It's seriously intimidating starting golf as a total newbie, no doubt about it. 

but it's also the best time because you learn so much and it's all new. One day in the future, you'll look back and laugh at how fun it was to be so innocent.

Everything can be simplified to make golf less embarrassing as a beginner. It's a skill and skills can be learned. I'm going to show you everything you need to fit in at the course instantly.

The easiest option is to get yourself a completed beginner set made specifically for beginners.

They're well-priced and contain everything you need to start the game.

The next and more complex but interesting option is to assemble your own set. 

I highly suggest second hand clubs if you choose this route.

You can find some great deals on 2nd hand equipment on the internet and your set could be made up for the optimal beginners set as follows:

Before we get into what a cavity back and hybrid irons are and why you must use them, you should know that you can play this game with only a set of irons and a putter for at least one year.

A set of CAVITY BACK irons or HYBRID IRONS is the best choice for you as a beginner. 

1. Cavity back irons are the easiest to hit and we call them Game Improvement or Super Game Improvement irons. You can tell a cavity back iron by the 'cavity' or hole dug out of the back of the club.
2. Hybrid irons are even easier to hit. They have an extra back part of the iron, making them hollow. 

They are the easiest to hit and will give you the best chance of enjoying and improving QUICKLY because they have been designed to help you get the ball into the air.

IMPORTANT: Avoid all golf clubs called 'blades', 'muscle backs' and 'players irons'. These are incredibly difficult to hit. There is no need to explain why. It's just the way it is.

But in order to identify the three types of club, please check the picture so you don't get confused when searching for irons.

The golf bag is important for storing the clubs and carrying them or pushing them in a cart on the course. 

We want a bag that will not disintegrate within a few rounds but we don't need to go crazy with a fancy bag. 

Decide if you want to carry your bag or use a push cart.

Push cart bags are different and are created for putting on a cart for easy access. Carry bags are designed to be worn on your back. 

The choice is yours here, but I recommend since you're not used to carrying 30 lbs on your back, get a push cart and a carry bag that you can use for both pushing and carrying!

If you'd prefer to push a cart with a cart bag, then the best type of cart to buy is one with three wheels to make it pushable.

The Clicgear 4.0 is so superior, you'll never need to buy another one. 'Push' instead of 'pull' carts keep you feeling fresh for the whole round.

Pull carts tax your pulling shoulder and your lower back too much.

They may seem expensive so you should invest in a decent push cart if you are ready to commit to the game of golf.

You need to buy and bring your own golf balls to the course.

While you can rent golf clubs and golf shoes at a lot of courses, golf balls need to be purchased yourself.

I suggest used golf balls of any variety as a beginner because you will lose a lot of them so get them as cheap as you can.

Just buy yourself a big old bag of used balls because you're going to lose A LOT! 

You can usually buy some used balls in the clubhouse or pro shop before your round otherwise you can find many on Amazon and Ebay.

Golf towels are those things you overlook when setting up your bag.

Then you get to the course and you need a towel to dry your hands, to clean your clubs, to wipe your sweat away.

You can find some great fun designs at Waddaplaya Golf.

A minimum of two towels is essential - one wet for cleaning balls and one dry for drying hands.

If you live in a hot humid place like Florida, you'll do best with three towels. One for the clubs, one for your sweat and one to put cold water on and hang on your neck. 

I was a member of, and played at my local small-town course which didn't care much about dress code. Jeans and T-shirts were the norm, shorts without belts were fine. Even a soccer jersey was acceptable. I was from podunkville.

I went up to a big city as a newbie golfer and found all the famous championship courses I'd read about and planned on playing them one by one. I settled on the first one, which my cousin worked at, and made sure to put on my best golfing outfit, collared shirt and all.

'You can't play here wearing that, the members will go crazy' my cousin told me. The shock ran through me like an earth tremor. How could I be turned away in my fancy new golfing outfit - I had no idea what to wear golfing for the first time!

My cousin did tell me how I was supposed to dress and after seeing some of the more experienced golfers around, I realized the error of my ways. 

I immediately went out and bought the stuff I needed and was playing on that very same golf course the next day. A golf course Ernie Els and Vijay Singh regularly stopped at!

So to avoid similar embarrassment for you, I've put this little guide together so you never get turned away from a golf course dressed like a fool...

You can use a long sleeved or a short sleeved polo shirt but it must have a collar. 

Depending on whether you live in a warm or cool climate, the material you use will affect how you feel on the course.

In cooler areas, cotton is always great while in warmer and more humid areas, a synthetic material will let sweat evaporate and keep you dry and cool. 

I highly recommend WADDAPLAYA polos especially if you play in a warm climate. All are designed for maximum comfort with many designs, colors and patterns. 

Don't be like me and wear a thick cotton shirt in 100 degree Fahrenheit weather and end up lying on the shower floor eating dried mango and drinking the shower water! The first lesson I learned playing in a hot country, was to NEVER wear chinos and a cotton polo - your head feels like it's going to explode!

Depending on your preference, you can choose between shorts and slacks. Keep in mind, they need belt loops. No drawstring or soccer shorts.

The safest colors for your golfing pants and shorts are cream, beige, khaki, gray and tan. White and pink as well as very bright colors are something you graduate into as you move up the golf hierarchy and establish yourself as a flashy snappy dresser. 

If you wear white trousers and your handicap is not below 3, you will be ridiculed. I promise, just trust me on this one! Be the grey man and stick to the safe shorts colors for now.

1. Steel spikes - used by the pros and won't be allowed on the majority of standard courses for amateurs - AVOID - these are banned almost everywhere except for the PGA Tour.
2. Soft spikes - Steel spikes are replaced with plastic and rubber ones to avoid tearing up greens - these are the most popular type of shoe
3. Spikeless - The sole of the shoe has lots of small rubber studs that are great for people who get stud pressure walking on spiked golf shoes. 

I played with soft spike golf shoes for 14 years but as someone who suffers from serious stud pressure playing any sport, I ditched them for spikeless as soon as spikeless became a 'thing'. Just 18 holes killed my feet in soft spikes - the soles are often very hard and only get softer as you spend more and more money on them.

Adidas and Skechers as well as TRUE Linkswear make some of the most comfortable spikeless golf shoes around. After 18 holes in massive heat, I'm usually sitting in the club house sipping my beer, feeling fantastic! The soles are softer as well as having ample padding in the heel and quarter sections - like wearing trainers.

While spikeless golf shoes are more comfortable, they look more casual and like sneakers so you won't look like your favorite pro (unless Freddie Couples or Ernie Els are your favorite). If you want to look like Jordan Spieth or Dustin Johnson, you'll need to get some soft spike golf shoes.

Use your belt loops! Wear a belt. It can be whatever looks good but preferably something stretchy and less formal than the belts you wear at work. I like them to match my shorts or a color of the shoes. 

When it comes to socks, you want to get white socks.

If you're like me, getting a little thin on top or just don't want to get burnt, there are numerous options for headwear. Here are some hats you can use:

• Baseball caps - the most commonly seen hat on Tour and most golf courses. Check out the waddaplaya caps here.
• Visors - Not as popular but great for not getting 'hat hair'. Not good for bald guys
• Cowboy hats - Less common but you know he's a maverick
• Bucket hats - A very common hat for all-round sun protection. Not bad looking with a narrow brim - this is my first choice of hat for sun protection
• Wide brim hats - the mark of a beginner. While very effective in keeping sun off your cheeks, steer clear of these hats if you don't want to look like a newbie. Check out the waddaplaya bucket hats here.

These are optional but if you play long enough, you'll eventually use one. The key is to find the right size and remember something very important!

Right handed golfers wear gloves on the left hand and left handed golfers wear gloves on the right hand. You only ever wear one BUT if you want to look like a total beginner, you can wear two, one on the right and one on the left. But please don't!

There are many things to know about golf gloves but that's something for the future. For now, the best glove for you will be durable and cheap. No need to spend massive amounts on gloves just yet. 

Below are the Grip Boost Second Skin gloves for hot humid weather (you'll need 3 to alternate with during the round) and the MG Dynagrip for temperate climates. Superb value for money! 

Mostly no. If the driving range is at the actual course and is near the clubhouse, it may require you to wear golfing clothes. But if it's anything else like Top Golf or a standalone driving range, you can hit balls in any clothes you like. There is no need for collared shirts and golf trousers. 

I do suggest playing in your chosen golf shirts and also your golf shoes so you practice in the same gear you play in. Shorts and hat won't make much difference, but the tightness of the shirt, and where the seam lies on your shoulder can affect your turn so you should wear the shirts you play in.

The shoe height also makes a difference for practicing. So if you practice putting and hitting balls, use your golf shoes so you're literally practicing for the golf course and the exact height you stand, and distance form the golf ball. 

Most of the time yes. There are municipal courses everywhere that do not require you to wear a collared shirt. But if you want to be on the safe side, you should wear a collared shirt because it is guaranteed to be accepted at every golf course. When we talk about a collared golf shirt, we mean a collared polo shirt. You can wear a full button-down dress shirt as well but a polo will be accepted at every golf course. 

No golf course will turn you away if you wear a standard collared golf polo. 

Maybe you need to play golf occasionally for work or a surprise round with new colleagues. Often these rounds or meetings will be at high end country clubs or members golf courses where there are golf clothes etiquette rules. There's an easy solution for you, do not fear:

1. You can wear ANY work trousers or chinos on the course or in the clubhouse.
2. You can wear ANY work shirt with a collar and buttons or ANY collared polo shirt without big printed logos on it. This is on the course, or in the clubhouse.
3. You can cover a T-shirt with a sweater or zip up jumper. I have actually played golf without a collared shirt, but I had to keep my sweater zipped up to the top like a turtle neck. No one is going to ask you to look INSIDE your sweater.
4. Most pro shops or golf course shops will have everything you need to play on the course. The prices will be inflated but if you have to play a course out of the blue, their pro shop should have everything from shoes, to shorts to shirts and socks.

If you want to wear shorts to golf, you can. Amateurs can wear long or short pants. They should have belt loops on them though so avoid sweatpants, running shorts or most drawstring exercise shorts. There is no rule in amateur golf to play in trousers. Professionals on the Tour need to play in long pants but amateurs can wear shorts even in national competitions. 

