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.

4 Reasons Why Walking the Golf Course is Better Than Cart Path Only

After a soaking rain, many golf courses issue a "cart path only" notice, which means players must keep their carts off of the grass so they don't destroy the grounds.

Barring any physical ailments which would hinder a nice walk in the park or hilly terrain which would need a billy goat in order to scale, there are reasons to choose walking over a golf cart ride.

If given the option to walk or ride, which should you choose?

Editor: For some courses, there is no option to walk but there are golf courses which are an easy walk.

Related: Should You Buy a Golf Cart?

The next time the golf shop issues a "cart path only" notice, consider this:

1. SPEED OF PLAY: You actually play faster when you walk - on your wayward shots you usually don't lose your ball because you are walking straight to it.

2. VISUAL ASSESSMENT: As you walk, you feel the wind and see the angle of your next shot so you can choose the appropriate golf club to get your ball to its next placement or on to the green.

3. YOU ARE WALKING ANYWAY! Cart path only forces you to walk to a golf ball which could be on the other side of the fairway. You also may have to carry several golf clubs to your ball in order to determine the correct distance...and... don't forget to take a towel so you can lay all of those clubs down in the very soggy grass (you don't want to get those grips wet!) 

Try walking instead...by the time you get to your ball all you need to do is address and hit your shot which saves time and effort.

4. EXERCISE: Pushing a hand cart burns calories as does a good walk in the park. Our smartphone fitness gizmo says that, after nine holes, we walked about 8,000 steps!

NPR.com health news confirmed, "The World Golf Foundation estimates that golfers who walk an 18-hole course clock about 5 miles and burn up to 2,000 calories.

The game is meant to be walked...young Tom Morris probably would never have considered riding to his next shot. 

If you are not ready for eighteen holes, why not start with nine?

Share your thoughts in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

NOTE: Golf for Beginners blog and the author state that, whether or not you have a physical limitation, you should check with your doctor before walking or playing any sport.

New Year Resolutions for a Happy Golf Year

With the new year in full swing (so to speak), golfers are making resolutions - the ultimate players are tweaking goals for themselves while beginners are laying the basic groundwork for the future.

Are you looking to shave strokes off of your handicap or are you seeking to improve your chipping?

This golf writer has created several golf goals:

1. Improve short game: chipping and putting. Concentrating on the most important parts of the game will help me to lower both my round score and my handicap.

2. Keep a positive mindset and "can-do" attitude while playing: it's easy for your thoughts to spiral downhill during a round as the strokes start to add up. Instead of focusing on the negative, catch yourself, look around at the beautiful day you have been given and think about your best shots so far during the round.

3. Practice with a purpose: No point in practice if the only thing you do during your time on the driving range is smacking golf balls as far as you can - think about every shot you take and make the most of each ball you place in front of you.

3. Play more golf! I offer this golf resolution every year and try to stand firm on this goal. Can't play 18? Go out for 9 holes! Watching a kid for the afternoon and think you can't play golf? Take the kid to the driving range and teach the game to someone new! Where there is a will, there is a way.

Whatever you choose to do, be specific about your goals, write them down and continue to review your progress throughout the year.

Happy New Year! Any questions or comments, place them in the comments section below and tag us on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

3 Cool Golf Gadgets to Improve Your Game

Last week, Golf for Beginners reexamined some of our top-rated blogs; the previous week, we reviewed a few must-have techie golf game improvement gifts. For the final week of 2018, we look at some of the gadgets we have tried and how, if at all, these accessories can make a difference in our game.

1. In an article entitled, "New Ways to Mark Your Golf Ball", Stacy Solomon reviewed Tin Cup metal ball markers which cradle your ball so that you can get a straight line.

In addition to the line, Tin Cup aficionados can also customize their golf ball with anything from an initial to a logo. The importance of marking your ball cannot be understated; aside from the obvious aspect of being able to identify your ball, adding a line can help you align your golf ball while on a tee pointing to a specific target and can help you to visualize your target on the green. Plus, you will be making a creative statement!

