terpskins10 Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 I'm starting to learn to golf and I have sort of a specific question I was hoping you guys could help me out with. I need to learn the bare-bones basics of swing mechanics and all that, and I wanted to pick up maybe 3-4 pretty cheap clubs just to start getting into the...ahem...swing of things. :pfft: My question is, out of all the different clubs (woods, irons, wedges, hybrids, etc.), which 3-4 clubs would be best to practice with until I get good enough to get my own full set of clubs? Like, would it be best to get a driver, 5 iron, 9 iron, and pitching wedge? Or a hybrid, pitching wedge, putter, and seven iron? That's what I have no idea about and I was hoping to get some advice. I know there has to be some emphasis on brand, loft, club type, shaft type, and all that, but could I worry about all that later, once I start figuring out how to play? I'm planning on just going out and getting a few used clubs that are in decent shape for now, but I don't want to mess up my future game if that isn't the right approach. Please help me out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipwhich Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 There should be no emphasis on brand, loft, club type, shaft type. Get lessons from a golf pro and learn how to swing a club. Hitting an iron and field wood, and driver are all different. Learn how to swing a club and don't worry about the clubs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terpskins10 Posted July 9, 2012 Author Share Posted July 9, 2012 There should be no emphasis on brand, loft, club type, shaft type.Get lessons from a golf pro and learn how to swing a club. Hitting an iron and field wood, and driver are all different. Learn how to swing a club and don't worry about the clubs. Definitely planning on getting some lessons. Thanks for the advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hersh Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 You can probably get a relatively inexpensive set of used clubs but if you are only picking a few: 5, 7, 9, and either a pitching wedge or sand wedge. Also, get a putter and start practicing on greens. When you get lessons and when you practice, don't hit off mats at the range, hit off the grass and always pick out a target to shoot at. Last thing I would say, play par-3 courses as soon as you feel even semi comfortable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRobi21 Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 It's all in the swing, not the clubs. Sure good clubs help. But the swing is most important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hersh Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 When you feel like you are ready to buy a full set, go get your clubs fitted for your size and swing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special K Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 The cheapest ones you can possibly find...until you know what the heck you're doing Seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinC Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 If you just want to start with 3 or 4 clubs I would recommend a 3 wood, 2 or 3 Iron, 9 Iron or Pitching wedge and a putter. Getting lessons and advice from a local Pro is a must when you are starting and spend as much time learning to put as to swing that driver! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 The cheapest ones you can possibly find...until you know what the heck you're doing Seriously. Truth! I've watched more guys that I can count shoot a worse game than me (and trust me that's saying something) with $800 clubs and I'm out there with my $100 Dunlops. If you're not a very serious golfer (a scratch golfer zero handicap) then forget about the pro-shop and buy an inexpensive set. That said, ya gotta be able to putt, it don't matter for crap if you can blast the ball off the tee if you're can't make a three footer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunterx Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 I'm starting to learn to golf and I have sort of a specific question I was hoping you guys could help me out with.I need to learn the bare-bones basics of swing mechanics and all that, and I wanted to pick up maybe 3-4 pretty cheap clubs just to start getting into the...ahem...swing of things. :pfft: ! I would suggest going to get a fitting and then based on that, purchase a starter set. The one mistake you can make is learning how to swing to make your swing work for your clubs. If you have an extremely cheap set of clubs, and develop a swing for those clubs...when you finally do go get a new starter set your swing will most likely not work for those clubs. A fitter is usually an instructor, or at least has some idea of what a swing should look like. Even during the fitting, they can give you some advice and figure out how your plane and impact will be to fit you with a good set of clubs. I would argue that the most important thing to the club is the shaft itself. If you don't want to spend the $200-300 on a new starter set, I would head over to hirekogolf.com, sign up on their forums and make a post telling them you were fit for AbC clubs and shaft, and you want something as similar to that as you can. When I lived in DC, I built and fit clubs for friends and family all the time. I always used the clubs designed by this company, and I encourage you to try them out if you are on a budget and don't need the brand named ones for mental happiness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsmarydu Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Truth! I've watched more guys that I can count shoot a worse game than me (and trust me that's saying something) with $800 clubs and I'm out there with my $100 Dunlops. If you're not a very serious golfer (a scratch golfer zero handicap) then forget about the pro-shop and buy an inexpensive set.That said, ya gotta be able to putt, it don't matter for crap if you can blast the ball off the tee if you're can't make a three footer. I was given my putter first, an old Titleist DeadCenter, and got a putting green. Then a friend gave me a full set, real woods. I had a customer that was a pro in a shop down the street, so he cut them down and regripped them for me. Still have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thiebear Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 I broke 90 with a set of wilsons. (Working for Unisys at the corner of the Reston Golf club). Hitting out of sand, chipping and putting for free during lunch knocked 12-20 strokes off each round. (playing different public courses all over fairfax). Par3 courses are your friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbs Hog Heaven Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Without wishing to 'jack the thread, what's the best way to sabotage golf clubs so their un-sabotagable? (New word? Shrugs, roll with it.). Don't ask me why, as I'd have to kill you. But I have a payback mission that's LONG overdue. Hail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HogNose Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Find a cheap set of clubs (used) and then find a good par 3 course/driving range. Golf can be a lot of fun but it can be very frustrating too. You will lose lots of balls so don't buy the top of the line Titleists, etc. Grab a bag of recycled balls which can be found at Dicks, Amazon, etc. Anyway I think the best clubs to learn with are the 7 & 9 irons, the 3 wood, pitching wedge, and a putter. Btw I always use my 3 wood for driving and keep my driver in the bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warpath11 Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 start out with even or odd for irons. I started with a 3, 5, 7 and 9 (similarly you can do 2, 4, 6, 8). Get your swing mechanics with those than fill in the woods/wedges and the rest of the gear. Oh and most importantly get lessons! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCS Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 I remember when I first started playing golf at Fort Belvoir. My dad was teaching me,(he made his way through most of college playing golf and pool). He got the bag together with a driver and a 3 wood and the odd irons. He then packed a lot of cheap golf balls,(bags of range balls that had water magnets in them). I was kind of confused at first because I'm looking at his bag and then looking at mine and seeing a vast difference. He told me I wouldn't need more clubs and I would need more golf balls for some time. Then he promptly took me to the range for awhile to work on my mechanics then we went to the course to get some practical experience. I can honestly say I spent more time at the range than I did on the course for the first year or so I played. Needless to say,I learned real quick that dad was right about the clubs and the golf balls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDoyler23 Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Start with a wedge or a high iron and take half swings. 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock and get the pattern of hitting down on the ball and clipping if before the turf. Then go 2-10ish and then a full swing. Get the cheapest clubs possible to start that are somewhat acceptible for you're height and swing speed. You'll see hackers get to the range and pull out the driver first and start swinging for the fences, but don't. Start with a wedge and hit a few solid first and work your way all the way down to the driver, and then finish with some touch shots (like a knock down wedge, or inbetween pitch/chip swing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lombardi's_kid_brother Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Get some extremely cheap irons and find someone to give you some lessons at a driving range. Until have the basics of your swing down, nothing else really matters. If you are still enjoying it, get a ful set of extremely cheap clubs and get lessons at a club. If you have not killed yourself after that, get fitted properly and get clubs made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dont Taze Me Bro Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Go to Walmart and buy a cheap set of clubs, like Wilson or something. You really need to get a feel for how each club hits, specifically since each iron has different loft angles, like you will hit a 2 iron 170 to 200 yards (this is just an average range and will change depending on who is golfing) but your going to hit a 9 iron around 95-130 yards because the club face on the 2 iron has an angle that is close to being flat (like a driver) so the ball is going to go on a lower projectile path. Where as a 9 iron has a steeper angle (right below your pitching wedge) and will loft the ball a lot higher. Your other irons of course vary in between. You need to know how do judge distance and learn when to use each club and the situation best suited for each club. On a Par 3 that is say 145 yards, you wont hit a driver or you will crush it past the hole in all liklihood. You would probably hit an 8 or 9 iron, possibly a pitching wedge if you hit your pitching wedge 110-120 yards which some people can do. Im left handed, so I didnt get the benefit of buying cheap clubs as nobody really has left handed clubs except golf stores so I had to buy the Golden Bear set of clubs, which I like, but I think I dropped around 250-300 bucks for them, where as my friend went to wal-mart and picked up a set of Wilson clubs for about 150 bucks cause he is right handed. Also, note that when you go to the driving range, you're not going to hit range balls as far as you will new balls you bought to play with on the course. Those balls are beat up, cut, harder than most of the good golf balls. Id also recommend buying a **** load of decent golf balls, but not expensive ones starting out cause you are going to lose a ton of balls in all liklihood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoSkins561 Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 I'm actually going to go against the grain on this one and suggest avoiding the "cheapest" pair of clubs you can find. IMO Wilsons are not a bad set of clubs, I started with the Dunlop when I was 16, they were horrible, they felt like cheap. I quickly upgraded to a used set of Hogans, I loved those things, I started hitting the ball straighter and was able to "feel" the ball versus the clunking twang my Dunlops offered. My game improved dramatically, especially my irons. I would suggest checking out some used decent clubs and spending just a little bit more on a used set. I've hit Wilsons before, they're not bad, as a matter of fact, I have a Wilson pitching wedge that is on the money from 100 yards out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lombardi's_kid_brother Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 I'm actually going to go against the grain on this one and suggest avoiding the "cheapest" pair of clubs you can find. My definition of "cheap" is "free." Find a friend with old clubs and use them. I know too many people who drop a few hundred on golf gear, took three lessons, and never touched a club again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 I disagree to a point. I think you should spend real money on a putter and wedge that you feel comfortable enough with to be able to duplicate the stroke. Spend the majority of your practice time on wedges and putting. It will give you the best chance to lower scores. Too many people spend half of their practice time on Drivers. Which you will hit 13-14 times a round. But even the BEST pros use a putter 30-34 times a round. Learn to 2 putt from anywhere and you'll be happier than if you learn to hit a driver 300 and miss 3 foot putts consistantly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjfootballer Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 I agree with Kilmer. I get out-driven by my opponents, sometimes by 25-50 yards, but I make up for it with my short game. This may sound ridiculous, but playing alot of miniature golf helped develop my putting. I learned to have touch on the ball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCSaints_fan Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I agree with Kilmer. I get out-driven by my opponents, sometimes by 25-50 yards, but I make up for it with my short game. This may sound ridiculous, but playing alot of miniature golf helped develop my putting. I learned to have touch on the ball. True, but there something to be said for not slicing into the woods every single time you tee-off... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deejaydana Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 What Kilmer said is totally true but often ignored or not considered by people who have just taken up the sport. I think Craigs List is a great place to start because golf clubs---just like furniture or electronics---are always sold at a loss by the original owner. Brand new golf clubs are quite seriously overpriced by all of the major companies. Watch out though: the game is wickedly addictive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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