That's a pretty good start to your golfing journey. Key things to remember when golfing for the first time are to have fun and not worry too much about what other people think. Cover your bases by knowing the rules and etiquette and dress in a way that makes you feel good. You may want to learn about the terminology we use in golf so you sound like a pro golfer asap!

Golfers love rules and some guys can be real sticklers for them. By that, I mean they have arguments and carry a pocket rule book to prove they're right over the tiniest of innocent infringements. That's a minority of guys but generally we all like to play by the book as best we can.

I've summarized the basic rules of golf for beginners most to ensure you don't commit any mortal sins on the course. If you follow these basics, you'll be invited back! In the beginning, it's intimidating, but most people will understand you're new but learn the basic rules of golf and you're set for your journey.

Note that I'm covering the rules for strokeplay. That means you count all your shots and must put the ball in the hole to complete the hole. Matchplay is a different form of the game, but I promise, you'll only need to know those rules about 2 years after you start playing.

• Clubs: You can carry a maximum of 14 clubs. If you have a 15th, leave it in the car to avoid complications. The 14 clubs can be a combination of anything you like. You do not HAVE TO have 14 clubs - it's just the maximum and there is no minimum requirement besides 1.
• Ball: You must finish a hole with the ball you started it with. You can change a ball between holes but not during a hole. However, if you lose a ball during a hole, you can use any other ball as the new ball in play.

• You must tee the ball up behind the line created by the tee markers. You can tee it up anywhere between the two markers and you can tee it as far back as the length of two drivers. So if your driver is 45 inches, you can tee up to 90 inches behind the imaginary line. Never in front of the tee markers. This is a common mistake so I learned early on to just tee it one foot behind this line to always make sure I was behind the line. Always tee it up at least 1 foot behind the line of the tee markers. 

• If the ball falls off the tee before you swing at it, it doesn't count as a shot. Just put it back on the tee and roll your eyes at the lame joke someone will crack when they say 'one'. Hilarious. 
• If you take a practice swing while the ball is on the tee and hit the ball, you do not take a penalty and you must put the ball back on the tee and play your shot, still playing shot number one. You have to attempt to make a stroke AT THE BALL for it to count as a shot. This only applies to the tee ball as it is not officially in play. Once it is in play, down the fairway or on the green, you will incur a penalty stroke for this. 

• If you swing at a ball and miss it completely, that counts as one shot. If it falls off the tee from the wind you generate, you must play it from that position without putting it back on the tee - that was your first shot. You are now hitting number two. This counts if you make a genuine attempt to hit the ball.
• Order of play on the tee is determined by the score from the previous hole. The lowest scorer hits first and in order of lowest to highest score until everyone has hit. The exception to this is if your friends play 'ready golf'. This is where whoever is ready, hits the ball regardless of their distance to the pin.
• Very important: On the tee, stand outside the teeing ground when others are hitting. Don't stand directly behind the ball, looking down the fairway watching your friend play. This is distracting for him. When your friend is hitting, you should not be visible in his peripheral vision. DO NOT MOVE, until after he hits. 

• You must play the ball as it lies. You're not allowed to kick it or move it to a better spot and neither is your long-toed caddie! You cannot use a tee to tee the ball up in the fairway. This is for the tee box only.
• You can't make the lie better so be sure not to press your club down very hard behind the ball to try flatten the ground. Also don't press behind the ball with your foot to make it easier to hit the ball! This rule is broken by a lot of people! You can only stamp your foot behind the ball on the tee for your first shot. 
• Sometimes, the course can implement local rules like preferred lies. This means you can place your ball on fairways, usually within 1 foot of the position of the ball at the time.
• No breaking or bending branches to allow you to swing easier at the ball.

• When you're in a bunker always remember to NOT ground the club in the sand behind or in front of the ball. Also no raking before your shot or using your fingers in the sand to test the consistency. You can remove impediments like leaves and stones from the bunker. Also, if the club incidentally touches the sand, like while you're walking to your ball there is no penalty anymore. Just don't test the sand with your club! NO TOUCHING THE SAND ON PRACTICE SWINGS!
  The exception to the testing of the sand and hitting the sand on practice swings does exist. You can do it in "waste bunkers" - make sure to find out before a round where they are on the course.
• You can pick out stones and leaves from the bunker and throw them out the bunker.

• In a water hazard (now known as penalty area), sometimes there is no water and you can play out of it. You can ground your club in the water hazard. 
• You can't place anything in front of your ball for aiming or have someone stand in front of you to aim at them. You can however, use leaves and stones and grass that were already there to line your club up to for alignment!
• You can pick up sticks, stones, leaves, rocks, boulders, feathers, dead grass, pine needles that are around your ball but make sure not to move your ball because then that's a penalty. Use your hands to move the impediments because dragging your feet and kicking and changing the surface is not allowed.
• You cannot break any growing thing to improve your lie. If you really have a big problem, better to take a penalty drop within 2 clubs from where the ball is. You mark it, and pick it up and measure the 2 club lengths. Then you drop the ball and add one shot. Then you hit your shot from the new position.

• You can take a practice swing at fresh air but you can't actually hit a ball before your shot. You can hit an acorn on the ground or a stone if you like but no golf balls.
• Your practice swings cannot hit the ground in normal bunkers. They can hit the ground in waste bunkers. You practice strokes on the grass can actually hit the ground no problem. You can test that surface with a practice stroke that takes a divot. 

• The player furthest from the hole is supposed to play first. This is a good rule to follow initially in a new group of players. Someone will tell you that they play 'ready golf' which means whoever is ready can play without too much concern for order of play. If you do play 'ready golf', make sure you don't play while someone else is playing. Establish who is going first if you are confused. The man in this video is called Slumbers, because he puts people to sleep. 

• You need to hit the ball with one stroke. Scooping is not allowed. Pushing the ball with extended contact like a hockey puck is not allowed.
• Only hit a ball that is standing still. Don't hit moving balls unless it's in the water. It gets very complicated counting shots and penalties. Just don't do it!
• Identify your ball before you play it - if you hit any other ball but yours, you will get a 2 stroke penalty. 
• An unintentional double-hit is not penalized but an intentional one is. If you hit a shot and fluff it, and your follow through catches the ball again by mistake, then you are not penalized. 
• For scoring help, check out the meaning of important golf terms like eagle and birdie.

If any part of the ball is touching the green, it means you're on the green and can put a marker behind the ball and pick it up to clean. Well done!

• You can move away stones, sand, gravel, leaves and other loose impediments on your line. You can fix the putting line whether that's a ball mark, spike mark, and pretty much prepare your line to be as perfect as you like. Without delaying play of course.
• Don't scrape or rub the surface of the green with your hand or club to feel grain or texture of the green. You can't test the surface that way.

• Sometimes golfers will ask you to move your marker left or right of where it is because it interferes with their line. Place the heel of the putter head next to the marker and move the marker to the toe of the putter. Remember to replace the marker to the original position before you play!
• Always replace the ball as close to the identical position it was in before you marked it. Another rule a lot of golfers break when they move the ball an inch or so closer to the hole! Get caught doing this, and you'll have no friends on the course!
• If your putt stops just on the edge of the hole, you can wait 10 seconds to see if it goes in. If it takes longer than 10 seconds to drop in, you count that drop into the hole as a shot.
• VERY IMPORTANT: Notice where the other players balls are on the green. People get very sensitive about standing on the line that their ball will roll on. As a beginner, you will surely stand on the persons intended line to the hole. You will get told off so expect it. Just apologize and thank them for helping you understand the rules. Take note of where everyone's ball is and then be careful to stand where the balls are probably not going to roll.

• If your ball hits the pin when you're off the green, that's no problem as long as no one is touching the flag at the time.You can putt with the flag in and leave it in. There is no longer a penalty stroke for leaving the flag in while on the green. A real time saver! You can take the pin out whenever you feel like it and you can play with it in whenever you feel like it. 

• You can only ask your caddy for advice on how to play the hole. This means you can't ask another player which club he hit, or how you should putt the ball or which club you should use etc. For social rounds, this doesn't really apply and is probably the most broken rule in golf so gauge who you're playing with and listen to them speak to each other before engaging in breaking this rule. My friends and I always tell each other what club we hit.
  
• You CANNOT have your caddie line you up before the shot. They can give you advice where to hit the ball and advise you on the line of the putt but when it's time to hit, you have to aim and set up by yourself. You can't have the caddie stand behind you to tell you that you're lined up okay.
• Anyone can hold the flag for anyone else. You can also ask for information that is public knowledge like where the water hazards are and distances on the sprinklers your friend is standing next to.
  
• You can't give advice to anyone who is not your partner in a competition even if they ask; no matter how much you love them. 
  
• If you play in betterball competitions, you and your partner can advise each other.

• If you move the ball while searching for it, there is no penalty. You have 3 minutes to find the ball, otherwise you have to drop or go back and rehit the shot with a penalty stroke added.
• If someone else or an animal moves your ball, there's no penalty. You must replace it then carry on as usual.
• If water or wind moves your ball (as long as you didn't ground the club behind the ball) you play it from the new position! Don't put it back! NO PENALTY.

• When you drop a ball, stand up straight and drop the ball from KNEE HEIGHT. The ball mustn't touch your body or equipment in the act of dropping the ball.
• If your ball rolls into the hazard after a drop, make sure you retrieve it and drop it again. You must take full relief from obstacles or trouble so your stance mustn't be hindered by the thing you're dropping away from. If after 2 drops, the ball still rolls into the hazard or area you dropped from, place the ball on the spot it landed on when you dropped it last.
• Make sure you watch where the ball crosses the water hazard and drop at that point or behind that point in line with the flag as far back as you like. There's nothing that grinds golfers more than a guy who cheats with his drops! Always ask your partners if they agree that the ball crossed the hazard where you intend to drop. 
• Do not apply spin on the ball or try to make it drop softer. You can select a lovely piece of turf that is to your advantage if it is in the area you need to drop but you must make a clean drop of the ball and allow nature to take its course. 

• You may drop away from temporary water that breaks the surface of the ground and is not marked as a hazard. Stand on the ground if it's squidgy and see if water comes up through the surface. No penalty.
• You MUST drop away from areas marked GUR - Ground Under Repair. No penalty.
• You're allowed to drop away from burrowing animal holes. No penalty.
• If you land on the wrong putting green, you must drop it off the green 1 club length from the edge and play from there. No penalty. If you hit a ball from a green, you'll leave a hole in the green and everyone will hate you.
• Some courses will have local rules in place for free drops from saplings, young trees or other special areas. Check their scorecard.

