Tag: Best clubs for a Beginner

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Don’t forget the little things, Swing thoughts – Beginner’s guide to Golf

So many swing thoughts

Before, during, and inevitably after we think about our swing.  There’s so much going through our heads that sometimes we are the instruments of our own demise.  We forget that as complicated as the game of Golf can be.  In order to succeed at it things need to be simple.  I’m sure you have all seen videos, or read articles relating to swing instruction.  Too often they describe swing path, angle of attack, transfer of weight, club head release, follow through, the direction your belt buckle should face at the conclusion of your swing, and I could keep going on and on.  How are you ever going to make successful contact with the ball if you are thinking about all of these things at once?  When I was first developing a swing, my only thought was to make contact with the ball.  After a few trips out to the Range I was able to make pretty consistent contact.  Of course I had very little distance, or directional control.  In an attempt to further develop my swing I started watching those videos I mentioned.  What I learned is that too much information can do more harm than good.

It wasn’t all useless though

There are a few tips I picked up on that I believe can help any Beginner.  First of all it’s important to separate your swing setup from the actual swing.  Too many Beginners concentrate on both at once.  It sounds quite easy to do, but it isn’t.  What happens is that during your practice backswing, or waggle you adjust your stance.  While doing so you begin to think about your swing.  The two thoughts become one.  What I’ve learned to do is make my practice backswing a part of my setup.  Once I’m satisfied with my position I take a moment to clear my head.  Then I begin my swing preparation.  I’ve simplified my swing thought to three things.  A smooth controlled backswing, then a balanced fore swing without drifting my weight from back to front too much, and a complete follow through.  That’s it!  To be honest I am limiting my maximum distance by purposefully decreasing my weight transfer.  What it does do is significantly reduce the number of miss hits I make.  For me that’s far more important.  Another tip I can offer you that will surely improve your scores, is to hit every putt with the intention to go three feet passed the hole.  Any putt that comes up short has no chance of rolling in.  Better to hit your ball too far passed the hole than leave it short.  An additional bonus to playing this way is that you get a lot of practice hitting 3 to 5 foot putts.  You will get so accustomed to hitting them that soon any putt within 5 feet will feel automatic.

Short shots are the most important

When it comes to practice, spend the majority of your time working on your shorter clubs.  In actuality you should spend the most time practicing your putting stroke.  Then you should spend almost as much time working on your Wedge game.  Then your Irons, your Hybrids, your Woods, and last of all your Driver.  Too many Beginners do this in reverse.  Think of it in terms of what you will likely use the most during a Round.  As a Beginner there’s a very good chance that you will have to make 2 or 3 putts per hole.  You might have to hit 2 or 3 Wedge shots as well.  On average only 1 or 2 Iron shots are required per hole.  Most holes only require 1 shot with a Wood or Hybrid.  Most of the courses I play only require the Driver on a couple of the holes on the entire course.  It wouldn’t make much of a difference to my final score if I hit my Driver best.  If I was in top form with my Putter and Wedges though.  I could easily reduce my final score by at least one stroke per hole.  In fact it only took me about 12 months of regular practice with my Putter and Wedges to reduce my handicap from a 36 to 20.  I have to admit that I’m not very consistent with my Driver yet.  In some cases I don’t even use it once during a Round.  That hasn’t prevented me from reducing my scores though.

Remember that you are a Beginner

It’s very easy to get tempted to play some of the more professional style courses in your area.  Be realistic about your expectations when you do.  There can be a huge increase in difficulty.  Don’t be a hero and play from the back Tees.  Don’t get too preoccupied with your score to Par.  Just focus on making good shots, and playing within your ability.  Trust me you will enjoy the experience far more.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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The Golf Equipment lie – Beginner’s guide to Golf

The whole truth

I am very precise about equipment selection.  I am not one to buy into all the hype new equipment releases are surrounded with.  First hand testing, customer feedback, and a proven record of success mean far more to me.  You won’t see me wearing Beats headphones simply because they’re popular.  Truth be told Beats headphones are average at best.  If you want great sounding headphones that really add some dynamic sound.  The most important feature to look for is a low impedance.  The Sennheiser Momentum earphones absolutely annihilate the Beats Studio earphones in that category, and many others.  Don’t just buy into the hype if actual performance is important to you.  Some of you might be doubting the validity of my opinion.  Well I’m not just a fan of electronics.  I’m a Cedia certified electronics technician.  I’ve worked for a number of Electronics retailers including Futureshop, 2001 Audio Video, The Source, HiFi City, and Bay Bloor Radio in positions ranging from Sales Associate, to Head systems installer, to Store Manager.  Trust me when I tell you that I know what I’m talking about.  I was questioned by a number of people why I didn’t choose to add electronics to my categories on Cobe Life.  Truth is that the internet is already full of information from well qualified individuals on the subject.  Cobe Life is about my hobbies, not my career.

