Calling all golfers

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: spidey07
tfinch2 - most ladies prefer woods - 5, 7, 9. I'm no golf pro though. I was watching the LPGA this weekend....they hit considerable weaker than men. Think needing a 9 iron for 125 yards.

Sure, but you have to learn how to crawl before you can walk. What's wrong with a 125 yard 9 iron? That's about how far I hit mine...

Yeah, those are PROFESSIONAL women, they're the best female players in the world. They actually hit it farther than the average male. Most LPGA players don't in fact hit a 9 iron 125, I'd be willing to bet that the tour average is closer to 115 or so. That 125 could have been downhill, downwind, a stronger than average player or a flyer lie. I'd bet that the typical female weekend golfer hits a 9 iron 50-60 yards on the rare occasions she catches it flush. For a beginning golfer, the key is to just make solid contact. If you can only hit the ball 100 yards with a driver, but do that straight and consistently you can play anywhere with anyone.

 

[SViper]

Originally posted by: montanafan
SViper, the few times I'd been on a driving range in the past was while vacationing with friends and it wasn't to learn, just for something to do. They taught me a few things, but we were mainly just wailing away to see who get get the ball the farthest. They've already told me that when I go to the range to learn, I should concentrate on hitting it straight and not worry so much about distance because straight is what will matter most on the course.

I may take lessons, but first I'm going to just try it out and get advice from a friend who teaches at a course. Once I know if I'm really interested, I'll look into lessons.

I hadn't really planned on taking sunscreen even though some here have mentioned it, because I've never used it before and rarely burn, but maybe it would be a good idea to take some along. I do use lip balm with SPF though when I'm biking.

I teach, so I'm a professional when it comes to patience.

You know, I hadn't really thought about how many I'd need, except to buy a box or two. Guess I'll bring them all along that first time.

Thanks.

Your friend is right about that. It's better to be short and straight (yea I said it ). It's hell looking around in the rough for your ball when you have a crew of people right behind you waiting for you to finish the hole so they can move on. I know that firsthand. I noticed that sometimes I also lose distance if I try to hit the ball hard. Like you said, just focus on making contact and the ball will get out there.

I'd stick with the cheap balls as well. You'll lose quite a few your first time out unless you are a prodigy.

Oh yea, I almost forgot. You may want to bring some snacks and water along as well. I ate just before going out there and I was thirsty and starving by the end. Some courses have vending machines or servers who come around and sell food/drink, so have some cash on you. I didn't have any cash on me and I suffered.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

As Greg said you don't want to buy anything yet except some balls, play in sneakers and borrow some ladies clubs. Make sure they are ladies clubs, don't start out with clubs of the wrong length as this will only ingrain bad habits.

And I highly suggest lessons or a camp geared toward beginners. Even friends that are good golfers will most likely not get you off on the right foot, unless of course they have specific experience and training in giving begining lessons. I grew up at a country club from the age of 6 and played competitive golf through highschool and college and 2 years of semi-pro, and I absolutely sucked a giving beginner lessons and still do.

We had an old club pro at the club that was just amazing with beginners, he had been doing it for years and really had the patience and persistence that was required to teach the basics. Thats what you really need to get a firm grasp of the basics and to build good pratice habits.

Golf is a cumulative learning experience, and if you start with sound basics and good practice habits you will continue to learn and get better at a much faster pace. Many weekend golfers never got this and their games reach a plateau were it becomes extremely difficult or even impossible to improve because they are limited by their basic swing mechanics. But with good training you will see continous improvement and the game will become infinetely more fun. We had a young lady that like you was atheletic and was good a several sports when she came to the club. We convinced her to take lessons from the old pro that I mentioned, and within 6 months playing a couple of times a week she broke 90, six months after that she broke 80 (practically unheard of for less than a year), a year after that she was in the top five on her college team and was regularly shooting low to mid 70's

 

[montanafan]

ElFenix, yeah, I didn't know if I should worry about using women's clubs because I'm not not short for a woman, but I don't think men's clubs would be right for me. Thanks.

tfinch2, I'll definitely be crawling at first, but if I find that I like it, I'll probably be back on here asking advice about clubs and I'll appreciate anything you can tell me that will help my game while staying within my paltry budget. Thanks.