• When you drop a ball, you must drop it from knee height. I have no idea why they made it so complicated and awkward - right now try dropping a ball from knee height. Don't you feel like a fool?
• If your ball rolls into the hazard after a drop, make sure you retrieve it and drop it again. You must take full relief from obstacles or trouble so your stance mustn't be hindered by the thing you're dropping away from. If after 2 drops, the ball still rolls into the hazard or area you dropped from, place the ball on the spot it landed on when you dropped it last.
• Make sure you watch where the ball crosses the water hazard and drop at that point or behind that point in line with the flag as far back as you like. There's nothing that grinds golfers more than a guy who cheats with his drops!

• If another ball is in your way or interfering with your swing, you can ask the guy playing it to mark and lift it.
• If someone asks you to mark and lift the ball not on a green, mark it with a coin or a tee peg and pick the ball up. You're not allowed to clean it so just hold it and replace when he's done. 
• If you can't see if the ball you've found is yours, you can mark it and lift it to identify it then put it back in the original position and play on.

• Man-made objects not part of the earth such as bottles, cans, rakes, stakes etc., are movable obstructions. Sprinkler heads, shelters, cart paths, etc., are immovable obstructions. You can take a free drop from sprinklers and cart paths if your stance is interfered with. You generally cannot take a free drop from buildings but that is up to the club.
• You can move the movable obstructions but make sure your ball doesn't move!
• If an immovable obstruction is hindering your stand or swing, you can mark the ball, pick it up and drop it away so your swing is unimpeded at the nearest point of full relief. There is no penalty unless a rule of the specific golf courses forbids it.

• Water hazard (now known as penalty areas) are defined by yellow stakes or painted lines. Lateral water hazards are identified by red stakes or painted lines.
• You can play the ball inside the hazard if you like or you can:
       1. Drop a ball where you played the last shot and add one additional penalty shot.
       2. Drop a ball in line with the hole and the place you crossed the hazard and go as far back as you like.
       3. If it's a lateral (red staked) hazard you can drop within 2 club lengths of where your ball crossed the line of the hazard.
• Very important! You must drop where the ball last crossed a red stake hazard. Many people will cheat and drop in line with where the ball finished. If the water is right in front of the teebox, and that's the last place it crossed, you must drop it on the front of the tee box. You will get chewed out by other players if you drop in the wrong place. 

• In a water hazard, sometimes there is no water and you can play out of it. 

• If you hit a shot and think your ball might be lost in some bushes or similar problem area, or you suspect it could be out of bounds, you can hit a ball from the same position and call it "provisional". Then you can go look for the original ball and if you find it, you can play it and pick up the provisional with no penalty or you can deem the original unplayable and play the provisional ball with a one stroke penalty. You can also deem the ball lost at any stage and just play the provisional with a one stroke penalty.
• You must tell the people you're playing with 'this is a provisional ball'. If you do not, then it is assumed you are using this new ball as your shot and you must add one stroke penalty.
• Definition of lost ball: you can't find it in under 3 minutes or you declare the ball lost. You can also declare a ball lost while you're standing where you hit the bad shot from. Then the next ball you put down in the same spot is the ball in play and you add one penalty stroke.
• Definition of out of bounds: When the entire ball lies outside the white line or stake line signifying the out of bounds border. You must go and hit the ball from the original position if your ball is OB. But there are some places that allow a drop at the point of the out of bounds but with heavy penalty. 

• If you see your ball and you think you can't play it because it's under a bush or stuck in a tree, you can deem it unplayable, take a penalty shot and:
    1. Drop a ball on the line that runs from the hole to where your ball was lying. You can drop as far back as you want on that line.
    2. Hit a shot from the same place you hit the last shot.
    3. Measure 2 club lengths from where the ball is lying and drop it there.

You can take a look at the full rules of golf at the USGA and R&A websites. 

Wanna know how to sound like a fool on the golf course? Don't read this guide. 

Or...read this guide and you'll be speaking like a golfer in no time.

Through my 25 years on golf courses, I've whittled all the common golf terms down to only the ones you actually hear and use on the course or see in magazines. The other stuff you read online is full of bloat that no one ever says. 

A

Ace: Hit the ball into the hole in one shot from the tee. Alternative: Hole-in-one

Address: To stand ready to hit a shot with the clubhead behind the ball.

Aim: The direction you are trying to hit the ball.

Albatross: When you hit the ball into the hole in 3 shots under par. This would be a hole in one on a par 4 or a 2 on a par 5.  Alternative: Double eagle

Alignment: The relationship of the feet, shoulders and club face to the target.

All square: A tie in matchplay. Both golfers won the same number of holes.

Approach shot: A shot you hit (not off the tee) that lands on the green. Usually fro the fairway, fairway bunkers or rough after your drive.

Apron: The usually less than a yard wide grass around the edge of the green, separating the fairway and the green surface. Alternative: Fringe

Attend to pin: Hold the flag/pin/flag-stick while the other player putts and remove it as the ball leaves the putter face.

Away: The golfer who is next to play. “You’re away” is a way to use this term usually when no one is hitting but should be. 

B

Back nine: Holes 10-18 on an 18 hole course. The opposite and complement to the front nine.

Backspin: When you hit a ball, the grooves create a spin on the ball that rotates backward and is responsible for stopping the ball on the green or fairway and often can roll backwards. Alternatives: zip, rip, bite

Back-swing: Initiation of the swing by take the club from behind the ball to behind your head. Opposite and complement to the follow-through or down-swing.

Ball-marker: Usually a coin or small plastic disk with a tiny spike to mark the position of the ball on the green so your ball doesn’t interfere with another players putt.

Birdie: When you make a score one under the par of the hole.
2 on a par 3
3 on a par 4
4 on a par 5

Bite: Same as backspin. Can be used as an instruction to the ball. “Bite!” “get down” “sit down” “Stooooop”

Blade: A kind of golf iron that has the weight in the back of the club behind the sweet spot evenly weighted from heel to toe. Opposite of a cavity back. Best to avoid these as a beginner because they’re very hard to hit.

To blade: To hit a golf ball off the leading edge producing a low ball flight without any control or spin. “I bladed it right over the green!” Alternative: thinned it, skulled it, hit it in the teeth

Blind shot: A type of shot where you can’t see the landing area from the tee or you can’t see the green from where you’re approaching from.

Block: A golf shot that goes very far right without much shape, just goes directly right off the club face. “He blocked it way right”

Bogey: A score one more than par on a hole.
4 on a par 3
5 on a par 4
6 on a par 5

Bogey golf: Playing to one over par on every hole. Usually equates to an 18 handicap.

Bounce: The angle measured from the front edge of a club’s sole to the point that rests on the ground when addressing the ball. This stops a sand wedge digging into sand or getting tangled in the long grass

Break or borrow: The movement of a golf ball on the green away from a straight line. Main reasons for the ball deviating on the greens are slopes on the green and grain of the grass. It takes a lot of practice to master reading greens.

Bump and run: A pitch or chip shot that is played lower with the aim to bump the ball into the air and let it run or roll for most of the journey to the hole. It can be performed from the fairway or green-side.

Bunker: An hollow filled with sand. They can be green-side bunkers, fairway bunkers or waste bunkers. You’re not allowed to ground your club in green-side and fairway bunkers but in waste bunkers, grounding your club is allowed. One of the least favorite places to be for some people but with modern clubs, it’s easy to beginners to escape! Alternative: sand, the beach. Avoid: sand trap – no one calls it that.

C

Caddy/Caddie: People you can pay at a golf club to carry your bag of clubs and give you advice on distances, clubs to hit, best options, break on the greens.

Carry: The distance the ball flies before hitting the ground. You can use this with caddies by asking: “How much is the carry over the water?” or when lying to someone “I carried my 8 iron 240 yards!”

Cart: A car-like buggy you sit on and drive around the golf course. Some golf courses make it mandatory to ride a cart. They run on electricity or fuel. You strap your golf bag to it and most come with a cooler box for keeping the beers nice and chille for those disaster rounds.

Cart: A two, or three, and sometimes four wheeled cart you can manually push or pull with your golf bag on.

Casual water: Usually temporary water that has accumulated outside of demarcated hazards. Often found after a heavy downpour or leaky pipes, you’re allowed to drop the ball away from areas where water is breaching the surface of the ground that is not marked as a an actual hazard with yellow or red stakes.

Cavity back: Golf irons where the weight of the material is positioned around the outside of the club head to improve forgiveness. These are the best possible clubs for a beginner.

Center of Gravity: Nobody knows but it’s a great way to sell golf clubs by confusing the hell out of the public.

Chip: A short shot from near the green that usually lands on the green and rolls up to the pin.

Choke down: Gripping the club a little further down the grip than a normal shot to get more accuracy but shorter distance. Essential when chipping to get more feel. Alternative: grip down

Closed club face: When you hit a shot but the club face points to the left as a right hander or right as a left hander.

Club: Drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges and putters. Every piece of equipment meant to hit the ball. Avoid calling them sticks or bats otherwise you run the risk of sounding like a total newbie! There is no minimum number of clubs needed.

Club head: The heavy piece at the end of the golf club you use to hit the ball.

Club-face: The area on the club head that meets the ball at impact.

Clubhouse: Where the facilities are housed at a golf course. Usually you’ll find locker rooms, restaurants, a pro shop, bars and the managers office to complain about the standard of the bunkers. After the round, it’s best to stick around and have a drink in the bar with your group.

Compression: The unit of measure to tell you how hard a golf ball is. Lower compression is softer, higher compression is harder. There has been a marked trend in manufacturers producing lower compression (softer) golf balls for high handicappers and slower swingers.

Course: A place to play golf is called a golf club or golf course, either with 9 or 18 holes.

Cross-handed (putting grip): Usually right handed players have right hand below left hand. Some golfers such as Jordan Spieth putt with the left hand below the right. There is no ‘correct’ grip for putting, whatever works for you.