The Golf Equipment Lie

In an attempt to keep Golfers constantly upgrading their equipment.  The Golf industry has been carefully attaching very restrictive labels to certain equipment categories.  Over the last few years the number of categories has increased.

Category – Super Game Improvement Stigma      – Newbie, Hacker

Category –  Game Improvement      Stigma      –  Amateur, Casual player

Category –  Player Improvement           Stigma      – Mid to Low Handicapper

Category – Player Tour level                         Stigma      – Scratch Golfer

This perceived classification has led to an increased number of Players choosing to use the wrong equipment.  For instance consider a Mid handicapper that hits a very low trajectory ball flight.  Instead of purchasing a Player Improvement 3 Hybrid or Long Iron.  This particular Player would probably benefit from the purchase of a Game Improvement, or Super Game Improvement Hybrid.  The reason I would suggest this is because generally those categories are designed to provide a higher launch.  The additional increase in launch angle should help carry the ball further with lower lofted clubs.  For somebody with a naturally low ball flight.  The end result should be an increase in Carry distance, a more predictable landing zone, and better gapping between clubs.  The sad reality in this example is that this Mid handicapper probably wouldn’t even consider what’s best for them.  Pulling a club from their bag that’s for a Newbie is beneath them.  Why someone would completely ignore technology designed to improve their game is the Golf industries greatest deceit.   Think about it.  Would you judge someone for driving a Lamborghini Aventador because it doesn’t come with a manual transmission?  The reason it doesn’t is because precise gear changes during rapid acceleration, or braking is impossible with a traditional Standard transmission.  In simpler terms they made driving a high performance sports car easier.  Generally speaking that is the goal of new technology.  To make things easier.  Technological advances in Golf have done just that.  Made the game of Golf easier.  Originally these advances we’re meant to entice players to buy new equipment.  During the Tiger era when Golf was experiencing a boom it worked.  The problem started when sales began to decline.

Can a Golf club be too good?

To answer this question we need to ask ourselves why we buy new clubs in the first place?  The three most significant reasons we buy new clubs are because our current clubs are worn out, we feel we require a specific club for a certain utility, or poor performance from our current clubs.  I’d say that the strongest reason of those three is poor performance.  It takes many Rounds of Golf to wear out your clubs.  You may occasionally have to replace Wedges because the faces are worn.  The other clubs in your bag will last a long time.  Once you’ve been playing for a couple years you will have assembled a full 14 club set that includes every club your game requires.  Once that’s done, buying a club for a specific utility is done as well.  What gets me, and most of you to our local Golf equipment store to test new clubs is poor performance.  As a Beginner it’s easy to end up purchasing clubs that might not suit you.  As your swing develops.  Your stance, swing path, ball position, and flight path will change as well.  The clubs you thought were right for you in the beginning, could feel wrong to you after a few months.  Brands use different lofts, and kick points for their clubs.  Different brands use different shaft lengths.  Some companies prefer to build in a natural Draw bias to their clubs.  What suits each individual is entirely different.  So in the beginning don’t be surprised if you end up changing some, or even all of your clubs at some point.

What if you weren’t a Beginner when the first major advancements to forgiveness, and launch started happening.  When you purchased your first set of Cavity back Irons with perimeter weighting, and a flexible face.  The larger sweet spot, and increased distance these clubs added was significant.  In fact it was so significant that Golfers became something that they rarely ever are.  Satisfied!  An established Golfer had a complete set so buying a club for utility purposes was out.  Poor performance was no longer an issue with these newer clubs.  That left the only reason to buy new clubs was when your current set wore out.

Industry panic sets in.

