Getting into golf need tips

[Christopher88]

So I have decided to get into golf at the age of late 21. So I need some advice.
What are the necessary clubs I need? Could you also tell me of brand names, products to get. I really have no clue.
I'm 6"00 tall so how do I know what is a good height for my club?
Golf shoes are the really necessary?
I plan to go down to the driving range this Saturday so I will be able to test out a bit of the game before I commit.
I'm pumped to get into Golf, just hope the country club fee's aren't too bad. Maybe I will be able to find a public course somewhere.

 

[SolaSaint]

Golf can get very expensive if you let it. I would suggest borrowing clubs from a friend. Most driving ranges that sell clubs will let you test out demo clubs, so I would begin there. Have a friend that knows golf go with you for tips. Myself I learned all my golfing ability from "Golf Digest" but you can take lessons also. If you are just beginning and have never played before, lessons would probably be best. Golf shoes are not really necessary but I would invest in a good pair if you continue to play after a few rounds.

 

[TomVols]

Test some clubs. Dont buy off the shelf yet. A 7-10 club set as a beginner is plenty (a driver, though don't use it much, a 3 wood, a 5 wood, and 5, 7, 9 irons, a wedge and a putter will get you by to start). Find 'em at a flea market or second-hand store. Go to a practice facility or take one of the personal enrichment courses in golf. Get your feet wet. Use a range that has a putting surface. Maybe play your first round or two at a par 3 or executive course where the longest hole might be 300 yards.

Play with friends. Read "Golf For Dummies" by Gary McCord. And buy plenty of cheap golf balls (the Top Flites or a cheap pinnacle set will be fine. If you're spending more than $20 for a dozen balls right now including tax, you're over-spending)

One final step. Fall in love with this game. It's the greatest!

 

[VictorBravo]

Moved to Sports.

And, no, I'm sorry to report that I have no useful tips, except to make sure to avoid hitting your ankle after your follow-through (Yes, I know about this first-hand).

 

[LawrenceU]

Save money and frustration. Take lessons before you try to do much anything connected with golf. Most people don't and then spend a lifetime and small (or not so small) fortune trying to unlearn bad swing habits.

 

[Whitefield]

My experience taught me that most water hazards have a built in golf ball magnet in them. Plop!

 

[Soonerborn]

I would suggest finding some clubs on Craigslist. You can find a cheap, good set of clubs there. Regarding instruction, I would highly suggest getting this book, Amazon.com: Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf…

This is an instruction book by Ben Hogan. This might be the best instruction book ever written on the game of golf. I recommend this book to all my friends who just take up the game. It provides easy to read instructions and pictures and gives you great insight into the golf swing. I would start with this book first before diving into lessons. If you read this book several times, and commit to practicing the 5 fundamentals in the book, you will know the golf swing better than 90% of the local teaching pros out there.

 

[Christopher88]

Thanks guys, and thanks Mike for the book recommendation. I was looking at some lessons today but I'll read the book first.

 

[Romans922]

You need to buy my clubs because I need to sell them.

 

[jambo]

To begin with a half set of clubs would do. You can either borrow or pick up a second hand set. All you need is a driver, a putter, 5, 7, 9 irons and sand wedge should get you going. Golf shoes and a glove are not necessary. A driver can be hard to use but a couple of visits to the driving range should help but it is not like a real drive of a tee.

Golf is not as easy as it looks and the best tip I would give would be not to try and wallop the ball. The harder you try and hit the ball the worse your shot will be. Take a relaxed swing and concentrate more on hitting the ball rather than whacking it as hard as you can.

A trip to a short pitch n' putt course is also quite good as it gives you practice at the more delicate shots. It is not so much the drives as the delicate chip shots and putts that win or lose holes or destroy scorecards.

 

[LawrenceU]

I would suggest finding some clubs on Craigslist. You can find a cheap, good set of clubs there. Regarding instruction, I would highly suggest getting this book, Amazon.com: Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf…

This is an instruction book by Ben Hogan. This might be the best instruction book ever written on the game of golf. I recommend this book to all my friends who just take up the game. It provides easy to read instructions and pictures and gives you great insight into the golf swing. I would start with this book first before diving into lessons. If you read this book several times, and commit to practicing the 5 fundamentals in the book, you will know the golf swing better than 90% of the local teaching pros out there.

I agree, for the most part. A good instructor though can see and help your swing more than any book. I've golfed since I was young. When I was in college and for the first part of my 'career' I played quite a bit. I carried between a 4 and 6. That is not too shabby. I however had a couple of things in my swing that I could not figure out. I had studied the golf swing. I taught others to swing on the side. (Shoot I wore out a copy of Hogan's book before the age of 20.) Finally, urged by my Q card carrying cousin I went to a pro who happened to be an a municipal course. In less than ten minutes he noted two things about by swing, very small things that most people would never notice. He suggested a couple of adjustments. Bang! Consistancy. My handicap went down. I don't get to play very much anymore. I really miss it. I learned something about more than a golf swing. A knowledgeable view from the outside can do wonders.

Check with good golfers to help locate a good teaching pro. In your area there are several. Some of the best are not at 'great' courses.

 

[Soonerborn]

LawerenceU:


I totally agree with you on this. I also have played golf since I was about 8 years old. I had a few lessons on and off most of my life but never really "understood" the golf swing. I got pretty good in high scool and was on my high school golf team, but still didn't know how to swing a club. After college, instead of playing for competition, I began playing more for fun. One summer I read Hogan's book probably 15 times, and worked consistently on every fundamental. I began slowly to understand the golf swing after playing for 15+ years. I became much more consistent and began to be able to control the ball much better. I wish I would have read this book as a youngster and worked on these fundamentals. This will be the book I use to teach my kids the game.

I think that if you "understand" the fundamentals of the swing, then you are better equipped to go to a good local teacher who can see things in your swing that you cannot. A lot of local pros do not understand the golf swing and can potentially offer very bad advice. I totally agree with you that a good pro will notice things that you could never pick up.

 

[Christopher88]

Found a set clubs with bag on craigslist for 40.00 so I'm close to getting on the range.

 

[Mushroom]

If you're anywhere near as bad at golf as I am, I have only one piece of advice: Take up chess instead.

 

[hermanchauw]

Make sure to do proper prehab and rehab.

Swinging in one direction for reps after reps without doing the opposite movement does no good for your health.

 

[SolaSaint]

The best golf instruction book, I believe is "Golf My Way" by Nicklaus.