge and sand wedge are probably more alike than they are different. 

Each of these clubs should be considered tools for getting the ball as close to the pin as possible as you get closer to the green. Even though the clubs are similar, there are a few unique differences.

Also, remember that if you have a Cleveland lob wedge and a Titleist sand wedge, there will be manufacturer related differences between the clubs. 

Loft

The loft of the lob wedge is greater than the sand wedge. Typically speaking, higher loft means more forgiveness. However, when you look at the lob wedge and the sand wedge, the forgiveness is about the same. 

Many times the average golfer considers the lob wedge unforgiving. The reason behind this is that when there is an error with the lob wedge, it will very often cost you a shot. 

Since you will be closer to the pin, when you miss, it could go over the back of the green or end up well short of the target, and it’s frustrating. 

If you are going to carry both a lob wedge and a sand wedge in the bag, make sure there is at least 4 degrees of loft between the two clubs. It makes no sense to have a 56 degree sand wedge and a 58 degree lob wedge; the clubs are just too similar. 

Distance

The sand wedge is a club you can hit further than the lob wedge. Many golfers find that their average sand wedge full swing shot will fly about 75 to 100 yards. 

For the lob wedge, the distances are typically lower, below that 75-yard mark. The average golfer rarely takes a full swing lob wedge shot, as it is typically not the highest percentage shot when it comes to getting close to the pin. 

Professionals can hit a lob wedge considerably further, but they won’t typically use a full swing lob wedge on their approaches to the pin. 

Distance should not be a significant concern when looking for the best lob wedge or sand wedge for your game. Even though you hit the sand wedge further than the lob wedge, it’s still good to have both in the bag. 

Think of this simply as how a pitching wedge will go further than your 50 degree gap wedge. 

Backspin

Both the sand wedge and the lob wedge are meant to spin when they hit the green. However, I have always had an easier time getting spin with my 60-degree lob than I do with the sand wedge. 

The reason behind this is the extra loft this club gets and groove patterns typically located on the face of the club. 

The lob wedge is the best place to get spin when you need it. It lands softly on the green and, when hit correctly, is not designed to roll very far. You won’t have to hit a flop shot just to see spin; even with little chip shots, the ball should stop quickly. 

Bounce

The bounce a golf club has is typically going to be unique to the individual club; however, the chance of having a higher bounce angle is increased with a lob wedge. 

This is not to say that the lob wedge cannot be ordered in a lower bounce.

Wedge bounce adds some forgiveness and makes it easier to get the wedge’s leading edge connected with the golf ball. For those that tend to skull or chunk the ball, this bounce can really help make the chance of a poor shot considerably lower. 

When to Use a Lob Wedge

Now that you have a better understanding of what a lob wedge is, it’s time to know when to pull it out of the bag. I was playing golf the other day with a friend who took their lob wedge out when they had a clear chip to the hole from the fringe with nothing but green in between them and the hole. 

The lob wedge was just not the right choice, there was no reason to get the ball up that high, and distance control on this shot is much too tricky. Knowing when to pull the club out of the bag is so important. 

Here are my favorite times to use a lob wedge on the golf course. 

Greenside Bunker

It took me a long time to realize how great the lob wedge is out of a greenside bunker. However, if I have left myself with not much green to work with, there is truly no better club. It’s so easy to get this up and down, and you will have no trouble stopping it. 

Playing a greenside bunker shot with a lob wedge is very similar to playing it with a sand wedge. The technique and form are exactly the same. The only difference is that it won’t go quite as far as your sand wedge. 

In the Rough Close To The Pin 

If you are in the rough and don’t have much green to work with, the lob wedge can get up in the air and stop on the green rather quickly. Rough tends to create a barrier between the clubface and the golf ball that causes a lot of roll out on golf shots. 

If you want to avoid that, it’s best to use the club with the most spin; the lob wedge is certainly that club. 

Elevated Greens

Anytime you are hitting a shot up to a green that is higher than you, it’s essential to use a golf club with plenty of loft. Elevated greens can end up having a ball that rolls back down at you, so it makes sense to use a golf club like the 60 degree lob wedge to get it high enough to reach the surface of the green.  

Anytime You Are Short Sided 

Anytime you leave yourself hardly any green to work with, think about the lob wedge. This is one of the only clubs in the back that you will be able to quickly stop. So if you want to avoid a 15-footer coming back at the pin, think about a lob wedge as the club of choice. 

When to Use a Sand Wedge

The sand wedge is my go-to club for shots around the green. As much as I have learned to use and to love the lob wedge, the sand wedge is still a staple for me. 

Full Approach Shots To The Green 

Most golfers will use their sand wedge as a full swing approach to a green when they have less than 75 yards to the green. This full approach shot swing will likely travel between 75 and 100 yards, and it will stop quickly when it makes contact with the surface of the putting green. 

Mid To Long Greenside Bunker Shots

Greenside bunker shots are made considerably easier using a sand wedge. Simply adjust your stance and the angle of your club head to ensure that you will end up with your shot in a great position. 

The wedge will likely be your go-to club for most bunker shots. 

