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Why Are Some Golf Clubs Called Woods?

random golf clubs
random golf clubs

There are many different types of golf clubs out there to choose from, and they each have a specific name. One of these club types is called the wood, also known as a fairway wood. Woods are golf clubs that can send the ball flying over far distances, but where does the term “woods” come from in golf?

The etymology of the term “woods” in golf not being blatantly obvious to most people, you may wonder: why are some golf clubs called Woods?

In this article, we will tell you exactly why some golf clubs are called Woods.

Why Are Some Golf Clubs Called Woods?

Certain golf clubs are called Woods because they were literally made of wood many years ago. After metal-based golf clubs gained in popularity, all golf clubs started being manufactured with metal, but the names of each golf club type, such as Woods, remained.

If you play or watch golf, you may certainly have noticed that some golf clubs are called “Woods”, despite not incorporating any visible wood in their construction.

Why is this?

In fact, back in the day, decades ago, golf clubs were made out of wood. In fact, you may know about Woods type clubs, such as the 2-Wood and the 3-Wood, but what you may not know is that the driver is the 1-Wood club.

These golf clubs used to be made out of trees such as Persimmon trees, Hazel trees, Ash trees and Hickory trees. Hickory wood is very strong and shock-resistant, making it a prime material for golf clubs of the past. The other woods used also had good mechanical properties.

The “Woods” type golf clubs used to be called “Longnose Woods”, due to their long club heads. However, in the recent decades, golf club manufacturers experimented by using different materials to build golf clubs, such as metals, plastics, and composites.

Overtime, the popularity of wooden golf clubs slowly declined, and they are almost impossible to find nowadays. If you are still interested in playing wooden golf clubs, you may however still be able to order some custom ones from artisans and craftsmen.

Nowadays, most golf clubs are made from metals such as steel, and composite materials. These materials are more durable and can bend like a bow to release extra energy. Partially for this reason, golfers are increasing their carry distance as the decades go by.

With the change of material, “Longnose Woods” also lost their long nose, which changed their name to a blander “Woods”. Modern day Woods look dramatically different from “Longnose Woods” of the past.

Now that “Woods” type golf clubs are no longer made out of wood, and replaced with metal ones, they still retain their name. “Woods” are called this way because of their past of being made out of wood.

Therefore, if certain golf clubs are still called “Woods” nowadays, it is by tradition and to remember the heritage and origin of golf clubs being made from wood.

Conclusion

There you go! After reading this article, you have discovered exactly why some golf clubs are referred to as woods. You now know the etymology behind the golf term “Woods”.

Did the origin of the term “Woods” surprise you? Do you use fairway woods in your golf bag? Let us know in the comments down below!

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Why Do All Professional Golfers Wear Hats? – Explained!

hat for head laying on table
hat for head laying on table

Every time you turn on the television to watch some professional golf, all players seem to have one thing in common: a hat on their head. It seems like every single professional golfer hat is always wearing a hat!

If you noticed just how many professional golfers are wearing hats during tournaments, you may wonder: Why do all professional golfers always wear hats?

In this article, we will explain to you exactly why all professional golfers seem to always be wearing a hat.

Why Do All Professional Golfers Wear Hats?

Professional golfers always seem to be wearing a hat during tournaments because golf brands pay professional golfers large sums for them to wear their branded hat. Golf hats also have major golfing performance and health benefits that make them worth being worn.

Whenever you turn on the television to watch professional golf, or attend a tournament in person, one thing may shock you: all the players seem to be wearing hats, even when it is not really sunny out. Why?

There are many reasons why a player would want to wear a golf hat, especially if it is sunny. There are also reasons to wear a hat in cloudy weather. In the next section below, you can read exactly what these reasons are.

3 Reasons Why All Professional Golfers Wear Hats

Down below, you can read the 3 main reasons why all professional golfers seem to always be wearing a golf hat on.

1. Sponsors & Advertisement Money

One of the main reasons so many professional golfers wear a hat is because it pays to be a pro golfer with a hat on. In fact, golf brands all around the world, like TaylorMade and Nike Golf, pay large sums of many to players to wear a hat with their brand on it.

These golf brands largely benefit from the publicity generated by the masses seeing their logo on the hats of their favorite golfers.

This creates brand loyalty between these companies and the masses, as they want to buy the same gear their favorite professional golfer wears and endorses. A portion of these people then eventually buys gear from a certain brand, which increases that company’s revenue.

For example, Tiger Woods, even though he is no longer really active in golf, is paid 10-20M$ per year by Nike Golf to wear and endorse their gear.

Tiger Woods’ name carries huge weight, as so many young players want to play like and look like him, making them buy Nike when they go buy equipment or apparel.

It is common for the best golfers to make more money from their sponsorships than from their tournament earnings, which is why they always show up with a golf hat on. Would you wear a hat when you play golf to double or maybe 10x your salary? The pros would.

2. Better Golfing Performance

Another important reason why so many golfers always seem to be wearing a golf hat is because a hat improves their golfing performance. If you would like to know the details of a hat’s performance benefits, you can read our article : 9 Reasons To Wear A Hat In Golf.

The golfing performance benefits wearing a golf hat confers you include protection from the sun’s glare in your eyes and from sweat in your eyes. These two elements can easily irritate your eyes and negatively impact your performance and frustration levels.

Furthermore, if you have long hair, wearing a golf hat will hold it, preventing it from wagging around in the wind, or from blocking your view and tickling your face.

In addition, if it is very hot outside, the heat the sun emanates can start to cook your head and your brain, leading to headaches and dizziness, which are no good for great golfing performance. A hat acts as a heat barrier between the sun and your head.

