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Used Golf Clubs

As a beginner golfer, you might want to consider buying used golf clubs as a starter set. Of course if you have the money to burn then go ahead and get a new set of clubs, but used golf clubs are more than appropriate for the majority of newcomers to the game. There are quite a few people, especially kids and teenagers, who play for a while but lose enjoyment and end up wasting those new clubs.

The main factors when buying any type of clubs, even used golf clubs, is to make sure that they fit close to your height, arm length, and swing speed. When buying used golf clubs, another important factor is how all of the drivers, irons, and putters feel in your hands and when you swing.

Used golf clubs can be found in most used sporting good stores, weekend garage sales, classified ads in the newspaper, and of course, through online shopping. You can even check some of the local pro shops at the nearest golf course for any available used golf clubs.

Custom Golf Clubs

There comes a time in every serious golfer’s life when ponying up the extra cash in order to have a set of custom golf clubs made is a must. It gets old very fast when you have to have your current set of golf clubs repaired because they don’t quite fit your playing style as they should, causing numerous problems on the course.

Yes they are expensive, but having custom golf clubs made with the specs of your personal measurements, height, and swing plane will cure any problems you are having on the course. Gone will be the days where you are forced to play with a set of golf clubs that just don’t fit right.

Having a set of custom golf clubs fitted to your needs is a fairly simple process. The three major factors that will be considered when having your new set of custom golf clubs fitted will be your height, your arm length, and swing speed.

Custom golf clubs can be impeccably fitted to your swing and body type, but may cost you thousands of dollars to have made. Is it worth it? Yes, most definitely!

Once a player reaches a certain level of experience with golf, there comes a time when a huge difference in the quality of their game will depend entirely on how well they play with their respective set of golf clubs. Custom golf clubs can become a big step in the right direction towards improving your score and overall continued enthusiasm of the game.

The most important aspect of having custom golf clubs fitted for each individual is to make sure that it’s done right. Everybody has a different body as well as a different swing. You are investing quite a large sum of money into this project and if you do not have a professional properly fit you for your custom golf clubs, it could turn out to be the biggest regret you have made.

Dirty Clubs = Increased Scores

Too many weekend golfers ignore what seems to them to be a forgotten part of the game: Taking care of their golf clubs.

Dirty Clubs Can Impact Your Score

As often as not they keep their clubs at home and they find it quite easy not to clean them. But this costs strokes. If the grooves of the iron are not clean the clubhead will not put maximum backspin on the ball.

Always Carry A Towel

During every round you should have a towel available so that the clubface can be cleaned after each shot. You should also clean the grooves by running a sharp object through them before every shot.

How To Keep Your Woods In Top Shape

Caring for woods presents a different problem. Woods pick up moisture and are affected by sharp changes from very moist to very dry climates.

To prevent any problems, you should soak your woods periodically in linseed oil. This seals the heads of their irons, presumably to keep them from rusting.

Too many weekend golfers ignore what seems to them to be a forgotten part of the game: Taking care of their golf clubs.

Everytime I ship a club or set of clubs that I custom build for folks, I include some tips on how to take care of them. Keeping them clean is one of the most important ones, but alas - very few golfers seem to care about their clubs

 Dirty Clubs Can Impact Your Score 

As often as not they keep their clubs at home and they find it quite easy not to clean them. But this costs strokes. If the grooves of the iron are not clean the clubhead will not put maximum backspin on the ball.

 Always Carry A Towel 

During every round you should have a towel available so that the clubface can be cleaned after each shot. You should also clean the grooves by running a sharp object through them before every shot.

 How To Keep Your Woods In Top Shape 

Caring for woods presents a different problem. Woods pick up moisture and are affected by  sharp changes from very moist to very dry climates.

 To prevent any problems, you should soak your woods periodically in linseed oil. This seals the heads of their irons, presumably to keep them from rusting.

There are two ways to outfit a youngster who is just starting to play golf. You can either pass down the Parent’s clubs as is, cut them down to fit, or buy junior sized clubs. Either method can work just fine, depending upon how old the child is and his or her size.

Two important points must be kept in mind: First, a child should start with clubs that he can manage easily. Otherwise, he will have trouble learning a basic, rhythmic golf swing. Second, he should start using adult clubs, which are cut down, as soon as he can handle them.

If the child is 10 years or younger, he should definitely be using junior clubs. They are very light, short, and balance to fit a young child this age. These clubs should be the ones he learns the fundamentals of golf with.

