Beginner Needs Help

[WkndDuffer]

Right equipment??

My son got me into golf about a year ago. I play on the weekends and my goal for 2006 is to break 100.

I've been playing with an old set of Wilson irons, Adams original tight-lies fairway woods, and a Callaway C4 driver. Been through three or four putter already.

It's time for a some new equipment.

Any recommendations, suggestions, or warnings?

All help is appreciated.

Weekend Duffer

[phillypete]

Play what you have, spend your money on lessons... the lessons will help a lot more than new sticks.

[MrParr1Noid]

Go out and get yourself a new putter and a couple new wedges. Then fall in love with them and then learn how to use them, from there all things will fall in place. :)

[DCIGUY]

No matter what you buy get fitted by a reputable person!

[tbowles411]

No matter what you buy get fitted by a reputable person!

But get fitted! And get lessons. Don't get wrapped up with all new sticks. If you do want new ones get new used ones. Look here, on ebay and get something used and then take them to a store that can send them back to the OEM to get them adjusted properly. If you don't want to use what you have, the TM r7 XDs are good, Callaway Big Bertha's are excellent to start with...

[TheReptilia]

to start out personally i think that sets perfect, although i'd try to get a bigger driver and invest in a better putter and wedge

[scotte]

I know alot of people are telling you to keep the sticks you have, and they are right, but you did say that you wanted some opinions and warnings if any.

 

I would like to give you some advice that I have seen in the 26 years I have been playing.

 

1. when you buy clubs, buy from a smaller proshop or clubstore, the bigbox stores like golf galaxy don't know much about clubs, and are not as good at fitting them. Find a reputable small company with a reputation.

 

2. I would stay away from clubs with "big offset". as you learn to play you will figure out that "big offset" clubs are not the easiest to hit the more pure your swing becomes. They are designed for people who cant or don't want to get a fundamental golf swing.

 

3. Save a little money for lessons. At this stage, the irons you buy today, or have today will not be the same ones you want 2 or 3 years from now as you get better. So don't go out and buy an expensive set of crooked sticks (big offset) clubs.

 

4 One of the most important things, people will try to sell you things that are for "beginners" but usually the stuff they are trying to sell you is not for beginners, it's for golfers at their "last resort" like "big offset" big caveties, weaker shafts than what would fit you, and so forth.

 

Have fun!

[hoosiervolunteer]

Here's my advice.

 

Step one: Spend money on lessons. This is a no brainer in my book if you haven't done it already. Golf is hard enough even at a high skill level. Have a good teacher show you how to swing a club properly and hit the different shots like a chip, pitch, punch, putt, sand shot, etc.

Step two: Practice, practice, and more practice! Practice 100 yards and in to the hole. The short game is where you will really lower your scoring average quick. It is where you will break scoring levels like 100, 90, 80, 70. The days I break par are not when I'm driving the ball the best, it's when my short game saves par or converts birdies on par 5's.

Step three: Repeat steps one and two until you break 100 then reward yourself with some new equipment.

 

If you are burning for new equipment now, get a good 56* wedge with plenty of bounce. It will help your score out more than something else. It can be used all around the green and from the fairway on full shots. Since you change putters a lot (every 3 months), try to find one you like and stick with it until you get more consistent in your stroke. By changing putters so quick and often as a beginner, it will be hard to develop touch and feel.

 

Hope this helps and good luck to you in breaking your scoring goal of 100 this year!

[golfer85]

;) Save the money and get some lessons. Then once you get your swing together :) you will be able to choose what irons to get for your new game. :crazy:

[Evil R1]

I agree with what was stated above , excluding one thing. What is your golf budget? If you have the money spend on Lessons and a set of Super Game Improvement Irons, and then trade them in in 1 - 2 years (depending on your progress) to get something along the lines of Game Improvement, etc I say go for it. Besides, everyone likes pulling nice shiney new clubs out of their bag at the golf course/driving range.

 

This was my approach so take it for what it's worth.

 

I purchased a set of Big Bertha 2004's 4 - PW, GW, and SW. I got the wedges to match my irons for two reasons, the forgiveness and consistency between the clubs. I had a set of Forged wedges and really wanted to like the forged wedges, but at my skill level they were just too demanding / frustrating. The Big Bertha's are great "Beginners Clubs" with a large offset and a wide sole. While they are not a club that will probably last in your bag for a long time, but they will do one thing while you are learning and that is make the game very enjoyable and that's why we go out and play. I think if I started playing with a more demanding set of clubs I would not have had as much fun and it would have felt more like a job. Probably wouldn't have played as much and practiced as much, so I wouldn't have improved so quickly.

 

After 1 year with my BB04's I just traded them in for a set of X-18's now that my confidence is up to play with a thinner sole, my swing is more repeatable and consistent, and I play consistently under 100.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[dinkoh]

I know alot of people are telling you to keep the sticks you have, and they are right, but you did say that you wanted some opinions and warnings if any.

 

I would like to give you some advice that I have seen in the 26 years I have been playing.

 

1. when you buy clubs, buy from a smaller proshop or clubstore, the bigbox stores like golf galaxy don't know much about clubs, and are not as good at fitting them. Find a reputable small company with a reputation.

 

2. I would stay away from clubs with "big offset". as you learn to play you will figure out that "big offset" clubs are not the easiest to hit the more pure your swing becomes. They are designed for people who cant or don't want to get a fundamental golf swing.

 

3. Save a little money for lessons. At this stage, the irons you buy today, or have today will not be the same ones you want 2 or 3 years from now as you get better. So don't go out and buy an expensive set of crooked sticks (big offset) clubs.

 

4 One of the most important things, people will try to sell you things that are for "beginners" but usually the stuff they are trying to sell you is not for beginners, it's for golfers at their "last resort" like "big offset" big caveties, weaker shafts than what would fit you, and so forth.

 

Have fun!

 

I mostly agree with above. Depends on what makes GOLF fun for you? Is it new equipment, improvement, or lower score? All the above? :)

 

Lessons are key. Lessons from a good teacher is more important I think, than just lessons. I've had less than thorough teachers, and its a waste of your time and money.

 

Second, practice after good lessons. Practicing bad form only hurts.

 

Lastily, getting game-improvement irons are helpful. Gives you flexibility and forgiveness while you are developing a 'sense' of a good golf swing. Once you develop a solid swing than you can switch up. Don't worry about big offset. It helps while you learn. Once you convert to blades or so forth... you can learn to release a bit earlier.

[scotte]

Hi Dinkoh, I don't want this to sound smart mouth, i don't mean it that way. I just wanted to clearify what I meant about the big offset stuff.

 

I know you said and I totally agree with you, practicing bad habits will only hurt. I guess I feel that way about big offset clubs will only hurt while learning. Starting your rotation early wont fix things when transfering from a croocked stick to a normal small offset club. Your set up and everything is different.

 

Teachers will teach him how to hit the ball and the proper set up, and that will make hitting croocked sticks even harder than a small offset club. I don't mean like blades either. I mean like clubs like mp60, kzg and those types, with good sized heads, but not like those callaway goosenecks.

 

The first think he should learn is how to hit the ball in the center of the clubface.

 

I feel those croocked stick clubs are for guys who don't want to learn a fundamental PGA swing.

 

I don't mean this wrong, or nasty, I think I just said it wrong before.

 

Have a great day!!!