The comprehensive Golf thread and Q&A
Noticed a few people on WSO wanted to improve their game and figured I could help in some sort of way.
Off The tee
In general I think making good contact is better than swinging out of your shoes. A general tip is that if you can't finish the swing in balance you are swinging too fast/out of sequence. Depending on you confidence and experience I think most people would benefit from using a 3 wood off the tee or a 10.5+ degree driver. 9 times out of 10 a 240 yd straight shot is better than a duck-hook that goes 265.
Long game (long-irons, fairway woods, and hybrid-irons)
I think most people are either a fairway wood player or a hybrid/iron player. Find out which you are more comfortable and in-general anyone shooting over 80-85 should toss the 3 iron out the bag and put in a hybrid or 5 wood. If you like hybrids you're in luck because nowadays you can get a hybrid that is anywhere from 16 degrees to 27 degrees in loft. You can replace a 3 wood with a 16 degree or a 5 or 6 iron with the 27 degree.
iron game 4iron-PW
Generally speaking, it is best to focus on accuracy than power with irons when you're just starting. When you get better you can focus on controlling the flight but the rule of thumb from Tiger Woods is a high shot has a full followthrough, a medium height shot is 3/4, and a low shot is finishing at your ribs.
Wedge Play
Probably the club to rarely (if ever) swing hard on. I think people focus way too much on spin instead of good contact. If you make good contact with a decent club head speed and the attack angle isn't too delofted you will get enough spin to hold the green. from 30 yards and in spin isn't normally a problem as long as you don't short-side yourself (downhill shot with little green to work with). You really only need 3 clubs to master to get a good short game. 1. An 8iron or 9iron. 2. Sandwedge (54-56degrees). 3. Lob wedge (usually 60 but can be 58-64).
Putting
The easiest and most simple part of the game. To start: focus on putting with a decent tempo and the ball rolling without a lot of hopping. Lag putting: Practice: 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 footers (admittedly you may not have a lot of long putts on a course with small greens). When you get better you can focus on putting to specific spot. For example if I have a 40 foot putt with a foot of break and is slightly downhill I will try to imagine putting to an imaginary hole that is 36 feet and 1 foot left of the actual hole. Short putting: Pretty easy to be great at with a lot of practice. Buy a 6-7 ft putting mat and hit 20 putts from 3 feet, 4 feet, and 6 feet.
Swing tips
Somewhat depends since people have different swings & someone who's 5'6 likely won't have the same swing as someone who is 6'3. Generally speaking, focus on a good grip first and good contact.
Miscellaneous
Don't worry about flop shots or stingers when you're a beginner. Don't listen to everything you hear from the hacks in your golf group or the golf channel/golf digest. Get instruction from a golf pro.
What's in my bag:
Driver: Titleist 913D3 8.5
3 wood: Titleist 913f 13.5
Hybrid: Cobra baffler 16
Irons 3-PW: Ping i20 blue dot
Wedges: Ping Tour S rustique 54 & 60
Putter: Ping Pat Pend Anser 2
Bushnell rangefinder
Prov1x ball
Handicap: 0
Low score: 62
Club head speed: 115
Club distances
Driver: 295
3 wood: 275
Hybrid: 240
3 iron: 220
4 iron:205
5 iron: 195
6 iron: 185
7 iron: 172
8 iron: 160
9 iron 150
PW: 138
SW: 108
LW: 80 (rarely swing full on this one)
When in doubt, club up. Subconsciously you'll swing easier and be more accurate.
It's not the putter, it's you.
Generally the case unless you're laying up. Yep. Unless you're shooting in the 80s or below and have 40 putts lol. Also takes a lot of skill to use a long putter like bernhard langer.
How do you maintain your scratch game while working full time? I used to be +2 in my late teens but now breaking 80 would be a pretty good day for me.
Single best tip I ever got was to use the bounce correctly on pitches/chips.
Mostly doing golf workouts, watching film of my swing, practice putting on a mat with my alignment tools, and of course I do a lot of practice swings in the house. For me at this point a golf workout with my barbell set is just as good as hitting rangeballs. Mostly has to do with the fact I've been playing for 9 years. Of course, when you don't play much you lose the short game first and my golf workout cannot replace that.
BTW as someone who has been a +2 before myself: It's going to damn near impossible to shoot a 70 at a 6500-7000 yard course if it's your first round in months.
Good golf-specific workout routine?
i think so..
Yeah, gotta improve the game. Wedge play, getting off the tee, putting and being miscellaneous are tough, we should practice sometime. I need swinging tips too.
Golf Etiquette and Unspoken Rules of the Game (Originally Posted: 01/10/2017)
To continue on my golf series I got a pm from a user asking to do a thread on etiquette and other things that have an effect on the game.
Clothing
This one is fairly simple and the cost can be as high as you'd like it to be. For me, I'm a big ashworth guy so their shorts and shirts are usually what I buy. Don't wear jeans, athletic shorts, or non-collared shirts. The one exception to this are the mock shirts like tiger wore in the famous chip-in at augusta. Places that are just your regular muni or driving range are usually less strict on dress code than a country club so you might be able get away with wearing certain thing. I'd recommend not buying the most expensive golf shoes since they are really a dime a dozen but you also don't want to be the goober wearing $40 footjoys that you bought at Dick's Sporting Goods. I recommend the adidas powerband because it's not as expensive as others and feels pretty good on the feet. For hats just buy a titleist, ping, or callaway hat so you don't stand out. You'd better be breaking 75 to play in my foursome to not get shit on for wearing a Rickie Fowler, Bryson Dechambeau, or Greg Norman style hat.
Etiquette on divots, ball marks, etc.
Know how to rake bunkers and repair ball marks that are made on the green. Learn how to mark your ball with a coin and move the mark when it is in the way of someone's line. Never step in the line of your opponent's putt and don't use a wedge on the green. Always take the pin out when everyone has reached the green and put the pin back when you are done. Fill every divot you make with the sand in the golf course and pat it down with your foot. Make your divots in a rectangle shape when on a driving range so the grass will grow back faster. When you hit a shot out of bounds you must hit the shot again and look up how to take a proper drop for shots that go into the water hazard.
Pace Of Play
This is a big deal on public courses and is probably one of the 5 biggest problems the game has today. I recommend only taking 2-3 practice swings before each shot. This eliminates a lot of the demons and second-thoughts that plague most golfers. I also think that most people should be thinking of their next shot before they get there because it helps speed the process. There is nothing worse than someone who waits until the last second to walk all around the green. Don't use mulligans because they just make things take longer and you'll have to get both golf balls. Buy a golf push-cart or pay the fee to use a golf cart. This will save you some time and less stress on your back. A good push-cart is the clicgear series or sun mountain brand.
yeah I'd look up the pelz system for wedge play as reference point of how much backswing you need to get what distance.
Putting isn't too difficult to be ok at if you have the basics down pat. Having
BTW next thread will be on how to get cheap or free golf.
the question, especially on this forum, isn't the cost to play.
How do you find the time to play?
lol at "don't use a wedge on the green"
We really are starting at the beginning here.
Lmao you'd be surprised. I've seen dumbasses smoke weed, hit flop shots, etc. on the green before.
devil's advocate: I have seen Mickleson use a wedge on the green multiple times
To keep the pace going, if I go OB, a lot of times I will just take a drop close to where I went out. This helps with the pace of play. I never have been nor will I ever be a competitive golfer, so I don't see the issue.
edit: and usually if I go OB on the first swing, I will go OB on the second
Pace of play is an enormous issue with golf. The theme through these posts has been the challenge of "how do you have time for golf?" It is a valid question that deserves the attention of both the USGA and PGA. For however many fans they are gaining with the younger wave of pros on tour, they are losing with the high barriers to start truly enjoying the game on a recreational level.
