I had played a lot of golf with the elderly golfers when I first started playing this game.
Owing to the nature of my job back then, I’ll have a few weekdays off to golf. Most the golfers during the weekdays back then were retirees. While golfing with the elderly, I helped spotting their tee shots and they in term taught me the rules and the etiquette of the game. No internet back then, the story telling while we were waiting on the tee box were a major feed for my knowledge of this game. Green fees were $10, however, we could get a full cart load of groceries for less than $50 back then.
That’s where I got the advice of golf with half the bag; utilizing the even numbers of clubs in one day and the odd numbers of clubs for the next.
This young man is not to the point of exercising all these wonderful variations at this point. I will guide him when he is ready.
Of all the wise choices bestowed on us by the elderly ( still can’t think of myself that way), reducing the bag to 6 or 7 clubs is probably the most important. Engaging his brain will make him a better golfer and bring more enjoyment. I wish him well.
I’m in agreement of that. Using less than a full bag of golf clubs really makes a golfer grow in skill and golf course management. Looking back at all the great golfers in history, most of them started playing this game with just one golf club. Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Severiano Ballesteros… to name a few in more recent years.
I started carrying half a bag of golf club after reading about how Jack Nicklaus prepared for his tournaments. He would intentionally hit an iron off the tee to leave a longer approach shut to the green for practice of the up coming tournament. Ben Hogan did the similar practice of leaving some golf clubs behind because he thought about every shot he’ll need to play that particular golf course the next day.
However, that will be sometime down the road.
For a weekend golfer, normally will take 3-4 years before we could even consider these fun options.
As for the replacement Ping JZ shaft, He had decided he will change out the whole set of shafts in the future. With his progression in this game from June to now, I’d say in 2-3 years of time when re-shafting will actually make a difference to his game.
Then, again, he may very well be looking at a new set of golf clubs in the future.
We’ll have to agree to disagree. The old ‘starter set’ was always marketed for the beginner–3w, odd irons, wedge, putter. I still think that’s what he needs to use right now. Waiting on the re-shaft is smart; new clubs down the road make sense. And a fitting!! Don’t let him buy new clubs without the consultation of a qualified clubfitter! Buying off the rack is just wasting money without a fitting.
Don’t really have much to add, except that the top of the bag needs to be a driver, not a 3W. Drivers are bigger, more forgiving, and will get the player closer for their second shot vs the 3W.
They make the game easier. Which is the point. Get a higher-loft (10.5, adjusted 1 or so higher), shorter version than the near 46" versions few can hit consistently, learn the correct tee height and setup and turn them loose. They’ll hit just as many fairways as they will with the 3W. Plus, they may catch one flush, crush it, and get that hook set in them that’ll keep them coming back.
Take the money they’re saving by starting with a quality, smaller used set, and get them a lot of lessons and tee times.
EDIT: Oh, and I completely agree about walking v. riding. Even in the heat/humidity.
Thanks.
I’ll help as long as he is receptible to advice. I can help him select the shafts if he wanted to go the route of re-shaft.
As for a custom fitting. It’ll be throwing money out of a car window on freeway if he is not to the stage of needing these services.
A common mistake for the new golfers is believing the fitting of the equipment is like a magic bullet for a better golf game.
Fitting will make a difference for the golfers looking for the slightest edge to improve. Those who already has the ability to advance the golf balls and just needing a little extra refinement for their tools.
A newbie like this young man should improve on his basic skill first.
When He expressed interest of getting into golf to me this year, I put together a 6 iron with eyeballing his physiques + his involvement in other sports. A 6 iron with 1/2" extension and built up medium sized grip. Starting with a D-2 then settled with D-0.
He told me he still love that 6 iron.
I’m willing to help those who seek me out for advice with the game. In a very small way, to pay back all those whom had helped me when I was new in this game.
This young man probably will stay with the game. He likes to pick my brains when he was visiting or when we meet up on the driving range. He likes to read and research on any topic with golf; he is not the typical weekend hacker, and most of all, he wants to get better, also willing to practice and pay the dues to be better.
Personally, I agree with you that learning how to use the driver will make this game much easier.
The driver along with the putter were the weakest part of my game in the first 3-5 years.
I had spent hours and buckets of range balls on the putter and the driver. Now they are the stronger part of my game.
Practice the smart way is the only way to get better. The difference between an amateur and someone who could turn professional is how fast they can get there.
It only took me close to 40 years to be comfortable with this game. In the beginning, I just want to get better, then to a point where I really enjoyed this game.
To play with someone a lot better than you and to travel to play some other more difficult golf courses than your home course will also help to improve one’s golf game.
See? You’ve already fitted him, making length and swingweight adjustments. If he’s 6’3" he might need a lie adjustment as well, but I’d defer to a qualified clubfitter for that adjustment.
I recently had a Trackman session with the club pro. We used a fitting cart and arrived at 2 degrees upright and an inch longer. I had him build 4-5-8-P clubs, with jumbo grips. Actually, Callaway built them, but they work very nicely. I’m not as tall as he is, but I have short legs, short arms, and a long torso. Fitting isn’t a luxury, but it is a necessity.
I wish him well!
Not a scientific fitting of course. The resale Ping irons he bought, after my suggestion is white dot ( 3 degrees up-right?). He is good for now until he get a bit farther down the journey with grooved in fundamentals.
Right now it’ll be a waste of money.
Never met a clubfitter who charged for a fitting if you bought clubs.
Well, he is a smart Youngman who can figure out the simple math. I don’t worry for him to find all options when it comes to time for a fitting/purchase.
