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Set Recommendation...starting out..


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Ok, I wasn't as lucky as many people who had hand me downs but I'm open to buying a used set.

The question is, if you knew what you know now when you first started, what would be the current set that you would work on getting today... I know it is different for everyone so suggest what you feel is the best way to approach this.

I'm looking for my first set to at least last me several several years.

From irons, woods, drivers, putter, bags, etc. what would be a dream set to start off with?

Thanks in advance!

In my Edge and Atlas bag:
driver: FT-iQ 9R and Taylormade R9 460 10.5 R
wood: 5 Wood FT-iQ Neutral
hybrid(s): 3 Burner
irons: x22 3-PWwedges: Black Nickel Vokey 52/8, 56/11 & Oil Can 60/7 and Callaway x-Forge 56putter: Studio Style Newport 2 33" and Sabretooth 33"GPS RangeFinder: uPRORangeFinder....

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What is your intent with the game of golf? Are you looking to play often and improve? Do you aspire to be a good golfer? Or are you just looking to casually play here and there a handful of times per year?

Regardless, like Birdieman says don't overspend just yet (don't worry, there's plenty of time for that!!) and look for something that offers forgiveness(talking about irons here). But if you want to have them for a while and you are looking to improve, I would get something middle of the road that you can grow into. Nothing too overly forgiving but nothing too hard to hit.

I think Callaway has some nice options, like the x-20's (the normal X-20's, not the tour models). Or maybe even the X-18 which are even a little more forgiving if you want to go that route. These clubs are pricey though brand new.

When I first started, I went on Ebay and bought a cheap set for $120. With the help of my father in law, an avid golfer and 6 handicap, he helped me along. We picked out something that was easy to hit, but not big huge and bulky irons and stayed clear of any hybrid type sets because I was looking to play quite a bit and improve. I don't think I would have done anything different except maybe get fitted earlier. Something to think about.

It's almost hard to pinpoint any one club for you, there are so many options out there.

Good luck, and I'm almost jealous because it's so much fun to start this adventure.

Check out site like www.rockbottomgolf.com for some deals.
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Cheap forgiving starter set. Something that you will like at setup and still feels good.

Any specific recommendations to look at off hand?

In my Edge and Atlas bag:
driver: FT-iQ 9R and Taylormade R9 460 10.5 R
wood: 5 Wood FT-iQ Neutral
hybrid(s): 3 Burner
irons: x22 3-PWwedges: Black Nickel Vokey 52/8, 56/11 & Oil Can 60/7 and Callaway x-Forge 56putter: Studio Style Newport 2 33" and Sabretooth 33"GPS RangeFinder: uPRORangeFinder....

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What is your intent with the game of golf? Are you looking to play often and improve? Do you aspire to be a good golfer? Or are you just looking to casually play here and there a handful of times per year?

I would not recommend that Callaway set for a brand new golfer. Just too much money to spend before you groove your swing.

I think Adams has a great starter set at Sports Authority that is about $199. Tour Edge has some decently priced iron sets. I would look at setting your budget at $200 or less and get a complete set. It will work fine until you are ready to upgrade. New tech happens every year and when you upgrade, you will want the newest stuff.
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I would not recommend that Callaway set for a brand new golfer. Just too much money to spend before you groove your swing.

Ironically, the Callaways or the Taylormades R7's are the ones that most are recommending to me to start off with.

Foregiving and of course not cheap. Used, I have found x18's for like 400. Ironically, I am involved in other expensive hobbies and I have usually recommended the person to always go middle ground due to the fact that we would expect any one person to improve and when they do, in my opinion, it's best to tweak the set rather than now buy an entire new set to match your skills. Really it's a matter of opinion but if you have to play devil's advocate, money aside, would callaways or taylormade still be a good call? I have seen $1000+ sets and of course that is just crazy to get outright for a beginner which honestly doesn't make a whole lot of sense, which I wouldn't suggest. But I think I would suggest to get somewhere in between. Any further thoughts for the more experienced?