Finally, wearing a golf hat reduces your field of view, thanks to the brim, which helps golfers block out distractions and focus on the shot to play. This distraction-blocking effect is similar to the effect of the eye blinders horses are made to wear.

3. Health Protection

The final major reason why golfers always seem to wear a hat is because a hat provides protection against many health risks.

Although the sun’s rays hitting human skin is great for Vitamin D, there can be too much of a good thing. Excessive prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause face wrinkles, sunburns, as well as skin cancer. For these reasons, wearing a hat in sunny conditions is very valuable.

In addition, especially if you have bright eyes, too much sunlight can damage your eye health. We only have one set of eyes, and they already experience enough strain with all the screens we look at in the 21st century. To protect your eye health, wearing a golf hat is useful.

After reading this section, you hopefully see how valuable wearing a golf hat can be for someone’s short and long term health. As golfers are outdoors a lot during the season, the value of wearing a golf hat is even larger than for a casual golfer.

Conclusion

There you go! After reading this article, you have learned exactly why all professional golfers seem to always have a hat on. It is definitely not only to protect from sunlight!

Sponsorships aside, do you think everyone should wear a hat when playing golf? Let us know in the comments down below!

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When Do You Have To Bring Back Rented Golf Carts? – Rules Explained

rented golf carts at golf club
rented golf carts at golf club

Renting golf carts is quite useful on golf courses, especially if you have a hard time walking. By renting a golf cart, you do not have to buy it yourself, saving you money if you do not play a lot for a long time.

On the other hand, when you rent someone else’s golf cart, there are rules and renting etiquette that should be followed to keep all parties happy and not disgruntled.

One of these rules you need to follow is bringing back the rented golf cart on time, which saves staff a lot of trouble. Therefore, if you plan on renting a golf cart at your golf course, you may wonder: when do you have to bring back rented golf carts?

In this article, we will tell you exactly when you have to bring back rented golf carts to organize yourself well and keep everyone happy.

When Do You Have To Bring Back Rented Golf Carts?

When you need to bring back rented golf carts at the clubhouse depends on the closing time set by your golf course. Many times, the closing time for golf carts is somewhere between 6pm and 8pm. The staff will usually tell you the closing time when you rent a cart, or you can ask them.

Bringing rented golf carts back at the right time is proper golf etiquette and important in order to be respectful to the staff of your golf course.

Not bringing rented golf carts back in timely fashion is extremely frustrating for golf course employees, stretches their work hours for the same pay, and can make them less happy and enjoyable to be around when they provide you services you benefit from.

The fact of the matter is that many golf course employees need to be at work very early, and wake up even earlier to have breakfast, shower, and all the other essentials.

Some golf course employees need to wake up at 4am or 5am, so you can see why they would rather not be forced to wait 30-60 minutes after closing time because some people do not follow rules and do not bring their rented golf carts in time. Everyone deserves their sleep.

Rented golf carts need to be brought back before closing time, which is almost always later during the day. If it is sundown, or dark outside, it may already be closing time. Ask the golf course staff when closing time is if you do not know, but they will generally tell you.

Even if you did not complete all 18 holes of your round, if it is closing time, you need to bring the rented golf cart back. Those are the rules. Past closing time, if you can still see the ball, you can often still play golf, but you need to walk.

If you cannot see what you are shooting at, odds that you are late, and need to bring the golf cart back.

On the other hand, using light-up golf balls to tell staff you can still see the ball past dark is flat out disrespectful. If you could not see where a regular golf ball travels in the air, then it is time to go. Be mindful of the staff waiting on you to go home so that they can go home themselves.

If you wait to long to bring back your rented golf carts, staff may start to get anxious and wonder if the rented carts were broken or stolen.

Not returning golf carts before closing time is also a liability for the golf course. Someone running loose with a rented golf cart at night can accidentally injure or kill someone, and the golf course can be sued for it.

Many golf course staff also mention that the times they have left their carts outside, they woke up to them on 4 concrete blocks, with the battery stolen. Golf cart batteries are expensive. In some cases, the entire cards must have been loaded up on a trailer and stolen.

Therefore, do not blame golf course staff is they tell you they need the golf carts back before closing time. You would require the same thing if you were the business owner or the staff of the golf course.

If you thought clubhouse employees get to go home directly after you bring in the carts, and that they are impatient, you are wrong. After you bring in the rented golf carts, they need to clean them, park them, and plug in the chargers to recharge the carts overnight.

This process takes considerable time as well.

Many golf courses have a closing time to bring the golf carts somewhere between 7pm and 8pm. Assuming it takes 30-60 minutes to store all the rented golf carts and plug them in, staff may not leave the course before 8pm or 9pm!

Considering they often need to be up somewhere between 4am and 6am…they are not getting that much sleep or free time. Now, imagine how they will feel if you bring back your rented golf cart 30-60 minutes late… Odds are that you would be frustrated in their shoes as well.

Finally, some golf courses will charge you a fee for bringing in the cart late. Some of these penalties are monetary, like a 1$ fee per minute past closing time if you brought the cart back late.

Therefore, you should try to bring the rented golf cart back in time for closing time every time you play. If by some sort of random accident or issue, you bring the cart back late, you could tip the staff a little bit.

Conclusion

There you go! After reading this article, you have learned exactly when you should bring back rented golf carts on golf courses.

Did you know this proper golf cart renting etiquette? Do you find golf carts useful on a golf course? Let us know in the comments down below!

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What Makes A Golf Club Illegal?

judge mallet
judge mallet

In the great game of golf, details are often what separates the winner of a tournament from the runner-ups. All around the world, professional golfers are trying to get every advantage possible over their opponents in order to increase their chances of winning.

