I started golf as a senior after I retired. Not knowing any local golfers, I didn’t know how to choose appropriate golf clubs, so I did what many Australians do, I went to my local Drummonds Golf store ( 300 km away) and bought a starter set of Power Bilt clubs.
I was given a price range to choose from, my wrist to floor measurement was taken and regular shaft flex was suggested. I hit a few 7 irons into a net and liked the Power Bilt the best. The golf set consisted of 10.5 Driver, 3 wood, hybrid, strong lofted 4 iron to SW,/ I choose a Power Bilt putter too. Cost $800- ish

I used the set for a year and seemed to hit a wall at handicap 24. It had to be the clubs! I struggled with a push fade off the tee with Driver. I wasn’t able to hit the 3 wood off the deck, but continued carrying it. I liked the hybrid. 4 iron and 5 iron didn’t work flight wise. You Tube became my friend in golf instruction as we didn’t have a local coach at that time. It seemed to me that I needed irons I could hit better and a Driver that I could control, so I did the E-Bay. I bought a set of stiff shafted single length Cobra F7 ( 5 -GW) for $400 , a F7 Driver,and a F7 22-24 hybrid. Sold the Power Bilt set for $400.

Handicap fell to 22, better iron control, but I still struggled with the Driver so I swapped to a second hand F8 stiff shaft. I added another F7 Hybrid 16-19 instead of a 3 wood. That worked!

At the end of year two I decided I should sell off the irons and Driver and get fitted for a new set of Cobra F9s. The “fitting ” process was basic indeed. So I ended up with an F9 driver set at 12 degrees, a 3-4 wood at 16, F9 irons 5-GW. I continued using thisset for another year, during which I realized that the Driver and three wood were not working for me, nor could I hit the 5 iron ( 22.5) any further than the 6 iron (25/26 degrees?) so it was replaced by the 22 F7 Hybrid . It was about here that I changed my swing learning the Jim Venetos method and developed a reliable, repeatable contact. It worked for me. It was about this time That I wondered if graphite shafted irons would suit me better, so I bought a couple graphite shafted Milford Golf SL-7 irons to try. They had a narrower sole which seemed to help my turf interaction.

At year 4 my bag now has a 12 degree Cleveland HB Launcher Turbo Driver, Cobra F9 5-6 wood set at 17 degrees( a 4 wood?), Cobra F9 SL 19 Hybrid, F8 SL hybrids 22 and 25 degrees, Milford Golf SL-7 6 iron ( 29) -GW (50) graphite shafted, Cleveland CBX2 56 and 60 wedges. Handicap down to 13 now. I am about to replace my 6 iron with a Tour Edge hot launch iron-hybrid.

There is a moral to my story in that finding the right clubs to suit your game/ swing (eventually) improves your game. Obviously having a professional fitting is ideal, but many would argue that doing that before grooving a good ball strike/ swing path is like trying to hit a moving target.

Here is my advice on gear for a beginner golfer.
Driver: most beginners slice, so an anti- slice Drivers like a Wilson Launch Pad or Cleveland HB Launcher Turbo; cheap and forgiving. Loft 10.5 to 14 degrees. (The worse you slice the higher the loft you need, but you lose distance as a trade off, but keep it in the fairway)
Fairway woods: loft of 17-19 degrees. Brands: Cobra, Tour Edge, Cleveland, Wilson
Hybrids: Lofts 19-24 Brands as above
Irons: Super Game Improvement irons were really a revelation to me recently. How easy are these things to hit! They look hybrid like, some say ugly, but they work to get the ball up high and they spin and they draw the ball ( ideal for beginners)
Brands: Cleveland HB Launchers, Wilson Launch Pads, Tour Edge Bazooka/ Hot Launch, Cobra T-Rail.
Whether you go for this type of SGI iron, or a Game Improver cavity backed type, change to hybrids at or under about 26 degrees loft ( disregard this if you have a high swing speed)
Wedges: Cavity backed wedges are more forgiving than blade style traditional wedges. Bang for buck the CBX2 Cleveland are hard to beat.
Putters: very individual item, but try a Wilson or Cleveland.

General Advice:
1) If in doubt start with a regular flex shaft even if you are a big strapping lad. If you are approaching 70s A flex or Ladies flex will work.
2) Don’t spend big bucks on your first clubs. You will out grow them. Second hand makes sense ( E bay, Face Book Market Place, Gum Tree). The big name brands come at a premium price, best left later when you have a professional fitting.
3) Hand me downs from Dad or relatives may not suit you. My mate inherited a set that had 2,3,4,5 irons, none of which he can hit well and was getting frustrated with golf. He had no idea that there were easier clubs to use until I loaned him my wife’s SGI irons.

I hope this helps those who don’t have advice from an experienced golfer/ PGA professional .

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