There is nothing for free under the sun. Except for the love from parents to their children.
Most clubfitters contribute the cost of the fitting–fewer complaints mean more profits! Hope you’re keeping that young man on the course; we had a lovely 9 this morning–45 degrees and dry!
Good for you.
we finally had warmer weather, high in the low 50s today but drenched from all the moisture we had had in the last 3-4 weeks, and more coming this way in the forecast. My buddies got out yesterday and reported back the fairways ere soft with muddy spots but the greens were dry and firm. I had passed the days of hand washing the pants before dunking it in the washer, cleaning and polishing the golf shoes then put the shoe tree in them to dry. This is the reason most the golfers here have more than one pair of golf shoes and mostly in dark colors ( won’t show the discoloring from mud).
At least not flooding like some places in California right now.
We pay attention to the forecast, hence the reason why the majority of us did not purchase any Winter Program form many of the local golf courses.
As for club fitters. We have some quality service here, a few are well known in the business. Some do not offer free fitting even if we purchase golf clubs from them after the fitting.
One bad thing about the overwhelming supply of this “fitting” business since maybe 6-7 years ago when everyone saw this as another way to generate revenue. So many stores sent their employees to a seminar ( or online training ), then set them free with a launch monitor. Half of these experts do not know how to do a complete job. As if we sent people to an express racing school for a few weeks then give them a Formula One. They would not know how to push that machine to the limit.
But, as in general, the consumers would not know the difference anyway.
I’ll be working on changing shaft for a few sets of irons and put together a new driver shaft for next week.
Can’t wait for next April if the weather is not too wet to get out again.
I will be taking this young man and a few returning golfers to actually get on golf courses. I won’t worry about keeping them on the golf course, they already asked me many times to take them out to watch them play.
I’ll retreat to working on golf clubs and reading a few books which I just bought and watching archived video on the golf swings from those great golfers until then.
Maybe work on building back some lost muscles during the last 5 years. The muscle fibers are intact, just need to pump them up with proteins with exercising. As they say, use it or lose it.
One of the reasons I retired in Oregon was year-round golf. In shorts! Luckily, my home course has no dress code (cargo shorts for me!) and no cart requirement (walking encouraged). Check Oregon Mudders if you would like really good wet-weather shoes.
Sorry to hear your local golf shops have such greedy policies. Local fitters, including the pro at my home course, deduct the cost of a fitting session from the price of clubs ordered. It’s best to get a referral–I found my fitter locally via a list of fitters on the Tom Wishon website. You’re right–forget about the chain stores–those guys are worthless.
Good luck on the weather. We should have 10 or more rounds in by April.
So, you’re not that far away from us. We’re on the east side of Lake Washington between the cities of Seattle, Bellevue and Issaquah.
Forecast rain all week this week.
One of my kid took the residency at Portland V.A. Medical Center. We visited a few times and was disappointed of not finding the old China Town, but found a few nice restaurants not too far away from downtown.
Been to Bend Oregon long ago with kids during the Spring Break and that was fun. No golf for me because we spent every minutes with the kids horseback riding, biking on the trail and hiking. Visited the local museum, a small but interesting visit.
We’ll hit every museum and places of local interest where ever we visited for kids education while they were growing up. No golf while living on the golf resort ( rented town home ).
One of these days, we’ll revisit Bend again and make sure I’ll squeeze in a few rounds there. When kids were young, all they want was outdoor activities excluding golf, too young to get on the golf course.
Oregon Mudders? Heard of it and know it’s reputation. I’ll pass if the ground is wet enough to warrant the use of those specialty golf shoes.
I was raised in Ashland and lived all over the country. Came back because no place is better than the northwest! Kids and grandkids and careful spending keep me anchored in Gresham. Several good courses within 10 miles. The only time we don’t play is when the wind is knocking over trees or when the greens are covered with snow or frozen. You don’t get this old being a wimp!
The Mudders are a definite good buy–and as comfortable as Footjoy or any of the rest.
We had probably came very close to where you’re at when we ventured to one of the restaurants in Hermiston. It is very sad that Portland did not make an effort to keep the old China Town as the Bay Area. I heard from friends the the Landmark of Gant Street up and down the San Francisco China Town are now operated by East Indi people now after the traditional shop owners moved out.
The best Food we found is 120 miles North of where we are, in Vancouver B.C. and of course Vicinity of Toronto CA is taking over the traditional Eastern board spots.
One of my neighbor went to Toronto, across the continent, to celebrate his retirement by visiting restaurants he mapped out.
There should be some nice golf courses just across the river from you in the Washington State.
No, Hermiston is as far east from Gresham as you can get, 300 miles or so. The food in Portland, Gresham, and Troutdale is pretty nice, particularly the Asian food carts. We have so many good golf courses on this side of the river that I’ve never had the need to check out the ones in SW Washington, although I’ve heard they’re good. As long as the parking lots are 50% pickups–don’t hold with snooty, cart-only courses.
I don’t mind who I golf with as long as they observe the basic etiquette on the golf course.
I do have a problem with cart only golf courses. One golf course is less than 5 miles from my place and I had only golf there maybe a few times for tournaments. Not a fan of it.
Well, we happened upon this place years ago with recommendations from someone we met at the Lan Su Garden. I thought it was in Hermiston, but apparently my memory is off. The neighborhood had many other restaurants but not clustered together like the old Chinatown. The name could be Golden Palace. Things could be changed years later. Good food back then. It was about an hour from Portland in traffic.
This one?
Fits your description, but I’ve only been through Longview, never stopped.