There are multiple concepts out there of 'shortening' a quality golf experience. Short courses, 12-15 hole loops, or purely nine hole executives are a great way to still enjoy the full spectrum of the game without sacrificing 6+ hours of the day. I also want to hear the group's thoughts on Topgolf. I personally just had one open up in my metro area and I love the direction it's going. The mixture of socializing + golfing creates a safe, low-stakes atmosphere for people to try the game. Very similar model to the classic bowling alley, which I've never met someone who abhors bowling. You either go and roll a few, or knock back a pitcher of your favorite brown water and cheers with friends.
Not sure how much this could shorten a round of 18, but when i am out with a foursome, we spend more time looking for balls than we should. If a course could apply the RFID technology used at top golf with some sort of GPS system to assist with locating balls, that might help speed up the game.
I cant tell you the number of times my cousin is 220 yards out looking for a ball he hit with his five iron. His five iron MIGHT be his 200 club when he leans into it.
There actually is something like this in the works with Cobra if I'm not mistaken. Also could see Game Golf doing something similar since they already have a pretty good system to track your rounds.
Can't confirm if Cobra is on to that but I think it's a matter of time...looking for balls is a round killer if it happens too much.
This might be a little controversial but I think the tour needs to allow golf carts. The casual fan isn't going to want to watch 8 hours of US Open coverage. Also, they should allow shorts because FUCK golfing with pants in 90+ degree weather.
Slightly off topic:
I think golf is in some really serious trouble going forward as a game with mass appeal. I believe after the baby boomers die off golf is doomed. The state of public golf in the Northeast part of the country is atrocious. Everyone with money plays at private clubs and this causes the public courses to charge a premium for terrible course quality. The weather is the other problem in the Northeast. You can only play comfortably for half the year.
Let's say you want to play a round of golf with your buddies on a Saturday in the summer. First off, the whole day is gone. Needs to be completely blocked on the calendar because the round will take 5.5 hours. Next, you're going to pay $115 at minimum with cart at a half decent course (nothing really that nice, but pretty decent). Add in a few beers and some quick grub, another $40-$50 a head. You're also prob driving 30 min from your house. God forbid you need to buy a dozen balls in the clubhouse, yikes.
Golf is traditionally a white sport. As we all know America is browning slowly and golf is not being passed down as readily to younger generations as it was before. When all is said and done, baby boomers gone etc, I see golf as a niche club sport - think paddle tennis/squash (especially in the Northeast where private clubs rule golf). Much less television coverage, prob only the majors and nothing else. The south will be slower to make this change of course.
Nike is already moving away from golf. The short lived Tiger Woods effect is waaay over and was overrated to begin with.
Agree 1000% but I also live where it doesn't snow at all and am near some pretty iconic courses. The way I see it is that golf courses need to dry out their courses and not make the whole damn course green. The fact also remains that the price increase from junior to regular golf fees is also insane. I used to be able to get a round at most public courses for 5 dollars and now it is 40-80 bucks all because I'm above 18. They really need to do a better job of trying to appeal to youngish (18-35) people or they're going to lose their shirt. There is a country club in my area that charges 1,000 bucks a month and has a 10-15k initiation fee. Fuck that.
Your right that the price needs to come down. Course need to throw it back to course being more natural. This would take the average green fee way down.
Major OEMS are moving away from golf because they over saturated the market through producing multiple clubs/drivers a year. These upgrades were not needed by customers or were two confusing. Whose dropping $500-$600 y/y on a new driver that doesn't add any value.
Lastly, the "Tiger Woods" affect is a two step process that everyone from the top of golf down to us is overlooking. Arnie, Jack, Tiger, Phil, Ernie, most guys on tour learned/played golf because their parents were players. Tiger won't not have made it without Earl getting him in the game. Tiger sparked people in 2000 who were probably 13 years old, now close to 30, and maybe have young kids. Couple of years, this will be the generation that makes it on tour. However, expect to see many different faces out there, Indian, African, Mexican, and Asian.
Here is another tangent...for those in suburban homes (with a tall basement), you can outfit a golf simulator for less than $10k and have very accurate swing analysis and an entertainment system of playing computer courses all in the luxury of your residence....will that catch on and would you ever do that in lieu of country club memberships and long rounds?
Optishot is a lot more affordable but I have not tried it. Have you?
The pace of the game is slow because the foursome playing a $20 nassau is following the same rules as the final pairing at Augusta. I know the USGA prides itself on having one set of rules but it's time to move on.
There should be a separate set of rules for amateurs with a handicap of 0 or greater. Out of bounds should be played as a simple hazard, as should a lost ball in high rough or woods. The five minutes allocated to search for your ball is absurdly long for amateurs as well - just drop one and take the stroke.
A lot of good conversation here about the current state of golf (Price, length, time commitment, etc.). Personally I agree with most of the points, and without adjustments to the "traditional model", it will likely see a consistent decline over the coming decade.
As I read this through I thought about the most enjoyable times I've had on the course as of late. When the weather is right (New England curse) my buddies and I will go this little 9-hole, Par 3 course not too far from where we go to school. It's perfect. Not in terms of course condition, but rather overall satisfaction. We're in college; we don't need a fancy country club, we don't want to commit a whole day to the game, we don't have $100+ to drop on one round, we want simplicity and to enjoy a hobby. A round takes roughly 2 hours, no carts needed as you can imagine it's small, and the cost is roughly $20. Nothing better than a quick round on a Friday after classes, then a few drinks and a meal before the night. Mind you I'm a college student so this may apply to my demographic a lot more than one with full time income. Still, I think this is somewhere more where the game needs to head to be successful. It has to be available and accessible to those who aren't the most well off.
This is a good post. I love short courses and par-3s and I love walking courses. My club is a cart-only course with huge distances between some of the holes. It's the best club for the price in the area and I like the course and the members but I do wish it was walkable.
That is a direction in which golf has gone a bit in the last 10 years. Walking only, "links style" courses are doing quite well (from an outsiders perspective). Bandon Dunes, Streamsong, Whistling Straits & Cabot Links are taking resort golf to a new level. In hard to get to locations, walking only and less manicured than the Trump Doral or Disney type resorts these places are trying to get golf back to its roots. I love going to Bandon and have the others that I mentioned at the top of my "want to go" list. These places are catering to high-earners and bucket-listers who save up to go on one epic trip (yearly, or less often even).
It'll be interesting to see where golf ends up. I think for public golf the short courses and courses that are less penal will be the direction it goes. TopGolf will be huge for the industry; help introduce some people to the game. Then you'll always have the high-end private golf clubs and the resorts.
Would also recommend spending money on waterproof shoes, or at least waterproofing them yourself. Even if it's not raining, if the ground is soggy or there's morning dew, you'll be glad you have them.
I wonder how many people here actually have an innate and organic passion for golf.
Shameless plug. Might find this funny....
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/blog/the-10-attributes-of-a-bad-golfer-w…
just on the topic of golf in general: 1) can't overemphasize how useful used equipment is to someone trying to break into golf. There is so much good used stuff out there that I can never justify buying "new" clubs. Top of the line irons will set you back about a grand off the rack, however a high-end model that was released 2 years ago will sell for a fraction of that- somewhere in the 300 range usually. And the technologies used in clubs don't change much year to year either. The only things I can think of that're constantly evolving are adjustability options, but I dont believe in adjustability anyway. Much more important to develop a fundamentally sound swing than adjust your driver so that you can swing as hard as you can without producing a 40 yard slice. Usedgolfballs.com is also a good place to shop as you're gonna lose a lot if you're just learning how to play.
