Am shitty golfer with slow swing. Am 6ft 3 so unsure if need a bit longer clubs, ones I’m currently playing are almost 25 years old. Play maybe 6 times a year if lucky.
Being tall isn’t an indicator for club length. It’s the length of your arms vs your torso and your effective spine angle at impact. I’m 6’1 with long arms and use half inch less than standard length.
If you don't want to check anything out or do any research or get fitted I'm not sure what you are looking for
You can keep playing shitty 6 times a year and save a lot of money. Most people play shitty anyway regardless of how much money they blow on the game. It is one of the enduring features of the game
And I am in the shitty category even when I did play a lot in the 80s and 90s
Playing older clubs is a good recipe for remaining shitty with how technology has changed
I would recommend "getting fitted" but less so from the standpoint of trying out a myriad of clubs … it's all about finding the right shaft technology that fits your game
Since you said that you have a slow swing you're likely going to want a forgiving club face and a shaft that helps to maximize what acceleration that you do have
It might take an hour or two to get that stuff figured out … it's worth it in the big picture to have something that works with you instead of having something that works against you and that you end up not using
On my priority list this year is trying to figure out how to get you to hit a driver around the shithole of a course you belong to
I can't remember if you've done this before … but you should probably send me video of you hitting a wedge, mid-iron, and then you trying to hit a wood
I can afford a few lessons from a pro and will do some more this spring.
And for the record, I'm only a "social member" for the gym, pool, F&B outlets and driving range. For Golf I get like 60% off the retail cost.
I gotta tell you though, I'm concerned I'll never have enough time to become decent. Mt Biking is a higher priority for my free time breaking away for 18 on a Sat or Sun is hard with 2 young boys.
I did manage to complete a Bend duathlon last April which is ski bachelor in the morning, and play 18 in the afternoon. That was fun.
This. The forgiveness of clubs has changed drastically over the years. If you’re using shit from the 90s, you’re giving strokes away, especially off the tee. Shafts do make a huge difference. Most people are using shafts that are poorly suited for them, without getting too nerdy and going down the spin rate rabbit hole.
My two goals for after kids are out of the house are to play golf once a week and learn the piano. Ain't nobody got time for that with young kids around the house.
Not to nerd out and only speaking for myself to add perspective …
I need to get new clubs as my iron and fairway wood set is from ~ 2016 … I got my driver around 2019 and my putter went into the bag in late 2019
Prior to getting my new driver, I used to have a fairly vicious fade/slice off the tee that could be difficult to control at times. When I went to get the new driver one of my concerns was whether the spin was caused by having a 9 degree driver (I've always been a high ball hitter so adding loft to my driver wasn't something I was interested in pre-technology and data info). Went in to get fitted for the driver and the fitter fairly quickly gave me a driver to hit that had some draw bias and my ball immediately started going straight with a very gentle fade.
Today, I'd argue that my driver is the most consistent club in my bag and I probably hit in the neighborhood of 60-70% of my fairways with it.
Just a singular example of how technology and data can help in getting correct clubs for your bag
My 7 and 9 year olds want to play golf, so I’ll probably use them as an excuse to play at some point. I just don’t have the time for it anymore. I sometimes miss the days of being single and playing 4-5 days a week.
Besides forgiveness and size of the sweetpsot, the biggest difference in the drivers now vs 20 years ago is the center of gravities. I’m in my 40’s and learned with like the original or second wave metal woods. You almost had to hit down or neutral with a driver to get it to go up as you were trying to increase the spin rate. Launch angles were much flatter. The new ones have very low center of gravities which means you need to hit up to optimize spin and launch angle. If you don’t hit up your spin is off the charts and you lose tons of yardage. The young guys have grown up with lcg drivers and swinging as hard as they can off the tee. The goal now is to hit a low spin knuckleball. A lot of good driving pros are now using like 10.5 degree drivers, that was unheard of from a good player 20 years ago, the big hitters had like 7-8 degree drivers then.
The great thing today is that there are plenty of opportunities to play without having to commit 4-6 hours on a weekend to go out and play recreationally … particularly when it comes to kids
Getting them lessons so that they learn the fundamentals is huge
There's a surprisingly large number of things for them to be able to work on at home without hitting golf balls
Then add into the ability to leverage simulators or ranges that can give them instant feedback that frankly weren't on the table when many of us were growing up
Back when I actually played a lot and had no kids, joined golftec without the lessons and just got to use the equipment as much as I wanted. Easily the best two year stretch I’ve ever had playing using the sim with video two or three nights a week after work. I liked the analytics but seeing yourself on video and being able to pause at certain positions was a bigger deal for me than the stats. It’s also a great way to blow off steam. When I eventually leave this leftist hellhole, a house with high ceilings in the basement for a sim is happening.
If you have some idea of what you are doing, slow mo in front of a mirror is where you can make the most drastic and fast changes in my opinion. That and understanding how the physics actually work and once you understand that, you realize everything is basically counter tuitive. Aim right and swing right to make it go left etc.
Comments
Bryson is 6'4", so maybe check out his YouTube channel where he test hits clubs
I’m 6’6” and got some plus 1.5 Calloway big Bertha irons.
Still need some sort of betting driving solution than my 5 iron.
Being tall isn’t an indicator for club length. It’s the length of your arms vs your torso and your effective spine angle at impact. I’m 6’1 with long arms and use half inch less than standard length.