Lofted Pitches To the Green 

The sand wedge does a great job of making it easy to get the golf ball up in the air. As long as you hit down and through your golf shots, expect plenty of loft, impressive control, and the ability to stop the ball on the green rather quickly. 

Get good with a sand wedge from various yardages, and you will notice you will avoid double and triple bogeys on the golf course. This shot can save you. 

Do You Need Both Clubs in Your Bag?

I would highly recommend putting both clubs in your golf bag. The lob wedge and the sand wedge have unique characteristics, and they can be used in different locations throughout the golf course. It makes sense to have both golf clubs in your bag. 

The most important thing to remember here is that you will need to ensure your lob wedge and sand wedge have at least three or four degrees of loft between them. The launch angles are too similar without this difference in the loft. 

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children.

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Talk to any golf coach, and they will tell you that the root of your issue stems from your grip, posture, and ball position. In this post, I take you through the intricacies of the different types of grip and explain why you should employ the duplicate driver grip vs an iron grip.

I intend to help you better understand the different grips and strengths and how they impact your swing path, club plane, power, and accuracy. After reading this article, you’ll notice that consistency is gold and that leaving your grip unchanged ensures a smooth transition between woods and irons.

I suggest bookmarking our guide to proper golf grips to improve your control, accuracy, and power during your golf swing.

Quick Overview of The Different Types of Grips

Before I dive into the best grip for driver and iron shots, let me introduce you to the predominant setups and strengths. Besides explaining how to operate each hold, I will highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each setup.

Grip Setups

Overlap grip

The overlap or Vardon grip is the grip that I see most players employing as coaches promote it. It offers a controlled hold of the golf club. Let me explain how you would prepare for a shot with this grip if you are right-handed.

Steps:

1. Grab the base of the grip with your left hand, and leave your index finger off the grip as if you were pointing a firearm.
2. Wrap your left index finger around the grip
3. Place your right hand underneath the left
4. Rest your right pinky finger on your left index knuckle

Interlocking

An interlocking grip is the least common setup among amateurs, but Jack Nicklaus always used it, and clearly, it works. This setup is said to work best for golfers with smaller hands, who struggle to gain a solid handle on the club using Vardon’s approach.

Steps:

1. Grab the base of the grip with your left hand, and use the firearm approach I suggested with the overlap.
2. Wrap your left index finger around the club’s grip
3. Guide the pinky finger on your lower hand through the webbing between your left index and middle fingers.

Baseball

The baseball or ten-finger grip allows for comfortable hand placement when you are just starting out. Or, in my case, 28 years later. It is a grip that most coaches dismiss because the incorrect pressure can prompt your hands to operate independently and send the clubface off the path during swings.

Steps:

1. Grab the base of the grip with your left hand, and ensure that all five fingers touch the rubber.
2. Grip the lower portion of the handle with your right hand
3. Ensure your knuckles on both hands align with one another

Grip Strength

Neutral

The golden standard of strength and a golf coach’s best friend is the neutral grip, designed to help golfers deliver improved accuracy. When your hands are positioned neutrally, you’ll notice that the V-shape created from the webbing between your thumb and index finger align on both hands.

Weak

A weak or closed grip occurs when the back of your right hand is visible at the address. Essentially it removes most of your left hand from the line of sight. Now, a weak grip is not to be confused with the level of tension in your hands. You should always have a lighter grip pressure.

You’ll see that a weak grip means that your right-hand covers your left hand. In other words, you rotate your right hand clockwise from the neutral position.

When you leave your right hand closed, you reduce the wrist hinge making it impossible to turn your hands over through impact. You’ll find it causes you to clubface open at impact and slice or push your golf ball into trouble.

An open clubface, coupled with an outside-in swing path, causes you to cut across the ball at impact and send your ball flying right of the target.

Cutting across the golf ball with an open clubface will cause your ball to travel right of the target. In addition, you may struggle to square your face up and leave it closed, prompting a nasty hook.

Strong

You create a strong grip by rotating your right hand anti-clockwise from the neutral position until your palm faces away from you. This is also described by coaches as an open grip because the palm of your hand is open, and faces your chest.

Many golfers feel that this grip helps them boost power for optimal clubhead and ball speed. However, it is a common reason amateur golfers slice their golf balls all over the course.

A strong grip is not all bad and clearly works for Dustin Johnson, but it caused me to play with a fade for most of my junior years. Instead of fixing it, I compensated by aiming further to the right and allowing the ball to fade back toward my target.

Should You Use a Different Grip Between Your Driver and Irons?

No, you best not use different golf club grips for your driver and irons to ensure consistency and a smooth transition between your stronger and mid-loft golf clubs. When you employ a different iron grip to a driver grip, it may lead to varying swing paths and ball flight, making it a challenge to produce consistency.

The only golf clubs where I would permit a change in your grip setup is with a putter. Feel, feedback, and bullseye accuracy is the order of the day. You achieve this by restricting wrist movement on putts.

Besides the conventional left-hand high and right-hand low, the claw, saw, left-hand low, and wrist-lock grip is used on the dancefloor.

Which Grip is Best for a Driver?