2) Personally, I find 9 holes to be much more enjoyable than 18. While I do like golf more than most, I find that by hole 15-16 im just hitting the ball for the sake of playing rather than enjoyment, especially on slower days. I also noticed that I'll cut myself some slack on a hole or two If I'm playing 18 and shank a drive when I should be playing every hole in compliance with traditional golf rules. I have a much easier time committing to 9 serious holes. This is important if your goal is to get better.
New thread is up
Stop playing public and you'll never play a 5-hour round again. I think my longest round this year was 3.5 hours, and I've even done a couple sub-2hr rounds...but my course takes pace of play very seriously...
In related news, not playing from the right tees is probably the biggest cause of slow play. If you're a 20+ handicap -- and probably 75% of golfers are -- you should not be playing from the tips. Or even the blues.
Most golfers should be playing a 5800-6400 yard course. It's more fun this way if you can't hit a driver 260 consistently.
Agreed on the country club part. Hard to justify for people in IB who probably can't play 5-8 times a month.
If you're using carts, unstrap your partners bag.
lol I have done that before
dedline
Starting to Golf from Scratch (Originally Posted: 06/19/2015)
Just wondering if there were any experienced golfers out there who have been playing the game for awhile and could give me a good feel on where to start. I have absolutely no experience for the game whatsoever. If anyone could recommend a good set of starter clubs, good pair of shoes, and how to start with lessons/how often I would really appreciate it. Currently in Greenwich so if anyone knows specific locations in southern Connecticut that would be even better.
Thanks in advance everyone.
Good looking out @BillBelichick37"
Gifting myself a putting mat + alignment stick for Christmas!
go to a secondhand store for clubs, you don't need a full set, just make sure the sizing and shaft stiffness are right. probably driver, fairway wood, long iron (like a 5), mid iron (7 or 8), 2-3 wedges (pw, gw/aw, sw, lw), and a putter (properly sized). buy some of ben hogans books, and go to the range with a few friends who are good golfers (and thus can give you help), ideally friends who played competitive golf (Because they've had coaching and lessons), and just spend this summer at the range.
your goal this summer should be the fundamentals. swing plane, rhythm/tempo, weight transfer, balance, grip, aim, posture, etc. don't worry about putting a round together or trying different shots, don't worry about hitting it a mile either. just build a foundation.
edit: I should probably expand on sizing and stiffness. there are 2 kinds of shafts, steel & graphite. if you're not a senior citizen or a pipsqueak (be honest with yourself), you need steel. the reason being: even though graphite is lighter, if you swing with any power at all your ball will tend to snap to the left or right. it works well for slow swing speeds because it's lighter and forgiving, but I'd recommend steel personally.
sizing: this only matters if you're extremely tall or short (like under 5'8 or over 6'3). I know guys who are short that play regular clubs and I know guys who are average height who have custom irons. at your level, it won't matter much but just be sure you don't buy extra long or extra short (clubs will say +1, +2, -1, -2 etc) if you're average height.
sizing on putters: this is a matter of preference. I personally like a short putter, like 34". the most important thing about putting is tempo, so just make sure you can grip it comfortably and it feels relatively balanced. people will disagree until the end of time what type of putter is best (mallet, blade, long, etc.), but it's all personal preference.
I didn't mention shoes because it doesn't matter. the only time I've needed shoes is when I'm playing somewhere it's a bit damp and my foot slipped on a drive, or if you're on a hill hitting a full shot. otherwise, running/cross training shoes are fine. if you really want to spend money, buy some greenjoys, a great starter shoe at a reasonable price: http://www.golfsmith.com/search?s=greenjoys&tcode=GOOGLE&cm_mmc=GOOGLE-…. they were my first golf shoes after my feet were fully grown, nothing special about them but they work fine.
as far as how often? if you're working banking hours, whenever you can. but if you're flexible, 3-4x a week. again, spend all your time on the range, start with highly lofted clubs (wedges), and move up to your long iron and woods later. be sure you stretch before and after as well. and don't make the mistake 99% of amateurs do on the range and just pound balls. pick a target, think about your shot, and actually practice. if you want to blow off steam, fine, but don't expect to get any better if you're not planning your shots.
once you get better and can put a round together (not this summer) practice in roughly the same percentages that you'd hit shots on the course. if par is 72, that's 36 putts, so 50% of your time should be on the putting green. you'll have 14 par 4/5s, so spend 20% on your tee ball (fairway wood & driver), every hole will have an iron/wedge shot, so I'd split the remaining 30% between chipping and iron shots. of course this is super regimented and the first time you go to the course you'll likely have 40-50 iron shots in a round because you'll spray it all over the place, but you get the idea.
Excellent advice. Top.
I agree with your advice, except regarding the shafts. I have never been a great player although I play a single digit handicap; you can get graphite shafts that will accomodate insanely high swing speeds. The whole "if you can crank a ball far you need steel shafts" is very outdated, almost all top shafts nowadays are graphite.
Additionally, don't worry about playing a driver. Tiger at his prime didn't even carry a 460cc behemoth "driver", rather something that resembles a 3 wood. I would also highly recommend taking a lesson for your first few times; having to unlearn how to grip the club sucks enormous ass.
great advice from the bro ^
if you can afford it I'd say it's definitely worth the $ to hire a teacher at the range to help develop your swing + you can have him/her record video of your swing to help make adjustments. otherwise you'll just develop bad habits from the start, very easy to do with a precision sport like golf.
very true. swing plane is by far the hardest thing to change (been trying to change mine for 2 years now).
I find physical aids help, check out this video for a specific way to keep your swing plane correct.
one final thing, and this may be just me. I try to focus on 1-2 things per practice session, no more. for example, if your list of goals is hit the ball higher, don't sway and keep your weight on your front leg, hit it inside out for a draw, hit it longer, improve grip pressure, keep your head still, etc. you'll suffer from analysis paralysis. but if you just focus on keeping your head still for an entire session, your head will stay still, and you can build on that.
Get on the course as much as possible.
Join a league and track your handicap so you can follow your improvement.
Golfing requires focus on many different parts of your swing, so don't take any "lazy" strokes.
Everything bro said is spot on. I second lessons from a pro. You don't need to go overboard, but go a couple of times with a friend who knows how to golf, get minor pointers and just swing through a bucket or two, then take a lesson. Go a few more times, take another lesson or two and add a few clubs in each time. And even though every guy loves a driver because when you hit it right it can soar and you feel cool, lay off of it and hit higher irons and down to a 3 wood. The driver's the toughest club to hit and you can waste an inordinate amount of time hitting it. At different points in my golf life I've been pretty good and I would hardly take a driver out.
Of course if you can afford it, just go to the club pro, dish out all the cash you want and have him teach you how to golf.
The important thing about learning, improving or staying good at golf is consistency. You need to hit the range at least once per week and hopefully get 18 in once a week also. That's really tough to do when you're beginning a career.
Thirding lessons. Something I did that was good for instruction while being more economical than private lessons was small group lessons. There were 5 or so of us with an instructor for 60-90 minutes. It met once a week for a month; I did it twice.
