Looking at getting back in to golf, just have a question

I have an older set of clubs I'd like to upgrade, but I havent swung a club in a good 18 months and even back then I was quite poor. I played my best golf as a teenager but wasnt able to trasnfer that to being an adult (26)

So should I;
a) hit with my current clubs that are probably too short for a little while as I dust out the cobwebs, then get fitted
b) get fitted straight away before even swinging
c) get a few hours coaching straight off the bat, then get fitted
d) use current set > get coaching > get fitted

I've always struggled with this thought where if I get fitted before improving my swing I may need to be refitted shortly, but playing with clubs that arent fitted could also just be a waste of time and force me in to some bad habits that'll be hard to shake with a new set

if it means anything I'm very poor with drivers (bad slicing habit) and long irons (struggle to get flight) but quite good with wedges and putting

D. seems best. Play some with you old clubs just to get the golf muscles gong again. After a 2 or 3 rounds (don't wait too long to build bad habits), then get some lessons.

Your coach may say fitting is a low priority. He may want to see you put into effect some changes from the coaching before you can be fitted.

Posted this in the equipment thread but I'll cross-post it here since I probably should have done that in the first place.

Anyone have a suggestion for the best way to go about shaft-fitting? I've never been fitted for proper shafts on my woods and currently use the stock models for my SLDR and RBZ Stage 2 fairways. I see that I can get this done at Golf Galaxy or a similar superstore - anyone have experience with their indoor launch monitors?

Hey guys, wondering if anyone else has ever got pain/swelling in their right palm from playing? Just come up in the last few days in line with my index finger above the thumb pad. Could it be from my grip? Went to the range last night though and didn't feel a thing, but it's definitely puffy and something is inflamed today. Feels like a constant dull ache. Been icing and taking anti inflammatories.

Great thanks for the advice, will probably go and hit some range balls then play 18 tomorrow and see how I go

There's a great golf acadamy near my office, open through the night with some great practice greens and a short game green/bunkers about 140 yards and 5 coaches so will stick my head in there soon and log some hours

I think high handicappers need to focus on the full swing first. True the short game can help your score, but if you are hitting terrible full shots the game is frustrating and not at all fun. A missed putt and a shanked iron might both equal one stroke, but the shank is far more demoralizing.

My personal opinion is that you are better off going to a non superstore for fitting.

If I was spending the $ to get fitted, I would prefer to either go to a course's Club Pro who has experience with fitting or another place that specializes in it (I went to Club Champion in downtown Chicago).

I spent $150 to get fitted for a driver and I was very pleased with the experience.

Where is this heaven? I'll move there asap.

If using a launch monitor when getting fitted, is it only used for the driver? Are the specs of the other clubs based on that and physical measurements? Or do you hit every club on the launch monitor? Also, a quick comparison of Trackman vs. other monitors?

I've seen high-rises in Chicago with hitting rooms.

Curious to hear how you guys handle joining groups as a single -- particularly with the tees.

I enjoy playing the tips at any course I play but rarely get paired with people who do the same. Do you typically stick to your own set of tees or move up and play the same tees as your partners?

I have come to the realization that I may never play the tips again.... :-/


There's really nothing wrong with going back to the tips though.

Thanks for the feedback. Mental game is huge. I really need mechanics help though! I am rarely >40 putts per round, and my chipping is actually quite solid for my hc. Why? I never hit greens with full shots and thus have plenty of practice in a variety of situations!

Exactly! I have shots during my round that are actual negatives, leaving me in a worse situation than where i previously was! Decent drive, right side of fairway, 170 away from green --> shank into trees 40 yards ahead on right, leaving 130 to go and bad lie and sightlines. Just a stroke that carries huge "penalty" weight.

This is the one I most want to emphasize. The game is simply not fun if you can't hit a decent, general, normal, "golf shot". I am talking 110-190 yards with a fairway lie (lay? lye?), and a full swing.

I want to enjoy the game, and then work on the details of improving. To enjoy the game, I want to be able to hit the most common shot at a decent level. And to me, that means a 7 iron to maybe a driver, off the tee and as your second shot from fairway/fringe.

I mean, I destroy at putt putt golf!

I have been playing as a single more lately. If people I am paired with want to play the tips, I encourage them to do so. Then I tee off after them each hole. I am completely comfortable with it.

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So, back to original question? And mechanics books to read? Go back to Hogan? I have read it 10 times but likely have forgot the details. Or, is another book better for the slicing player?

Part of the reason I am asking now, is i have a great range near my house that makes practicing much better. Spacious, automated tees, mats unfortunately, and buy balls on a "credit card" so you never have to finish a bucket....just swing till your done and save the remaining for next time.

Thanks for all the input everyone!

I never play as a single (excepting practice rounds alone at non-busy times) but speaking as someone who frequently have singles join our group, I really don't mind either way where the single plays from as long as they're good/long enough to justify playing from there.

Do whatever you want - if you want to play the tips, then do so. Playing with women they'll typically play tees further forward which is no issue, so why should it be so if someone wants to play further back.

I think for mechanics, finding a good coach and working with them on some sort of consistent basis is the best option if you can afford it and make the time. I would imagine even once a month would help. "I imagine," because I've never taken lessons.

I'm interested in what others think as well, but I like Shawn Clement's youtube videos. He doesn't teach a completely conventional swing (he likes to compare it to Bubba?) but I think its an easy and intuitive one. His teaching methods are also translate well to video.

will move up or back with the majority. If the group i am joining is already playing different sets of tees, I play where I normally would, second from back in most cases. One bonus for me playing the tips, if the course is really long I generally can't reach the fairway bunkers and other hazards in play from that far back.

I am in a similar spot ~25% of the time I go out and play. I always play the tips. It helps to be a relatively quick player and a decent playing partner.

As a courtesy I usually try to make it up to their tee by the time they hit, whether I'm walking or riding. 1) Respect 2) Another set of eyes on the ball to find it/ keep pace of play up.

Some parts of Equitable Stroke Control for handicapping are odd.

If you are a 12 HDCP, then an 8 on a par 5 will be converted to a 7 (double-bogey). I guess because an 8 would be considered an outlier. However, if you get a 7 on a par 3 there is no adjustment. A triple is an outlier on a par 5 but a quad on a par 3 is not???

Odd.

Over a 9 course handicap the max score is absolute. For course handicaps 10-19, that value is 7.

lol.. I know. I would not have been able to make my post without knowing 7 was the max for a 12.

I do recall (at least for RCGA scores) there was a time when ESC max scores were based on an amount over par, and not a fixed value.

I just play the tips. Nothing wrong with people in the same group playing different tees.

Play the tips, never let them move back tees to you though that's a recipe for disaster.

If you have the ability to play the tips then do so, the course was designed from those tees and you get to see all of it. Chances are there are a couple really cool tee shot angles you get from the back box that you wouldn't even from the one ups.

Hit 50 balls today for the first time in 18 months

Took the 8 and 9 iron down only and did much better than expected

Line was a little shakey, but was putting a few from the 8 iron 120yards straight as die one of out 5 or so balls, most went about 10-15 yards to the right with a shank/runner every now and again, but hopefully I can get rid of those and get more straight and upgrade clubs in no time

Every once in a while, if I am just sneaking out for a late evening 9 on my home course, I will play the forward tees and use irons only. I find this really helps my game and helps me concentrate more on tempo and alignment with the less forgiving clubs (4, 5 irons..)

Anyone else just play irons once and a while?

My general rule is that if there are guys I'm playing with playing one tee up, I just play with them. If it's two tees up, or a variety of tees (one playing one up, two playing two up), I play the tips.

That's at my club though. If I was playing a new course, I'd just play the tips because that's how I want to experience it. When I took my kohler trip last summer for example, I was the only one playing back all week.