A neutral setup is the best golf grip for a driver, as it sets you up to produce a controlled swing path and straighter golf shots. It is irrelevant whether you use an interlocking, overlapping, or baseball grip as long as your strength is neutral.

You may feel like your neutral approach costs you clubhead speed, coefficient of restitution, and ball velocity. In this case, I recommend that you try a stronger grip. Remember, although it may help your swing speed, it can cause you to leave your clubface open at impact and slice or push your shots.

Now, for those experienced players who have found success using alternative methods, you are proof that there is no one size fits all approach. This article is to help beginners get ahead and limit the number of bad habits the rest of us have picked up over the years.

Which Grip is Best for Irons?

Like your driver, I advise using a neutral grip for irons to encourage direct ball flight and lower the risk of producing a hook or slice. If you set up for a draw, you may consider tightening your grip by rotating it anti-clockwise slightly to help you close the clubface faster.

Conversely, when you wish to play a fade with your irons, you can weaken your grip by moving it clockwise to slightly conceal your left hand. Remember, this is a game of inches, and rotating it too much can lead to a savage slice.

Which Grip is The Best For Putting?

As a traditionalist, I support utilizing the conventional reverse overlap setup, which requires the opposite placement to a full-swing Vardon grip. With this grip, your left index finger sits on the knuckle of your lower right hand, switching roles. You’ll find that this setup restricts wrist movement for straighter putts.

Another option is the low left-hand approach or right-hand low for lefties. Instead of your setup for full shots, you place your left hand at the bottom of the grip while the right hand anchors at the base. You’ll find that this grip promotes less tension and wrist action to keep your putter face square at contact.

Finally, golfers also use the saw or claw variants, which Mark O’Meara popularized in the nineties. You literally hold the putter as if you were holding a saw or have a claw, which restricts moving your wrists to keep your club online during your stroke.

Which Grip is Best to Hit a Draw?

Our guide has highlighted that a stronger grip is your best bet to hit a draw because it helps you close the clubface faster at impact.

However, be careful not to over-strengthen your grip because this can rapidly turn your draw into a snap hook and lead you down the path of trouble. In addition, ensure that you are aiming to the right of your target to compensate for the proposed right curve.

Which Grip is Best to Hit a Fade?

Contrary to a draw, a fade requires a slightly weaker grip setup, which will help you propel the club on an out-to-in swing path. You’ll notice that this leads to your clubface slicing across the ball while remaining open to the line and sending your ball on a left-to-right trajectory.

Finally, ensure that you are set up left of your proposed target to prepare for the fade, or you will end up right of the mark.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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I remember being confused by all the talk about launch angles when I first started playing golf. Though it’s important to understand launch angles, it can be quite overwhelming.

Which golf club launches the ball the highest? And does loft really matter? We answer these questions and more here.

Which Golf Club Has The Highest Launch Angle?

Out of all the golf clubs in your golf bag, the one with the highest launch angle is the lob wedge. A standard lob wedge has anywhere from 58 to 64 degrees of loft, depending on the golf club manufacturer. 

Though lots of amateur golfers only carry a pitching wedge and a sand wedge in their bags, every golfer on the PGA Tour uses a lob wedge regularly during tournaments. Pros usually hit their lob wedges between 75 and 95 yards.

Golfers use a lob wedge when they are fairly close to the green and want to hit a high shot that lands softly near the pin. Another optimal time to hit a lob wedge is when you are trying to get your golf ball over a tall tree.

The Importance of Launch Angle

Why all the talk in golf about launch angle? Because it strongly affects how far the golf ball will travel, especially when hitting your driver off the tee.

Still confused? Think about it this way. Have you ever really crushed a drive off the tee but had the golf ball teed up too high? It is so frustrating!

Though the ball may have felt great coming off the sweet spot of the clubface, the extremely high launch angle caused your shot to go high up in the air but not far enough down the fairway. Needless to say, you probably wished you would have teed the ball just a tad bit lower.

The reverse can also be true. You don’t want a launch angle that is too low because the golf ball will fall to the ground too quickly. This also causes a loss of distance.

Causes of a High Launch Angle

Lots of things can cause a golfer to hit the ball with too high of a launch angle. Thankfully, with lots of practice, any of these common flaws can be corrected rather easily.

1. Poor Balance / Footwork

One of the main causes of a launch angle that is too high is poor balance and footwork during the swing. For example, if a golfer keeps too much weight on their back foot during the swing, the result will usually be a ball flight that is too high. 

A good way to remedy this problem is to practice hitting shots with all of your weight on your front leg. This will help you get used to hitting the ball with most of your weight pressing toward your front foot. The best way to improve your shot trajectory is to improve your balance and footwork during your swing.

2. Hitting Behind the Golf Ball

If you are constantly launching your shots at a steep angle, you may be hitting slightly behind the golf ball. This will cause a high launch angle and a loss of precious clubhead speed. Less swing speed means less ball speed and a loss of distance.

If you suffer from this common problem, work on keeping your hands ahead of the golf ball through impact. This will help lower your launch angle and allow you to hit the ball a bit further.

3. Using a Shaft that is Too Flexible

The type of shaft on your golf clubs can have a profound impact on your launch angle. Most off-the-shelf shafts have a lot of flex in them to help high handicappers get the ball into the air more easily. 