Pretty much everything has been covered but just to add-
Once you have some sort of game established and want to upgrade a few clubs I'd look at 2ndswing.com. It has worked for me in the past, and I've gotten some great deals on hardly used clubs.
On a different note, always remember you're in it for the long haul. It's very unlikely you'll be able to go out there and put together a consistent round this summer. On the course always be patient and take your time (but know the pace of play)- occasionally if I'm playing alone I'll step back and take a second shot and try to correct my mistakes.
Also, it may look really cool to swing as fast and hard as you can, but the game is about tempo, so let the club do the work. (Took me a long time to grasp this concept)
One thing that really helped me out early hitting irons was not bearing down too hard on the ball. What I mean is if you've ever squatted, you know that you want to have your weight more on the center of your feet and your heels than towards your toes. If you apply the same concept as you approach your shot, you will find greater balance and will not hit for greater distance, but will definitely have more accuracy and precision.
Also, just have fun. The more you get in your own head, the harder it is to hit good shots. Don't go out with your boss right away, find a drinking buddy you're comfortable with who also has an interest in picking up a great pastime. The less you worry about playing better, the better you'll play.
Agree with everything brofessor said, although would strongly suggest at least a few lessons with an instructor up front to build a solid foundation.
1 get your grip down
2 start with lofted clubs (8 iron - PW) and get comfortable (this is where you can start to work on swing plane, rotation, weight shifting and aim)
3 get comfortable on a green
4 work your way to longer irons and 3-5 wood
5 hit a few drives (#1 - #5 will take a few months to progress through).
Do you guys play golf for fun, or for networking reasons?
If it's for fun, well, more power to you. It's not my sport of choice, but then again I also don't have much of a taste for soccer, which is apparently the world's most popular sport, so maybe I'm not the best benchmark.
If it's for networking, though... is golf for networking / business still a thing? I was under the impression that golf is declining in popularity, these days.
Warning, you will get hooked. I dont think there is a finance guy ive met that plays that didnt at some point go through a stage where all he thought about was lowering his handicap. Its inevitable and will ruin relationships at some point, but then again there isnt anything like hitting a flush iron and sticking it next to the pin. Just a warning, it will take at least a year of solid practice to get to a point where you feel comfortable on a course (i.e. dont have to worry about completely duffing it on the first tee with people watching). It takes some commitemnt before it becomes fun, but once you can shoot consistently in the 90's you will get hooked.
In terms of starting out, just get lessons right off the bat, dont try to go at it alone, you will just develop bad habits you will need to unlearn later.
Also, dont listen to the guys about getting second hand clubs, this is finance, and so with any hobby its "all the gear and no idea" :P
Great advice all around.
When you've been on the range for 3-6 months+ and start itching to play a round of real golf --- Start with a par 3 course versus a regular par 70-72 course. It will teach you short game fundamentals and will be much more fun at your skill level.
I agree, I don't think I played an actual 18 hole course until like 6 month's in or longer. Par 3 course helps a lot just to make you comfortable on the course, and not have to hit your trickier clubs.
A great starter set of clubs, as far as irons go, would be anything from Callaway Golf's X-series. These clubs are typically slightly higher lofted, which will allow you to get the ball up in the air (one of the hardest parts of the game when starting from scratch). The X-series irons are also extremely forgiving on miss-hits and have a multi-speed steel shafts that flex at different points depending on your swing speed. My advice to you (outside of get a few lessons & practice your ass off) would be to become an expert of specialist in one area of your game early on. Whether it be short game, putting, low/mid/high irons, or off the tee, find an area that you really enjoy practicing and spend extra time excelling at that area.
One of the most important things is developing a consistent stroke to start. This means keeping your left arm straight the whole way through and making sure that the left side of your body is straight through impact. This also means forgetting power in the beginning and just focusing on hitting a consistent distance with consistent tempo. As you improve, little tweaks in your shot that generate more power will happen naturally, but this should be secondary to developing a consistent shot. I bend my left elbow a bit at the top of my backswing now but was completely rigid with the left arm when I started and I believe that it served me well in improving. I recommend not just practicing at the range but also going to the course occasionally with friends who are good and playing best ball off of the drive (everyone shoots from where the best shot landed) because the short game is just much different on the course than on the range. Lastly, do not aim for the flag, aim for the green! Imagine a 95% confidence interval for where your shot lands and try to keep this within the green. Until you get better, targeting the flag will not serve you well.
Oh, and make sure that your left hand grip is not too weak. People naturally want to grip with a weak left hand to start - google it!
I agree with most of what has been said. I tried to start golfing two years ago when I got a new job in a location that allows me to golf a lot more frequently and cost effectively, I did not start taking lessons until last fall and made the most progress after one lesson than I did in a year and a half of the range. Agreeing with someone else above, learning to properly grip the club is vital, and probably caused 90% of my issues, and relearning to properly grip it is a significant undertaking. I still have him check my grip every time I go back.
I still am way inconsistent with my driver/longer irons, which is what is preventing me from breaking 100. I have lately had sub par number of putts after 1 putting lesson this year, (
If terms of clubs, if your looking to do it real cheap you can pick up clubs from Dicks, a garage sale or even borrow them from a friend.
Remember that there are two parts to actually going out on the course and playing golf: the actual swing, hit, chip, putt part and the etiquette, the part that usually gets overlooked.
If your trying to play golf for business purposes, or even casually, you need to know a little bit about the game, order of play; where to stand; rake the bunkers; replace divots/fix ball marks; how to dress.
You should definitely hire a coach even if just for a couple of lessons for the basics, but also try to play with a friend who has some experience on the course, that way you can learn a little bit of the playing process.
Awesome advice in this thread. Finally, a non-relationship cluster fuck thread.
I really like thebrofessor point on making your time at the range constructive. Take your time with your buckets. Target various distance flags/markers on the range. Don't just stand there for 45 min smacking 4 balls per minute and not thinking about what you're doing. Focus on understanding why exactly your shot didn't fly the way you intended. Did you hit the ball fat or thin? Did the club head strike the ball on the right plane? Is my divot in front of the ball, directly under, or behind? This understanding of ball striking will help you alot as you progress.
As Dingdong08 mentioned consistency is very important. In the NE it's tough to play/practice in the cold months but you'd be doing yourself a huge favor to find an indoor range in the winter. My personal opinion is that you should not rush yourself out to the course as a new player. It can be very frustrating and embarrassing. I'd wait until you have basic skills down before lining up your tee times.
Angus Macgyver asked about playing golf for fun or networking. If you do not enjoy the game I do not think you should play it, (haha sounds funny to type that). I can picture some nerds on WSO starting to play golf merely because they think it will get them into a mega fund or something. You need to enjoy playing golf... I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't though. Golf has had a setback over the last decade or so in terms of popularity/growth. Some people think it's due to the Tiger effect fading, the great recession, millennials lacking interest etc, but golf isn't going anywhere so don't be concerned about it.
It will help tremendously if you have friends in the area that are good players. They can show you the ropes and easily put up with you slowing down the group a bit in the beginning. It will be a hell of alot more comfortable than playing with colleagues or clients at that stage.
Great advice in this thread. For me, personally, the 3 best tips I received were:
Don't pull your head up. When you do that, you pull your body with you, and will either top it or put a MEAN slice on the ball. A good way to correct this is stare at the tee for like a second after you hit it then pick your head up.
Keep your left shoulder down, don't pick it up.
Don't get frustrated, it will only make you play worse.
I worked at a golf course as a kid and the pros always said to hit at least 3000 balls at the range before coming to them for help. I would look at www.golfwrx.com for used clubs.
