Any Golf Players?
 

I'm curious if anyone in here plays golf? I just started playing a month ago and I'm having a blast so far. I'll need to buy my own clubs pretty soon, any recommendations?

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

Been playing on and off for 15 years, great game to get into.

My best recommendation is to go to your local club or facility and get properly fitted. There is nothing better than swinging a club that is suited for you. A buddy of mine is 6'6", and has a set of regular woods and irons that are way too short for him. He's be a low 80s player easily if he had clubs that fit him.

As far as clubs go, it's definitely personal preference. Find a place that lets you try things out, and get a feel for what you are swinging. I am partial to Taylor Made woods and irons, and Cleveland wedges, but that's because my first set of woods and irons were hand me down Taylor Mades, and a 56 degree Cleveland sand wedge. Since then, I've added a Cleveland 52 and 60 degree wedges (pitching, lob).

A few of the better places online is [url=http://www.golfsmith.com]Golfsmith[/url] and [url=http://www.edwinwattsgolf.com/]Edwin Watts Golf[/url]. Great selection. I've ordered from Golfsmith before, and they were solid.

Since you are first starting out, another place I'd suggest is Play It Again Sports, or some sort of used sporting goods store. You can try stuff out for a fraction of the price new, and can find some gems.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

If you really enjoy playing golf go now before you learn bad habits and take some golf leasons. I play golf with guys who have played for years and cannot understand why they can never break 90 and thats becuase they do not have a clue about having a decent golf swing. By taking leasons you can learn the proper swing then its up to you to practice to learn and become a better golfer. I shot in the high 70's and low 80's and still take a few leasons every year. Find a pro to work with your swing (if its not too bad) and they can fine tune it to improve your game. A pro can also recomend what clubs would fit your swing and then find a store which will aloow you to try them out (on a course) to see how you hit them.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

I've been playing for about 16 months now and I love it. Between being outdoors, drinking beer, joking around with friends, and actually playing the game, there aren't many activities that are more enjoyable.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

Tried playing for a few months, got a hole in one, bought some clubs and stopped playing. Haven't played in 4 years. The clubs (Adams Tight Lies) still sit in the golf bag having yet to be swung, even at a practice range.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

I tried to go to the driving range a few times. I suck pretty bad. I broke 2 rental clubs the first day i tried to swing. I dont' like the way it feels to hit a ball... it feels awkward to me, and i really really suck, so no..

I like to fish, though...

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[QUOTE=EternalEnigma21;463613]I tried to go to the driving range a few times. I suck pretty bad. I broke 2 rental clubs the first day i tried to swing. I dont' like the way it feels to hit a ball... it feels awkward to me, and i really really suck, so no..

I like to fish, though...[/QUOTE]

The awkwardness wears off after a bit. I'd try going back out with some friends and/or getting lessons. It's definitely a blast.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[quote=firstdown;463590]If you really enjoy playing golf go now before you learn bad habits and take some golf leasons. I play golf with guys who have played for years and cannot understand why they can never break 90 and thats becuase they do not have a clue about having a decent golf swing. By taking leasons you can learn the proper swing then its up to you to practice to learn and become a better golfer. I shot in the high 70's and low 80's and still take a few leasons every year. Find a pro to work with your swing (if its not too bad) and they can fine tune it to improve your game. A pro can also recomend what clubs would fit your swing and then find a store which will aloow you to try them out (on a course) to see how you hit them.[/quote]

Clueless as I was about the game the first thing I did was sign up for lessons. On the first lesson the instructor asked me if I've played before and I said only miniature golf, he responded with "good, that means you don't have any bad habits." I still have a few more lessons left and I can't wait for the next lesson.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[quote=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;463617]The awkwardness wears off after a bit. I'd try going back out with some friends and/or getting lessons. It's definitely a blast.[/quote]

Lessons really help...on the first day I was trying to hit the ball like I was wielding a baseball bat. I even screamed "Home Run!" one time. It definitely takes patience and practice to get the hang of it.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

I played 9 holes once. It was torture. The game really humbles you. I wasn't great on the drive off the tee (but respectable), and I was actually pretty beast on the greens-all those childhood birthday parties at Putt-Putt paid off! But it was all those shots between the initial tee shot and getting on the green that killed me. I do want to pick it up again, it's a valuable asset in the business world.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[quote=EternalEnigma21;463613]I tried to go to the driving range a few times. I suck pretty bad. I broke 2 rental clubs the first day i tried to swing. I dont' like the way it feels to hit a ball... it feels awkward to me, and i really really suck, so no..