You can be damn sure that waiting for their customers clubs to wear out wasn’t an option for the manufacturers, and retailers.  Thus began the Category to Player system.  The only way to get established Golfers to give up playing their current equipment.  The manufacturers, and retailers had to convince Golfers that they were better than the equipment they were currently using.  This had an added benefit.  It allowed them to market the easiest clubs to use to total Beginners.  This would significantly reduce the learning curve of a traditionally difficult game.  Which in turn would fuel a Beginner Golfer to want to “upgrade” to a more advanced set of clubs sooner.  By the time the average Player decides to switch from Game Improvement to Player Improvement.  Their playing ability allows them to slightly overcome the disadvantages of playing with more difficult to hit clubs.  Their handicap may actually suffer a little bit, but reverting back to “Amateur” clubs feels like accepting mediocrity.  Does sound counterproductive to you?  It does to me.  If you’re a car enthusiast then you’ll know that electric cars are the performance cars of the future.  Teslas already own the drag strips across North America.  There’s been a fair amount of resistance to them.  They don’t sound like muscle cars.  They don’t look like muscle cars.  All they do is reach the finish line first.  Well if you were in a race.  Isn’t finishing first the goal?  I’ll tell you right now when I landed a 185 yard par 3 Tee shot about 6 feet from the hole with my 6 Hybrid.  Nobody discounted the achievement because I was using a Super Game Improvement club.  When a good friend of mine got his first hole in one with his Adams Blue 9 Iron.  The group playing with him didn’t care what club he used.  They were just happy to be there to see it.

Pay attention to what the PGA, LPGA, and Champions tour Players are playing.  You might be surprised how many Game Improvement clubs you see.  Jordan Spieth actually plays Titleist 716 AP2 Irons.  Jordan Spieth! So if you have a shiney new set of Player Irons in your set then you must strike it purer than Jordan.

Do yourself a favour, and ignore the industry labels.  Buy what’s right for your game, and cross that finish line first.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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Proper Practice for Beginners – Beginner’s guide to Golf

Beginner Practice

(If you haven’t read my previous Starting from Scratch posts, I strongly suggest that you do)

Hopefully some of my suggestions have already helped you improve.  By this time you should be on your way to developing a repeatable Iron swing.  You should have a Putter that suits your swing.  If you have begun playing courses, you’ll know which parts of your game are lacking.

Now it’s time to improve.  Develop Practice routines that will truly make a difference.  I have two practice routines that have made the greatest difference for my game.  The first form of practice requires having a putting mat.  I was given an old one by a friend.  I usually take it out, and set it up in front of my TV screen.  During commercials, or while watching the Golf channel I will occasionally sink a few putts.  Over the length of a PGA broadcast I’ll easily hit 50 putts.  The majority of my putts are from around seven feet.  I will mimic distances I see pros attempt during a PGA event though.  So if Sergio Garcia needs to sink a short five footer to save Par.  Well so will I.  This type of practice helps me accomplish two things.  First of all it really helps me dial in my putting stroke.  Secondly I get so used to seeing my putts roll in from seven feet.  My confidence on the course when hitting putts from ten feet or closer is off the charts.  Five feet or closer starts to feel like a gimme.  Before I had the putting mat to practice on.  Any putt outside of three feet had me nervous.


The second form of practice that has seriously lowered my scores is Chipping.  Specifically short chips from about thirty feet or closer.  Lets be honest as Beginners.  No matter how perfect your angle to the Green may look.  More often than not your approach shot isn’t going to end up on the Green.  Being able to successfully chip one close to the PIN will make a huge difference in your final score.  If you are able to get it close enough to give yourself a decent opportunity to one putt.  You can turn a missed Green in Regulation to a solid Par.  A lot of driving ranges will have a practice area for Chipping.  If you don’t have a location that’s close, then just do what I do.  Grab a couple of Wedges, and a few balls.  Find a secluded spot in a nearby park.  I live in midtown Toronto, and I’ve found parks within walking distance that had enough space for 50 yard Wedge shots.  Granted I had to go early in the morning to hit 50 yards.  I have practiced hitting flop shots over a park bench in the middle of the day.  I even had my own little gallery of onlookers cheering me on.  For the most part people aren’t offended by someone practicing their golf game.  In most cases they’re interested.  I even had a passerby help me with my ball position when hitting Flop shots.  Just remember to be respectful of the space.  Don’t risk hitting anyone or anything, and repair any divots you take.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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Building your Golf set – Beginner’s guide to Golf

Assembling your first Golf set

(if you haven’t read my previous Starting from Scratch posts, I strongly suggest that you do)

Hopefully you have done your homework.  If you haven’t read it already.  Take a moment to read my Starting from Scratch SS-3  post.  It will properly prepare you to begin Assembling your first Golf set.

