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.

Best #Golf Drivers for a Beginners' Swing - 2015 Update

Have golf drivers really changed that much in the past few years and, do beginners really need the latest technology?

In an article from several years ago, Golfdigest.com claimed that, due to technological advances, the driver is "the most obsolete club in the average golfer's bag." Members in an ongoing Golfwrx.com forum on the topic state the opposite, except for the advancement of the 460cc head.

Just because club manufacturers may have introduced three new models in the past year with thinner heads and more adjustments, does that mean golfers need to go out and purchase a new driver every year?

From the hottest Titleist 915 D2 to the newest Callaway Big Bertha with all of the "bells and whistles" from weight to loft adjustment, selecting a golf driver to suit your game has certainly become a daunting task. Which club is best for a beginner, which should be chosen by a more seasoned player and how do you decide which is best for your swing?

Although there are drivers designed for every type of player, swing and speed, there are clubs made specifically for a newer player, golfers more apt to hit off-center or to be off balance.

If you think that you should purchase a driver and "grow into it", think again. Some drivers on the market are designed with all of the bells and whistles to enhance a golf swing, not necessarily created for golf beginners but for players who have had more than a bit of experience connecting with the ball (better amateurs, the next up-and-coming Jordan Spieth or Bubba Watson...)

A newer player should not be saddled with letting the club draw the ball - this lesson should be taught to you by a professional instructor.

DO YOU NEED AN ADJUSTABLE DRIVER?

Yes, it is definitely fun turning a screw and twisting the hosel or head to be able to draw the ball or to have a higher loft. Again, I stress the importance of learning the correct way to adjust the ball flight is through proper instruction. For many folks who continually slice, for example, an adjustable driver might help when you're heading into a business "tournament" and need to straighten up for the boss...

Instead of running through a store grabbing drivers that you might have seen on a commercial, in Jordan Spieth's hand at the Masters, or regaled about by golfers on social media sites, try a demo day or head over to your local golf store for a free custom club fitting and try swinging a few clubs in a hitting booth.

One suggestion when finally deciding on a driver? Make sure the shaft is the right one for you. Have a professional measure you for correct length and that the shaft weight and flex are in tune with your game.

Ready, get set go! Golf for Beginners has chosen three drivers to update our 2013 article "Which Golf Drivers Are Best for Beginners?" that should make it easier to instill confidence for beginners as well as for the average amateur on the golf course.


1. Callaway XR Driver: When I switched from my Titleist 905T to the Callaway X2 Hot (hot, hot), I buried my face in my hands, wondering if I would ever hit the ball as long as I did. After several swings of the driver, I put the Titleist in the bag of clubs collecting dust in the garage.

This XR Driver is built for speed and has less face weight with R•MOTO Face Technology. This Callaway is quite a looker, its lightweight and aerodynamic and, when you need a bit more loft or change of lie, it is available to you.


2. Cobra Fly-Z Driver: Another driver company which believes that making the club lighter and redirecting weight will have you hitting like a pro. Cobra claims ultimate forgiveness for off-center hits and a face that turns heads.

Beautiful colors but my only concern for less experienced players is choosing from all of the loft and swing weight variations available.



3. Ping G25: Although Ping makes three different G30 models, I tried the G25 and believe that this is a driver which you can grow into. Solid trajectory and forgiveness inspire confidence. Although I finally selected the Callaway X2 Hot driver for my swing, I did choose the new Ping Karsten Irons as my set...and love them.

Ping has its own fitting system so it is important to visit a golf store like PGA Tour Superstore if you are interested in trying this club. A fitter is on-hand ready to unscrew head from shaft and talk to you about your game and your needs.


Which golf drivers have you tried and which did you finally decide on? Are you happy with your decision? Let us know on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on this golf blog.


photo: golfinglive.com, Callaway Golf, Corbra Golf

Which Golf Irons are Best for Beginners?

Outside of participants who enjoy the sport, many simply don't understand the inherent pleasure in playing golf with friends, enjoying a serene nature-filled atmosphere and the feelings conjured up when you hit a 'perfect' shot. This week, guest writer Angela Halpert offers Golf for Beginners readers a look into her ongoing quest to find the perfect golf irons to improve a beginners' golf game.

 

GFB wishes to remind golfers that it's the Indian, not the arrow, that makes for a good golf game, but... the right set of clubs and proper instruction work wonders!

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Beginners might ask the question, “Well even if I wanted to start, how would I do that?” We all know how confusing it is when, at first, we looked at people playing golf and wondered why they needed so many clubs and deliberated on the differences between them, right? 

 

Here are a few golf irons which I tried out: will a new set will find a place in my bag? Whether it be a new set of Adams Golf, Callaway or just sticking to what is already in my bag, I'm personally looking forward to a new season playing with my golf buddies!

 

The Adams Idea CMB Irons

"...the most playable player's irons?"

 

A fine-tuned instrument of golf, these irons were quite impressive to me when I saw them and had a chance to try them out. One can see that Adams lovingly crafted them with the intention of perfecting already existing designs through the implementation of materials meant for fine-tuning golf club performance.

 

When it comes to looks CMB Irons will definitely impress you with their sleek look and chrome hues. Looks, however, tell only half of the story since the real magic begins inside the construction of the iron itself.

 

The fine CMB body is forged from carbon steel with a very nice strategically placed tungsten inserts which balance the center of gravity in such a way that it allows exceptional precision. I'm usually not one to praise products much but these irons felt very nice and helped prevent twisting just like it was designed to do.

 

I have to admit that, after trying these Adams irons, my accuracy was much better with the shorter clubs but that is to be expected since everyone has minor differences in how they handle hitting. My overall opinion is that the CMB's are a great set of irons which offer exactly what the company intended them to be. I've been using the CB3 for a while now, once again an Adams design, and I pretty happy with mine so far.

 

Callaway Golf Diablo Forged Irons

 

 

Much like the CMB irons, these Callaway Diablos are also forged and a few of my friends are using them which sparked my curiosity. Jokingly, a coworker of mine decided to swap our sets for a game!

 

The difference for me was that the Diablo hit even lower when I handled them and, to me, that was a bit strange. I have to admit, though, that if I would choose another set, these would be a very nice choice ... if you can get past the uniflex shaft that never felt right to me, but that could be just a personal preference since I've always loved to swing fast.

 

Diablos are easy to use and pretty durable which was nice. One thing to keep in mind is that they are currently cheaper than the CMB and they make an excellent tool even for golof beginners because of their flexibility.

 

My overall opinion of the Callaway and Adams Golf irons sets are that both impressed me. I have to admit I have been a fan of the products offered by Adams for a long time now but that shouldn't be taken as if I am marketing them.

 

Everyone has personal preferences since we all have our own quirks when we play, different stances and varying levels of skill. These clubs are just the types I liked out of what I've tried so far in my life as a casual golfer. There are plenty of companies out there offering good equivalents to those such as Ben Hogan, Cobra, Dunlop, Hippo and so on. Just take your pick and remember to enjoy yourself out there.

 

Which irons do you play and what makes them special for you?

 

Guest post by A. Harpert - a passionate traveler, golfer and adventurer by hobby. She's a real expert at finding the most appropriate holiday rental condos for your long anticipated vacation.

 

photo credit: frgolfonline.com

 

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