Lot's of great advice in this thread. Personally, although there are plenty of people who have just learned on their own, I'd recommend getting a couple lessons up front to help you get a few fundamental things down so that you can build on them. Once you have those, you can work a bit more by yourself or get tips with friends. I've played since I was like 7 and because I simply don't get to play enough, I'm pumped when I'm shooting a round where I have the possibility of breaking 90. Don't get caught up in trying to strike drives 300 yards. Personally, I think over hitting is common now and people are driving the damn thing up and then spraying pitching wedges all over the course because a 100 yard shot seems 'easy' after blasting it 300.
Something else that I should mention, and even though you are just starting out I think it is a good habit, whenever you are at the range take 10 minutes at the end to work on putting and chipping. Maybe even just putting. Don't spend a ton of time just starting out but it's a habit that will slowly build and, at least for me, is one of the first things that goes when i don't play for awhile. When you start playing full rounds, those two or three extra putts you hit are a huge deal.
Also, don't be one of those guys who talks himself up and gives out all kinds of advice then comes out and can't hit it to save his life and claims it was 'just a bad day'. For him, they all are.
What's the saying in golf? It's the game where you can go 300 yards in one swing and take 4 strokes for the next 20 yards? I started young also because it was something my dad liked and I was a strong athletic guy and could rip the ball straight when I played a lot. In college when I just didn't get to play much I'd still bring the big dog out and try to put it 300 yards down the fairway and end up in the rough most of the time if I was lucky (and in the other fairway when I wasn't...). My approach changed at the end senior year when 3 of us strong young guys went out and got paired up with 4th who must have been in his 80's. Super nice guy and didn't hit the ball more than 150-170 from the tee. He still beat us all by at least 10 strokes because his 150 was center of the fairway each time. Same with every stroke after that and I don't think he ever even 2 putted because he was a great putter and because he put the ball within 10-15 of the pin on each green. I moved to CA after college for a job that didn't start for 4 months and lived with my dad on his golf course. Since I knew no one (he was about 80 miles from SF) and I was a jr. family member, I golfed every single day, at least 18 and at the range once or twice in addition. I pulled my driver out maybe 5 times over 4 months. I went from consistently breaking 100 to breaking 80 pretty regularly and never hitting above an 85. Obviously a lot of that was because I played all the time but I also didn't fuck up drives because I used my 3 wood and I practiced my mid-short game constantly and gave up the machismo of taking my driver out at the range and hitting it 75% of the time.
I second the chipping and putting at the end. Once you get a decent swing down on longer clubs that's what will shave strokes off your game big time.
For the OP, as others have stated, don't expect to become a good golfer in a summer. It takes a long to gain efficiency. Stick to the range for a while and after you can swing your initial goal should be able to go out with friends and not hold them up. And...it's addictive.
To jump in again based on what I've read above:
Seconding the individual above who says to focus at the driving range. I'd actually recommend not hitting more than the smallest bucket of balls. When I really want to improve, I'll go to the driving range 3-4 times a week and hit the smallest bucket every time, really focusing on every shot and doing a few practice swings with each ball.
Again seconding the above, I hate graphite. I've tried graphite irons and it felt like the club was bending thru impact and that seriously damages the ability to feel where the club face is going to be. Not to say that one wouldn't become acclimated to it but why even go through the trouble if you are young and athletic and can handle a stiffer shaft?
I started with free clubs from Craigslist. Learning how to swing doesn't require nice clubs. I would, however, suggest a modern driver. Those older drivers are a bitch for a newbie to find the sweet spot.
Rockbottomgolf.com is a great site for mid range gear, apparel, balls, tees, etc.
Definitely take the suggestions re: lessons. The few hundred bucks are worth it. A lot of courses do newbie programs where for $100-200 you get a half dozen small group lessons. Good way to start. As someone put it to me when I started: "Do you want to learn a lot of bad habits, or a lot of good ones? Get lessons".
Angus Macgyver I play for fun, been playing since elementary school and like most, picked it up because my dad was a golfer and it was a way for us to do something together without my brother being there.
golf is on the downturn, but here's the thing: in order for golf to be an effective networking tool, you need to belong to a club. therefore, you will be surrounded by other people who enjoy golf & tennis. you will also likely be decent at golf. when you're an active member (doing MGA, tournaments, bar/poker nights, etc.), you will meet people who also like the same hobbies you do, and you will network with them.
back to the decline of golf: country club membership is declining because of things like companies not being able to write off expenses related to that (pharma used to buy memberships for sales reps, but that got nixed through regulation), also due to a higher savings rate generally and possibly other things. I don't think it matters personally, I'd rather have less golfers, a few years back it was rare I could get a round in under 5 hours because of how backed up places got.
the caveat is you will already be successful if you can afford to join a club that also has a good network, so don't think golf opens any doors. very rarely will someone you want to meet be looking for another person for golf, most people have established foursomes. the only way I can think to meet people is to play in member guest tournaments if you have someone close to you who's a member, also charity tournaments, another great way to meet people.
I stand by my point about graphite. before I got stronger, extra stiff graphite shafts didn't work all that well. plus the new graphite stuff is going to be pricey. stick with steel unless you have the arm strength of a 80 year old woman.
I also stand by my point about range time before course time. you will get frustrated on the course and will likely not get good practice in. hitting one shank into a green is not as helpful as hitting 20 balls at a pin, it's just not. additionally, unless you're playing at a shit course, there will be elevation changes, so lots of shots will have uneven lies (even if you're in the fairway), ball slightly above/below your feet, pin not straight away, and that's just frustrating for a beginner. focus on fundamentals, then when you feel good, hit up a par 3 course.
I disagree with not hitting a lot of balls. at this point since you've never played, you need repetition and muscle memory to get the basics down. the point about planning your shots still holds, but absolutely do not be afraid to get 2 large buckets and whack away. furthermore, your hand muscles aren't ready for golf unless you climb rocks/ropes in your spare time, so the more balls you hit, the stronger your hands get
Some of y'all are giving advice that I think is too detailed for this stage. Leave it to the club pro to give actual swing advice. Here's what I think is a nice high-level description of what you need to do.
Shell out for lessons. A club pro can teach you how to swing better than a friend or YouTube can.
As other people have said, ignore the driver, and you could even ignore the 3 wood. 5 wood will get you good enough distance off the tee, and it'll get the ball in the air from the fairway and rough.
Mid and short game are so much more important than long game. Most people can't break 100 because they can't hit the green with their irons, they can't hit out of the sand trap, they can't hit good lags (long putts to get close to the hole), and they can't sink a putt longer than two feet. That's the easiest way to double bogey every hole on the course. Think about it: you'll only hit 14 drives on your standard course with four par 3s. How many more iron shots and putts will you hit?
Once you learn how to actually hit the ball properly in the first place, you should learn how far you can hit each of your irons so you can make the correct club choice on the course. Otherwise, practice your putting a ton. You won't hit many sand shots during a round, but you should honestly learn how to splash it out of a greenside bunker because if you don't, you won't be able to finish that hole.
If you want to get on the course quickly, swallow your pride, hit from the ladies' tees, and only use your irons. I assume you do want to get on the course quickly; playing 18 is a lot more fun than playing on the range. You can add in the woods as you learn more.
Go out there and try to have fun. You're learning how to play. If you're on the course and you aren't pressured by a group immediately behind you, do a shot over if you shank it. Try the putt again if you misread it the first time. Learning comes through practice, so don't feel obligated to play 100% by the rules the first few times you go out.
