Golf clubs

[cdc]

I don’t golf, but my son, age 19, has started. He’s been using my dad’s 60+ years-old clubs. My son is 6-4. My dad is 5-9. My son says his grandfather’s clubs are too old and too short, and I have no reason to doubt him on either of those points.

We want to get him clubs for a combined birthday/Christmas gift this year. I’m looking for advice on how to go about this. Used/new? What stores/sites should we be looking at? What should I be looking at in terms of price for a novice who could well grow into the game?

Thanks!

[mkc]

Are there any retailers in your area? Fit is important for golf clubs (length, lie angle, grip size). A good shop will be able to fit him, and a really good shop will have a decent selection of used clubs (put new grips on) which is the most cost-effective way to go.

This is not really something to buy online without knowing proper fit. Golf Galaxy, Edwin Watts, Golfsmith, and some Dicks Sporting Goods are the big retailers, but you may have something even better locally (for example, in NH, Golf and Ski Warehouse).

[Brianmcg321]

Go to a pro shop that specializes in fitting. Be prepared $2k.

[Dmanse02]

Your intentions are great, but this is a purchase you would not want to surprise him with. If he is remotely serious about golfing, he needs to be fitted for the clubs. Do not pay a hefty price tag for clubs that may not appropriately fit him - I think that will be a somewhat dissatisfying for both you. There are so many factors in bring appropriately fitted, and it is not just based on height, but also on swing dynamics. Maybe have him open a note or card indicating a promise for a new set of golf clubs and maybe you both could go to the fitting over the holidays?

[Sandtrap]

I don’t golf, but my son, age 19, has started. He’s been using my dad’s 60+ years-old clubs. My son is 6-4. My dad is 5-9. My son says his grandfather’s clubs are too old and too short, and I have no reason to doubt him on either of those points.

We want to get him clubs for a combined birthday/Christmas gift this year. I’m looking for advice on how to go about this. Used/new? What stores/sites should we be looking at? What should I be looking at in terms of price for a novice who could well grow into the game?

Thanks!

Yes.
At 6' 4", likely, off the shelf clubs might be too short or the loft/lie will not fit well. I'll fitting clubs will create an improperly grooved swing as the golfer tried to adapt body and swing to the club instead of vs vs.
This is the sequence:

1. Regular lessons (not one lessons) with a PGA (licensed) golf pro to establish a swing and solid fundamentals.
2. Club fitting at a golf store with a "pro" (not salesman) (not a box store).

What is important is not the price of the clubs but the fit of the clubs (like shoes). Whether Cleveland, Ping, Titleist, etc, as long as they are of named quality and fitted well.

You will know that a store has a "fitting center" because they will have a swing cage setup, readout equipment for what the ball is doing when hit, and a multiple shaft and interchangeable head setup bin to find the right setup.

But, without lessons to establish a well grooved swing and fundamentals, generic clubs with no or few or generic lessons will simple groove a bad swing and habits that will take forever to unlearn, result in no fun on the golf course, and a very short excursion in to the sport of golf.

A PGA licensed pro will give lessons at a driving range attached to a golf course. All of those facilities are available in those lessons from swing to playing lessons, short game, putting on real greens, etc.

I started one of my sons in the Junior Golf Program this way, then to a PGA "coach", then he progressed to varsity golf, etc, and has a swing for a lifetime.

If you do not want to do the above, then take your son to a golf center that has new and used club sets and can do a fitting, then have your son go through some of the used "name brand" (titleist, ping, callaway, etc) sets and find one that feels good to him. A good fitter will be able to find a set that best matches his physical conformation and existing swing. Then buy that for him so he can use those clubs for his regular PGA pro lessons. If the set needs regripping, they can do that there as well.

j

[J295]

You have described him as a 19 year old novice. As such, he may or may not continue to have an interest in the game. Therefore, I would start with a decent used set.

I believe global golf has a 30 day return policy (for credit) on their used clubs. I haven’t used them but I hear good things about them. You could also look at eBay, but I don’t believe you’ll have much in the way of return options.

