Newbie with questions. please help!

[jj22]

So i decided to pick up the game of golf, recently a lot of friends are starting up to and they've been bugging me for a while now i caught golf fever . The clubs im looking to buy are the callaway diablo edge's iron set, steel shafts with stiff flex. couple questions, im 23 yrs old, and about 5'6.  it says these clubs are the longest irons ever, and on the callaway site you can customize them to be shorter . would these clubs be too long for me? should i shorten them? and when picking my shaft, what would you choose, true temper black gold or dynamic gold??? THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[shades9323]

Go to a shop and get fit and demo the shafts. You should look into a lighter shaft than the DG or BG. I would look at the DGSL or DGHL.

Originally Posted by jj22

So i decided to pick up the game of golf, recently a lot of friends are starting up to and they've been bugging me for a while now i caught golf fever . The clubs im looking to buy are the callaway diablo edge's iron set, steel shafts with stiff flex. couple questions, im 23 yrs old, and about 5'6.  it says these clubs are the longest irons ever, and on the callaway site you can customize them to be shorter . would these clubs be too long for me? should i shorten them? and when picking my shaft, what would you choose, true temper black gold or dynamic gold??? THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Timmy]

Pretty sure by "Longest irons ever" they mean hitting distance. But if you're 5'6", you will likely need shorter clubs anyway, so a fitting would likely be recommended if you have a fairly consistent swing at this point.

[tristanhilton85]

Get fit.

[jj22]

okay i guess getting fit is pretty important . ill call some places in town . what does that range in price? and do i order clubs first and they fit them? or go there and they help me find out what to buy ? how does it work?

and thank you to everyone who replied!

[shades9323]

The fitting should be free as long as you buy the clubs there. They fit you and then they order them for you.

Originally Posted by jj22

okay i guess getting fit is pretty important . ill call some places in town . what does that range in price? and do i order clubs first and they fit them? or go there and they help me find out what to buy ? how does it work?

and thank you to everyone who replied!

[colnago1331]

If you can, avoid the "big box" stores like Golf Galaxy and Golfsmith.  You're likely to get a better fitting from a small shop where the people who work there have been in the industry for some time and aren't just kids with a summer job.  I'm not saying you can't find such people at GG or GS but it's more likely you'll find them at a small independent shop.

Either way, make sure you get a dynamic fitting.  If all they want to do is take measurements and then ask you a couple questions, they're not doing the fitting correctly.  You should, at the very least, be hitting off of a lie board.  Preferably they'll also be measuring swing speed, launch angle, ball velocity, and a host of other data.  Getting fit at a driving range while hitting off the grass would be best, especially if the fitter employs TrackMan or a similar device.

After all of this, your fitter will know, at the very least, what shaft(s) best fit your swing, what club length/lie best fit you and what type (SGI, GI, or players) of irons you need and you'll hopefully have it narrowed down to a few different clubs.  At that point I'd ask the fitter if he has demo irons for each kind you're looking at with the kind of shaft you've been fit for.  When I did my fitting I got three six irons - a G15, an AP1 and a JPX800.  I then took them out for a round and used each one to see which one I liked best (taking into account looks, feel and how it worked for me).  After all of this I was able to let the fitter know which one worked best for me.

A proper fitting can take time but it is well worth it.  Don't ever feel like you're rushed.  You're getting something that, hopefully, you'll keep for at least a few years.

[minty7890]

Honestly for a newbie, you are fine.  Yes being fitted is important, but since you already bought your irons I would not be rushed.  Your height is not the key component, it has to do with your wrist to floor measurement and swing dynamics.  Also the length of club isn't your primary issue, the lie angle is most important.  The lie angle can dictate the left or right ball flight.  An upright lie angle will cause your balls to go left, and a flat lie will make your ball go right.  Also note than when you shorten the shaft, the swingweight will decrease meaning the clubhead will feel lighter.  You can add lead tape to the club head to bring back the weight of the head.  Lots of info for a novice, but I wouldn't worry too much about club length or shaft specifications until I dial in my swing.  Most important do not buy into an advertisement.  The longest club ever my a manufacturer does not mean YOU will hit the ball longer.