New to golf two questions

New to the game....playing a year now.

Started with a Spalding starter set, which was fine, but I wanted to upgrade pretty quick so I'd second the recommendation of second hand clubs.

The second most useful purchase for me was a golf watch. really helps with distances and game management.

I'm relatively new to golf as well and would recommend having a look on golfmarket.ie, lots of 2nd hand clubs on there. I've bought from there both for myself and my better half. No complaints so far.

Hoboo wrote: »

Stay away from ali express.

Buy second hand, golfbidders brilliant, Guaranteed authentic clubs and come with 7 day trial period and 12 month warranty.

Buy super game improvement irons.

Have a look at golf digest best clubs, mygolfspy, do some research. And try get maybe a 2012-2016 second hand set depending on budget.

Don't buy a driver. 3 wood is much more forgiving and easier to hit. Also don't need 3/4 irons. Get a 3 hybrid and 4 if you can. Or don't bother till you get playing. I started with a 3,5,7,9 iron, a sand wedge, 5 wood and added 3 wood after 6 months. Got a full set when I could hit the ball pretty well, and it forced and taught me to play lots of shots I wouldn't have learned otherwise.

Get lessons. And practice. Lots of practice.

Would agree with all the good advice in this post except about driver. I think a beginner should definitely try a driver. Modern drivers are easy to hit, I find it the most forgiving club in the bag. It's certainly worth a try to at least find if you can hit it or not.

get a jigger (less than 20 quid in sports direct) to learn chipping

I'd love to know what handicaps the guys are who find their drivers to be more forgiving than their 3 woods!

Seve OB wrote: »

I'd love to know what handicaps the guys are who find their drivers to be more forgiving than their 3 woods!

I play off 7. My driver can cause me huge problems (due to strike more than anything else) and i have less bad shots on average with my 3 wood.

The smaller head with 3 wood prevents less gearing on the ball for me i reckon.

Seve OB wrote: »

i'm off 12 myself
Apart from the countless times I've been told by other people, I know myself, playing driver is my downfall a lot of the time. I reckon there is no doubt that I could have been a lower handicap by playing 3 wood and leaving my driver in the shop. But hey, I'm getting better with it now

That's because you hit the 3 wood like Henrik Stenson.

I'd be much more comfortable with a driver in hand, I've gotten rid of my 3 wood and replaced it with a 17 degree hybrid.

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

That's because you hit the 3 wood like Henrik Stenson.

I'd be much more comfortable with a driver in hand, I've gotten rid of my 3 wood and replaced it with a 17 degree hybrid.

This is my 100%

Add to that I have a 12 degree driver which is a must for beginners imo

OP -I decided to take up golf randomly a couple of years ago. Saw a full set of clubs in Tesco of all places & just put them in the shopping cart & bought them!I turned up with them still in the bubblewrap for my first golf pro session and he said they were a pretty good set - he nearly fainted when I told them they were from Tesco. I've been using them ever since.

What I didn't know when I started was how superexpensive it can quickly get buying clubs individually -so while you are starting & dont know whats what I'd recommend trying to join a class in golf rather than a golf pro or trying to take a few golfpro sezsions and then going it alone. After I'd tried that route and found myself with noone my age and level to play with, I did one via the local VEC/Tech that was run on the local driving & putting range & showed you different grips/driving techniques/showed what the different clubs were for etc and most importantly put you in a circle of like minded and same standard people who you could then meet up with and evolve your game with. That was the most invaluable bit. They also allowed you to try different makes and shapes^styles of drivers/clubs so you could get a feel for them in sn experienced enbironment & be told what suited your style/driving strength/height etc.

I didn't get anything like this from the golfpro thou they were very friendly and proactive.

I'd try this before I spent hundreds on clubs that you might soon regret. I also didnt at the time of buying know that there were right handed clubs and left handed clubs or how to spot the difference!Same with girls clubs which come in stealtjy black and not just pink and could be a big mistake!

I'd go the group class route where the pro that is running the class will often have clubs to use & try and then buy. At least you''ll know whats missing from the set or duplicated!!I'd also go for a second hand set on adverts or donedeal -plenty of post valentines or unwanted Christmas gifts of sets of clubs there!make sure the set you get has a lightweight but sturdy bag - you dont want to start with something cumbersome in solid leather from the 70"s that is a deadweight or has broken or uncomfortable carrying grips.

Best of luck with it-enjoy the sport and dont be steamrolled into spending more than e300 or so for a full set and good bag.

If you step back and look at the club, the key to a great club is specific to you, the length of the club, the lie angle of the head, the grip size and most important the stiffness of the shaft (swing speed). These are far more important than the name on the club head.
My advise is 100% buy second hand, but where ?
I would advise you to sus out a local golf pro, linked to a driving range or club that also sells gear. A golf pro with a good reputation for giving lessons. Go to him and book yourself say 12 lessons, at the end of the lessons buy of him and he'll sell what suits your ability and physical build/swing speed.
Remember the club is only one part, having the correct posture (feet, knees, hips, shoulders, grip, weight shift) I think is far more important. You want learn that from your mates, if you get it wrong then in 5yrs you'll spend a long time, and money, trying to undo what you commit to muscle memory.

Find a club you really like the feel of when you swing it - feels just right. Look up the specifications for that club and check the swing weight code (e.g. D1, D2 etc). Buy clubs that match that swing weight.
Buy club models from the year before last. Club technologies are moving on all the the time, but only by small increments each year (sometimes just marketing). Generally recent clubs will be more forgiving that ten year old models, but not not much difference between this year and last couple of years. 2017 model clubs are generally super and half the price or less than more recent models if you can get them.

One important thing to do on the range is to record yourself so you can actually see what you are doing. I think a lot of the basics can be picked up from golf pros on YouTube - certainly grip, stance, ball position.