As soon as he shows some proficiency with these clubs, the child should start swinging adult clubs that are cut down to fit his height. This will probably happen around age 12. Once he has mastered the cut-down clubs and grows a little bit taller, adult clubs will be the next investment.

One of the basic tenets of golf is to take care of your equipment.
The appearance of a player and his golf accessories can tell a lot about that person.  By taking pride in your golf apparel,
especially your clubs and golf bag, and keeping everything in shape, you will look better and most importantly, your expensive
golf equipment will last a lot longer.

Keeping Your Club Faces Free From Dirt

Whenever you hit a shot, you will see that the grooves of the face on your iron will be cluttered with dirt.  To keep this
area clean and free of grime, simply wipe off the clubhead with a rag or small towel and then use the sharp end of a tee to
scrape each groove.

Cleaning your club face like this is not just for appearances either. By removing encrusted dirt and mud, your shots will
maintain distance. With a dirty club, you can lose control and your ball will not reach the distances desired.

Cleaning Your Golf Balls

When you arrive at each tee box, you will see a small structure on a pole designed to help keep your golf balls clean.  Some of
these contraptions have a round handle on top, and some have a crank-type handle on the side.

These are called ball washers and the purpose is to enable you to clean your golf balls. You simply place the ball in the
designated area and once finished, the ball will come out erfectly clean.

When cleaning your golf balls, keep it courteous. These ball washers can be extremely noisy so be sure not to use the machine
when one of your playing partners is about to make a shot. It’s best to wait until the swing is over before you operate the ball cleaner.

Keeping Your Shoes Clean

If you wear spiked shoes during your golf games, as everybody should, keeping them clean is also standard procedure for the
player who takes care of his or her equipment.  At the end of the day, be sure to scrape off any of the excess dirt and grass
from the spikes before taking off your shoes.

In addition to preventing the trunk of your car from getting dirty from your shoes, you’ll also be able to keep an eye on the
spikes and know when it’s time to get new ones installed in your shoes.

Note: You can purchase a package of spikes to keep your footing fresh at all times.  Each package should come with a small wrench
that has two claws. You will insert these claws into the holes at the base of your cleats in order to remove the spikes.
Replace them with the new spikes but be sure not to tighten them up too hard because it may be extremely difficult to remove the
spikes for future replacements.

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Hit ‘em straight

Ben

Even though golf doesn’t require physical contact between players  like other sports, such as football or basketball, that doesn’t mean that you cannot take a few preventative measures to stay healthy and keep comfortable.

The Most Common Golf Injury: Blisters

Blisters may not sound like a serious problem, but ask any golfer about how uncomfortable and debilitating a blister can be to his or her golf game, and I’ll guarantee you they will all agree to how frustrating and painful it can be.

A good set of gloves can prevent blisters, but if your hands to start to show signs of one, be sure to cover it with a bandage. In fact, a package of bandages should be in important part of your golf accessory items.

Bandages are not the only items that you should carry with you to the course. Below is a list of the few other accessories that can make up a perfect golf first aid bag.

1. Sunscreen can keep you from burning out and experiencing sun poisoning. Hot, sunny weather can cause sunburn that can be extremely painful. You can purchase sunscreen in small tubes so that it is convenient to carry.  Trust me, when you are playing golf in the  middle of July, with the afternoon sun beaming down on you, you’ll be glad you carried sunscreen along.

2. Extra bandages can come in handy anytime a blister pops up.  As mentioned at the beginning, blisters are the most common injury on the golf course. If you do not have gloves and do get a blister, having a bandage will be a godsend.

3. Adhesive tape is known as the golfer’s “duct tape”. In other words, adhesive tape can be a miracle in many situations.  Not only would you use it in order to secure bandages wrapped around the hand or finger which is blistered up, but adhesive tape can also tighten up a club grip that may loosen up for whatever reason.  This is a great temporary solution until you can get the club fixed securely.

4. Pain reliever’s, such as Aspirin can come in handy. I have to admit that I am guilty of not carrying aspirins along with me when golfing, but the ironic thing is that it seems during every game, at least one person will come up to me and ask if I have any Tylenol or Aspirin.

Many men and women have headaches or migraines which are a daily part of their lives.  Unfortunately, some of them forget to bring along a pain reliever.  I could not imagine trying to play a peaceful game of golf with a pounding headache. So be courteous and carry along a few small packets of aspirin for anyone that may need it.