I like to fish, though...[/quote]


I feel the same way! Something with they way yo uhave to arch/turn your back that kinda of gives me a weird feeling.

I do though walk the course with some of my buddies while they are golfing. I don't mind the cart rides or the beer! =)

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[QUOTE=mredskins;463634]I do though walk the course with some of my buddies while they are golfing. I don't mind the cart rides or the beer! =)[/QUOTE]

Or the banter with your buddies and the beercart girls.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[QUOTE=SmootSmack;463630]The game really humbles you.[/QUOTE]
To me, this is the best part about golf. It shows you that no matter how good you think you are, there is always room for improvement. That, you can shank a tee shot way right, hit a safe shot back onto the fairway, then hit a beautiful 7 iron to within 5 feet of the pin. Or hit a monster drive, chip 3 times to get on, then 4 putt. But the next hole, you start all over again.

Case in point, last time I played, hit 3 into the drink on the 1st hole! Took my 10 there and ended up parring 2 other holes and getting a birdie on 9.

Take it back up, get some lessons, and you'll be schmoozing in no time.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

I have been playing for about 4 years now and I recently bought my first set of woods that were actually fitted to me. I went to a place called Golf Galaxy (see if they have a store near you). They had me swinging woods for about a good hour and a half. They helped me select the brand, club head, and shaft that worked best for me (I walked out with a set of Nike SQ2's). I went from only hitting a couple of decent tee shots a round to consistently hitting playable drives. Golf Galaxy is slightly expensive, but you get discounts once you are a member. I recieved a coupon in the mail for a free ball fitting as well.

[url=http://www.golfgalaxy.com/galaxy/default.asp?s_id=0&ad_id=google&mail_id=golf_galaxy_brand&key_id=golf_galaxy_general&gclid=CKn1rIXMiJUCFQQrFQodth93qw]Golf Galaxy ® - Everything for the game.[/url]

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[quote=BDBohnzie;463771]To me, this is the best part about golf. It shows you that no matter how good you think you are, there is always room for improvement. That, you can shank a tee shot way right, hit a safe shot back onto the fairway, then hit a beautiful 7 iron to within 5 feet of the pin. Or hit a monster drive, chip 3 times to get on, then 4 putt. But the next hole, you start all over again.

Case in point, last time I played, hit 3 into the drink on the 1st hole! Took my 10 there and ended up parring 2 other holes and getting a birdie on 9.

Take it back up, get some lessons, and you'll be schmoozing in no time.[/quote]

Last weekend I had 2 pars on the front 9 and ended up with a 43 on the front. I popped open the Coronas and lost count by the time I got to hole 17. My best game so far is a 111. I'm sure that if I could stay away from the beer for an entire round, I could break 100. If only the beer girls weren't so damn cute, I wouldn't have to stop them for a drink.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

My biggest problem right now I'll have a great front or back but just cannot seem to play a full 18 even keel. Last week I shot a 44 on the front and a 37 on the back and the week prior I had a good front and a bad back. I'm shooting in the low 80's but just cannot hit enough good shots to get me in the high 70's. I have had two eagles this summer because I'm hitting my driver very well. Its fun ragging on guys who spend $400 on a driver and I'm hitting it 30 to 50 yards past them with a knock off driver that cost $85.00.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

I love to play golf, but I haven't played in a while. I would like to get out more, but I only have a couple friends who like to play. I took a trip to Hawaii in March and played there. It was spectacular.

You can get some great deals online for golf equipment, so I'd figure out what you want, then try to see how cheap you can get it online. I purchased a Wilson Deep Red II Tour 350 CC stiff graphite driver for $165. It was around $400 in the stores (at least when I got it several years ago). I also got a Pelz wedge for $60. It's generally regarded as one of the best wedges on the market, and usually goes for $120.

As for irons, I use Wilson Deep Red steel fat-shaft irons. They're pretty forgiving, and the price is right. They're pretty good irons for high-handicaps. I bought mine for $500 several years ago (from Sports Authority), but you can get 'em cheaper. But, there's probably better stuff nowadays...

