sorry for the long-winded post
:
i played around with my friends' clubs and took lessons
first
. after 2-3 months, becoming somewhat comfortable with swinging irons, i bought an iron set first which had stiff shafts (currently still in use). then i proceeded to purchase a Cobra driver and 2 Nike hybrids which had regular shafts.
from my signature, you can see that only 1 nike hybrid remains in my bag, which i hardly ever touch at all. fortunately for me, most of the clubs i bought were used.
this is where my advice comes in: from personal experience, i would ask you to guess the type of golf swing that you desire to have and the swing speed that you will generate. although body types of individuals may vary, one can still make broad generalizations, especially given your current level.
for example, you may observe how other golfers of your age/build swing their golf clubs. if you like their swing speed and style, ask them about their club specs. it would be best if you have a group of friends that you can observe, then you will have a better idea of their athletic abilities and personalities ect.
i have been involved from many sports from soccer, tennis, volleyball, table-tennis and football. a skillful soccer playmaker like ronaldinho does not normally become an andy roddick of tennis, nor a cabrera of golf.
in the end, nothing beats a full-scale custom fitting, provided you have already possessed a consistent golf swing. but for now, your best bet would be to guess your "desired" swing style and swing speed, and then demo as many clubs as possible that might match your swing. so if you envision yourself as an aggressive player, you might want to ignore flexible/graphite shafts.
good luck!