Cut: A shot that moves from left to right (for right handers) often intentionally. “I cut that ball in perfectly” or “I hit a nice 5 yard cut on that one”. Alternative: Fade

D

Decelerate: Decreasing the club head speed near impact. Usually from lack of confidence and happen very often on chips. Practice chips and accelrate the club head through the ball. 99% of golf shots won’t be successful by decelerating through impact.

Dimples: Indents in the surface of a golf ball to produce drag which keeps the ball in the air. They actually make it possible to hit the ball much further and straighter than a ball without dimples.

Divot: The slice of grass that gets taken out of the ground on golf shots. There are a minority of golf courses that prefer players not to replace their divots but most courses will have a remedy for us golfers destroying their pristine fairways. Depending on the type of grass, you may be required to replace the divot back to its original position or fill the hole with sand.

Distance markers: Stakes on the side of the fairway or plates embedded in the fairway marking 100, 150, 200 and sometimes 250 yard marks from the green.

Dogleg: A type of golf hole which starts off straight but then the fairway turns left or right toward the green.

Double bogey: Making a score of 2 over the par of the hole would be considered a double bogey 
5 on a par 3
6 on a par 4
7 on a par 5

Downswing: Moving the club from the top of the swing toward the ball for impact.

Draw: A shot shape where the ball goes right to left with more top spin than a fade. The opposite of a fade.

Drive: The first shot from the tee box.

Driving range: A place where you can go a hit golf balls that isn't a golf course. 

Duck-hook: A shot that moves right to left very quickly and very low.

Duff: A horrible shot. Typically, this is a shot where very little or no contact is made between the club-face and golf-ball. Also known as Dub, Flub or Shank.

E

Eagle: A score on a hole 2 under the par
1 on a par 3
2 on a par 4
3 on a par 5

Even: Your score being equal to par for the round so far – “I’m even for the round today”. Alternative: level, level-par

F

Fade: Ball flight that goes left to right for a right hander. It’s usually controlled and not as extreme as a slice. The fade is very controllable and is what Dustin Johnson hits as well as what Jack Nicklaus enjoyed playing with.

Fairway: The shorter grass outside of the tee box and the green. Fairways are cut short to allow for roll and a nicer lie to hit from.

Fat shot: Hitting the earth before the ball. This usually results in a shot that goes much less distance and a bruised ego. Alternative: chunk, chilli-dip, hit the big ball before the small ball.

Flag-stick: A metal alloy pole with a flag on top placed inside the hole to show you where the hole is. Sometimes different color flags can mean different positions of the hole – front, middle or back. Alternative: pin, flag

Flop shot: Very high shot played with open stance and club face, generally for more advanced players with specialized equipment for the task. Not useful for beginners to play this shot.

Follow-through: The part of the swing that ends the swing sequence.

Fore: Shout this as loud as you can when you hit a ball toward other players to warn them to take cover. If you hear it, duck!

Forgiveness: A golf club is forgiving when it hits straighter and longer shots even on mishits. Super Game Improvement clubs make hitting the ball MUCH easier. Drivers, fairway woods, irons and wedges can all be forgiving. This is the most important aspect of golf clubs for beginners.

Four-ball: Check out the format and gambling games here

Freshy: A shot where you swing at the ball and totally miss it. “I hit a freshy!” Don’t worry this happens often for new players! But you have to count it as one shot! Alternative: whiff ‘I whiffed it!’

Fringe: Same as apron

Front nine: Hole number 1 to 9

G

Gimme: Short putts that your partners don’t think you will miss. They’ll ‘give’ you the putt and you can pick up the ball and count that as one stroke. They’re not actually allowed in strokeplay competitions but are fine for matchplay and friendly games with your friends. As a beginner, expect the gimmes to be a bit shorter than other players who might get gimmes of up to 3 feet.

Grain: The direction the grass grows – it affects the putting surface and reduce or increase the amount of break in the putts. Different climates use different grasses on the greens. Grainier grass is used on greens in hotter harsher humid climates while less grainy and fine grass is used in temperate and cool climates. Bermuda is a common grainy grass.

Green: The shortest grass on the course, well manicured to a smooth surface for putting. Alternative: the dancefloor

Green Fee: The amount you pay for a round of golf

Green in regulation (GIR): When your ball is on the surface of the green in 2 shots under the par number. Landing on every green in regulation and taking two putts on each green, you would shoot level-par.
GIR means you land on the green in:
1 shot on a par 3
2 shots on a par 4
3 shots on a par 5

Grounding the club: Letting your club head touch the surface of the ground. In water hazards and bunkers, it’s against the rules to let the club touch the ground. Everywhere else is fine.

Ground under repair (GUR): An area the golf course will demarcate as being under repair. You should take a free drop out of the area.

Groove: The deep lines cut into the club face to generate spin.

Good-good, give-give: Offering a gimme in exchange for one for yourself. If you and your opponent both have 4 footers left to half the hole, you or him may ask ‘give give?’ or ‘good good?’. To refuse or accept is up to the one being offered.

H

Hacker: Golfers with low skill levels. Not necessarily negative as long as you have a nice personality!

Half: If you play matchplay against someone, you ‘half’ a hole if you make the same score on it.

Handicap: You can be assigned a number based on your scores. If you play 27 over the par of the course which equals 99 strokes on a par 72 course, you might have a handicap of 24 or so. It’s calculated on your ability to improve. Handicaps level the playing field so you can compete with low handicap and mid handicap players. If your handicap is 24 and you score 90, at the end of the round, you subtract 24 from 90 and your NET SCORE is 66. That’s excellent. If your net score is below 72, you have played better than your handicap. If someone playing off a 5 handicap scores 78 and subtracts 5 from that, he gets 73. You essentially beat him by 7 shots relative to handicap! Here's how the handicap system works.

Hazard: Bunkers and permanent water. Water hazards are clearly marked with yellow or red stakes. You need to follow some basic rules for playing out of hazards.

Heel: At address, the part of the club head closest to you, where the shaft enters the club head.

Hole: A circle cut out of the earth on the green with a diameter of 4.25 inches (108 mm). Alternative: cup, jar, can

Hole in one: Same as Ace

Honor: The player with the lowest score from the previous hole tees of first. Player 1: “Who’s to play?”  Player 2: “It’s your honor“. Often people think they’re funny and say “Your honor, your honor” which gets an obligatory laugh but please AVOID saying this unless you really are a joker and it suits your personality.

Hook: A shot that moves sharply to the left for a right hander. Usually uncontrolled and unpredictable. They roll very far and get players into a lot of trouble!

Hosel: The attachment part of the shaft and the clubhead.

Hybrid: Long irons with a piece of metal on the back to make them easier to hit. The added forgiveness means a lot of people are switching long irons for hybrids.

I

Interlocking grip: Holding a club with the left index finger interlocking on the right hand between the ring and pinky finger.

Iron: Golf clubs numbered from 3 to 9.

K

Knock-down: A shot hit very low to be unaffected by the wind

L

Lag putt: A long putt longer than 20 or so feet

Lay up: Hitting the ball short of a hazard or trouble on the course when it’s possible to try hit it on the green in one shot. This is a good tactic if you are not confident you can clear the hazard.

Lie: How the ball is position on the grass or sand or wherever it is on the course. Tight lie would be on hard surfaces. Fluffy lie would be on fluffy grass. Buried lie means it is deep in the grass or sand.

Lifting your head: When you prematurely look up to see where the ball is going – often results in poor shots especially topping the ball. Also results in putts missing on the right hand side.

Line: The route the ball is probably going to take to the hole on the greens. Be careful not to stand on the ‘line’ someone might be aiming for on the greens – major faux pas!

Links: Golf courses made on sand dunes and near the ocean. Sometimes refers to any golf course for fun. “Let’s hit the links”.

Loft: The angle between the shaft and the club face.

M

Match play: Where golfers or teams play against other golfers or teams hole-by-hole. You play against another player and if you make a 4 and he makes a 5, you win the hole. The aim is to win the majority of the 18 holes. There is no count of all the strokes at the end. You count strokes only on each hole to see who wins it.

Member’s bounce: When you hit a bad shot and somehow the ball finds a way into a good position. You’ll hear this one a lot.

Misread: When you hit the ball where you think it will curve into the hole but doesn’t perform close to what you thought.

Mulligan: A rehit. So you cancel the terrible shot you just hit and play another ball and count that shot and forget the previous bad one. It’s not allowed in the rules but often happens. Bill Clinton apparently loves mulligans.

O

Open face: When the club face is pointed to the right for right handers. Often produces fades and slices.

Out-of-bounds: An area marked by the golf course management where your ball is considered out of play. The area is usually marked with white stakes. If you hit it there, you will need to rehit the shot and add another shot on top of that. So let’s say you hit a driver out of bounds. That’s 1. Then place the ball on the tee again and that’s 2. Then you add another for the rehit which makes it 3 strokes so far.

Overlapping grip: Same as Vardon grip

P

Pace: Speed of the putt to reach the hole. When putting, focus on the break and getting the pace right.

Par: The score when you meet the suggested amount of strokes to complete the hole in based on the length.

PGA: Any Professional Golfers’ Association – each country has their own PGA.

Pin: Same as flag stick.

Pin-high: When you hit the ball left or right of the green in line with the hole. ‘Your ball is pin-high to the right’

Pitch: A shot under 60 yards or so with a sand, pitching or lob wedge.

Pitch mark: Marks on the greens from where the ball lands. It’s always best to fix these little plug marks with a tool designed for that.

Play through: When you have a faster moving group behind you, you should let them ‘play through’ which means you stop playing and let them play their shots past you and let them move to the next hole.

Plugged lie: Where the ball is stuck in the earth.

Plus handicap: A handicap better than zero – professional level.

Preferred lies: A Local rule that lets you pick up, clean and move the ball in the fairway when it’s been raining or the fairways are in bad condition.

Pre-shot routine: The practice swings and movements golfers make before they’re about to hit.  Try to create one for yourself to make a repeatable routine to get comfortable but make it efficient. Don’t make a 30 second routine because no one will want to play with you.

Pro (Professional): Tour or teaching pros playing or teaching golf for a living.

Pro shop: Professional golfer-run golf shop at a golf club to buy and fit equipment and also get lessons.

Pull: For a right hander, the ball flies unintended moderately to the left, sometimes resulting in trouble. Not as dramatic as a hook.

