#8 The right "tool" for every purpose

Published on 2023-02-13 by Kai

After this blog has already dealt with many points around the topics of golf and playing golf, this text goes back to start, so to speak.

There is one big question on everyone's mind who is thinking about starting this sport and who - after a taster course and other activities with rental clubs on free courses - is now considering putting together some equipment. It is a matter of considering which club sets are right for the beginning.

Which clubs do you need?

First of all, there is the basic question of which clubs are needed in general in order to be prepared for all the conditions that can occur on the round.

If you quickly grab a beginner's set, you'll at least have everything you need in your bag - and you'll usually already have the bag with you.

Different price and quality levels

These sets are available - like everything else in the world - in different quality levels, which are of course also reflected in different prices. There are well-known manufacturers (see blog) and also smaller companies that are active in this market.

But regardless of whether well-known or rather niche: There are sets of good, but also of rather joyless quality on both sides. With the large manufacturers, however, hardly.

Well-known brands

If you are a newcomer to this market, you would be well advised to look around at the well-known brands, because the quality is not always obvious at first or even second glance.

One thing should be clear from the start: Every hobby costs money. This is also the case with golf. And this is also noticeable when putting together the first equipment: shoes, gloves, balls, tees, perhaps a trolley, a towel for the clubs and finally - as the certainly most cost-intensive part - the club sets.

"Who buys cheap, buys twice".

You should be able to spend several hundred euros to stock up sensibly for the start. And the old farmer's rule should not be forgotten: "He who buys cheap, buys twice." This sentence also applies to the first set of clubs.

Professional advice should also be taken, if possible even in different stores, because even sellers have their preferences and these can - without wanting to impute anything to anyone here - lead the rookie strongly astray.

The right set is important

And if you go out on the course with a set that doesn't suit you at all, you'll quickly lose the fun and the desire. And that would be a great pity.

Club sets are generally classified into women's, men's and senior sets, all of which have standard lengths. In addition, there are extra short children's sets. The distinction lies in the shafts, which - across all club lengths - have different flex properties, i.e. are more or less flexible. Basic rule: the more flexible, the more suitable for beginners. But also: the more bendable, the less feedback. Of course, this means there is overlap, e.g. women's sets with stiffer shafts or men's sets with more flexible ones. So ultimately, the qualification is more of a marketing idea, which is sometimes also reflected in the color scheme.

It quickly becomes apparent here: The search for the right club sets turns out to be difficult and is reminiscent of the egg-laying wool sow. Those who know they don't have the giant talent will play with bendable shafts for a long time. However, those who progress quickly will soon miss the feedback and look for another club sets.

Half set as a compromise

If you are not sure how quickly you will succeed in this sport or whether you really want to spend a lot of free time on the beautiful courses in the coming years, you can also opt for a half set at the beginning. With it the start will also succeed. And if clubs are missing later, they can be purchased separately.

The advantage of the half set lies in the finances, logically. If you spend the same money on half as many clubs, you get higher quality than with a complete set.

Keyword "Fitting

However, all this refers to future golfers with a normal stature and average build. Anyone who deviates significantly from this will not be able to avoid the keyword "fitting" when making a purchase.

In this process, clubs are adjusted so that they fit optimally. Again, it's mainly about the shafts, but this time about their length.

Specialist salesperson can help

As already mentioned, the salesperson can and should help with the purchase decision. Not only can he give further advice, he knows the latest products on the market and what a beginner needs.

He usually also has a teeing ground available where clubs can be tested and shots measured. This helps with the purchase decision and fitting.

Finally, you can go out with a good feeling with the new clubs on the first round. The rest is diligence.