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Posted

I'm just getting into golf. been to the driving range/chipping green like 7-8 times. had my first game on sunday. went around first 9 in 53 but went bad back 9 went 113 overall.

I want to buy a driver (i use a 3 wood of the tee). Any good places online? I have short arms but im like 6ft. People make fun of me and say I have "armlets" haha! any longer drivers to help me with this???

Also, should i be buying online or should I get fitted at an actual shop.

Thanks for your help guys/gals!

Dicko

ps- any tips for chipping of hard grass? I normally like to take a chunk of grass if Im in grass but this is difficult on hard grass. should i even be doing this? thanks golf pros

Posted

Hey mate,

When I first started I bought my clubs online. Worked for me for a a while, until I got serious about trying to lower my score.

My last driver I got fitted. The technology for golf clubs has come so far in the last 3 years.

Gettting he proper shaft lenght is very important, expecially with the longer clubs.

The pro that fit me was also great about just putting a club in my hands without telling me the brand. I went in there thinking I was going to buy the latest Callaway. I ended up with a Taylormade superfast driver, I hit on average 20 yards longer than the Callaway, with a much lower ball spin at the same degree of loft.

Also, you don't have to buy the club where you are fitted, although they usually offer a better deal after the fitting. If they are really expensive there, once you identify the club you want, you can always shop the best deal online.

The extra few dollars for the fitting will help you enjoy your sunday rounds much more because you have a better chance to be consistant.

I couldn't believe how different I hit clubs from at least 7 different brands.

And for tips on a short game, I'm no expert, lol. I'd say pick up a Dave Pelz book, he is a master of the short game and is a great teacher.

Good luck mate

Posted
I want to buy a driver (i use a 3 wood of the tee). Any good places online? I have short arms but im like 6ft. People make fun of me and say I have "armlets" haha! any longer drivers to help me with this???

Also, should i be buying online or should I get fitted at an actual shop.

Thanks for your help guys/gals!

Dicko

ps- any tips for chipping of hard grass? I normally like to take a chunk of grass if Im in grass but this is difficult on hard grass. should i even be doing this? thanks golf pros

Hi there Dicko

I went through the exact same issues as yourself a few years back. Did it on my own without taking lessons, doing research on line bought a nice medium priced driver on line. Driver didn't work very well. In my arrogance I decided to read more online about how to hit a driver and did more research. Bought a better more expensive driver this time at a shop. Driver didn't work very well. Bought a really good expensive driver...still could not hit it consitantly. The penny finally dropped and I accepted that maybe it was the dummy using the driver that was not working and that I was going about this the wrong way.

Went to proshop talked to the local pro and signed up for a series of lessons at the end of the lessons I then went with him to the sales area and tried out a number of drivers in the simulator area under the watchful eye of both the pro and a fitter to find out what would work best for my swing and skill level. Bought a new driver that I can now hit fairly consistantly down the middle of the fairway.

I is also important to get your irons fitted. In fact iron fitting is much more common that driver fitting.

Moral of the story get lsssons from a professional golf pro to develop a good swing before you spend a pile of money on drivers, or any clubs for that matter, and get into bad swing habits which are hard to break.

For chipping from a hard packed lie you can go a few routes. Depending on the distance to the green.

For a longer chip which may actually be a pitch shot I use a wedge with a lower bounce to help eliminate the chance of hitting it thin. Or, if you don't have any obstacles between your ball and the flag, a nice soft punch shot with a medium to short iron will do the job really well. If you are close to the green, you could use a rescue club to chip instead of a wedge and use a stoke similar to your putting stroke. Quite a few pro's do this to good effect. If you are really close dont even bother to chip and just putt it.

Hope this helps you in your quest.

Tom

Posted

wow! thanks fellas I really didn't expect such great responses! (well, i knew FOH would deliver :) ).

Looks like I need to:

a) get them fitted specifically (even if i don't buy then and there)

B ) get some lessons early

Thanks both of you for the advice on my chipping issue. Erm310 Ill hunt down that book. Tom, I'll need to learn about what a rescue club is first. Seems a lot to do with club selection for golf hey?

Cheers,

Dicko

Posted
Moral of the story get lsssons from a professional golf pro to develop a good swing before you spend a pile of money on drivers, or any clubs for that matter, and get into bad swing habits which are hard to break.