I spent 30 mins on their simulator at the golf shop to get fitted. I wouldn't have tried to guess at for fear of getting the wrong clubs.
So far so good, other needing to figure out what kind of wood or hybrid club to purchase to get some more distance off the tees.
Baby steps.
If you don't want to check anything out or do any research or get fitted I'm not sure what you are looking for
You can keep playing shitty 6 times a year and save a lot of money. Most people play shitty anyway regardless of how much money they blow on the game. It is one of the enduring features of the game
And I am in the shitty category even when I did play a lot in the 80s and 90s
The world needs 30 plus handicaps too.
Playing older clubs is a good recipe for remaining shitty with how technology has changed
I would recommend "getting fitted" but less so from the standpoint of trying out a myriad of clubs … it's all about finding the right shaft technology that fits your game
Since you said that you have a slow swing you're likely going to want a forgiving club face and a shaft that helps to maximize what acceleration that you do have
It might take an hour or two to get that stuff figured out … it's worth it in the big picture to have something that works with you instead of having something that works against you and that you end up not using
On my priority list this year is trying to figure out how to get you to hit a driver around the shithole of a course you belong to
I can't remember if you've done this before … but you should probably send me video of you hitting a wedge, mid-iron, and then you trying to hit a wood
I can afford a few lessons from a pro and will do some more this spring.
And for the record, I'm only a "social member" for the gym, pool, F&B outlets and driving range. For Golf I get like 60% off the retail cost.
I gotta tell you though, I'm concerned I'll never have enough time to become decent. Mt Biking is a higher priority for my free time breaking away for 18 on a Sat or Sun is hard with 2 young boys.
I did manage to complete a Bend duathlon last April which is ski bachelor in the morning, and play 18 in the afternoon. That was fun.
This. The forgiveness of clubs has changed drastically over the years. If you’re using shit from the 90s, you’re giving strokes away, especially off the tee. Shafts do make a huge difference. Most people are using shafts that are poorly suited for them, without getting too nerdy and going down the spin rate rabbit hole.
My two goals for after kids are out of the house are to play golf once a week and learn the piano. Ain't nobody got time for that with young kids around the house.
Not to nerd out and only speaking for myself to add perspective …
I need to get new clubs as my iron and fairway wood set is from ~ 2016 … I got my driver around 2019 and my putter went into the bag in late 2019
Prior to getting my new driver, I used to have a fairly vicious fade/slice off the tee that could be difficult to control at times. When I went to get the new driver one of my concerns was whether the spin was caused by having a 9 degree driver (I've always been a high ball hitter so adding loft to my driver wasn't something I was interested in pre-technology and data info). Went in to get fitted for the driver and the fitter fairly quickly gave me a driver to hit that had some draw bias and my ball immediately started going straight with a very gentle fade.
Today, I'd argue that my driver is the most consistent club in my bag and I probably hit in the neighborhood of 60-70% of my fairways with it.
Just a singular example of how technology and data can help in getting correct clubs for your bag
2 excellent goals @BleachedAnusDawg
I think my oldest will want to try some golf in like 3 or 4 years, but fuck that shit right now.
These non breeder, hedonists have such a golf advantage at this stage of life!
My 7 and 9 year olds want to play golf, so I’ll probably use them as an excuse to play at some point. I just don’t have the time for it anymore. I sometimes miss the days of being single and playing 4-5 days a week.
Besides forgiveness and size of the sweetpsot, the biggest difference in the drivers now vs 20 years ago is the center of gravities. I’m in my 40’s and learned with like the original or second wave metal woods. You almost had to hit down or neutral with a driver to get it to go up as you were trying to increase the spin rate. Launch angles were much flatter. The new ones have very low center of gravities which means you need to hit up to optimize spin and launch angle. If you don’t hit up your spin is off the charts and you lose tons of yardage. The young guys have grown up with lcg drivers and swinging as hard as they can off the tee. The goal now is to hit a low spin knuckleball. A lot of good driving pros are now using like 10.5 degree drivers, that was unheard of from a good player 20 years ago, the big hitters had like 7-8 degree drivers then.
The great thing today is that there are plenty of opportunities to play without having to commit 4-6 hours on a weekend to go out and play recreationally … particularly when it comes to kids
Getting them lessons so that they learn the fundamentals is huge
There's a surprisingly large number of things for them to be able to work on at home without hitting golf balls
Then add into the ability to leverage simulators or ranges that can give them instant feedback that frankly weren't on the table when many of us were growing up
It's a full blown game changer
Back when I actually played a lot and had no kids, joined golftec without the lessons and just got to use the equipment as much as I wanted. Easily the best two year stretch I’ve ever had playing using the sim with video two or three nights a week after work. I liked the analytics but seeing yourself on video and being able to pause at certain positions was a bigger deal for me than the stats. It’s also a great way to blow off steam. When I eventually leave this leftist hellhole, a house with high ceilings in the basement for a sim is happening.
JFC
these crackers are outthinking the room
go to Costco….buy clubs
if you still suck…which you will….take lessons.
or take these guys advice and spend two grand on clubs. And shoot a 95 instead of a 97.
If you have some idea of what you are doing, slow mo in front of a mirror is where you can make the most drastic and fast changes in my opinion. That and understanding how the physics actually work and once you understand that, you realize everything is basically counter tuitive. Aim right and swing right to make it go left etc.
From July 2023 to May 2024 I bought Mazel clubs, about $50-$60 a piece. Each payday I'd add a new club, basically. I love them