Beginner's dilemma: Buy Golf set or separate clubs

Hi,

Just started my beginners course for PC. Thought of acquiring my personal clubs for practice, esp during GSS. Should I be buying a complete set of clubs or acquiring them separately? Which are the key clubs I need to acquired (full set of irons + putter)? I have budgeted about $800 for my initial set. Appreciate advice from all my fellow experienced golfers

I bought them separate.... all 2nd hand... This is what I bought chronologically

1. Iron set - KT302 NSPRO 850/950 Stiff: 4-9,P,A,S $200
2. Oddysey White Hot #1 blade putter $50
3. Ping G5 10.5 Regular Japan Spec $200 (with friend now)
4. Hybrid Perry Gear 24 deg Regular $birthday gift
5. Hybrid Perry Gear 19 deg Regular $50
6. Titleist BV 60 deg wedge $60
6. Taylormade Driver R7 HT 10.5 Stock Stiff $borrow from friend indefinitely
7. Taylormade 3Wood R7 xR Stock Stiff $150

Total: $710... in almost 2 years span.

taskie wrote:

I bought them separate.... all 2nd hand... This is what I bought chronologically

1. Iron set - KT302 NSPRO 850/950 Stiff: 4-9,P,A,S $200
2. Oddysey White Hot #1 blade putter $50
3. Ping G5 10.5 Regular Japan Spec $200 (with friend now)
4. Hybrid Perry Gear 24 deg Regular $birthday gift
5. Hybrid Perry Gear 19 deg Regular $50
6. Titleist BV 60 deg wedge $60
6. Taylormade Driver R7 HT 10.5 Stock Stiff $borrow from friend indefinitely
7. Taylormade 3Wood R7 xR Stock Stiff $150

Total: $710... in almost 2 years span.

you didn't put in your Nike putter??

hi, i would recommend you to buy used clubs as well (as long as you're not the picky type). You should only invest in the brand new set / customized set when you know what you want after you have developed your swing otherwise you'll just end up wasting loads of money. also, i would suggest that you do not buy a set but rather buy separate clubs.

I am a beginner, 1 month plus into learning and buying my stuff and here are my thoughts.

1. I want to get a full set of stuff and get going.
2. I want to get a good set so that i wont change in the near future.

After one month,

1. I realised i am a beginner and i will torture my clubs sometimes. (hitting instead of swinging) And sometimes wonder why i spend so much on "good" clubs -.-
2. My strokes are inconsistent and "good" or "not so good" clubs may not show in terms of performances. (but forgiving clubs are still important)

But then another part of me

1. With the good investment in clubs, i will work harder
2. With decent clubs, i can only blame the indian and not the arrows.

Above are just the things that went thru my mind every now and then. Solution wise i have none but to buy something you are comfortable with and your budget allows.

What i got

1. Irons 4-P
2. Driver
3. S wedge

I T-loan the 3, 5 woods and hybrid.
Next need to get a putter which i will probably get after i learn my putting.

Can't edit properly so have to add new reply.

Have to add that I still no regrets to get a new set. The feeling also slightly different towards the club emotionally. What to do, my wife also say I hiao. T_T

laybeedlang wrote:

taskie wrote:

I bought them separate.... all 2nd hand... This is what I bought chronologically

1. Iron set - KT302 NSPRO 850/950 Stiff: 4-9,P,A,S $200
2. Oddysey White Hot #1 blade putter $50 (not used now)
3. Ping G5 10.5 Regular Japan Spec $200 (with friend now)
4. Hybrid Perry Gear 24 deg Regular $birthday gift
5. Hybrid Perry Gear 19 deg Regular $50
6. Titleist BV 60 deg wedge $60
6. Taylormade Driver R7 HT 10.5 Stock Stiff $borrow from friend indefinitely
7. Taylormade 3Wood R7 xR Stock Stiff $150
8. Nike IC $70

Total: $780... in almost 2 years span.

you didn't put in your Nike putter??

Oh.. ya, how can I forget...

TTM wrote:

Hi,

Just started my beginners course for PC. Thought of acquiring my personal clubs for practice, esp during GSS. Should I be buying a complete set of clubs or acquiring them separately? Which are the key clubs I need to acquired (full set of irons + putter)? I have budgeted about $800 for my initial set. Appreciate advice from all my fellow experienced golfers

Most would recommend to buy a 2nd hand set as you will bound to change them... eventually (no matter how much you convince yourself that you are a 1 set of clubs kind of person)... but yet there is this other part of us wanting to buy NEW things... and since buying new things, we should spend more on the better ones so we dun need to spend again concept... and in the end... backside itchy still change!

Since you are only starting out with golf, do no spend unnecessarily on clubs that may not be suitable for you. There are those NEW FULL sets (Driver+FW_Irons_Putter+Bag!) $200+ clubs that you can buy just to get by this initial period.

