Any golfers out there?

robbyras

so I've been the type to go out and golf like 3 times a year in the past, but this year I am making a commitment to go out more often and take my game a little more seriously...

my clubs are crap... I got a complete set of wilson's a few years back for $99... yeah, garbage... but I'm not going to roll out a bucnh of dough on a new set any time soon... I'm planning on getting building a set over some time... gonna get a putter first, then a driver, then a hybrid, then irons...

so any input on picking a new putter? any suggestions? anyone who has some clubs they want to offload?

I have a golfmart near me but it's a little intimidating going in there cuz I have very little golf knowledge...

PuroFreak

I have the Ping Craz-E and I've always loved it. I'm a Taylormade fan when it comes to irons and woods and even a hybrid, but the Ping putters are always great!

xmacro

Some people go out and spend $1,000 on new clubs and $100 on lessons; pro's that I've taken lessons from say it should be the other way around - spend big on lessons, and don't worry about the clubs. It's the indian, not the arrow.

If you wanna know about the latest clubs, pick up a Feb. issue of Golf Digest, or one of the more recent Golf mags, or just visit their websites - this is the time of year that most of them are reviewing the latest clubs and giving feedback, so you can get a good idea of what's out there

robbyras

xmacro:

Some people go out and spend $1,000 on new clubs and $100 on lessons; pro's that I've taken lessons from say it should be the other way around - spend big on lessons, and don't worry about the clubs. It's the indian, not the arrow.

If you wanna know about the latest clubs, pick up a Feb. issue of Golf Digest, or one of the more recent Golf mags, or just visit their websites - this is the time of year that most of them are reviewing the latest clubs and giving feedback, so you can get a good idea of what's out there

yeah, good idea... i'd love to be able to play with the club for a while before deciding to buy it... I will pick up a Gold Digest and take a look...

DSWarmack

xmacro:

...It's the indian, not the arrow....

Truer words never spoken. I bought some Nike clubs a while back and it didnt do a DaMnEd thing for my game. As a matter of fact all it did was make it worse, I was hitting it further and slicing it even more! Lessons are the key. Even if they are from a friend or relative who plays well. My dad is my go to guy about golf.

Redtailhawkoz

I am In the same boat Rob, We should go Play a Round of golf this summer I have yet to play here in Cali, Some days Im Good some days Im bad..... Ive shot in the Bid 80's to low 90's in the past.. last round was in Zanesville Ohio last summer I shot a 87 on a course i have been playing all my life.. its long and i love it.
I just basically like to go out and Enjoy the weather and the Hanging out with the guys myself. I dont take it to seriousley it ruins the game...I WILL NEVER BE A PRO so why think I will be.. which is what TRAPS most golfers...... MOST ARE BLOWHARDS THAT THINK THEY CAN PLAY.... BIG MONEY ON CLUBS DOESNT MEAN NOTHING.......
By yourself a Nice Blade Putter it will never let you down!

StogiesOnTheGreen

Totally agree with all the comments about lessons. Also, make sure that when you do get clubs to make sure to have them fitted to you as that is also worth the money. Playing with clubs that are too long or too short will destroy your game and just make you frustrated. I've never been a big proponent of a putter making a huge difference, its much more important to line up your shot correctly. I think people get hung up on how "cool" their putter looks instead of learning how to correctly putt. My favorite irons are callaway diablo edge and are great for beginner/intermediate golfers. For your driver, I'd do an analysis of your swing first at a golf shop. I started with a normal flex shaft and I didn't understand why so many of my drives sliced. Turns out my swing was fast so I needed a stiffer shaft (insert joke now).

bigharpoon

I used to play a bunch of golf but I don't get out so much any more. My advice, beyond what has already been given, is to put the driver WAY down on the list of clubs to buy. It's clearly the hardest club to use and the one that is used the least. If you really want woods than I'd go for a 5 wood and a 3 wood and still skip the driver. I almost never use my driver, with a good swing your 3 wood is all you need.

