New golfer.. Should I not use drivers for first 6 months as I get better??

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by inthehole

This is true  - but keep in mind, the context here is a rank beginner.     I am absolutely convinced cutting the length way down will help a beginner.      I didn't ask, but assumed he's not gaming a new R11S where it wouldn't be wise to cut the shaft that much.    Its solid advice for a beginner to shorten the length of hte club - increasing the stiffness & weight balance is of little concern to a rank beginner, shaft length will allow him to hit the sweet spot more often, which is what counts where's he's at.    Sure, later when he improves, it won't be necessary to lop that much off ...which btw is where I'm at now, I left the length slightly longer on my current quality  driver (but still shorter than stock) ...

Im all for a shorter shaft on the driver.  However, dont just pull out the hacksaw and then put a new grip on the club.  Go to a shop, tell a clubfitter what you want and have them fit you to a shorter shaft.  Im not a believer in simply cutting an inch or 2 off of your current shaft and slapping a new grip on it.  Like I said, it changes the flex, which IMO is important even for a newbie.  Id be all for buying a driver with a senior flex and then cutting it down.  That way youd end up with a regular flex and have something you could probably do pretty well with.

[looseleftie]

Wow, thank you everyone for your time, really appreciated... I went down to as practise range today, focused on 7 iron and pitch.. Relaxed, slow backswing, head down, so, so much better than last week.. Playing tomorrow , very excited, I think after reading all advice I will put away my drivers, in favour of either 3 or 5 iron for tee shots...

Forgot to mention that my clubs were bought secondhand $100, pretty old style clubs from what mates have told me..Something out of the 70's if that!!! lol.... The 3 drivers that I have are all miniscule compared to those giant drivers that I see on the TV and in pro shops.. Truly, mine are very,very small, a smidge bigger than my iron club face.. A pro shop guy said that I should get another driver, I'm thinking that might be as good idea, just want to develop a bit more consistancy first, then I'll get  1 or 2 decent drivers..

Anyway, last week hit a few good ones and a heap of terrible shots sadly! Shot 75 for 9 holes, it wasn't pretty...

Oh well, keep my head up.. Rome wasn't built in a day...

Cheers everyone..

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by looseleftie

Wow, thank you everyone for your time, really appreciated... I went down to as practise range today, focused on 7 iron and pitch.. Relaxed, slow backswing, head down, so, so much better than last week.. Playing tomorrow , very excited, I think after reading all advice I will put away my drivers, in favour of either 3 or 5 iron for tee shots...

Forgot to mention that my clubs were bought secondhand $100, pretty old style clubs from what mates have told me..Something out of the 70's if that!!! lol.... The 3 drivers that I have are all miniscule compared to those giant drivers that I see on the TV and in pro shops.. Truly, mine are very,very small, a smidge bigger than my iron club face.. A pro shop guy said that I should get another driver, I'm thinking that might be as good idea, just want to develop a bit more consistancy first, then I'll get  1 or 2 decent drivers..

Anyway, last week hit a few good ones and a heap of terrible shots sadly! Shot 75 for 9 holes, it wasn't pretty...

Oh well, keep my head up.. Rome wasn't built in a day...

Cheers everyone..

Hang in there, bud.  Golf is a tough game that takes years to get good at.  Even the pros hit bad shots all the time, so dont ever be too hard on yourself.  If you have a set of clubs from the '70s, you might want to invest in a newer driver.  Even if you got something that was 5 years old, it would be a night and day difference, especially if your woods are literally wood.  The newer 460cc drivers and graphite shafts make it so easy it almost feels like cheating.