However, it is possible to go overboard and use illegal methods to increase golfing performance. Those illegal methods including illegal golf clubs. Therefore, since illegal golf clubs are a rarely discussed topic, you may wonder: what makes a golf club illegal?

In this article, we will tell you exactly some of the elements that make a golf club illegal.

What Makes A Golf Club Illegal?

A golf club will be deemed illegal if it does not conform to USGA and R&A regulations. Illegal golf clubs have non-conform dimensions, volumes, shapes, coefficients of restitution, and more. Examples of illegal golf club include clubs longer than 48 inches, clubs with molded grips, a sanded club face, and more.

An illegal golf club is a golf club that does not respect the regulations created by the USGA & the R&A.

Down below are rulings concerning the different parts of the golf club in order to make it legal.

Golf Club Shaft

A regulated golf club characteristic is the geometry of the golf club. For starters, the length of the golf club shaft needs to be between 18 inches and 48 inches. This rule does not apply to putters.

The golf club shaft needs to be relatively straight along its length. If the shaft is too bent or not straight enough, it will be an illegal golf club.

A highly regulated element of golf clubs is called the Coefficient of Restitution (abbreviated COR). The coefficient of restitution determines how effective the golf club shaft is at transferring the energy stored in it when it bends back to the ball.

A higher coefficient of restitution means that the golf club will be more effective at transferring energy back to the golf ball. For example, a golf club with a COR = 0.75 will be more performant than a club with a COR = 0.60. The coefficient of restitution needs to remain within acceptable ranges to be deemed legal.

Golf Grips

When it comes to the golf grip, it needs to be straight and fixed to the shaft. It cannot incorporate any ridges or be molded in order to better fit hands or fingers.

The grip for all clubs except the putter must be circular in cross-section, except for the possibility of a straight, continuous, slightly raised rib along the full length of the grip, or a slightly indented spiral.

The putter’s grip can be noncircular in cross section, as long as the cross section has no concavity, is symmetrical, and stays relatively similar throughout the length of the grip.

For all clubs, the grip can be a bit tapered, but it should not have any bulges (marked convexity) or waists (significant concavity). The cross section of the grip, measured in any direction, cannot be larger than 1.75 inches.

For clubs other than the putter, the grip axis must coincide with the golf club’s shaft axis.

A putter golf club can have two grips installed if they are both circular in cross section and their axes coincide with the golf club shaft’s axis.

Golf Club Head

In general, the club head needs to have a plain shape, rigid, and all parts needs to be functional in nature, not decorative. A golf club head cannot have holes through the face, through the head, features only existing to meet dimensional requirements.

A golf club head also cannot have features extending in or out of the club head face, nor features that extend a lot above the top of the head. A golf club head also cannot have electronic or optical devices installed onto it.

An example of an illegal golf club is a golf club that has many little studs on the club face instead of grooves. These many tiny studs gave the golf ball an incredible amount of spin, giving players an unfair advantage in some situations.

An other element of a golf club that would make it illegal is if the golf club head has a volume that goes outside of the acceptable range. For example, a driver club head cannot be larger than 460 cubic centimeters.

If a driver club head is larger than 460 cubic centimeters, in order to gain more carry distance, it will be deemed illegal. Getting caught with one of these golf clubs in a professional setting will lead to penalties.

The golf club head needs to fit in a 5” x 5” x 5” box.

The sole to crown height of a golf club cannot exceed 2.8 inches, and the heel-to-toe length must be longer than the face-to-back distance. Without this, you would have an odd looking golf club that would not look much like a golf club anymore.

The angle between the golf club shaft and a vertical line coming out of the club head must be 10 or more degrees. The angle between the shaft and the club head, viewed from the toe of the head, must not be more than 10 degrees behind the club head nor more than 20 degrees in front of the club head.

The bottom of the golf club’s heel should be contained within a radius of 0.625 inches around the shaft’s center. This rule does not apply to putters.

The club head needs to be attached to the shaft in a specific way for the golf club to be legal for tournament use. The shaft needs to be attached to the heel of the club head through either a socket or single plain neck. This rule does not apply to putters, as the shaft can be attached anywhere to the head.

When it comes to Woods and Irons specifically, you cannot have cavities in the outline of the heel or toe of the club head that can be viewed from above. You also cannot have significant or multiple cavities in the outline of the back of the club head that can be viewed from above.

Still for Woods and Irons, you cannot have transparent material in the club head to make a non-conform feature become conform. You also cannot have features that extend beyond the outlines of the club head when viewed from above.

General Rules

Another thing to note is that if your golf club breaks during play, you can still use it. Furthermore, playing with more than 14 golf clubs in your bag is also illegal, and will get you severe score penalties if you are caught during a tournament.

On the other hand, if you purposely modify the characteristics of your golf club, be it by damaging it, making adjustments to the loft, and more, then you are no longer allowed to use that club for the remainder of the round.

Changing settings on your clubs is like having more than 14 golf clubs in your bag. However, if you change the setting back to its original configuration as quickly as possible, you can use the club again without penalty.

It is also illegal to use a golf club on which you apply a substance to modify how it performs when hitting the golf ball. You can still clean your club though.

For even more information and additional rulings about golf club legality, you can read the USGA’s equipment conformity guidelines here.

Conclusion

There you go! After reading this article, you have discovered exactly some of the elements that can make a golf club illegal. If you are caught playing in a sanctioned and serious golf tournament using one of these clubs, you can expect some large penalties!

Would you ever risk using an illegal golf club? Have you before? Let us know in the comments down below!