2. For those with wood floors and a decent-sized hallway, the Maxfli Automatic Putting Mat will keep you rolling out putts through the winter. Keep your stroke consistent while practicing on a realistic-feeling mat with markings for eight, six four and two-foot distances.

3. Snow or cold weather should not stop you from stepping outside for a few minutes to hone your swing - the Orange Whip can help you to "swing in rhythm while maintaining balance."

For only five to ten minutes per day, and according to the website, this swing trainer says a golfer "will quickly see noticeable improvements in their golf swing such as increased flexibility and strength, enhanced coordination, and a perfectly balanced tempo." The key to gaining the improvement, however, is by using the product - if it just sits in the garage, you can expect no benefits (currently where my Orange Whip resides but it will get dusted off this week!)

We hope you have enjoyed our golf blogs this year! We will continue to provide you with a terrific learning experience in 2019. Happy New Year from the staff at Golf for Beginners!

Golf for Beginners Top 2018 Blogs

From golf club reviews to golf tips and training aids, Golf for Beginners' top blogs of 2018 prove that players are interested in learning more about how to improve their games! In one of the final golf blogs of 2018, we list a few of your favorites!

Is the TaylorMade M4 Twist Face Driver Right for You?
A review of one of the top golf clubs of the year, used by Dustin Johnson and now by my husband Barry, the TaylorMade M4 Twist Face driver delivers both accuracy and distance with its new technology.


Golf Courses Around Myrtle Beach Great for Beginners and High Handicappers:
If you are planning a Myrtle Beach golf vacation in 2019 and you are ...., this blog will give you the lowdown on a few of the nicest golf courses along the Grand Strand, listed by location.


Why All Golfers Need to Attend Demo Days:
Walking through the local PGA Tour Superstore is certainly fun but, just like ladies enjoy shopping at a jewelry store, buying golf clubs can put a sparkle in your eyes. Don't let that wide-eyed enthusiasm have you reaching for your credit card. Instead, consider waiting for the demo days of spring to make your next purchase - read the article to learn why!


The INPUTT Golf Training Aid Review:
Putting is said by many to be the most important part of your game, so why not use a training aid to improve your speed and line? See if this training aid is right for you.


Golf for Beginners thanks all of our readers for your continued support with best wishes for a safe and Happy New Year. Follow us and tweet with us on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

7 Ways to Make Golf Off-Season More Productive

For many players in the north, snow and brutally cold temperatures herald in golf's off-season. Golf clubs are carried into the garage from the trunk, and, instead of walking the fairways, golfers find themselves wandering the local PGA Tour Superstore.

Even though spring will be at your doorstep before you know it, a little preparation now will get you out on the course with the first official mowing of the short grass!

Golf for Beginners, a leading blog for amateurs of all levels, has created a list of seven ways to make the golf off-season more productive. You may not be playing golf now but, chances are, you are thinking about it, so why not plan ahead!

1. Identify ways to improve your game and score. Do you flub a lot of your chips? Are you regularly 3-putting?

2. Find a good teaching professional and talk about your weaknesses. Many pros teach indoors and/or, not every day is too cold to get into the sunshine.

3. Clean out your golf bag - junk accumulates! From old, half-eaten snack bars to the hundreds of tees you have stashed in all of those pockets, your golf bag can get really heavy! Rummage through your clubs during the offseason to identify which ones you just don't use and replace them with clubs that you want to try at the range come spring thaw.

4. Regrip your clubs - after reviewing which golf clubs you intend to keep in your bag for the new season, check and regrip the slippery ones!

5. Re-cleat, and clean your golf shoes - do this task regularly as I have been lax here only to find out that some soft spikes do not come out easily if they have been in their socket for too long! Your golf shoes will last longer and give you years of good gripping power on the course.

6. Tis the season for deals! Think ahead for spring - now is the time to find sales on golf balls ...for all the balls you will lose next year!

7. Practice your putting in your living room. If there is one part of your game that you can always find a place to practice, it is your putting! Get out that red Dixie cup and dunk a few, or drive over to the local superstore in your area and roll a few putts while purchasing your golf balls, soft spikes and new grips!

Photo: Footjoy Ladies LoPro golf shoes