Golf clubs can be separated into 4 categories.  Super Game Improvement, Game Improvement, Player Improvement, and Tour clubs in order of easiest to hit to most difficult.  If you are only interested in becoming a casual golfer then I would suggest buying a complete Game Improvement set from Canadian Tire, or Walmart.  For the most part everything these stores offer are in the Game Improvement category.  They generally include a full selection of clubs from Sand Wedge all the way up to Driver.  Plus they aren’t going to break the bank.  Don’t sleep on the technology that goes into these sets either.  The majority of these sets are inspired by the top companies previous designs from a few years back.  Keep in mind that a popular set which can be found at big box stores is the Strata set.  It’s actually made by Calloway.  Wilson has some great entry-level mass market sets.  You will probably come across some Dunlop sets as well, and they are made by the same company that makes Srixon.  No one is going to judge you for playing any of those.  Buy one of these sets and you are ready to go.  Just head out to the range and start swinging.  As an added bonus the big box stores have excellent return policies.  If the set you picked doesn’t feel right.  Just take it back to the store and pick another.  You really can’t go wrong, or can you?

If you are a serious golfer the mass market sets can work for you as well.  In this case I would suggest choosing a set that includes two or more Hybrid clubs, and possibly buying an additional Putter.  Now if you are an obsessive golfer like me I would suggest a different route.  As an obsessive golfer you should already know your top 3 current irons through simulator testing.  If your budget allows.  Head back to your local store and swing your top 3 irons a few more times until you’ve reached a winner.  Then select the Hybrid/Irons combination set, and get fit for them.  The majority of these sets end at Pitching Wedge, so choose a Sand Wedge to buy also.  Which Sand Wedge you choose is entirely up to you.  I’ve honestly hit about six different Sand Wedges on actual courses, and there wasn’t a considerable difference in performance.  The one thing that my friends and I have noticed is that it’s easier to hit a cavity back wedge further with a full swing.  If you would like to really simplify things for yourself in the beginning.  You might consider buying a specialty Sand Wedge like the Cleveland Smart sole, or Calloway Sure Out Wedge.  You could also head over to the Putter section of the store and take some time to select a Putter.  I would strongly suggest against purchasing a Putter at this time though.  Your first few months of practice should be spent at the Range or in a Simulator where Putters aren’t necessary.

What about Fairway Woods, and a Driver you ask?  Forget about those for now as well.  The swing required to hit them properly is different than your Iron swing.  Learning both swings at the same time will only confuse things, and slow down your progress.

With a lower budget you can essentially begin your Golf set the same way.  What you will do differently is once you’ve decided which set is your favourite.  First check the clearance section of your local store for previous generations of that model.  If they aren’t available then you can definitely find them online.  That’s exactly what I did.  After testing a few Super Game Improvement, and Game Improvement sets.  I decided that the Adams Blue was the set for me.  At that time my local retailer was selling the Hybrid/Irons set with Graphite shafts for $899.00. I found an earlier version of the set with the same characteristics online.  They were on sale at a store in Ottawa for $199.00.  The set included a 3Hybrid, 4Hybrid, 5Hybrid, 6Hybrid, 7Iron, 8Iron, 9Iron, Pitching Wedge, and Gap Wedge.  This set was originally released in 2013.  Two years previous to the Adams Blues.  It didn’t come with a Sand Wedge so I eventually added a Cleveland Rotex 588 2.0 cavity back.  I also went through 3 Putters in my first year because I didn’t know what was required in actually picking the right one.  I’ll go over proper Putter selection in my next entry.

My first set

During my quest to select the right clubs I’ve tested so many.  If any of you have any questions about particular clubs just ask.  Also if you have recently made your first club selections.  Please feel free to share why you chose the clubs.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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Developing a swing – Beginner’s guide to Golf

My first set

First swings

(if you haven’t read the previous Starting from Scratch posts, I strongly suggest that you do)

When you first begin developing a swing.  It helps if you know someone who already has a set of clubs that you can borrow at the range.  Fortunately for me I did.  At this point the absolute worst thing that you could do is go out, and buy a random set of clubs.  Chances are that you will select a set that isn’t right for you at all.

While you are at the range, practice swinging with a 7 or 8 Iron.  Whichever feels more comfortable for you.  Why a 7 or 8 Iron instead of something that hits the ball much further you ask?  Because it’s far easier to make contact with shorter length clubs.  Plus the lofts look far more natural to the eye than Wedges.  In my experience the 7 or 8 irons are the best clubs to practice with when developing a swing.

Something I should mention right now.  Any recommendations I make are based on personal experience.  Additionally I further qualify my findings with friends who utilize the same methods.  There are 4 of us who have all taken up golfing within the last 3 years.  The hints, and instructions I pass along to you have worked for all of us.