A good pro or a friend or acquaintance who is a solid golfer with good knowledge should be able to help walk him through the terminology and options. Things like length, lie, shaft flex, game improvement irons, etc. When I say solid golfer I mean someone who has played college golf, or if not in college competed in state level amateur tournaments.

You should also consider posting this question on Golfwrx. A very robust golf site.

So you can filter my suggestions, I’m a 61-year-old 6 handicap who loves golf and has played it for more than 50 years. I’ve also been around golfers your son’s age, as the university team practices at our facility and back in the day my nephew was two time State junior amateur champ (and I tried to get all three of our kids interested in golf, and didn’t have a single taker! Ha ha).

[bloom2708]

eBay.

+1/2” iron set.

Spend 2 or 3 hundred.

See if the sport takes.

[phxjcc]

Spend $100-200 with a club fitter and see what he needs.

At 6’4” it may be 1” over and 2* up, stiff shaft.

Then search eBay for a MODERN set.
No tour blades.

I used to be an equipment junkie, and have found Mizuno blades and HONMA JDM blades on eBay for less than $200, both in the above spec.

If you are close to San Diego or Phoenix go to Callaway or Ping, respectively.

Shaft flex is VERY important also.

For every 1” over length, shaft is one level weaker. So, a stiff will be normal.

[dvvader]

Have him get fit for clubs by a professional. Then take the specs and shop on the 2nd Swing website.

[J295]

Two more notes… you can get a baseline by using the ping online fitting matrix… It’s reasonably accurate for a starting point, and for a 19-year-old novice it is worth considering. I was fitted for my last two sets, and the chart ended up being pretty close to the fitting.

.... if son has access to a good pro or knowledgeable player, I think fitting him by eyeballing his athleticism in a few swing would be a relatively safe bet. I say this because he is a novice and if he gets highly energized about the game this won’t be his last set.

...player height for club length is not standing alone the factor for length, instead, ii is the distance from your fingertips to the ground.

.... this last season I bought a new set of irons after playing my Titleist 714‘s for six years ... I know the pro well and we were discussing fitting… And he told me if a player doesn’t have a reasonably solid swing it’s really hard to give them much in a fitting… now I have no idea about the athleticism or abilities of the son here, but his comment really resonated with me… I know a lot of golfers who can easily shoot in the 70s with any set of clubs you give them out of the bag room, and others who could play with PXG fitted clubs and not break 100.... in fact, we have an event out here every year where we are required to use clubs from the 1970s and balata golf balls, and although we play up one set of tees the scoring is only a couple of strokes higher than normal for many of the better golfer.

[carolinaman]

Since he is a novice, gifting him lessons might be a better first step. His swing will likely change after a series of lessons and then he will be ready to be fitted for clubs. There are likely small golf shops who can fit him as well as the big box stores. I have tried big box stores but got better fitting and service from a small independently owned golf shop.

[J295]

Since he is a novice, gifting him lessons might be a better first step. His swing will likely change after a series of lessons and then he will be ready to be fitted for clubs. There are likely small golf shops who can fit him as well as the big box stores. I have tried big box stores but got better fitting and service from a small independently owned golf shop.

Great comment re lessons. A good instructor can also help point them in the direction of some clubs.

Don’t forget to check out the GolfWRX site. There are some real golf junkies over there.

[drdrgolf]

Go slow. A novice should get a decent/inexpensive set of clubs to begin. Do not rely on an indoor fitting. At our course the Pro wheels his fitting cart to the range and begins the fitting. The flight of the ball, among other things, is extremely important. Once the correct clubs are found then try to buy a used set of clubs that closely match the fitted dimensions.Bang away with the old clubs until you find out if the game is loved or not. Then you can buy a nice set of clubs.
When we first married DW decided she wanted to take up the game. We went to a 5 day School. She took part in the school while I played golf for 12 hours a day for a week. She came away with a great sense of the game and a good swing. When we played she was decent and definitely not a beginner. Shortened the curve and she enjoys the game today as much as then. She never struggled with topped shots, shanks and 5 hour rounds.
Perhaps a school such as I described could be helpful and most have fitting clubs available.
Sorry for the choppy answer but I am hurrying to my tee time.
Dominic

[jabberwockOG]

Starting with clubs that are the correct length is important. But there is not a huge difference in length for most people.

