| Golfers have many options available to them | | | | cast irons can be made from either 431 or 17-4 |
| regarding club head materials. To a newcomer to | | | | grades. The 17-4 is slightly harder of the two. This |
| the game this can also be confusing on why one | | | | allows the 431 to be adjusted for loft or lie a little |
| would select one material over another. So, let us | | | | more easily, but other than that, there is no one |
| explain the difference in the materials and why | | | | greater advantage of one verses the other. |
| they might be used for the various golf clubs. | | | | Specialty Stainless Steel (Maraging Steel) |
| Titanium | | | | Another more recent addition to the number of |
| The use of titanium for golf clubs came from the | | | | materials used in golf club head manufacturing is |
| technology used in the aerospace industry. The | | | | maraging steel, which is an alloy or family of steel |
| first golf clubs made from titanium date back to | | | | with unique properties. Typically maraging steels |
| the early 1990's and quickly became the | | | | are harder than non-maraging steels like 431 or |
| materialof choice for driver heads due to the high | | | | 17-4 and used primarily for face inserts rather |
| strength-to-weight ratio. Titanium is lighter than | | | | than the whole head. A driver head can be |
| stainless steel and allows the designer to | | | | produced wholly from maraging steel, but there is |
| manufacturer a much larger club head that meets | | | | still a limit on the size of the head (roughly in the |
| the weight specifications of a normal driver. The | | | | low-300cc range). Plus the cost of the head would |
| strength of the material has increased durability | | | | not be that much less expensive than one made |
| for even the strongest golfers in the world. | | | | from titanium. |
| There are many different titanium alloys | | | | Since the maraging steels are harder, the face |
| (materials added to the raw titanium) to change | | | | insert can be made thinner than the normal |
| both the weightand strengths requirements. With | | | | stainless steel graded used in golf. As a result, the |
| driver heads reaching the maximum volume of | | | | ball coming off the face will have a slightly high ball |
| 460 cubic centimeters, the most common alloy is | | | | velocity upon impact. Maraging steels are more |
| 6/4 Titanium, by which 90% of the material is | | | | expensive to produce, therefore would be more |
| titanium, 6% is aluminum and 4% is vanadium. | | | | in the premium price range, which is the trade-off |
| There are many other alloys or grades of | | | | for the higher performance. |
| titanium (sometimes called Beta Titanium) such as | | | | Aluminum |
| 15-3-3-3, SP700, 10-2-3, etc. available to the club | | | | Aluminum is a much lighter material than stainless |
| designer. If the higher grade of titanium is used, | | | | steel. Early metal woods made from aluminum |
| then it is normally for the face material only and | | | | back in 1970's and 80's were not very strong or |
| not the entire head. | | | | durable. This caused these low cost club heads to |
| The United States Golf Association (USGA) and | | | | gain a bad reputation for easily scratching and |
| the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews | | | | denting that still carries over today. However, the |
| (R&A) - the two governing bodies in golf - | | | | aluminum alloys today are much better than those |
| established rules for how fast a ball can come off | | | | used in the past and the head sized can be made |
| of the club face of a driver. Most manufacturers | | | | to the maximum size for drivers (460cc) under |
| make drivers that go to this limit without | | | | the Rules of Golf. |
| exceeding it, so there really is no advantage of | | | | Heads manufactured from aluminum are much |
| one material over another. Typically, smaller | | | | lower in cost than even stainless steel, which |
| drivers (under 400cc) would utilize the higher cost | | | | makes these clubs more affordable and ideal in |
| beta titanium to increase how fast the ball comes | | | | woods of starter sets or junior sets. The only |
| off the face. But with clubs in the 460cc range, | | | | downside to the aluminum is that the walls have |
| standard 6/4 titanium will be sufficient material for | | | | to be made thicker as not to crack or cave in. |
| the maximum allowable ball speed. | | | | Therefore the ball speed coming off the face |
| Titanium can also be used in other clubs, but | | | | would be less than a comparable titanium driver. |
| normally you do not see it much for a couple of | | | | Carbon Graphite |
| reasons. First, titanium is much more expensive | | | | Carbon graphite is an extremely lightweight |
| than stainless steel used in fairway woods, hybrids | | | | material and can be used to create a wood |
| and irons. Second, the reason for titanium is for | | | | (usually with some sort of metallic soleplate for |
| the strength and lightweight nature. If a fairway | | | | durability and additional weight). Few clubs today |
| wood was made with titanium, it would normally | | | | are produced primarily from carbon graphite; |
| be made much larger in size to achieve a normal | | | | however there are a number that incorporate the |
| weight. By doing so, the head becomes much | | | | carbon graphite material in the design. |
| taller and makes it effectively harder to hit off of | | | | Carbon graphite is less dense than any other |
| the fairway. The same can be said for titanium | | | | material used in golf and a perfect choice to |
| irons. However, you will see some irons with a | | | | replace the top shell (or crown or top of the |
| titanium insert as a way of increasing the ball | | | | head). The weight savings from incorporating the |
| speed at impact verses an all stainless steel | | | | carbon graphite in the crown, allows additional |
| clubhead. | | | | weight to be repositioned elsewhere in the heads |
| Stainless Steel | | | | in order to improve the design. Heads made from |
| Stainless steel is the most used material in golf. | | | | or partially from carbon graphite demand a |
| The material is generally inexpensive and easy to | | | | premium price and can be found, not only in |
| cast into all the shapes that you see golf clubs | | | | drivers, but fairway woods and hybrids as well. |
| made plus durable enough for everyday | | | | Some of which are intentionally un-chromed to |
| play.There are two main types of stainless steel | | | | rust through normal use. The idea behind the |
| used in golf club heads. One is 17-4 stainless steel | | | | unplated carbon steel wedges is softer feel and |
| (comprising of no more than 0.07% carbon, | | | | supposable greater spin. Iirons, wedges and |
| between 15 an 17% chromium, 4% nickel, 2.75% | | | | putters produced from carbon steel will be more |
| copper, and 75% iron and trace elements). 17-4 | | | | expensive than stainless steel. |
| used primarily for metal woods, hybrids and some | | | | Zinc |
| irons. The other type of stainless steel is 431 | | | | Heads produced from zinc are the least |
| (comprising of no more than 20% carbon, 15-17% | | | | expensive of all the materials. Used mostly for |
| chromium, 1.25 - 2.5% nickel, and the remainder | | | | irons, wedges and putters in both starter sets |
| being iron and a few trace elements). This grade | | | | and junior sets, zinc heads are less durable than |
| of stainless steel is used for irons and putters. | | | | their stainless steel counterparts. Zinc heads can |
| The majority of fairway woods today are | | | | be identified by their non-magnetic properties and |
| manufactured from 17-4 stainless steel. Drivers | | | | their larger-than-normal hosel diameters. |
| can also be made of 17-4, but due to the high | | | | Wood |
| density of the material, the limit on size is | | | | Wooden woods are rarely found as a club head |
| approximately 250cc without the risk of cracking | | | | material option anymore as it has lost favor |
| during normal play. Because golfers prefer larger, | | | | amongst golfers to titanium drivers and stainless |
| easier-to-hit drivers, few drivers today are even | | | | fairway woods. |
| manufactured from stainless steel Investment | | | | |