I am thinking about buying my kids sets of golf clubs for Christmas. My kids are substantially grown, so these will be adult clubs, not children's clubs.
Their abilities range from "just starting out and having fun" to "played golf competitively as a youth and did pretty well, but haven't really played lately, but now entering the professional world in which there may be some golfing."
So, they are all beginners, and they will probably be casual golfers for a while, not hard core. Is the Callaway Strata beginner set the way to go? Or, should I avoid sets labeled "beginner." What are the decent (read: not embarrassing to own), but also not crazy-expensive brands?
Couple of ballpark questions:
How much is a reasonable amount to buy a set of used clubs as described in this thread? Likely to find the whole set or have to buy them ala carte? Are we talking $500? $1000?
Recommendations on where to find them? Local golf pro? PGA Superstore? Any particular websites?
Those of you with the single digit handicaps......and mention of the higher end clubs....what does a set of those go for? $2000? $2500?
Thanks in advance
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from all the 'Name Brands' (I'd add in Mizuno, as well). IMHO, a "dynamic" fitting is very important and it would most likely be included in the purchase price. BTW, it's hard to go wrong with Taylor Made woods...and for putters, Odyssey has a very wide assortment (if the pro suggests looking at 'Scotty Cameron, or 'Bettinardi...start backing out of the store ;-)).
Oh, and another thing (I could go on and on), the 'standard' set of clubs is no longer just 'Irons and Woods'...you'll want to consider 'Hybrids'...they're especially beneficial for beginners...again, the pro at the shop can help here.
Lastly (firstly?), sign them up for a 2 or 3 lesson package with a good pro who 'understands' and communicates well with beginners (ask around)...if you get the right one, it'll be a fun experience and they'll have a good foundation to build from...(Warning...the odds of them eventually beating you will increase dramatically).
Good luck
Play Like A Champion Today.
But if you aren't sure if the kids will stick with it, you might want to get them a decent set of used clubs to start with, see if they like it and come back next season, then spend a bit on mid-range clubs that have some forgiveness to them. Find out whether or not they love the game before investing in a long term set.
I just went through this with my youngest a few years back. Put him in a used set of average clubs for a season so he could just hack around and figure stuff out. He loved the game and wanted to play more so I moved him up to my old set of Callaways (which was a convenient excuse to get myself some new ones!) for a season and he played and improved so much that we went and got him fitted for some Titleist T200s this season and his game really took off. But there was no way he was getting the T200s without first showing he loved the game and his play was improving to the point it was time to get him fitted.
One last piece of advice. Do pay attention to the shaft stiffness when you're getting used clubs. If your kids aren't kids, they are young men, they'll more than likely swing hard so they'll need a stiffer shaft. A regular shaft will feel like a wet spaghetti noodle in their hands. Way too whippy and not fun at all.
can really make it hard to develop a good swing, assuming they want to improve over time. A golf shop could likely offer pre-purchase fittings for them as well...wouldn't be a bad idea to have appropriate lofts, lies and lengths, as well as swing weights...then throw in a new bag with nice head covers (ND logos!).
There's always eBay, but I lean toward the golf shop route.
.....the golf shop that does the fitting and fits the club to your body and swing really only needs one measurement.....the rest is trivial unless you are a pro. I was told they need the distance from the wrist to the ground on a relaxed arm at your side.
I’d personally go with lower end new for your kids.....they will last 30 years.
The measurement you described is important for shaft length only. I don't believe you can call it a true fitting if that's the only measurement the pro takes when they sell you clubs. That's for beginners.
The dynamic fitting isn't just for pros. The fitting is free if you end up buying the clubs so why not do it? If you're doling out serious money for mid-range to high end clubs, you'd better get a dynamic fit with someone who knows how to use a launch monitor. You can fiddle with your swing to fit your clubs, or get a dynamic fitting to get clubs that fit your swing. Easy choice.
....I ended up giving my son my old clubs, and I bought Titleist T300 irons and TS 2 woods. I like them. It's probably a better club than I deserve as a player, but I figured that it is likely the last clubs that I will ever buy.
a desire to impress people.
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Please ignore my wife laughing in the background. What does she know?
Lots of high handicappers playing Apex or T100s or the like. They either have too much money which is fine for them, or they're out to impress their buddies like you said. But I think once you get into the single digits on your 'cap you should seriously consider the higher end clubs (with a fitting!). There is a difference.
But if your 'cap is in the double digits and you're playing less than 20-25 rounds a year there is no need to go to the most expensive set. It actually looks pretty silly.