3 Tips for Buying Golf Clubs for Beginners

You have decided to take up the great game of golf...congratulations! What is your next step?

Finding a qualified instructor to teach you swing basics, to guide you in your search for the best beginner golf clubs and to help you along the journey to a better game.

Selecting the best golf clubs for beginners should be as fun and educational as learning the game itself. It is important to choose clubs that will not only be stylish but functional and which will take you through the first learning curve and onto the next level.

In this article, Golf for Beginners offers you three tips for choosing the best golf clubs for beginners.

1. Set vs Individual Golf Clubs? A beginner to the sport may opt to select irons, woods and a putter separate from each other or select a set - since you don't know whether or not you will stick with the game and how much your swing will change while embarking on the first leg of your journey, it might be wise to settle on a set of golf clubs, complete with the basics.

Most sets will include a golf bag, putter, a driver, a few woods, irons, etc., generally a mixed bag. The key is to know what is in that mixed bag before you purchase it.

2. What should be included in a set of beginner golf clubs? PGA Tour golfer Joey Sindelar suggests that an essential set of golf clubs for beginners include, "a half set or a two-thirds set, starting with 3, 5, 7, and 9-irons and 3 and 5-wood clubs," driver and putter. His reasoning?

"If you’re not swinging hard enough you won’t even know the difference between a five, six, seven iron — there’s not enough of a gap there."

In his Golfweek article, Bill Herrfeldt suggests you skip the driver as beginners might find this golf club difficult to hit.

3. What should you look for when choosing beginner golf clubs? 

• Value - if buying a new set, consider last year's model.
• Larger sweet spot - easier to connect with the golf ball
• Graphite golf shafts (for slower swing speeds) over steel

Although it is always a good idea to try before you buy, in the case of a beginner golfer selecting a new set of golf clubs, this might not work so you might want to ask your teaching pro or local golf shop owner/manager if he or she has any suggestions to get you started.

NOTE: This list was created to get the conversation started and is a good guideline but there is no substitution for meeting with a qualified professional to discuss your needs.

Three New Technologically Advanced #Golf Drivers for a Beginners' Swing

A beginners golf swing is different than one that has been fine-tuned through the help of time, instructors and technology. A lack of confidence and awkwardness in the golf swing is especially noticed with the driver, as it has the longest shaft (and biggest clubhead) in the bag. It is also usually the club which can make, or break, the score for a beginner so it is important that you have the right driver in your bag.

When I first considered which golf drivers are best for beginners in 2013, I selected a few which offered game-improvement technology. Updates to my golf blog in 2015 made sure to list drivers with 460 cc heads and adjustable weight and loft technology.

But, do golf beginners really need all of the bells and whistles in order to get the ball airborne and safely onto the fairway? Do they need something as technical as the Wilson Staff Triton, which won Golf Channel's Driver-vs-Driver competition? Probably not.

Yes, distance matters but accuracy and consistency in your golf game matters more. There is no better feeling than to walk to your golf ball which has landed safely in the fairway, hole after hole! (Okay, distance really DOES matter!)

Technology also matters if it helps create golf clubs which make it easier to get the ball airborne or to, almost effortlessly, get the ball lofted off of the clubface and fly straighter down the fairway.

Here are three golf drivers with new technology, selected to give newbies (and players who need more consistency) a head start on their 2017 golf game.

1. Callaway Big Bertha Fusion Driver: Forgiveness for both men and women is the keyword for this driver. The club designers positioned substantially more weight in the perimeter and far back from the face, resulting in a dramatically higher level of forgiveness.

The new titanium Exocage and shape cuts through the air lightly and with "an especially satisfying sound and feel", says Callaway. I love the sound my Callaway X2 Hot driver makes as it connects with the sweet spot of the ball, so I know this club manufacturer understands the value in that aspect for beginners!

2. Ping G Series Drivers: My favorite set of Ping Karsten irons has prompted me to look into Ping drivers as I hit those irons like a champ (most of the time, otherwise, I would be on Tour!)

Ah dragonfly, are you the reason that Ping redesigned their popular line of drivers?