GagHalfrunt, it is sounding like I should try women's clubs to start out, but I'll see if I can borrow an old set from a friend first. I know it's a possibility, but I doubt that I'll quit after a couple of weeks. I've been thinking about taking up the sport for a long time, but I've always had a lot of other activities to keep me busy and I know it's a difficult sport that requires a lot of time and effort just to learn the fundamentals. I've been involved in enough sports to know how important taking the time to learn the proper technique and the basics are to get discouraged after a short time. The one thing I'm looking forward to is spending the time at it that it will take to learn.

SViper, good advice about the water. I don't usually get hungry when I'm biking or playing tennis. It hits me when I'm done though. They have a restaurant and a snack bar at the big course so I'll take money to eat there when I get finished. Thanks.

GuitarDaddy, yep, I'll go with women's clubs one way or another and I was glad to hear that I wouldn't need the golf shoes at first.

My one friend does teach golf and he's a retired teacher so I'll get help from him at first. I know that once I get started I'll want and need more help than would be polite to expect from a friend's offer and then I'll look into lessons.

I decided that now would be a good time to start because I'll have a couple of weeks coming up where I'll be free to give it the time needed to see what I think of it, weather permitting. Then in a short while after that I'll have the whole summer to work on it. I thought about starting earlier when the weather turned so nice around here, but I decided that it would be better to wait until I had the time to go out several days in a row if possible, to get a better feel for it.

The example of the lady you talked about is encouraging. I'm not looking to set any records for time of improvement, but I've always enjoyed learning a new sport and getting better at it no matter how slowly.

Thanks.

 

[silverpig]

Play in sneakers and borrow clubs first. When you do buy clubs after a few rounds/trips to the range, then don't get the bargain basement ones as they'll be very frustrating (and perhaps painful) to use. Don't drop $1k on clubs either, but try to find a nice entry level set from a good manufacturer.

 

[jhayx7]

My advice:

Take lessons and practice your tail off. Take a lesson every 3-4 weeks but be sure to practice at the driving range between these lessons. They will get you setup in the correct positions and you will work on ball striking the first couple of months.

Work on putting as much as possible. This is the most important part of golf. You only hit a driver once but you will hit a putter an average of 2-4 times when you first start playing.

Go buy some used womens clubs at a golf shop. Being 5'6", you will not need special made irons. Most people say there is no difference between name brand and no name clubs, that is because they are hitting no name clubs and are trying to make themselves feel better about it. Name brand clubs feel more responsive and alive but that does not mean you need the latest and greatest. I am playing 2004 Big Bertha irons that I purchased used and plan on playing with them for a couple more years. Be sure to get cavity backed irons, forged irons are not n00b friendly.

Just go out and have fun! Once you start hitting a few straight and long you will see what all the fuss is about ;-)

 

[purbeast0]

i played my first round of the season this Saturday. shot an 86 and was VERY VERY happy with that score. had 6 pars and 1 birdy, which is not normal for me. So far this season I'm off to a good start

montanafan ... defniitely go with the suggestions GagHalfrunt has given. he knows a lot about golf and i would take his advice over most peoples in here. i'm surprised PingSpike hasn't chimed in yet.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: jhayx7
My advice:

Take lessons and practice your tail off. Take a lesson every 3-4 weeks but be sure to practice at the driving range between these lessons. They will get you setup in the correct positions and you will work on ball striking the first couple of months.

Work on putting as much as possible. This is the most important part of golf. You only hit a driver once but you will hit a putter an average of 2-4 times when you first start playing.

Go buy some used womens clubs at a golf shop. Being 5'6", you will not need special made irons. Most people say there is no difference between name brand and no name clubs, that is because they are hitting no name clubs and are trying to make themselves feel better about it. Name brand clubs feel more responsive and alive but that does not mean you need the latest and greatest. I am playing 2004 Big Bertha irons that I purchased used and plan on playing with them for a couple more years. Be sure to get cavity backed irons, forged irons are not n00b friendly.

Just go out and have fun! Once you start hitting a few straight and long you will see what all the fuss is about ;-)

Wow, some much ignorance and so little time to pick it apart. The phrase "Being 5'6", you will not need special made irons." is so off the charts in stupidity that it alone should convince you to ignore every piece of drivel that spews forth from this person.