What is measured by club fitter is not a person's height but the height in inches of the inside crease of their wrist above the ground. In general regardless of a person's height, standard club length is modified by 1/2 to 2 inches max because taller people tend to have longer arms and vice versa.

Suggest you buy a good quality set of lightly used standard length clubs, maybe 2-3 years old for $200-300. Take the clubs to a good proshop to put on new set of grips (grip size/diameter needs to be right also) and adjust the shaft length if necessary using short extender plugs (or cut down shaft to shorten for a smaller person) that matches the recommended custom length modification to standard. New grips and adjusting shaft length should be another $150-200.

Be aware that you may also be able to find a good used set of clubs with already extended length. Just ask for one club's measure, like the 5 iron. All the other irons will be plus or minus 1/2 inch increment from each other if they were cut and built correctly.
Absolutely no need to spend thousands on new custom clubs.

[dwickenh]

You have described him as a 19 year old novice. As such, he may or may not continue to have an interest in the game. Therefore, I would start with a decent used set.

I believe global golf has a 30 day return policy (for credit) on their used clubs. I haven’t used them but I hear good things about them. You could also look at eBay, but I don’t believe you’ll have much in the way of return options.

A good pro or a friend or acquaintance who is a solid golfer with good knowledge should be able to help walk him through the terminology and options. Things like length, lie, shaft flex, game improvement irons, etc. When I say solid golfer I mean someone who has played college golf, or if not in college competed in state level amateur tournaments.

You should also consider posting this question on Golfwrx. A very robust golf site.

So you can filter my suggestions, I’m a 61-year-old 6 handicap who loves golf and has played it for more than 50 years. I’ve also been around golfers your son’s age, as the university team practices at our facility and back in the day my nephew was two time State junior amateur champ (and I tried to get all three of our kids interested in golf, and didn’t have a single taker! Ha ha).

+1

[dsmil]

I'd recommend going to a local club fitter (not a big box store) and getting some specs for length, lie, shaft. Then get a cheap, used set on ebay or global golf which matches the recommended shaft and length and bring them back to the fitter in case lies need to be adjusted. Let's say $100 for the iron fitting (more for full bag), $200-400 for the irons, and $30 for lie adjustments. You could get wedges which follow similar recommendations. If a driver fitting isn't included and you don't want to pay for it, I'd start with Tom Wishon's chart below which uses wrist to floor measurements to determine length, and the stiffness of the shaft could follow the iron recommendations. You could buy a few from Global Golf, see which he likes the best, and return the others. The fitter could then cut it to the length which follows the chart below and could then add weight to the clubhead (if necessary), to get the swingweight back to normal.

https://divi012219.gameimprovementgolf. ... oor-chart/

https://www.golfwrx.com/261559/wishon-w ... -clubs-be/

http://www.rickscustomfitgolf.com/image ... hsBook.pdf

[GmanJeff]

A new golfer with a swing which is still developing cannot take advantage of club fitting to any great extent because club adjustments compensate for a relatively consistent swing. As long as club length is correct, the other characteristics addressed during a fitting are still in flux. Setting club specs to a immature swing will just cement that swing's flaws by compensating for them to some extent. So, I'd suggest getting club length correct for your son's height and arm length, and getting standard club specs for now. Once your son has a consistent swing, fitting can maximize his potential with that swing. Fitting to a poor swing isn't a good idea unless you don't intend to try to improve that swing.

Also, consider getting a partial set of clubs for around half the price of a full set. Many stores won't suggest this, but can sell such partial sets. Again, with a swing which is still developing, it's likely that any given club will provide a much wider range of results than can be expected later. For example, a 7 iron struck inconsistently will sometimes produce results like that from 6 or 8 irons because of swing variability, so just get the 7 for now and skip the 6 and 8. Once the 7 starts to produce consistent distances in a small range, then it'll be time to add adjacent clubs for greater precision. A good start can be putter, driver, 5 wood, 5 hybrid, 7 and 9 irons, sand and lob wedges, all in a super game-improvement variety.