I use a ping putter, old school, and it's great. Putters have designs that range all over the place. It's crazy. Since the putt stroke is so soft it's all about feel. Get a putter that feels good in your hands.

For your irons I would recommend getting a set at once, all the same type. That way they are all perfectly related to each other. If you get them one at a time you'll get big variations in club head to shaft angle and shaft length. These are all slightly different even among a set (obviously) but with a set they are proportionally correct which is hugely important.

I would also recommend skipping the normal 3 iron thru wedge set and start your set at a 4 iron and include an extra wedge. 3 irons suck to hit, overlap your 5 wood with distance, and an extra wedge is going to be used far more often. Out of the 14 clubs in my bag I carry 4 wedges. Keep in mind, you spend more time near the green than getting down the fairway.

Check out Bazooka clubs. Very high quality, good reviews all the time and affordably under the radar.

xmacro

^ totally forgot about fitting; +1 to everything StogiesontheGreen said - definitely worth it if you get good. Eg - if you can break 100/get close to 90 or below and you get a good swing grooved in, a custom fitted set of clubs can really help your game. If you're just starting out, the money's better spent on lessons since, in order to do a proper custom fitting, you should have a swing that isn't gonna change very much. If your swing is changing every week, a custom fitting won't do squat for you.

dwayne3307

Lessons are def the way to go but don't take lessons if you're not going to practice!! A few years ago I would take a lesson once a week then practice 1-2 times a week after the lesson, you'll see results quick if you take the time to practice. As far as clubs go..i've never been to a golfmart but i assume they sell used clubs and sometimes you can land some awesome deals buying used. Last year I went to Edwin Watts to look at some Ping s-56's which run $900 new. I turn around while looking at the new set and I see a used set sitting there for $550. They had just been traded in and a couple of the clubs had yet to be hit. The sales guy knocked off an extra $50 so I saved $400 over a new set and my clubs are like new. Also look at the adjustable drivers like the Taylormade r9/r11 and some of the Nike drivers to help with a slice or hook. Since new drivers come out every year, a good used one will be easy to find. Lastly, don't buy off ebay unless you really trust the seller, knock-off clubs are a big business. Sorry for rambling!

robbyras

this is some great info guys... My uncle has been a golfer for like 40 years so if he found out I was taking lessons, he'd flip out... he and I are going to the range a few times a month (i'll be going more on my own)... i have a big yard so I'm getting an astroturf mat to chip from in the yard... nothing special, but chip into a bucket kind of thing... maybe i'll install a putting green somewhere down the line... who knows

I also have a few buddies who are in the same boat as me so it will be good to have some friends along for the ride...

clearlysuspect

Driver= Titleist 975J Stiff = $15 used. In great condition on ebay.
Fairway Woods= I only hit the old wooden ones. Bought a set at a yard sale for $1. 3 wood, 5 wood, 7 wood.
Hyribs= Linksman 3,4,&5 = $31 for the set on ebay
Irons= King Cobra II 7,8,&9= included in the dollar I paid at the yard sale.
Wedges= Linksman 52, 56, & 60= $35 for the set on ebay.
Putter= $20 at Kmart. Don't know what brand but great putter.

clearlysuspect

Best tips I can give for getting better. Subscribe to Golf Digest. They have tons of great tips and lessons in there. Make sure your grips are good and fit you. This can make or break your swing. Watch golf tournaments. They break down everyones swing in slowmo and tell you what they're doing right and doing wrong. And finally, practice. If you can't play, go to the range. If you can't hit the range go outside and swing a club and work on form or chipping.

flayankee

All great advice. If your looking for a set of irons/woods/putters you can buy brand new, last year clubs or even earlier year clubs for alot less than the clubs that came out this year. Also lessons are a great idea , i will be taking my first tommorrow after playing 3 years and only seeing small improvements.

