Beginner struggles

[Joel222]

I’m new the forum and to golf. I did try it a couple of years ago, I bought a full set of clubs and all the gear but it didn’t last. I felt overwhelmed at the selection of clubs and not knowing what to use and when to use it and lost interest. I started again a couple of months ago by buying myself a 9 iron and going to the driving range. I enjoyed playing as I could concentrate and didn’t have to worry about club selection. A couple of weeks ago I bought myself a full set of irons and a putter so I could play a ‘proper’ round of golf. This was going well on the course and at the range as I was only using a 7 iron, gap wedge and a putter which eliminated the hard choice between clubs and I was enjoying playing. I’ve been to the range tonight with a 5, 7, 9 iron and a gap wedge as I plan on increasing the amount of clubs I’m using and I’ve never played as bad as I did tonight. It just wouldn’t go my way!
Is this a daft/weird thing that I’m doing by slowly adding clubs in? Should I start by playing with a full set? I feel quite disheartened after tonight!

 

[User20204]

Most of us of a certain age started with a iron and a putter, then progressed to a half set.

Golf is hard.

 

[Rlburnside]

Stick at it and it will get better, golf is not easy sometimes even for some of us that that have played for many years.

Just taking a half set of clubs to start with is a smart idea.

 

[Curls]

Most of us of a certain age started with a iron and a putter, then progressed to a half set.

Golf is hard.

That’s church

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I’m new the forum and to golf. I did try it a couple of years ago, I bought a full set of clubs and all the gear but it didn’t last. I felt overwhelmed at the selection of clubs and not knowing what to use and when to use it and lost interest. I started again a couple of months ago by buying myself a 9 iron and going to the driving range. I enjoyed playing as I could concentrate and didn’t have to worry about club selection. A couple of weeks ago I bought myself a full set of irons and a putter so I could play a ‘proper’ round of golf. This was going well on the course and at the range as I was only using a 7 iron, gap wedge and a putter which eliminated the hard choice between clubs and I was enjoying playing. I’ve been to the range tonight with a 5, 7, 9 iron and a gap wedge as I plan on increasing the amount of clubs I’m using and I’ve never played as bad as I did tonight. It just wouldn’t go my way!
Is this a daft/weird thing that I’m doing by slowly adding clubs in? Should I start by playing with a full set? I feel quite disheartened after tonight!

We all have bad range sessions. My simple tip for anyone starting off is to invest in some lessons and get the basics nailed and then work on the drills you are given and develop a swing over time. There are different techniques from hitting say a driver to hitting a 7 iron (certainly in terms of set up). If you have a full set I'd slowly get use to hitting all of them at some point at the range and once you have a semi-consistent swing enjoy finding out what you can and can't do with each club. Once you get more proficient you can then play with ball position to see how that changes flight. It is a continual journey once you start this game so don't fret. In golfing terms you've only taken a few steps down the road. It will come

 

[clubchamp98]

Just play with five clubs !
I only carry five if I go for nine holes , this teaches you to play different shots with all clubs .
Try playing high ,low shots with the same club.

Have you ever watched your football team and think “ they were rubbish today” it happens .
We all have bad days!
Keep going ,and just have a couple of lessons to get the basics right.
I am a single figure capper and still get my basics wrong ,it’s a constant work in progress.
Don’t give up!!

 

[Orikoru]

Playing a half set is a good idea at the beginning I think. If you watch Just Your Average Golfer on YouTube, he suggests more people should do that, because (a) we're not consistent enough in yardages for 10 yard gaps to matter (particularly true at your beginner level), and (b) it takes away any indecision over club selection, as if you have 20 yard gaps between clubs it's more obvious which club you need to select. I was only 14/15 when I first started, but I only had a half set for the first few years back then. No point adding the full set in until your distances with the existing ones are consistent.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Best of luck and enjoy the game. Laugh at the bad shots is the best tip I can give.

Think most people would not disagree with the idea of only hitting a few clubs to start with.

 

[Mel Smooth]

I started with a half set as a kid.


Clubs I use now.
Driver
5 wood
5 - 9 irons
PW
54 degree
Putter

I can cover every shot (that I'm capable of) with those clubs.

Once you're happy with how you are swinging a nine iron, keep that swing and adjust the ball position forward in your stance. Keep it simple.

 

[ScienceBoy]

First learn to hit it 50 yards straight, then 100 and then 150.

If you can hit the ball 150 yards and straight you can play a full course with just that club, a chipping/bunker club and a putter.

150 yard shot x 3 can reach any par 4 green and even some shorter par 5s.

 

[trevor]

Don't give up just yet, for some of us with no natural golfing ability it takes a long time. When I started out I bet I was going to the range for 6 months before I dared go out to a course and even then I was hopeless, actually I probably wasn't as good as that. Sheer determination and hours and hours of practice and my h/c has gone from 28 to 15.
Think it boils down to how badly you want to play, it would be very easy to call it a day thinking you're never going to get anywhere but you will eventually, probably years rather than months though.

 

[jim8flog]

I started with just
4 wood
6 iron
8 iron
PW

during the next two years I added one extra club evry couple of months or so as I improved.

I went out with the absolute knowledge that it takes time to start to play even a bit reasonably. It is a very hard game to master and very few players actually master it but an awful lot do reasonably well at it.

I still sometimes go out with just a few clubs because it is all I really need to have fun.

 

[Tashyboy]

That in essence is golf. One day its glorious. The next day its rammel. Keep looking at the good days and practice. You will find the good days become more often. Once you get to that stage you can beat yourself up regards were did that one crap shot come from that screwed up your brilliant round.

 

[Joel222]

And today I went to the range, didn’t consciously change anything but played great 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[HomerJSimpson]

And today I went to the range, didn’t consciously change anything but played great 🤷🏻‍♂️

Drives you nuts doesn't it.

 

[ScienceBoy]

And today I went to the range, didn’t consciously change anything but played great 🤷🏻‍♂️

You can never play great at the range.

Your range goals need to be directed towards improving your course game. Anyone can be a good range player.

My take is you can never take your range game to the course as they are two different things.

Instead try to take confidence from the range, stand over a shot on the course and know you have hit it 50 times already that month.