Golf Clubs

[Burninator]

Any advice on buying a new Driver? All the clubs I own right now are from the same set, and my driver is the older style with a small face. I would like to move into the large face drivers. I feel as though I could be getting better distance with my drives. Now this may sound opposite of what I just said, but distance isn't my primary concern. My primary concern is definitely accuracy and shooting straight. Now whether or not that matters in driver selection, I don't know. I am a novice golfer so I don't want a club that is unmanageable. What price range or brand should I be looking at?

[ken0042]

Burninator- what are the rest of your woods like?

[Sylvanfan]

You might be just as well off looking at some type of hybrid/rescue club to use in place of the driver. You won't get the distance but they are easier to hit and you can still get good distance out of them. Given the altitude in Calgary most anyone can hit 200-230 yards off the tee without using a driver. On most holes thats going to be plenty long enough if you're hitting with any type of accuracy.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

You might be just as well off looking at some type of hybrid/rescue club to use in place of the driver. You won't get the distance but they are easier to hit and you can still get good distance out of them. Given the altitude in Calgary most anyone can hit 200-230 yards off the tee without using a driver. On most holes thats going to be plenty long enough if you're hitting with any type of accuracy.

You're the second person who's said that in this thread. I don't agree at all. I find some of the new drivers as easy to hit as a hybrid off the tee. I would say that also guess that an average weekend golfer is probably more likely to hit a 19 hybrid about 190-200. That leaves a long second shot on a typical 390-400 yrd par 4. I think most people will score a whole lot better hitting their 130-150 club into a green than hitting a 200 yard club all the time.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by Burninator

Any advice on buying a new Driver? All the clubs I own right now are from the same set, and my driver is the older style with a small face. I would like to move into the large face drivers. I feel as though I could be getting better distance with my drives. Now this may sound opposite of what I just said, but distance isn't my primary concern. My primary concern is definitely accuracy and shooting straight. Now whether or not that matters in driver selection, I don't know. I am a novice golfer so I don't want a club that is unmanageable. What price range or brand should I be looking at?

As mentioned earlier, I've tried most of this year's drivers, and love the 460 Big Bertha with the regular flex stock shaft. I have just about convinced myself to buy it. It seems like it would be a very easy club for a lot of people to hit. It is $299 here (US). I've played a couple rounds with it, and hit it at the range for a few hours, and haven't hit many crooked shots.

[Claeren]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

You're the second person who's said that in this thread. I don't agree at all. I find some of the new drivers as easy to hit as a hybrid off the tee. I would say that also guess that an average weekend golfer is probably more likely to hit a 19 hybrid about 190-200. That leaves a long second shot on a typical 390-400 yrd par 4. I think most people will score a whole lot better hitting their 130-150 club into a green than hitting a 200 yard club all the time.

^ Assuming their first shot with that driver is in location that allows them to go for the green.

I watch a LOT of players, even relativily advanced players, insisting on hitting their driver on hole after hole and then looking for balls in the trees. It not only hurts their actual score but is also where i see a lot of players (especially advanced players, where 300 yrds off by a couple degrees is a long ways from centre) using their mulligans too. In my experience, if you forced a lot of relativily good players to accept EVERY drive they make and take full penalty and/or observe proper rules for taking a drop for the ones that go ary you would see their scores would easily shoot up 10 strokes or more. How many times have you seen people hit it into the trees and then take a drop next to the trees? (I am guilty of it myself) You can't actually do that... lol....

I dropped 10 strokes when i started playing it smarter and leaving the driver in my bag outside of par 5s and really long par 4s. (Also remember that a novice player should be playing from the white tees.)

Obviously you need both but if you can use your Dads driver still i think the money is better spent on a hybrid - especially since you can further use that hybrid foir other shiots during the game equaling more value for the money/shot.




Claeren.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Claeren

^ Assuming their first shot is in location that allows them to go for the green.