Excellent advice. Remember that you will get fitted based on your swing, so an improper swing will result in an improper fit. See a pro first and talk it over.

Posted
Excellent advice. Remember that you will get fitted based on your swing, so an improper swing will result in an improper fit. See a pro first and talk it over.

cheers mate, i will do.

my swing has been learnt from youtube vids and my dodgy mates' advice lol. still haven't settled into anything so i better get some lessons.

Posted
wow! thanks fellas I really didn't expect such great responses! (well, i knew FOH would deliver :) ).

Looks like I need to:

a) get them fitted specifically (even if i don't buy then and there)

B ) get some lessons early

Thanks both of you for the advice on my chipping issue. Erm310 Ill hunt down that book. Tom, I'll need to learn about what a rescue club is first. Seems a lot to do with club selection for golf hey?

Cheers,

Dicko

No worrie Dicko

Always glad to help out in guiding someone down the path to one of the most frustrating while at the same time rewarding sports out there. Kind of like Ken's fishing prowess.. it's a bit hit and miss.

Tom

Posted

I definitely agree with others about getting fitted for the right set and that set adjusted to your swing. That said, I do buy some clubs online as the deals are generally much better than in a pro shop. There are TONS of fakes out there...maybe even worse than Cuban Cigars. Only buy from Trusted Retailers (Golfsmith, TGW, etc.) OR highly reputable sellers on ebay with loads of positive feedback. DOn't get too caught up in getting the latest technology. Although club technology has come a LONG way in the last 10 years, 20 years, etc, last years model driver is just as good as this years model driver and usually cost $100 or more less. Irons are the same way.

Posted

Hey mate. You might want to PM Bart on this topic. I understand that he may have some useful experience here. I think golf would be more exciting if a golf ball exploded now and again just to mix things up!!! So I am no help!!! Best of luck. -Piggy

Posted

Seems we may have smething else in common Dicko! I love golf, mate - and my only recommendations if you think your likely to 'get into it' a little more seriously - a) lessons B ) get fit out for a set that suit your abilty, swing and budget!

I hope to travel to Perth this year... love to catch up for a game!

Posted

I agree with most of whats been said on here. Spend the money on some lessons first, then if you pick the game up and get better buy some good clubs. Nothing worse than seeing someone with $2000 worth of clubs in his bag with a ten cent swing.

If you do start looking hard at buying clubs, I have had a lot of success over the years buying off ebay. However, here is my suggestion. Dont bother buying whatever contraption that Taylor Made, Callaway or whoever else has introduced this year. Save yourself a lot of money and buy what then introduced last year, or the year before. These guys have flooded the marked so badly with clubs they try to come up with new gimmicks each year to try and sell more clubs. Ever since they started making large format drivers with very thin faces, they really havn't changed.

Know what shaft flex you need as well. I see way to many guys who use a stiff flex who should be using a regular.

Hope that helps!

G

Posted

Definitely get custom fitted by a pro. I would highly recommend a Taylor Made driver. I find them easy to hit. Here in the states there is also a try them before you buy them program. See if any of your local shops let you demo and don't forget the right degree driver for your particular ball flight makes all the difference.

Posted

Best advice I can give is to hit the driving ranges when they're having a demo night so you can try out their gear. Or hit a pro shop, like Drummond or Powergolf, that has practice nets. Also, I think has already been mentioned, check out last year's gear. A mate picked up last season's PING G10 for half price!

Posted

"Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible" is the most incredible golf instructional book that I've ever read. People tend to put to much emphasis on big drivers and fancy irons, but often fail to realize that they accumulate the majority of their strokes around the green.

I'm going to go against the grain here and tell you to invest in a good putter and a set of wedges. A putter that you are confident in will be invaluable around the green and can last you longer than any other club you'll purchase. Check out the PING website for proper putter fitting.

If you're set on buying a driver or irons then definitely find a demo days where you can hit the clubs on the range. The indoor simulators are nice but I prefer to see the ball flight on the range; I also find that I tend to over-swing in the simulators.... Like several people have mentioned before I definitely recommend getting fitted for your irons. I've had two sets of Mizunos that were fitted and it makes a noticeable difference.

This probably wasn't the response that you wanted but I'd argue that tournaments are won on and around the greens.

Hope you keep them in the short grass and hit 'em straight!

