Golf equipment can be extremely tempting to buy nowadays, but you have to make sure that you buy golf equipment that fits your game. Buying blades or players irons for a beginner doesn’t make much sense.
One of the easiest ways to make sure you buy the right equipment for you is to simply get fit for clubs. A local PGA professional can help fit you for the right set of golf clubs to make the game more enjoyable for you. Having clubs that are fit to your swing can save you shots on the course, which will directly impact your experience on the course.
PGA Professional Brett Porath who is the Director of Golf Club Fitting for Titleist had this to say about fitting:
Over the past 20 years, the conversation has trended from, ‘should I get fit?’ to ‘where is the best place to get fit?’ Golfers draw inspiration from those who perform at the highest level of the sport and the stories of tour players dialing in every aspect of their equipment have helped all golfers recognize what fitting can do for their game. The knowledge that each club in your bag is set up to perform optimally inspires confidence and helps you get the best performance and improved scoring.
Don’t Get Swayed by Advertising
Golf equipment companies are supposed to come up with fancy ideas about how to sell you their new and improved golf club. Some of what they say or write down may be true, but don’t believe all of it. Many amateurs get shafted (no pun intended) when buying golf shafts because there is so much technology type wording associated with them. Pretty much all golf shafts since the early 2000’s are the same. The only difference is that the specifications are a bit tighter and the shafts are made better, but as far as the actual material, it’s all the same.
Don’t Be Embarrassed of Hybrids
Another big issue with amateurs is that they always want to be seen as a macho player who doesn’t need hybrids and can hit long irons. Even PGA Tour players have figured out that hybrids are the way to go and pretty much everyone on tour has dropped their long irons for hybrids. So don’t worry about what your golf bag looks like, just try to make sure you can hit each club properly.
Golf Balls
There is no greater amount of choice for golf equipment than golf balls. Everyone always has the Titleist Pro V1 at the top of their list and they think they have to play it in order to play well. That’s false. In fact, most golf balls today are better than the Pro V1 because they fit your swing speed. You have to be able to compress the golf ball to get the total use out of it and golf ball manufacturers have figured that out. They are now offering golf balls that fit to your swing speed. Don’t be afraid of having a Bridgestone stamp or a Nike stamp on your golf ball as long as it makes you play better.
Drivers
Don’t be afraid of the size of driver heads. Most drivers are 460 cc, which is the maximum size according to the USGA. Having a bigger head can give you more forgiveness and distance off the tee. Having a driver that is smaller may look cooler, but the bigger driver head will benefit you greatly.
Putters
Buying a putter is a very personal thing and most people only worry about how it feels when trying them out. I am a big supporter of worrying more about the performance than the feel. There may be big mallet style putter that doesn’t look appealing, but if it gets the ball in the hole, what does it matter? Getting the ball in the hole is the name of the game and you should take every advantage you can get.