Need Help from the TFP golfers
 

My son and I are going to take up golf, I need advice on clubs.
My boy is nine, so I figure a cheap set from Target would be fine for him. He will outgrow them fairly fast.

What is a decent set for a beginner like myself?

We will going out 1-2 times a month together and I will also be going out with other people.

I don't want to spend a fortune but I don't want garbage either.

Top Flite XL 5000 was mentioned to me several times, because they are made by Callaway and a $300.00 price tag for a set with bag and covers is supposedly a decent deal.

Any suggestions???

I'm a casual golfer (a couple times a month is like the peak of the season for me, although we can play year-round here). I don't think brand names are all that important. You want your irons cavity-backed, with tip weighting. I have a Great Big Bertha driver that does me well, and an Odyssey putter that is my cash club. Ever since I bought that thing, my putts are laser. I'm not sure if it's the putter or me.

For golfers at my level (and probably at yours), I pretty much feel like the quality of the tools contribute a very small amount to the quality of play. I can mangle a shot with pretty much any stick in my bag, and recent advances in driver technology have enabled me to hit my ball farther out of bounds than ever before. As long as you're not trying to hit with forged muscle-back irons or something, any clubs ought to be more or less okay for you.

Go to a golf shop with a driving range (if you can find one near you) and try out some clubs.

How tall are you? If you are taller or shorter (+/-3 " from 6'), you may benefit from getting clubs that are the right length for you. It will affect your stance and posture and make it easier to hit good shots if you have the right sized clubs.

I would recommend buying putters separate from the set (do they sell putters with sets anymore?) And you will need to try out a few of those before you decide. And then practice your putting. If your son and you go out to a putting green during the week, you two can pay a game like the basketball game HORSE . Alternate picking a long putt or short putt that if one takes more stokes to get it in, they get a letter.

First, go to a big golf store (Golf Town is big here) and try some out. They'll tape 'em up for you and you can a bunch of balls into the net.

I would stay away from very expensive clubs - they make no difference to the outright beginner. Equally, I would not buy the cheapest set going as they tend not to be consistent - especially in stiffness of the shafts - and fall apart.

I would look for forgiving clubs rather than those that promise great distance. Hitting it straight is 100 times more important than hitting it long.

Two brands I have liked in the lower to mid range are Jazz and Jack Nicklaus (Golden Bear brand). Nice, well made clubs with a variety of options that don't cost the earth.

You can also pick up used sets for half the price of new.

As for your son - yeah, he'll outgrow anything you buy him in a couple of years, so unless he looks to be the next Tiger, keep the costs real.

Good luck, and have fun together - that's the most important thing.

Year, I echo, most of the above sentiments. If you can get to a place that allows you to test the clubs, so much the better. Some just feel "right." That said, if yo ucan get a set of Top Flight for $300, I'd do it. Even the Target sets are about 2 bills, and are probably not as good. You could always look in the used club or sports shops. I've been using a set I got at one of those Play It Again Sports for years. Also, really make sure you like the irons, you can get a new putter or woods, or hell, even a new bag, later. That's great that you are sharing this with your son.

Go find a place that sell second hand clubs. Given that you're a beginner, the technology isn't really going to help you. Play at least a full season on a set of beaters that you don't care about because you're going to knock the hell out of them. Then take the money you saved on clubs and invest in lessons for both of you. Unless you're playing with a set of Blades, you need to focus more on hitting targets than on distance to start.

You should be able to get a decent set for under $150, maybe less. Estate sales, used sporting good stores and even Goodwill are places you should check.

No, but it could hurt. DON'T get forged, muscle-back irons. Whatever irons you get, make sure they have cavity backs. Those forged irons are for really good players, and really good players can work total miracles with them. And they have a sweet spot about the size of a pinhead, and they'll give you total fits if you try to start playing with them.

Also, hybrids are GREAT. I LOVE my hybrid 3 and 4--I hit them long and high and straight.

I suppose I should say what I mean instead of being cute. Blades are top-of-the-line forged irons that will pretty much kill any beginner's short game. Actually, the technology there is pretty old since these are closer to the original irons than the hollow-backs that I play with (and cuss at a lot).

nothing to add, other than you might want to look into each of you taking a couple of lessons first. also, you might want to think about golfing with someone who knows you and your son are new at the game and can help you along...

I agree that some technology is good. I learned to play with blades but that was back in the day when most people played with blades. The hybrids are probably the best piece of technology in terms of clubs to come along since cavity backs first appeared. Unlike most of the stuff out there, these do make a difference to the average player's game.

I also concur that if given a choice between spending an extra $500 on clubs or spending that same money on a few lessons, a beginner will get more out of lessons than the clubs.

Thanks everyone for the info. I'm going to the local club this week to meet with one of the local pros to talk about clubs and lessons.

On the phone he told me that the Top Flites are not made by Callaway, they own the name, they are made by Spalding.

He basically told me the same thing about used clubs. He did also suggest the cheaper ones to "beat up" while learning. He seems pretty straight forward, my son and I can't wait to meet with him.

Agree that you shouldn't get the forged irons just beginning. I wouldn't buy junk but also no need to spend a couple grand either. Go to e-bay and look for a second hand set.... (I'd suggest a name brand as they tend to be better clubs). As for the boy I would say you'd be fine with a Taret or Walmart set however you should realize that these are generally not the best for young players as they donly come with a driver then a 4/5 wedge. When you have a young player a fairwood/hybrid should be included as this is the club he will be hitting the most (along with thte putter.) My son has just truned 8 and I got him one of the aformentioned sets a year back Within a few times out I had to buy him a hybrid to bridge the gap from the drive to the green. Good luck

You are doing yourself and your son a huge favor by taking lessons right off the bat. I've been an extremely casual (i.e. maybe twice a year) golfer for years, and was horrible, thus I didn't enjoy it a whole lot. About halfway through this summer I decided I wanted to make it more fun for myself, and a more regular activity. So I went out and got a lesson from a pro at the local course. He made a couple tiny adjustments to my grip and backswing, and it made a MASSIVE difference in the consistency of how I hit the ball. Because I had barely golfed the last several years, the change in grip and swing was not difficult for me to adjust to. Had I went out and golfed a ton before the lesson, I would've had a lot more muscle memory and bad habits to "unlearn". So there are big benefits in taking a lesson or two before you teach yourself bad habits.:thumbsup:


I second the notion of used clubs and cavity backed irons as well. Play a season or two with whatever halfway decent clubs you can pick up for a cheap price. Once you start hitting them fairly consistently, then you'll be better set to go test out and purchase a new set.