Tips for Buying Golf Clubs
When you first set out to become a golfer, one of the first things you’re going to realize is that buying a set of good golf clubs can be quite an investment. You’re also likely to have a great deal of excitement about your new hobby, however, and this unfortunately leads many people to make the mistake of rushing out and buying the most expensive set of golf clubs on the market, assuming that they’re the “best”. If you’re reading this article, we can assume that it’s because you hope to avoid that trap and actually put your money into a set of clubs that will improve your game, and give you a solid return on your monetary investment. If that’s the case, there are several things that you must consider.
First of all, ask yourself what kind of golfer you want to be. Some people get really into the game and play almost every weekend, sometimes even competing in amateur tournaments for prizes. Others play only once or twice a year, usually as part of some type of business function. Either approach is fine as long as you’re happy with it, but you should understand that each approach works best with a different type of club, and you must buy accordingly. Furthermore, if you aren’t going to be playing very much, it would be wasteful to spend hundreds of dollars on a fancy set of clubs, when a decent second-hand set would easily suffice.
In any event, the kind of clubs you’ll need largely depends on your style of play. One of the best ways to go about figuring this out is to just play on borrowed clubs a time or two with your more experienced golfer friends and then ask their advice, after they’ve seen you play, about which type of club would best suit your style. If your friends are all beginners like you, however, or you’re starting out on your own, then you could just ask the workers at your golf club or at the local golf shop where you’re thinking of buying your clubs. Just state ahead of time what level of commitment you’re willing to make and ask them to advise you accordingly.
While much depends on your individual style of play, there are two pieces of generalized advice that apply equally well to all beginners, and here they are. First of all, look for clubs with a perimeter weighted head rather than a forged blade. While the forged blades are technically “fancier”, having a perimeter weighted head is better for a beginner as it allows you more leeway on the accuracy of your shots. In other words, you can hit the ball off centre and it won’t affect its flight as much as it would with a forged blade. Next, try to get a graphite shaft rather than a steel shaft. Just like the perimeter weighted head, having a graphite shaft will be more forgiving, and reduce the vibration and impact you feel on less-than-perfect swings.
Ultimately, you just want to enjoy the game of golf. As such, you should spend only an amount that you feel is appropriate and be sure to find clubs that will suit your unique style of playing. Nothing will sour you on the game faster than trying to adapt your natural movements to a set of clubs that don’t suit you, no matter how fancy or expensive they might be!