Utter Noob's Greeting

[Travtex]

Hello, all.

I am a profoundly ignorant newb from Texas. At the moment, I am an entire week into the game -- Matter of fact, I'm up far past my bedtime thanks to a quick scouting trip of a nearby pitch and putt turn into two hours of practice followed by an equal span of jawing with a guy I met there.

As a night-shifter, four hours in the San Antonio Sun is going to result in a pretty profound sunburn, but it was worth it. *hah*

I'm coming at the game a bit strangely.

Prior to this shift, my main source of athletic activity was MMA. Having recently hit 35 and recovered from my latest broken bone, I decided it might be time to focus on something with a bit more longevity and smaller medical bills.

At the same time, I love competition (I'm a gracious loser, I just thrive on the -pursuit- of improvement with active challenge)... and like doing things that can take a lifetime to master.

Somewhat ironically, my girlfriend suggested and encouraged golf. (Is it a bad sign that she WANTS me to spend hours on the golf course? *laugh*)

I've been researching for a little while, and I'm getting a great deal of contradictory information -- thought I'd throw my philosophy by y'all and see where opinions end up.

My first and enduring notion is to track myself down some semi-decent used clubs... and basically obsess about my short game for about a year. I'm thinking, say, 7i, 9i, PW, Putter to start. Get whatever lessons I can afford, hit the pitch 'n putt par 3's and ranges, and not even THINK about fiddling with a driver until I know what I'm doing with my swing.

Maybe try an executive course or two in three or four months with rentals, suck it up with a wood or hybrid on the Par 5, and pretend drivers don't exist. I am not Tiger Woods.

Meanwhile, most of the people I talk to on the course and at local shops seem to think I'm out of my mind.

The overwhelming majority say I should just get a starter kit of cheapos and start playing. I'm thinking that trying to get overzealous is a good way to create bad habits, and I have more modest goals -- Say a 25 handicap from the girlie tees in a year or so?

After only three trips to the range in my life, I've been rather surprised at my consistency. My first trip ever through the Par 3 PnP I shaved 12 strokes off the second run through the 9.

Amusingly, the last few holes fell apart because I found a smoother swing and abruptly added about thirty yards to my PW with no idea how to compensate for the distance. Instant three strokes added, har: LAUNCH, chip chip putt. (I did sink a 30 footer that had me all excited until I muffed a 5 footer on the next hole.)

In any case, I'm not committed to any particular route at the moment, as I'm aware of just how little I know. But, I am a bit excited to find a hobby I find so enjoyable and I'd like to get started the right way.

I'm a bit lucky-unlucky in terms of club selection as I'm profoundly average in size (Though my arms are a bit long), making standards a good fit -- But I shoot lefty, making the hunt for used clubs more difficult. I'm keeping myself under pretty tight budget constraints, as my GF and I are house-hunting and she's in a graduation/job-hunt phase in a lousy job market. I'm game for cheapos, because I figure my swing will change as I start learning some fundamentals (I've been eyeballing gigagolf).

I'm 5'9", and I'm not sure about my wrist-to-ground yet -- I think it's close to dead-on 50% of my height, but not measured (I fought with 73.5" reach measurement).

My swing is dreadfully slow, but a surprising number of my shots are straight (My 7i speed at the Golf Galaxy tester camera was a consistent 48mph. *laugh*). I obviously haven't grasped the fundamentals of various clubs as I tended to hit 80-100 yards no matter WHAT I was swinging. PW: 80 yards. 3 wood: 80 yards.

Far as suggestions go, I'm pretty much ego-free so any suggestions/comments on the polite side of, "I think you're a raging jerk" are appreciated. (Hell, if I need to tote hot pink ladies flex clubs 'til I get my swing speed up, I won't be embarassed.)

On the range, I've had some promising things and some potentially discouraging things. On one hand, I had an Old-Timer comment on my natural head-start advantages as a lifelong athlete and his amazement that I 'released my hip' naturally (I don't know what that means, but he was impressed, and a really fun guy so it stuck). On the other, I had a 48mph club speed. *hah* I'm a Kia Rio among Dodge Vipers.

Thanks for reading this far, take care.

EDIT: The Golf Galaxy dudes were quite enthusiastically pointing me in the direction of the El-Cheapo full sets. I'd think this a sales tactic, but I walked in saying I was willing to put down more money for fewer clubs. They had one newb set for 70$ (17pc!!!), but had sold out of lefty sets. They still have one set left of Slazenger Wrath 17pc (Hybrid) on clearance for $125. Would this be a way to go? (I didn't like the grips, but the clubs hit well for my piddly swing.)

