olf equipment
is a billion-dol-
lar business.
er 1,100
manufacturers
and distributors
exhibited their merchandise at the
43rd annual Professional Golf As-
sociation (PGA) Merchandise Show
in Orlando this past January. For

Gov

four days, club professionals and
buyers walked the aisles, examined
the myriad products in display
booths, and learned about the
newest trends in golf-club con-
struction and the latest theories on
golf-club fitting. There was a ton of
hype about the oversized titanium
metal wood drivers, progressive off-
set irons, and more data and details

about shafts than most would ever
want to know.
The Rules of Golf limit 14 clubs
to a golf bag. Although many play
with an extra club or two, golf
bags are only so big. With new
technology, to include spin-en-
hancing inserts and oversized ti-
tanium metal woods, making 14
choices is tough.

The industry says that golfers
replace golf clubs every six years,
but it's fair to say that manufac-
turers are doing their best to beat
that time. The lyrics of the major
tune played this year are that the
right clubs can improve a golf
game as well as practice and
lessons.
Purchasing the correct equip-

ment includes knowledge about
swing, size, flexibility and strength.
Hitting the ball low and long may
require irons that provide additional
loft. Hitting short irons too high re-
quires looking at irons with less loft.
Players slicing woods should ex-
amine clubs with lightweight shafts
and an offset clubface. In some cas-
es, getting close to the green re-