Those who are thinking about starting to play golf are often intimidated by the trappings of the sport. The golf bag, the golf shoes and, of course, the clubs. A new set of top-of-the-line clubs can cost well over $1,000. A brand new player will not want to invest that much money in golf clubs early in his career. Instead, he will need just a few clubs to get started.
Woods
Give yourself a chance to hit the ball well off the tee or from the fairway on a long par 4 or a par 5 hole. In that case, you need to use a wood. Give yourself a chance with a driver, which will have a "No. 1" printed on the bottom plate of the club. The driver gets the most distance of all clubs but it has the least loft. Many beginners are intimidated by the driver but give your self a chance to find out for yourself if it is a worthwhile club.
Take a 5-wood for long shots from the fairway. The 5-wood is much easier to hit that the 3-wood because it has more loft and is just a tad shorter. The 5-wood can be hit from the fairway or light rough.
Iron clubs
Take a 3-, 5-, 7- and 9-iron with you when you first start to play. The 3- and 5-irons are good clubs to use from the fairway on shots of 150 yards or more and can also be used from the rough. These clubs will cut through the heavy grass and allow the golfer to hit a solid shot.
The 7- and 9-irons are for shots between 100 and 150 yards. Both clubs will get the ball high in the air and will land the ball softly on the green.
Wedges and the putter
You should take a pitching wedge, a sand wedge and a putter with you when you are first starting out. The pitching wedge is for shots under 100 yards. It can be used to pitch a ball high in the air or chip a ball low and have it bounce up to the green. The sand wedge is to be used from the bunker and it is difficult for a beginner to understand and use this club, but a more experienced playing partner can give you tips. The putter is the club you use on the green when it is time to roll the ball to the hole.
About The Author
Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer, covering sports since 1980. Silverman authored The Minnesota Vikings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Who's Better, Who's Best in Football -- The Top 60 Players of All-Time, among others, and placed in the Pro Football Writers of America awards three times. Silverman holds a Master of Science in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism.
