Quote:
Originally Posted by tophcfa
Optimal club length is based on the distance between hands and ground when standing with arms at side. Tall people with long arms don’t necessarily need longer clubs. A big difference between men’s and women’s clubs is shaft flex. I would recommend starting with inexpensive standard women’s clubs and save $$ on club fitting until you have a consistent and repeatable swing.
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This is correct. For 99% of humans, the parts of our bodies are in proportion to each other. Thus, a tall person will have longer arms and a short person will have shorter arms. For that reason, the first measurement made when fitting golf clubs is to have the person stand erect, wearing normal shoes, with their arms hanging naturally at their sides. The club fitter then measures the distance from the tips of the person's fingers to the floor and uses that number on a chart to see if the person falls within an accepted range. In recent years, many fitters are using a measurement from the crease on the inside of the person's wrist to the floor. You can do a Google search on club fitting and learn all about this method. You can test this by standing beside a person much shorter or taller than you to compare where your hands fall
That said, the most important thing in golf is being able to hit the ball squarely and consistently. This is best accomplished by using shorter clubs and is regularly proven by the fact that a beginner will be able to hit the ball with a 9 iron, but not with a driver. Using a driver with a length of 45" and a 9 iron of 36", and an arc of the swing of 270 deg, the head of the driver travels 43" further then the head of the 9 iron before striking the ball. (Now you know the reason you can't hit a driver!).
For this reason, buy a set of women's clubs, preferably with steel shafts as most women's graphite shafts are far too flexible. You can look for a set of used clubs at Birdie's, Golf Central, or Edwin Watts or search on eBay. If you want a new set, Golf Central sells the Naples Bay brand, which makes quality clubs at a reasonable price. As a beginner, you do NOT need 14 clubs; a 3 and 5 wood, and 5,7,9, PW,SW, putter will be more than enough. If you buy a full set, leave the driver and the others in the closet until you are comfortable with the ones you take to the course.
Spend the money you save on clubs on lessons. Find a teacher who uses a video camera to record your swing and to show you what you are doing that is right and wrong. The problem with golf teachers is that they speak in a foreign language that ordinary people do not understand ("you need to get the clubhead in the slot"; "you are casting"; "you have a reverse pivot"). If you can see what it is they are trying to tell you, there is a chance you will learn something. Finally, never listen to your husband or significant other. That is a sure way to damage a relationship.
Enjoy! Golf is the greatest of all games and the most challenging.