In my Edge and Atlas bag:
driver: FT-iQ 9R and Taylormade R9 460 10.5 R
wood: 5 Wood FT-iQ Neutral
hybrid(s): 3 Burner
irons: x22 3-PWwedges: Black Nickel Vokey 52/8, 56/11 & Oil Can 60/7 and Callaway x-Forge 56putter: Studio Style Newport 2 33" and Sabretooth 33"GPS RangeFinder: uPRORangeFinder....

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Top-Flite is what i started out with, im slowly buying new clubs as i've improved much, but im still happily using the irons I bought them from sportchek, pretty sure it's a canadian store though lol, but i got the whole deal except for a bag and putter for $200. Theres prob cheaper out there though that will serve better justice. Adams like birdieman said is a good way to go.

In my Black'n'Red :

Driver: R7 TP 460cc 10.5* Reax 65 stiff shaft
3 Wood: Tour Impact 15*
Irons: Tour Impact 3-PWWedges: Vokey Oil Can Spin Milled 54.10, Golfco Baron 58* SWPutter: Tracy II 35"Balls: Prov 1Age:16

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My suggestion would be to go to Golfsmith or Edwin Watts or any place that has a test range or facility. That way you can try out some new models of a lot of different varieties, and then settle on a USED set to start with.

For instance, go hit the Taylormade RAC's which are $400 most places, but if you like em, you can also get a set for $249 used from Golfsmith. It's always better to buy a quality set of clubs used, than it is to buy a cheap set brand new. Atleast then if you give up, they'll be worth something. Those RAM and Dunlop 149 dollar sets usually have zero resale value for when you give up or trade up later.
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Ironically, the Callaways or the Taylormades R7's are the ones that most are recommending to me to start off with.

Of course they would be good sets, I am just of the belief, that you dont need to spend a fortune to start out. Make sure you like the sport for a year then go crazy.
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Anybody ever try the Top Flite XL or XL-5000 (200 or 300 new) sets?

I'm thinking of starting up again (played when I was young with my Dad and Grandfather) and I'm looking for a decent set that I'll be happy with and not want to upgrade. I checked in the used sports store and everything there was either much more expensive, really worn looking, or brands that I'm not familiar with. I'd like to get a good beginner-intermediate set that I'll be happy with and not want to replace in a year.
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Sweet! Another rookie!

I am in the same boat as you are mate, and here is what I have done so far (and it seems to have worked ok)-

First and foremost ask questions in here- the guys know there stuff, so sniff around the forums a bit...

As for clubs, I have tested out dozens of irons and hybrids...

I took a few lessons first to get a decent swing (swinging good and hitting the ball sweetly with your decent swing are 2 diff. concepts, and the 2nd doesn't come until you have the first figured out!)

I tried quite a few iron sets, and heres the skinny from my poor swinging at ball in simulator results...

Macgregor NVG2's were the first pick, dirt cheap on ebay right now, as I squander trying to find a reg flex shaft set that can be mailed to Canada-
(the shop only had stiff flex shafts and doesn't do custom ordering of Macgregor clubs)

The Nike Slingshots were decent too, but $300 more for the set...

The 3dx set felt ok, but not great (this could of been because the set was stiff flex, and that was all they had in stock)

I did not like the Adams or Tour Edge clubs personally.

From the 5 rounds I have played, don't worry about getting a driver yet- get a decent 3 wood on sale and use it--- your level of frustration will be reduced HUGE (I leave my driver at home for now and have actaully been playing rounds that are only modestly sucky, not totally obscene)

I bought a new Jazz 3 wood for 10 bucks, and a Nike ignite 7 wood for $25...

Try a few putters before you buy too--- It is your most used club, and getting one that feels right will save you a lot of frustration later... This is where I would probably splurge abit, but try out alot of em first--- thers more putters out there then - well something else that there is a lot of!

4 putting gets old fast.

It may not sound important, but get regular flex shafts too. The first 3 wood i bought was a stiff flex (because I am a real man, right?) and after a poor couple rounds with it i bought a second with a regular flex and it was like night and day.

Take all thsi with a grain of salt, but its what I found to be the most productive way of getting decent gear at a fairly cheap price...

Swing lots of stuff, and buy what feels good. And check ebay before you pay retail!

