Howdy.
I am a NOVICE .... fair warning.

Like a dumb ass, I started playing golf (first time ever) in July at the age of 45.
See, I am an idiot.

During the last 5 months, I have played a lot (at least once a week) and hit the driving range MANY times.
I live in Colorado so golf outings are few and far between in the winter months.
I am playing today here at my neighborhood course, and twice next week down in Houston.

I tend to putt fairly well (two-putt a lot, some three-putts for sure).
My approach shots (which for me is inside of 50 yards) are pretty good & fairly consistent.

I purchased a set of Adams Golf a12os hybrid irons in early October, and hit them pretty well.
- GW, PW, 9, 8, 7 are 'iron looking' but have a wide sole, perimeter weighted, cavity back.
- 6, 5, 4 are hybrids.

I don't hit a driver right now (I get intimidated) ...... I hit an old Calloway Big Bertha 3 wood off the tee and on the fairway.

My questions for y'all are:
1) What driver would you recommend for a novice, older golfer? Are senior clubs a consideration?
2) What fairway woods would you recommend for a novice, older golfer? Are senior clubs a consideration?

Thanks,
BESCo91
BTHO LSU!

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My questions for y'all are:
1) What driver would you recommend for a novice, older golfer? Are senior clubs a consideration?
2) What fairway woods would you recommend for a novice, older golfer? Are senior clubs a consideration?

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1) senior clubs refers to the shaft flex, go into a golfsmith/golf galaxy and just get your swing speed.
As for recommendations, any of the big names are good, it will depend on what fits your eye/checkbook. I really like the new Cobras, but dont get enough distance/accuracy increase to change drivers ATM.
2) see above. Also look into some stronger hybrids if you arent comfortable with woods.

Thanks Icecream.

You're not an idiot, in fact I'm jealous. The most fun I've had playing golf was my first year or two. I still enjoy it plenty, but that first year was obsessive and I was high every day on golf crack. Wish I could go back and do it again. I was 28 when I first started playing and couldn't believe I had missed out as long as I had.

As for your questions, my opinions are:

- As long as you're in halfway decent shape, don't get senior clubs. That includes if you're in good shape into your 70's or 80's. There is plenty of non-senior gear out there to fit your game, whatever your game is. If later you decide to get really serious about developing a good swing and dropping your handicap to single digits, my experience is to move up to "players" clubs which will give you the feedback you need. Not necessarily blades, maybe not players cavity irons, but something that gives you some confidence at address yet is not a blatant game improvement club. If you just want to have fun, and a lot of it, disregard the player's clubs remarks.

- Driver: I bag player's drivers so I can't give much advice on the more forgiving stuff out there. I don't do it for ego, I just like the way they look at address and how they sound when struck is important to me vs. something that makes me cringe when I go through a bucket of range balls. You'll probably get some good advice here on what drivers you should consider. The only thing I will say is try not to get a closed face anti slice driver or similar club designed to correct a swing flaw.

- Fairway woods. I don't recommend any particular brand but will say you probably need something with a shallow face that is easier to hit off the fairway. I'm not necessarily recommending Titleist clubs, but here's a photo of two in the same model year that shows the difference:




Good luck but most importantly, enjoy the game.

By the way, I'm older than you are.

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As for recommendations, any of the big names are good, it will depend on what fits your eye/checkbook.

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To me, this is key. I play a fair amount and still need to look down and feel comfortable. Some drivers just don't "look" right. Some irons look off to me. Get something that is comfortable so you can have confidence. If you keep playing, you can uppgrayyed later. For how you hit right now, confidence in equipment is going to help way more than higher dollar stuff IMO.

