Golf general advice and help thread.

HMHB

I am starting back playing golf after a 12-15 year absence and am looking for a new driver. My mate has lent me his spare cheapo Dunlop driver and whilst I'm not doing bad, I noticed that when I used his proper driver I could hit it further even if I hadn't connected properly.

At the moment I'm only on the driving range but I'm hitting it mostly straight but only a maximum of 200 yards.

What should I be looking for in a driver? I don't want to spend more than about £50 to be honest so not sure if I would get anything better than the one I'm currently using.

booyaka

have a look 2nd hand in local pro shop etc. No point in spending £50 on a new driver as it's likely to be pretty poor.

2nd hand will get you a better driver for sure.

Might pick up something like a Ping G10 driver or Taylor Made R7/R9 etc - try and have a hit with it as well before purchasing.

Toasty

If your local pro has an analyse facility, use that to hit a few balls. The pro can tell you what shaft and loft will be best suited to your swing, this helped turn a huge amount of backspin into a better flight path drive for me when I upgraded my driver. Turned out my old driver was wrong shaft for my swing.

HMHB

I think I might have to do that. My mate's driver certainly felt more comfortable for some reason.

Graham27

I'd agree with getting a fitting, but if you don't buy from whoever does the fitting they're liable to charge for it, which will eat into your budget.

I'd go for something second hand from a big brand, with a frying pan sized head, a regular shaft, and plenty of loft.

If you buy on ebay you won't lose too much if you don't like it. Happy hunting!

HMHB

The "fear" I have about getting a fitting is that they'll criticise my swing (I know it's bad but it's the best I can do!!) and I'll screw up under the pressure of being watched

Toasty

The pro should be pretty good and will actually give you a hint or two during the session if you're doing anything particularly detrimental, however as Graham mentions, they are after a sale at the end of the day. The way it works at our club is you pay for a fitting, but its returned as a voucher, so if you buy anything, the session is free.

Graham27

It's unlikely that they'll criticise you, but it is highly likely that you'll feel a bit self-concious. You shouldn't worry though, they'll have seen far worse than a bit of a rusty swing

I worked in golf shops for years, and I've seen a few funny sights. I've left people to try a club on their own and they've hit in completely the wrong direction ("Um, excuse me, do you see that big net behind you?"), heads have flown off clubs, and you'd be amazed at how common it is for a little botty burp to squeak out when someone is teeing up a ball

aphex232

i trawl through gumtree on a weekly basis to find golfing bargains - you may have to travel a few miles to pick it up but it can be well worth it

edit:

http://www.gumtree.com/golf-equipment/nottinghamshire

Dazo

I am in the exact same boat as you regarding back playing after about 18 years of not hitting a ball. My local range has an American golf shop attached and have been on the range every other day trying out their 2nd hand clubs. Having tried various makes I decided I was going with Taylormade. Luckily for me Taylormade were doing custom fittings at the range last week and I booked a slot with the same fears as you have. Now I have a pretty horrendous slice but I just made it clear from the start i was a beginner and the guy was great. Giving loads of advice, tuned the clubs perfectly and by the end of the fitting I was hitting great shots.

It is not a golf lesson but the clubs these days really can be tuned to suit your swing.