Punch shot: A shot kept low and under the tree branches usually to escape trouble.

Push: A shot trajectory that flies to the right for a right hander. It’s usually unintended and is less severe than a slice.

Putt: Playing the ball along the ground on the greens with a putter.

Putting green: A green close to the clubhouse or first tee to practice putting on before the game. Can also be used for general practice to groove your putting stroke and build confidence.

Putter: Flat faced club to roll the ball on the green with. Alternative: flat-stick

R

R&A (Royal & Ancient): Association that governs golf rules outside of the USA.

The Range: The driving range where you can hit golf balls

Rangefinder: A laser device to measure distances to and from things on the course. Usually to find the distance to carry hazards or distance to the pin. There are numerous budget rangefinders for beginners to start using to really improve fast.

Rough: The longer and more difficult to hit out of grass running next tot he fairways.

Round of Golf: 18 holes on a golf course. “I played a round at Bethpage Black”

S

Sandbagger: A golfer who manipulates his handicap to be higher than his skill level suggests. Guys do this to win more prizes in competitions. You might see a guy playing off a 9 handicap but shoots 75 or 76 very often on competition days but 84 or 85 during social games. Often are not popular with other competitors. In golf, it truly is ‘you’re only cheating yourself’.

Sand save: When you hit 1 bunker shot to get out the green side bunker and 1 putt to get it in the hole. These REALLY impress people.

Sand wedge: A golf club made for getting out of bunkers but also used within 100 yards for chips and pitches and full swings. Beginners should find a sand wedge that is great for bunker play.

Scramble: Chip and putt to make par after missing the green

Scratch golfer: Golfer with handicap of ZERO. Usually scores between 69 and 74.

Shank: A shot when you hit the ball with the hosel of the club sending it screaming to the right at an almost 90° angle. You can contract this shot almost like a virus. Tin Cup suffered from The Shanks also known as El Hosel before his US Open debut. The cause is unknown but can often show up after women troubles.

Short game: All the shots around and on the green like putting, chipping, pitching and bunker shots.

Slice: A shot shape that moves severely from left to right. Often the trouble shot of beginners and high handicappers.

Snowman: Soring 8 on a hole. The 8 looks like a snowman.

Sole: The bottom or underside of a golf club.

Speed: How fast the ball will travel to the hole so you can adjust your stroke. Faster greens produce more break because the ball must be hit slower and slower greens show less break because you need to hit it harder.

Stimpmeter: A device used to measure the speed of greens.

Sweet-spot: The area on the club face near the center where the most distance will be produced on your shots. Forgiving golf clubs have very big sweet spots and should be the first choice for any beginner or high handicapper to reduce big errors.  Alternative: hit it in the screws, hit it in the panty.

T

Tap-in: A very short putt that just needs a tap. Usually less than a foot.

Tee: The peg you stick into the ground and place your ball on to to hit a driver or tee shot.

Tee time: The exact time that your round of golf will start. Many golf courses will require you to book a tee time os they can manage the number of golfers on their course. 

Teeing ground: The area where you hit drives from. It’s suggested that beginners should play off the front-most tees for men at any given course. This makes the game easier to learn. There are usually 3 or 4 sets of tees at any given course. On the tee, you’ll find tee markers made of metal, plastic or wood and that line created by the 2 tee markers is the imaginary line from where the hole starts.

Thin shot: A shot where you hit the ball with the leading edge of the club that makes it fly long and low. Often they say ‘thin to win’ – this means at least a thin shot from the fairway can reach the green as the opposite ‘fat’ shot means you’ll be very short of the green.

Through the green: The entire area of the golf course, except for the teeing ground of the hole being played, the green of the hole being played and all hazards on the course.

Tips: The championship tees on a golf course. We say “playing the course from the tips”

Toe: The end of the club face furthest from the hosel.

Topped: A shot where you hit the top of the ball with the sole of the club resulting in the ball either popping straight up or rolling a few yards in front of you.
A COMMON BEGINNER ERROR especially when trying to hit the ball to hard.

Triple bogey: A score three strokes over the par number
6 on a par 3
7 on a par 4
8 on a par 5

The Turn: Moving from the 9th hole to the 10th hole. You turn back to the clubhouse from the 10th to the 18th hole.

U

Unplayable: When you can’t play a shot you can declare the ball unplayable and take a penalty drop.

Up and down: When you get the ball in the hole in two shots from around the green. 1 chip and 1 putt.

USGA: The governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the Rules of Golf.

V

Vardon grip: A grip where for right hnded playes, you overlap your right pinky onto your left index and middle fingers.

W

Waggle: A movement of the club behind the ball at address as a player gets more comfortable before hitting his shot.

Wedge: Irons with high lofts to go shorter distances and are used for the short game.

Wood:  Golf clubs made with round big heads. They go furthest and are the most well-known especially the driver. Fairway woods are very easy to hit for beginners and most beginner bags should have at least 2 fairway woods.

Worm burner: A shot hit very low to the ground and travelling fast. Alternative: Mole raper, daisy cutter

Y

Yips: Twitchy movements during a putt because of anxiety leading to a lot of missed short putts. Bernhard Langer is famous for getting the yips and playing with strange putting grips.

Bunker shots are difficult, but not for long. You will fall in love with bunkers after I'm done with you.

I'm going to show you not only the best sand wedges for bunkers but also the technique to get out of a bunker in one shot.

Sometimes your technique works well, but your sand wedge may be wrong for your conditions. But do not fear, I'll guide you in the right direction.

I LOVE bunkers and after years of perfecting the bunker escape with a sand wedge, I'm going to transform your bunker life. 

TOP SECRET TIP to get out of bunkers first time: You DO NOT hit the golf ball when you're in a green side bunker.

You actually hit the sand and the club face never touches the ball.

You hit 1-2 inches behind the ball, with the sole of the golf club. You actually have to slap the sand with the sole of the club.

The ball floats out on top of the sand that you hit out of the bunker. This is the magic no one ever told you.

 And if you're a more advanced player, check out great wedges for mid handicappers.

The Smart Sole S Wedge gets you out of the bunker and onto the green effortlessly. Despite the weird looks of the club, at address it looks like any other wedge. There is a massive difference between this one traditional wedges though. 

The Smart Sole makes bunkers fun. You can use it easily from fried egg lies, plugged lies, wet sand, dry sand, fluffy sand.

You can play all of the shots with a square face - no need to open it up and manipulate the club. It does all the work for you.

I bought a Smart Sole S Wedge for a friend of mine. He plays to a 17 handicap and would never play with a club like this but he couldn't get out of bunkers. I bought the Smart Sole without him knowing and I gave it to him when he hit it into yet another bunker.

He thought I was joking but he hit the bunker shot to 5 feet from the hole and made the putt for bogey to save the hole. Normally he would take a triple or quadruple bogey after finding the sand.

I have used this wedge often to find the best way to use it.

Note: You need to use a square stance and square club face. You don't have to open the face or open your feet up but you can. You must however, still use a lot of wrist on the shot like in the technique shown in the videos below.

I have bought three of the Smart Soles for friends who struggle with bunkers: 15, 17 and 25 handicap golfers and they swear by them.

Cleveland CBX is a wedge that will last you well into the future. It's a hollow cavity club so you'll find it very easy to hit with a full shot as well as for pitching and chipping, reducing those ones that get left short on mis hits.

From the sand, you will need to learn the proper technique of manipulating the face, which you can see in the video at the bottom of the article. 

I played Cleveland wedges from 17 handicap down to a 7 handicap before I started playing with the blade style Mizuno and Ben Hogan wedges.

Cleveland are and always have been a specialty wedge manufacturing company.

These are excellent for low, mid or high handicap golfers looking for a good overall wedge that performs well from the bunkers. Learning the technique will stand you in good stead for when you want to upgrade later after building a lot of confidence.

The C3i wedge is best for beginners to get out of sand because it's cheap, and purpose built for the sand. It works well. I bought one of these for testing because I wanted to compare it to the Smart Sole wedge. 

The main difference between the C3i and the Smatt Sole is that the C3i is much heavier. 

C3i wedges are also a cavity back with a big hollowed out section in the back.

They have a very wide and thick sole to glide under the ball in the sand. 

You still need to hit behind the ball in the sand but you don't need to open the face with this club.

You should use the C3i square to the ball in the sand and then take it back and swing with a very loose-wristed chip into the sand 2 inches behind the ball in the sand. The ball pops out softly with the C3i wedge.

This is an easy to use bunker club and is almost identical in performance to the Smart Sole mentioned above. Smart Sole is also available in black and the only reason I would recommend this over the Cleveland is if you want a heavier club.

Most manufacturers will state the loft and bounce angle for their wedges.

Thick sole and high bounce are the key factors in hitting good bunker shots. 

In combination with a big thick sole, the sand wedge uses the bounce of the sole to BOUNCE off the sand instead of digging in and leaving the ball a few feet in front of you.

Unlike irons, the wedge should not dig into the sand on green side bunker shots.

The reason you might not get out of bunkers is lack of follow-through because you lose commitment to the shot. When you lose commitment to the shot, you lose club head speed in your swing which we call deceleration. When we decelerate, the club head stops in the sand with no follow through.

If you follow through and trust that the club will bounce off the sand, the ball comes out on the pillow of sand that you excavate. High bounce wedges help you produce the pillow of sand effect.  

With the right club (and technique), you won't have any fear of the sand anymore.

You'll get out of the bunkers in one shot and slash strokes off your game. You might even look forward to impressing your buddies with all the sand saves you'll be racking up.

After endless hot rounds in the tropical South East Asian sun, I've finally found the best golf gloves for hot humid weather. Not only the best golf gloves, but also the best techniques to make them last all year long. Spoiler - you don't need a premium golf glove to play well in hot conditions! 

You can actually save yourself shots on the course with the correct golf glove. If you're not worried about the glove slipping or feeling wet and useless, you can fully focus on your shot. If you can fully focus on your shot, you hit better shots. This is the science of golf. I've used my experience in hot conditions like South East Asia (85°-110° F) since 2014 to bring you the best golf gloves out there.

Hirzl are famous for cycling gloves but are creating amazing golf gloves and now sponsor the Ladies European golf Tour. And they're amazing quality. The palm is made of KANGAROO leather - yes that Australian animal - which is more durable and flexible than Cabretta leather, which is used on the back of the glove.