Go get your swing speed measured and hit a bunch of clubs/setups of those clubs until you feel comfortable. The shaft, regular/stiff/extra stiff, will make a huge difference in dispersion. I played for a year intensely and used a regular flex shaft because I didn't know any better. I went to the swing analyzer once I had a consistent swing and found that my swing speed was 108+-. I changed out the shaft to a higher end stiff shaft and immediately noticed more shot dispersion consistency and dropped almost 4 strokes per round off my score. A regular flex shaft now feels like a wet noodle if I try to hit one

I took up golf 7 years ago at 50. For the past 3 years or so I've hitbAdams as well. I'm playing the V4 right now which is the hybrid iron too. I can get the ball up and hit it straight. This summer I added a cobra bio cell driver and it's the best driver I've found for me.

Enjoy. Wish I'd taken it up at 45.

Many thanks, Ags.
Some great advice & opinions here.
Played yesterday.....had some shots.

AgDotCom ..... just to make sure I am clear:
- By "shallower face", I assume you mean a shorter face?
- Meaning the club pictured on the right would be generally preferred for a beginner?
- If so, why is that?

Driver: Ping. No questions. I'm on my 3rd. Just so forgiving. Fairway woods too although I'd recommend a 3H (22*) first. Adams comes highly recommended so nice choice.

Good luck and welcome to hell.

Yes, the club on the right has the shallow face (measured from sole to crown).

It's better for the less skilled player because it's a lot easier to launch from the fairway....I think the more shallow face lowers the center of gravity or something like that. I actually own that club, it is pretty easy to hit off the deck, although I now play a 3 wood with a "tweener" face depth that's about halfway between the two clubs pictured.

Been away for a few days.
Thanks for the input CapCity & DotCom, much appreciated!
I did play 3 rounds over the Thanksgiving weekend ..... had a great time.

^
Where'd you play in Houston?

Bummer that you had to be in Houston last week because the weather here was amazing. It was tshirt + windbreaker weather skiing last Thurs-Friday in Breck.... blue, sunny skies. It was 60s and sunny playing golf in Denver on Saturday.

.. had a great time.

Key to the whole deal. I picked up the game 23 years ago(I'm 43) and have shaved 2-3 strokes off per year since. I've had stretches where I worked harder and got better faster. But I've never let it consume me.

Practice when you can but play as often as possible. None of us are quitting our day job any time soon. Use it as a release and enjoy the ride.

Ping G series drivers are hard to beat. Extremely forgiving.

KEY: The key to a driver is getting the right shaft. I cannot emphasize that enough.

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.. had a great time.

Key to the whole deal. I picked up the game 23 years ago(I'm 43) and have shaved 2-3 strokes off per year since. I've had stretches where I worked harder and got better faster. But I've never let it consume me.

Practice when you can but play as often as possible. None of us are quitting our day job any time soon. Use it as a release and enjoy the ride.

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So you've cut 46-69 strokes? Exactly what were you shooting when you started?

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.. had a great time.

Key to the whole deal. I picked up the game 23 years ago(I'm 43) and have shaved 2-3 strokes off per year since. I've had stretches where I worked harder and got better faster. But I've never let it consume me.

Practice when you can but play as often as possible. None of us are quitting our day job any time soon. Use it as a release and enjoy the ride.

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So you've cut 46-69 strokes? Exactly what were you shooting when you started?

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assuming a first outing of 130 (seen worse posted in a HS tourney) 46 wouldn't be that difficult to swallow.

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.. had a great time.

Key to the whole deal. I picked up the game 23 years ago(I'm 43) and have shaved 2-3 strokes off per year since. I've had stretches where I worked harder and got better faster. But I've never let it consume me.

Practice when you can but play as often as possible. None of us are quitting our day job any time soon. Use it as a release and enjoy the ride.

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So you've cut 46-69 strokes? Exactly what were you shooting when you started?

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Didn't neccesarily mean it literally. But I have gone from the 110-120 range to high 70's-low 80's in 23.years. So, yes, I've gradually shaved 40+ strokes off of my game. Sorry I didn't take up the game and break 100 on day one. But that was my point. Very few folks have the time to work on their game to speed up the process. To me, the process is the most enjoyable part of the game.

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To me, the process is the most enjoyable part of the game.

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Entirely agree.

02 sorry for the late response.

