NEW TO GOLF! Need help.... but don't ignore please.

[NerdEnvy]

Hey all! New here and I hope my post doesn't get overlooked.

I'm new to golf. Like... REALLY NEW. I'm 25 and only played twice. The first time was in high school with some buddies and the 2nd time was a couple of weeks ago. Well.. I've caught the itch, and I LOVE IT. I had such a great time. I went with my father in law and his brother and had a blast!! I played on a local course here playing the front 9 and pared 4 of them. They said I had a naturally ability and a great swing and with a few tweaks I could be consistent.

My father in law had given me an old set of clubs he was going to toss out. I don't even know the brand. I would love to buy a new set of clubs. Maybe used, but in good condition.

Now for my question: What brand is "best" or "best reviewed" by golfers in a similar situation. Where to buy? How much to spend? How much not to spend? (Married with a little one and just bought a new car so economical is best) What balls are most preferred? Bag? Glove? How best to practice? Driving range?

Need someone to teach me, a mentor if you will. haha

Thanks in advance!!!

-J

[MiniBlueDragon]

With a new car and a little one at your standard of golf I'd stick with what you have equipment wise until you've spoken to somebody who can advise you based on what you have currently. Just because someone doesn't want it, it doesn't mean it needs replacing, especially if your swing is not consistent anyway.

Your first step should be to find yourself a decent professional and go for a basics lesson with them. They'll tell you the best way forward with the 'natural' swing you have and will even throw in some free advice on your equipment and whether you should really look at upgrading it or not. I had great results with my local Stack & Tilt instructor (http://stackandtiltgolfswing.com/stack-tilt%c2%ae-authorized-instructors/)

[ochmude]

Yup.  Spend about $100 and get a lesson.  You're in a fantastic position right now and I actually envy you.  You haven't developed any bad habits yet, so you can go to an instructor with a clean slate and start building a good swing.  While you're doing that, keep reading this forum, maybe pick up an issue of Golf Magazine now and then, and start trying to get a better feel for all aspects of the game.  That will give you a head start on making your own decisions as far as upgrading your clubs when the time comes to do so.

[saevel25]

to me the best beginner clubs are Pings, i started with them, they have a sentimental value to me. Played Ping Eye 2's for over 10 years. Then i switched to Taylormade, because i liked there thought process behind making there iron sets. I think i might switch back to ping though, i like the fitting better with pings, i think they do the best job fitting irons.

The best thing i would say is, use the clubs you have now, go get a few lessons, practice for a few months, get a consistant swing down. Then go check out a demo day somewere. There you can try out multitude of irons, see which fit best.

[Shindig]

My strong suggestion is to get at least one lesson first, practice it a bit, and then get your first set. Golf Clubs If you're going to be semi-serious about this, I strongly suggest staying AWAY from "Super Game Improvement" sets of irons. Instead, I suggest getting a game improvement set, either 4-A or 5-A, get a hybrid or two. And get _at the very least_ a static fitting for length and flex. This is almost always included in the purchase price of a new set at a store; don't be shy about asking for a fitting, about walking out if they want to charge even with purchase, or about waiting a week for a custom order (don't let them just "fit" you to whatever inventory they're trying to move this week). My suggestions for such a set are the Adams A7, which gets you hybrids 3 and 4, a semi-hybrid 5, and good-looking, good-feeling, good-forgiving 6 through wherever you stop (I suggest getting through AW, then buying a separate SW). Alternately, the Nike SQ MachSpeed irons 5-A, and MachSpeed hybrids 3 and 4. Someone else on this board recently had good success with GigaGolf. All three of these options are quality product and aren't that pricey. Depending where you are geographically, you might do well with various store brands. Golf Balls Do NOT go for what is used on TV. Not yet. I would suggest something low spin to start with, like the Bridgestone E6 or whatever Top Flite calls their current line. Glove (Optional) Store brand is fine. Make sure it fits you. And remember to close the velcro while making a fist. Two more things 1. Congratulations on the little one. Remember to get him or her a set for the holidays before too long. 2. Ask whatever questions you have here and we will be happy to help you out.

