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