The suggestions for lessons are good ones. Instruction can get beginners on the right track quickly before they ingrain bad techniques which will be difficult to correct later.

[Nowizard]

Club fitting and several thousand dollar recommendations are far beyond current requirements in my opinion. As someone who has played golf for many years, not overly seriously, but as a competitive golfer with some who are, there has never been a fitting or purchase of new clubs other than a driver and wedge. There have been two lessons, both as gifts. My suggestion would be to have your son take a lesson and simply ask the pro what clubs he would recommend. Alternately, ask someone in a store after they have seen him hit a few balls (This is not a fitting and has no charge). My latest clubs, for example, are ones recommended in that manner. They are Pings which are considered to be forgiving, and a full set of used, one generation back irons was about $350 on EBay. A driver, again a generation back, was about $200, new. Hybrids, if he wants to start with them rather than using lower irons such as the 5 on down, are available at numerous shops that sell used equipment. Playing golf is the best way to learn, though looking the part while playing well below that level is not necessary unless socially expected as a country club member.

Tim

[tibbitts]

When we first married DW decided she wanted to take up the game. We went to a 5 day School. She took part in the school while I played golf for 12 hours a day for a week. She came away with a great sense of the game and a good swing.

At least before I noticed the username, I was really expecting the rest of the story to be "But after that 12 hours a day for a week, I never picked up a golf club again."

[eddot98]

I don’t golf, but my son, age 19, has started. He’s been using my dad’s 60+ years-old clubs. My son is 6-4. My dad is 5-9. My son says his grandfather’s clubs are too old and too short, and I have no reason to doubt him on either of those points.

We want to get him clubs for a combined birthday/Christmas gift this year. I’m looking for advice on how to go about this. Used/new? What stores/sites should we be looking at? What should I be looking at in terms of price for a novice who could well grow into the game?

Thanks!

I started golfing almost 55 years ago with a beginner set of driver, 3 wood, 3,5,7,9 irons, a putter and a bag that my father bought for me from a guy he knew that had a driving range. They were from Spalding, as I remember. I had them for several years and played as much as a high school kid could, but I gave up the game while in college. After I graduated from college and started playing more seriously, I bought better used clubs. A lightly used set with long shafts will do for him until he either decides that he loves the game or gives it up because other things become more important, like a girlfriend, college, or whatever. I suggest not spending a lot on his first set, not getting carried away with fit, lie angle, lessons, etc. until he decides on whether it’s a lifetime sport for him or just a passing fancy. Just let him have some fun for a while before it starts to become work. I knew lots of folks with less than perfect technique and equipment that enjoyed themselves immensely playing golf.

[ensign]

Don’t buy him new clubs since they are very expensive and he might not stick with the game. A few hundred for a used set (try 3balls.com) and a series of lessons from a recommended teacher in your area will serve him far better.

[Sandtrap]

www.callawaygolfpreowned.com
Callaway Factory Outlet

As a prior poster suggested. Look for +1/2 shaft lengths. Don't worry about being too long as he can choke down on the club to where it is comfortable for now. It gives him some leeway to figure out what works well and what effects ball flight, swing groove, etc.

j

[Sandtrap]

I don’t golf, but my son, age 19, has started. He’s been using my dad’s 60+ years-old clubs. My son is 6-4. My dad is 5-9. My son says his grandfather’s clubs are too old and too short, and I have no reason to doubt him on either of those points.

We want to get him clubs for a combined birthday/Christmas gift this year. I’m looking for advice on how to go about this. Used/new? What stores/sites should we be looking at? What should I be looking at in terms of price for a novice who could well grow into the game?

Thanks!

I started golfing almost 55 years ago with a beginner set of driver, 3 wood, 3,5,7,9 irons, a putter and a bag that my father bought for me from a guy he knew that had a driving range. They were from Spalding, as I remember. I had them for several years and played as much as a high school kid could, but I gave up the game while in college. After I graduated from college and started playing more seriously, I bought better used clubs. A lightly used set with long shafts will do for him until he either decides that he loves the game or gives it up because other things become more important, like a girlfriend, college, or whatever. I suggest not spending a lot on his first set, not getting carried away with fit, lie angle, lessons, etc. until he decides on whether it’s a lifetime sport for him or just a passing fancy. Just let him have some fun for a while before it starts to become work. I knew lots of folks with less than perfect technique and equipment that enjoyed themselves immensely playing golf.