According to Ping, the wing pattern of this insect helped in the design of the crown sections to improve the MOI (moment of inertia) and CG (center of gravity) with biomimicry in mind. According to a Golf.com review of the Ping G Driver, there are many pros to using this club including a high level of accuracy and forgiveness with "point-and-shoot" playability.



3. Cobra King F7 Driver: Golf World testers landed this driver in the gold medal position along with the Callaway we placed on this list.

The new Cobra Connect Powered by Arccos system in the grip could be one reason as you receive instant feedback of distance and accuracy with every swing directed to your smartphone.

A carbon fiber crown redistributes the weight in the clubhead and the E9 face offers distance even if you mis-hit the ball.

Might be just a little bit too much for the first-time beginner but, for someone who is in that second stage of learning and ready to try something a little bit different (because we're always learning), get over to your local retailer and take a few swings to see if this driver is right for your next stage of development.


Editor's note: Before purchasing any new golf driver, make sure you visit an authorized retailer with custom club fitting capabilities. A purchase as important as this one, which inspires confidence off the tee, should never be left to chance.


Have you tried any of the above golf drivers? Leave your comments below in our golf blog and share with us on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Are Single Length Irons Another Gimmick to Sell More #Golf Clubs?

Can You Play Better Golf with Single Length Irons in Your Bag?

Much internet chatter lately has been on the subject of playing golf with single length irons. What does it mean to have a single length iron set, what type of player will benefit most from a switch to this type of set and should you go out and try them?

What it means to have a set of Single Length Irons in your golf bag:

The simple answer is that the shafts of the entire set of irons are built to one specific length but with changes in the head and more. 

Golfwrx has conveniently put all of this information into an article but, unless you are an amateur who enjoys reading the difference between distance gapping and head weights as well as the other "small nuances involved to golfers", suffice it to say on this golf blog that a group of amateur golfers "just like you" were given a set of single length irons to compare to a standard set with their results posted on Golf.com.

What was the outcome of the test?

"There was no clear 'winner.' A case can be made for standard-length and single-length clubs and who will be using them.

Some standard set shorter irons were easier to play but the single length irons seemed to be a better choice for golf beginners and high handicappers who learn one setup when everything in the basics of the swing seem harder to fathom. Golfers, in general, may find it a challenge to get used to new, single length irons.

Can You Change YOUR Golf Irons Into Single Length Clubs?

The simple answer is No because of the difficulty involved in the changeover.

According to pro golfer Jaacob Bowden who wrote an article on SwingmanGolf.com, head weights differ so you would have to "grind off a bunch of weight from the other higher-lofted clubs to get them all as light as the 4-iron head." Also, the lie angles and balance points of the clubs are also different.

Are single length irons another gimmick to sell more golf clubs?

Every year, manufacturers create new products for a hungry public with disposable income.

You can only change the heads so many times, change the appearance, shaft weights, colors...you name it...but how many times are you going to change over your clubs? At $750 or so per set, that can get expensive if you're not Tiger Woods. As for the single length irons, I believe these clubs could work well for beginners who play but are having difficulties with how to adjust their setup or ball position to the different iron lengths in their bag.

According to "Old Timer" on the GolfWrx forum, "I have friends that have tried this.  It does not work.  This idea usually appeals to new golfers, don't get caught up in this scam, it has no validity.

"This one club length came from an iron that came out many years ago.  It was an iron that
has an adjustable blade, 1 - PW, and it is still sold today.  Look in the back of a golf
magazine I think they still advertise.  Don't buy either of these unless you never want 
to shoot under 115."

Golf pro Lanny Wadkins is said to have concurred, calling these irons a gimmick."If it really worked, legit players like Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus would have done it years ago"

Jaacob Bowden's experience was a positive one, "4 months after I bought them, I played in the 2007 Long Beach Open and I shot my first tournament round of golf in the 60s."

Valid points! Have you tried single length irons? What was your experience with them? Follow and share your experiences with golfers worldwide on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

photo credit: Golf-Facile.com

The Driver that Inspires Confidence to Tee Up #golf

A few weeks ago I was custom-fitted by PGA Tour Superstore staff for a new set of golf clubs.

Ping Karsten irons and a new driver found their way into my new Ogio bag. The experience proved not only exciting but educational as I learned the value of a professional club fitting for my golf game.