As a general rule, shafts that have more flex in them promote a higher launch angle. If your launch angle is too high, experiment with using a staff that is stiffer. This could help lower your launch angle tremendously and will add more mph to your swing speed.

Wedges With The Highest Loft

We already mentioned that the lob wedge has the highest loft of any club in your bag. Here is a list of the wedges with the highest loft (from highest to lowest).

Sand Wedge

The club with the second-highest amount of loft is the ever so lovable sand wedge. The sand wedge has slightly less loft than the lob wedge. Most amateur golfers will hit their sand wedge about 80 yards.

As its name suggests, the sand wedge is mainly used to get the ball out of a sand trap. Most sand wedges have a loft between 54 and 58 degrees.

Gap Wedge

A gap wedge is often called the A-wedge or approach wedge by some golfers. It has a loft of 51 to 53 degrees. When hit correctly, the majority of golfers will hit their gap wedge about 100 yards.

Pitching Wedge

The pitching wedge is the lowest lofted wedge in the bag. It’s a popular choice for approach shots that are 110 to 120 yards away from the green. 

A pitching wedge is a crucial tool for chipping and pitching. Most pitching wedges have a loft of 46 to 48 degrees.

Irons With The Highest Loft

Now that we covered the lofts of all the wedges, are you curious about the loft in your set of irons? Here is a handy list that includes each iron, its degrees of loft, and how far the average golfer can hit each club.

As you can see from the list, there is a direct relationship between the degrees of loft and the total yardage. More loft means higher trajectories but less yardage.

How to Raise or Lower Your Launch Angle

Want to raise or lower your launch angle? Here are the variables that you can change to do either.

1. Pay Attention to Shoulder Tilt

The angle of your shoulders while addressing the golf ball has a big impact on your launch angle. To raise your launch angle, lower your right shoulder slightly. To lower your launch angle, keep your right shoulder a little bit higher.

2. Check How High You Tee The Ball

Remember our story about teeing up the ball too high? It affects your launch angle. To increase your launch angle, tee the ball up higher. To decrease your launch angle, tee the ball up lower.

3. Experiment with Your Ball Position

Want to raise your launch angle? Play the ball more toward the heel of your front foot. This will help you help hit up on the ball when hitting your driver.

Want to lower your launch angle? Play the ball a little bit further back in your stance. This will decrease your angle of attack.

4. Get a New Driver

All of the new drivers on the market allow you to adjust the degrees of loft. This makes it easier than ever to raise or lower your launch angle.

Most driver brands offer an adjustable range of 9 to 12 degrees. Just be sure to not lose the little tool that allows you to make these adjustments.

Mike Noblin

Mike has been involved with sports for over 30 years. He’s been an avid golfer for more than 10 years and is obsessed with watching the Golf Channel and taking notes on a daily basis. He also holds a degree in Sports Psychology.

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London Golf Club in Kent is playing a leading role in golf’s drive to beat cancer after forming a new charity partnership with Prostate Cancer UK, to help beat a disease affecting one-in -eight men in the UK.

The Ash-based club has announced a calendar of events over the next 12 months to raise awareness of the most common cancer in men and raise funds for ground-breaking research to deliver a national prostate cancer screening programme and save men’s lives.

In addition to hosting a series of fund-raising events between now and next September including a charity golf day and Prostate Cancer UK’s 36-hole Big Golf Race, London Golf Club will promote the charity to members and guests in a number of other ways across its facilities – including donation tins in the golf shop, reception and Spike Bar, staff wearing Prostate Cancer UK’s iconic ‘Man of Men’ badges as part of their uniform and a special charity dish on the menu.

As well as having opportunities to donate and fundraise, London Golf Club members and visitors as will be encouraged to find out more about their prostate cancer risk, a disease so prevalent in the golf community considering men at greatest risk are men over 50, black men and men with a family history of the disease.

London Golf Club’s chief executive, Stephen Follett, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have formed this new partnership and to be working with Prostate Cancer UK over the next 12 months. Prostate cancer affects the lives of so many men and their families, and I would encourage all our members and visitors to support the charity in any way they can so that we can help to beat this dreadful disease.”

London Golf Club head professional Paul Stuart added: “As one of the main touch points with every golfer at the London Golf Club, our PGA professionals are delighted to support Prostate Cancer UK in this partnership; further supporting their work with the PGA as well as members and visitors playing golf here; a significant proportion of which are men at risk of prostate cancer.”

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with around 475,000 living with and after the disease.

Nicola Tallett, director of fundraising and supporter engagement at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “We’re delighted to partner with the London Golf Club and look forward to an exciting 12 months on and off the course. Golf is so influential in raising the profile of prostate cancer – a disease which exists in every golf club, affecting one in eight men in the UK. We’re proud the London Golf Club are committed to helping us beat prostate cancer by hosting a charity golf day, and by getting their staff and membership networks to show their support by taking on our Big Golf Race – 36 holes of golf in one day. This partnership will mean more golfers understand their risk of prostate cancer; and we’ll work with everyone at the club to help fund ground-breaking research to help deliver a national prostate cancer screening programme.”