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What Is The Average Carry Distance For Each Golf Club Type?

carry distance
carry distance

In the great game of golf, we use 14 golf clubs, each with their own characteristics. One of these characteristics is the carry distance of each club, which depends on both the club type, and you as a golfer.
Therefore, knowing there are 14 clubs in golf, you may wonder: what is the average carry distance for each golf club type?
In this article, we will tell you exactly the average carry distance for each golf club type, including for drivers, irons, and more.

What Is The Average Carry Distance For Each Golf Club Type?

The average carry distances for a somewhat experienced adult male golfer are: driver: 250 yards; 3-Wood: 225 yards; 3-Iron: 200 yards; 4-Iron: 190 yards; 5-Iron: 180 yards; 6-Iron: 165 yards; 7-Iron: 150 yards; 8-Iron: 140 yards; 9-Iron: 130 yards; Pitching Wedge: 115 yards; Putter: 15 yards.

Carry distance in golf is defined as how far you can shoot a golf ball from one point to the point where it stops. Carry distance is usually measured in golf.

Every golf club type we use, including the driver, irons, woods, and more, has special characteristics that make it best suited for a specific situation. This is the reason why we can carry up to 14 golf clubs in our golf bag. These characteristics have a huge influence on carry distance in golf.

Therefore, it should come with no surprise that a decent golfer can get a larger carry distance by hitting a golf ball with a driver than with a putter.

The carry distance of your golf clubs will depend on various factors, such as your strength, how much power you can generate, the club head speed, how good your technique is, and the type of golf club you choose.

This goes to show that average carry distances are probably not the carry distances you will personally hit around.

Average carry distances are just a random benchmark that you should not focus too much on. Instead, you should focus on improving the carry distances that you typically average with each club type.

Nevertheless, seeing a sample of average carry distances with different club types can give you an idea of the difference in yardage to expect from one club to the next.

Therefore, down below, you can see average carry distance numbers for different golf clubs. These figures assume you perform full swings with power.

Note: these carry distances are sampled from somewhat experienced adult men. If you are elderly, female, a child/teen, or inexperienced at golf, you should expect lower benchmarks.

Golf Club TypeCarry Distance (yards)
Driver230-270
3-Wood195-250
2-Hybrid190-235
5-Wood175-195
3-Iron175-225
4-Iron165-210
5-Iron155-200
6-Iron145-185
7-Iron130-175
8-Iron120-160
9-Iron110-150
Pitching Wedge100-135
52 Degree Wedge75-110
56 Degree Wedge65-90
Putter10-15
Average Carry Distance For Various Golf Club Types

Remember that the statistics in the chart above are unlikely to directly reflect where you should be at in your golf journey. Becoming a good golfer is a long road that takes many years before you can reach or surpass the numbers in this chart.

To illustrate this, note that many professional male golfers carry the golf ball with a driver way past 300 yards. How ever, their average is just a little below 300 yards with a driver, which is not that much better than the upper echelon in the chart above.

If you manage to consistently use the driver to hit golf balls past 200 yards, you are already becoming pretty decent at golf.

Another note on why you should not compare yourself with the pros: there is a video online of Joe Miller, Long Drive champion, using a putter to tee off the golf ball. How far did he hit it? 50 yards? 80 yards? 100 yards? No, he drove the ball 306 yards. With a putter.

Instead of comparing yourself with pros or the chart above, compare your previous carry distances to your next shots in order to know if you are making good progress. Focus on beating yourself rather than beating this chart, and you will beat this chart a lot faster.

There are a few other golf club types in existence not mentioned in the chart above, but you can estimate their expected carry distance based on similar clubs. Furthermore, you can check out the manufacturers’ website to find more useful information.

You may also notice that the numbers of numbered golf clubs within a single type (woods, irons, etc) do correlate with their carry distance. The lower the number, the higher carry distance.

For example, a 3-Iron will have a much larger carry distance than a 9-Iron, assuming you hit both shots with correct and similar swing technique. This is due to many elements in the construction of the clubs, including shaft length, shaft flex, and loft.

Conclusion

There you go! After reading this article, you discovered the average carry distances of each type of golf club. Use this knowledge to your advantage to know which club to select based on how far you are from the flag!

Over time, as you practice, you will get a better idea of exactly how far your carry distance really is, as we have given you average distances in this guide, and yours may vary. You can also improve your carry distance over time if you practice hard and smart.

Do you know your own carry distances? How far do you hit your driver? Let us know in the comments down below!

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What Does It Mean When Your Golf Tee Flies Forward?

golf tee
golf tee

Picture this. You are on the tee box, you wind up and unleash a blazing driver shot, you look down, and notice your tee landed far away in front of you! Is this bad? What does this mean?

If you have seen your tee land far in front of you before, you may wonder: what does it mean when your golf tee flies forward?

In this article, we will tell you exactly what it means when your golf tee flies forwards, as well as why it does this.

What Does It Mean When Your Golf Tee Flies Forward?

Hitting your tee and seeing it fly forward is common. It simply means you hit the tee forward, loosening the turf at the base of the tee, releasing the tee from the ground and letting it fly out forwards. Alternatively, you may be hitting the ball too high on the face of your club.

You may find yourself somewhat perplexed if, after taking a golf shot, your tee ends up landing more than 10 feet in front of you. You hit the ball, no? You were not aiming for the tee.

So, what gives? How is it possible that your golf tee flies out so far ahead of you?

The answer is simpler than you may think, and it is explained by rudimentary physics.

In fact, after you hit the golf ball, you likely caught part of the tee with your swing.

As you hit the tee, energy is transferred to the tee anchored in the ground, moving it forwards like a pendulum. The forward pendulum motions loosens up the turf, often enough to release the tee from the ground and send it flying.