letsgowithbob

My friends and I all buy from rockbottomgolf.com u get last years clubs new for cheap, I would get a hybrid iron set, that way they match correctly, driver I would wait like everyone said, if you have a backyard, get a net and work on swinging consistently, then range time, I have never taken lessons, but I golf with people that know what they are doing, and they help me a lot, I usually mid 90's and I smoke cigars and have a great time....love golf

zoom6zoom

Golf courses are a terrible waste of a good shooting range.

ellinas

i can tell you everything you need to know about golf from the mental game, to club selection, how to make a proper golf swing and everything else from rules to proper etiquette. i've been playing once a week and i onyl get to play 9 holes bc of my schedule. Last thursday i shot 4 under for 9 holes (damn good day) and today i shot 1 under which wasn't bad. i also have 14 sets of golf clubs at my house LOL. as for picking out a putter don't pick out just one putter, test out quite a few. if you can demo a club you really like then demo it for a few days just to see how you really play with it and to see what you think. i prefer scotty cameron putters, and the rife putter. although the scotty camerons have gone down over the years but they are still good putters.

kingjk729

Robby there has been some really good advise given here so far and what I can tell you is that if you have only been averaging 3 rounds a year .... you're 100.00 clubs are just fine .... they typically tell you that you want to get at least 90-120 rounds of golf in before upgrading your clubs ..... I had a wilson arrowtech set of clubs that I used before upgrading after 5 years .... They always say yo get your game established first before you go and drop money on new equipment ..... If you need a putter I would suggest this http://www.rockbottomgolf.com/giveaway.html the putter is free you just pay for shipping .... work on developing your swing and stroke and then when you feel comfortable get new irons ..... I would also tell you to goto golf galaxy and look at used drivers because for a for a fraction of original price you can get a hell of a driver for a quarter of what it cost new ..... One other suggestion with balls by the cheapest that you can get a good quantity for ..... until you have perfected your game you will not be able to tell the difference between a .30 cent and 2.50 cent ball and you wont be so pissed when you lose them .... On the site i posted they have the same balls I shoot Dunlop's for 45 balls for 21.00 well worth it its a 2 piece ball and works well. I hope this offeres you some insight and I would say if you can find lessons that are affordable to do it but don't be pressured to get new equipment since you don't need it .... 2000.00 in new equipment is not going to make a starter any better then a starter with hand me down clubs . And for sure take the advise of you're uncle.

firetruckguy

MMMMMMMMMM Ping Rapture 2V's.............. just say'n

robbyras

ha... i was actually looking at rockbottomgolf.com today... i was going to order some balls and didn't even see that putter deal... not a bad deal... 3 dozen balls and a putter shipped for $30... thanks for the heads up...

robbyras

so, I went against some of the advice here and treated myself to a TaylorMade Burner Superfast 3W...

I went down to Golfmart this morning and was looking around... I was hellbent on getting a driver, but I talked to one of the older guys who worked there... we chatted for about 45 min (there was no one else in the store) and he advised me to start with a 3 Wood, get used to hitting that then grab a driver later, when I really start to figure out my swing... the fact that I wanted to spend more than I did made me feel like I was actually getting good advice...

and since the store was empty he told me to take a few swings with a demo club he had... I hit a few practice balls and he just watched... then said "i'm gonna give you 3 tips... and don't tell anyone I did"... yeah, it felt a little weird... but he just told me to move my stance back so the ball was just inside my left foot (front of my stance), lower my right shoulder (which basically happened automatically when I addressed the ball) and close my right foot... I never realized that my right foot was so open... so I took a few hacks in the store and it felt a little awkward, but i figured I'd give it a shot...

