Question: Equipment - can fitted clubs make that big of a difference in your game? Also, high quality brands vs. cheapie? Worth it, or no?
I'm short, with small hands. 5'8" and wear a men's small glove. I believe that a small part of my game could be improved with better fitted clubs.
Jack Nicklaus was tall with SMALL hands. (He has an actual size outline of his hands in his book so you can see. He talks about it.)
Your next set of Irons should be FORGED Stainless Steel irons. (I'd stick with STEEL SHAFTS in the irons. Graphite in the Woods and Hybrids.) Taylormade, Ping, Callaway, Mizuno, and Hogan irons would be good to choose from.
Also, when it comes time to get a custom DRIVER you will not only want to concern yourself with the FLEX of the shaft, but you'll want a LOW TORQUE shaft as well.
But all this should NOT concern you for at least another year. Don't go getting ahead of yourself here.
While I'm thinking about it. The Noodle golf balls should be FINE for now. No sense in getting Titleist balls at $60 a dozen. I can Spin the Noodle as well as the Titleists and the Noodles are only about 6 to 8 yards shorter off the tee for me.
Ok, you just bought a pretty decent set of clubs for a n00b to the game.
They should serve you well for at least your first year of playing just as they are.
DO NOT mess with getting FITTED clubs until you can CONSISTENTLY make solid contact with the ball and have developed a REGULAR ball flight.
I.E....Consistent Fade or Draw or Straight ball flight.
After you can consistently shoot/score UNDER 100 on a regulation par 72 Golf course you at that time look into getting fitted for clubs.
NOT BEFORE hitting the benchmarks I outlined above.
I'm only 5' 8" tall but do have pretty large hands. I wear an XL glove and it's TIGHT.
I use 1 inch OVER standard length clubs and my Driver is 2.5" longer than standard.
My Driver shaft is one of V. J. Singh's personal shafts that is an XX-Stiff.
The last time I played golf was 2 years ago and my average CARRY distance with the driver was 255 to 265 yards.
I have a VERY aggressive transition from the top of my backswing to my downswing and this is why "I" need the XX-Stiff shaft for my driver. (285 CPM. It's an Matrix Ozik TP-7x.)
In golf you have basically two types of swings, The HITTER (Like me and Ben Hogan.) and the SWINGER. (Like Sam Snead and Freddy Couples.)
In time you'll find which you naturally gravitate towards.
It's not your overall height, but your WRIST to GROUND measurement when standing up straight with your arms hanging naturally that we determine what length clubs you should be using.
But for you beginning, those standard clubs will be just fine. Don't be afraid to grip DOWN on the club if it feels too long for some shots on WEIRD lies.
When it IS time for you to get fitted clubs be sure to get the proper FLEX shaft for YOUR swing and then have the shafts SPINE ALIGNED for each club in your bag. (With the exception of your Putter.)
Speaking of the putter, once you've figured out whether you are a Straight Back & Straight Through or an Open the Gate-Close the Gate (Inside to Inside of your intended line.) you can then get the PROPERLY BALANCED Putter for your stroke/style of putting.
Straight Back & Through strokes should have what they call a FACE BALANCED putter. If you balance the putter shaft in the crook of your index finger the FACE of the putter should UP towards the sky and almost parallel with the ground. Example: Zebra Mallet putters are Face Balanced.
Inside to Inside strokes do better with a TOE HEAVY putter. When balanced in the crook of your finger the Toe of the Putter should be pointing down at least 110* towards the ground. Example: Acushnet Bullseye BRASS head putters are EXTREMELY toe heavy.
There is a lot of controversy in the Amateur Golf community over the Spine Aligned club shafts. But ALL Professional Golfers KNOW that it will tighten up the groupings of your clubs by a minimum of 20%. It just eliminates one more variable in your ball striking. But its of NO CONCERN if you cannot consistently strike the ball solid.
Having the Spine aligned TOWARDS the target or towards the ball will give you more accuracy at the cost of a few yards distance.
Having it AWAY from the target or away from the ball will give you more distance at the cost of accuracy.
