Every lesson I give I always check out the student's equipment. I take the covers off the woods and putters, check out the irons, pull clubs out and read the bands to see the flex and do an overall assessment as to their being a matched set. When the student begins hitting, I will be checking out the grip size, the length and the lie as they address the ball. I do a pretty good fitting assessment without them even knowing it unless I ask some questions or make comments.
The one big issue that blows my mind is how many times I have had 'new' golfers (I like that term rather than beginner) show up with clubs that were fit only for being tomato stakes or for killing snakes. Most new golfers get their clubs either from the person who introduced them to golf, handing down an old set, borrowing a spare set from someone they know, or buying a set at a yard sale, pawn shop or discount used club store. In all of the above, the giver, the seller and borrower just see the set as clubs and now they have something to go play golf with. They never seem to figure out that a set of clubs is not really a 'GOOD SET' unless it fits the golfer. Let me explain.
Golf clubs are tools, and like all tools, the better they are designed and fit to do the job, the better they perform and allow the user to perform and succeed in completing the job. Golf clubs are no different. Golf clubs are your tools to perform the job of hitting golf shots to play golf. And I promise you the better your clubs fit you, the better chance you have to make good swings and hit good shots to play good golf.
Let's look at it like a car. You go out and buy a $100,000.00 Mercedes Benz, which most everyone, including me (and even a Lexus or BMW dealer), will say is a really good car. But if you cannot adjust the seat to reach the pedals and see over the dash or move the mirrors, then your Mercedes is not fit for you to safely drive.
Getting back to the lessons with new or high handicap golfers who have awful clubs. I am always amazed with some of the answers I get when I point out this fact. 'Well, it doesn't matter. I am only a beginner and just learning to swing.' Another mind boggler is, 'I know they are awful and I have as a goal that when I break 100, I will reward myself and buy a new set.' When I hear that reward answer, my comeback is, 'Well, with that bag of junk, I doubt you ever will, even learning the PPGS, because they are so ill fitted for you there is no way you can ever develop a consistent and repeatable swing to play well.' (Actually, I'm a little nicer than that, but not much.)
HELLO'¦You at least need to give yourself a fighting chance to learn and develop a good golf swing. And the best way is to at least have a bag full of tools that fit or at least are a close to descent fit to you.
This goes for all golfers, male and female. It applies for newbies of all ages, from kids to grandparents, and for high handicappers to scratch players. It is most important when you are learning skills that they be fit and correct for you. Correctly fitted clubs perform more consistently and this decreases the learning cycle. When the clubs perform the same you keep getting the same feel and thus can develop a consistent swing.
My recommendation is to go check with your PGA Professional or certified club fitter and ask them to fit you and recommend the correct equipment. They may have a good used set that, if it fits you, are thus good for you. They may have a great deal on a non-brand name model or a good deal, like close outs on brand names.
The key to your success in reaching your potential and enjoying golf is that the clubs in your bag MUST FIT YOU! To play with anything less is just handcuffing yourself and denying yourself the fruits of success and the enjoyment and satisfaction of playing to your potential.
The Surge!