 

[Spineshank]

My advice is lessons first and foremost. Secondly going to the driving range is good but you need to play too. As someone else said you have to learn how to handle approach shots and different lays and what not. As for clubs if you are serious about it go buy some Wilson Staff clubs. They are great clubs and not expensive. Buying cheap clubs are a get what you pay for most of the time. Youll break the shafts eventually. Or you can go the ebay route and probably find a good deal. I got my TM irons for $200 used years ago. They were $700 new at the time. Your local pro shop would be a good place to go buy used clubs too probably.

 

[jhayx7]

Originally posted by: purbeast0
i played my first round of the season this Saturday. shot an 86 and was VERY VERY happy with that score. had 6 pars and 1 birdy, which is not normal for me. So far this season I'm off to a good start

montanafan ... defniitely go with the suggestions GagHalfrunt has given. he knows a lot about golf and i would take his advice over most peoples in here. i'm surprised PingSpike hasn't chimed in yet.

Very nice

I played on Saturday as well. A couple of us had planned this for a while, we went to FarmLinks which is owned by Pursell (they make fertilizer and grass seed) it is the worlds first R&D course for companies. Probably the best course in the state.

Got stuck in a bunker twice on the front nine. I am not used to nice bunkers with fluffy sand and being 6ft below the green... had +8 strokes because of the damn things. If it weren't for those bunkers I would have shot a 91. Very happy

 

[jhayx7]

DP!

 

[jhayx7]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt

Originally posted by: jhayx7
My advice:

Take lessons and practice your tail off. Take a lesson every 3-4 weeks but be sure to practice at the driving range between these lessons. They will get you setup in the correct positions and you will work on ball striking the first couple of months.

Work on putting as much as possible. This is the most important part of golf. You only hit a driver once but you will hit a putter an average of 2-4 times when you first start playing.

Go buy some used womens clubs at a golf shop. Being 5'6", you will not need special made irons. Most people say there is no difference between name brand and no name clubs, that is because they are hitting no name clubs and are trying to make themselves feel better about it. Name brand clubs feel more responsive and alive but that does not mean you need the latest and greatest. I am playing 2004 Big Bertha irons that I purchased used and plan on playing with them for a couple more years. Be sure to get cavity backed irons, forged irons are not n00b friendly.

Just go out and have fun! Once you start hitting a few straight and long you will see what all the fuss is about ;-)

Wow, some much ignorance and so little time to pick it apart. The phrase "Being 5'6", you will not need special made irons." is so off the charts in stupidity that it alone should convince you to ignore every piece of drivel that spews forth from this person.

Excuse me? 5'6" is a normal height for a woman so she should not need longer/shorter irons. Yes, she will need to get fitted at some point but not right now, average length irons will be fine for her. Am I wrong??

 

[geecee]

Practicing at the ranges, as most everyone suggested here, is a great idea. A little more fun and a little less serious than a 9-hole course, is pitch and putt and/or executive courses. They will get you quite a bit of work in your short-er game, in "realistic" playing conditions and some of the nicer ones even have some moderately challenging greens to work on your putting. You can also get an idea of how to play from sand and rough, without the worry of having "serious" golfers getting annoyed with you. Try the 9-hole courses as well. Once you're comfortable with the etiquette and playing conditions, try going to a full course with some friends who golf regularly. What you might want to do your first time out is take it easy and not really keep score. If you strike a ball badly, just pick it up and play it from one of your friends' lies or play "best ball" even, especially if you find yourself lagging behind. Just don't get stressed out. It's meant to be a fun, relaxing sport. Don't let the people who fancy themselves "pro" golfers discourage you. Of course, this is coming from someone who shoots in the high-90s, low-100s, so what do I know?

EDIT: If you can't find a set to borrow, don't want to spend a lot of money and you have garage sales in your neighborhood, you might want to check them out. You'd be surprised at how many people are getting rid of a starter set for $10-20.

 

[tfinch2]

Another thing, when you go to the range, don't practice on an artificial grass mat. Practice on the real thing.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: jhayx7
Excuse me? 5'6" is a normal height for a woman so she should not need longer/shorter irons. Yes, she will need to get fitted at some point but not right now, average length irons will be fine for her. Am I wrong??

Height has nothing to do with club length. That's where you're off. You cannot make a blanket statement about club length relating to height.

 

[Patt]

A great way to meet other golfers at a similar level is group lessons. Every year our pro has beginner group lessons that cater just to women/just to men/coed to get people started.