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[QUOTE=firstdown;463791]Its fun ragging on guys who spend $400 on a driver and I'm hitting it 30 to 50 yards past them with a knock off driver that cost $85.00.[/QUOTE]
That's another great thing about golf...it's not the amount of money you put into your equipment, it's the amount of time you put into using it. My hand me downs can compete with the guy who just dropped 2 grand on brand new Calloways.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[QUOTE=firstdown;463791]My biggest problem right now I'll have a great front or back but just cannot seem to play a full 18 even keel. Last week I shot a 44 on the front and a 37 on the back and the week prior I had a good front and a bad back. I'm shooting in the low 80's but just cannot hit enough good shots to get me in the high 70's. I have had two eagles this summer because I'm hitting my driver very well. Its fun ragging on guys who spend $400 on a driver and I'm hitting it 30 to 50 yards past them with a knock off driver that cost $85.00.[/QUOTE]

$400 clubs only help if you know how to hit. Until you can actually swing consistently well playing the $85 knockoff is a good idea. Sounds like you're ready for some big boy clubs though. I bet if you got fitted you could take 3-4 strokes off.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[quote=FRPLG;463841]$400 clubs only help if you know how to hit. Until you can actually swing consistently well playing the $85 knockoff is a good idea. Sounds like you're ready for some big boy clubs though. I bet if you got fitted you could take 3-4 strokes off.[/quote]

My Irons are 845's fitted and I have owned expensive drivers. Several years back My Grandmother offered to buy me a new driver for Christmas and I told her just what I wanted. A guy at her church said not to waist the money and could make me one just like the one I wanted. When she gave me the knockoff I did not want to hurt her feeling so I smiled and thanked her. I did crack the first one and the guy replaced it and now I'm hitting it around 275 plus and can control the club. So until I find something better I'm keeping it in my bag.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

Is hitting 200 yards with a 7 iron a good thing?

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[QUOTE=saden1;463862]Is hitting 200 yards with a 7 iron a good thing?[/QUOTE]

I'd be surprised if you are hitting a ball 200 yards with a 7 iron on a consistent basis. What are you teeing off with, your 5 iron? :)

I tend to hit a 7 iron about 140 yards or so.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[quote=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;463863]I'd be surprised if you are hitting a ball 200 yards with a 7 iron on a consistent basis. What are you teeing off with, your 5 iron? :)

I tend to hit a 7 iron about 140 yards or so.[/quote]

This is all on the driving range...I'm teeing off with a 7 iron on a short tee. I'm hitting 200 mark 10% of the time (out of 100 tries).

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[QUOTE=saden1;463865]This is all on the driving range...I'm teeing off with a 7 iron on a short tee. I'm hitting 200 mark 10% of the time (out of 100 tries).[/QUOTE]

Are you going for distance over loft? If so, don't. On a course, you're usually going to use your 7 iron when you are trying to get onto the green. When aiming for the green, you are going to want a lot of loft so that the ball lands on the green instead of rolling off of it.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[quote=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;463867]Are you going for distance over loft? If so, don't. On a course, you're usually going to use your 7 iron when you are trying to get onto the green. When aiming for the green, you are going to want a lot of loft so that the ball lands on the green instead of rolling off of it.[/quote]


:confused- That lesson hasn't been covered...I'm still trying to get my swing in order and the only club in my arsenal right now is a 7 iron.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[QUOTE=saden1;463869]:confused- That lesson hasn't been covered...I'm still trying to get my swing in order.[/QUOTE]

Your swing is obviously the most important part of the game. Just make sure you aren't trying to "kill it." Hitting the ball 130 yards with your 7 iron on a consistent basis is [B]far[/B] better than hitting the ball 200 yards on an inconsistent basis.

Just try to consistently hit the ball in the sweet spot without crushing it (it's hard to hit the ball consistently in the sweet spot if your trying to hit a "home run"). If you do, you're going to get the right loft and line. Once you do that, you'll figure out how far you tend to hit your clubs and be in good shape on the course.

FYI - I don't know that much about golf as I've only taken about 12 lessons and have been playing for less than 2 years. However, my instructor told me everything I said in this post.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

I've never had elite clubs, but it is my understanding that golf is one of the few sports where your equipment will dramatically affect your performance.