[wedge player]

now that ive read your autobiography lol jk,i think you have a good plan i would recommend buying a starter set from wal mart for like 150 thats what i learned with,ditching the driver and learn to hit long shots with irons.practice putting as much as you can,along with some lessons you should be good pretty quickly.

[Travtex]

now that ive read your autobiography lol jk,i think you have a good plan i would recommend buying a starter set from wal mart for like 150 thats what i learned with,ditching the driver and learn to hit long shots with irons.practice putting as much as you can,along with some lessons you should be good pretty quickly.

Yeah, I realized it was a tome after I posted it. *hah* (I spent some time as a weekly columnist. It's ALL about the word count.)

So, with that in mind -- Would the Slazengers for 125 be a deal? (I'd probably be tempted to regrip them, but that'd still keep me in that budget.)

[OnePutt]

Yeah go for it, you can upgrade your clubs over time as you break 100 and move closer towards 70s.

Start out with a 3 wood, 5 wood, or maybe even 3 iron from the tee. Learn to drive last, you'll thank me later.

[Ed_Bighead]

... and I have more modest goals -- Say a 25 handicap from the girlie tees in a year or so?

I think that's even a bit too modest. I started playing last august and as of my rounds in the past 3 days I'm capable of shooting low 90s, and I really think I'll shoot upper 80s when I play this coming weekend. For me, it's all about confidence and doing what works for you. (Also, reading a ton of golf articles/books [I definitely recommend Hogans 'Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf'] and watching the Golf Channel certainly helps too. And practicing often.)

[wedge player]

Yeah, I realized it was a tome after I posted it. *hah* (I spent some time as a weekly columnist. It's ALL about the word count.)

check academy for dunlop clubs thier cheap and i think pretty good clubs i used them as my first set

[3blowfish]

Utter noob would be myself. I do have fun though so I guess thats all that matters.

[shankapotamus]

I would suggest reading Ben Hogan's five fundamentals of golf, Stan Utley's Art of the Shortgame, Phil Mickelson's secrets of the short game(DVD) and Zen Golf.

[Travtex]

Also spotted a set of Cobra 3100I/H at Edwin Watts for $100. They looked pretty dinged up to me -- Someone of roughly my own skill level had apparently been at them for a while, but I'm wondering if I can dicker.

[Chingaputt]

Good to see Im not the only noob here. I think I may have played 10 times until March 1, 09....my choice of leasure activity until then was racing dirtbikes. After a nasty crash last May that left my knee w/ an MCL tear and a permanent dent in my forehead - I decided (w/ a good bit of pursading by the doc) it was time to take up golf, seemed the right thing to do @ 41. Since 3/01/09...Ive played no less than 36 holes per weekend....and im on the verge of breaking 100. I look fwd to the many years of "trying" to master this game...

[Travtex]

Picked up the Slazengers after some extensive shop-scouting.

Really like the hybrids. Starting to progress from the 'Can't Hit the Ball' stage to the 'Wicked Scary Slice' stage of driving range demonstrations of abyssmal hacking. *hah* Think I'm going to hop on to my nearest driving range's 'Player Development Program'.

60/month for unlimited range balls, unlimited par 3 fees, free weekly clinics, and discounts at the nearby municipal course -- Considering I've been going close to every day at 7 bucks a pop, that should save a good chunk of money.

[Ed_Bighead]

60/month for unlimited range balls, unlimited par 3 fees, free weekly clinics, and discounts at the nearby municipal course -- Considering I've been going close to every day at 7 bucks a pop, that should save a good chunk of money.

$15 a week? That's pretty good. I wish there was something like that around where I live.

[Travtex]

So I jumped on board the 60/month thing.

I think I already made back my money on day one. Two large buckets: $18. Walk 18 holes: $10. Free clinic: $17. Well, close to it. Considering that I've been hitting the range close to every day, I'm sure I'll come out ahead on that deal.

Meanwhile, I'm quite amazed by the actual clinic/lesson combo. I went from hitting at best half of the balls I swung at 50-70 yards at random angles to regularly lofting my 9 iron 120 right down the middle.

Logical brain is screaming that there's no possible way the backswing makes THAT much of a difference, but results cry otherwise. :D

Once I took that better-educated setup and swing to my hybrid from a tee -- Crap! I was addicted.