I played Wind Rose on Friday & Sunday, and Cypresswood on Saturday.
Wind Rose (Klein area) is where my in-laws live.
Had a great time, and played well (for me) . which means SLIGHTLY under 105.

Enjoy the game. I was fanatical when I first started at about 30. I once played 45 holes in a day. I rarely get to play these days - in fact I played this past weekend for the first time in 18 months. Ouch!

I have tried lots of different clubs over the years and agree with most that stick to the name brands and find what fits you. I have always been partial to Wilson going back to my second set of used irons.

Knockoffs are rarely as good as the name brand - just my opinion. I buy new clubs when they are a couple of years old since my wallet is not that fat.

I still use the very old Wilson 1200 sand wedge I have had for about 30 years. I can't find anything that feels as good.

Like you, my driver stays in the bag most of the time. A good buddy had a good philosophy regarding drivers: If you hit it badly twice in a row - put it in the bag until you tee off well with your three wood three times in a row, then give it another chance.

It is hard to remember that it is just another club and you do not have to whale away with it.

Be prepared to treat your drivers like one night stands until you find one you really like.

It is a great game.

Have fun,

Harry...

Just a random tip that helped me and may help a newbie...don't be afraid to choke up on all of your clubs, including driver. Distance lost by choking up an extra inch on any given club is minimal, but control gained can be significant. There is a reason many pros look like they're playing with undersized sticks, even on the mid to big irons. Loft is more responsible for distance than club length, and hitting the ball in or near the sweet sport is most important.

Keegan Bradley for instance...

Most amateurs don't look like this in comparison to their clubs at set up...but a lot of places will try to sell you on longer clubs/drivers for supposed "added distance".

Thanks, God-Family-Friends-Ag FB.

I do choke up on some of my clubs.
The main reason I don't use a driver off the tee is because the length scares me .... I use a 3 wood.

Would it be stupid to get a driver and have an inch cut off?

I have to say that the 'standard length' thing seems odd on the surface.
My friend (very good golfer) is 6' 3" and uses standard length clubs.
I am 5' 9" and use standard length clubs.

Length by itself isn't that relevant. It's the combination of length and lie angle.


A tall guy with a steep swing might have the same length shafts as a shorter guy with a flatter swing.

If both of you have the same length AND lie, then one of you is probably compensating for it with your swing or stance.

My father in law is a taller guy but uses clubs that are barely longer than standard just because he got used to playing standard length clubs when he started. His stance is very bent over and his swing looks a little quirky but he still hits it really well.

My questions for y'all are:
1) What driver would you recommend for a novice, older golfer? Are senior clubs a consideration?

Most folks seem to recommend Ping G series as being the most forgiving driver. The G25 can be had off ebay for a good price and has a good resale value. As others have said on the shaft, go and get tested for swing speed but make sure you don't swing harder than normal because you are feeling the pressure. If you are having doubts about getting a senior driver, remember you can always swap out the shaft later when you start swinging faster.

2) What fairway woods would you recommend for a novice, older golfer? Are senior clubs a consideration?

I'd stick with a driver and then focus on that and your 4 and 5 hybrids. A fairway wood isn't that much different from a your 4 hybrids. Others might say get a 3 wood and no driver. Either way, I would only get one wood and focus on that and your irons at first.

Thanks dallas.

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Thanks, God-Family-Friends-Ag FB.

I do choke up on some of my clubs.
The main reason I don't use a driver off the tee is because the length scares me .... I use a 3 wood.

Would it be stupid to get a driver and have an inch cut off?

I have to say that the 'standard length' thing seems odd on the surface.
My friend (very good golfer) is 6' 3" and uses standard length clubs.
I am 5' 9" and use standard length clubs.

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To my knowledge, most pros use "standard length" irons, or close to it. Even some of the pretty tall guys. Many use undersized irons as well...prob a lot of guys in the 5'9" range I'd bet.

The average driver length for PGA tour pros is 44.5". I think most standard/stock drivers on the market are 45-46"?

I am 6'3" and I choke up about an inch on my driver, which I believe is standard length.