Good luck dude--- I just wish i lived somewhere the golfing season was longer then 5 months :)

Blackmax Driver w/ Diamana Redboard
Ovation 3+5 Woods
Ignite 7 wood
A3oS Hybrids
SZ IronsRossa Core putterTopflight Gamer V2 Balls"Your swing looks pretty good, except your grip, stance, ball position, take back, follow through, and shoulder rotation."Actual quote from one of my first golf...

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personally I think you should search around online and find some deals...

at this point in your game you should just worry about your swing and getting the ball in the air, everything else will come from time!

a great place for closeouts is www.rockbottomgolf.com

you definitely dont need a full set, just take your time and what not and enjoy yourself

dont worry about brands, or reputation

Daniel Duarte
905R UST Proforce V2 76g 44" S
904F 15, Graphite Design YS6+
MD Hybrid, 19 Degree, UST V2 Hybrid S
Pro M Gunmetal 5-PW, Nippon 1150GH Pro SVokey Oil Can 52 - RAWVokey Spin Milled Oil Can 56, 60 - RAWTEI3 Newport II - Torch Copper- Prov1x

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My suggestion would be to go to Golfsmith or Edwin Watts or any place that has a test range or facility. That way you can try out some new models of a lot of different varieties, and then settle on a USED set to start with.

Ditto on the Taylor Made RACS, a freind of mine has them, he's a good golfer, I've hit them on the range and they were very nice. You can find plenty of them on Ebay at great savings, I would highly recommend them.

In the Bag...Ping Hoofer

3dx Tour Square - UST V2 HMOI X Flex
3dx 15* - X flex
Baffler DWS 20* Aldila NV Stiff 4-GW 600XC Forged Irons- S Flex 55* SW - Burner XD 60* LW - Burner XD Craz E Putter <----ProV1x---> Pellet

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Here's my opinion on the hard cold facts for a beginner set. If I had started with this setup I'm sure I would have got to a 18 handicap much much sooner.

DRIVER: 13* or more and no more than 45" shaft under any circumstance
5 wood 18 or 19 degrees, no less and no more
4 & 5 hybrid irons
6-pw, aw,sw,lw matching super game improvement irons
Putter: A high MOI quality brand name mallet putter
14th club , maybe a chipper?
Ball : A high spin ball, you'll miss most if not all of your greens in regulation. If you want to save strokes get a ball you can pitch and chip well with. If you insist on playing a hard "distance" ball then you are just wasting your money on greens fees.

Brands and model? get what you like and buy used.

Good luck, and know that at this stage, what you put in your bag is almost as important is how you swing those sticks.
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It all depends on how much you think you will play. When my dad and I started a few yrs ago, he bought name brand clubs that were last years models and ended up dropping around 900 dollars. I think you will be hard pressed to get all new stuff as a full set for much cheaper. I got a 200 dollars dicks set that sucked. It turned out that my dad doesn't play much and the clubs were imo a little bit of a unneeded expense. I on the other hand loved the game and the 200 dollar set was fine while I was just learning. By upgrading later I have only lost a few hundred bucks than If i had gotten nice ones to start, but the original purchase wasnt waste. But I wouldn't want to drop a bunch of benjamins on a game I didnt know if I liked. Get a cheap set(or used) and If you like the game and have a decent swing, go get fitted for some nice ones. Just my .02

Driver: 3DX Square 12*
3Wood: 30 dollar dicks piece of ____
Hybrids:3DX 20* and 23*
Irons:3DX Red 5-PW
Wedge:Vokey Spin Milled 56.10PutterDF-990 33 in

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Thank you very much everyone. These posts were definitely informative.

In my Edge and Atlas bag:
driver: FT-iQ 9R and Taylormade R9 460 10.5 R
wood: 5 Wood FT-iQ Neutral
hybrid(s): 3 Burner
irons: x22 3-PWwedges: Black Nickel Vokey 52/8, 56/11 & Oil Can 60/7 and Callaway x-Forge 56putter: Studio Style Newport 2 33" and Sabretooth 33"GPS RangeFinder: uPRORangeFinder....

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Note: This thread is 5699 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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