Take some time to decide if this game is really for you (no doubt in our mind it is for ALL of GRians here becos we are just a bunch of golf crazy nut cases) Get yourself worked out to hit proper golf shots... then when you feel confident to move on... you can pick up/ upgrade the clubs as you go along.

This actually saves you more money and eventually get you the clubs that truly suits you and you will enjoy the game better.

TTM wrote:

Hi,

Just started my beginners course for PC. Thought of acquiring my personal clubs for practice, esp during GSS. Should I be buying a complete set of clubs or acquiring them separately? Which are the key clubs I need to acquired (full set of irons + putter)? I have budgeted about $800 for my initial set. Appreciate advice from all my fellow experienced golfers

hi bro TTM

I assume you are taking your beginner course with a pro, and eventually going for PC test.

In this case, your instructor should most likely go thru the usage of some clubs like wood or driver, iron (in most cases #7 iron), picthing, chipping, putting and maybe 1 or 2 lesson on course follow by PC test.

I would suggest, if u allow me to would be as below :

For iron : it usually come in a set, and try to get maybe #5-PW (6 pieces) or #5-SW (7 pieces), be it new or second hand set. To most of us (including me), #3 and #4 iron is pretty much useless.

For wood/driver : just go for 1 wood and 1 driver i think will be good enough.

For putter : Price range for putter varies very wide and control your budget for putter. For a start, a second hand mallet putter is not a bad choice, it helps a lot in alignment.

A basic simple standbag is pretty much good enough.

Far East Shopping Center is quite a good place to hunt for second hand set, but i would suggest you jio some bro here to shop with you, if you not familiar with the shops there.

I think that is all..wish you all the best in your purchasing...good luck !!

snowman

just get any decent set of club should be fine, you will know what you really want/like in a club later... thats when you can search for THE clubs.

You just need to experience it

I know of a guy that bought a decent set from cash converter for less than sg50 and played less than 90. Value for money. So, as beginner you dont really need to splurge...

Cash converter have some good stuff. saw a Odyssey two ball for $15 (older model and beat up but still for $15!!), another Odyssey for $12, a Nakashima NX1 hybrid for $15, a Titleist 975 for $15, even the new Royal Collection woods/hybrids are now selling for $50.

second hand set or "old" models are cost effective for a 1st set.

my suggestion, if you prefer new clubs would be to look at "obsolete" models.
product life cycle are really short for certain brands, you could get a real bargain getting older models.

brand new callaway FT-5 was selling for $99 at the jln pemimpin sale, which is cheaper than a similar used second hand.

taylormade are really fast introducing new models, so you might like to look out for the previous models at places like far east SC?

for a 1st set, i dont think the older models are in any way "inferior" than current models or that the new models are miles ahead (if it is only 1-2 generation gap).

JMHO

Go check out Greenfield Golf (look for Hock Yong) at Far East Shopping Center - they usually have some decent sets on sale there.

I found a set of MacGregor Tourney cavity back irons (allegedly forged by Miura, designed like the CB-101) going for just SGD280 some time back. That was for a 3 to PW. I started out with a set of Nike Forged Blades (not very smart), that I later switched for a Honma LB-280, and later to a Titleist 990 DCI. The latter two can be easily purchased for SGD300 these days.

You'll also be able to pick up a 56* sand wedge for SGD99 (new), or they have a good assortment of good brands you can pick up for between SGD60 and SGD80. I picked up a 56* Nike VR black sand wedge for SGD60 not too long ago.

For driver, don't bother to spend too much at this point in time unless you have a consistent swing for a beginner. You'll want something forgiving, not long, since your accuracy isn't going to be fantastic. I would recommend a used TaylorMade Burner, Callaway FT-i, or a Cobra L4V, which you can get for around SGD300 these days, and should be way decent enough for a long time. As eden says, a new FT-5 (which is pretty good) is just SGD99. The sale at Pan West Jalan Peminpin is a good place to look for stuff, and you should find some decent fairway woods there for a steal too. You'll want to consider a 15* 3w and probably a 19* 5w or hybrid

That leaves you with the need for a putter. If you want something more forgiving, get your hands on a mallet putter. I would recommend a Odyssey 2-ball, which, while an old model, was one of the easiest putters to use. It should be in the region of SGD100 to SGD150, but I wouldn't care too much about the condition at this point in time.

As you improve, you will probably upgrade your putter, driver and later add in a hybrid or a fairway wood, but if you're starting out, build your game around our irons first, then the putter, and finally the driver.

So far, based on the above estimates, you can expect to spend:

SGD300 for irons
SGD100 to SGD150 for putter
SGD80 for a sand wedge
SGD100 (FT-5) to SGD300 for a driver (in my time, a Taylormade R580 was da bomb, and even till today, with all the drivers I have, I'm using an R510 TP that was introduced in May 2003)

That pretty much leaves you to look for a cheap stand bag (try to haggle a bit with the shop - if you're buying a whole bunch of stuff from them, they might give you a good price for a used stand bag.