Golfers wanting to find out more about their risk of prostate cancer straightaway can use Prostate Cancer UK’s 30-second online risk checker available at prostatecanceruk.org.

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The golf equipment industry brought in $6.85 billion in revenue in 2020. Nearly half of that went towards golf clubs. 

This attractive market features an ocean of golf products catering to every golfer and budget. However, some products are best left alone, and in this guide, I look at the 10 golf club brands to avoid.

There are various reasons to avoid golf brands, including overpaying, cheap components, and reduced durability. I will highlight why you should avoid each brand on the list. Plus, I have provided a group of big brands that you can trust.

10 Golf Club Brands You Should Avoid

1. Hammer X

It’s hard to hit, lacks durability, and is arguably the ugliest golf club I have ever laid eyes on. Then there are the wild claims that the Hammer X boosts your distance by 60-yards off the tee. Plus, it apparently helps a 50-plus male consistently hit 400-yards. 

It also shaves 20-strokes off your score, apparently. In addition to rocketing your swing speed to 62 mph. There is an urge inside of me to add a rolling on-the-floor laughing emoji here. Surely, they are purposefully spewing exaggeration to get a rise out of you? 

The sad thing is people will fall for the joke and seriously believe they will drive as far as Kyle Berkshire. For the record, Cameron Champ leads the PGA Tour with an average driving distance of 321-yards, highlighting the unlikeliness of the company’s claims.

Moving on from the marketing hogwash, the club makes it challenging to strike your golf ball cleanly. The shape is off-putting, and the sweet spot is not as enhanced as advertised.

Despite my observations, the manufacturer suggests that it lasts a minimum of 1 million hits, thanks to the Space X metal face insert Zolex. I am not even sure that I can believe that. However, it is a unique design and proves fruitful as a conversation starter. Honestly, I would prefer that you save your greenbacks.

2. Yonex Golf Clubs

I have a soft spot for Yonex. After all, I was a loyal fan of their tennis racquets as a junior. It didn’t harm that I was a fan of the aggressive Australian Lleyton Hewitt, who also used Yonex products during his career.

As good as they are at crafting badminton and tennis racquets, the same cannot be said for their golf equipment. The construction feels cheap, and the clubs are light which can cause average golfers to balloon shots.

Furthermore, the price of their clubs is on a par or more expensive than quality products from well-known golf brands. For example, the Yonex Ezone Elite 3.0 driver is more expensive than the Callaway Mavrik, a respected big stick.

In addition, the Yonex Ezone GT irons are more expensive than a new set of TaylorMade SIM Max. If a product feels cheap and light and more expensive than some of the best golf clubs on the market, why would you consider it?

3. Ryoma

Ryoma is a Japanese brand aiming to add to the nation’s legacy of exceptionally crafted golf clubs that produce a pure feel at impact. As true as this may be, the faults lie in the acoustics and appearance of the clubs.

You don’t enjoy the crisp sound on shots with Ryoma irons, which may frustrate superior golfers. In addition, the design of some of their clubs is off-putting, with a tungsten power booster sticking out the back of the cavity.

Admittedly, their drivers and fairway woods pack a punch when producing optimal ball speed and distance. However, the clicky acoustics diminish its quality and your experience off the tee.

If Ryoma is to reach the heights of Honma and Mizuno clubs, they need to refine the shape and sound of their golf clubs.

4. Autopilot

Autopilot offers beginners a range of golf clubs designed to make the game easier for the most vulnerable. However, I worry that the marketing team makes promises they have no control over. Sure, the wedge may simplify shots out of the bunker, but that has no bearing on your distance control and accuracy.

The other issue with Autopilot is that some designs feel like a gimmick. They have the best intention, and I appreciate that, but it gets old fast and makes you the butt end of all jokes in your group. 

I do like their idea with the S7K putter, which stands alone and allows you to read the line from a distance. This is helpful for a beginner golfer learning the ins and outs of putting alignment. However, as you improve, the novelty will wear off and you will potentially yearn for something more mainstream.

Staying with the S7K example, it is also pricey for a relatively unknown brand. When I consider my options, the Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft 11 seems better value for money. It is $50 cheaper than the Autopilot putter, and I know and trust Cleveland as a golf club manufacturer. Therefore, it is a no-brainer.

Another example is the C3i wedge. It is not expensive for most of us, but there are several alternative options. For the price of the C3i, you can acquire a Wilson Harmonized lob and sand wedge combo.

The point is that there are several options from recognized manufacturers that are more affordable or around the same price. Naturally, the wise decision is to go with what you know and maximize your value for money.

You may acquire their C3i wedge or S7K putter and love it. But, if your expectations are high and it doesn’t improve your game, you will feel that they are the worst clubs on earth.

5. Seven

Expensive. Do you need another reason not to acquire a set of golf clubs? Granted, Seven MB irons are an attractive set of blades. However, few average golfers could justify dropping $5000 on a set of golf clubs. In addition, The NEO Putter looks like a crab claw and is something capable of injuring you in your sleep.

