Dear Frank.Your Golf Equipment Questions Answered!
When you decide you want to learn the game of golf, there are lots of golf basics you need to know about at the start. But where do you begin if you are a complete newbie? Well, there are various resources on-line the Internet to help you with your golf basics.
Golfing Tips For Beginners
The golfing beginner can start by reading some free golf tips on the Internet. Golf Tips For Beginners is a growing resource that you can visit to learn about every facet of the game. The website has articles and links to particular golf sections for additional information. Two useful resources that you will find are links to a golf review blog and free golf tips videos.
The Basic Golf Tips
Basic Golf Tips articles can be found that cover the stuff you need to know about to get started. At the moment, there are 8 articles covering the basics; beginning with the scoring system, and continuing with choosing the right golf equipment, the different types of golf shots, and golf rules and etiquette.
Golf Resources
There are some carefully chosen golf resources at the golf tips for beginners' page. You will find PDF eBooks specially written for the beginner golfer, the senior golfer and the woman golfer. Also, links to the best golf balls and golf clubs for beginners.
Golf Gear
You will clearly need some golf equipment to start playing golf. The fundamental items are a golf club set, a golf bag, tees, and balls. However, you don't essentially need to purchase these at first; you can rent them out from most golf courses. But, if you are serious about taking up the game, then investing in a good set of clubs, balls and a golf bag is elemental.
If you take the decision to invest in golf equipment you will find that there are hundreds of options. Most of the top brand name golf manufacturers spend millions trying to get you to buy their equipment. But don't rush out and spend thousands of dollars on golf clubs that might not help your game.
Preferably, start off with a good set of golf clubs that are designed with the beginner in mind. Sometimes, they are called game improving clubs and they are designed to be more forgiving to miss-hits. You can have them tailor made for your physical size and swing speed by customizing the clubs with the correct shaft type and flex.
So, for your golf education, check out what the golf tips for beginners website has to offer. There will be more articles coming and more golf reviews added to the blog to help you figure out what products are right for you.
In looking for online golf tips I always go back to one of my father's sayings, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is." Everywhere you look, there are free golf lessons, online golf tips, and golf instructions of how to swing a golf club. Not only are beginning golfers looking for the "magic bullet" but, they want it for free. Beginning golfers to mid-handicap golfers be the most aware as these players tend to look for any golf instruction information. Better players tend not to do this because they understand that not all information is good information. Before using any free information from the web, take your time. Once online, you need to be very careful with the experience and certifications of the golf instructor. Is it a PGA Golf Professional or someone just writing for their blog about their own experience?
So can you benefit from online golf tips? Where do you find them? First, think about what exactly it is that you would like to have help with. As with any search, the more specific the search the better matches will appear. Proceed to Google or your favorite search engine, and type your thought in the search bar. Obviously, you can then search the results for exactly what you want.
Another saying is you get what you pay for. This saying also screams to be cautious about the word free. Some very good instructors offer free online golf tips or golf lessons on their website. Again, you have to do your research about the author or instructor. Obviously, a Top 100 instructor is going to be giving you good information. If you do not recognize the author, you can go to the PGA.com homepage and search their database of PGA members. The PGA of America even offers a Specialty Certification in Instruction for their members to further educate and separate themselves.
The truth of the matter is if the professional or instruction is trying to get you into positions, I would stay away from it. The most important part of your golf swing is your golf club and the club face. The instruction that you are reading or taking should focus on these aspects. If the shaft is moving in the right direction and the club face is in the proper position it really does not matter if you are standing on your head or not, the ball will be propelled in the proper direction.
Beginning golfers looking for online golf tips or online golf lessons can find some good information as long as they are careful. One good resource is virtualgolfswing.com. This site was developed by PGA Professionals that have taught at such facilities as TPC at Sawgrass, TPC at The Woodlands, The Woodlands Country Club and The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. You can find free online golf tips and golf instruction articles. In addition, virtualgolfswing.com has created a member section that will give you golf instruction that is literally specific to your golf swing.
Beginning golfers and mid-handicappers can find great information online golf tips about the golf swing and short game. Make sure to do your homework about who the information is coming from and use common sense. Remember, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is."
What I am about to tell you may sound like common sense, but I need to say it anyway. If you want to score better on the green and improve your overall golf game, focus on working on your golf swing. Many golfers out there think that power is the answer to the golf swing, and don't realize that the accuracy in the golf swing is where it is at. There are many places where you can find golf swing instructions: golf professionals, golf web sites, golf books and golf magazines, to name a few. Let's take a look at some great places to get golf swing instruction.
You can improve your golf swing by following golf swing instructions from professional golf trainers. Professional golf trainers are a reliable source of golf swing instructions. He or she can personally look at your golf swing, analyze it and provide you with specific golf swing instructions on how to improve it. A professional golf trainer can tell you which area of your golf swing needs to be improved and he or she can come up with specific golf swing instructions that you need to follow. Your golf swing can improve after a lesson or two provided by a professional golf trainer. The benefit is the one on one training, while the downside can be the cost. Professional training is not cheap, but for the devoted and serious golfer, the lessons can be invaluable.
As stated above, getting golf swing instructions from a professional golf trainer doesn't come cheap, however, and not all golfers can afford to hire one. You can still work on improving your golf swing inexpensively. For online savvy golfers, golf web sites provide golf swing instructions ranging from articles, short tips and videos. One really great resource to take advantage of is the golf online forum. Here you can meet up with other like minded golfers and share tips and information.
