New golfer: when to buy first clubs?

[DSH]

Hi, I'm REALLY new to golf, have had a few group lessons and have been hitting and putting at the driving range almost daily for a couple of weeks. I hit the driver straight but only about 100 yards. I am female, mid fifties, fit, but short.

Have been reading around and looking at gear. Have a cart at Gigagolf filled from a 15 degree driver to woods, hybrids, wide sole short irons, but 10 clubs total all with graphite, adjusted for length and lie. (Bought a putter locally). Everything I have read indicates that the maximum game improvement equipment is what I should go for.

Some people say "wait", and others say get a range of clubs now so you can get a feel for playing on a course, not just the driving range.

I am eager to have my own clubs, and I know that impatience is one of the biggest sins in golf, so what to do? Would much appreciate your thoughts.

[Rafcin]

... Some people say "wait", and others say get a range of clubs now so you can get a feel for playing on a course, not just the driving range. I am eager to have my own clubs, and I know that impatience is one of the biggest sins in golf, so what to do? Would much appreciate your thoughts.

I recently went through it with my wife. She picked up the game 3 years ago - of course her first purchase were golf outfits - in a month she had more "golf" clothes than me

Do I have to mention golf shoes? She has 10 pair, all different designs and colors... I've 2 (in case 1 pair gets wet!). Ok, enough complaining Her first few months we went with a starter set. She (just like you) was eager to get a "real" set, but I advised her to wait. My argument was simple - in 2 or 3 months of driving range and series of 10 lessons (highly adisable - more than new equipment!) she'll develop "her" swing - with her speeds, plane, style. Without it - you can't really get a fitting set. You have figure out, if you like to swing fairway woods better than irons (read - is your swing steep or flat ), how fast do you swing, can you generate enough airtime on a ball. With this in mind - you either go for a hybrid-like set or irons, include long irons or 7w, 9w or even 11w... Getting a semi-solid swing is a must to make a educated decision - and it better be one, since golf equipment is not that cheap... Problem is that you often can't really try anything - most demo clubs at golf courses are man clubs, which are longer and heavier, swining in the store gives you a idea, but you have to have a solid base for your decision. To summerize it - if you are serious about the game - spend time and money on lessons with the starter set you have. In a couple of months, once your swing is established - ask your teaching instructor for advice on equipment configuration ( or come back to sandtrap.com and ask us - the "experchs" ). Whatever you decide on - make sure it's customized just for you. Especially for woman it's important not to get the clubs "off the shelfs" - length and loft are very important. Good luck !

[DSH]

Thanks Rafcin. Appreciate your advice. Will try to be patient!

[RickRevue]

Hi DSH,

I think you're on the right track. That 15 degree driver is a great start. You'll get more distance and accuracy with that loft.

You didn't say what the rest of your set looked like though. I recommend, if you haven't already been advised, that you go with 7-SW irons. For longer irons (3-6) I recommend you go with hybrids or woods. I think you'll find that you'll hit a 5, 7, and 9 wood better than 3, 4, 5, irons and maybe even better than 3, 4, 5 hybrids. For now I'd say just go with the 5, 7, and 9 woods and wait and see how it goes. You can always come back for more clubs if you find your distances don't add up. GigaGolf lets you buy single clubs so you can really get any set configuration you want. Why buy something now you may not need or won't use.

You didn't mention shaft flex. Be sure to get L flex on those shafts (you probably already did) and graphite all the way is definitely the way to go.

My only comment about the starter set suggestion is: why get started on the wrong foot with clubs that aren't right for you and maybe you won't use (or like). It will just get you frustrated and make a challenging game even harder. Being short, club fitting for your height is very important. GigaGolf will shorten those clubs and get the lie right so you'll have half a chance.

Good luck and hit 'em straight.

By the way, looks like someone has been giving you some good advice. Who was it?

[Rafcin]

...I recommend, if you haven't already been advised, that you go with 7-SW irons. For longer irons (3-6) I recommend you go with hybrids or woods. I think you'll find that you'll hit a 5, 7, and 9 wood better than 3, 4, 5, irons and maybe even better than 3, 4, 5 hybrids....

Rick, this is exactly opposite to the point I was trying to make - I'd not generalize it like you did. You're right, most of the time people do like hybrids/woods better than longer irons - my point was though it's not ALWAYS the case. My wife carries now full PW-3i set and hits long irons very well (25hcp after 2 years of playing). We did experiment with hybrids and woods, yet she didn't like it and was very inconsistent with them. Everybody should try to explore as much as possible before buying stuff - a set of good fairway woods could run you up to $1000... and if you're not avid eBay customer - it's rather costly.