The issue I have is that you could purchase a couple of sets from the best golf club brands for the price of one of Seven’s. To put it into perspective, you can acquire two Callaway Rogue ST Max iron sets for the price of one NEO putter.

It is bad enough when irons cost the same as two complete sets of golf clubs. It is worse when two sets fetch the same price as a putter.

I am sure some will purchase clubs from Seven to show off. However, when they burn a hole in your pocket, it is advisable to steer clear and stick to affordable options from a renowned golf manufacturer.

6. Yamaha Golf Clubs

My late father used to tell me “find something that you are good at and focus on becoming better at it.” I wish Yamaha had taken his advice and stopped after their success with musical instruments and motorbikes. 

However, they ventured into the realm of crafting golf clubs and hoped for the brand name to carry them. Their clubs are more expensive than most, but not in the realm of Seven. 

Their RMX VD59 driver is over $770, which is done from a previous high of $859. Honestly, I struggle to entertain the idea of Callaway and TaylorMade drivers fetching over $500, but $770 is unnecessarily steep.

Then we look at the Inpres UD+2 set of irons, which costs over $2100 for an 8-piece set. You could pick up the same amount of clubs in the TaylorMade SIM Max set for half that price. They contain as many game-improvement features, including perimeter weighting, a high MOI, and superior forgiveness.

7. Giga Golf

If you want the best bang for your buck, you need to understand which specs best suit your swing. Not knowing the ideal loft, shaft length, flex, and weight of your clubs could negatively impact your ball flight, distance, and accuracy.

The majority of amateurs are blissfully unaware of what works for them. That is why Giga Golf should be avoided. I like the setup of the company. They allow you to customize every club in your bag. You can grab a new fairway wood, driver, or set of irons and have them shipped in 2-days.

It is an efficient setup. The issue boils down to clueless golfers customizing clubs. If you are unfamiliar with the terms kick point or torque, I advise you to stay away. It is not worth acquiring a new golf club with the incorrect specs because you will struggle out on the links.

Once you discover that you purchased the incorrect specs, you will struggle to resell the clubs because the brand is relatively unknown.

8. Alien Golf Club

The Alien Wedge carries the perfect name to describe its unique design. I have two issues with the club. First, it is the appearance, and second the price tag.

Starting with the obvious, this club contains an alien-looking cavity which makes it look cheap and like a gimmick. Then, there is the matter of cost. You can pick up a Cleveland CBX2 wedge for the same price as the Alien golf product. If you spare a few dollars extra you can go home with a Callaway Mack Daddy.

9. Majek Golf

Majek is the brainchild of engineers from UCLA, who went on a quest to make clubs for seniors and beginners. I see their value for seniors who just want to have fun and get the ball in the air. However, the all hybrid lineup limits versatility in your game.

As I said, seniors may be satisfied with a straight, high shot every time. But, younger beginners seek more options from their clubs as they improve. Trust me. The ability to shape your shots, helps you escape trouble and improve your scrambling record.

You will become bored and seek alternative options, such as a set of game improvement irons. I suggest spending extra and acquiring clubs that you can use for years. Your enjoyment with Majek will be short-lived unless you play from the middle tees.

10. Wazaki

Wazaki produces woods, irons, and hybrids. The hybrid set is super affordable, and it may excite seniors. However, there is a catch. The chunky profile of the wedges is hard to play from tough lies. Therefore, it is advised to acquire a pitching and sand wedge separately. 

Furthermore, the feel of these clubs is cheap, and the acoustics are satisfying. Plus, players with faster swing speeds may shorten the lifespan of Wazaki clubs.

7 Golf Club Brands You Can Trust

Titleist 

Titleist has been around since 1932. Phil Young was determined to create a consistent, uniformed golf ball and excelled in his mission. Over the last 90-years, the company has journeyed into club production and is renowned for optimal fee and quality.

Players on the books of Titleist include Cam Smith, Patrick Cantlay, and Nelly Korda.

Mizuno

A year after Titleist was formed, Mizuno entered the golf club manufacturing space. The manufacturer of baseball products found a way to craft high-quality golf clubs that produce a buttery-soft feel and crisp acoustics.

Luke Donald carried a few Mizuno clubs when he rose to number one in the world. Plus, Brooks Koepka bagged a couple majors with the JPX900 Tour irons.

Ping

Ping commenced operations in 1959, and Karsten Solheim engineered the 1A putter. In 1969, the company ventured into irons. Solheim employed heel and toe weighting to add forgiveness across the face. One of the many patents the company has acquired over the years.

Ping Tour Pros include Louis Oosthuizen, Tyrrel Hatton, and Brooke Henderson.

Cobra Golf

Cobra traces its roots down under in Australia. Thomas Crow founded the company in 1973 and released the famous Baffler utility wood in 1975. They are now renowned for long-hitting, forgiving clubs and their association with Bryson DeChambeau.

In addition to the big-hitting Bryson, Rickie Fowler and Lexi Thompson use their equipment.

TaylorMade

TaylorMade has manufactured golf clubs since 1979 and now produces golf balls, gloves, apparel, and footwear. Players carrying their equipment include Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler, and Charley Hull.