If the tee has forward motion when it loosens up the turf enough to release it, then the tee will fly out forwards in front of you, sometimes further than you would expect.

On the other hand, if the tee does not loosen up the turf enough immediately, it may bounce back off the turf and the tee can fly backwards behind you.

The direction the tee flies in depends on when the turf loosens up enough to release the tee from the ground.

How far the tee travels in front of you can depend on a multitude of factors, including how hard you swing and hit the tee. A faster swinger will send a tee flying a lot further than a slow swinger, provided they hit the tee on the same part of the tee.

If you often hit the tee very far forward, then it may mean that you are hitting the ball too high on your club face. Naturally, this means that lowering your tee height may help you hit the golf ball more square, allowing you to deliver more power to the golf ball and less power to the tee.

In fact, if you use a high tee height configuration, your tee will be relatively less anchored into the ground, making it easy for it to fly out of the ground upon impact. A high tee height also means that you are more likely to hit a big portion of the tee.

This phenomenon of the tee ending up in front of you after your shot is very common. It is generally best to not pay much attention to where your tees land, as there is some randomness to it. It is a lot better to focus on executing correct golf swing technique.

Is It Bad If My Tee Ends Up In Front Of Me After My Shot?

No, it is irrelevant whether your tee ends up in front of you or behind you after your golf shot. Whether or not your tee ends up in front of you or behind you is somewhat random and should not be viewed as a performance factor. Your tee will end up in front of you most of the time.

You may think you are doing something bad if your tee ends up a few feet in front of you, but rest assured, this says almost nothing about your swing.

However, if your tee is ends up very far in front of you, it may be that you hit the ball too high on your golf club head face. This means you hit the tee more than you hit the ball, hence why there was enough force transfer to send the tee so far in front of you.

Assuming you are hitting the golf ball square, whether or not the tee ends up in front of you is simply a matter of how deep and tight it is secured into the ground, and how much force gets transferred to the tee.

You could reproduce the same exact swing twice and have the tee fly forward (sometimes backwards) at random distances, depending on where you take your shot from, the lie, the moistness of the turf, and so many other factors.

The bottom line is that you should absolutely not worry if your golf tee ends up a bit in front of you. In fact, most golfers tend to have their tee land a bit in front of them on average.

It is completely irrelevant whether your tee lands in front barely in front of you and is no indication about how good or bad your technique is. Instead, focus on your golf swing if you wish to improve at golf.

Conclusion

There you go! After reading this article, you have discovered exactly why your golf tee may end up flying forwards in front of you sometimes after a shot.

The answer is simple and based in physics. You hit the tee forward, which loosens up the turf and releases the tee flying with forward momentum, landing the tee in front of you.

Do you find this phenomenon interesting? How often does your tee end up in front of you? Let us know in the comments down below!

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What Does It Mean When Your Golf Tee Flies Backward?

golf tee
golf tee

Picture this. You are on the tee box, you wind up and unleash a blazing driver shot, but you turn around, and notice your tee 5 to 10 feet behind you! How is this possible? The ball clearly shot forward like a rocket!

If you are wondering how it is possible that the tee ends up behind you after your shot, you may wonder: what does it mean when your golf tee flies backward?

In this article, we will tell you exactly what it means when your golf tee flies backwards, as well as why it does this.

What Does It Mean When Your Golf Tee Flies Backward?

There is no cause for concern if your tee flies backward and ends up behind you. It simply means you hit the tee forward, loosening the turf at the base of the tee before it bounces off the turf in front of the tee, making the tee recoil backwards and fly out of the ground.

You may find yourself extremely perplexed if, after taking a golf shot, your tee ends up behind you. In some cases, your tee may end up more than 10 feet behind you, despite you clearly hitting it and the ball forward!

So, what gives? How is it possible that your golf tee ends up behind you, flying backwards after you hit it?

The answer is simpler than you may think, and it is explained by rudimentary physics.

In fact, after you hit the golf ball and golf tee, the tee is forced forward sometimes and hits the ground forward of the tee. Due to the strong force the golf club transmits to the tee, the turf will loosen up at the base of the tee to allow it to move forward.

After you hit it, the tee will hit the ground forward with significant force, creating a bounce effect the other way. Thus, the tee bounces off the ground in front of it, changing the direction of its momentum from forwards to backwards.

If the turf loosened up enough while the tee went down forward, the tee will sometimes fly out the ground backwards as it bounces back. With backwards momentum and no turf tight enough to hold it in, the turf will fly out backwards and end up behind you!

To help you better understand, we can alternatively say that the tee is originally anchored to the turf at the bottom of the tee, and pretend it is moving forward and backwards in a periodic motion, bouncing off the turf both in front and back of the tee.

At some point, the tee will come out of the ground, as the turf gets loosened up by the periodic motion back and forth. The time at which the tee comes out of the ground will seem random, as our swings vary greatly from one to the next, as well as the selected tee height.

If the tee exits the ground as it is moving forward, it will fly out of the ground forwards. If the tee exits the ground as it is moving backwards, after bouncing off the turf in front of it, it will fly out backwards and end up behind you.

This phenomenon of the tee ending up behind you after your shot may happen more often if you use a low tee height to setup your shots. A lower tee height can give the tee enough anchoring into the ground to not directly fly out until after it bounces off the turf in front of it.

Is It Bad If My Tee Ends Up Behind Me After My Shot?

No, it is irrelevant whether your tee ends up behind you or in front of you after your golf shot. Whether or not your tee ends up behind you or in front of you is somewhat random and should not be viewed as a performance factor. It is best to not pay attention to where your tee lands.

