Does the type of club matter?

[electricrc68]

Hey guys. Right now, I have a set of Top-Flite XL clubs that I bought as a set at the beginning of this month. I haven't played for 2 years, so I'm not very good at all right now and plan on getting lessons again. But I have a question; does the type of club you have really make a big difference in your performance? Right now I have the top flite XL clubs, and I'm wondering that if I was to buy a taylormade, ping, or callaway clubs, would it make a big difference? I'm assuming that it doesn't make a big difference in the performance of a player, and that I should just stick to these for now until I become a better player?

[MixedBag]

Get your lessons first, get properly fitted once you are "somewhat" happy with your swing, then upgrade if you feel it's necessary. I've played with guys that play with box clubs and out played me (not hard to do these days).

[firstbatch]

You have assumed correctly. Get the lessons, hopefully from a qualified teacher, and build a swing first. But if you hang out on this forum you will be cajoled and corrupted into a club ho quickly....LOL

[richard t]

+1 on the other two posts. Lessons, practice, clubs in that order. Do the clubs really matter? Yes, to Phil, Tiger, et al. To us the answer is probably not until you have a real repeatable swing and can control the ball with some skill. Good Luck!

[Yosef]

[quote name='firstbatch' timestamp='1369402053' post='7098154']
You have assumed correctly. Get the lessons, hopefully from a qualified teacher, and build a swing first. [b]But if you hang out on this forum you will be cajoled and corrupted into a club ho quickly[/b]....LOL
[/quote]

He's not kidding haha

[electricrc68]

Thanks guys! I think the clubs will wait then. And yes, the part about hanging around here and becoming a club ho is true...thats part of the reason why I started thinking of maybe buying better clubs first!!! I'm going to hold off on those for now though.

[dac]

or you could get the new clubs you love, and feel good about wanting to go hit them and practice. i'd be unmotivated to play if i didn't have clubs that appealed to me. your personal preference may vary.

[ogrehack]

If anything like below, they look perfectly fine. Between lessons & 'better' clubs, not even close, lessons helped overall by a longshot.

http://www.topflite.com/golf-clubs/xl-mens-set

[bph7]

Agree with most of the above posts, with one caveat: If your clubs fit you terribly for whatever reason, then they will have an adverse impact on your improvement. Otherwise not much difference, get lessons, get a little better, and you'll be able to better know what you want and better appreciate your next set.

[BogeyRei]

Keep what you have until you know you need better sticks. Once you figure out if you are a high ball hitter or a low ball hitter. Whether you draw or fade, whether your swing is quick or flowing. The one piece of advice, upgrade your wedges 1st, the short game is the key.

[slodsm]

Definitely get the lessons and a good swing first. Thanks to the internet, once I started taking lessons I went through 4 sets of clubs in a year due to an evolving/improving swing and the incessant need to club ho.

[electricrc68]

Thanks guys. I'll follow the advice said here. ogrehack, yes those are the clubs I have, except mine have a graphite shaft.

On a side note, I'm only 16, and when I was buying clubs, they said I was standard size...anyone know what that means?

[bullrambler]

I've always been in support of any and all golfers can improve their game - at all levels. Harvey Pennick was a sincere advocate of having all golfers improve their game. The most favorable areas that can see decent results is putting, chipping and pitching. Most of these skills are obtained by feel. Yet one has to put the time into these parts of the game. With the putting in mind it is fairly straignt forward. Go to a practice green and put from all distances,and use the undulations of the green to find out how the ball breaks towards the hole. Chipping is done from just off the green back to about 15 yards off the green. One ought to try different clubs to see which ones work best for individual. This element is also about feel, and getting the ball to role on the most ideal line to make the putting easier.

Pitching is a bit about feel, but moves towards a more full swing. As one adds distance away from the green, then one uses clubs designed for longer approaches into the green. The ideal yardages are from 150 yards and in. This is where a golfer can save strokes and the area where one can acheive favourable results.

Also, an area that is often neglected is sand shots. Easy to develop the skills to get the ball up and on ther green and Improvement is readily seen. As a golfer works their way to the tee box, this is where the longer clubs in the bag are used. Often times these clubs take more time to hit well. , Because the shafts are longer and the loft is less so flaws will be seen immediately. And a lot of golfers would do well if they learned to hit a 5 wood well off the tee, and then move to a three wood, and lastly a driver.

Time, patience and a dedication to practice are what makes the skills achieveable. Golf is a fun game and everyone can improve. Hopefully their improvements will make the game more enjoyable at one's own level.