When I switched from my crappy Wilson irons to the middle-of-the-road Wilsons, my shots were much more accurate. I don't think the brand is very important, but the technology is (IMO). I once heard a golf announcer say something along the lines of, "Most golfers do well because of their equipment. Tiger does well despite his equipment." That was back when Tiger first got sponsored by Nike, and their equipment wasn't up to par. However, from what I understand Nike has made great strides in their golf equipment since then.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[QUOTE=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;463863]I'd be surprised if you are hitting a ball 200 yards with a 7 iron on a consistent basis. What are you teeing off with, your 5 iron? :)

I tend to hit a 7 iron about 140 yards or so.[/QUOTE]

I get plenty of loft out of my clubs and I hit my 7 iron around 175. My 5 is more of a 200-210 yard club. My driver is anywhere from 275-310.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

Depending on the wind and the amount of beer that I consumed. I get anywhere from 150 to 170 out of my 7 iron. I play it to go between 160-165, but sometimes I get more (unintentionally). I hate that because it does roll off of the back of the green.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[QUOTE=jdlea;464003]I get plenty of loft out of my clubs and I hit my 7 iron around 175. My 5 is more of a 200-210 yard club. My driver is anywhere from 275-310.[/QUOTE]

So you're using your pitching wedge from 150 yards? I don't think I've ever seen anyone use their pitching wedge from 150 yards and get onto the green. I'd have to try to kill the ball (losing any accuracy) with my pitching wedge to get it onto the green from 150 yards out.

[URL="http://golf.about.com/od/beginners/l/blclubdistance.htm"]Supposedly[/URL], the average distance for a 7 iron is between 120-150 yards. Below are the distances that [URL="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080423195638AAvMzNq"]Tiger[/URL] tends to hit his clubs:

TIGER'S CLUBS:
Driver: 285 yards
3 Wd: 265 yards
2 Iron: 245 yards
3 Iron: 230 yards
4 Iron: 220 yards
5 Iron: 208 yards
6 Iron: 190 yards
7 Iron: 172 yards
8 Iron: 158 yards
9 Iron: 142 yards
Pitching Wedge: 128 yards
Sand Wedge: 106 yards
Lob Wedge (60°): 92 yards

Sorry, but I can't find a better link.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[QUOTE=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;464053]So you're using your pitching wedge from 150 yards? I don't think I've ever seen anyone use their pitching wedge from 150 yards and get onto the green. I'd have to try to kill the ball (losing any accuracy) with my pitching wedge to get it onto the green from 150 yards out.

[URL="http://golf.about.com/od/beginners/l/blclubdistance.htm"]Supposedly[/URL], the average distance for a 7 iron is between 120-150 yards. Below are the distances that [URL="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080423195638AAvMzNq"]Tiger[/URL] tends to hit his clubs:[/QUOTE]

No, my 9 goes about 150. I don't really hit my pitching wedge unless it's a longer chip, I just take some off of my nine or I hit my sand wedge. My 7 is around a solid 170-175 and I hit my 5 iron 210 last week on a second shot at a par 5.

I will say that I do have a long and very hard swing that I have toned down some in the last few years and will probably have to keep doing so as I get older, but right now at 23, I hit the ball a pretty long way.

[URL="http://www.csgnetwork.com/golfclubdistancecalce.html"]Golf Club Distance Calculator[/URL]

My entries:
Avg 5 Iron: 200 yards
Player: 16-29 Male
Style of Play: For the fun of it
Ability of Play: Average
Physical build: Taller heavier than average
Golf Mechanics: Good
Training: Infrequent Lessons
Avg Shot: About Straight

This ends up pretty much the distances that I hit my clubs. I tend to get a little bit more out of my driver when I hit it really well than they're strong, but other than that I can't argue.

I've never tried to check the distance on my wedges because I have trouble taking full swings and hitting them straight.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

Thanks for the link jdlea. I wish I could hit the ball like you. Unfortunately, as I said, I can crush the ball but I tend to be wildly inaccurate when I do so. I've only been playing for 2 years and I hope that I can increase my swing speed as I play longer and get more comfortable.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[quote=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;463638]Or the banter with your buddies and the [B]beercart girls[/B].[/quote]


On some course in Hilton Head for bachelor parties female caddies would go out and they would take off their tops during the game. It was pretty exiciting!

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[QUOTE=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;464070]Thanks for the link jdlea. I wish I could hit the ball like you. Unfortunately, as I said, I can crush the ball but I tend to be wildly inaccurate when I do so. I've only been playing for 2 years and I hope that I can increase my swing speed as I play longer and get more comfortable.[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure what size you are, but one of the things that I will say benefits me is that I'm about 6'3", 230 and I have pretty long arms. Also, I don't start my down swing until I can see the club head out of the corner of my left eye. Finally, I had a lot of junior lessons when I was younger, so I've had a pretty good swing my whole life, I've just had to calm it down so that it no longer gets out of control.

