buying Golf Clubs

[bbodb1]

I agree (99.98%) with the following:

..... Our belief is that until one gets better and has a repeatable swing, fitting is pointless. My husband can probably benefit from getting fitted clubs because he knows what he is doing, but he has never gotten fitted clubs. In other words, if you are a good golfer, fitting is beneficial....

...BUT:

If you are taller or shorter than the average person, you need to get clubs that physically fit you.
You can needlessly develop some very bad habits IF you adjust to the club you hold in your hands instead of the club matching your physical specifications.
Please note, I am NOT talking about swing speed (shaft stiffness), type of shaft or any of that. That comes further down the road IF your interest in the game grows and your desire to improve.

Even more important than the club you hold in your hand - get your grip correct!

If you take a group lesson early on, this is the best takeaway is to establish the proper grip for YOU. Start there, and work on everything else. When things go wrong (and they will), go back to the fundamentals of the grip. Whether your grip is Vardon, overlapping or interlocking, get the grip right!

Best of luck!

 

[VacationForever]

I agree (99.98%) with the following:



...BUT:

If you are taller or shorter than the average person, you need to get clubs that physically fit you.
You can needlessly develop some very bad habits IF you adjust to the club you hold in your hands instead of the club matching your physical specifications.
Please note, I am NOT talking about swing speed (shaft stiffness), type of shaft or any of that. That comes further down the road IF your interest in the game grows and your desire to improve.

Even more important than the club you hold in your hand - get your grip correct!

If you take a group lesson early on, this is the best takeaway is to establish the proper grip for YOU. Start there, and work on everything else. When things go wrong (and they will), go back to the fundamentals of the grip. Whether your grip is Vardon, overlapping or interlocking, get the grip right!

Best of luck!

I agree with your points. We also always regrip with softer and in my case, larger grip because I have larger hands than most women. My husband likes softer grips too because the stock ones which come with the clubs are usually very rough on the hands.

 

[rapmarks]

Ever since I have known her, my friend uses daddy’s chipper and daddy’s putter. My friend is 81. Can you imagine how old those clubs are.

 

[MOXJO7282]

This is good insight. I haven't played enough to have a swing quite honestly so I think lessons will really help. It is through one of those Golf video centers so all lessons are video taped and you can analyze what you're doing right and wrong. I'm a former athlete and gym rat so I respond well to skills training and usually can master repeatable activities so I think training will work for me. The best part is 90 minutes of indoor range work weekly is included. Master is probably not the right word when it comes to golf but I just hope to hit the ball straighter without so many blow out holes and play closer to 100 than 120.

So I had my first lesson and practice session with the video system and I must say I'm hooked. I had so much fun and already solved a few of my many shortcomings. Right away I felt the self service video replay system is really conducive to quicker learning. Can't wait until my next practice session tomorrow.

 

[VacationForever]

So I had my first lesson and practice session with the video system and I must say I'm hooked. I had so much fun and already solved a few of my many shortcomings. Right away I felt the self service video replay system is really conducive to quicker learning. Can't wait until my next practice session tomorrow.

What video system is it? Is it something that your instructor has in his shop with video from front and side? One of my instructors has an academy that is set up that way in his shop/shed.

 

[MOXJO7282]

What video system is it? Is it something that your instructor has in his shop with video from front and side? One of my instructors has an academy that is set up that way in his shop/shed.

Yes. It is through Goftec. You wear sensors as you swing that displays info on 2 video screens on the wall, a live video feed that you can rewind frame by frame to see what you're doing below and also a stat and direction screen above that shows your slice or draw and so forth. Very cool stuff.

 

[MOXJO7282]

Yes. It is through Goftec. You wear sensors as you swing that displays info on 2 video screens on the wall, a live video feed that you can rewind frame by frame to see what you're doing below and also a stat and direction screen above that shows your slice or draw and so forth. Very cool stuff.

So revisiting this thread I've restarted my golf lessons. After making some initial progress I felt I was starting over but after a few lessons I'm very pleased with my progress. I've also been going out on a Par 3 course 5 minutes from me and just loving being out there hitting balls. My goal is to improve my game so I'm not embarrassed to play with strangers in HHI in Sept. Before the lessons I wouldn't even consider it but I must say my confidence is growing. A few simple tweaks to my grip fixed my fade and I just found a comfortable stance with a little weight on my front leg that really helped feel better about my swing. I'm somewhat OCD so I like to find consistent movement and enjoy working at it and once I do find the right method I'm usually good at duplicating with muscle memory.

Really having fun on the Par 3 up the road from me. I'm usually out there by myself so I can drop a few balls each hole to play. I'm at a point where I feel I'm already ready to get on the regular course.

Still no decision on the clubs. It's $2k for the fitted ones through my instructor. I like the guy so i may just do it so he gets the credit but still doing my research. I'm ok paying $3-$400 more but not more unless I'm getting really great clubs.

 

[Bucky]

So revisiting this thread I've restarted my golf lessons. After making some initial progress I felt I was starting over but after a few lessons I'm very pleased with my progress. I've also been going out on a Par 3 course 5 minutes from me and just loving being out there hitting balls. My goal is to improve my game so I'm not embarrassed to play with strangers in HHI in Sept. Before the lessons I wouldn't even consider it but I must say my confidence is growing. A few simple tweaks to my grip fixed my fade and I just found a comfortable stance with a little weight on my front leg that really helped feel better about my swing. I'm somewhat OCD so I like to find consistent movement and enjoy working at it and once I do find the right method I'm usually good at duplicating with muscle memory.