Don't know how it is in the Northeast, but here in the Mid-Atlantic golf is rapidly dying. It's virtually impossible to break-even operating a golf course in an area with 4 seasons, unless you are a prestigious private club.
Golf is so difficult to become competent at and the sport is declining so rapidly that I think you'll be wasting your time trying to learn as an adult. At most you'll be able to play once a week, and without years of practice it will just not be fun.
Scratch golfer here. Before going to the range and hitting balls, work on your form and fundamentals first. I see so many people contorting and doing anything they can just to make contact. Who cares about how far the ball goes initially. Work on your form and solely your form. get a mirror in front of you and emulate the pros
First just buy a nice used set of irons from ebay, craigslist, or a local sporting goods store. Second, NEVER and I mean NEVER listen to the hacks on Saturday at your local muni course. As far as what clubs you will need I would say get an old ping anser putter, they're cheap and pretty good quality. If your iron set comes with a gap sand and lob wedge great but if not just buy some older callaway, ping, titleist, cobra, or cleveland wedges. Many times on ebay people will have a set of 3 wedges for 90 to 120 bucks in good condition. As far as irons 5-iron thru pitching wedge is ideal. I wouldn't pay over 500 bucks on a set though. Get hybrids in 3 iron and 4 iron lofts (19-20 & 22-23 degrees). They're easier to launch high and more forgiving on misses. When you decide to buy a fairway wood get a 4 or 5 wood because anything with 15 or less degrees loft is tough for beginners. I'd recommend a taylormade v-steel 16.5 or 18 degree because they can be bought for less than 40 bucks in most cases and are still just as good as anything else for the most part. Now here comes the driver... Anything with 9.5 or more loft is all you need. As someone had mentioned earlier you can go to rockbottomgolf for this and get a year old driver that is still unused and save literally 30-50%. Another good and useful tip before you buy clubs is to have the assistant pro or head pro at your club or dicks sporting goods let you hit some iron shots with their demo clubs on the lie angle board that they use for fitting clubs. It can easily be the difference of 10-15 yards or more in extreme cases where someone hits severely on the toe or heel. Once you know your specs you can also have most clubs no matter new or used adjusted to your specs. As far as the necessity of having driver it does matter. You don't have to try to smash every drive but having driver and putter as your favorite clubs is a huge advantage. 250-270 and straight can still shoot par at courses under 7000 yards. For golf shoes it doesn't really matter just buy what you prefer whether it's 50 bucks or 200. I will say though that greg norman offers some awesome and affordable golf apparel. When it comes to practice I'm not going to give some bs answer that you should practice every day but I would say to work on your putting and chipping whenever you can. Its pretty easy to buy an 8ft putt mat or to chip with the foam like golf balls around the backyard.
I'm surprised no one here has mentioned globalgolf.com yet... that is where I recommend getting your first set of clubs.
I bought a used set of Taylormade irons 4-PW & hybrid for ~$250 in excellent condition.
thanks for the post! good stuff. just played last week, 4th time in 6 years, and played pretty well considering the time off, wouldve shot in the lower 90s if I could hit a 3 wood in the fairways, and not being able to chip well probably cost me 15 strokes. would love to get back into golf tho
Thoughts on Golf Training Aides (Originally Posted: 08/22/2017)
I'm always amazed at what I see peddled on the Golf Channel as the "Miracle Cure to Fix Your Slice". I've been a golfer since I was a kid, and outside of a couple of alignment sticks, I've never used a training tool that couldn't already be found in my bag.
However, I've always been curious about things like this as well as other products that are supposed to enhance my game. That being said, I've never been convinced enough by the product to pull the trigger.
So I have a question for you guys, have any of you used golf training aids/apps/tools? Any of you have a recommendation or a warning about a specific product I might be able to try out?
Depending on how short the grass is I think a lot of people could get away with putting or putting with a hybrid from just off the green. You can't shank it and the miss-hit is virtually non-existent. 3 wood isn't always an easy club to hit without a tee.
Trackman is money. Highly recommend if you can get a golf simulator in your house.
Trackman also costs $20K
Never used it, but I question whether it can give you accurate feedback since your swing plane will differ depending on height, arm length, etc.
IMHO many recreational golfers spend too much time thinking about the takeaway and not nearly enough on their grip. If you grip the club correctly, you will swing on the correct plane. Ben Hogan's five fundamentals is all you need bro https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Hogan-Lessons-Fundamentals-12-2-1989/dp/B00H…
Every night I pray to god that he takes mercy on my golf swing.....my prayers have yet to be answered
Best training aid and method to obtain it, would probably to be a hot girl and hit on Tiger Woods, have him teach you. He may not be the best anymore, but hes still decent.
That $150 would be much better spent on 2 lessons
Probably true haha
Dave pelz putting aid will cut 5-10 strokes off your game
+1 for the Anser 2, respect.
Never play for money against someone who has a taylormade v-steel 3 wood, old anser 2, or 983K driver.
That could be the greatest piece of golf wisdom this decade.
Want to take up golf (Originally Posted: 10/28/2012)
Let me just say, I've never played golf or been on a course ever. I'd like to start playing, or at least learning.
With that, I have a few questions:
1) How do I start? Just turn up to a driving range and attempt to hit balls really hard?
2) What clubs should I buy to start out?
3) Any other advice?
If it takes me 9 strokes to get to the green on a par 5, and I one-putt it, should I still feel good about myself?
Only if you use this driver lol
It's a great game, but you will hate it starting out. I made the mistake of not taking lessons and learned on my own, which only reinforced bad technique and now I suffer because of it. If you can, start out getting lessons. Starting from a strong base is key, and after you get your swing down you are pretty much set.
You can try a range, but like I said, I would recommend getting lessons first before you start to create and reinforce bad habits.
You can probably find a nice set of used irons ebay. Not to sure on what's best out there right now, but if you're starting out then you don't really need an expensive set.
Good luck, have fun, and don't forget to yell fore.
Golf lessons are a must. As mentioned above, you don't want to start off developing bad habits. I wouldn't bother buying clubs until you start to play regularly as I would save my money and buy a quality set instead of wasting $300 and getting a crap starter set. Like most sports, you will probably suck in the beginning but just stick with it. In this industry you'll find a lot of avid golfers. It's a crappy feeling when people invite you out and you end up consistently scoring triple bogeys while everyone else is par.
Take lessons. Don't buy clubs that are out of your league e.g. blades. Focus on fundamentals in the beginning i.e. grip, alignment, posture. Most important part of your game is 20-150 yards. Don't get pissed, it's just a game.
was lucky to live with a future golf teacher / course-pro all 4 years during college. Lots of afternoons after class joined him at the range etc and yes learning the fundamentals from the start is key.. otherwise it'll will just lead to further frustration after you see how much time you've put into it with the results, and lingering problems you still need to fix. i agree most important part of game is the short game, learn your wedges/chips/sand traps now and learn how 300 yd drives later, after you've got that masterd - if you can get 200 (and somewhat straight) off the tee consistently as a beginner you're doing fine imo
To expand on jec's point don't buy clubs at all. Do some lessons and try different kinds out so you can find out what works best for you. A lot of pro shops will fit you for clubs and video your swing and do analysis on club speed and other metrics and figure out the best clubs for you. The other advice is be patient and have fun, golf is a sport where sometimes the harder you try the worse you do..
All good advice. My $0.02: Don't curse/scream/groan/throw clubs.. Most people don't care if you're shooting 140 or 72, as long as you're not acting like an asshat, or slowing up the group. Just be ready to hit the ball when you get to it (please don't hit it and say idk where it went - know where it is, and know where you want to go with it before you get up to the ball).