I watch a LOT of players, even relativily advanced players, insisting on hitting their driver on hole after hole and then looking for balls in the trees. It not only hurts their actual score but is also where i see a lot of players (especially advanced players, where 300 yrds off by a couple degrees is a long ways from centre) using their mulligans too.

I dropped 10 strokes when i started playing it smarter and leaving the driver in my bag outside of par 5s and really long par 4s.

Obviously you need both but if you can use your Dads driver still i think the money is better spent on a hybrid.




Claeren.

###. I recently bought a hybrid and am using it a lot instead of my driver. I hit the ball a lot straighter and am spending less time searching for balls that I normaly slice into the tree's.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Burninator- what are the rest of your woods like?

I hit my 3 wood almost the same distance as my driver. I was more accurate with my woods, until someone pointed out I was standing too far away with my driver. After that my drive got a lot straighter, but it seems to be lacking distance. Of course it could be swing, and not my driver causing that.

Plus money seems to burn a hole in my pocket and I want something new.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

You're the second person who's said that in this thread. I don't agree at all. I find some of the new drivers as easy to hit as a hybrid off the tee. I would say that also guess that an average weekend golfer is probably more likely to hit a 19 hybrid about 190-200. That leaves a long second shot on a typical 390-400 yrd par 4. I think most people will score a whole lot better hitting their 130-150 club into a green than hitting a 200 yard club all the time.

Yeah, but whats the elevation where you live? In Calgary pretty much anyone who's a 20 handicap or better will hit the ball 300 yards or better off the tee if they can figure out how to hit a driver. You do get quite a bit of extra carry in our environment vs a sea level environment. And most novice golfers are playing tee's where the holes are 350 to 375 sort of thing. Even myself as a bad intermediate golfer is better off to shove my driver in the bad and use my 3 iron because it's a lot easier to hit a 3 iron and a 7 iron on a 400 yard hole thats rather narrow, than hit my driver 300 yards with a 50% chance of putting myself in some sort of trouble.

Just like Claeren says course management is a real key for golfers who's game is not that advanced. Figure out the shots you can make, learn how to chip and putt well enough so that from 75 yards in you can always finish up in 3 shots or less and you'll pretty much be a bogey golfer. From there you can figure out how to improve the other shots to get your game to the next level.

[Burninator]

I am not that familiar with these hybrids. A cross between an iron and a wood? What's the advantage? The accuracy of a iron but not quite the distance of a driver? Would it be advisable to use a hybrid as like a higher wood?

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Burninator

I am not that familiar with these hybrids. A cross between an iron and a wood? What's the advantage? The accuracy of a iron but not quite the distance of a driver? Would it be advisable to use a hybrid as like a higher wood?

Here's a pic of the hybrid i'm using. The club is easier to hit than a long iron and has more accuracy than a wood. I don't hit my drives as far as most so this club gives me about the same distance as my driver.

[Claeren]

This is about what i have:




I too am not a big hitter and similarily only lose about 40 yards versus my driver but gain substantial accuracy.

If you measured accuracy as the percentage of shots that are accurate / salvagable / and outright brutal i would say i am:

Driver: 20%/45%/35%
Hybrid: 75%/20%/5%



Claeren.

[toonmaster]

Originally Posted by Claeren

Custom is great and all, but i question how a novice golfer who likely has flaws in their swing is going to benefit from customization that is just as likely to re-enforce those same flaws forever. An advanced golfer that has worked hard to eliminate those same types of flaws should definitely get custom though - without question.

You are not going to fix all your flaws until you have a proper, length especially, clubs.

Personally, I am a big guy, 6'5, and i started out with regular old off the shelf clubs, and might I add that this did wonders for my back. Once I got into the game and started playing on a regular basis, my next set I got them set up personally for me. Now I can stand straighter, my aim is 100 times better, and the game is way more enjoyable knowing that I can swing naturally, and not set up in some weird hunched form.

As for shaft stiffness, I love the old steel shafts and never got into the graphite for my irons, the steel just seems the right stiffness and gives more feel for me.

[Claeren]

Originally Posted by toonmaster

You are not going to fix all your flaws until you have a proper, length especially, clubs.

