Need some knowledgeable golfers help. Last Saturday I went out the morning of my friends wedding and hit the links. It was the first time out since December. I played regularly my first 2 years in high school. After that it's been maybe once a year if that for the last 7+ years. I had such a good time and realized I need to pick up a new hobby, what a better one to have. So I now looking into new clubs. I went up to GolfSmith today and looked a few sets. I really liked the feel and setup the Ping G5 and I5 had. As well as a few of the TaylorMades. I'm open to any suggestions and comments. Thanks.
Hey Jason, I just been assigned to be F-Chat's "Golf Consultant" so I am happy to help. They say that the top 20% of golfers (skill level) spend 80% of the money on golf equipment. Basically, unless you are a very good golfer, there isn't a whole lot of benefit to buying really expensive clubs. At stores like Golf Smith, they regularly have sales where you can find great deals on some really good stuff. Ping and Taylor Made both make good stuff, I am currently using a Taylor Made R540xd driver, 3 and 5 woods which I love. For a driver you just want something you are comfortable with, and that doesn't necessarily mean you have to go spend $600 on the newest Titleist. If I were you, I would just go down to a golf shop having a sale, and take some swings with some drivers and irons that are designed to be forgiving and you are comfortable with. With anything though, its practice practice practice.
I agree, try out some clubs by actually swinging them or better yet see if you can find a course that will let you demo them for a round. Buy what feels best to you. I like Taylor Made but others prefer different brands. Once you find the clubs you like, don't be afraid to check out some web-sites to see if you can find them cheaper. I've had good luck with http://www.golfexchange.com//index.aspx?. Sometimes you can find pretty good deals. Also, unless you're more worried about image than money you can usually find models from previous years at deep discounts. Most important of all don't take it too seriously unless you are making a living at it! Have fun!!
Haha, yes! I see so many guys get so frustrated on the course. They curse and break and throw clubs... but what do they expect if they don't practice? They great thing about golf is you don't have to be really good to play and have fun... just make sure you get enough strokes from your buddies.
AHHHHHH.......the infection has claimed another victim. LOL!!! As a completely helpless addict I can offer some advice that may, or may not, be worth a dime. You won't go wrong with either Ping. The G5 is stupid easy to hit and long. The G5 has a little more offset and will tend to hit the ball higher than the I5. The I5 is targeted at players that like a little more workability and a flatter trajectory. Both set up square with a fairly thick topline. In my experience Ping players have more brand loyalty than most other golfers. I played Ping Eye 2+ for over 15 years. Ping irons appeal to a lot of players and the quality of Ping is legendary. Taylor Made has some great irons. The R7 CGB irons would be very close to the G5 and the R7 would come close to the I5. My only real advice is to demo everything. Most good retailers have a demo program where you can take an iron (usually a 6 or 7 iron) out of the store and to the driving range. Hit them all and compare the ball flight, feel, forgiveness, and how they set up to the ball. Don't let them tell you that hitting clubs in the store into a net is a "demo". If you can't see that ballflight and feel how the club reacts in the turf, you are peeing up a rope. There are so many quality clubs out there that you can lose your mind trying to figure out which one you like. If you are really serious about finding the best iron for you, finding a professional club fitter is a good way to go. You can really get down to the nitty gritty once you get on a launch monitor and have a really custom fit set of irons. Shoot......it took me over 2 weeks to get my newest set of irons adjusted to my satisfaction. Other brands I really like and have played quite a bit: (in no particular order) Titleist Mizuno Callaway If you need more advice, feel free to PM me. I will likely bore you to tears, but I will have a great time talking golf.
I am sure there are a lot of golfers here on F-Chat, I am going to send Rob a note asking if we could have a Golf (or at least a Sports) sub-section here in Off-Topic.
spend a little less on the latest model clubs look for last years clubs and have them fitted for you. getting your clubs fitted is the best money you'll ever spend. i found a little shop where they built a set for me for a ridiculosly cheap price and i love them. look around your area and get a custom fitted set of clubs. you won't regret it.
No sense paying inflated prices for brand new equipment if you're starting out again..... www.callawaypreowned.com
I personally like to use callaway, unfourtunatly it is on the pricy side but for me being a picky person, i like them to be comfortable, Irons: Big Bertha's 8 iron, 5 iron, 3 iron, 9 iron, and sand wedge, aproach wedge, Wedge: x tour chrome Putter: White Steel Rossie Driver: FT-I Tour Driver, and Big Bertha 460 Driver. All in all this set should put you back a few grand but its a great set to keep for a long time.
No need to get the top/expensive clubs unless you really want them. Get something good (taylormade, cleveland, etc.) from last year or the year before and spend the rest on lessons. As someone said get your clubs fitted. Check out www.rockbottomgolf.com they have the best prices on close outs. I've bought many items from them. One final thought: "you don't know the meaning of the word frustration until you take on golf"
i can't say that im a golfer, (maybe sometime in the future) but a sports sub forum would be great! meanwhile...back on topic...
You won't need the greatest clubs as you first have to get a swing and judge distance and connect properly etc. Depending on how often you play, it might take you a season or two to actually start playing well enough for "better clubs" to help your score. If you go with the cheapest clubs, it will hurt you now but the best clubs won't help you now either. I'm with Chase and I think Darth, go find a set that's on sale that may be a year or two old, make sure the length is right for you, get help with this and don't be afraid to mix and match clubs. I don't think I've ever had an entire set of clubs that all matched. I use what I feel comfortable with. I would also suggest a few lessons with a local Pro. There's no need perfecting your flaws, when you can get rid of them fully. And tell your instructor exactly what you want to do and how often you play and will play. Make him focus on your basics. The local Pro I went to see had an entire plan that would have lasted several weeks. You just want a good swing to practice with.
And look at his avatar picture. He hit that golf ball waaay too hard for the speed of the club head. HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT GOLF! j/k
Call around to dif clubs and talk to the shop pro. Ask them if they make custom irons on the side. If they do, you will get a fitted set of decent quality clubs at a great price. For your woods, check out Adams, they are AWESOME. As for a putter, don't get to crazy, as any putter will work and it's all in the getting use to it. My clubs fit the above scenario and my putter is an 'el-cheapo' from WalMart. I play to a 17 HC.
I've been playing on and off for a couple years. Some years I'll get in 40 rounds others maybe 10 if I'm lucky. I just overhauled my clubs last year and I only spent like 600 for my whole bag. Got a Brand new Taylormade R7 460 off ebay (way below market price and brand new) Used set of mizuno irons And got a deal on a demo club. The way to go when getting into golf is all about feel. You could have the most expensive clubs in the world but what good would they do if you can't hit the ball straight. The guys here are right you should demo any club before you buy it. It may feel good when swinging it in the store, but the course is a whole different story. And you have to remember the saying (I think it's from this goofy book called Mulligan's Laws) "Golf is 90% mental and 10% mental."