Your first few times out to the range, you should only be using whichever Iron you selected as your practice Iron.  Keep working on your swing until you are able to make decent contact at least 75% of the time.  Once you feel confident swinging that club.  Make your way over to your local Golf equipment store that has a simulator.  Most of them do these days.  Ask to try a bunch of Irons in the size you selected.  Make sure to inform the Sales Associate that you are new to Golf, and would only like to test Game Improvement Irons.  Now this is key, don’t rush anything!  Take your time, and don’t feel pressured to purchase anything at this time.  I’ve been in simulators for over an hour testing clubs, and the Sales Associate didn’t even bother me.  Most of these places offer commissions on equipment Sales, so it’s in an Associate’s best interest to let you figure out what works for you.  Swing each club many times, and pay close attention to how it feels throughout the swing.  How does it look to you at address?  Does it produce a favourable ball flight?  Don’t worry too much about the distance at this time.  A repeatable flight path, with a consistent launch angle is far more important.  Make note of your top 3 performers, and call it a day.

You have now completed the first step to assembling your first set of clubs.  Actually your first partial set to be exact.  Where your set begins has a lot to do with your budget.  Keep in mind though that spending more in the beginning is usually a mistake.  Truth be told some of the more expensive golf sets won’t improve your game.  In fact they will do the opposite.  I recently watched a brand new Player testing Irons.  When I say brand new, I mean he routinely sliced his 7 Iron with an average carry of 60 yards brand new.  This guy was practically pulling his hair out in frustration trying to hit some shiney new Taylormade P750 tour Irons.  That’s like a first time Driver being given a Lamborghini to drive to work.  It just doesn’t make any sense at all.  Golf is one of the few things in this world where the more expensive product won’t automatically be better.  Choosing the right equipment, and in this case Beginner equipment will make the game far more enjoyable, and easier to learn.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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Casual or Obsessive – Beginner’s guide to Golf

Is Golf even for you?

(if you haven’t read the previous Starting from Scratch posts, I strongly suggest that you do)

As much as how so many of us love it.  Golf just isn’t for everyone.  It requires time, money, patience, and practice.  Plenty and plenty of practice.  How much practice actually depends on which type of golfer you intend to be.

There are three types of Golfers.  The first is the Casual golfer.  Someone who occasionally goes out to the range with friends, and attempts to hit their Driver a little bit further than last time.  They play a round of golf with friends, or attend the company golf tournament just a few times a year.  They could really care less about their score, and as a result have no clue what their handicap is.  Every round begins in eager anticipation of the 19th hole.  If that adequately describes you then lucky you.  I wish that was me to be honest.  It would make things so much easier.  To maintain that level of readiness doesn’t require a lot of practice.  Of course a few trips to the range, and maybe a lesson or two until you’ve developed a basic swing is necessary in the beginning.  After that though just one or two range sessions per month is all that’s required.

The second type of golfer is the serious golfer.  The amount of dedication required to maintain this level of readiness is significantly increased.  Now your score actually matters, and obviously that iincludes your handicap.  You value consistency over distance.  While the casual golfer probably loves their Driver most.  The serious golfer is most likely enamoured with their Putter or Wedges.  It isn’t enough to be good.  You strive to become better.  To actually accomplish your goals you will need to practice 3 or 4 times a month, and play at least once each month.  You will probably need a group of like minded friends.  Together you’re able to judge each other’s progress.  When I started playing golf I thought that this was the type of player I would be.

 I was totally mistaken!

The third type of golfer is the competitive golfer.  Maybe obsessive golfer would be a more appropriate name.  Took me about nine months before I realized that I was one.  To be fair I’m obsessive about most things, but life has taught me to set realistic goals.  I got into golf with the goal of hitting the ball relatively straight so that eventually I would be able to play bogey golf.  In my estimation an 18 handicap would qualify me as a serious golfer.  Well, my current golf routine includes 1 range session per week, 1 round of golf per week, at least 100 putts per week on my practice mat, 1 hour of chipping and putting practice at a course facility, and I’ve added a stretching routine designed to increase my body rotation.  I’d probably do more except my time management, and physical limitations prevent me from doing so.  I’ve been maintaining this practice routine for 4 months now.  Before that the Canadian weather prevented me from getting out on a course.  I did get in as much practice as I could on simulators though.

Last season was my first full season playing golf.  I began the season practicing 2 or 3 times a month with the odd round thrown in.  I ended the season practicing every week.  Golf has a way of doing that.  It tends to increase your interest over time.  So be sure to consider that when you decide if golf is for you.

That’s some serious ball abuse!

Beginner’s guide to Golf