Reprinted Articles

Many times people who are just getting started in the game of Golf become as absorbed in a buying spree as they are in learning to play the game well. The urge to run out and buy professional caliber golf clubs is strong as though owning expensive and high quality clubs will make you a great golfer. But for most new golfers, buying used golf clubs is a smarter move.

For a lot of people, the option of buying used clubs can make starting this new hobby not such a financial strain. And by starting out with a less expensive set, you can find out if you will fall in love with golf for life or if your interest will pass. And if you do find that golf is not a sport you will stick with, you have not sunk so much money into the sport and you can always sell the used clubs for little or no financial loss. But the real value in using inexpensive clubs at first is that you can use this time to find out what you need in a quality set of golf clubs so when you do invest in your permanent set, you are an informed customer.

It’s smart to use borrowed or rental clubs for a few weeks or months as you first start golfing even before you buy a used set of clubs. It’s possible to work out a deal with a golf shop to rent you a set for a few weeks or longer so you use the same set as you get to know the game and are not always breaking in new clubs. Not only is this an important time to start understanding golf but using that borrowed set will help you develop opinions about what to look for in a good set of golf clubs. And a little tip to keep in mind is that cultivating a relationship with the golf shop that rented you the clubs is smart because they often sell off used clubs at great prices so you might luck out and find a great deal that way.

But even at the stage of your game that buying used clubs is smart, it is just as smart to still seek the advice of experts about how to do your shopping. You can put yourself through a lot of aggravation if you buy clubs that are not a good fit to how you play and your physical size and shape. Someone who is an expert in golf clubs can help you out with a set of questions to ask and steps you can go through to find out if the used set you are looking at is a good fit for you. Then if you start your shopping with some solid advice behind you, you will be more confident about your purchase decision.

A hands on shopping experience when looking even for used clubs is crucial because how the clubs feel when you test swing them is very important for that purchase decision. That is why when you are in golf shops, you always see people who know what they are doing using the clubs and trying out a putt or a swing with them to get that feel for how they would serve on the golf course. But the first order of business for you as a rookie golfer is to know how they should feel in your hands in the first place. When you hold the club for a drive or a putt, it should be a comfortable fit to your grip and your size and you should not feel strange or uncomfortable in your hands. This is the value of renting clubs because you can understand what feels right and what doesn’t.

How well a golf club is made is actually a very important thing to be able to evaluate when you are buying your own set, even if they are only a starter used set of golf clubs. Look first at the head and confirm that it is made of stainless steel and not some metal alloy because that mix is not as reliable in a game situation. There are designs to golf club heads that are designed to help you getting started with the game such as clubs where the back part of the head is hollowed out or what is called perimeter weighted golf clubs. But one design twist that can really help you play better at first is to get a club that has an oversized head to make that initial drive become much easier to make work for you. The increased striking surface on the head means that your shots will routinely do much better with less precision needed on your part when you are still learning. Then once your game is well established and you buy your permanent set of clubs, you can go with a set with conventional head sizes.

But the heads are not the only aspect of the golf club you should learn to consider when looking at used clubs. The long part of the club that makes up the shaft should make for an easy swing and be light and easy to handle. But in your early weeks of golfing, you learned that the grip is a crucial part of the golf club and it must be right for you to be a success. But if the grips of the used clubs are a bit worn, that’s not a big deal because they can be fixed inexpensively. But even before that is fixed, test how the club feels when you hold it and take some test swings in a drive or putt position so you know if all of the parts of the club work well for you.

This process of buying gold clubs for the first time can be overwhelming and fun at the same time. But by doing some homework up front as we have discussed, you will go into the process knowing what you are doing. Be patient and “test drive” each club in the set and if you look them over well, your gut instincts will help you make the right decision about whether this is the right set for your starter golf clubs or if the search should continue.

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Tags: Golf