Buy any set of clubs, play competitively u will get the hang of it soon.
Starting golf (Originally Posted: 03/24/2011)
Looking to start playing golf this season. I've dabbled at it during high school but haven't held a club for about 5 years or so.
I'm gonna have to start from buying everything from scratch. Any tips on where to look at in terms of getting beginner set of clubs? Also, are there any web forums out there on this game? Tried to look through google but it's tough to tell what's serious and what's spam.
Great thread, +SB
But....where should someone with no clubs and no clue how to play golf start? Google tells me to buy some golf clubs from a thrift store and take a few lessons.
if you have a friend who plays and is good (handicap below 10), just go to the range with him/her
I hope you're ready to be the most frustrated man on the planet.
Personally, I would go to the driving range and demo some clubs or borrow from a friend and just get a feel. Most driving ranges have demo days where all of the big brands let people hit the clubs and get fit for whatever they want. You don't need to buy anything. Once you find out that your mishit is usually on the toe or heel I think you should get on a lie angle board with the golf pro. Basically if your miss-hit is towards the toe you need a more upright iron. If the miss-hit is on the heel you need a flat iron. Unless you're like 6'2" + or under 5'6" you probably won't need clubs that are longer or shorter.
If you want to buy a used set online: 1.Get your lie angle fit from the golf course first so you can know what to look for. 2. As you complete 1 the golf pro will probably know if you need a regular or stiff flex 3. Go on ebay or callaway pre-owned and lookup irons that are your fit. Example: (Titleist AP2 1 degree upright stiff flex) 4. If I'm being completely honest I don't think irons are all that necessary to buy new but the fit is crucial. Forged irons can be "bent" by your golf pro to your ideal lie angle. Cast irons like Ping have to be sent to the manufacturer. 5. Wedges can be bought used and in general the bounce goes as follows: Big divot means you need more bounce, Medium divot means you need regular bounce, and small divot means you need minimal bounce. 6. Putters are what looks good to your eye. Personally, I think an anser 2 is pretty much good for anyone. 7. Drivers really depend on whether or not you want to buy new but I'd say a decent Ping G20 used will be forgiving enough for a beginner. 8. Fairway woods are something that you really need to go to a golf course to see what you like since most people either are hybrid players or fairway wood players. Some decent used fairway woods online: Taylormade V Steel, Callaway big bertha, ping g15. Hybrids: taylormade rescue, ping g20, cobra baffler, and of course adams idea. 9. Golf balls aren't going to make a big factor early on so don't buy proV1s and just get some cheaper options from taylormade or pinnacle. Pinnacle is pretty long and doesn't feel like a rock like a top flite.
Thrift stores are generally useless in my area and only have 30+year old clubs. I don't think it's a particularly good idea to buy a full set from one. A flea market may have something but it's pretty hit or miss. Craigslist would probably be an option but the used club sections at your local course or golf store would likely have more of a selection.
Do you think that classes are worth it? There are a few group classes in my area with ten or less people are teemed up with a former pro. The prices are pretty fair. There is also the option to pay a lot more for one-on-one sessions.
QFT
How much are you looking to drop on clubs?
Golfdigest.com
I've used ebay to buy sets of clubs (iron set) in the past, like 50-60% off off retail. A lot of smaller sellers have new or demo sets from previous lines that they're looking to get rid of. You should probably get irons with a pretty fat cavity back. more room for error.
best bet would be to go to a Golf Galaxy type place and swing a few different clubs and see what you feel comfortable with, then go to ebay and buy em (or by the same brand, similar model).
duplicate
Until you get down to a 10-15 handicap, the equipment you use (balls, clubs) is not going to matter. Spend $50 for a set of used clubs and another $75 for a driver and see if the habit sticks. Then go out in a year or two and make a real investment
Best golf forum I've seen is golfwrx.com. Extremely informative for both really competitive golfwrx as well as beginners. Pretty useful actually--I'd check it out
If you have any friends who play college golf, go through them. When I played in college I got Titleist wedges for about $55 bucks, irons for 1/3 price, etc.
That's the way to go.
.
This site is pretty good. http://www.rockbottomgolf.com/ if you want to pick and choose what you want. Focus on stuff a 2-3 years old and you can usually get a great deal. The newest stuff is basically the same and 300% more expensive.
If you are buying everything form scratch just go to Dicks or similar place and pick up a bag of Maxfli's for around $400. It includes a titanium driver that you'd likely eventually replace after a while but the irons are pretty good in the bag. One of my analysts just got this bag a couple weeks ago and said its been playing well. He's actually got the putter sitting on his desk right now.
Golf sucks a bag of dicks. It's not a physical sport, it's a mind-fuck. But Tiger is still my hero.
Call it whatever you like but walking around and chatting while being doted on by a high school girl driving a golf cart full of beer is a pretty good way to spend a Friday afternoon "working."
Please don't go to dicks to buy golf clubs.
Check e-bay or craigslist for used clubs, more than likely you will mess them up anyways.
Driver: Titleist 905r / Taylormade 2007 Burner ~$90 Irons: Callway x16/ Titleist 695cb/Mizuno mx series 4-PW ~$150-200 Wedge: Grab some vokeys/ mizuno mp 52* and 56* with decent grooves ~$70 Hybrid: Adams idea pro ~23* ~$50 Golf balls : Top flite gamer ~$15/doz
You can also check Golfwrx.com forum and piece together a bag, just buy from reputable people.
This is probably the best bag you could put together on a limited budget. However, if you aren't going to play seriously, just go buy a driver and 7 iron and see if you can hit a ball, no sense in wasting money if you won't use the clubs.
Careful buying ebay clubs, friend bought a set of callaways and they were fakes.. golf galaxy would be my recommendation.
Thanks for all the help fellas.
I definitely wasn't planning to splurge on getting equipment. Just wanted to know where to look because it's hard to tell what's legitimate.
What's the take on "clone" clubs? Or should I simply restrict myself to used brand clubs?
Brand name used clubs are much better. Get a set thats 2-3 years old and it'll set you back a couple hundred bucks and you will be fine. I would say for a beginner go for a set of Cobra Oversize Irons (whatever model, doesnt matter, but Cobras are good and relatively cheap), and any driver, prob 10.5 degrees to start. Along with a fairway wood and a hybrid and a putter.
Do ebay, just check the seller's feedback.
Don't worry about your equipment too much – I would just look for hand-me-down's from friends and family. As someone mentioned, it won't matter too much at the beginning. Obviously give yourself the best change, that is, don't buy blades b/c you want to look like a baller – get clubs with large sweet spots and wedges with higher bounce (I thought I was getting a deal on a Cleveland wedge years ago that had almost no bounce, had no idea what bounce was at this time, and would regularly edge the ball with it, which is a nightmare when you want to just lay the ball on the green and you fire it over the the next tee box).
Get lessons so you don't start forming bad habits. Golf is a bitch, it requires a lot of time – just as much as practice I believe – and is very very hard. It's a great game though, just not very athletic.
I'm taking a hiatus from the game and am focusing on squash: it is way more athletic, is just as social and only takes 45 min to play a game, vs. golf which you often drive around playing and takes all day. Not sure if you have other motivations for playing, but, I've been more impressed with the backgrounds playing squash for 2 months than I was as a whole on the golf course – everyone plays golf now.
