By Giuseppe Mathis
 Golf clubs have come a long way from the earliest days when roughly hewn branches many have used to knock around stones or wooden balls. You may have found, to your dismay that your young son practicing the same trick with rocks and stones, only with your new high tech, very expensive set of golf clubs.
Early golf clubs were almost certainly made entirely of wood with the club head and shaft being made of different types, glued together a bound in twine. Hazel and ash were used for the shaft wile apple, beech; blackthorn and pear were popular for the head of the golf club, whether it was used for driving fairway or approach play.
These clubs were satisfactory for use with the "feathery" golf balls but when the "gutty" golf balls arrived in the mid nineteenth century it put a strain on those golf clubs. Towards the end of the nineteenth century the golf club started to look very different, as an alterative
wood hickory was used for the golf club shafts, and iron heads were developed to withstand the battering of the "gutty", as well as to gain extra difference. It was also realized that golfing clubs with different lefts could be used for different shots, and top players began carrying nine or ten clubs, as opposed to three or four.
While the wooden clubs could meet the demands of the "gutty" golf balls of the times, they could not stand up the "Haskell" golf ball, and it was necessary to find new material for the golf club heads. The North American wood persimmon was discovered to be more than ideal for the choice of golf club shafts, but to prevent damage ivory or bone inserts were added to the clubface of the golfing clubs.
After World War I, hickory was in short supply, and it became necessary to seek an alternative material for golf club shafts. Manufacturers turned to steel, and so the steel shafted golf club was born. By the 1920's golf club manufacturers had moved out of the hand of individual craftsman and the mass production of golf clubs was in full swing.
Golfing club sets now consisted of 14 golf clubs and for the first time, golf players and sportsmen could buy a complete set of clubs that matched each other in style and design.
The steel shafted golf clubs gave extra length and more control to the golf shot, yet manufactures were still taking advantage of constantly improving technology to develop golf club design. Laminated plastic and then light aluminum replaced persimmon for use in club heads and graphite and titanium golf club shafts were developed to enable more movement to the club head through the ball. "Cavity-back" clubs ( irons with the cavity hollowed out of the back of the club head) were also designed and introduced for golfers to give a more exact center of gravity , to provide the golfer with a greater relationship with his clubs.
Computerized technology is now helping to advance the design of the golf club more and more today. Golfers - both professional and amateur benefit on the links with golf equipment that makes their golf game ever easier and more enjoyable. Golf is a hard enough game. Why handicap yourself with poor or inadequate golf clubs.
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Tips on Correcting Your Golf Swing
By Giuseppe Mathis
 Hold it Right - Without doubt, the golf grip is perhaps the single greatest challenge faced by the casual golfer. Your grip is your only point of contact with the club and unless you get it right you will be sorely challenged to improve your game. Yes! Proper Hand set-up is crucial for your stroke.
Proper Positioning - Firstly, you must ensure the club grip is ahead of the ball with the club grip initially in alignment with your leading hip. If you are a right-handed golfer, the left will be your leading hip. Switch if you are a leftie. This positioning will ensure that the angle of the iron face is optimal for contact with the ball and for transference of the maximum amount of energy on impact. Grip more with Your Fingers - Proper positioning will also allow you to grip more with your fingers than with the palm of your hand. Your result will be less tension, especially at the upper end of your swing arc. If you avoid the common mistake of griping the club too much in the palm of your hand, you will have much more power in your stroke. Power strokes come from relaxed muscles and by gripping more with the fingers you will enjoy more dexterity in controlling the club and more refinement in your feel.
The More Relaxed the Better - Sometimes, when we are anxious about a shot, we can squeeze just that little bit too hard. Tension is insidious and before you know, it can creep up your arms and into your shoulders. Unhappily, this can result in the overuse of certain muscles and the overall action of your swing is not as relaxed or effective. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the hardest you can comfortably grip, aim for a normal grip pressure of about 5 or 6. A more relaxed grip will give you a faster club head speed on impact and you can look forward to enjoying those awesome long drives A Yoga Trick for You - You can more easily maintain a state of focused relaxation by taking long slow deep breaths as you set up. Breathe in and out through your nose with the tip of your tongue pressed against the roof of your mouth (a yoga trick). This automatically cultivates your body's natural relaxation response and you will be surprised at how much greater ease you enjoy in your swing.
Choose Your Grip Type - In order of popularity, there are 3 common grip types: Overlapping, Interlocking, and Ten Finger (a.k.a. the baseball grip).
** In the overlapping grip, you place the little finger of your trailing hand between the index and second finger of your lead hand. Rest the lead hand thumb in the lifeline of the trailing hand.
** With the interlocking grip, hook the little finger of your the trailing hand under and around the index finger on the lead hand. Tuck the lead hand thumb in the lifeline of the trailing hand.
** The ten finger grip is as it sounds, with 10 fingers in perfect contact with the handle. Grip the club with the lead hand and position your trailing hand so that your little finger is right smack against the index finger of the lead hand. Tuck the lead hand thumb under the lifeline of the trailing hand.
Listen to Your Body - Everyone's different, so you should experiment, to find the most effective grip-type for you. You should always seek optimal comfort and listen to the natural intelligence of your own body when discovering what's best for you. No mater which grip type you prefer, watch that the V.s of both hands (formed by the index finger and the thumb) point between the chin and the right shoulder. If you look down at your grip, the knuckles of the index and middle finger of your lead hand should be clearly visible. Finally, check that your grip is properly aligned with the clubface and rotate the shaft to make any necessary corrections.
Good Wrist Action - is the automatic result of a good grip. Your wrists can move in two directions during the golf swing. Forward/ backward motion in the direction of the swing is known as "breaking". "Hinging" refers to the upwards/downwards motion. Your goal is to eliminate breaking at all costs and to naturally create the proper hinging action as a result of proper grip. It's simple! If you ensure the back of your lead hand remains flat with respect to the back of your leading forearm, the proper hinging action will effortlessly and automatically result.
A Great Foundation - Your grip is your foundation to a great game of golf. So remember to position your club correctly and start with the club grip ahead of the ball. Cultivate a relaxed feel in your grip and enjoy the natural "chill" response from breathing properly. Choose the grip type that's right for you. Watch your Vs and enjoy effortlessly good wrist action. Remember, your game is all about fun and relaxation and with these simple pointers you can look forward to many days of enhanced driving pleasure on the fairway.
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