Educate yourself on all aspects of club design including lie angle to help make an informed decision
Buying new golf clubs is exciting, but it can be confusing. Dozens of companies offer hundreds of choices, and many players find themselves baffled and frustrated about what to choose.

Fear not. There is a blueprint for determining what clubs are best suited to your game and your game-improvement goals. The vast majority of recreational golfers can improve their game and enjoyment level simply by changing/upgrading equipment.

Get fitted

Before buying clubs, participate in a custom-fitting session. Most custom-fitting professionals charge a modest fee for the session, $40–$60. It’s well worth the price tag and equally as advantageous as a golf lesson. If you do buy clubs from the fitter, the fee is deducted from the purchase price.

During the fitting, you’ll learn about club components, how they affect your game and what component specifications are best for you. A good fitting takes 60- 90 minutes, and it’s a real eye-opener for most players.

What's under the hood?

Garnering knowledge of club components and how each component can affect your game, is also critical to selecting the right clubs. Here are some basics:

Club length relates to shot trajectory, distance and accuracy. Length is measured in small increments. Not all players are best-served by a standard-length club, and the recent trend by manufacturers is to make clubs longer for added shot distance.

The longer arch of the swing produces more clubhead speed, but longer clubs are more difficult to square at impact. This affects accuracy and consistency. The general rule is to find the club length that produces good distance coupled with consistency shots.

• Grip size directly affects feel and performance. A poorly sized grip can cause a player to grip the club too tightly, thus tensing arm and neck muscles. This adversely affects flexibility, fluidity of the swing and the power a player can generate.

  Players who constantly slice the ball might consider a smaller grip to allow the hands to become more active so the clubhead squares at impact earlier. The reverse is true if you hook the ball. Increase grip size. Check out new grips from Lamkin, Golf Pride and Winn.

• Shaft flex is one of the least understood specifications and one of the most important. Most golfers play with shafts that are too stiff while others play shafts not suited to their game because of the general flex labeling system (L–ladies, S or A–senior, R–regular, X or S–stiff, XS–extra stiff) used industrywide. Each label encompasses a broad range that also varies between companies.

  Try a couple of shafts. You’ll know instantly which is best for you. The right shaft will produce desired ball flight and allow you to hit good shots more consistently.

  Shaft material also makes a difference. Steel is generally more consistent than graphite, which is lighter and can increase clubhead speed for greater distance. True Temper just introduced the BiMatrix, graphite/steel combo shafts for woods which offers the playability benefits of both materials. Dual-material shafts also are available in the new Adams GT irons.

  Lie angle is the angle between the shaft centerline and the sole of a club in its playing position. Lie angle, which greatly affects ball flight, is measured in degrees and is referred to as standard, flat or upright.

  Clubs with too flat a lie angle cause shots that travel to the right. A lie angle that’s too upright causes shots left of the target. A proper lie angle, different for each person, allows shots to travel straight. Today, most clubs are designed with a more upright lie angle because most people slice the ball.

  Test drive

  Don’t buy clubs before trying them out. Most manufacturers, shops and retailers offer demo clubs or conduct demo days. When you head to the range, don’t just start slinging golf balls. Focus on making good swings, so you give the clubs a fair test. And look at all the options: compare brands, compare different shaft flexes in the same club and test steel shafts against graphite shafts.

Good Luck!