Personally, I am a big guy, 6'5, and i started out with regular old off the shelf clubs, and might I add that this did wonders for my back. Once I got into the game and started playing on a regular basis, my next set I got them set up personally for me. Now I can stand straighter, my aim is 100 times better, and the game is way more enjoyable knowing that I can swing naturally, and not set up in some weird hunched form.

As for shaft stiffness, I love the old steel shafts and never got into the graphite for my irons, the steel just seems the right stiffness and gives more feel for me.

haha... okay, if you are 6'5 or 5'4 you should likely look into custom clubs.

If you are of average height (5'8-6'2?) and just looking for an affordable set of clubs custom is likely not the make or break aspect of your purchase.


Claeren.

[Dion]

Seeing as we a some golfers on this forum I thought it would be interesting to see what each of us carries in our golf bags.

Irons: Daiwa - 5 - pw

Hybrid: Taylor Made Rescue #3 - 19 degrees

Driver: Ping Titanium - 10.5 degrees

Fairway Woods: Adams Original Tight Lies - 19 degrees & Orlimar TriMetal #5 - 18 degrees

Putter: - Paradise

[Sylvanfan]

I have Nike Pro Combo 3 -PW irons as well as 53 and 60 Nike Wedges. Bought them used off a guy from Innisfail. For a 3 Wood I have a Ping Si3 with the stiff graphite shaft. For a Driver I have a Ping TiTech with 7.5 loft also bought that used off a guy in Sylvan Lake who custom ordered it but couldn't hit it. My putter is some cheap Wilson piece of crap and I might go steal that 1964 Arnold Palmer one that used to be my dads putter yet too.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by Claeren

If you measured accuracy as the percentage of shots that are accurate / salvagable / and outright brutal i would say i am:

Driver: 20%/45%/35%
Hybrid: 75%/20%/5%



Claeren.

20%. Ouch. Okay, I'll buy that using a driver is not a good idea.
I'm more like:
Driver (60 yards farther): 60% long and straight/20% slight mi, but still on fairway/10% rough/10% lost/ob.
Hybrid: 80% well hit/15% rough/5% trouble.

My problem using a hybrid off a tee is this:

200 yards from green:
40% dancing/40% short/sand/mild trouble/20% big trouble. Average shots to get in 3.5

140 yards from green
80% dancing/15% short/sand/mild trouble/<5% big trouble. Averate shots to get in 2.25.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by Dion

Seeing as we a some golfers on this forum I thought it would be interesting to see what each of us carries in our golf bags.

Brand new as of yesterday:

Driver:
460 Big Bertha - regular flex stock shaft. (Haven't bought it yet, though)

3 Wood:
Ping G5 - Aldila NV 65 regular flex shaft.

Hybrids19 and 22 degrees)
Ping G5 - Aldila NV 65 regular flex shaft.

Irons(5-PW):
Ping G5 - CS Lite Steel shafts - regular flex

Wedges
52 and 56 degree Titleist Vokeys

Putter
Odyssey 2 ball SRT

[Burninator]

Okay I have been doing some research on drivers and hybrids. I don't think the hybrid is going to be able to replace my driver. It might be able to replace another club, so it's something I could look into later down the road.

One of the drivers I am looks at is the Callaway X460. Golf Town says it's $238. Which is about where I want to spend. However there is a bunch of different choices within the club. I'll guess I have to go into the store and try them out and see how they feel.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by Burninator

Okay I have been doing some research on drivers and hybrids. I don't think the hybrid is going to be able to replace my driver. It might be able to replace another club, so it's something I could look into later down the road.

One of the drivers I am looks at is the Callaway X460. Golf Town says it's $238. Which is about where I want to spend. However there is a bunch of different choices within the club. I'll guess I have to go into the store and try them out and see how they feel.

10 loft/regular flex is a good starting point for most people. You really have to hit them outside to see what the different shafts do. General rule of thumb is that if you are hitting it low and right, the shaft is too stiff. High and left and it is not stiff enough.