You may think you are doing something bad if your tee ends up landing behind you, despite hitting the golf ball forward, but rest assured, this says nothing about your swing.

Whether or not the tee ends up behind you is simply a matter of how deep and tight it is secured into the ground, and how much force gets transferred to the tee.

You could reproduce the same exact swing twice and have the tee randomly bounce forward or backwards, depending on where you take your shot from, the lie, the moistness of the turf, and so many other factors.

The bottom line is that you should absolutely not worry if your golf tee ends up behind you. It is completely irrelevant and is no indication about how good or bad your technique is.

Conclusion

There you go! After reading this article, you have discovered exactly why your golf tee may end up flying backwards behind you sometimes after a shot. The answer is simple and based in physics. The tee hits the ground forward and recoils back the other way and flies backwards.

Do you find this phenomenon interesting? How often does your tee end up behind you? Let us know in the comments down below!

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How Should You Set Your Golf Ball Up For A Driver Shot?

golf tee height
golf tee height

Everyone who plays golf will use the driver at some point, but are you using your driver correctly? Are you inserting your tee into the ground at the correct depth, leaving just enough tee protruding from ground.

If you are unsure how much of your tee should be sticking out the ground, you may wonder: how should you set your golf ball up for a driver shot?

In this article, we will tell you exactly how you should set up your golf ball for a driver shot, how much your tee should stick out, and the tee height used by most golfers around the world.

How Should You Set Your Golf Ball Up For A Driver Shot?

The standard way to know how to set up your golf ball and tee height for a driver shot is to place your driver head on the ground, and drive the tee into the ground until half the golf ball sitting on the tee is above the driver head. You can go for a lower or higher tee height based on your preferences.

Knowing how to set up your golf ball and tee height for a driver shot is very simple.

We all know that your golf ball goes on top of the tee after inserting the tee into the ground, but how deep should you insert the tee into the turf?

The standard “fits-most-people” trick to knowing how deep to insert the tee is to first place the driver head on the ground. Then, start inserting the tee in the ground with the ball on top of it. When only half the golf ball is still above the driver head, you reached the standard tee height.

From this tee height, with half the ball over the driver head, most people will feel most comfortable driving the golf ball.

However, humans have a lot of differences between each other, including height, arm length, flexibility, swing style, and more. These differences mean that some people feel more comfortable with a different tee height, either higher or lower than the standard tee height.

Depending on your height, flexibility etc., you may prefer a lower tee height, meaning a configuration in which the tee is inserted deeper in the ground. If this is you, you can try inserting the tee until the entire golf ball is just under the top of the driver head.

A lower tee height can be good for players with a more vertical swing style as opposed to a standard swing path style with more rotation.

If you notice you have a lot of nicks on the top of your driver head, it means you are hitting the ball too low. Lowering your tee height can help you hit the ball more square.

If you lower the tee height, the ball will be lower, and so will be the nicks on your driver head, meaning you are hitting more balls with the sweet spot of your clubs, dead in the center of the club face.

Finally, some people prefer a higher tee height configuration. Some people like their tee to protrude out of the ground as high as the tee will permit. A higher tee height will make it easier to scoop the golf ball upwards to give it the best projectile launch angle of around 45 degrees.

A higher tee also allows good golfers to generate more spin on the golf ball, which can give the golf ball a decent boost in carry distance. Many professional golfers like to use a higher tee height, but many casual players find it easier to drive a golf ball straight with a standard tee height.

How Do Most Golfers Set Up Their Ball When Using A Driver?

Most golfers in the world (72%) use a standard tee height (half the ball over the driver head) to drive the golf ball. 17% of golfers prefer a lower tee height with the entire golf ball below the driver head. Finally, 11% of golfers prefer other tee height configurations.

How do most golfers set up their ball and tee height before teeing off with a driver? There are multiple tee height configurations you can choose from.

The standard way to know how deep your tee should be in the ground is to place your driver head on the ground, and insert the tee into the ground until only half the golf ball is over the driver head.

Other golfers prefer the tee to be a little lower, meaning deeper in the ground, while some golfers like a higher tee in order to generate more ball spin.

Down below, we have prepared an infographic so that you can visually see the percentage of golfers in the world who like each tee height configurations.

ideal tee height for golf drivers
Statistics Of Golf Tee Heights Of Golfers Around The World

As you can see on the infographic, most golfers, 72% of them, prefer the standard tee height with only half the golf ball located above the driver head on the ground.

Next, 17% of golfers like their tee height to be a little lower, more penetrated into the ground. This can be a good configuration if you have a steeper swing with less rotation. If you notice you have a lot of nicks on the top of your driver, going for a lower tee height may help you.

Finally, 11% of golfers, the minority, prefer other tee height configurations, such as a higher tee height that helps some golfers add more spin to their drives in order to increase carry distance.

Conclusion

There you go! After reading this article, you learned exactly how to set up your golf ball for a driver shot. You also learned the preferences of many players around the world for their golf ball set up.

What is your preferred golf ball setup to drive the ball? Do you even use a tee? Do you prefer a high tee, or a low tee? Let us know in the comments below!

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Are Golf Courses Mowed? – Golf Course Mowing Process

lawn mower on big golf course
lawn mower on big golf course

Golf courses are huge plots of turf and land, and one can imagine how long mowing it might take. Do golf clubs even bother to mow their courses?

If the golf courses are not mowed, then how do clubs maintain the grass height? Do they use chemicals?

In this article, we will explain to you exactly the reasons whether golf courses are mowed, as well as how the quality and height of grass is maintained.

Are Golf Courses Mowed?