You can also check out the golf books and golf magazines in your local library. You can subscribe to one or two golf magazines and receive up-to-date golf swing instructions from leading golf professionals for a fraction of the cost. There are also golf DVDs you can either rent or purchase. You can follow the golf swing instructions from these inexpensive sources in your own time and right in your own home.
Lastly, here are some tips you can take with you right now and we hope that can help you improve your golf game.
Tip 1. Did you know that your grip -- how you hold the golf club -- is a factor that can affect your golf swing? Your top thumb must point up directly at you and comfortably grip the golf club.
Tip 2. If you find your hands hurting while you golf or after the game, you may be gripping the golf club too tightly. Loosen your grip a little and relax. If you can't relax, your tension will affect your game.
Tip 3. Having an even golf swing plane also contributes to the success of your golf swing. The club face must be square with the golf ball upon impact if you want to hit the golf ball straight.
Tip 4. Consistency and persistence is the key. The only way to get better is to do the same thing over and over with a concerted effort to following the basics.
Unlike the old days, today we are very fortunate because we could get all our golf clubs custom fit to suit our actual swing.
Make sure that you use the same lie angle by ensuring that you are not hitting a
golf clubs that are wrongly fitted to you otherwise when you hit a bad shot, you don’t know whether it’s you or the golf clubs that are to be blamed.
If you get the golf clubs set up to your loft lie correctly at least then you’ll know for a fact that when you hit a bad shot it was you. A good way of testing this is to look at your set of irons. If you hit well with your five iron while the six and seven iron always give you nightmares, something could be wrong with the lie angle of the latter. In fact they should be better because they’ve got more loft on, but if thelie is wrong then that’s probably the reason why.
If you are using golf clubs that you have been using for quite for time now that are wrongly fitted to you, there is a tendency for you to try and compensate because you think your golf swing is going wrong. This means that you are putting the faults into your golf swing or into your golf game to compensate for badly fitted golf clubs.
Always remember that the correct golf clubs can enhance the game of a player. Available in a wide variety of styles and designs, golf clubs are designed to fit all golfers and all budgets. You should pick the proper set of correct golf clubs and the essential equipment to compliment your golf game.
The size of the golf club heads is important. The heads are either made of either steel or titanium. Steel heads are heavier than titanium and can impede a golf swing. Titanium heads can be bigger and allows for more ball contact but maintain a lower weight than steel.
Also, make a point to check the flexibility of the golf club shaft. A graphite shaft, while lighter, offers less control. A steel shaft is strong and allows the golfer more control over his swing.
The following tips could further help you in choosing the correct golf clubs:
1) Try to hit a few drivers in a local golf shop. If possible, use a machine to test your swing speed which is an important factor in choosing the correct golf clubs.
2) Follow these swing speeds (measured in mph):
105+ for extra stiff shaft,
90 to 105 for stiff shaft,
80 to 95 for regular shaft,
70 to 85 for senior flex (flexible or A shaft) and
Under 70 for ladies flex.
Do not purchase golf clubs that are too stiff for your swing speed. There is no shame in using a regular flex, senior flex or even ladies flex if it helps you hit the ball as far as possible.
3) Purchase golf clubs with large club heads and perimeter weighting for more forgiveness. Buy golf clubs with smaller club heads for more control. The extra weight on the bottom of the club would help get the ball airborne.
Being born with the left hand as your master hand can both be a blessing and a curse. You can get around most things, such as left handed desks, and writing with your left had. When it comes to left handed golf club sets, it becomes a pain being a lefty.
It's a good thing then that left handed golf club sets are not very hard to find, and it may not even cost the same as a normal set. It is important to take your time shopping for the right left handed golf club set that fits your needs.
Most major golf companies like, Callaway, Mizuno and Nike actually make right handed and left handed golf club sets. But due to the small demand for sets to manufacture left handed golf club sets, there are not many of them in the market.
Callaway, Mizuno, Ping and Nike actually make both right and left-handed golf club sets. Demand for the left-handed versions is less, due to the number of left handed players being less in the professional golf market.
Does it cost more to a lefty?
Even though the demand for left handed golf club sets is less, it is no more expensive than the normal right handed clubs. As a matter of fact left handed golf club sets costs pretty much the same as right handed ones.
Custom Made Left handed Golf Clubs
Just like normal golf clubs, left handed golf club sets can be custom made and designed for the individual. All you need is the golfers, gender, height and weight, together with distance from the golfer's wrist to the floor. Speed of swing, age, handicap, plus what club is being used on the 150 yard mark to make the changes.
Custom made golf clubs are more expensive than over the counter left handed golf club sets, but it can be worth the money, time and effort when fitting. Usually the appropriate golf club set can improve a golfer's game and his enjoyment of it.
Many players enthusiastically buy new clubs sets, including those left handers to find that the game requires concentration and skills that they don't have. If you're thinking that some of the golf dreamers are left handed then your definitely right. This allows you to find bargains gathering dust in the back of garages.
So watch out for garage sales, because if they won't sell those dust gathering golf sets then their wives probably will. And the greatest part is that they will probably sell those left handed gold club sets for a fraction of the original price just to get them out of the way. A bonus for you and a win for space from the previous owner!