Another way is to join a beginner's league at a course, where you can meet like-minded (and skilled ) people to play with. Speaking from experience, joining a league opened up a whole new batch of friends at the course.

Speaking from experience again, if you are up with the etiquette, you won't have difficulties playing with anyone as long as you can keep up. I don't care if someone is a rank beginner, as long as they are cognizant of the fact that they're a bit slower, and attempt to keep up.

I won't offer suggestions on equipment, as that has mostly been covered, but know that you can use just about any club to learn on ... to get to higher levels you'll need some sort of customization, but just to get a feel for the game you can use anything.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: jhayx7
Excuse me? 5'6" is a normal height for a woman so she should not need longer/shorter irons. Yes, she will need to get fitted at some point but not right now, average length irons will be fine for her. Am I wrong??

Height has nothing to do with club length. That's where you're off. You cannot make a blanket statement about club length relating to height.

It definitely does to some extent. His statement wasn't far off. Sure she'll do better with fitted clubs but you can't fit someone who can't hit the ball and has absolutely no swing. If she was 7'3", she'd need special clubs right off the bat. For her first few times and first few lessons, she'll be fine with standard store bought clubs and only after she has developed her swing should she get fitted.

 

[Fern]

Yes, get some lessons on driving (more of a sweeping motion), hitting irons (shorter irons require you to hit "down on it"), chip shots and putting. Practice getting out of sand traps, not really all that difficult but some beginers really fear them.

Pretty much all clubs today are made to be fairly forgiving. Unlike the older forged mucle-back steel shafted things of the 70's. So, I don't think the clubs will be all that important as a beginner (unless they too are way too long or short and thus affect your swing plane). Decent inexpensive clubs are plenty good enough. After you've played for some time you may wanna upgrade, by then you'll have a better idea of what you like. Constantly buying & selling clubs gets expensive.

As far as woods, I'd suggest forgetting about a driver and start with a 3 wood. Much more forgiving and easier to get the ball up (higher flight).

Take PLENTY of balls, no need to hold everyone up (including those behind you) when you hit it in the woods or the water. Just drop another and get going. Forget expensive balls too.

Most golfers are very tolerant of beginners. We were all beginners once.

Many course/clubs have days/times specifically for women. Look into it. It's much faster/easier if everyone tees off at the same place. Go along with a group of women who know you are beginner, you want & need them to teach you ettiqute: where to stand when someone else is hitting for safety and so as not to disturb them, not to walk across other peoples putting lines etc. There are also many many rules in golf, how & where to drop another ball if you've lost one or hit it into the water, no grounding your club in a hazard (sand trap), proper cleanup after you've played out of a sand trap, how to repair divots in the fairway, or repair ball marks on the green. Etc

Know that 90% of golfers never break a score of 100. So don't be intimidated as a begginer.

Have fun

Fern

 

[jhayx7]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: jhayx7
Excuse me? 5'6" is a normal height for a woman so she should not need longer/shorter irons. Yes, she will need to get fitted at some point but not right now, average length irons will be fine for her. Am I wrong??

Height has nothing to do with club length. That's where you're off. You cannot make a blanket statement about club length relating to height.

Um yes it does. The two major factors in club length are height and swing speed. If you are very tall, you need an extra 1/2-1" on your clubs so you have proper arm extension. Although this is not advisable for a starter because the further the club is away from your body, the less control you have over it.

If you can smack the dimples off of the ball, you can get your clubs a little longer so you can gain distance but you need to be at a certain skill level so you can still control your clubs at that high of a speed (100mph+). For 95% of golfers, this is a mute point.

 

[montanafan]

Thanks to everyone who responded with advice since my last reply. I hadn't revisited the thread because the weather is not cooperating with my spring break golf plans, but it looks like I may get to go by Tuesday. I talked to my friend who works at the golf course and he said he'd help me out when I get there. Wish me good luck; I'll need it.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: montanafan
Thanks to everyone who responded with advice since my last reply. I hadn't revisited the thread because the weather is not cooperating with my spring break golf plans, but it looks like I may get to go by Tuesday. I talked to my friend who works at the golf course and he said he'd help me out when I get there. Wish me good luck; I'll need it.

Just remember - it's a LOT harder than it looks.

Let us know how many times you swing at the ball and don't actually hit it.

STRIKE!