What is the right golf equipment? Unfortunately, the answers to these questions are often unsatisfactory, even from professionals, as they tend to say that cheap clubs are sufficient to start with. They give beginners the feeling that they should buy as many golf clubs as possible for as little money as possible. However, quality is actually essential for those taking their first steps in golf.
When is golf equipment suitable for beginners?
How big should a golf club set for beginners be?
Checklist for golf equipment
Fitting the new golf clubs
Other equipment
Conclusion: Even beginners need quality in their golf bag.
When is golf equipment suitable for beginners?
When it comes to golf clubs, it is therefore important to pay attention to several criteria, especially for beginners: The manufacturing quality has a significant influence on the learning success of beginners. This is because different clubs are aimed at different golfers. If you start with the wrong clubs, they may behave completely differently to higher quality, suitable models. The wrong equipment can complicate and slow down the learning process in the long term.
Many factors combine to determine the quality of the golf clubs: the effective weight of the individual components of the club, the alignment of the shaft, the geometry (length, lie, loft), the fitting of the golf club set and finally the material of the clubs. Nowadays, the club head should be made of carbon, stainless steel or titanium. The material of the shaft is sometimes differentiated according to gender: Women usually get on very well with graphite clubs, while men can also opt for steel shafts, depending on their swing speed. Recently, there have also been bi-matrix variants that combine both materials. The grip material is generally of secondary importance: Almost anything goes here, from textile to rubber. The decisive factor is that the player feels comfortable with the grip of the golf clubs.
How big should a golf club set for beginners be?
The heart of the golf club set at the start of a golf career is the iron set. Beginners can decide together with their coaches whether to buy a full set, a half set or even just a single iron club. The decisive factor here is the golfer’s personal goals. In all cases, the purchase of a 7-iron as well as a pitching wedge or 9-iron is a good start to test out the game of golf. In the long term, a golfer needs a full set, but in the beginning he can also save money here and start with just a few irons in his golf bag, but then ideally choose high-quality irons. The same applies to woods. Beginners can postpone the purchase of golf clubs for the time being, as playing with woods requires a more stable swing. In the end, only the putter is indispensable.
Checklist for golf equipment
| Club | Hcp 54-36 | Hcp 36-25 | Hcp 25-14 | Hcp 14-0 |
| Putter | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Lob Wedge | no | no | maybe | yes |
| Sand Wedge | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Gap Wedge | no | maybe | yes | yes |
| P- Wedge | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Iron 9 | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Iron 8 | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Iron 7 | yes yes | yes yes | ||
| Iron 6 | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Iron 5 | maybe | yes | yes | yes |
| Iron 4 | no | maybe | yes | yes |
| Iron 3 | no | no | maybe | maybe |
| Iron 2 | no | no | maybe | maybe |
| Hybrid | no | maybe | maybe | yes |
| Wood 9 | maybe | yes | maybe | maybe |
| Wood 7 | maybe | maybe | maybe | maybe |
| Wood 5 | yes | yes | yes | maybe |
| Wood 3 | maybe | maybe | maybe | yes |
| Driver | maybe | yes | yes | yes |
| In total: | 8 clubs | 11 clubs | 12 clubs | 14 clubs |
Fitting the new golf clubs
Even if you are new to golf, it is advisable to visit a fitter. A well-fitted set of irons (or even individual clubs) will make it easier to get started in the sport. You can also use the measurements and golf equipment requirements determined in this way later on to complete your half set. The fitter can also advise you on putting together your set of irons.
Further equipment
Carrying is only recommended for really well-trained beginners. A golf trolley that can be used to transport the golf bag is therefore more suitable. In recent years, the back-friendly three-wheel trolley has prevailed over the two-wheel trolley.
Very few players do without golf gloves completely, as they guarantee a better grip on the club. The abrasion on the glove is also a good indicator of grip and swing errors.
The fit of the golf shoes is crucial. You can only find out which shoe is the right one by trying it out. As a round of golf involves a lot of walking, the shoes should fit well and be comfortable.
Golf balls are essential for the game of golf, as they disappear quicker than you would like, especially at the beginning of your golf career. Balls with a lot of spin are not recommended for beginners, as they usually also increase the unwanted spin. However, the choice of golf ball is often a personal preference, and beginners should also decide on the hardness of the ball by feel.
Conclusion: Even beginners need quality in their golf bag
Beginners are often tempted to save money on the golf club set. However, this is the wrong way to go if you save on the quality of the golf clubs. Beginners in particular need high quality for good initial learning success. That’s why it’s better to buy fewer clubs first, but high-quality ones. It all depends on the material and the set-up of the clubs. The putter and some irons such as 7, 8 & 9 should not be missing from the first golf club set.