Yes, golf courses are mowed using mowers and rollers. The frequency of golf course grass maintenance is typically 5 to 7 times a week for active golf courses. The rough on a golf course is mowed much less frequently than intended playing surfaces such as the putting green and the fairway.

Yes, golf courses are frequently mowed in order to maintain the turf height and grass health. In addition to being mowed, golf courses are also rolled using machines known as rollers.

These rollers are machines that flatten the short, mowed blades of grass, encouraging them to grow vertically. A short, vertically-growing turf is good for golf performance because it means the ball will meet the same friction resistance no matter the direction it travels in.

Depending on the possibility due to geographical location, golf courses try to use a special strain of grass that is thick and grows upwards. One of these special types of grass is called bent grass, but it cannot grow everywhere in the world.

Different types of grass need to be mowed differently for optimal results.

Mowing the turf on a golf course allows for control of grass blade height, better golf speed on turf, and finally, gives the turf the best aesthetic possible. If you have been on a well-maintained golf course before, you know that putting green grass is a work of art.

Generally, the more you mowing and rolling a golf course is treated to, the better the turf quality and golf ball performance. However, there are situations in which the former is not true.

For example, if the grass is in a bad condition (e.g. dry, withering, etc.), then mowing is avoided. The golf course maintenance staff will instead let the grass grow back healthy.

You have probably seen some closed-off sections on a golf course before; many of these are to give damaged grass a chance to restore itself.

Bad turf condition can result from many factors, such as extreme temperatures, both warm and cold, pest infestation, heavy golf carts on the turf, and more.

When Is A Golf Course Mowed?

A golf course is generally mowed in the afternoon rather than in the morning to do the interference of morning dew that wets the turf. A golf course is typically mowed 5 to 7 times a week in well-maintained golf clubs.

An interesting point to mention is that mowing in the afternoon is often preferred instead of in the morning, even though that may impede on the play of golfers. Why is it better to mow in the afternoon?

In the morning, the grass experiences morning dew, meaning it produces water droplets that make it wet. A wet grass is not ideal for mowing for many reasons, including the fact that wet grass sticks together, which can clog up lawn mowers.

Wet grass is also more of a pain than dry grass to empty from lawn mower receptacles. Over the course of mowing an entire golf course, there is a lot of lawn mower receptacle emptying to do. In the afternoon, the grass generally has had time to dry, making it more pleasant and efficient to mow.

Sometimes, golf courses are also mowed during play, while golfers are using the holes. If at the beginning of a timeslot, there may be mowers starting from the final holes and moving their way up to eventually meet the golfers.

These mowers that are active while players play simply get out of the way when they see you, as they are human operated. You might feel like they are following you like sharks, mowing behind you, but they simply do not want to get hit by your balls.

If you see a lawn mower operator driving in your shooting line, make sure to alert him with wide gestures, as many operators wear noise-cancelling earmuffs to protect their ears from the rumbling of the lawn mower engine.

Since golf courses are often mowed 5-7 times a week, it is common to find lawn mowers in operation while players are on the turf. Note that the rough sections of a golf course are mowed less often, as they are not as critical to play as intended playing surfaces.

What Equipment Is Used To Mow A Golf Course?

Both special lawn mowers and turf rollers are used to mow and maintain the turf on a golf course. Golf clubs often own multiple tens of mowers and rollers. Golf course mowers and rollers can each cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to 70,000$. Needless to say, the equipment required to mow a golf course is expensive.

To mow and maintain the turf on a golf course, 2 main categories of equipment are used: lawn mowers and lawn rollers.

Lawn mowers simply cut the grass to the desired vertical height. On the other hand, lawn rollers compress the turf to flatten it and promote vertical grass growth rather than diagonal.

The vertical grass growth is desirable as it induces the same friction forces against the golf ball no matters its direction of travel.

Among lawn mowers and rollers, there are many different subtypes.

For example, some lawn mowers feature grass cutters in the front of the vehicle, while some have their grass cutters dragged behind the vehicle. Some lawn mowers are not vehicles at all, pushed integrally by a human, but these are more suitable for small areas like the putting green.

Lawn mowers for golf courses vary widely in terms of how big they are. For example, a fairway lawn mower is a big lawn mower that needs to cut a wide surface quickly, so it possesses a relatively powerful engine.

These fairway lawn mowers are so big and powerful that operators require a seat belt in order to not be ejected and risk getting shredded by the lawn mowers.

There also exist new, state-of-the-art lawn mowers that are semi-autonomous, relying on GPS technology and human control from a distance to cut the turf without breaking a sweat.

As artificial intelligence develops itself further, you will one day see golf course lawn mowers that are completely unmanned. However, as of now, letting big lawn mowers with sharp shredders run loose without human supervision near vulnerable golfers is not feasible nor a good idea.

The lawn mowers and lawn rollers used by golf courses to cut and maintain the turf can be very expensive. Each mower and roller can cost from a few hundred dollars, up to 70,000$ per piece (e.g. for a big premium fairway mower).

In terms of the speed of the golf course mowing process, it may seem obvious to you that the more staff and the more equipment you use, the faster you can mow a golf course. Unfortunately, more speed comes with extra costs.

Over the course of a year, a golf course can easily spend tens of thousands of dollars per year in mowing-related costs, to pay staff and new equipment. It is frequent for golf clubs to expend 50,000$ a year for turf maintenance.

Conclusion

There you go! After reading his article, you have discovered the reasons whether golf courses are mowed. You have also learned the methods used to control the length and quality of turf, as well as the types of equipment used.

How long do you think it would take you to mow an entire golf course alone? Could you do it in one day? Let us know in the comments down below!