5. Bug spray can also be a miracle product on the course, especially during mosquitoes season.  Of course this problem depends on where you are located, but if you are playing in an area that is loaded with insects ready to bite your skin, a decent bug repellent can do wonders.

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Hit ‘em straight (and stay safe out there…)

Ben

Since you are probably thinking about your wish list for Christmas, I thought I’d put up a post about the golf gift that keeps on giving - a new golf bag… 

 A high quality golf bag is an invaluable investment for the regular golfer. This is especially true if you enjoying walking the course and prefer not to use a cart.  Besides, it is highly recommended to walk as often as possible when playing golf.  And during your game, you want a golf bag that will be comfortable, yet durable.

Tour Bags

When shopping for a quality golf bag, there are several sizes for you to choose from. If you have ever watched a professional golf game on TV or in person, you will notice that the pros typically use giant leather tour bags. They are waterproof and equipped with large pockets that are able to carry most anything a caddie may need during the game.

Needless to say, these bags are extremely heavy, some weighing over 50 pounds.  Luckily for these players, they pay someone to carry their golf bags for them. Many Caddies get paid very well, with some even earning a percentage of their player’s tournament wins.

Cart Bags

The average golfer like yourself will probably never need a 50 pound tour bag just to carry your clubs around the golf course on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.  So the next size down that is more ideal for normal, everyday players is called a cart bag.

Cart bags are typically made of leather and nylon. They are also made to fit on a golf cart. On the other hand, cart bags are still a bit bulky and are best suited if you plan on driving the golf cart around all day. Personally, my favorite is the carry bag, as described below.

Carry Bags

Although cart bags are ideal, an even better solution for recreational golfers are called carry bags. These golf bags are much smaller and weigh far less than a full-size bag such as the tour bag and cart bag. You will find that cart bags are able to carry all of your clubs, a few  accessories, and of course your golf balls. However, there is little room for anything else.

Carry bags are available in a wide range of sizes, designs, and price. For children you can find these bags in smaller ¾ sizes. For adults who would like a little “extra”, you can pick up a deluxe model carry bag that has more pockets and a backpack strap which enables you to hold onto your bag using both shoulders – quite comfortable.

As far as prices are concerned, with carry bags, you get what you pay for (like any product for that matter). Low-quality bags can sell for $40-$50. However, cart bags in this price range do not have the most aesthetic appeal and are not very comfortable. Cheap carry bags such as this are fine if you only plan on playing golf once or twice per year. It would be a better choice to invest at least $100 into a high-quality carry bag.

Of course, it’s even better if you get wrapped up with a bow under (or beside) the Christmas tree.
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Hit ‘em straight

Ben

OK my great golf buddies, here’s another “What Do You Think” post for you to respond to.

This time, it’s more like “what do you play”?

The question is - do you think those $40 a dozen golf balls actually help your game?

I mean, do you try to play with expensive balls, medium cost balls, or just your everyday range ball like I use?

Tell us what balls you use, and why - do you think they are helping your game, or did you just get them on sale?

In case you’re wondering - there are the price ranges of some of the more popular balls on the course (cost per dozen):

 - Callaway HX Hot Bite - $30

 - Titleist DT Carry/Roll - $22

 - Top Flight Gamer - $20

 - TaylorMade Burner - $25

Hit ‘em straight (whatever ball you chose…)

Ben

For those of you golfers out there who like to play according to the official rulebook…

(which should be ALL of you, right? )

…there is are specific regulations devoted to using a putter on the course.

So what is the rule when you damage your putter?

Well, the rule states that if a putter is damaged during normal game play, it can be replaced.

OK, to be honest, I’m not sure how a normal game of golf can damage a club, but I do know that a bad temper and an angry swing at the ground can certainly ruin a perfectly good putter! :-0

That brings me to the next part of the rule concerning damaged putters. If you do happen to damage your putter out of anger, which is not considered to be the result of normal game play then you cannot replace it.

Sorry!!!

According to the regulations, you have to stop using the putter without finding a replacement. So I guess that means you have to putt with your 3 iron

The best practice is to calm yourself and avoid getting angry on the course. However, it is not uncommon to have a bad day. Even the professionals are known to blow their tops. Woody Austin, who won the 2004 Buick Championship, actually bent his putter’s shaft when he missed an important putt.

So it can happen to the best of us. Just try so stay calm, OK?

Hit ‘em straight

Ben