[bfn18]

I started playing about 6 years ago with my pops. When I was going out I would just use my dads irons (ping eye 2) and then I bought a set of wilson ultras used from one of my dads friends. My game actually got worse. Then one day I decieded to go get new irons and make sure i get fitted for them. I went with Ping G5 irons and got them fitted for me. I went from shooting around 130 constantly to shooting under 100 in 2 months. It took another 6 months to get under 90. Now I am always in the mid to low 80's and only play maybe once every couple of months. I love these clubs and will always stay with ping. So in my opinion, go with PING.

[rustyredcab]

1. Get clubs that fit your body -- not your current swing. In other words, get the right length and lie for what your swing ought to be. Simple measurements can get you fitted. Miss-fit clubs will have you making swing compensations. You don't need that. Better off with old, aweful clubs that fit you than the newest and greatest that do not.

2. Consider individual clubs instead of a set. The story goes that Tom Watson's son was given a set with a 5, 7, and 9 iron and told he should learn to make shots. When he broke 80, he could have a full set. He was very young when he broke 80.

3. Pick a model swing and stick with it. Reading every new tip will drive you nuts and not help your game. I try to swing like Moe Norman check out my teachers at http://www.moenormangolf.com/). I love having Moe as a model instead of trying a little of this and a little of that.

Good luck.

[Roblar]

About two years ago I was in your shoes.  I'll echo what other people have said above: get lessons!

I had really good experiences with 'group' lessons (4 or 5 two hour meetings with about 10-12 other people --- ran me about $125 for the series).  Each lesson was close to two hours, and it got divided into four sections: irons/range, chipping, putting, etiquette.  It was nice to meet other beginning golfers, to see several teaching pros in action (not all are equal), and it was good to take what I learned to the course, try to remember it, and then come back with specific questions.

Second thing: don't buy new clubs yet.  Here's something that really motivated me: I started out in the 120s with a slightly out of date 'starter' set (TopFlite).  I wanted to get newer, nicer clubs, but I made myself wait until I broke 100.  I let myself get new wedges when I broke 90, and I just might get a new putter when/if(!) I break 80.  Setting goals like this made my rounds matter a bit more.  It was also an extra nice 'reward' (in addition to getting a new personal best score!), and you can fit the reward to your budget.

Finally:  don't take any mulligans, count all your strokes, always putt out (no gimmes), and track your scores --- it's the best way to see if you are actually getting better.

...but most of all, get lessons!  (As my friend likes to remind me, "It's not the PING, its the swing."

[NerdEnvy]

WOW. Thank you ALL so very very much!!!  I am going with your advice. I'm sticking with my current clubs. I stopped by Golf Galaxy today outside of Chicago and am going back to get fitted to see if the current clubs I have will do until I get better. (I'm sure they will do fine as they are my father in laws old clubs and he's only an inch shorter than me).

I checked into their PGA Professional lessons and will be signing up for them as soon as I get a little extra cash. I started to read all these little tips to make my swing better and it did drive me crazy haha and I lost focus all together so each swing was different and all of them sucked. So I cannot wait for these lessons!!!

Does anyone know the best practice drills I could do? To give me better distance and more consistency?

Thank you ALL again sooo very much. You guys are the best and I'm so pumped I found this forum.

Til next time!

[NerdEnvy]

Would getting a net to hit into in my backyard be a good investment? Or just go to a driving range?

[1par2win]

Originally Posted by NerdEnvy

Would getting a net to hit into in my backyard be a good investment? Or just go to a driving range?

Ummmm... personally I would not set up a backyard net. The reason being is that you can think your hitting well and the swing can feel good but because you can't see the full flight of the ball you can develop some very nasty habits as a result. Hitting balls into a net is fine for softball or baseball but the difference here is you have to play your foul balls.

