i've recently taken up golf as a hobby. i've started on par 3 courses, and i'm looking to buy my own clubs. as a beginner on such a course, what clubs would you recommend that i start with, and how can i tell which make/model is right for me? basically, i can't tell a good club from a bad one (except for price, i'm guessing). what should i look for?
You dont need something mega expensive. Golf is all about mechanics. Find a club that you feel comfortable holding and swinging. Personally I used Nike Irons, and Titelist drivers. I started with some TaylorMade's as my first official set and they where very good clubs.
As a beginner, the TYPE of club is the last thing you need to worry about. Go to Academy, buy one of the beginner sets they have ($150 should get you a driver, a 3 wood, a 5 wood, 2 hybrids, 4 irons, a pitching wedge, a putter AND a bag), and TAKE LESSONS! I can't begin to tell you how important mechanics are when you are first starting out. All of your bad habits (trust me, if you taught yourself, you HAVE bad habits) will never fix themselves, and you'll just end up compensating instead of fixing the problems. The most important thing to do is TAKE LESSONS and GO TO THE RANGE. Practice and repetition will do wonders for your game.
My two cents... As a beginner, you want a non-fancy set of clubs that is "forgiving" (i.e. if you don't hit the ball with the precise center of the club face, you won't end up with a nightmare shot). I suggest that you budget out a certain amount of money, then go to Golfsmith and get as much of a full set as you can get. DON'T get Titleist, Callaway, Taylormade, or any other top brand. Although they are excellent clubs, they are VERY expensive and you're not ready for them yet. Don't get blades - they're for pros.
LOL - cheater, a tennis racket is much easier to swing than a golf club. I would like to try it sometime though... DD
Ah young grasshoppers, I have taught you well. Smoothie, I am the Callaway Demo rep and I concur. For beginners, go to a "Sports" store, buy a 'box set' with a driver, fairway woods, irons, a putter and and a bag for $200. Give it a year or so and see how invested you feel in the game. It's sort of expensive and it takes lots of time. Our Top Flight brand is good stuff for the price but everybody makes one. Look for some 'offset' and 'cavity weighting' in the irons, most these days comes with a hybrid for the 3 or 4 iron. Next year come see me at a Demo Day Golf clubs are a lot like cars in that the basic models will get you around just fine but there's always some features and styles available for upgrades up to as much as you want to spend. A really decked out, top of the line, bag full would run around $2500
I broke my driver at the driving range this weekend, and I am looking for a replacement. I had bought one of those value sets at Academy, and it has lasted me a couple of years. I guess I am ready to upgrade to a nicer driver. I am wondering if you guys have any recommendations for a good beginner's driver that is under $75.
thanks guys for all of the excellent advice. i'm in NYC, but i golf out on long island. so i can't really go to the exact places your telling me to go, but i get the message. great point. i was a shooting coach for a D1 bball team for 5 years, teaching mechanics, and yet i didn't consider it's importance in every other sport! lol so thank you. i will definitely take some lessons now. i've looked into it and this is a GREAT piece of advice! thank you. i will definitely look for the perimeter weighted clubs to start with. this was going to be my next question. most of the par 3's average less than 150yds per hole. there are some par 3/4 courses that average about 200 per hole but i haven't tried one yet. for what im doing, usually the attendants that rent the clubs tell me to save money and not rent a whole set for the day, just the "necessary" clubs for the course. which to them are a putter, a wedge, and either an iron, wood, (or a driver because i'm bad haha). a bare essentials kit to go 100-150 yards. do you think i can get away with something like that for now, considering the size of the course im on? wouldn't an entire set be a bit overkill, since for the next year i'll be playing these type of small, easy, basic courses? i may not even use most of the other clubs in the set on this type of course, right?
if you're really sticking to par 3's, you would be fine with an iron, a putter, and a wedge. But really, it doesn't make sense. You'd spend too much for those separately, and then if you ever wanted to expand your game either to a driving range first, or to a regular course, you'd have to go buy the rest of the clubs. And since you wouldn't be "good" yet, you'd go buy a box set at that point anyway. Seems smarter to just get the set up front.
Can you please translate that into English for those of us *non-Chi-Chi Rodriguez's? *Mexicans who do not know how to play Golf
You can order separate clubs from Callaway I know, but I agree with Kaleid, it's probably not the way to go. Get the whole box set and just carry the irons for the par 3 courses. If you get the bug, you will want to play a par 72 course soon and you will need a full bag. You will need to learn how to hit drivers and fairway woods at the range too. Bernie, Almost every golf store takes trade-in's and resells them. You should be able to find a good used driver for $75. If you don't swing over 95 mph, get a regular shaft. Get one with a 1 degree closed face to reduce slice spin and around 10 or 11 degrees of loft to add backspin (goes straighter). I'm sure there is Callaway Hyper X or a Taylor Made R7 out there for that. If you find a Callaway FTI (square) for $75 that could be a good choice.
haha, i'm no expert.. but he's just saying that he's gonna be playing courses that are all par-3 holes... i.e. holes that i've usually seen ranging btwn 90 and 175 yards? (very rough estimate) Those are the shortest holes on a normal golf course So when you play these courses that have all short holes, you can usually get by with 1 iron to get from the tee to the green, 1 putter for the green, and a wedge when necessary (short chipping from around the green, sand traps, etc.)
Do they still make starter sets with 1-3-5-7-9-P and putter? The idea here is that starters do not need the whole set and can benefit from less choices plus getting the limited set to do what you need them to.
I go out there with a $25 set including bag I got on clearance from K-Mart. Spending money on expensive clubs/equipment is a giant waste of money. Who cares if they improve your game a couple of strokes? You aren't trying to compete on the PGA tour. If you want to spend money on a club, use it to buy it on a putter you feel comfortable with. Putting accounts for half your strokes, but everyone wants to focus on the drive. The only clubs I carry not part of my original set are my putter and a 7-wood.
Go to a golf store or eBay and buy some name brand used clubs that you can keep improving with. Some of the cheap stuff is okay, but you will benefit more from quality equipment. You don't have to buy everything at once either. Get a set of irons, a putter and 3 wood to start and take lessons to learn the mechanics of the swing to get you on the right track. You won't need a driver in the beginning as it is the hardest club in the bag to hit consitently. I'm a scratch golfer and have taught several people to play with these clubs to begin with. Then when they feel comfortable add in the other clubs to complete your 14 club bag.
I like the reviews on all 3 of those clubs. I'll be sure to look for those used clubs. Can you recommend a store with a lot of used clubs in stock and helpful people? I was told by my friend to go to Strictly Golf on San Felipe.
Ok you guys got me fired up about getting lessons. Can anyone recommend me a good coach thats reasonably priced and willing to come out to a driving range on Richmond and kirkwood? I heard there are some places that will give you instruction and record your swing, pointing out your problems. I think this would benefit me the most, before I go out and blindly buy a driver/wood/hybrid. (I only have a set of irons 3 through 9 + a pitching wedge)