Of course I'm not a trained professional or clubmaker - I'm just a golf-nut who went through the process with my wife - just sharing the opinion.. I could be wrong

[RickRevue]

Rafcin, you make an excellent point. We all need to find what actually works for us, and going with what has been offered "traditionally" doesn't always work. Even my recommendations are only an opinion

I guess I feel bad for beginners. They usually get a double wammy. Someone tries to shove a preconfigured, usually cheap set down their throats PLUS they don't really know enough about their games to pick clubs or get fit properly anyways.

It's getting better out there though. More good information is available, but as you know it's hard to make recommendations online without knowing more about a person and their game.

I guess I'm a new convert to club fitting. I don't really think the brand of club makes that much of a difference, but club fitting makes a BIG difference. Especially if you are tall, short, older or a women or a junior.

Peace,

[shortgame85]

I agree with Rafi that patience is best. In fact, it may be best to not even play 14 clubs at first, as there may not be that much difference between certain clubs for a beginner just developing a swing. Maybe try a 3 or 5 wood, a couple of hybrids, 7, 8, 9, PW, SW and putter. Experiment as much as practical. I would also offer one additional piece of advice: aim most of all, at this stage, for enjoyment. The pleasure of a good time will help keep you coming back to work on the fundamentals of a good swing. Best of luck to you!

[ttee9]

Hi, I'm REALLY new to golf, have had a few group lessons and have been hitting and putting at the driving range almost daily for a couple of weeks. I hit the driver straight but only about 100 yards. I am female, mid fifties, fit, but short.

This was posted in another topic, but it all looks and feels the same.

... Here's some food for thought ... In March of last year my "other half" kept getting ticked-off because I was always leaving to head south to play golf ... so I said: "I'm not quitting, so you better pick up the game..." step 1.) So we wondered around a few golf shops, did a lot of feely touchy and she finally liked the look and the feel of a package set of $199 clubs at Golf Galaxy ... step 2.) I took her to the driving range 2/3 times a week to let "her" get the feel of hitting a club, what's the feel of a 3 iron, what's the difference of a 7 iron, how's the feeling of hitting a 3 wood and what feels better -- lots of balls hit the side rails in the very beginning .. but, 20 ft turned into 20 yards, then 20 yards turned into 60 yards, and 60 yards turned into 120 yards and so on ... it was loud for awhile .l.o.l.. but she now had a much better idea and understood alot more info from watching the Golf Channel and reading Annika's book (which is a good one I might add) by actually feeling and touching ... the vast amount of time, I just kept quite (ear plugs help.!) step 3.) Then I took her on a few courses .. now she had a much better idea of slope, distance and had a much better perception of the green (that always takes time, sometimes a lifetime) .. ;^) step 4.) I researched instructors in the area ... let's be honest, just because they're an instructor doesn't mean they're especially good, there's a big human factor here and that will make all the difference between money spent, and money well spent .... if you really want to see how a really good instructor is, watch his or her patience and dynamics around the very young players .. that usually will tell the story. Not only was it a good time to tweak her game, but this was a very good time to tweak her clubs ... different grips, change the lie on a few, shorten a few with the proper measurements and maybe pull a few out, depending on her likes and dislikes .. I might have spent $70/$80 bucks. step 5.) Now she was getting more and more confident and the womens league was opening up and she played on Thursday afternoons .. then on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays we played together and every weekend we picked 1 new course .... the more courses you play (male or female) the better you get. step 6.) Now her confidence level is way up .... one day she mentions how she would rather play from the mens tee's because she feels that she would have a better opportunity to play her woods and her longer irons -- okay, it sounded good to me(?) .. in the meantime she was right, it was a big addition to her game ... now, it shakes a few of the men at most of the courses, but hey, it's her dime. step 7.) That was 17 months ago ... she's kicked a few clubs out of her bag and moved on to a few hybrids, she's changed to a bigger driver because she can drive a ball 175/180 yards ... now, she's played courses in Myrtle Beach, Pinehurst, the Trent Jones courses in Alabama and even pared a few holes on Amelia Island .... did I mention she has a 18 handicap from the whites.?

[Rafcin]

...I don't really think the brand of club makes that much of a difference...

I don't want to sound sexist, but for a MAN (most of us at least) it makes a HUGE difference ! It's like saying 300 hp Nissan is the same as 300hp BMW.

C'mon. We know better. The bigger the ego, the smaller the ...., the more famous is the brand. No question. Just look at my bag contents below

[allin]

I don't really have any experience as a teacher or clubmaker that is relevant, but I won't let that stop me . When I started my wife and daughters I used component clubs from golfworks, a couple of woods 3w, 5w, 5, 7, 9, irons, pw, sw and a putter. I would probably substitute a hybrid or high lofted wood for the 5 iron if I was doing it now. I think it encouraged them to hit shots and not get mechanical. One of my daughters is only about 5' 2'' and I cut and extra 1/2 inch off her clubs after a couple of months. Eventually I added a 7w to their sets the next year. I feel it worked very well.

