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If you haven’t played golf for a every long, you may think that pretty much all the clubs are the same. Some may be shorter or longer or a bit heavier, but otherwise they seem to be basically doing the same thing. That’s not true, though, especially if you compare beginner clubs to those that are made for more experienced players.
Beginner clubs tend to hit the ball up higher in the air and give you more leeway in hitting the ball. They lack the precision and control of expert clubs and are basically designed to keep you playing and keep frustrations to a minimum for new players. Once you get the hang of golf and start to know when to use certain clubs, you’ll want to move on from the beginner clubs, but when you first start out, these newbie clubs can make a huge difference.
The difference will be obvious if you take a new player and give them an expert club and a beginner club to hit a series of balls. With the beginner club, they will hit farther and higher. They will also be able to hit the ball easier in the direction they want it to go. With the expert club, they will struggle to get the ball to do very much and require a lot more hits to get to the hole. The best golf clubs for beginners will simply make it easier and more enjoyable to play the game as you get used to the sport.
Don’t feel embarrassed to ask for beginner clubs and to use them out on the course with your friends. You’ll have a much better time playing and be able to keep up with your more experienced friends. Eventually, you’ll get to their level, but everyone has to start out somewhere.
What to Consider Before You Buy
As you look for the right club to start out with, there are some things you should keep in mind. Shop with this list in the back of your head to ensure that you get something suitable for you and worth the money you are paying:
- The Right Set– If you are buying a beginner set of golf clubs, there will be certain golf clubs included and some that won’t be part of the set. According to Golfweek.com, the beginner set usually won’t have the driver or the two, three or four irons, since those are the hardest to hit with for beginners. If you are buying from a physical retailer, then you can ask the employees which sets are for beginners. If you are buying online, look for the word “beginner” in the description. It may not be in the product name, but the product description should say something about beginner clubs if it is suitable for you.
- Good Grips– When you are just starting to play, you may not be used to holding the golf club and keeping it firm while you play. It could slip out of your hands and cause you to miss the shot, if the grip is not decent. The best grips are molded to fit the player’s hands or have a porous material that allows you to retain a better grip. When shopping online, you can usually zoom in on product pictures, and you should do so with the grip to determine if it looks like the club will stay in your hand.
- Price- It doesn’t make sense to pay a lot for clubs you will only be using for a short while. If you are going to be playing golf often, you will move on from the beginner clubs in short order, and you don’t want to sink a lot of money into those first clubs. It’s okay to buy your clubs used, so long as the grip is in good condition and the club isn’t too beat up.
- Look for Loft- As a beginner, one of your biggest struggles will be getting the ball into the air, and Golf Digest recommends that you go for a club with some loft on it. That way, you can get more distance and speed out of your ball and spend less time putting it around the course. Instead of inching your way toward the flagpole, you’ll be rocketing toward it, and that allows beginners to have a lot more fun and reduce their frustration in the early stages of learning how to play.
What to Avoid
There are a few things we want you to watch out for as you are shopping for the best golf clubs for beginners. Some inexperienced players make common mistakes when shopping for their clubs, and we want to keep you from doing that by giving you a list of things to avoid:
- Buying a Large Set- You only need a few clubs to start out with, and golf legend Bobby Jones says that you should avoid buying a bundled set of clubs just because the price is appealing. You could end up wasting your money as you may not even use all those clubs before you outgrow them. Instead, just get about five or six clubs to begin with and work your way up from there. It’s going to take a while to get comfortable with those clubs alone, so there isn’t much point in confusing yourself with a larger set.
- The Wrong Gender- There are clubs made for guys and clubs made for girls, and you want to take who the club is made for into consideration when you buy. If you find a cheaper club that is made for the opposite gender, you might regret buying it. It could be too long or too short for you or simply not play to your strengths. Buying the club for your gender can make quite a difference, even if they look basically the same.
- Buying against Style- Do you like to swing fast and hard when you golf? Then GolfDrives.com suggests you use a club with a “stiff” rating, since that plays to your strengths. If you use a very flexible club but hit really hard, then you will end up missing your shots or hitting far too short. You need to know what your play style is and buy accordingly. Yes, you could get a few different types of clubs for when you feel like hitting different ways, but most people tend to hit either hard or soft the majority of the time, so it doesn’t make much sense to buy clubs that go against your preferred play style. You can always rent some clubs first and see how you play before you buy some for yourself.
