Clubs for a Beginner

Hi,

After destroying my driver durring a flight, despite flight bag and fragile sticker! The guys at the airline decided that the best replacement for a my Donnay club is a Callaway Great Big Bertha. They have given me a voucher for 299 Euro to spend on a driver at the local pro shop.

I am a beginner and therefore a good shot is more a case of luck than skill or club selection so testing clubs on the range will be difficult. As I bought the club, I just wanted a cheep set and therefore couldn't chose the angle or shaft. With the set came a medium shaft and 12* loft.

The proshop is offering a medium graphite shaft with 10* but how do I know (I have only ever swung the one driver)? I am 6' and, from college rowing and rugby, more built for strength than flexability. I don't have a handicap but need about 110-120 shots for a round!

It is important that the club is allowed for competition. I play with collegues and we all believe that it is better to loose than bend the rules to win so we play strictly to the rules including club selection.

Thanks in advance


Rich

Club fitting science advises that you need to choose the loft depending on your swing speed, mainly. There are other factors like the size of the club head, the weight etc.

When we custom fit a golfer, this is the process we follow and most club fitters follow the same routine.

Shaft flex is the most critical factor in equipment, many people don't think so. If you have a fast swing (100mph +) you need a stiff shaft anything less than that and you had best go for a regular shaft. Less than 80mph you're best suited to an 'action' flex shaft. Within each band you can also get high-kick point, low-kick point or mid-kick point to fill the gaps.

Decide on that first - what shaft flex is best suited to you.

Then match the shaft to the club head. Is there a club you prefer in terms of how it looks, how it sits at address? Do you like an oversize (460cc) head or a normal (380-400cc)? Do you like Cobra black or Callaway grey? Don't forget how it sounds when you hit the golf ball ... that is very important.

Get the head you like the most.

Next, get the loft to match the shaft and choice of head. Some clubs come in a limited number of lofts and others in quite a few. Most of the premium brands come in 4 or 5 lofts.

Going on your scores, I would suggest the following: it is going to sound 'unmacho' but go for a high lofted driver, like a 11 or 12 degree, maybe even a strong 3 wood. Even consider a 3-wood with a driver-length shaft! I'll tell you why ...

At your scoring level, accuracy is more important than distance. Accuracy is more important than image. Accuracy is the key to scoring well ... if you can hit every fairway off the tee, you are able to score well.

Accuracy is enhanced by high lofted shots. A golf ball has 2 types of spin (actually, the ball spins both ways at the same time but influenced by 2 types of spin). You get back spin (which creates vertical loft) and side spin (which creates horizontal movement). With high lofted shots, side spin is far less effective because the vertical spin is dominant.

If a slice or hook is problematic a high lofted driver or even a 3-wood fitted fith a driver length shaft will help you straighten that out (maybe by 10-15%) because horizontal spin is less effective.

So, at the end of all that: go to a pro shop with a wide selection of drivers and 3-woods in shaft flexes, manufacturers, lofts, etc. and work systematically through the 3-step process BUT DON'T FORGET TO CONSIDER GETTING A 3-WOOD!!! Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy.

If you hit more fairways you can cut 10 shots off your score. Forget image and distance - go for accuracy at your score level.

__________________
Golf is easy ... once you know how.
Graham Arnott, teaching professional
Kelrosa Golf Studios
www.kelrosagolf.com
Class 'A' PGA Member
Full Member: World Golf Teachers Federation (GB&I)

Hi Teachingpro

Many thanks for the advice. I already have a 3 wood (same Donnay model as my broken driver because the cheep set had 1,3 & 5W). The shaft is not driver length but maybe an inch or so shorter. I use that when the fairway is wide and I'm feeling lucky. More often though I use a 7 wood for tee shots (based on the assumtion that I miss the green with the 3 wood at least twice over 9 holes and don't get much further with the 3W than the 7W). In fact I wouldn't even replace the driver if it wasn't for the expiry date on the insurance voucher.

What difference does the driver length 3W have over the standard 3W? Is this just distance (in which case I'd stick with the comfortable 3W and save the cash) or is there something to be said for the learing effect of driver shaft length? I quite often leave the 1-3 woods and take 3 wedges with the 7W. Is it allowed (from the rules point of view) to make a mixed club so that I could make a 5W with longer shaft to replace all woods and let me concentrate on the short game?