so I bought the club, took it to the range straight away and starting hitting... the first ball I hit was probably the best ball I have ever hit off the tee... I actually laughed when I hit it... I swung at about 70% and hit it about 265 yards dead center... of course I hit a bunch of stinkers too, but i hit about 25 really nice shots...needless to say, I'm pretty pumped... and on top of all of this, I got the club for $115... it looks like it's 139 most places online... so I'm feeling good!

xmacro

Congrats!! Just a tip - except for chipping or putting, you use ONE swing for all your clubs. From driver to 3-iron, the only thing that changes is where you put the ball in your stance - your swing never changes.

robbyras

yeah, he mentioned that... gonna play around with it in the coming weeks... I only had the new club with me today... so ball placement depends on what you are looking for correct? in front to more distance, in back for more loft... something like that?

xmacro

No, ball placement depends entirely on the club - in front-more-distance/in-back-more-loft only works for wedges, and is typically referred to as opening or closing the club face. Driver is off your left toe, and it just moves back from there - wood is off your left heel, low irons are between the middle of your stance and left heel, and 7-iron and higher/wedges are from the middle of your stance.

One more bit of advice - in golf, more than any other sport, etiquette is king. Don't go out and play a round with strangers - chances are you'll make so many gaffs that they might report you and get you kicked off the course (maybe not on a municipal course, but at other courses, you WILL be kicked for not knowing the rules or for slow play). Your best bet is to pick up a Dummies book on golf etiquette and then play with close friends

robbyras

thanks for the heads up... i've been playing for a while now, but never really took it very seriously (as I'm sure is obvious) so I'm pretty familiar with the basic rules... i'm sure I'll pick up on the more subtle stuff as I go along... but yeah, I'm not rolling out to any nice courses just yet... mainly playing 9-hole courses and a few of the 18-hole courses around... in the Bay Area we have a lot of options, but I'm not heading up to Napa just yet... but a "dummies guide might be good...

bigharpoon

Nice score! Taylormade makes a damn fine wood. And nice going picking up a 3 wood, seriously, much easier to hit and at 265 yards that really should be plenty for quite a while. That's about how far I hit my 3 wood and I almost never use my driver.

robbyras

bigharpoon:

Nice score! Taylormade makes a damn fine wood. And nice going picking up a 3 wood, seriously, much easier to hit and at 265 yards that really should be plenty for quite a while. That's about how far I hit my 3 wood and I almost never use my driver.

yeah I was shocked how the ball just jumps off the face... it's a cosmic leap from what I was using...

robbyras

So I had my new 3 Wood at the range again yesterday... it was around 1PM and the place was packed, so me and my buddy waited for a couple slots to open up... we got in and I was about halfway through my bucket when I started to hit my new club... after about 4 shots, I took a swing and someone thing felt really wrong... it felt like I let go of the club, but it was still in my hand... the CLUB was still in my hand... the HEAD of the club however, was about 100 yards away in the middle of the range... that's right, the effing head snapped off and went flying... so not only did my club break, but I had to get everyone to stop swinging so I could run my dumbass out there to retrieve it... yes, i was THAT guy...

but the folks at Golfmart were really nice... they replaced the club on the spot and even gave me a sleeve of some nice Titlist balls to make up for the shame of running out onto the range... man, i hope that never happens again

dwayne3307

don't feel bad, i've seen it happen on the range several times and we all stopped hitting so whoever could run out and get the club head. a long time ago i bought a driver from callaway's preowned website, very good prices there, anywho i had the club for a couple months and we were playing a round and on the second hole the head of the driver snaps off and goes flying down the fairway. i know that feeling you were talking about, everything just feels weird for a second bc you don't know what happened, but you know something went wrong. i called them up and told them what happened, they let me return it and they replaced it at no charge.

y2pascoe

PuroFreak:

I have the Ping Craz-E and I've always loved it. I'm a Taylormade fan when it comes to irons and woods and even a hybrid, but the Ping putters are always great!

I agree with PuroFreak, Ping makes great putters. I have one I won in a tournament raffle last year.

ellinas

you have a pm