I bought a second hand callaway big bertha for less than $200. Though old model but good enough for me to practise 'whacking' and i mean whacking the ball. Go ebay or other auction websites, surely you'll find good deal.

So far,
irons 3-9 + stand bag + 12 balls = $180
putter = $8
SW =$30
PW =$40

All these second hands are just to prepare myself before i commit to more 'chio' set.......make sure that i have the basics right first.........just my two cents worth.

suggest you buy a low end brande new full sets with that budget. Bags , wood and irons and all.
When you like the game than you start to upgrade.
When you sell a full set later it will be easier.

there's never a "perfect" story. i.e:
1) buy a "low end" set n then u will accustom ur swings n all to this set??
2) buy a "reputable" set n then get use to it??

for me, i'm going e road less travelled. i.e i'm going for Cobra S2 Max, steel shaft 3h, 4h, 5-PW set (bcos its not so common; u knw wat i mean if u take a look at market place.....)

just like learning car, do u wanna learn auto car n then drive auto car all e way?
or u prefer manual car, n then u r used to manual car.

end of e day, to me, there's no right or wrong. just go with wat u think suits u.

smart move. invest in lessons, don't try to self-teach and end up creating bad habits that take years to unlearn

Hi
Dropped you a PM.
I have good set for beginners. Bot from a bro here for my bro in Law but he dun wan...
Cos he pref another set also bot from here...

its callaway x-14 steel and burner 07 woods
cam give free bags, wedge, old putter... etc.. pls contact me

Sorry Mod. lazy to post on marketplace.. hopefully din violate the rules

I would not consider Callaway BB your normal type of irons, it is more of a hybrid design

I have a full set consists of titleist 905r driver, MP 57(4-p) and Taylor made rossa putter. Going as a set. Look out for my post later in market place. Should be going at 750.

My take is don't buy yet. Just wack as hard as you can with a 7 iron with as best a swing as you can learn and master. When your ball can fly and drop (not roll) at around 110m, that's the time to buy a golf set. It does not matter then if it is new or used, full set or loose, as long as the clubs are matching. Have a good golf journey! :-)

TTM wrote:

Hi,

Just started my beginners course for PC. Thought of acquiring my personal clubs for practice, esp during GSS. Should I be buying a complete set of clubs or acquiring them separately? Which are the key clubs I need to acquired (full set of irons + putter)? I have budgeted about $800 for my initial set. Appreciate advice from all my fellow experienced golfers

Here just my opinion, Do not rush and go to buy a set as yet until you are ready to play in a course. Develop your swing with your instructor but learn and feel the club that your instructor provide you during training. I presume you will using 7i, driver, wedge and putter most of the time during training.

If you still intent to buy a set, i suggest you ask your instructor which type will be more suitable for you ( I am sure nobody else knew better about your swing than your instructor )

Do not waste $ buying an expensive set .. good 2nd hand set will be a good option. I am sure you will change your set within 1 years into the game ( As we were all beginner before, we know )

Buying a complete set will be the easier way if you do not like to search or shopping. However, you might not really need fair wood wood club as yet, rescue club will be better option since you are a beginner, forget about i3 and i4 for the time being too. As for putter, it is important as every player has different feel on difference types of putter ( blade, mallet ..etc). Ask your instructor to let you try different type of putter during your training and buy the type that you feel good and confidence in playing.

I would recommend that you buy club separately if you do not mind the trouble;

Driver : Go for 460cc head type as it is more forgiven .. Check with your instructor what type of shaft you shall use ( R, R Flex or S) .. usually R for beginner but you may be fast and strong hitter ?

Rescue club : # 4 shall be okay as it is not the longer

W, PW, 9i to 5i : If the shop allow you to pick the club ... You might not need to buy a 5i as yet, maybe later stages.

Putter : Please refer to what I say about putter above.

I also suggest that you shop together with an experience player. He or she knew better and never because it is cheap and buy any club that were not original .. It is screw up your swing ...

Go to this link and learn about club equipment http://www.learnaboutgolf.com/equipment/wedge.html

Welcome to golf and wish you all the best in your training

Just to share my opinion.

1. Don't have to rush for a new or used club set, since you're having the lesson, you try to understand yourself whether you have passion for this game.
2. I started off with used clubs, my suggestion is to get a few irons e.g PW, 8 and 7 to start off, cash converter is one of the place u can get or try getting from used club shops. Usually it take time to practices and familiamize this sport, your instructor would be a good advisor.
3. Every individual has it own budget, so it very personal. just do your planning and spend what you're confortable with. (don't forget to include travalling)

Hope you enjoy this sport..

PanWest having midnite sales today and i think Odyssey putter only $69... advert in ST Sports section