A round of golf is a game that has been around for more than 100 years and it still remains one of the most popular sports globally. This year (2019), golf is set to be an Olympic sport for the first time โ which means there will be even more opportunities to play and experience the fun of golfing.
If you’re serious about becoming a better golfer or just want to enjoy the game more, then you might consider making your own golf club. With a little bit of know-how, you can build your dream set of clubs and transform your game in the process.
In this blog post, we’ll tell you how to make a golf club on Solidworks, the most popular CAD/CAM software for industrial design.
Table of Contents
The Evolution Of A Golf Club
The modern game of golf started in Scotland in the late 19th century. The game was initially inspired by an English professional football club, Millwall, who had a ground in Scotland. One of the most famous Scottish golf clubs is St Andrews, which is frequently ranked as the most beautiful golf club in the world. Today, the game has spread to all corners of the globe and there are more than 200 countries that play golf โ the most popular being India, the United States, and China. This makes it the #3 most popular sport overall.
Although the game has largely remained the same, there has been some minor evolution in how golf clubs are designed. In the early years, woods (a set of clubs featuring a long shaft and a head with a lofted face) were the only option for golfers. Designers used their favorite tree, the Scottish pine, to create the traditional wooden club. These days, however, metal and plastic clubs have taken over. The following are some of the more prominent changes that have occurred throughout the years:
- Tremendous advancements in wood technology have resulted in the evolution of carbon clubs, which are lightweight and highly durable
- Tiger Woods, with his collection of 6 golf clubs, is the face of today’s professional golfers. Woods’ clubs are characteristically long and slender, with dramatically thinned shafts and thinned heads โ resulting in higher clubheads and lower center of gravity.
- Golfers also have access to new technologies, like golf GPS devices, which help them analyze and improve their game
- Top-rated golfers such as Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Rory Sabbatini are endorsed by companies that produce golf equipment, providing them with exposure and potential endorsement deals
- Golfers can also partner with a professional sports team to become an official member. Some of the most prominent partnerships include: the PGA Tour, the European Tour, and the Golf Association of America
The Different Shapes Of A Golf Club
There are four main types of clubs generally used for golfing:
- Walking clubs โ designed for beginners, these types of clubs are usually about 6 inches in length. They’re also called โdriversโ because they’re used to strike the ball hard. A good example of a walking club is the Titleist 983 Driver. This club features a comfortable grip, a smooth finish, and a carbon fiber shaft. In addition, the clubhead is shaped like a bean, which is called a โburlโ by the pros.
- Mid-irons โ used by intermediate golfers, these types of clubs feature a longer shaft than walking clubs. The popular TaylorMade Valkyrie Mid-Iron is a great example of a mid-iron. It has a sleek, modern look that’s suitable for both men and women. The club features a durable chrome finish, an anodized aluminum shaft, and a solid steel head. A great mid-iron for women is the TaylorMade WEDGIE. This club has a comfortable, loosing grip and an elegant, pear-shaped design.
- Irons โ used by advanced golfers, these types of clubs feature a longer shaft than mid-irons. The TaylorMade Burner II Irons have a sleek, modern look that’s suitable for both men and women. The club features a durable chrome finish, an anodized aluminum shaft, and an iron head with an aerodynamic shape. The TaylorMade club also has a textured grip to ensure a better grip in all conditions.
- Wedges โ used to increase the loft (inclination) of the club, thereby increasing the carrying distance of the ball, wedges are typically wider than other clubs. The TaylorMade club is an excellent example of a wedge. This steel club features a durable chrome finish, a grooved sole, and a plastic grip that’s comfortable in any condition.
How To Make A Golf Club On Solidworks?
With a few simple steps, you can build a model of a golf club on the Solidworks software and transform your game in the process.
Here we’ll introduce you to the steps involved in creating a simple, sleek, and durable golf club using Solidworks:
1. Select The Right Shapes
When it comes to the different shapes of a golf club, the first thing you should do is to select the right ones. Before you start designing, you’ll need to consider what shapes are favorable to your game and which ones are not. A rounded clubhead will reduce the amount of push you need to give the ball, allowing you to hit longer shots with more authority. A more pointed club head, on the other hand, will increase the distance the ball travels before it starts to decline. In most cases, the shaft of a golf club should be as thin as possible, otherwise you’ll hit the ball too much. Thicker shafts result in more shots being chopped or skunked (an unwanted shot that goes straight up in the air).
Solidworks has the tools to create almost any shape you want. You can use these tools to easily create any of the four shapes described above or even a compound or hybrid shape (like a diamond-shape clubhead with a square-shaped shaft). The following screenshot shows the loft and roll rates of various clubs, which you can use as a guide to select the right one:
As you can see, higher shots have more loft and are faster than lower shots โ the higher the shot, the farther it will go. So, if you want to hit a long shot, you’ll need to select a club with high loft. Choosing the right club shape is essential to selecting the right set of clubs. As mentioned above, your game will determine which types of clubs you should use. If you want to increase your accuracy, then you should select a pointed club head. A more rounded club head will improve your spin rate and, therefore, your control over the ball’s flight path. A wider grip will offer more comfort to the hand and, therefore, increase your tolerance for longer shots. The following table lists the various pros and cons of each club shape:
2. Build the Frame
Once you have selected the right shapes, you can start building the frame of your golf club. Your solidworks model must have four distinct parts: