Beginners - Which Longer Clubs?

[BRISTOL86]

Hi All

I'm a beginner who deliberately avoided buying any "long" clubs when starting out. I purposely purchased a 5-SW and putter only.

I was wondering as and when the time comes that I feel the need to be hitting longer clubs (that time is not yet by the way!) how you would approach it?

Would you work up to the biggest, maybe by starting off learning how to hit a hybrid, then woods, then a driver? Would you bypass the woods altogether? Forget about hybrids?

So much choice!

From what I can gather woods will be more forgiving than a driver and a hybrid will be more forgiving than woods. I can see that a hybrid could be a handy tool for both longer tee and approach shots while presumably not being that much more difficult to hit than an iron...?

Thanks

 

[Which tree did that hit]

I actually find my hybrid a lot easier to hit than my longer irons so I would probably start there but it is down to personal preference really, get yourself to an open day or local american golf and hit a few of each and see which ones you can get on with.

I do use it off the tee if I am having a bad day with the driver/3 wood so it is a multi-use tool for sure!

Personally I would go hybrid, driver, woods

 

[Roops]

This may not meet with universal agreement, but for me, attaching any dread to a particular club is a bad idea for a beginner. Loads of people will tell you Drivers are evil and get you into trouble etc etc. and that you shouldn't even try one until you have been playing a while. Personally, I think that is a load of tosh. Apart from a putter, the easiest club in the bag to hit is the driver. The head is the size of a small car and you really don't need any effort to get it out there. People struggle with Drivers because they think they are Bubba Watson as soon as they take it out of the bag and try to lash it over the horizon.

I came to Drivers after using a hybrid for ages off the tee. Trust me it's a hell of a lot easier to swing a Driver easily and get the ball out there than nail a hybrid over and over.

Nothing to fear about a modern Driver if used sensibly.

 

[Brian_C]

I purposely wanted a 4 iron in my set as I knew if I went for a 5-pw I'd be longing for a 4. I found the 4 iron almost a "Go To" club for a while, that is until I got my Nike SlingShot Hybrid 3. It's soooo easy to hit with, and as it's a High Launch you can really get the ball in the air. I'd suggest trying to get a 4 iron on eBay and consider a driver - they don't have to match the irons you have, it can be a differant manufacturer.

My research kept highlighting the following makes as being perfect for the high-handicapper and beginner: TaylorMade Burner 2.0 (for drivers and irons), Cobra S2 Max or S3 Max and Callaway Diablo Edge (drivers and irons). The Ping K15 Driver's and hybrid's are very very forgiving too, look at the face on them you'll notice it's very big, perfect for us beginners.

 

[sev112]

This may not meet with universal agreement, but for me, attaching any dread to a particular club is a bad idea for a beginner. Loads of people will tell you Drivers are evil and get you into trouble etc etc. and that you shouldn't even try one until you have been playing a while. Personally, I think that is a load of tosh. Apart from a putter, the easiest club in the bag to hit is the driver. The head is the size of a small car and you really don't need any effort to get it out there. People struggle with Drivers because they think they are Bubba Watson as soon as they take it out of the bag and try to lash it over the horizon.

I came to Drivers after using a hybrid for ages off the tee. Trust me it's a hell of a lot easier to swing a Driver easily and get the ball out there than nail a hybrid over and over.

Nothing to fear about a modern Driver if used sensibly.

This.

Borrow a driver from someone and go to the range and just tee it up and without thinking too much, just try to hit balls 100 yards with it. You will be surprised how easy a swing it is, and in fact how much easier it is to hit 150 and 200 yards with a really easy swing.

The rouble comes when people get greedy and try and hit the ball hard, which with a long shaft is subject to timing difficulties. Keep it slow, keep it easy and the driver is a great club.

 

[BRISTOL86]

Thanks all - I can see that this is a subject that will always divide opinion!

I like the idea of starting off with slow, controlled swings with the driver. I have read a lot of anti-driver stuff however I'm definitely a believer in accuracy over distance so I would probably be more conservative than a lot of people rather than just trying to lash it as far as I can!

 

[Coatsy79]

I have a drive, 3 wood, 5 wood and a 22 degree hybrid all of which I can hit very well when I'm not trying to lash them

I think that's the secret when you start, the temptation to bash everything is high when all you need is a measured swing to get it out there

 

[Imurg]

Thanks all - I can see that this is a subject that will always divide opinion!

I like the idea of starting off with slow, controlled swings with the driver. I have read a lot of anti-driver stuff however I'm definitely a believer in accuracy over distance so I would probably be more conservative than a lot of people rather than just trying to lash it as far as I can!

And if it doesn't work - let's face it, as a beginner your swing might produce a hefty slice with a driver - get a 5 wood, about 18/19 degrees.
Should be fairly easy to hit and you'll get some distance with it.

 

[Allanxyz]

I would forget about a 4 iron altogether for now... I've played for a few years and been members at a couple of different clubs and it's always been without exception the cleanest club in my bag... hardly ever gets a run out. I've still got one in my bag, but unless I catch it really great it doesn't go any further than a 5 and i just take a little of my hydrid if I want to hit 4 iron distance.

A word of warning on the hybrid front... you here a lot about how they basically hit themselves, it's like cheating etc. in my opinion this is rubbish... it might be easier than a 2 or 3 iron and I wouldn't be without mine but it still ain't easy... so don't get too down hearted if you get a hybrid and it doesn't go straight and high 200 yards down the fairway!!