What I find with these golf gloves is they get some oils and warmth from your hand and get VERY flexible and comfortable. The kangaroo leather is tanned a certain way to make these gloves the grippiest on the market for wet or dry conditions. It's something you have to try to believe - they're like Velcro to the golf club grip.

They're super thin and yet so durable. I still own the same one I got 2 years ago and it's always in my bag for those really sweaty days. And get this, I just chuck it into the washing machine to freshen it up. This would mean certain death for most golf gloves! 

If you're a greenie who prefers killing lambs for their Cabretta and think killing a kangaroo is somehow worse, then you probably need counselling anyway.

The Tropicool by Footjoy has been designed especially for Florida and muggy Augusta style climates in the tropics - hot humid and sticky. Nanolock fiber makes your palm grip and stick to the golf club in the sweatiest conditions. 

One of my biggest complaints in the humid weather is the chaffing not only between my thighs but inside the thumb. I get blisters on my thumb bad so easily but with the Y-Flex thumb flexion area, those are a thing of the past. 

This golf glove is flexible and also dries quickly if you're wearing it or if you're hanging it up. The tab to close the glove is made at an angle so that you have full comfort instead of that little velcro corner sticking into your hand on the backswing. Overall a really good golf glove for the money. 

In the wet, or sweat, the Bionic AquaGrip golf glove's suede microfibers get stickier as they get wetter. This makes it one of my favorite gloves for golf in hot humid weather. You can use this glove whether it's rainy season or dry and sweaty season without any need to replace it. It lasts for a really long time.

Bionic have made a golf glove with Lycra-material areas that flex and move with your hand for more comfort and flexibility. They've pre-rotated the fingers so when you close your hand, the material is already in place instead of that constant friction.

More padding to vulnerable areas make the glove last much longer. What's more impressive is the way the padding system evens out your hand for a lighter but more stable grip. I noticed that when I played with these gloves, I felt more stable with my driver which I hit all over the show normally. Simply a superb glove

FootJoy tell us 20% of golfers use the strangely misspelled WeatherSof golf glove. It's made with leather patches on the thumb and the meaty part of your palm while the rest of the glove is a highly durable synthetic material.

These are the number one choice just because they're so durable. I'll usually put 3 of these in the bag, and they last a full season playing once a week. They show only mild signs of wear after a few rounds and if you rotate them throughout the round, last a crazy long time. 

Rain or shine: The glove works for both liquids, rainwater and sweat. It absorbs liquids better than the majority of gloves on the market and in Thailand's heat and rain, these are my first choice for the best golf gloves for hot humid weather. 

Yeah, rain golf gloves are great for hot humid weather with all that sweat dripping out of every pore. The technologies used in rain gloves transfer nicely into hot weather play too.

The RainGrip uses Autosuede on the palm and index fingers for supreme grip while on the back of the glove FootJoy have put a QuikDry synthetic material for huge breathability. Fibers on the Autosuede get initiated to stand up when the glove gets wet, actually improving grip on the club.

In the tropics, I use these gloves when it's rainy season. It's convenient to have gloves that work well when it's super hot with rain coming on the same day.

Cabretta leather palm and thumb paired with a super breathable back of the hand make this an extremely comfortable glove. It genuinely feels like a second skin and you would expect that from a premium glove like this. These are great gloves if you hate wearing a golf glove because they make your hands hot and swollen.

I don't get to use them often and only when my American friends bring some back for me. Even though they feel like they're not even there, I do take gloves off for putting. Anyone who plays in hot humid weather knows what a pain it is to take a glove off and I often end up using my teeth to pull them off. Not with these. The Grip Boost Second Skins come off very easily.

Another big draw for these gloves is I've never got a blister from using them out of the box, they are made from such soft leather. I usually get blisters from Srixon gloves and other all-weather gloves on the padding of my thumb but not with the Grip Boost.

The Bionic Stablegrip is made of genuine leather and has an extra pad on the palm where golf gloves generally wear out, for an added boost of endurance and longevity. That's going to probably double the lifespan of your glove.

The glove is designed in a way that evens out your grip so you don't have to squeeze as hard to keep the club in your hands. All the places your hands may be tempted to be off the club, whereby you squeeze harder, are filled up by additional fabric in the glove.

One of the main ideas is the fit. It's meant to fit like a second skin and less like a garden glove. It's a truly unique design where the fingers have been prerotated. Most standard gloves go straight on and then twist when you grip the club, right? Not this one. 

Lycra is built into the glove to really help keep moisture at bay on those very hot humid days. You're getting a leather gloves but broken up with lycra to keep you cool, calm and collected. You can just wash these gloves on a gentle cycle in the washing machine and use them for ages. Basically, it's the perfect combination of the premium feel of leather, with the flexibility of synthetic materials. 

This works for me and I guarantee it'll work for you. The best and weirdest thing I've tried and works wonders is using a golf glove for wet weather! Think about it though, a glove designed for the wet while your hands are getting wet from sweat makes sense.

Once you play enough golf, you'll play through hundreds of gloves. The gloves I outlined in the guide above are simply the best I've used after playing tons of golf in South East Asia where the heat is often debilitating and by the 15th hole, you've sweated out 3 kidneys.

Yes people love premium golf gloves made from cabretta leather, and yes that's what Tiger Woods uses. But we're paying hard cash for our gloves need them to last multiple rounds, so if you're on a budget, consider a synthetic material. 

Try a few, try one, up to you, but get yourself 2 or even better 3 gloves to alternate between shots to make them last you entire seasons.

Some of us play on bikini waxed greens. And some of us play on slow bumpy greens every week.

Since moving to Asia, I play mainly on slower greens. Playing on these surfaces I have learned what is the best putter for slow greens.

I always played a blade putter, quite lightweight, on the fast bent grass greens of South Africa.

The blade works well if the green speed is high, but with most of us playing golf on slow greens, we need to change the putters we use.

This is my putter of choice at the moment. I do prefer a center shafted model which you can find here.

What drew me to this putter was not only the price, but the blue grip is slightly thicker and more built up than the standard thin grip, but mainly concentrated in the rear of the grip. It's much more comfortable than the slim grips and much more controllable than the pool noodle fat grips, which I am not fond of.

The weight of the clubhead is sufficient so that when you stroke the ball with the same length stroke as a blade putter, the ball travels an extra few feet. The face is milled steel and the milling is deep enough to force an impact on the ball that stops bouncing and sliding, rather promoting rolling.

But what the best part of this putter is the alignment aid. There is assistants on the back with the cut out piece which contrasts perfectly with the grass and with the straight edge, almost square shape, helps to align the eyes and mind and putter to the exact line. 

Short putts are an absolute dream with this because it feels as if it's too big to fail. of course that's not true, but the FEELING of confidence from a putter that suits your eye is massive. This is a winner in my book.

The Stroke Lab black series feature a shaft with a graphite upper section and a steel lower section. Odyssey counter balanced the putter by adding weight near the grip and in the head. This is supposed to increase feel in a heavier putter. 

The double wide is mainly in this list because it appeals to the blade fans. I am a blade fan but on slower greens, the closest I have found to a blade is this square-shaped double wide, with an extended back piece for alignment. 

Hinge insert in the face creates a firmer feeling at impact instead of the typical marshmallow feel of inserts. This is a big factor if you prefer a firmer hit off the putter to gauge your strike to be able to adjust for where the sweet spot is.

It's a very simple putter but with the extra weight, it can make a transition from a traditional blade very easy or toward a blade putter from a bigger mallet. 

Odyssey gave made a special effort with the weighting in the clubhead to allow for some toe hang, so that blade users, or people with an arc in their stroke can use it out the box.

Alignment is easy witht he heavy contrasting red on black, but on top of the red alignment aid, is a white line too. With alignment being of total importance to get  a ball started on line, this putter gets it done best.

The face is balanced so if you have a piston-style stroke, you're going to find a lot of forgiveness and with the White Hinge face, the ball rolls end over end very quickly, in a way previous inserts have not by imparting more top spin on the ball.

But what attracted a lot of people to the Rossie in all it's iterations is that it's always been a COMPACT mallet instead of one of a massive one. The compact design makes you feel like you're hitting a blade but with the weight and heft of a mallet. 

Remember these three things when you're playing on slow greens:

1. It's not your fault  - When you play on slow bumpy greens, you're going to miss some putts to start with but don't blame yourself too much. The ball can hop all over and depending on the grain of the grass it can affect the amount of break and whether the ball bounces around or not. Just realize that it's not going to all go your way and so...
2. Putt for less break and hit it harder - Under-reading your putts is a good idea on slow greens since they break less. Hit the putt firmer on your line and trust the stroke. The harder 'hit' will make the ball move faster, removing a lot of the break you think is there.
3. Hit short putts firm, don't baby them in - This one takes a major leap of faith and confidence in yourself. On putts inside 5 feet, pick your line, usually inside the hole and hit it firm so it slams the back of the cup. You might miss one out of ten and it will be a disaster with 6 foot back again, but you'll make 9 out of 10 and walk off with a lot more pars.
4. Slow greens are difficult because of the long swing you need to make to get the ball all the way to the hole. A lot more can go wrong.
5. Practice as much as you can to get used to the pace of the green. Double check with someone from the course if the practice green is similar to the course. Often the practice green is slower or faster than the course greens.

For faster greens, I say lighter putters. For slower greens, I say heavier putters. 

The problem we have when we look at pro's is they are playing putters given to them by sponsors.

They have no real choice in the matter so if someone is using a TaylorMade Spider on the tour on lightning fast greens, it's because they're sponsored by TaylorMade.

But what you may not know is that TaylorMade and other manufacturers will create putters specifically for the pro's to match their requirements so the weight and setup are completely different to the putters you see in the stores. 

For us mere mortals, I just cannot see how a lighter putter benefits us. It creates a longer stroke, creating more ability to make an error. Heavier putters will make a shorter stroke for more consistent results overall especially on short putts on slow greens.

Do slow or fast greens break more?

Slow greens break less than fast greens.

When you play on a slow green, the ball must be hit harder, therefore it skims over a lot of the break.

If you play on fast greens, you have to hit it softer, making it roll slower for longer which means it can take more of the slope and turn much more. 

