How important is it to be able to get backspin?
It is never as important to get shots to spin back as it is to get clean contact on every shot. Even pros cannot make backspin work when the greens get "firm", and they get to play on the best greens while the rest of us have to play on public courses that have greens that are about as firm as a parking lot. So unless you are a single digit handicapper, forget the spin and just keep striking the ball better and avoid tips that cause fat or thin shots. If you are a single digit handicap, and you do want to get more spin, clean your iron grooves before every shot with a small wire brush, play the ball a little further back in your stance and hit down at it.
Wednesday, August 06, 2003
Should beginners buy new clubs?
Some people think buying expensive clubs will guarantee better scores. If you have a lot of money, go ahead, but if you are a beginner or high handicapper, you might first buy a few less expensive clubs, and when you find some that you hit really well, then have the specs measured and use those specs when you are ready to buy newer clubs. When you do, have them custom fitted to your physique. Everybody is built differently, so your clubs should at least be the right length, shaft flex, and lie angle for you, in order to do your best.
For those who would rather not bother getting fitted and would rather save as much money as possible, you can consider getting used clubs from classified ads, garage sales, or stores that sell used sporting equipment. To minimize your risk, ask if you would be allowed to try the clubs at a driving range and possibly get your money back if you do not like the way you hit with them.
What kind of clubs should you look for? Let me tell you about one of my earlier experiences. I bought a very inexpensive set of used clubs which happened to have shafts with too much flex. I found that whenever I swung too hard, the ball would slice to the right, and when I swung too easy, the ball would hook to the left. Afterwards I bought a set of clubs having stiffer shafts, and I immediately began to hit the ball straighter and farther (I still had a fade, but it was consistent, predictable, and dependable). Of course, this result could be due to my individual physique, but it seems to make sense that a stiffer shaft would remove an unwanted variable. Too much flex could cause the clubhead to vary its position at impact. Even if some extra flex could give you extra distance, I would rather be a few yards shorter and in the fairway, as opposed to being a few yards longer and in the rough (or trees, or sand, or water, or out of bounds, etc.).
Oversized clubheads are a good idea for beginners or higher handicappers because the larger hitting surface reduces the risk of a mis-hit shot. Irons that have cavity-backs are also a good idea because the perimeter weighting enlarges the “sweet spot”, which means you do not have to hit the ball perfectly every time to get consistently predictable distances with your irons, so you are likely to hit more greens. Without this technology you might sometimes hit a good shot with the right club, but the ball ends up too long or too short, because you either hit it squarely on the smaller sweet spot, or somewhere other than the sweet spot. Most courses have distances to the green clearly marked, and you need to find (and trust) your individual distance for each of your irons.
Many people overlook the “lie angle” of clubs, which is the angle of the shaft relative to the bottom of the club. I believe most standard lie angles are too flat, resulting in most golfers hitting the ball to the right. If this is your natural tendency, try clubs with a steeper lie angle, as this would promote shots going a little more to the left. You may also be able to see scrape marks on the bottom of your clubs. Are they mostly toward the toe or the heel? If they are toward the toe, you need clubs with a steeper lie angle. Another indication of this can be seen if your divots are deeper toward the toe end.
Some people think buying expensive clubs will guarantee better scores. If you have a lot of money, go ahead, but if you are a beginner or high handicapper, you might first buy a few less expensive clubs, and when you find some that you hit really well, then have the specs measured and use those specs when you are ready to buy newer clubs. When you do, have them custom fitted to your physique. Everybody is built differently, so your clubs should at least be the right length, shaft flex, and lie angle for you, in order to do your best.
For those who would rather not bother getting fitted and would rather save as much money as possible, you can consider getting used clubs from classified ads, garage sales, or stores that sell used sporting equipment. To minimize your risk, ask if you would be allowed to try the clubs at a driving range and possibly get your money back if you do not like the way you hit with them.
What kind of clubs should you look for? Let me tell you about one of my earlier experiences. I bought a very inexpensive set of used clubs which happened to have shafts with too much flex. I found that whenever I swung too hard, the ball would slice to the right, and when I swung too easy, the ball would hook to the left. Afterwards I bought a set of clubs having stiffer shafts, and I immediately began to hit the ball straighter and farther (I still had a fade, but it was consistent, predictable, and dependable). Of course, this result could be due to my individual physique, but it seems to make sense that a stiffer shaft would remove an unwanted variable. Too much flex could cause the clubhead to vary its position at impact. Even if some extra flex could give you extra distance, I would rather be a few yards shorter and in the fairway, as opposed to being a few yards longer and in the rough (or trees, or sand, or water, or out of bounds, etc.).
Oversized clubheads are a good idea for beginners or higher handicappers because the larger hitting surface reduces the risk of a mis-hit shot. Irons that have cavity-backs are also a good idea because the perimeter weighting enlarges the “sweet spot”, which means you do not have to hit the ball perfectly every time to get consistently predictable distances with your irons, so you are likely to hit more greens. Without this technology you might sometimes hit a good shot with the right club, but the ball ends up too long or too short, because you either hit it squarely on the smaller sweet spot, or somewhere other than the sweet spot. Most courses have distances to the green clearly marked, and you need to find (and trust) your individual distance for each of your irons.
Many people overlook the “lie angle” of clubs, which is the angle of the shaft relative to the bottom of the club. I believe most standard lie angles are too flat, resulting in most golfers hitting the ball to the right. If this is your natural tendency, try clubs with a steeper lie angle, as this would promote shots going a little more to the left. You may also be able to see scrape marks on the bottom of your clubs. Are they mostly toward the toe or the heel? If they are toward the toe, you need clubs with a steeper lie angle. Another indication of this can be seen if your divots are deeper toward the toe end.
