neewbie interested in some golf

[garfa]

hey all,
just wanted to know if anyone can point me in the right direction regarding possibly some clubs and lessons?
have always been interested in golf and now that io have a bit of free time thought i might get into it a bit more......
thanks guys, garth.

[AttaBoy]

First of all, you need to know whether your missus let you play golf or do house work.

[sganro]

Driving ranges are a good place to learn. They give you the chance to hit a few balls without having to walk around a whole course chasing your ball. Most will have on site staff to provide training, otherwise you can just go and teach yourself. They are cheap too.

Otherwise if you have a few mates that play, go for a round at a course one day with them and get a few pointers from them. The downpoint with this is that you will probly get ripped on all day by your mates if you hit a few shockers. Boys will be boys...

I would say your best bet for clubs is to keep an eye on the trading post/garage sales etc. You will be able to pick up a half decent set of clubs for a good price if you go second hand. Then if you want to go further with it, then go and see about a set of new (better) ones that suit your game.

Good luck with it

[Peanuts Inc.]

if you have have half an idea of how to swing correctly then its easy, i had to give the game away when i broke my shoulder, used to be good fun going out with a group of mates and having a social hit and a few drinks afterwards...

if you want to know teach yourself and get to know more about swing types and grips and aiming and stuff then grab a book called "18 tips from 18 masters".... very handy book to read

[commsirac]

Clubs, I wouldnt pay more than $100 secondhand for a set if you havent played b4. You can trade up when you get your game more sorted.
Just make sure you end up with a set that has the latest large sized driver 460cc head, and the irons are cavity back. They are much easier to hit, especially the large headed drivers.....plenty of people trying to flog off the older stuff. Plenty of bargains to be found on ebay.
Driving ranges are good places to get started, and there may be group lessons for beginners which is possibly better value for money while you are in the absolute beginner stage.

[Bax]

I find the larger drivers are harder to hit with. Then again I'm used to my own.

You can pick up clubs online from random places for a few hundred. Not top brand names, but good copies.

Go to a driving range. Don't try and hit it hard, hit it straight, eyes on the ball until it's been hit, knees slightly bent. Once you get it straight, try and hit it a bit harder. If it's going straight enough, consistently enough. Take it to a course.

[Bravotwozero]

Originally Posted by garfa

hey all,
just wanted to know if anyone can point me in the right direction regarding possibly some clubs and lessons?
have always been interested in golf and now that io have a bit of free time thought i might get into it a bit more......
thanks guys, garth.

Most courses have a pro that conduct lessons. These could either be in a group or privately. Group lessons are ok but you will get less attention from the instructor. Especially if you're in a group with really bad hacks.

Private lessons will cost you more ($50 - $70 per half hour) but you'll get one on one attention and improve a fair bit quicker.

When I first started playing I did a group beginner's course that covered the basics such as grip, swing & stance etc etc. I would highly suggest you do one of the programs. The one I did was 5 30 minutes lessons spread out over 5 weeks. (1 a week.) I highly recommend you start with this!!!

As for clubs, well there is some suggestions that you should start with a nice cheap set of secondhand jobbies. But going from my experience I don't think this is the best approach. Secondhand clubs would have been fitted to another person. Lie angle, shaft length & flex may not suit. The secondhand set I bought were no longer useful after about 2 months.

If I were you this is what I would do.

1. Go to Drummond Golf and get fitted with a set of irons. Their club-fit system is second to none imo.

2. Do a beginner's course as explained above. This is a cost effective method of learning the basic fundamentals of the game. (Will cost anywhere between $90 & $140)

3. Go play golf!!! Oh and remember to enjoy yourself. Golf can be a frustrating game to learn but it is also meant to be fun!

On a side note I've omitted drivers because contrary to what some people have posted, a driver is not very easy to hit. I'd steer clear of drivers until you can hit your irons consistently and have developed your swing.

BTW where are you located?

[Bax]

Originally Posted by Bravotwozero

On a side note I've omitted drivers because contrary to what some people have posted, a driver is not very easy to hit. I'd steer clear of drivers until you can hit your irons consistently and have developed your swing.

That's good advice, I overheard a pro telling a guy that at the driving range last week. The guy was there for a lesson and he had only taken his driver.

[commsirac]

deleted...double post

[commsirac]

I dont think anyone said that drivers are easy/easier to hit....just large headed ones are easier to hit than smaller headed ones. However, conventional wisdom of moving up through the clubs and then using a 3 wood of the tee has changed. At risk of contradicting myself, it is actually easier for a beginner to make contact with a large headed driver than the much smaller headed 3 wood or even an iron for that matter. It takes skying, topping, shanking out of the equation for those struggling to make contact......its just a bit harder to control where it is going! As stated ^ its best to groove one's swing with the shorter clubs as they are easier to control.
I suggested not spending too much money on 2nd hand as you may not stay in the game long and your needs may change as you get better at the game, but if you are buying a set, having a large headed driver as part of the deal is a plus and something that will cost far more later. Setting up a beginner for lie angle, shaft flex and all the rest is basically a waste of time until their swing has evolved. However, I do accept that a set of clubs that is too short/long, totally wrong lie angles etc will make the swing evolve poorly. However, basic off the shelf clubs should not be to far off the mark to cause severe problems.

[Bravotwozero]

Originally Posted by commsirac

I dont think anyone said that drivers are easy/easier to hit....just large headed ones are easier to hit than smaller headed ones.

Shorter clubs = easier to hit. Also addressing the ball with a driver is totally different to an iron.

Originally Posted by commsirac

Setting up a beginner for lie angle, shaft flex and all the rest is basically a waste of time until their swing has evolved. However, I do accept that a set of clubs that is too short/long, totally wrong lie angles etc will make the swing evolve poorly. However, basic off the shelf clubs should not be to far off the mark to cause severe problems.

I disagree. If your club fit is poor at the start your swing will accommodate these faults. When you actually do get decent clubs, you'll have to reconstruct your swing all over again. Golf is a game of millimetres. If you want to learn to play golf, follow my advice. If you want to be a hack. Follow everybody else's.!

[garfa]

located eastern 'burbs 50 mins from melbourne.
so pretty much i should go and get some advice from a few places about what lenght of clubs i need then buy secondhand.
then throw in a few lessons after having a couple of hits on my own and reading up a bit of technique.
thanks for the info guys, any more advice please let me know.

[Bravotwozero]

Originally Posted by garfa

located eastern 'burbs 50 mins from melbourne.
so pretty much i should go and get some advice from a few places about what lenght of clubs i need then buy secondhand.
then throw in a few lessons after having a couple of hits on my own and reading up a bit of technique.
thanks for the info guys, any more advice please let me know.

I've got a full set of clubs with bag & buggy you can have for $150. PM me if you're interested.

[Scooter79]

I've been playing golf since I was about 12. Four years ago I found a set of reall