Is it more difficult to putt on slow greens?

It depends what you're used to.

I find that slow greens are really difficult to putt on because they are usually unpredictable because the grass blades are longer and more variable. A fast green usually has compacted grass, cut really tight which means the ball rolls very pure and reliably with predictability.

Slow greens are good for beginners though so they can hit it firmer and worry less about hitting it too hard.

As you get better at golf, you will find that you prefer faster greens.

Greens are not inherently 'slow' or 'fast'. They are that way because of maintenance and conditioning and manicuring.

If the course is maintained and manicured well, the greens can be very true and quick. Slow greens are usually longer blades of grass either because there is no money to maintain good pure fast greens, or there is a lot of traffic so the groundskeeper needs to keep the greens shaggy to protect them from being trodden to death.

I hope the mini-guide and reviews above helped you find a decent putter for slow greens.

I've gamed Cleveland putters numerous times and when I played off a scratch handicap, I was playing with a Cleveland. I highly recommend them.

Fast greens are scary. One and two footers look like 10 footers when you're low on confidence. You start seeing 6 inches of break on a 1 foot putt! Lag putts turn into guaranteed three putts in your head as you walk up to the green. No more my guy, no more

We're going to run through everything you need to know about putting on fast greens and which are the best putters for fast greens. The green is the easiest place to pick up or slash some strokes so let's get down to business. 

Ping have made a forgiving blade putter but any putter in their new 2021 range is worth a try. They've put a steel weight in the heel and tungsten in the toe to make it easier to square the face up and start the ball on the right line. Alignmeent aids that Ping used have made this putter so easy to line up and when I stand over the ball with it, I feel like the putter is always lined up correctly.

The new inserts have shallow grooves in the a lot like the EVNROLL style of putter which I used to play. I have always been a fan of the grooves in the putter face or at least a milled putter face. The grooves help to increase forgiveness on off center hits. The ball still gets near the hole, though usually short. The insert Ping has used is new and also makes the putter face feel very soft and effortless.

Scotty Cameron needs no introduction. This is the brand Tiger has relied on for years. It's simply superb. With EVNROLL and Bettinardi in the market now, there are some competitors but Scotty remains the leader in premium putters.

I have putted a lot of Scotty's in my life but was never really convinced by them until I tried this Newport 2 model. It's equally on the same level as the EVNROLL putter lower on this page. 

The craftsmanship, feel, look and consistent roll of the Scotty is what makes it so good. 

In this video on my Youtube channel, I used this very putter. I've tried out a lot of EVNROLL putters and when I do move away from Cleveland putters, and feel it is warranted, EVNROLL will be my first choice.

The ER1.2 I used made it so easy to get the pace right on the very fast greens at Horizon Hills golf course. All I could think was "this is sex in your hands".

What EVNROLL get so right with all their putters is the look. It looks so professional and so crisp. The satin look is calming and the sharp clean lines of the putter make it feel sturdy and ready to deal one-putts. You feel like a boss just standing over the ball. Thats 80% of the battle won.

When you do take the putter back, it feels sinful. It actually feels like the putter has cheats enabled. You take it back and it stays where you want it and when you stroke the ball on the follow through, your instincts immediately know how much power to give it. 

I have never felt putters as good as this. I know it all sounds over the top, but this is the best putter brand out there right now.

The top of the putter has a new alignment aid which was missing in the initial models of the Spider. It was solid on top with a dark line running down the center. These new Spider X models have a white 'Y' shape on the top of the club with a black line running through it. 

With the weights on the outside, you can control the balance. of the putter to suit your stroke. The insert has been improved with 45° grooves for a better roll as well as a improved sound.

A more compact head makes this putter more accessible to a wider range of golfers. The prior generations had much larger, bulkier heads which swayed a lot in the back stroke. With a bit of nipping and tucking, Taylormade has produced a putter that remains stable on the take away and suits both a straight back and through stroke as well as a slightly arced stroke. 

Usually we consider a green to be fast if the stimpmeter reading is 10 or more. Above 11.5 on the stimp meter and we start calling the greens, glass!

How to putt on fast greens

Fast greens are intimidating but there are some hints and tricks to remember when putting on slick surfaces. Here's a quick guide: 

Add more break to what you can see

In other words, never under-read the greens, always add another couple of inches of break.

Always try have an uphill putt

If you're chipping, try chip it to a place below the hole. If you know the greens on the course, aim to be below the hole even if you're further from the pin. Downhill putts on fast greens are even quicker and produce even more break!

Hit downhill putts off the toe of the putter 

I grew up playing on greens 12 or 13 on the stimp all week. When I had a downhiller, I just took the same stroke and hit it off the dead weight of the toe. Works like a charm.

On short putts, DO NOT LIFT YOUR HEAD 

You should never actually see a short putt go in the hole with your eyes. You should only ever HEAR them. Just trust your line, jam it and listen for the rattle of the ball in the bottom of the cup. I promise you will make more putts. Trust that you align correctly with your putter and make your stroke with confidence. 

On short putts, take less break and hit it firmer

This goes hand in hand with number 4, because if you hit it firm and miss a 3 footer, you can have a 6 footer back. Keep your head down, trust the line and try slam the ball into the back edge of the hole. You don't want to baby short putts into the hole on fast greens.

Personally I prefer lighter putters but it makes no difference on fast greens as you can tell by what people use on the pro tour. Yes they are pro's but some are using blades, and some are using massive sledgehammers on the same greens.

Heavier putters work well on fast greens because you only need a short back stroke to get the ball moving. But the lighter putter also works because it just feels more nimble in your hands like a magic wand. The thing you need to be aware of with the bigger putter heads is often they are high MOI putters that allow a very soft stroke but generate easy pace on the ball because of the design where the energy comes form behind the face.

I will always use a lighter putter on speedy greens and recommend the same for others. 

The choice is yours really but here are putters I believe work on fast greens. Always remember to mark your ball with a golf ball marker which is cool too. You don't want to be left out. 

I hope this guide helped you to find a putter to cure your woes. I played on fast Bent grass greens for a long period and found the best putters were easily the heavier mallets and I drained a ton of putts with them. Short putts on fast greens with a mallet putter is like taking candy from a baby.

The Launcher XL Lite is a great addition to the long line of lightweight Cleveland drivers. There are multiple loft options including a higher lofted 12 degrees, providing a higher launch with medium amount of spin. A lightweight head coupled with the shaft mean you can generate more club head speed which translates into longer carry. 

With the lightness and the deeper face of the driver, which is a Cleveland hallmark, most golfers notice a higher ball flight, needing less rollout to actually obtain any distance. The bonded hosel and lightweight shaft being this driver in at a whopping 12.5 lighter than the standard Launcher XL.  

After having played with three Cleveland drivers in my life, their offerings are always near the top of my list to check out. Their drivers always look totally clean on the crown and this one is equally beautiful with a simple alignment aid and matte finish. 

With the Launcher XL it's all about ease of use. You won't be able to adjust the loft of the driver, nor are there any weights to move around. 9° 10.5° and a 12° option are all available and with a 90 mph swing, the 9° can be excluded from the selection. Like all Cleveland clubs, they won't be as hyped as TaylorMade or Callaway but this driver is the business and will work if you are a slower swinger. 

The Wilson D9 has a very tall dominating face and setting up to the ball, it looks like a Cleveland of old. Classic shape and tall face with a massive sweet spot. Definitely in the sleeper category, not many guys will know about this driver and at this price, it's a best kept secret. 

It's the best looking driver that Wilson have designed for years. I think it looks like a Titleist TSi1 which is a stunner of a club.

The club is light and by light, I mean REALLY light. That might not appeal to everyone but it can definitely help pick up an extra couple mph in your swing. If you're hovering around 85 mph, this little beauty can bring you up to 90 mph and give you a few yards more off the tee.

If you find the big brands do not fit your style or budget, the D9 is comparable in every way besides brand-recognition. The flight is easy to launch and with the correct loft, you'll find forgiveness and distance with the Wilson D9 golf driver. 

In every group of golfers there is always a PING man and then there are the guys who haven't tried them. What the PING men will all attest to is just how easy it is to hit a PING. They may not be the most used on Tour but they're certainly a mainstay of amateur golf for decades.

Steve who can be seen in the Golf Sidekick videos on Youtube, just purchased himself a G425 Max and is hitting the ball better than ever with this driver. It replaced his G400 which he left in a car park leaning against his car.

It's a simple looking golf driver with simple colors and the shape is very classic-looking. A nice long and tall face with a tear drop shaped head. They've changed the color from a black to a lighter black almost dark grey color. 

The ball genuinely flies higher than most other drivers with its high launch properties. PINGs are renowned for the high and penetrating ball flight giving guys a lot more carry to get over more hazards and bunkers more confidently. 

At address, the crown is a pretty matte finish but there are a few kind of spike looking things on top. They are not entirely distracting and do help with alignment but if you prefer a very clean crown, this one might not be to your liking. 

There is a weight at the back of the sole to move around for different shot shapes. The hosel is also able to be moved around to increase or decrease loft depending on how low or high you would like to hit the ball.

Overall, a game-changer. Simply the best driver out there for 90 mph swingers who hit it too low. I can stand behind a recommendation for any golfer to try a PING. 

The STEALTH caused a massive buzz in the equipment world due to its RED carbon face and (outlandish) ball speed claims. What's not up for debate is that TaylorMade consistently produce some of the best drivers with every new release and the STEALTH is no exception. 

The HD model is one of the first TaylorMade drivers targeted at the slower swinger and those struggling with a slice. The carbon face is 40% lighter and lot and shaft options make it easy to find you perfect combination. 

Pro Mo on my channel is a STEALTH convert after playing Callway for years. He is meticulous with his equipment so if he's gaming something oyu can be sure that it's the best out there on the market in terms of performance. 

The club really is a head turner on the course. The red face is a talking point and the sound of the face is supreme, as you expect from TaylorMade. The TaylorMade STEALTH HD comes in 9°, 10.5° and 12° lofts and can add a new dimension to your tee game. Adjust the loft and you have a driver that can be 12.5° and 14° drivers if you please. There are no complicated set ups, just pick it up and smash.