[ttee9]

I don't want to sound sexist, but for a MAN (most of us at least) it makes a HUGE difference ! It's like saying 300 hp Nissan is the same as 300hp BMW.

... Hmmm, what is the difference between a 300hp Nissan and a 300hp BMW ....?

[Rafcin]

... Hmmm, what is the difference between a 300hp Nissan and a 300hp BMW ....?

the difference is how your date is ending if you drive her home in a Nissan vs. a BMW

[DSH]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Have been reading everything I can get my hands on online, as well as Pelz, Tiger Woods. Still it seems like after amassing all the data you have to make a decision without complete knowledge.

Bought a putter (Odyssey White Steel 2-Ball) at the pro shop because I really wanted to get hands on with as many as I could -- as the feel is so important. But I don't want to pay that kind of premium for every other club.

GigaGolf seems to have good prices, a wide range and a good custom fitting model. My clubs will all be .25 inches shorter and with lies adjusted minus two inches -- which makes sense since I am 5'2" and have long arms.

The Acer TI is the only driver I found that comes in a 15 degree loft so I will probably go with that. Then, one or two Acer steel woods(5 and may-be 7), two Acer hybrids (5 and 7) and probably Power Max GX920 7,9,PW,SW irons all with graphite ladies flex.

I am leaning toward the Winn Arrow grips -- I don't like the tacky feel of the Winn wraps -- prefer the composite and the Arrows are supposed to be fairly soft, though a good composite. Anyone have any experience with the Winn Arrow?

I put together the range I thought would cover the lofts with fairly even spacing (the Pelz Short Game Bible has a very good discussion of rejiggering the traditional set and was extremely useful). Then I talked to Bill Baxter at GG who agreed with the club types and spacing but suggested the PowerMax GX920 wide sole irons instead of the Acer High Trajectory as the PowerMax are newer, and will therefore be around longer so I can fill in more irons / LW later if I need to.

It is amazing that after paying $170 for just the Odyssey putter, I can get the other 11 pieces for about $400, with graphite, upgraded grips, custom sizing, assembled in the US. (I spotted an Assembled in China sticker on the shaft of a Callaway iron in the pro shop tonight.)

Thanks to all your input plus everything I have read I am getting more confident about putting the order in.

Thanks again!

[Rafcin]

...It is amazing that after paying $170 for just the Odyssey putter, I can get the other 11 pieces for about $400, with graphite, upgraded grips, custom sizing, assembled in the US. (I spotted an Assembled in China sticker on the shaft of a Callaway iron in the pro shop tonight.)...

170 for odessey? ouch. For individual clubs I'd always recommed eBay - you can save a nice penny i.e. here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Brand-New-Odysse...QQcmdZViewItem This one should go for $140 or so... Anyway - the reason of pricing on golf equipment is not location of assembly most of the brand names have factories in the far east. What you're paying for is years of R&D; and quality of the product. A 0.5mm tolerance on the milling / casting machines doesn't seem much, but when this surface meets with the golf ball at 100mph - it MAKES a difference Getting good putter first is good idea (as a matter of fact - my wife did the same thing - odessy 2ball) , getting everything else for around $400 with customization - is great. After a year of playing it won't "hurt" too much to upgrade. I think you're making smart choice. Don't forget to budget some money for lessons though. Regardless if you're holding Callaway, Taylor Made or PowerMax in your hand - they're all useless without lessons

[ttee9]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

.... I've seen alot of players using Acers and they seem to love them, plus GigaGolf has a wonderful reputation ... the nice thing is, you're not paying for those $2 million dollar commercials and the quality is the same "if" not better than the "big boys" ....

Enjoy.!

[RickRevue]

Way to go DSH...you seem to be going about it the right way. I think Gigagolf will let you return the clubs or change them if you don't like them. Use them a lot in the first 30 days and show them to as many good players as you can to see what they think. If you don't hear good things or if they don't feel right just change them or send them back. Hard to go wrong with that scenario.

Good luck!

[Rafcin]

...he quality is the same "if" not better than the "big boys" ....

and you're saying it based on... ?

[ttee9]

... Players and pro's at Muirfield, players and pro's from the Golfworks like Maltby, the ex-VP from Vulcan golf .. players and pro's from Clemson and some players and pro's from the Magnolia Grove in Mobile (Trent Jones course)

--- other than that, just a wild guess on my part.