Really having fun on the Par 3 up the road from me. I'm usually out there by myself so I can drop a few balls each hole to play. I'm at a point where I feel I'm already ready to get on the regular course.

Still no decision on the clubs. It's $2k for the fitted ones through my instructor. I like the guy so i may just do it so he gets the credit but still doing my research. I'm ok paying $3-$400 more but not more unless I'm getting really great clubs.

Glad you are enjoying the comeback. Sounds like you are already leaps and bounds ahead of most amateurs based on the understanding of how important a repetitive swing can be! While repeating a good swing will reap the greatest benefit, even a bad swing can be playable provided it’s repetitive. Absolutely no reason to spend a ton on clubs unless you just want to! I choose to throw mine elsewhere. I just bought a new set of Callaway Rogue X graphite irons that are scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. Bought directly from Callaway off of eBay. Paid less than $500 for the whole set. Not the latest and greatest but then again, neither am I. Enjoy and hit em straight.

 

[csodjd]

People have offered some very good insights about improving one’s game. Practice is important and especially focus on your short game (short shots, chipping and putting.) You will see a lot of golfers at the range pounding drives, but you can save a lot of strokes by being very good at the short game. I was told that if you only have twenty minutes to practice, focus on this. I can tell you that many long hitters get annoyed when another golfer doesn’t hit the ball as far, but ends up scrambling for a par because of their short game. It can be a great equalizer.

Most importantly, have fun. Golf is a great game.

Not sure it's a great game, but...

So, I'm 62. Presently a +3 index. Played professionally a bit. Played in two US Senior Opens and 30 National Championships. Annoyed that this years British Senior Amateur is looking unlikely. In any event, golf is something I know a bit about.

The comment above is a key to EVER, EVER, being a decent golfer. It's really quite easy to learn to get the ball from the tee to within 75 yards of the green in a couple of shots. I've watch many a "hacker" / beginner do that, and make 8, because they SUCK inside 75 yards. 3-4 putts. A skulled chip. Leaving 3 in a bunker. Etc. Spend 80% of your practice time inside 75 yards. 30% of that is on the range hitting shots to SHORT targets, 40-75 yards away. 50% is chipping and putting. When practicing putting, you only really need to practice two things: long putts (30ft and more) and inside about 8 feet. Between those two you're going to two putt most the time. Making putts inside 8 feet is the KEY to decent golf. It makes up for a lot of mistakes. When practicing chipping, just practice getting it within 8 feet (that's a 16 foot diameter, so it's generous). Practice "easy" chips. Watch some video of Michelson or Jason Day. Awesome easy technique for chipping.

Learn to pitch, get out of bunkers, chip and putt and you'll be a 15 or better in a year.

So, clubs. I'd recommend getting a used, top-of-the-line, set of irons, a 4 or 5 iron through PW. A 2-3 year old set of Callaway, or Taylor Made, or Cobra, or other mainstream clubs will work great. Depending on your age/strength, steel or graphite shafts (graphite for older/weaker). Big help: make sure the GRIPS are good. New grips are like gold. Get a couple of rescues, about 19 degree, 22, and maybe 25 degree. A driver and a 3 or 4 wood. Add a 54 degree and a 60 degree for chipping, pitching and bunkers. Those should become your FAVORITE clubs, so those two clubs you may want to buy something new and shiny, that you really like. Callaway. Cleveland. Taylormade. Vokey/Titleist are all excellent. Medium bounce (10-12 degree).

If you're going to get lessons, start with chipping and putting lessons. At least two-three lessons on each. Those are what you need fundamentals for right off the bat so you practice the correct techniques.

On the range with the irons, rescues and driver, worry less about technique and instead just try and swing hard and kill the ball. It it hard. Your body will figure out what you have to do to do that. Get a picture in your head from some videos of pros, then go to the range and swing HARD.

Best books in golf: Nicklaus Golf My Way, 5 Easy Lessons, and the best: The Inner Game of Golf (or Tennis). Inner Game of Tennis took me from a decent golfer to a college All American. It's all about learning to get out of your way and ALLOWING your body to act naturally. You cannot improve until you know what you do when you aren't TRYING to do something.

 

[grupp]

You can also try some custom fit knock offs like these. Maybe not as good as named brand (or maybe they are) but probably better than a set than from Costco and can be custom fit. Not a great golfer, but these type work for me. Although I am also more picky about my wedges since, as csodjs points out, that is where most of my shots are taken.

GigaGolf Custom Golf Clubs

GigaGolf sells custom golf clubs at factory-direct pricing with our 30 day play guarantee. Most orders ship within 48 business hours.

www.gigagolf.com

 

[csodjd]

You can also try some custom fit knock offs like these. Maybe not as good as named brand (or maybe they are) but probably better than a set than from Costco and can be custom fit. Not a great golfer, but these type work for me. Although I am also more picky about my wedges since, as csodjs points out, that is where most of my shots are taken.

GigaGolf Custom Golf Clubs

GigaGolf sells custom golf clubs at factory-direct pricing with our 30 day play guarantee. Most orders ship within 48 business hours.

www.gigagolf.com

Speaking of "custom fit," as a relative beginner or a not too good a golfer, there is only one "custom" fit that's needed, and that is the "lie" of the irons. Nothing else really matters. But you do need them to match with your posture/setup so that when you swing you don't catch the heal or toe of the iron in the ground. There are few good outcomes from that, no matter your skill level. So make sure any irons you get can have the lie adjusted and get that adjusted. Custom fitting for shaft is pointless until you're a single-digit golfer.

 

[jont]

Looks like someone got the Golf bug.
Enjoy ? yourself Joe

John