Everything about this driver is geared toward maximizing swing speed. The shaft is light, the head is light and the face is forgiving. In the Air X range, there is also a draw model with an offset shaft. This will help you to correct a slice.

The best part of this range that Cobra releases is that these clubs are just dead simple to hit. They come in 9.5 and 10.5 degree options. That may sound a bit low, but the tall face and large footprint of the driver helps to get that ball way up in the air.

Brian, from the Golf Sidekick Youtube channel used to play with the older model of this driver to learn to hit driver. He struggled a lot with standard drivers but after playing this one, he learned and then moved onto the Cobra Speedzone and eventually a G410. That's the power of using a simple driver like the Cobra Air X. You get confidence to hit the ball solid, then upgrade when you stripe the pipe. 

Teaski, my sister, also enjoys her Cobra Air X but hers is in the women's clubs. The idea is the same though. Light and fun, easy to hit with a maximum forgiveness and high handsome ball flight. It's a no-brainer whenever someone wants a 'first nice driver'.

As a stickler for alignment aids not being distracting, this one is a perfect improvement on a Ping crown. The top of the club at address subtly helps to keep the club aimed where you want to go. 

The ultralight construction is designed to give you more speed in the downswing but what it also does is give you the feeling of not needing to hit the ball so hard because it is just so light. This gives you rhythm and with rhythm, you increase swing speed sub-consciously. 

The Big Bertha is a famous name in golf. It was one of the first "proper" drivers of the modern golf era and changed the way clubs were made forever. The new Big Bertha replaces the excellent B21 driver and has great options of 9, 10.5 and 12.5 degrees available. If you're a low hitter, or a slicer, this is a great golf club for you.

Exactly like Callaway’s headliner model drivers, the Big Bertha driver has the famous Jailbreak bars behind the clubface for increased ball speeds at your swing speed. The face was designed using AI (artificial intelligence) so you know you're getting the best new technology on the market. 

The head shape is more triangular, being long from face to the back . The look at address is always confidence-building  as the club looks as though it can cover the ball and drive energy from behind. There's a built in draw-bias in the clubhead so the club reduces the distance loss from big slices. 

The grip and shaft have been selected especially for more forgiveness and distance. The driver is a result of deep research by Callaway into how higher handicappers actually hit their driver. This investigation led to the Big Bertha design to help these golfers, usually slower swing speeds, to get the ball higher, further, longer, more fun.

Your swing speed at around 90 mph (85-95mph) perfectly fits a REGULAR driver shaft. If you play a regular shaft, your tee shots will fly straighter and longer more often without the wild slices.

Stiff shafts will produce a low ball flight and a lot of slices. A softer than regular shaft can cause shots to fly left and right at random. I suggest you get a driver with a REGULAR shaft.

If however, you have a very quick rhythm to your swing but your swing speed is still around 90 mph, there is a newer shaft introduced in the golfing world called SR - STIFF REGULAR. It is uncertain if this shaft is only available in Asia or in the USA but it is fantastic if you have a fast, jerky kind of swing to be able to actually give you more rhythm with a bit more stiffness.

You can take your game to the next level with a professional fitting if you find nothing seems to work. You can pick your favorite club online and take it to the club fitter and he'll install a shaft more appropriate for your exact swing. 

The correct golf shaft in your driver remains the single best investment you can make in your long game. 

The best driver loft for a 90 mph swing speed is 11 to 13 degrees of loft because the additional loft makes the club much more forgiving and far more accurate. Increased launch angle also means you'll get more carry on your drives for more distance. 

9 to 10 degree drivers are better for faster swings. The extra speed allows the ball to launch high despite the lower loft. 

Increased loft is more forgiving in every golf club. Ego stops most golfers from using higher lofted drivers because none of the pros do. 

Many golfers install shafts that play too stiff for a 90 mph swing speed, and shafts that are too long for their height.

Be honest with yourself and look at your shot-shape. Do you feel under control of your ball shape? Does it curve erratically? Do you slice every drive?

You may need a regular flex, a lighter shaft or somethign in between. You should get checked by a fitter who can advise you. 

Paired with the right golf ball, modern drivers can add significant yardage to your long game. Some guys even notice 20 yard gains. Below are the best drivers for a 90 mph swing speed.

Some drivers are also adjustable so you can change the loft of the club yourself and become your own club fitter. It all depends on how much you want to tinker.

It's important for me to note: I DO NOT advocate for drivers that adjust to infinite amount of settings. I don't mind perhaps a fixed interchangeable weight plate or the ability to adjust the loft up or down, but sliding weights and infinite settings is a surefire way to doubt yourself all the way round the course when you hit them offline.

What golf ball is best if I have a 90 mph swing speed?

If you want more distance, use a a ball that is firmer and has more rollout. They are much cheaper and durable. You will need to factor in the extra rollout on your approach shots. 

You need spin to shape your shots sometimes and eventually you may want to look at some good golf balls for 85-90 mph swing speeds to take advantage of some urethane balls. 

What swing speed requires a stiff shaft?

A stiff shaft is recommended for swing speeds between 95-105 mph. 

If you’re not sure what your swing speed is, you can test it at a Trackman bay or a fitting studio inside a store. You should warm up before hand and remember not to try CRUSH every ball. You want a good representation of your playing swing speed, so you can always be sure that you select a shaft that works well at all times, not only on your good days. 

Best shaft for 90 mph golf swing

The best shaft for 90 mph swing speed is a regular graphite shaft preferably a Tour AD shaft. The exact model of these shafts depends on your swing tempo and a fitter can provide full information on each model.

With so many drivers out there to choose from that are designed for you with a 90 mph swing speed, you almost can't make a bad decision.

The main aspect you must love about your driver is the look and feel. If you can accomplish that, then the rest is semantics. 

You don't need to splurge an insane amount of money to hit the ball well. You don't even need the latest year models to enjoy your tee game.

Cleveland have even gone as far as to offer three different bounce options. I like the High Bounce for most golfers. Low bounce wedges are really for skilled players or guys playing off firm ground most of the season. High Bounce wedges will hit the ground or sand and bounce off, propelling the ball high and with a lot of spin. The LB & SB tend to dig into the ground and produce inconsistent results unless you're super grooved.

Like all good looking things we love, this club can be less forgiving. That is why I recommend it for low to mid handicappers especially the high bounce option. If you do want to try them out and you're unsure of which bounce to try, get the HB first and if that really isn't for you, try the SB. It's all about trial and error.

The Hi Toe 3 Taylormade wedge is truly unique in the category.

Cleveland is the foremost name in golf wedges and the new iteration of the RTX is another fantastic wedge for the mid handicapper. Since most of us (84%) use cavity back irons, it makes sense to extend the set with cavity back wedges for feel and consistency and the RTX-3 cavity back irons fit nicely into you set.

• In other words this wedge will blend perfectly into your irons but still feel like a specialist wedge. 

Cleveland make the best wedges on the planet and this is no different. The best choice for mid handicappers and average golfers. 

Conclusion: Extreme forgiveness and spin in a club which looks like a specialist wedge. 

Recommendation: Just try one. You’ll thank me. 

The S wedge comes in 58° which in my eyes is ideal for a sand wedge - like a love child of a sand wedge and a lob wedge. There's massive bounce in the Smart Sole making every wedge shot something you look forward to. It's so difficult to make a mess of a pitch or bunker shot, they're practically fool-proof.

Here's where this thing shines. You'll never fear sand again.

So simple: Line up to the target. Don't manipulate the club face like you do with a normal sand wedge. Swing and hit the sand behind the ball. That's all! The club will do the rest. Is this a miracle club? I don't believe there are any, but yes this is the exception. Practice a little with this thing and you'll get out of the bunkers first time every time.

The Wilson wedge is often the one that gets you hooked. You play one, and you keep it for a long long long time. 

Decoration and looks are secondary on these wedge as they are very minimalist in the bag when you look at them. I like that. It's just a wedge and it does its job very well.

Most wedge manufacturers produce wedges in the following lofts:

50°  52°  54°  56°  58°  60°  64°
There is no wrong choice, it all depends on the carry distance number you want to hit.

Select your wedge manufacturer and try buy 2, 3 or 4 wedges from the same range/manufacturer so there is consistency throughout the wedge set. Similar feel and distance gapping from the same range of wedges will give you more confidence on approach shots. It is more consistent when you use the same manufacturers clubs.

How to select the correct wedge loft

Loft gapping

What's you distance with the pitching wedge on a full shot? What's the next wedges distance? What's the next wedges distance after that? Find out the distances and find the biggest gap to fill. 

For example, if your PW goes 110 yards, and your SW goes 85 yards. You need a shot that goes 95 or 100 yards. Whatever loft club produces that number for you, that's the wedge to get. 

Bounce of the wedge

You get low and high bounce wedges. Low bounce wedges do not bounce off the turf as much when you hit the ground. The high bounce wedges bounce off the turf a lot. The bounce in degrees is usually stamped somewhere on the club head. 

Simple rule of thumb for low and high bounce wedges:

• Low bounce wedges play best on hard fairways and tight lies where the grass is trimmed close to the ground or the soil is firm. Low bounce is from 6-10 degrees.
• High bounce wedges are preferred in soft ground, wet ground and fluffy sand bunkers. High bounce is 10-15 degrees. 

So if you play in soggy, wet, soft turf conditions with fluffy sand bunkers, you will be happy with a sand wedge with 14 degrees of bounce.

If you play in firm, dusty, clay, tight grass conditions and harder, compact bunkers, you want a sand wedge with 8 or 10 degrees of bounce.

Take those new wedges and go to the range. Waste half a bucket or even a full bucket on just hitting your wedges. Practice at the chipping green for an hour at a time. Chip in the garden or over your house. 

Within a couple of months you'll drop your score by at least 4 strokes with a decent set of wedges and a 2 or 3 hours of practice a week. Guaranteed.

What is a Gap/Approach Wedge?

There's usually gap of between 8 and 12 degrees between the PW and SW which causes a big distance gap between those two wedges - a Gap wedge fills that distance gap. The Gap Wedge can be bought separately to help you hit a distance between the PW and SW distance. 

That is why we call this a gap wedge - it fills the gap between the pitching wedge and the sand wedge. Easy. 

Currently I have an A wedge (approach wedge) which is another name for a gap wedge. It's 51 degrees and fits the gap perfectly between my PW and SW.