Wow.
Memories.

My lst "set" of golf clubs was from the Salvation Army Store.
Canvas bag.
Mixed irons from 3 to wedge here and there, not a full set. Spalding, Power Bilt, Titleist, etc. (All Blades!!) some rust.
Driver and 3 "wood" made out of wood.
A brass blade putter with a slippery leather grip.
Used golf gloves and balls with rubber band innards from the bargain bin. (pre smoothed).

OP: invest in lessons over hardware.

At age 19: girls, cars, new iPhone, college, etc, etc, etc,. . . .

Maybe buy a set of clubs you both fit, then take lessons with your son. This can be huge!

Also, if he loses interest, you will be hooked with a decent set of used clubs, a PGA pro grooved swing, and a whole bunch of new golfing friends.

j

[tm3]

A new golfer with a swing which is still developing cannot take advantage of club fitting to any great extent because club adjustments compensate for a relatively consistent swing. As long as club length is correct, the other characteristics addressed during a fitting are still in flux. Setting club specs to a immature swing will just cement that swing's flaws by compensating for them to some extent. So, I'd suggest getting club length correct for your son's height and arm length, and getting standard club specs for now. Once your son has a consistent swing, fitting can maximize his potential with that swing. Fitting to a poor swing isn't a good idea unless you don't intend to try to improve that swing.

Also, consider getting a partial set of clubs for around half the price of a full set. Many stores won't suggest this, but can sell such partial sets. Again, with a swing which is still developing, it's likely that any given club will provide a much wider range of results than can be expected later. For example, a 7 iron struck inconsistently will sometimes produce results like that from 6 or 8 irons because of swing variability, so just get the 7 for now and skip the 6 and 8. Once the 7 starts to produce consistent distances in a small range, then it'll be time to add adjacent clubs for greater precision. A good start can be putter, driver, 5 wood, 5 hybrid, 7 and 9 irons, sand and lob wedges, all in a super game-improvement variety.

The suggestions for lessons are good ones. Instruction can get beginners on the right track quickly before they ingrain bad techniques which will be difficult to correct later.

+1

When I started (as an adult) a friend who is an accomplished golfer told me that until one's handicap gets below about 10 their swing is not consistent enough to benefit from custom fitting.

The partial set suggestion is also great. Bobby Clampett, who had some measure of success on the PGA tour, said that he used to play "weekend rounds" with only 4 clubs and scored within a few strokes of his rounds using 14 clubs. I play a round or two a week with 6 clubs and have the same result. Plus, fewer clubs are lighter and might encourage developing the habit of walking which is much healthier than "cart ball."

[Mr F]

First of all I think its a really nice thing for you to do. My Mum and Dad bought me my first set of clubs 19 years ago when I was 17. Looking back it would have been a big outlay for them and I’ll always remember it.

Its why this post strike a chord with me so much. I was around the same age as your son when I first caught the golf bug and at exactly the same height.

While it was a bit outlay for my parents I know they were not the most expensive club, as they also knew I could (like most teenagers) move onto other interests.

In short I kept the clubs for around 8-10 years and got down to a 7 handicap with them. They were not tailored for my large size. I know if i wanted to get down to scratch i would have needed to improve the clubs. But, i still say to this day, Tiger could beat any +7 handicappers with a stick of Rhubarb. Clubs are not the main thing...

[Dougiefresh]

For a lot of years (too many to admit) I played with a miniature golf course style putter. I recently upgraded to a Ben Sayers model and whoa... that made a huge difference. I think I've dropped my score by at least 6 strokes. Maybe it's just in my head. Still I'll take it!
I'm in the process of selectively upgrading my woods as well. Love my new (used) Callaway Rogue X 5 hybrid and Taylormade Rescue.