Which golf clubs are most important for learning to play?

[GoCommiesGo]

What's your budget? You can get a decent set for 300 if your not concerned about the clubs age. I would also really recommend practicing the 9-3 drill and working on the proper grip and setup. I would also urge practicing with a sand or lob wedge for awhile and get a feel for really compressing the ball properly.

I had a top-flite xl 7000 set and now for some ungodly reason now I have a mizuno and cobra iron set...be carefull its a dangerous game.

[tiger187126]

3 wood, 4, 6, 8, PW/SW, and putter. learn how to hit those and you can hit anything. you can also play any course with those clubs, as long as you don't have an ego when it comes to tee boxes.

if you hit up craigslist you'll find plenty of people selling entire sets for ~$100 with a bag or some guys selling clubs under $10/per. used sports stores also have great deals on clubs.

if you've never ever played i would go to a pro to get you straight on grip, alignment, and swing arc. if you can figure out a way to hit the ball consistently, don't ever let anybody change it.

most of all, just try to have fun. doesn't matter what you shoot.

[Stadium-Armory]

As already said; Single greatest thing you can do is to take lessons from day 1. Don't spend years grooving a bad swing like I did.

If there's one thing I've learned, its that golf is a game of opposites. What you think you see is probably the opposite of what's actually occuring. Have fun

[tiger187126]

True, but there something to be said for not slicing into the woods every single time you tee-off...

golf digest had a whole section about how it's a lot better to hit booming playable drives than people give it credit for..

The so-called experts say you think about your driver too much. They say it’s not right. You should pay more attention to your wedges, your putter. Well, this you don’t want to hear. The good news is, your little driver infatuation might make more sense than you know.

First off, the driver sets up how you play the par 4s and par 5s. The stats gurus at shotbyshot.com say that when average golfers drive the ball in the fairway, they hit the green about once every three tries. From most spots off the fairway, those odds drop to one in 10. So driving the ball in the short grass means getting more birdie putts. (We’ll assume you like birdie putts.)

Second, there’s a certain emotional see-saw tied to your driving performance. After all, what’s worse than christening a perfectly good hole with a slider into the right woods? You’re playing catch-up the rest of the way. A day full of that will wear you out and send you home in a mood. On the flip side, you can miss every green, and as long as your driver is working, not a bad day.

Third, hitting driver just feels good. It’s powerful, thrilling, sexy. Plus, your driver probably cost you five times what you paid for any other club you own, so there’s an undeniable shame in leaving it in the bag. And as for the age-old argument to hit 3-wood instead, have you looked at a 3-wood next to a driver recently?

We could go on. Point is, you spend too much time in the office to deny yourself on the weekends. So follow your heart, lover boy, and strip off that big headcover.

my lowest score (89) came when i kept my drives short but playable, played really good second shots, tore up the <100, and putts, but i'll be damned if that was as fun as putting a drive out there 270 straight down the middle, bombing a 3 wood another 230, and chipping for eagle. playing for score i would have been lucky to get on in 3 and it would be with a mid iron instead of a wedge.

but it's completely subjective. i could (and do) shoot in the 100s and have a blast and enjoy myself while watching near scratch guys cuss up and down the course and have a miserable go of it shooting in the 70s-80s.

one more bit of advice based on this tangent for lower scores:

if you find a shot that you are money at play around it. if you nail a 7 iron from 150 like clockwork then try to end up with 150 to the pin when you're on the tee box you may get some weird club choices, but you're better off hitting into that shot comfortably than hitting a 8 iron 130 that you probably will mi****.

[pjfootballer]

True, but there something to be said for not slicing into the woods every single time you tee-off...

I do have a slice, but depending on the hole, I compensate my stance outward to the left.

[Skin'Em84]

Also, playing with the same type of ball all the time helps.

In all honesty, the ball doesn't help a ton with the drive, but each ball can have a very different feel in the short game. It doesn't have to be a great ball, or even good, but using the same ball lets you learn how it will respond, and you will play a bit better.

[grhqofb5]

Get a hybrid, 7-9 irons, pitching wedge, sand wedge, driver and putter.