Like many have already suggested and it sounds like you are I would get with the pro asap and he will work with you on what drills to work on while your at the range. Personally, I would advise waiting until you get instructions from your pro before hitting balls at the range. That way your practice is most beneficial, not just beating balls and developing bad habits. I do envy you, a clean slate to build a golf swing! Good luck and have fun!

[Topper]

Originally Posted by Shindig

Golf Clubs

If you're going to be semi-serious about this, I strongly suggest staying AWAY from "Super Game Improvement" sets of irons.

I don't know that I agree with this.  I say try all kinds of game improvement clubs and by the ones you hit the best.  Don't make this game any more difficult than it needs to be when you're starting out.  If you decide to start shaping shots next year, then you can change to a different set of clubs....although I've seem some good golfers move the ball around the course pretty well with game improvement clubs.  I wish I could.

[Clambake]

I'm impressed that no one here has tried to steer you away before you get hooked and become an insufferable golf addict like the rest of us.   I guess misery loves company!

I'll echo what others have said about getting some lessons early on - as I look back on my 50+ years, one of few things I wish I had done differently in my life is to get some professional instruction when I took up golf.    It really seems that those who did have a swing that lets them play well into their retirement years, and play tough courses the way the architect meant the course to be played.   It really adds a lot to the enjoyment to their game.

But I'll add one little different perspective on the "get lessons" comment, and that is find a teaching pro that you really like and build a long time relationship with that pro.   They're going to be your best mentor.    They can get you started down the right path, be there for questions along the way, help steer you to interesting courses, and they'll know your swing so you can get quick checkups when things start to go awry.    You'll also find they're a great resource for buying equipment, as they always know someone looking to change or upgrade and can steer you to some great used deals.

I've run into a few such pros in my life who truly get their job satisfaction from introducing someone new to the game and nurturing them over the years.   Many seem to enjoy that far more than even working with people who are excellent players, and they certainly enjoy it more than dealing with people that just want a quick fix.     To find someone like that will be a small investment in a lifelong love of the game.

[Ringworld]

Don't buy new equipment.  Save your money for golf courses and lessons.  In a year's time if you still feel the same way THEN buy a new set.  Chances are the set given to you is stock.  If you use a standard swing you should hit them fine.

My dad did the same to me.  Wanted to see me invest myself first before buying a set of clubs.  I used his hand me down set for 2 years before I actually purchased my own.  And that was back in the 80s.

Don't let folks talk you into a new set.  Don't even think about a new set.  Start hitting what you have in hand me downs.  Now if you are going to still not listen and buy a set, buy a set NEW TO YOU (aka USED.)  Why pay for top notch when it will be outdated in a year.  When you get halfway decent THEN buy a set.

[DocWu1948]

If a new baby and a car have put that much of a dent in the budget, be careful.  Golf can be an expensive hobby.

[Old1964]

I'm impressed with your 4 pars in your first 9 holes of golf.

Even more impressed with all the wisdom mentioned above.

If you got 4 pars with the old clubs - stick with them for a while until you learn your way around the game and its equipment. Plus, that will give you some time to hit a bunch of clubs and start thinking like a typical golfer - that you could be a scratch golfer if only you get the "right" sticks.

[NerdEnvy]

Well! Got a giant surprise today at work...

My boss took me to Dick's today and bought me an Adams Golf Ovation XTR full set. Driver, 2-3 wood, 4 Hybrid, Irons 5-9, S and P wedge and a new glove; and promise of 5 forthcoming professional lessons!!!

I was completely in shock... I guess hard work paid off!

Since we last spoke I've been to the range, and played another round. Came within 2 inches of a birdie! Small victories. haha I am playing a full round in the morning and I can't wait to test out my new clubs! I'm following everyone's advice (apart from the getting brand new clubs advice, which was obviously out of my control ;) ) and I'm loving golf even more!

It also looks like they will be putting in a Full Swing Simulator at work too this summer just in time for the cold to come back

Humbly your student,

JT