Posted

Dicko all members they gave good advice! But whatever you buy soley depends on what is pleasing to the eyes. You have to like what your looking down at. Most of the major brands all perform about the same especially when just starting out. I do however recommend anything from Taylormade or Ping if the majority of the Pros play them so should you.

One more thing if you want to succeed at golf practice chipping and putting that's where all the MAGIC happens! Don't Give Up! Its a cruel heartless game!!!

Posted

I am in the golf business and I disagree with you about getting fitted. As a new golfer with a high handicap, fitting will not really do anything for you. Unless you are very short or very tall, clubs off the rack will serve you well. Drivers today are 45 inches or longer, so your long arms should not be a factor. Cobra is probably the best game improvement driver. Save the money on fitting and take a few lessons. There are many websites to browse. TGW.com is the best of the bunch. All of the major manufacturers make great stuff. I would lean towards Ping, Callaway, TaylorMade, Adams and Cobra. Stay away from Titleist, they are for better players. Speak to a reputable pro shop for advice. Wait a second I am a reputable pro shop. I absolutely think you should go to a demo day. I am having a demo day May 8 with TaylorMade and Titleist, hop on a plane and I will make sure you buy the right driver.

Posted

Some great advice here! Been golfing myself for about 10 years now.... I bought into the lessons/fitting and it really helped me not to develop bad habits when I first started. I bought my first set of clubs from the pro that fitted me, and used em for about 6 years.

When I began to become more confident with my game, I decided to try and fit myself for my second set. I hit at least 10 different sets with about 4-5 clubs per set. Finally decided on one that I liked and bought em from a reputable local golf shop. I don't know if I agree with the lengthening of the clubs if your taller. I just preferred to keep hitting different clubs until I found ones that I was comfortable with.

More recently I've made my purchases online from e-bay and have been very happy with the products/results. Bought a new driver and putter last year and paid about 1/2 of what golf shops charged for the identical clubs.

My advice... hit a lot of different clubs at a shop, find out what you like and what works for your swing (lessons definitely help!) and then search for the best price online.

Cheers and good luck!!

Golf is the other slope!!

Jay :surprised:

Posted

Dicko, when you do pick up your driver, make sure you get a good head cover.

I suggest something like this....

draft_lens11865121module108347311photo_12783624686.jpg

Posted
Hey mate. You might want to PM Bart on this topic. I understand that he may have some useful experience here. I think golf would be more exciting if a golf ball exploded now and again just to mix things up!!! So I am no help!!! Best of luck. -Piggy
Don't Give Up! Its a cruel heartless game!!!

haha I know I'm a sucker for punishment

Posted
I am in the golf business and I disagree with you about getting fitted. As a new golfer with a high handicap, fitting will not really do anything for you. Unless you are very short or very tall, clubs off the rack will serve you well. Drivers today are 45 inches or longer, so your long arms should not be a factor. Cobra is probably the best game improvement driver. Save the money on fitting and take a few lessons. There are many websites to browse. TGW.com is the best of the bunch. All of the major manufacturers make great stuff. I would lean towards Ping, Callaway, TaylorMade, Adams and Cobra. Stay away from Titleist, they are for better players. Speak to a reputable pro shop for advice. Wait a second I am a reputable pro shop. I absolutely think you should go to a demo day. I am having a demo day May 8 with TaylorMade and Titleist, hop on a plane and I will make sure you buy the right driver.

I'll take that on board as well mate. Thanks.

brb buying a plane ticket to the states :D

Posted
Dicko, when you do pick up your driver, make sure you get a good head cover.

I suggest something like this....

draft_lens11865121module108347311photo_12783624686.jpg

I dunno i was thnking a little giraffe or an elmo if i can find one :D

thanks for your other tips Fuzz

Posted
Seems we may have smething else in common Dicko! I love golf, mate - and my only recommendations if you think your likely to 'get into it' a little more seriously - a) lessons B ) get fit out for a set that suit your abilty, swing and budget!

I hope to travel to Perth this year... love to catch up for a game!

Rob I would definitely be keen to catch up, for golf and of course a cigar.

Posted
I think when starting out, just buy clubs from a local shop like Drummonds or something. They usually sell last years models for a good price and can advise and let you test before purchase.

Actually, both Drummond and Powergolf sold me some clubs and told me that if I didn't like them, I could return for a full refund. I just had to leave the tape on around the club face if I wanted to return it.

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