Is it silly to just get the biggest head available or at least with the biggest sweet-spot to optimise the chance of connecting? On the otherhand, a friend told me to choose a small head to reduce wind resistance. Since the insurance are offering the Callaway club, I guess I am 'stuck' with that head. I guess it won't make that much difference at my skill level??

As a final question, how does one measure the club head speed? I could imaging taking a video camera to the range and slowing down the picture to count the time but with a 50fps standard camera the club head will have moved a meter in a frame at 100 mph so it would be difficult to count. I assume you have some gadget for this, a high speed camera or laser pistol perhaps?

Many thanks again


Rich

I like your attitude, I really do. You seem to pick smart over brave!

I suggested a longer 3-wood to give a bit more distance. Rule of thumb is that at 80-mph, 1" will add 10yards. So, if you had a 3 wood with a 45" shaft, you could add 15-20yards. Of course, you then need to deal with the longer shaft like you do with a driver.

Can you not encash the voucher in for a wedge or a hybrid iron? I like hybrid irons and wedges. If you can cover every distance from 100 yards in with a nice full shot, you're going to score like an ace. I will prove it to you. I hope to do a documented school in 3 weeks time. (see other post called '100 yards in' or something like that).

Hey, I like the 7-wood. I've carried one for years and I carry it about 200 yards with a serious amount of altitude so it lands softly on the green or fairway and I can hit it on to a tea towel on a good day! Stick with the club - even off the tee it's great. You probably hit it staright-ish too, right?

Honestly, I think (I posted this in another reply too) larger than 400cc cause more problems than they give solutions. You have to have such a lot of bulk through the air and square up, unless you are reasonably skilled it can be problematic. Yes, the larger the head the larger the speed spot ... BUT THE LARGER THE AREA YOU HAVE TO SQUARE UP TOO! In my club fitting, I prefer not to use 460cc heads unless the customer really wants it.

There is truth to the 'drag' of the club, although most are aerodynamic, they can't be nearly as aerodynamic as say a 380cc or 400cc head. Maybe I can be proved wrong!?

You can do anything you like to your clubs, well almost! You can have a SW the length of a driver if you really want to. Many (many) years ago, Tommy Armour Golf produced a set of irons and woods called EQL (equal). The irons were all the length of a 5-iron and all the woods were the length of a 4-wood. They were legal and would still be legal. There are length limitations and size limitations but most retailers only supply R&A/USGA approved clubs.

Measuring club head speed is easy if you have the equipment. See if you have a retailer nearby that has a computerised system. If not, e-mail me your swing on video and I can get a good guess of the swing speed from software I have.

If I was you, see if you can encash the voucher for another wedge, but read the '100 yards' post beforehand.

If you need anmore help, you know where I am!

__________________
Golf is easy ... once you know how.
Graham Arnott, teaching professional
Kelrosa Golf Studios
www.kelrosagolf.com
Class 'A' PGA Member
Full Member: World Golf Teachers Federation (GB&I)

1irongolf has the same theory for shaft length - all woods are one length, the irons are a different length (but all the same from 2i to 9i), and wedges are all another length.

The thought is that you then only have to master 3 swing planes - woods, irons, wedges - and consequently 3 ball positions. You simply change the lie and loft of the club heads to mimic standard club flight patterns.

Before you buy a new driver, spend some cash and get fitted, or at least get on a launch monitor.

As teachingpro has said, more important than what driver you buy is what shaft stiffness the driver has.

See if you can't get an 11 or 12* driver... and there are lots of people who like the big berthas!

Thanks again for the advice guys.

I'm approaching a local tarpulin manufacturer to see if he can make a tee towel 50 foot by 30 foot (then maybee I too can hit a 7W onto a tee towel)! You are of course right that I get a much more accruate shot with the 7er though.

I've found an indoor range with a fitting/speed measuring facility to I'll look into that.

I'm back home in the UK next week where the clubs are cheeper so Ill look into the purchase of some more suitable wedges (I also brought the Pelz book). Thanks for the tip with the lengths, I'll try to get them the same length to practice a standard wedge shot.

I'll keep you posted around christmas when I've ordered and tried the clubs.

Regards


Richard

Richard,

Great to hear you geeting yourself sorted. It definately the way to go, if you're often left with pitch and chips - it is the only way to go.

Dave Pelz is the man when it goes to the short game! Yes indeed...