3 Steps To Choosing The Best Golf Clubs For You

Buying golf equipment is not like a simple whirl down the grocery aisle.  Golf clubs are made with meticulous precision and it’s important to know exactly what you’ve got in your bag.

The clubs that you use can make or break your form on the green.  To find the best clubs to lift your game, keep these three tips in mind.

1. Know Thy Self

It’s important to know your capability and use clubs that suit your skill level.  Different skill levels need different gear – are you a beginner, intermediate or advanced golfer?

• Beginner: At this level, your best bet is to keep it simple and use less equipment.  You’re not ready for a full fitting because you haven’t mastered your swing yet.  Start with a few woods, a putter and several irons.  If you buy a full set of clubs, set aside the extraneous clubs until you’ve refined your technique with your basics.
• Intermediate: Once you’re shooting around 80 to 95, you are considered intermediate.  Most new equipment is designed for this demographic.  When choosing your clubs, look for forgiveness that suits your strength and posture.  Most brands will let you know which of their irons are most forgiving.
• Advanced: If you typically break 80, you are in this elite rank, and the world of golf equipment is your oyster.  You should still keep forgiveness in mind but you can also experiment with irons that mix traditional blade design with perimeter weighting.

2. Ask The Experts

Once you’ve honed your technique to intermediate level, it’s time to be fit for custom irons.  Don’t buy golf clubs based on celebrity endorsements or slogans – what works for Jason Day might not work for you.  And if your clubs don’t fit you, well-struck approach shots may miss the green.

The fitting procedure will help you better understand your game.  A professional club fitter will use a machine to determine your clubhead speed – this is the main factor in choosing the right shaft material and flexibility.

The fitting will help you decide between shafts made of graphite or steel.  Whichever you choose, you’ll also have to settle on the right flex for your swing – there are five different levels of shaft flexibility.  You want to feel in control of the clubhead.  If you’ve been playing the wrong shaft, your game has probably suffered for it.

To improve your score without changing your swing, try using more hybrids or higher-lofted woods.  Many golfers opt to give up their long irons in favor of hybrids because the combination of woods and irons is easier to strike with.  The experts will guide you through these decisions during the fitting process.

3. Learn Your Lesson

When you’re starting out, finding clubs that suit your swing can entail a lot of guesswork.  If you want to develop a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses on the green, invest in professional coaching.

A professional lesson will cost you much less than a fancy new driver but it will teach you much more about your game.

To refine your technique, you can’t count on intuition and feelings.  Your perception of your own swing and posture is often radically different to how you actually look on the golf course.  A qualified coach will tell you if you need to correct your posture or build core strength.

A good coach will show you photos and videos of the preferred swing model and explain how you need to adapt your position to achieve the preferred stance and swing.  With the insight gained from professional lessons, you’ll be better informed when the time comes to invest in your custom-fit clubs.

Cover Photo via BigStockPhoto.com