Cleveland

Roger Cleveland founded the company in 1979, and it has generally sold affordable, forgiving, quality golf clubs. They offer excellent value for money if you are on a budget. Shane Lowry, Brooks Koepka, and Minjee Lee carry

Callaway

Since 1982, Callaway has developed innovative products crafted to simplify the game for the average golfer. Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele

The Clubs I Use in My Bag

Until I left South Africa last year, I played with TaylorMade r540 irons and the TaylorMade r5 Dual. My wedges were Vokey SM5, and my putter was a Rossa CGB Daytona. 

I now use a Titleist TSi 1 driver, 3, and 5-wood. The irons are Callaway Big Bertha’s, and the wedges are Vokey. Finally, the putter is a TaylorMade Rossa Monza. They are not new clubs, but I enjoy the way they play.

FAQ’s

Do Expensive Golf Clubs Make a Difference?

Expensive golf clubs make a difference to feel, construction and appearance. For example, blade irons are typically forged and follow a delicate process. It improves the feel and looks incredible at address.

However, these clubs will not help most average golfers, as they are unforgiving on off-center strikes. Therefore, they do not make a difference to your score.

Differences Between The 2 Heavyweights: TaylorMade and Callaway

In recent years the vision of TaylorMade and Callaway has overlapped. Both brands now produce three versions of their main ranges to cater to golfers of all abilities. Like Apple and Samsung, the two continue to flood the markets with innovative clubs every year.

TaylorMade grabbed the upper hand in 2022 when they released the Stealth range. The carbon-layered clubs shift away from the titanium era and leads the charge into the future. The Stealth range has options for low handicappers and Pros and mid and high handicappers.

On the contrary, Callaway released their Rogue ST range this year which contains most of the technology from previous editions, except for the tungsten speed cartridge in the driver.

Another area where TaylorMade tops their rival is with golf balls. Callaway does produce a variety of quality balls. However, none have been able to battle the Pro V1, as we see with the TP5.

Overall, these are two of the best golf club brands in the world. Their products are quality, and the brands are reputable. However, that comes at an exorbitant price which many average golfers now struggle to afford.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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As a longstanding proponent of the blades, I will always prefer long irons over fairway woods (if the conditions permit).

However, I suggest the opposite for the average golfer, and I will explain why in this post. I am reviewing the differences between a 2 iron vs 5 wood to show why the latter is easier for amateurs to swing.

Fairway woods typically contain a low center of gravity (CG) with weight positioned in the heel, delivering rapid ball speed to prompt a higher launch. This helps the average golfer produce greater distance in their long game. Besides their ease of launch, I will compare the remaining design features between the two.

Overview of The 2 Iron and 5 Wood

A 2-iron and 5-wood both contain an average of 18-degrees of loft. However, they deliver different performances. Both clubs are employed in your long game and can substitute your driver off the tee. In addition, they help you reach par 5s and longer par 4s in 2.

A  5-wood typically produces a high launch to help you clear the drink or the sand on approach and maximize distance. Mid and high-handicappers enjoy more consistency and forgiveness with a 5-wood compared to a 2-iron.

Differences Between a 2 Iron and 5 Wood

Design

A 2-iron carries a blade structure, with the CG positioned low and back. The face is narrower but taller than a fairway wood, leaving a reduced sweet spot. This means that you may lose distance and accuracy on off-center strikes.

Conversely, a 5 wood carries a crown construction and wider sweet spot, resulting in an expanded active zone that maintains ball speed and ensures low spin off the clubface. The outcome is optimal yardage and accuracy on the golf course.

Shaft Length

The next difference between these clubs is the length of their shafts. A 5-wood clubhead fitted with a steel shaft typically measures 41.5-inches, while graphite shafts reach 42-inches. Conversely, those who love steel shafts can expect a 39.5-inch construction on a 2-iron. In addition, a graphite shaft on the iron is 40-inches long.

Shaft length impacts your ball position in your stance. The longer the shaft is, the further forward your ball should be in your setup. US Golf TV shows you where to position the ball for fairway wood shots off the turf in the video below:

Contrary to the 5-wood setup, a 2-iron golf club strikes the cleanest when the golf ball is 2 to 3-inches back in the stance.

It is essential to adjust the golf ball position between a wood and iron club for clean contact. If your ball is too far forward for a shorter shaft, you may swing out, to in, and slice your shot.

Furthermore, you risk generating insufficient spin when the ball is too far back at address for a longer shaft. You will likely attack the ball from a steep angle and strike with low loft, leading to low ball flight and a loss of total distance.

Launch

When I moved to Cape Town in my late teens, it was my first experience in constant gale-force winds. I had never endured breezes on that level and decided I had no more space in my bag for a 5 and 7-wood. The time had come to employ a lower launching club, and I added a 2-driving iron into the mix.

It provided minimal forgiveness on off-center strikes, but the ball flew low and generated increased roll. The outcome meant less time in the rough and more approach shots from the fairway. Although this is what I needed in the Mother City, it is not the option that suits beginners or a high handicap golfer.

A 5-wood produces a higher trajectory and helps your ball into the air on all shots. This is beneficial, as it produces consistent distance, but it costs you yards when playing into the wind.