Disclaimer: I'm a shitty golfer and kind of resent the game right now, haha, so much time (relatively), with such little reward. I'm sure I'll get back on the course at some point in the future though.
I have Tiger's old combo, by coincidence really, nike blades and titleist 975d/ $230 total
not a fan of Nike irons. had 2, thats right 2, friends who played nike irons and had the heads of one of their irons fly off. shoddy shit. play mizuno MP68. underrated and affordable brand (look on ebay). would get an entry level fat cavity back set. The technology design for drivers is almost exactly the same for 95% of companies. there are essentially 3 designs that they push out, just find something cheap
I want the new R11 so bad...
Wow, that is an expensive club.
But seriously, look into hand-me-downs. I'm around a ~20 handicap (nothing to be proud of, but I can play a round with people without looking like an idiot) and I've used my dad's old clubs from the early 90s for a while now. Newer, nicer drivers definitely make a big difference, but I can guarantee you that if you can't hit a solid drive with a club from the 90s then you're not going be able to hit it any better with a brand new driver.
^^^ I can't hit the R9 very well either, I prefer my trusty ol' R7 Superquad. Even though it's old and about to crack open, it'll be my baby till its last drive.
numm, i'd recommend old Callaway Big Bertha irons for a beginner. They're really easy to hit and you could probably find them for dirt cheap on eBay (look for power users/rockbottomgolf/people with good reviews! otherwise ya'll gonna get scammed) As for a driver... old Adams drivers are pretty good and forgiving. Old Callaway drivers are good as well.
Also, did anyone see tiger on tv? Looked pretty good but I think he'll probably change his driver and fairway woods.
Golf Anyone? Bankers Bide Their Time (Originally Posted: 09/20/2007)
Article with an interesting perspective on the slowdown from DealBook.
Read on.
I thought his full swing looked stiff, almost like he was gripping it way too hard. Putting and short game were on point though.
Yeah he hasn't played in awhile. He had some big misses with the driver.
A summer analyst at Lehman told me the same thing. He went from working 110 hours a week to working 55 and playing golf after the problems started.
Yea my dad worked as an insurance broker in the 80's and said that his friends that were i-bankers had as much time on the job each day as he did in 4.
how do i-bankers ever find the time to golf? i know its a huge sport amongst finance professionals, myself included, and it seems with everyone working so much hours it'd be difficult to get out to the course.. if they even had a means of transportation
Golf clubs (Originally Posted: 08/14/2011)
What is the perception of men using women's golf clubs? I hit much better with ladies' clubs but worry about what others think. I'm going golfing with my MD next week. Should I risk it?
Great write up but I disagree on the statement that putting is the easiest part of the game. Maybe in the general context of golf in terms of picking it up quickly, but I think putting is what separates a ton of players who typically shoot low-mid 80s and those who shoot high 70s.
I cannot hit a 3-iron for my life.
Putting is the simplest part and I think anyone who is half-dedicated can get to below 36 putts. I agree that short game separates the 70s shooter from the 80s and even said that having
Yeah I was impressed that you even included that club in your breakdown of ranges.
I agree on the comment of getting under 36. As you mentioned, a lot of other factors go into lowering your putt count to mid 20s a round, but even with a solid iron and short game, a lot of people struggle with those 4-6 foot putts that can provide a completely different outlook on a round if made. Even 2-4 more putts made in this range, given that some are hard and some are just misread, make a huge difference for me.
.
ditto
No. Dude take another 5 strokes and retain your pride.
as long as not pink i dont care.
i draw the line at Hello Kitty head covers.
Don't do it. You will literally embarrass your MD and never be invited back again. You will take a ton of shit from anybody else there and lose any goodwill you have with your MD. You will most likely be going to a a legit club. Most good clubs don't let women play on weekends in the morning, many don't let them play on the weekend at all, some don't even allow them to be members. Do you really want to be the guy who shows up with girls sticks?
i doubt anyone will be as tacky as to make a joke about it
I
If using men's clubs helps you lose to your MD, that's what you should use
Is it even going to be noticeable? I used women's clubs when I was about 10-11 years old for the exact reason that they were shorter and easier to hit with. But like mentioned above, are you a good enough golfer to even be worrying about whether you have women's clubs or not? If you can play it doesn't matter what you use.
Bro - my girlfriend doesn't even use women's clubs....
Blanditiis pariatur quas adipisci ut expedita hic accusantium. Non adipisci repellat quos omnis nihil et voluptatem iste. Perferendis molestiae adipisci sint aut dolore veniam ab.
Facere et aut sunt dolor distinctio. Nisi eos delectus corporis sint eaque quia tempora quis. Et a cumque magni minima voluptate perspiciatis provident.
Deleniti numquam et nihil alias magnam ipsa est non. Ab et eum animi eligendi exercitationem consequuntur.
Perspiciatis nulla consectetur voluptatem ut. Quisquam perferendis laboriosam quibusdam veniam dolores aut qui. Rerum consequuntur et facere. Quia vel omnis enim quos voluptate voluptatem vero.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Et quasi distinctio libero veritatis velit. Ut delectus necessitatibus fugiat doloremque. Officiis recusandae molestias vel.
Assumenda eum omnis quibusdam in adipisci beatae facere officiis. A dolores voluptas quas rerum. Culpa id unde facilis aut ea eum.
Et voluptas consequatur ut iure quo optio. Fugiat consequatur et nihil voluptate. Harum autem molestiae repellat aliquam molestiae minima aperiam. Quod dignissimos soluta molestias aut earum et quis.
Minus voluptatem voluptate iure consequatur quia aut repellat. Recusandae quis dolores facere quod autem et. Velit facere necessitatibus expedita id rerum. Facere voluptas sed qui ad.
Dolorem similique aut id quia quasi. Placeat adipisci quasi impedit voluptatum.
Nam itaque est quis porro neque odio vero quibusdam. Nam aut quo sapiente blanditiis dicta. Eaque non eos nisi porro aut aut. Cum id tempora molestias quos. Facere iusto officia repellendus quo necessitatibus animi.
Nihil iusto ea error deserunt. Ullam ut non accusamus facere quaerat magnam. Dolorum optio iure eum molestiae veniam omnis accusantium.
Odit commodi quis non quo officia ex in. Quod ea explicabo adipisci cupiditate minus enim. Quo et voluptas voluptas natus.
Et corrupti assumenda ut reiciendis harum. Voluptatem veniam voluptas nesciunt vel.
Minus minima est tenetur nobis doloremque. Nisi consequuntur voluptas quo saepe voluptatem.
Est sint itaque fugit exercitationem. Repudiandae quos natus quibusdam dolor neque ullam. Eos qui odio et vero qui odio nostrum. Eos omnis qui perferendis nostrum. Quos et perferendis quia ratione quia.
Excepturi qui natus quia incidunt magni voluptatem. Est dolorem repellendus laudantium rem. Molestiae adipisci non quasi aut non doloribus. Laboriosam necessitatibus ut ea labore nulla consequatur.
Quaerat aspernatur totam soluta architecto est deleniti itaque quaerat. Et ea eligendi reprehenderit dolore dolore voluptates. Sequi id modi quis perferendis quas rem tempora. Laudantium qui deserunt aut id deleniti. Aspernatur totam maiores et ratione dolore molestias.
Voluptas nemo deleniti accusamus qui numquam ut. Maiores culpa in commodi ipsam similique cum iusto. Sed odit ipsum inventore facilis fugit. Est deserunt illo omnis dolorem ipsa inventore voluptatibus. Explicabo cum voluptas ea reprehenderit. Et aut molestiae at.