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What Is The Best Golf Club Length For Your Height? – Charts Included!

ruler
ruler

When playing golf, using the optimal club length for your height can be a game changer. In fact, imagine you are using a club shaft that is 2 meters long; it is obvious it will be challenging to use and that you will have the wrong club lie.

Using a golf club shaft that is too long or too short will have incredibly negative effects on your shots, your balance, power, and accuracy. Aspiring to be the best golfer you possibly can, you may wonder: what is the best golf club length for your height?

In this article, we will tell you exactly what the best golf club length for your height is.

What Is The Best Golf Club Length For Your Height?

The best golf club length for you will depend a lot on your height. Although standard golf clubs come in sizes adequate for average sized people, you can change the length of your golf clubs, either yourself, or through fitting, in order to get the best length for your height. For each 3 inches away from average height, you should add or remove 0.5 inches of club length.

It is crucial that you get the right size of golf clubs for your height, not too long, nor too short. Without the right length of golf clubs, you will damage your golfing performance, and potentially even develop back pain.

If you are of average height, you are lucky, as the standard-sized golf clubs you can buy off the rack will already be the correct length for you.

If you are very tall or very short, you will need to change the length of your golf clubs. You can either figure out the correct height yourself by reading this guide, or sign up to get golf club fitting. Golf club fitting is the most expensive, but headache-free way to get clubs that fit you.

Golf clubs typically are only available in 2 main standard lengths, average male size, and average male size. The women’s size can vary from one manufacturer to another, but it tends to be 1 inch shorter than male clubs.

If you are taller or shorter than the average male or female, you need to add or remove shaft length from your golf clubs.

You can shorten a golf club with a Dremel rotary tool or a different type of sawing tool, after removing the grip. You can also extend the length of a golf club by replacing the shaft with a longer shaft, or by adding golf shaft extenders, little bits that plug into your clubs to extend them.

Golf shaft extenders exist for both steel shafts and graphite shafts.

It is important to note that the material of your golf club shaft does affect the shaft length, as steel shafts are generally half an inch shorter than graphite shafts.

Finally, on top of choosing the appropriate golf club length, you should choose the correct golf club flex. To find out the best golf club shaft flex for you, check out our guide: What Golf Shaft Flex Should I Use?

Down below is a chart with how many inches a man needs to add or remove from his golf clubs, depending on his height:

Male HeightInches To Add/Remove
4’7-5’Remove 2”
5’1-5’3Remove 1.5”
5’3-5’6Remove 1”
5’6-5’9Remove 0.5”
5’9-6’Standard Size – No Cutting Or Extending
6’-6’3Add 0.5”
6’3-6’6Add 1”
6’6-7’Add 1.5”
7’-7’4Add 2”
Recommended Shaft Length Modifier VS Male Height

Down below is a chart with how many inches a woman likely needs to add or remove from her golf clubs, depending on her height, although a true women’s standard size can vary from one manufacturer to another:

Female HeightInches To Add/Remove
4’7-5’Remove 1”
5’1-5’3Remove 0.5”
5’3-5’6’Standard Size – No Cutting Or Extending
5’6-5’9Add 0.5”
5’9-6’Add 1”
6’-6’3Add 1.5”
6’6-7’Add 2”
Recommended Shaft Length Modifier VS Female Height

Down below is a list of the standard golf club sizes for both women and men:

Golf ClubWomen’s Standard SizeMen’s Standard Size
Driver44”45”
1-Wood43”44”
3-Wood42”43”
5-Wood41”42”
2-Iron39”40”
3-Iron38.5”39.5”
4-Iron38”39”
5-Iron37.5”38.5”
6-Iron37”38”
7-Iron36.5”37.5”
8-Iron36”37”
9-Iron35.5”36.5”
Pitching Wedge35”36”
Sand Wedge35”36”
Putter33”34”
Standard Steel Golf Club Lengths For Men and Women

Note: the measurements mentioned in the chart above are for steel shafts. Add 0.5” to each measurement to get the measurements for graphite shafts.

How Do You Measure Golf Club Length?

To measure the length of your golf club, set it on the ground, as if you were about to play a shot. The heel of the club head may be up in the air, but measure the distance between right below the grip cap, down the shaft, and do not stop measuring until you hit the ground; this is the golf club shaft length.

To measure the length of a golf club, start by placing the club head flat on the ground, as if you were about to play a shot.

Measure the golf club from right below the grip cap, down the shaft in a straight line until you reach the ground. This means you may measure past the physical golf club head, but you still add that small distance to the measurement.

According to your height, you can use the shaft length-to-height chart to see if you are using the correct length of golf clubs.

Some golf club length charts take both your height and wrist-to-floor measurement as inputs to determine ideal golf club shaft length.

Height is simply measured from head to toes in a vertical measurement, while you are standing on a hard surface. Standing on turf to measure height can give a bad measurement because turf is soft and can sink.

To measure wrist to floor distance, stand on a hard surface, and keep your arms relaxed at each side of you. Measure the distance between where your hand meets your wrist and the floor. It will be easier to measure if someone else measures for you.

You can check out the chart down below to get a different take on the ideal golf club shaft length, according to male height and wrist-to-floor measurements:

recommended shaft length modifications for golf clubs based on height and wrist to floor measurement
Ideal Golf Club Shaft Length Modifiers VS Height & Wrist-To-Floor Measurements

Conclusion

There you go! After reading this article, you have learned what the best golf club length for your height is.

Use this knowledge to choose the best golf club length for you! Alternatively, to save yourself the headache of figuring the best golf club length, you can pay for golf club fitting (custom analysis of your body and technique to design the best club parameters for you).

How tall are you? Did you notice a difference in your golfing performance depending on your golf club shaft length? Let us know in the comments down below!