Despite that, it boosts your confidence and total strokes to get the ball into the air. Hacking around with a challenging iron is frustrating for you and your playing partners.

Roll

Another pro of the 2-iron is that it produces increased roll, an asset on drier courses and in windy conditions, where keeping it low pays off. As I mentioned earlier, that was my reasoning for adding the iron with less loft.

A 5-wood delivers moderate roll in perfect conditions. However, the higher trajectory in the wind can obliterate forward momentum, causing the ball to stop immediately upon landing. However, the high flight is ideal for clearing obstacles in your line and landing it relatively quickly.

Forgiveness

The final difference between the two is forgiveness. The 5-wood helps golfers launch consistently high, even on off-center strikes. As a result, you enjoy consistent carry distance on all shots.

On the contrary, a 2-iron produces little forgiveness on off-center strikes. Your COR is reduced, which minimizes ball speed and distance.

Which Club Typically Hits Further?

Unsurprisingly on a launch monitor, I hit a 5-wood 8-yards further on average than a 2-iron. This is because I am hitting off a clean lie, with very few elements impacting the result of my golf shots. My average with a 5-wood is 218-yards, while I send my 2-driving iron 210.

Conditions will cause these results to vary. However, I will take them based on perfect scenarios. When I am playing into high winds, I can almost guarantee that I will hit a 2-iron further than the high-launching fairway wood.

Which Club is Considered Easier to Hit?

A 5-wood is, by far, the easiest club to hit for the average golfer. The low and back CG placement promotes a high-flying golf ball to maximize carry distance. In addition, the wider sweet spot maintains ball speed on off-center strikes and limits sidespin, promoting a straighter shot.

On the other hand, a 2-iron requires increased clubhead and ball speed for maximum distance. Plus, the reduced forgiveness means you lose height, yards, and accuracy on mishits. That is why a 5-wood is easier to hit.

Do You Need Both Clubs in Your Bag?

It is not necessary to carry both clubs in your bag, but it is wise to own a 5-wood and 2-iron. This is to prepare yourself for any golf course or condition. I advise against carrying both clubs simultaneously.

In my post titled how many golf clubs do you need in your bag, I explain that you can carry a maximum of 14. This makes it a tough choice, but I always recommend leaving sufficient space for at least 3 wedges, including your pitching wedge.

A 5-wood is ideal for layouts where you need to fly water hazards or bunkers from far out. They also work in clear conditions with minimal wind.

Conversely, a 2-iron works well off the tee and on approach in the wind. Sure, it does not deliver the distance of a driver or 5-wood, but it flies low and straight. This will reduce the wind’s impact to give you more control.

If you are playing a links course, you can employ a 2-iron to maximize the roll on the finer sweet vernal or fescue grass.

Carrying the correct tools for the occasion goes a long way to making you a better player. As a youngster, I played tournaments across my homeland and abroad. The exposure to varying courses, climates, and grass types showed that a one-strategy approach would not take me far.

Tips on When to Use Each Club

Off The Tee

2-iron

A 2-iron is handy to use off the tee when playing in windy conditions. The low launching iron helps your ball fly under the wind with optimal forward momentum. Therefore, you gain added distance from the roll.

I recommend using this on par 4’s as an alternative to your driver or 5-wood. The woods can cause you to launch your ball directly into the oncoming wind, losing carry distance and roll. You can also use it on par 5’s, but it will cost you a significant distance. As a result, you may need 3 solid 2-iron strikes to reach a 540-yard par 5.

Furthermore, I am not a fan of using these irons on par 3’s with tightly guarded greens. The added roll can cause it to come in hot and run off the green. If you have the space, you can let it rip, but be mindful of the surroundings.

5-wood

A 5-wood is the ideal substitute for a driver off the tee. Players with faster swing speed will still bomb the big stick further. However, high handicappers may struggle to generate sufficient clubhead and ball speed to get the ball in their air.

The weaker lofted 5-wood is easier to launch and achieve consistent distance off the tee. I only suggest swinging this fairway wood in clear conditions, where high flight is rewarded with optimal carry distance.

In addition, the high flight and softer landing are suitable for achieving green in regulation on long par 3 holes.

Off The Deck

2-iron

A 2-iron is a suitable option off the deck when the winds are up and you need to fly the ball low. Many of these irons are fitted with wider soles to improve turf interaction. That helps the clubhead glide through the turf to ensure a clean connection from any lie.

Most average golfers will not require the long iron for a par 4 approach shot. However, when the wind is howling, you may consider a half or ¾ swing with the 2-iron. That helps keep the ball low to run it up to the green.

In addition, the increased roll produced by a 2-iron is ideal for your 2nd shot on par 5’s if the turf is firm. That enables you to gain extra distance and occasionally roll your ball onto the dancefloor.

5-wood

You shouldn’t need a 5-wood for par 4 approach shots. Therefore, it is most commonly used for 2nd shots on par 5 holes. Its high launching nature promotes consistent carry distance to set you up for a short iron or wedge into the green.

Like, the 2-iron, a 5-wood produces exceptional turf interaction. This helps you make clean contact with the ball from the fairway and rough and get it airborne.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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