Get A Bargain With A Used Golf Club
by James Beckett
Many times people who are just getting started in the game of Golf become as absorbed in a buying spree as they are in learning to play the game well. The urge to run out and buy professional caliber golf clubs is strong as though owning expensive and high quality clubs will make you a great golfer. But for most new golfers, buying used golf clubs is a smarter move.
For a lot of people, the option of buying used clubs can make starting this new hobby not such a financial strain. And by starting out with a less expensive set, you can find out if you will fall in love with golf for life or if your interest will pass. And if you do find that golf is not a sport you will stick with, you have not sunk so much money into the sport and you can always sell the used clubs for little or no financial loss. But the real value in using inexpensive clubs at first is that you can use this time to find out what you need in a quality set of golf clubs so when you do invest in your permanent set, you are an informed customer.
Even if you do decide that it’s smart to go the used club route, it’s even smarter to not buy in the first few weeks or months of learning to play gulf but to rent clubs at first. You can work out a deal with your favorite golf shop to rent the same set for several weeks so you can get used to them. This way you can focus on learning golf along with what you like and don’t like about how your rental clubs work for you. A side benefit is that by establishing a relationship with the rental shop you like, they can let you know when they are putting used golf club sets on sale and you can get a bargain.
Just because you are going to buy a used set of golf clubs doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t get some sage advice about how to shop for good clubs. A set of clubs that is not a good fit to your body and to how you play the game will be a nightmare for you and could ruin your love of the game that is so important especially when you are just starting out. So turn to professionals who know how to evaluate clubs to give you a checklist of what to look for when you are checking out a used set you might want to buy. You will feel so much better about writing that check if you have put the clubs under some scrutiny.
Probably the most important criteria for whether this set of clubs is a good choice for your first set is the “feel” of the clubs when you hold them and use them to swing or put. You notice in the golf shop, golfers always have the clubs out getting into position to see how the club feels in use. For you as a novice, you need to first understand how a golf club is supposed to feel in your hands so you know if the one you will buy feels right. The club should feel comfortable, not be awkward to use and help you with the shot you want rather than get in the way. By playing a few weeks or longer before even buying used, you will have some experience in this type of club evaluation.
The quality of materials in a good set of golf clubs will make or break your game. The heads of a good set of used clubs should be stainless steel and not an alloy that will not perform well in play. Good designs for golf clubs especially at the beginner level are what is called perimeter weighted clubs, cavity backed clubs which means they are hollow near the back of the club or clubs with larger or oversized heads. Buying clubs with larger heads gives you a bigger striking surface which means more of your shots will perform well as you learn the game. Then once you are accomplished at golf, you can buy conventional sized golf clubs to use long term.
But the heads are not the only aspect of the golf club you should learn to consider when looking at used clubs. The long part of the club that makes up the shaft should make for an easy swing and be light and easy to handle. But in your early weeks of golfing, you learned that the grip is a crucial part of the golf club and it must be right for you to be a success. But if the grips of the used clubs are a bit worn, that’s not a big deal because they can be fixed inexpensively. But even before that is fixed, test how the club feels when you hold it and take some test swings in a drive or putt position so you know if all of the parts of the club work well for you.
Shopping for this first set of clubs is both exciting and intimidating. By getting some criteria such as we have described here and with your check list from the golf pro in hand, you will be a smarter shopper. And when you take each club out and put it through its paces as part of the evaluation process, you will feel better about your ability to ask questions and interact with the club owner and about your final decision whether it is to go ahead and buy the clubs or keep on looking.
If you are looking for the best then check out this article on golf shafts in graphite to cut through the hype and find out if they really are as good as people say.
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