Lesson on Golf Club Terminology & Definitions(part one)

Nov. 22, 2010 - PRLog -- Golf has lots of jargon and it can be confusing.

Alloy
Any combination of metals used to produce a club head or shaft. Alloys may contain aluminum, steel, beryllium, nickel, copper, titanium, or other metals in varying combinations. (Ping G15 Fairway Wood)Less than honest descriptions of products often have the term “alloy” in them to hide the fact that the product may only contain trace elements of the desired metal. For example, “titanium alloy” may actually contains 98% aluminum and only 2% titanium which may be used to confuse the consumer with “real titanium” that has high levels of titanium. Alloy is often a code word for substituting a cheap metal for an expensive metal.
Back Weight
A weight, usually tungsten, brass or aluminum attached to the back of a wooden, graphite or titanium wood head.(Ping G15 Irons) The back weight moves the center of gravity toward the back of the club to assist in getting the ball airborne.
Backspin
The backward rotation of a golf ball in flight around a horizontal axis as caused by the club hitting the ball. The more loft on a club, the greater the backspin. Certain finishes on a club face (e.g., milling, brass-blasting) can also increase backspin.
Balance Point
The point where a shaft’s weight is evenly distributed in both directions when rested on a single point.
Belly Putter
Type of putter that positions the grip against the player’s stomach in order to create a pendulum effect from a relatively stable pivot point. Most belly putters are about 40″ in length. Belly putters generally are available in several lengths to accommodate different bellies.
Bent (or Curved) Shaft
A shaft designed for use in no-hosel putters, featuring a bend or bends within 5″ from the shaft tip. The curved shaft creates offset and face balancing.
Beryllium Copper (BeCu)
An alloy used to produce heads for some irons. More dense than stainless and some players claim it has a softer feel. Beryllium heads are easily identified by their copper coloration.
Beta-Titanium
An alloy of Titanium both harder and heavier than typical cast titanium.
Big Butt Shaft
Any shaft with a butt size over .620″.
Bi-Metal
Describes club heads constructed from two different materials, for instance, a stainless steel club head with a brass sole insert or brass sole rails.
Bi-Matrix Shaft
Patented by True Temper, the BI-Matrix is a shaft that contains both graphite and steel. BI-Matrix wood shafts have a steel tip section, with the remainder being made of graphite. BI-Matrix irons have a graphite tip for feel, with the remainder of the shaft being steel for control.
Blade (or Face)
The striking face of an iron head.
Blade Style Head
Blades are also known as muscle-back irons due to a possible concentration of weight directly behind the center of the club face. Predominately used by very experienced golfers.
Boron
A high strength element added to some graphite shafts to increase tip strength. Boron shafts are more expensive. Since the mid 1990’s boron has become less common as the technology of manufacturing graphite shafts has improved their strength and reduced torque considerably.
Bounce
The measurement from the leading edge of the club face to the groundline. Wedges typically have the most bounce in a set of clubs. Bounce helps these clubs go through sand and high grass easily.
Bounce Angle
When looking at the sole of a wedge you will notice the trailing edge hangs beneath the leading edge. This angle in relation to the ground plane is called bounce angle.
Build-Up Tape
Masking tape applied to the butt end of the shaft to increase grip size. A single layer of masking tape (.005″ thick) will increase grip size approximately 1/64″.
Bulge
The curvature of the face of a wood or metal wood from heel to toe. Bulge helps give corrective spin to shots hit on the toe or heel of the wood face.
Butt (shaft butt)
The grip end of the shaft.
Butt Cap
The plastic or rubber cap at the top end of the grip. Also called the “End Cap.”
Camber
The radius measurement of the sole of a club. A sole can be cambered from toe to heel, or from front to back, or both.
Cavity Back
An iron head with the weight is distributed toward the perimeter of the head. Cavity back irons are easily identified by their recessed area on the back of the head.
Center of Gravity (CG)
The point in a club head where all of the points of balance intersect. The lower the CG, the higher the ball flight. Higher CG clubs produce lower ball flight.
Center-Shafted
Hosel configuration where the shaft enters the head toward the center. Most common in putters.
Chrome Plated Finish
High-luster, shiny finish electrostatically applied to forged irons and to steel shafts.
Component
Parts used to assemble golf clubs. The three primary components of a golf club are the head, shafts and grips. Other components include ferrules, labels, tape, and epoxy.
Compression
The hardness of a golf ball, identified by a number – a higher number indicates a ball that requires more force to compress it. Lower compression balls flatten more when hit. 100 would be a high compression golf ball, 80 would be a low compression golf ball.
Compression Molded
Manufacturing method for graphite heads and face inserts where layers of graphite are placed upon one another and heat cured to create a clubhead or insert.
Conforming Club
A golf club that conforms to standards set by the USGA.
Core (Grip)
Inside diameter measurement of a grip, which determines the size of the grip. Core size does not match shaft butt sizes. The standard core size for a man’s grip is .620″, for a lady is .590″, but both use the same shaft butt size.
Cover
Outside surface of a golf ball. The cover may be one of any number of materials, Surlyn and balata being most common.
Crown
The top of the head of a wood or metal wood. It’s what the golfer sees at address.
Cubic Centimeters (cc’s)
Measurement of the volume of a wood head.
Curved (or Bent) Shaft
A shaft designed for use in no-hosel putters, featuring a bend or bends within 5″ from the shaft tip. The curved shaft creates offset and face balancing.
Deep Face
A club face with higher than average distance from the sole of the club to the crown. Deep face clubs have a higher CG and launch the ball on a lower trajectory.
Diamond Face
A face coating containing fine diamond crystals to enhance backspin and face wear. Primarily used on wedges.
Die Cast
Injection of material into a pre-formed die to form club heads. This process is generally used on lower-priced heads such as zinc alloy irons and aluminum alloy woods. It is also commonly used on putters made from brass and zinc.
Driver
The club that used to hit the ball for the first shot on a par 4 or par 5 hole. The longest hitting club in the set. Drivers commonly have lofts between 7 and 12 degrees.

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