I came away with new knowledge of my golf swing, more club savvy and a with new Callaway X2 Hot Driver. Here is my current assessment of the golf club that now plays a starring role in my bag.


So, what about the Callaway X2 Hot Driver inspired me with confidence?

1. The sound of this driver, when struck on the sweet spot, is incredible.

2. The X2 Hot Driver is 460cc. When you have an older driver like my Titleist 905T, you think you can't miss when you upgrade by ten years...how TRUE!

3. The larger sweet spot, the Hyper-Speed face and the shaft weight all combine to offer a nice, high-launching ball flight with a ton of forgiveness.

4. From the first strike, my golf ball flew thirty yards further. Sure, that was on the sweet spot but, with this club, the sweet spot is hard to miss!

5. Very light in my hands. The X2 Hot Driver is weighted so that your swing feels effortless.

6. In my opinion, the orange, white and flat gray head are really good looking and, as we already know, when you love the way your clubs look, chances are you'll love hitting them.

7. It's all about fitting the right club to your swing. Having a golf club fitted to your size and swing makes you feel more confident when you're out on the course. A neighbor of mine bought a golf club off the rack and told me how he regretted it because it just isn't right for him. I felt sorry to hear that he spent $300 and was unhappy with his purchase.

The Callaway X2 Hot Driver comes in both a standard and a pro version which has a slightly smaller sweet spot (440cc) but I'm no Pro..and, for the average golfer, the standard X2 Hot driver, a Golf Digest Gold Medal winner, put confidence and distance in the palm of my hands.

Which Golf Drivers are Best for Beginners? The Callaway X2 Hot and more! Find out here.

Have a question for PGA Tour Superstore about Club Fitting? Tweet them - @PGATSS and use hashtag #PGATSSCustomFit

What driver do you have and are you happy with it? Let us know on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on our Golf for Beginners blog.

Putters for Golf Beginners from Darts to the Fat Lady

Golf for Beginners has examined the best drivers, hybrids and irons for newer players but it is the putter, aka the flat stick, that can shave the most strokes from your scorecard. Many websites have placed these mighty clubs in the hands of amateur golfers and, with that in mind, we have shortened that list to three putters we believe to be more effective for a newbie.

What constitutes a good putter for a beginner golfer?

There are flat blades, mallets with high MOI and hybrids with companies from boutique (Axis 1) to large (Titleist, Odyssey and Cleveland) touting that their putter is the easiest to use. You will also hear some players say to try a variety and buy the putter that just "feels right."

Confusing? You bet!

A good beginner putter should be weighted so that it feels as if it swings freely in your hands - balanced...in other words, you should not have to grip it tightly nor guide it back and through.


Listed below are a few of our game improvement putter picks for golf beginners:

1. Odyssey line of putters - The Two-Ball putter is a personal favorite of mine and I have tried many putters! The Odyssey Two-Ball series gives me the line of sight that I need to look over the golf ball, balance, aim and shoot with confidence.

For an updated version, Odyssey has come out with the White Hot Pro D.A.R.T. putter (Direction And Realignment Technology) - "golfers will focus their eyes on the three white lines (which look like the fins of dart) making sure all three point to the center of the ball."

Speaking of confidence, keep this word handy in your golf dictionary at all times: putting is built on your certainty of getting that tiny ball in the hole in the least number of strokes.


2. Bobby Grace AMG Fat Lady Putter - The fat lady sings quite well from within five feet, as stated by testers in Golf Magazine's Hot List. Having problems with straight back-straight through shots? Beginners have found this putter to be "automatic" on short putts.



3. TaylorMade White Smoke Big Fontana - An easy-to-aim mallet with a new design for TaylorMade based on a study which revealed that "65% of golfers fail to square the putter-face to the target from twelve feet." Smooth feel when pushing the ball to its target.

As a side note, Golf for Beginners reviewed the Taylor Made Rossa Corza Putter in the past and happened to notice it on or near the top of several lists of top putters for beginners (Leaderboard golf for example) so, if you happen to find one and can try it, keep in mind as well.


Which putter do you currently have in your golf bag?

Voice your opinion on our Golf for Beginners blog, on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and Like us on Facebook.


This is a subjective list of putters. Golf for Beginners makes no claims that any of these putters will help your game and lower your handicap.