Advices for beginner

flz

Hey guys,

Since it's my first post on boards.ie, let me shortly introduce myself.

My name is Florent, I'm 24. I moved from Paris to Dublin 5 months ago, and now working in BT Ireland. I'm living in Stillorgan in South Dublin.

I've been thinking of starting playing golf since I moved in Dublin. Recently I went quite a few times to Glencullen Pitch and Putt but I feel like I'd better spend some time at the driving range, to improve my swing.

A year ago I went to a driving range in France with a friend of mine and some guy quickly taught us the basics (how to hold the club, how to stand in front of the ball, ...) so we could start playing on our own, well almost. It was really nice so I bought a low-end 8 iron and a practice net to play in my parents' garden. Now that I moved, I have no garden anymore so I'm somehow forced to go to a real driving range. I guess I'll get real golf lessons eventually but in the meantime I'm watching golf videos and stuff.

So, enough talking, I'll need at least one club. I've seen the sticky topic with locations where I could buy things, but the question is what exactly do I need. I used to use only my 8 iron because I've been told that it was the right one to use for a start, but I've left it behind when I moved. I was planning on buying a wood (probably a driver) and a high iron (probably a 8/9). I'm not sure how much I'll need to spend on this/those because I haven't visited any golf shop yet.

Any advice on this?

PS: I'll probably go to Leopardstown driving range because it's the nearest. I couldn't see anything interesting on the website, so if anybody has more information on how things work there (prices, open hours, ...), just PM me.

Thanks for reading!

seamus

I've played myself on-and-off since I was a kid, but never really took it seriously. I've only started playing regularly recently, and am trying to get to the driving range twice a week.

I would say your best bet is to try and find a set of beginner's clubs. They usually don't come too expensive, probably around €150 but I couldn't be sure, and you get most of what you need - 1W, 3W, 3I, 5I, 7I, 8I, 9I, PW, Putter.

Head over to the range at least once a week and take your time. Give each club a few hits, and take practice swings if need be. A lot of people in the beginning, go down to the range and try and hit as many balls as they can, as fast as they can. Then they end up getting tired and sore the next day, and frustrated that their swing isn't improving quickly. Remember that a bucket of 70 balls is the best part of 18 holes of golf, so the more time you take, the less tired you'll be and the better you can concentrate on improving your swing.

Woods and irons are quite different in style, so depending on how comfortable you became with your 8 iron, you may better off not practicing with the driver or 3 wood for a few weeks, until you're more comfortable.

flz

Ok, that seems cheap enough. Do you have any recommendations? Brands/Models to prefer/avoid?

Note: I went to Leopardstown this evening and the girl from the Golf Shop was kind enough to lend me a drive and an iron. Prices seemed reasonable, though I don't have much to compare with. Basket is between 6 and 8 euros for 60 to 110 balls IIRC. Guess I'm going to spend less time at the pub :-)

celica140bhp

As Seamus said don't be in a hurry to try hitting a driver. Concentrate on a 7iron, 5 iron and maybe a wedge - that's all you'll need in the beginning - OK, maybe a putter as well
if you can hit these three well enough you'll get around a course no problem.

As well as looking for cheap beginner sets check out 2nd hand ones from good golf shops - you could pick up half a dozen good clubs for the same price as a cheap beginners set. My main advice would be - don't just pick something up and think this looks nice. Make sure the pro/shop owner recommends it based on your size/ability etc. The club length, weight, flex loft all matter and can make a big difference.