[mcsluggo]

go to a par 3 course... play the whole round with a 7 iron, a sand wedge and a putter... enjoy.

[Thiebear]

go to a par 3 course... play the whole round with a 7 iron, a sand wedge and a putter... enjoy.

xactly

[A Walton]

A putter, 5 iron, 3 wood and a wedge.

You don't need a driver yet. A 3 wood is a club that can be used all over a golf course for a beginner

It is also important not to shy away from long irons. It is important for you to know that a long iron is not easy to hit. If you practice hitting a 5 iron, a 9 iron is a breeze.

Wedge - 100 yards in and around the green. Learn these shots. They are where most shots are pissed away in a round.

Your putter - the single most important equalizer in golf. Master this stick and you will be able to play golf with any skill set and give them a run for their money.

[terpskins10]

Thanks for all the great advice, everyone! Sorry it took me a while to respond, got pretty busy the last few days.

Excited to get started! For now, I have a 3 wood that a friend gave me, and I'll probably pick up one or two mid irons, a wedge, and a putter. Going to get some lessons this weekend as well.

[superozman]

I've seen a lot of advice, some I agree, some I don't. So I’ll throw mine out there.

1. Get a full set, but go for a used set of clubs, scour online or go to a golf store local to you. Someone previously mentioned buying better clubs instead of cheap clubs, because indeed the better ones will hit differently, your swing may change. FYI – this is just one random site for a used set of irons and the price. You can find other brands cheaper, but taylor made I like http://www.taylormadegolfpreowned.com/golfclubs/iron-set/c_pt-7.aspx , you can get R7 drivers used from 50-75, woods even cheaper. R11 is the newest, just to give you an idea of how “old”, but when I hit my r7 right, it still works, so I’m not getting the new one for a bit.

a. The reason I say this, is yes I spent $120 on a full set from Cougar Tour Cat when I started. I still have that set. But I got lucky, as when I read reviews of this now defunct golf club maker – half the people writing reviews had clubs break at the hosel rather quickly. You buy 2 of the cheaper sets, you could have 1 solid set of irons/wedges (fill in the others still cost a tad bit more, but your replacing your Cheap Driver no matter what).

2. After you find your clubs, make the driving range your best friend. I know it may sound ridiculous, but if you want to get good, use this at least once a week. This is where you learn, adjust, etc.

3. To people telling you leave the driver alone, I agree with a previous poster. You have one, learn to hit it! There isn’t much that feels as good as sex, but when your on the course and you hit a driver down the middle and it travels a good distance, man sometimes you want to jizz in your pants. And when you feel awesome, you hit that second shot to the green. And when you put for birdie (or maybe even have an eagle!), you do what I do, get happy/nervous/excited and push the put 15 feet past the hole and wind up with Bogey  But spend time on all clubs, because dog legs, par 3's, and par 4's with hazards at 250 usually require lay ups - which you won't use a driver.

4. Speaking of putting – go to a store, and find a putter that works for you! You can again find cheap used putters. My thing is, decide what one you want at a store, look for it used online. Ebay is great (even for the irons and stuff)

5. Like people said, begin on par 3 courses or an old shotty course. This will help you not worry about holding people up, having golf course nazi’s tell you that you are playing behind, or hold people up so that they actually drive into you – if you start at a nice course.

6. if you have 3 friends that golf, and are decent, go to a real course with them! They will keep the speed of play up, and tell you if you are taking too long without trying to drive a golf ball up your ass while you are taking the 5th shot from the fairway

7. Golf balls are ridiculously expensive. Again – use ebay and stuff. If you aren’t good, there isn’t too much the better ($45 per dozen) balls will do. Get your inexpensive balls and play them. Then pick up every ball you find on the course and keep them 

8. Just a last note. I’m from Philly, yet have been to Top Golf in Alexandria 3 times. Why? Because it’s the most fun I’ve ever had golfing outside of a really beautiful course. It’s just a fun time, and you can learn too. It is expensive, but it’s a good way to get friends out and relax, but learn. Your 24, it’s perfect. Food, Booze, Girls, and golf. l