Hosel - What is it and Why Should I Care?

The part that connects the shaft to the club head is called the “hosel.” The word is a variation on the word “hose,” and refers to the hollow cylinder shape. The shape of the hosel near the club face determines offset, which can help to cure certain swing problems.

Offset

A curved hosel that moves the face of the club a little behind the shaft makes it contact the ball later in your swing. By giving you more time to square the face, this can help reduce a tendency to slice.

Moment of Inertia

Moment of Inertia is a fancy phrase that describes how forgiving a club face is. If there is a relatively large sweet spot, then the club has a high moment of inertia. We’ll talk more about this concept when we discuss blades and cavity backed irons on the next few pages.

Grooves

The grooves on the clubface have two functions. One, they allow moisture to disperse to the sides so that it does not interfere with the friction between the club face and the ball. Two, they create friction by allowing the face to “bite” into the ball, improving the rate of spin. The grooves on professional golfers’ clubs are regulated by the USGA, so there is not too much difference between one set of irons and another.

The Sole

The wide bottom part of the clubhead is called the “sole.” On irons, the front edge of the sole should cut through the turf easily, while the flat bottom should help the club glide through impact without twisting or catching.

Loft, or Face Angle, and Spin

You no doubt know that the steeper the angle of the face, the higher and shorter the ball should go. When the face strikes the ball, the ball actually deforms and compresses against the face, which allows the grooves to really bite into the ball and impart spin. It is said that a ball struck by a wood or a long iron spins at around 3,500 rpm, while a ball struck by a short iron can spin as fast as 7,000 rpm! That’s why a good golfer can create backspin to control the landing of his or her approach shots.

Some golf salespeople try to sell you on loft and lie. While it is absolutely true that the lie angle of your club should fit you correctly, the loft actually refers to the face angle. We believe that there is no good reason for 99% of golfers to be concerned about changing the loft of their clubs. If you need more loft, choose the next higher number club from your bag. If you need less loft, choose the next lower number club. Go on to this page to learn how the grip of your club can affect your game!