Weekly Golf Tips for Beginners - Play with the Right Equipment

Using the right golf equipment can actually help high-handicap golfers improve faster than highly skilled players. Tiger Woods could probably shoot par with a spatula and a broom, whereas putting the proper tools in the hands of a beginner can have a dramatic effect on their score.

Not only can poorly fit equipment hinder good scores, it can instill bad habits for the future, too.

I’ll get you into some equipment tips for beginners that can help your games immediately, and set you up to succeed down the road.

Before we continue on with this article, however, it’s important to note that the absolute best way to get the right equipment for your game is to get a professional fitting by an expert club fitter. It’s the best investment you can make for your game, even more so than lessons for some golfers.

Still, many golfers will choose to not get fit for their equipment, whether it’s financial barriers, lack of access to a trusted fitter, or pure stubbornness. Hopefully this article can help those golfers make informed buying decisions or equipment adjustments, despite not consulting with a professional.

1. Offset is your friend

You’ll often hear that professional golfers seek out golf clubs with “reduced offset.” For most beginning golfers who suffer from a slice, however, you should ignore the pros on this one. Offset, which essentially means the face is setback from hosel, will help you to square the face more easily at impact instead of leaving it open and slicing the ball. This could even mean hitting a consistent draw.

Many modern game-improvement clubs — from drivers all the way down to wedges — are engineered with offset. This is a great design feature that will help you release the face, and if nothing else, keep you away from the out-of-bounds stakes on the right all day.

2. Bigger is better

If you’re using a small-headed driver from the 1980’s, or blade irons with small profiles, you’re simply making the game more difficult than it needs to be. Larger clubs have a greater surface area and effectively expand the sweetspot. That means you aren’t penalized as severly for hitting the ball off-center.

For beginning golfers in this group, it’s likely that you’re using hand-me-down clubs and aren’t ready to make a financial investment into expensive golf clubs. Purchasing modern, more-forgiving golf clubs doesn’t have to break the bank, though. The first 460cc driver was released to the public in 2006, and driver technology has only improved from there. You can easily find a driver from the mid-2010s for under $50 online.

The same goes for irons, not just metalwoods. Using large irons — these are called “game-improvement irons” — will help you hit the ball higher and farther without curving as much.

3. More bounce for better contact

When it comes to the soles of irons and wedges, wider soles are perhaps better. A wide sole with a lot of bounce will keep the club from getting too deep in the grass and will make the club more forgiving. It will be much easier to hit higher and softer shots around the green with high bounce wedges.

How do you know if a wedge has "high bounce"? Most wedges have a number stamped on them, other than the grades. You will see an 8, 10, 12 or possibly 14 printed on the club. As a beginner, it's best to look for the highest bounce number you can find. This way, you can gain confidence in your short game around the green, and hit the ball without worrying about it digging into the turf or the ball going off the green.

4. Go softer on the shaft

Way more often than not, beginning golfers are using shafts that are too stiff. When the flex of a shaft is too stiff, it hinders your ability to square the face properly and to hit the ball with enough height and spin.

Take an honest look at your driver distance. If you’re flying the ball less than 200 yards, it’s likely that an “S-Flex” is too stiff.

When it comes to the stiffness of your golf shafts, it’s important to leave the ego behind. It’s much more intimidating to your buddies to hit it far and straight than to brag about playing a stiff shaft and miss every fairway.

5. Try other putters

If you haven’t gone through a putter fitting, it’s likely your putter isn’t exactly tuned for your stroke. Next time you’re at a big-box retailer where they have a practice green, try out as many putters as you can. Try out everything from small blades to large mallets, even putters you’d never think to try. It’s likely that one putter will rise to the top, and almost inexplicably feel comfortable in your hands. When that happens, you’ll know which putter suits your stroke.