I generate a great deal of club head speed still, but now it's a much more controlled swing for me, it's still really fast by most people's standards.

Unfortunately, since I hadn't played for about 2 years, coming back to it has been humbling with my short game, but it's starting to come around, I think I'll be back in 90's soon if I keep playing regularly.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[quote=saden1;463869]:confused- That lesson hasn't been covered...I'm still trying to get my swing in order and the only club in my arsenal right now is a 7 iron.[/quote]
It worked for Kevin Costner.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

Yes. I'm horrible until I get to the green (I rock in putting and mini-golf) but I have fun. :)

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

Thought I'd dig up this thread...

After not having been on a course since I hacked my way through 9 holes 15 years ago, I've decided this summer to really try to make an effort to learn the game. So I've been to the driving range a handful of times. And I'm hoping that next spring/summer I'll take some formal lessons.

But here's my question. If you're just starting off on your own by going to the range. What's the best way to start. Just take out the driver and unload, practice with all the various clubs, pick one particular club (could be a driver, could be another) and perfect your swing with that one? This weekend I practiced my swing with only the pitching wedge. Good idea?

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[quote=SmootSmack;574060]Thought I'd dig up this thread...

After not having been on a course since I hacked my way through 9 holes 15 years ago, I've decided this summer to really try to make an effort to learn the game. So I've been to the driving range a handful of times. And I'm hoping that next spring/summer I'll take some formal lessons.

But here's my question. If you're just starting off on your own by going to the range. What's the best way to start. Just take out the driver and unload, practice with all the various clubs, pick one particular club (could be a driver, could be another) and perfect your swing with that one? This weekend I practiced my swing with only the pitching wedge. Good idea?[/quote]

Yes, that's a good idea. When I was a teenage whippersnapper I learned by using almost nothing but my 7 iron for the first 4 lessons I took. Then later incorporated other clubs. Definitely better to start with an iron, because it's a shorter club than a wood, it's easier to get a feel for the right tempo.

I can't believe I missed this thread the first time around. Love golf. Don't get to play it as much as I'd like (who does). Played on my high school golf team, and it was probably the most fun I've had on an organized sports team, including college swimming and high school baseball.

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[quote=saden1;463578]I'm curious if anyone in here plays golf? I just started playing a month ago and I'm having a blast so far. I'll need to buy my own clubs pretty soon, any recommendations?[/quote]

Never ever take your eye off the ball. Following through is the hardest thing to master. Watch the ball, follow through with the club and with your body, AND THEN TURN YOUR HEAD. This is the hardest thing for me because my instinct is to see where the ball is going AS I HIT IT.

I'm a beginner too so this is what I work on. Everything else is pretty simple.
More seasoned golfers can tell you more but if you can't hit the ball it's not that fun.

I also try to picture Obama near the flag and aim for it. :laughing-

Re: Any Golf Players?
 

[quote=SmootSmack;574060]Thought I'd dig up this thread...

After not having been on a course since I hacked my way through 9 holes 15 years ago, I've decided this summer to really try to make an effort to learn the game. So I've been to the driving range a handful of times. And I'm hoping that next spring/summer I'll take some formal lessons.

But here's my question. If you're just starting off on your own by going to the range. [B]What's the best way to start.[/B] Just take out the driver and unload, practice with all the various clubs, pick one particular club (could be a driver, could be another) and perfect your swing with that one? This weekend I practiced my swing with only the pitching wedge. Good idea?[/quote]

First get comfortable hitting each of your clubs consistently. Ben Crenshaw once told me to learn the game from the green back to the tee because most of your strokes are on or around the green. With that being said learn to put, then learn to hit your wedges, then your irons, then your woods and driver.

Once you can hit pretty much all of your clubs consistently (takes a while, years even), then you should start playing a mock round of golf from the Driving range. Confused? Pretend that you are on par 4 or whatever and you are 400 yards or so from the green. Hit your driver and say you got about 280 yards. Next take whatever club you need for 120 and pick a taket that distance away and try to get it. Continue to play consecutive shots until you are close enough to hypothetically put. DO NOT PUT. People will look at you crazy. Continue to play different types of holes and scenarios in your head, on the range until you either run out of balls, are satisfied, or have played a full mock round.

The above practice will help you learn how to play the game with a good lie. The only way to learn how to play with a bad lie is to actually play the game. Needless to say the above scenario will only help you as long as you are hitting good shots. It will not help you with playing out of crap with crappy lies, but it does help non the less.