Question:
Hello all.. I have been silently following the going-ons in this newsgroup and managed to find some pointers that have come in handy for me. I have been playing golf for about a year and a half now. I usually end up playing just 9 holes at a time (once a week) due to so many other things that I want to do. My score on a par-36 9 would be anywhere from 44-50 depending on the kind of day I am having. The few times I played 18, I scored 98-105. I started off with a beginner set of golf clubs (ProTactic, 1,3,5 woods, 3,5,7,9 Irons, Putter). Slowly added the intermediate irons, a pitching wedge, sand wedge, and a better putter. Oh, and a good friend of mine whose marriage has temporarily put a halt to his golfing kindly gifted me his Taylor Made Bubble II driver. 
The last few times I have played, I started keeping track of my shots and ended up on the fairway 7 out of 7 times on my drives and got pretty good distance (240-290 yds). Makes me feel I am improving and time to make that first upgrade from the $100 set of clubs I own. So, I am here to find out what are the things (other than budget) that one needs to know about before getting a set of clubs. I hear a lot of talk about different shafts, flex, brands etc. What should I keep in mind when I enter that golf shop so I dont get ripped off? And to the folks who respond regularly here, thanks for sharing your thoughts and keep up the good work.. -arun PS: Anybody have experience with mailordering golf balls from www.pearlz.net? Any good/horror experiences? Arun Tholudur URL: http://optimal.colorado.edu/~tholudur/ BVCC URL: http://optimal.colorado.edu/~tholudur/bvcc.html
Response:
What should I keep in mind when I enter that golf shop so I dont get ripped off?
Have them fit you for clubs…If they do that in a professional manner, using a computer to measure your speed (determines flex)…Have you hit some irons on a board with tape on the bottom of the head…(measures for correct lie adjustment)…Check you for proper length by measuring from your fingers to the ground (arm straight down) and check your grip for proper size…Then they are probably worth listening too…If they BALK or try to tell you they can fit you by having you fill out a form…I’d suggest going elsewhere. ]]]Z[[[
Response:
Arun, Try as many different clubs as you can. Out on a range or on the course, not into a hitting net indoors. Narrow your choices to 2 or 3 different models, and then go back and try to hit all of the "finalists" in one day. The only way to get the "correct" shaft is to try them. What feels the best to you will usually be the best for you. Your local retailer can help guide you in the right direction, but don’t let them make the decision for you. You MUST try the product before you buy it. As the previous post mentioned about the fitting, I agree. If you are picking pro-line clubs, most of the fitting can be done after the purchase (loft and lie angles, grips, swingweight). Some club manufacturers sell clubs custom fitted to your specs. Titleist, Ping, and Henry Griffits come to mind. Whatever you do, don’t "settle" for anything. Get exactly what you want the first time. It will cost you less money in the long run. As far as absolute musts go. Get the right length club. Get the right shaft for you. And absolutely get something you like the appearance of. If you look down at your irons and you want to puke every time you see them, you will hate them (Callaways come to mind for me.) If you don’t like the grips offered by the manufacturer, they can be changed at very little expense. They should be changed at least once a year anyway. Loft and lie angles can be changed up to 2 or 3 degrees for stainless irons but not in woods. If you see a set of clubs you sort of like for $750 and a set you really like for $1200, buy the ones for $1200. Two years from now you will be kicking yourself in the ass if you don’t. Trust me on this one. Bottom line, get exactly what you want. If the budget won’t allow you to get exactly what you want this year, wait until next year. Of course this is just my opinion. I guess that’s why they pay me the little bucks. Rick Marchus – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello all.. I have been silently following the going-ons in this newsgroup and managed to find some pointers that have come in handy for me. I have been playing golf for about a year and a half now. I usually end up playing just 9 holes at a time (once a week) due to so many other things that I want to do. My score on a par-36 9 would be anywhere from 44-50 depending on the kind of day I am having. The few times I played 18, I scored 98-105. I started off with a beginner set of golf clubs (ProTactic, 1,3,5 woods, 3,5,7,9 Irons, Putter). Slowly added the intermediate irons, a pitching wedge, sand wedge, and a better putter. Oh, and a good friend of mine whose marriage has temporarily put a halt to his golfing kindly gifted me his Taylor Made Bubble II driver. The last few times I have played, I started keeping track of my shots and ended up on the fairway 7 out of 7 times on my drives and got pretty good distance (240-290 yds). Makes me feel I am improving and time to make that first upgrade from the $100 set of clubs I own. So, I am here to find out what are the things (other than budget) that one needs to know about before getting a set of clubs. I hear a lot of talk about different shafts, flex, brands etc. What should I keep in mind when I enter that golf shop so I dont get ripped off? And to the folks who respond regularly here, thanks for sharing your thoughts and keep up the good work.. -arun PS: Anybody have experience with mailordering golf balls from www.pearlz.net? Any good/horror experiences? Arun Tholudur URL: http://optimal.colorado.edu/~tholudur/ BVCC URL: http://optimal.colorado.edu/~tholudur/bvcc.html