Need advice.

Hi, I am a new golfer and have been browsing craigslist and ebay for a decent used set for me to start practicing with. I honestly dont know the difference between quality clubs and crap clubs. I have found a set on my local cl that from what ive read online look like a decent set for the money. I was wondering if you guys could check them out and tell me what you think.

The irons are Callaway Steelhead X-16 3-9. Also comes with a Great Big Bertha driver, and a #5 Wood: Mizuno F-50 18*.

The putter is a Golf Mate PX. They want 200 for the set. Any advice about this set or a good beginner set would be awesome.

Thanks for youre time.

Heres the link to the posting: http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/spo/2226142513.html

to me.. ..I think it is too much, the only thing of value is the irons which isnt a complete set (missing the PW) the woods are not really up to modern specs....you can get a set of Big Bertha 1994 or 1996 for about $100...find an SMT driver for about $50, a fairway or hybrid and a putter and you are in business.

Will be interesting to hear other comments

We need to know something about you first. How tall are you? Are you in good shape, what age?

These things impact the clubs you need. So we can't really evaluate clubs online like you ask.

You can though if you know what length clubs you need. Also what flex you want to try in your clubs.

Getting really into it you will get to know what lie you need.

Then when you know that stuff you can evaluate clubs to see if they fit you first. After that finding their value

is easy.

Here you go, I just built you a brand new set for $240. Tour Edge is a respected brand, it includes 2 hybrids, Tour Edge 54* wedge to match and a Nickent driver which would have cost you 300 new at Golf Galaxy or similar retailer a year ago; it's 12.5 degrees which is perfect for a beginner golfer. All total, this set would have cost you around $700-$800 at a big retailer 1-2 years ago...

http://www.rockbottomgolf.com/tour-edge-golf-bazooka-ql-combo-hybrid-irons-set-steel.html

http://www.rockbottomgolf.com/tour-edge-bazooka-ql-wedge-steel.html

http://www.rockbottomgolf.com/nickent-golf-4dx-driver.html

DonDonkkk

Don't worry about getting fit. Get the regular steel shaft for the irons, the wedge will likely come with a wedge flex and the driver is regular flex. You have no game and no real swing...so getting fit will make little difference, unless of course you already swing a driver with good tempo 110 plus MPH. If you're an old guy (slow swing speed), browse the site and consider something in a senior flex. Don't go crazy trying to find the perfect set, there will be plenty of time for that when you start to get good. I'm 9 years into the game, on my 5th set of irons 8th driver, 4th set of wedges and I've lost count on the other woods/hybrids...

I have no idea what the DonDonkkk crap is in my post...it's not there when I edit

thanks for the advice Limoric. I went to the range today with my cousin who is a pretty golfer and he says my swing is prooly around 110 or higher. That looks like an awesome deal for those clubs.

Pretty good golfer that is. Lol

Go with stiff shaft if you're clocking 110...even if it's too stiff to begin with, you'll grow into them (your only 25). If you have long arms you should be good with standard length. When you buy the irons, take them to the range with your cousin and ask if you can borrow their hitting board and some impact tape. Center the impact tape on the sole of the club and hit away; if you find the tape is getting marked up towards the toe of the club, have the range or a local repair shop extend the shafts for you; it shouldn't cost you more than 10 buck a club and they should be able to reuse your grips...

Alternatively, measure your lie with your cousins clubs assuming they are standard length. If you require longer shafts, browse RockBottom for a set that's an inch over already...

Either way, you'll be set.

Wow! Lotta BAD advice being given here based on very little info!  Crazy- NOBODY can advise you on what is best for you based on the info we have so far.  Your best bet is to keep trying different club designs/types until you find something that "feels" good to YOU.  Don't let someone else TELL you what "will work" for you.  I've been fitting/building clubs for only ten years but even I know that we can't fit someone over the internet for a set of clubs.  TRY BEFORE YOU BUY.  No matter what you buy they will need some sort of adjusting and making them longer or shorter is NOT the answer to adjusting the lie angle. (where the tape is scuffed).  Until you can find a clubfitter don't spend your bux on a full set of clubs.

Brad

He's 25, swings 110 and has never really played. He's looking at craigslist for a used set in the $200 range (which I assume is his budget). I think the only bad advice is to spend $500-$1,000 getting totally fit for a swing that will be completely different in a 6 months.

Crazymman, don't listen to the 19 handicap pro club fitter. You're young and just starting out. The vast majority of people fit into a standard length . Most any club with some length adjustment will fit you just fine to start out with. Most golf shops will adjust length first to correct lie (if the adjustment is minor)...at 6'3, you might need to extend an inch. You could even use the Ping fitting chart to measure a general set up. If your clubs are a bit too long, great it's better than short. You can always choke down (Anthony Kim chokes down and inch). I can sense boggy golfer steaming up as i write this...

I can't tell you how many beginner golfers have fallen into the professional club fitters trap, just to have to make adjustments for years (costing big bucks). A degree flat or upright is going to have an insignificant impact on ball flight.

Get a decent swing (lessons would be good), preferably not by a 19 handicap and when you get better, make adjustments to your equipment to fit your game. It's what I did and I would guess most single digit handicaps to scratch. I broke 80 within 5 years of play with a $199 golf town set...something boggy man has probably never done in his whole career with a perfectly fit set.

Good Luck!!

aaahhh...a pissing contest...  let's do this!

Crazy- Limoric knows nothing about what it takes to adjust a club properly, cheaply, and correctly to get any kind of an idea as to what you really need to achieve your best results.  maybe he works for Golf Galaxy, Dick's, or Golfsmith, or has a relative who works for one of them.  I'm sure if I met him on the course we'd have a really good round and enjoy each other's company but as far as advising you to have the lengths changed in order to change the lie angle, that's unmitigated BS.

Pure and simple.

Quote:

Since you're new to the game, ask your friends if they know of a golf shop where the clubfitters really know what they're doing. As tweaky said, try before you buy. Because you are very tall, regular clubs likely won't "fit" you.

At this stage, all you want is a basic static fitting. The fitter measures your clubs to make sure the shafts are not too long or too short, and have a decent lie angle. As others have said, a full fitting is a waste of time right now, because you don't have a swing yet, And, the first season your swing will be unstable and change day to day. Like limoric says, you don't need custom fitting now. What limoric describes is a static fitting.

Also, take a couple of lessons in the early going. Your cousin may be a good golfer, but that doesn't mean he can teach a beginner. You might start with a golf clinic - beginners get together a couple of nights a week and learn the game as a group. Then, follow up with a couple of individual lessons. Again, ask friends who a good teaching pro would be.

No pissing contest, you're a boggy golfer with a perfect set of clubs. If we played a round together the only good thing that would come out of it is perhaps some much heavier pockets (my pockets). FYI, people might consider you a little more credible if your handicap matched your Superior knowledge of the game and equipment. Not that there is anything wrong with being a high handicap (I've been there), it's just that it's coming across like all the high handicaps that regularly drive the ball 300 yards. If you read my profile, you would know I don't work in retail...if you knew anything about my postal code...you would defiantly not have assumed it.

Good luck with your clubfitting hobby, there's no doubt you'll get a few people to work with...

Good advice! Spend your money on lessons, not perfect lies...