Back to your original question. NO you do NOT need to concern yourself with getting FITTED for clubs right now.
I know your excited right now and want give yourself the best chance to BOTH enjoy the game and hit the ball well. Getting fitted at this time could actually do more HARM than good since you do not have a Grooved Swing yet.
Getting fitted NOW could actually FORCE you into a swing pattern that is NOT natural for you. So, use your new clubs to learn the proper Grip, Stance, Backswing, Transition Movement, Downswing, IMPACT, and Follow Through.
Get your swing grooved, learn to score by THINKING your way around the course and then when you are breaking 100 regularly you see about getting Fitted clubs.
If you get those books and work through them with PRACTICE you progress well.
Then if you ever feel that you would like to get lessons from a Professional, Talk to them about 1 Plane and 2 Plane swings, Hitters vs. Swingers, and about whether they teach a Method or tailor their teachings to the Golfer's NATURAL Swing and "Body Type".
Too many Pro's go straight out of the PGA of America's Teaching Book. I call it Cookie Cutter Teaching.
A natural Hitter will NOT do well with a teacher who teaches you to Swing the club and not HIT the ball. A natural SWINGER will not do well with a teacher who teaches to HIT the ball.
Same with One Plane and Two Plane swings. You CANNOT...I repeat....YOU CANNOT "MIX" 1 Plane techniques with 2 Plane techniques and have a RELIABLY REPEATING Swing that is also Powerful!!!
So, do your best to find an Instructor who will OBSERVE your Natural abilities and then TAILOR his teachings to YOUR Natural Style and Body Type/Abilities.
The general rule is Short Golfers (Under 5' 10") will naturally have a 1 plane swing. (Like Ben Hogan.) Tall Golfers (5' 10" and above.) will naturally have a 2 plane swing. (Like Jack Nicklaus.)
I myself have swung both ways over the years and each has it's strengths and weaknesses for "me".
1 Plane for me has more POWER easier to repeat. But tougher to hit the ball online if my timing is off or I miss place the ball position in my stance.
2 Plane is more accurate for me since you're swinging down the line longer than you do with a one plane swing which goes MORE inside to inside and therefore has the club head moving along the target line for a shorter period of time. So, if my timing is off or the ball position isn't exactly right, the ball will stay on target better and distance will be the price of a mistake and not the LINE OF FLIGHT.
When I have a Flat Belly I tend to Buck the trend and swing with a 2 plane swing. When I'm FAT like now, I use a 1 Plane swing. Lulz
Anywho, just enjoy your NEW CLUBS for at least a year I'd say.
Fairways & Greens to you Mike and may your BALLS always be HIT SOLIDLY with AUTHORITY!!!
LOL
P.S. When you do finally get to the course to play, for the first 10 or 20 rounds DO NOT KEEP SCORE!! Also, MOVE the ball (Even in the rough or sand trap or around a water hazard.) so that you have a GOOD LIE.
There will be PLENTY of time LATER after you have a consistent swing to learn to deal with Divots, Roots, Buried in the sand, and hitting from THICK rough.
To try and "Deal" with those lies now before your swing is developed will actually STUNT your progress.
Also, it's OK to pick your ball up if you are taking too many strokes & time to get to the green or you are losing too many balls on a hole. Just get up to the green and then maybe chip up and then putt out.
If you are put into a group of people you do not know, explain to them that you are NEW to golf and that are NOT keeping score and might be picking up from time to time. They should BOTH understand and appreciate your thoughtfulness & courtesy.
JUST BE PATIENT and if you get Ben's book I'll Echo what HE says in it, "There is NO reason that the average Weekend Golfer cannot BREAK 80 on a regular consistent basis!!"
BTW, I have a set of Wilson's just like pictured here except mine are right handed and these are left handed. I bought them back in 1983 and still use them to this day. This CRAP of changing clubs every year is STUPID!! Once your swing is established that is. LOL
Definitely the same with putters and Drivers. Once you find one that works, KEEP IT!!!
Peace Out!!
