Clubs For Beginners - Picking the Best Sized Clubs for the Beginning Golfer

Given the importance and cost of a set of clubs, you need to pay attention to how you select your first set of clubs. Most starting golfers tend to pick clubs that are shorter than more experienced players, because it is more difficult for men and women to master their shots using the longer irons and fairway woods.

When you think about this, it isn't all that surprising. The smaller the club, the easier it is to control. It takes some time to develop the skill and wrist strength to control the longer clubs with the same level of control.

To put it another way, the shorter clubs offers a steeper and tighter swing arc, while on the longer clubs such as the long iron, require more arc sweep and are therefore it is more difficult to get a feel of the club movement.

This control doesn't come easy, since many experienced golf players can have a difficult time with the long irons. It requires something akin to artistic ability to master hitting a good shot with a club that has a small head, a long shaft, and a tiny amount of loft. All of these club attributes combined creates an enormous challenge which can take years to fully master on every shot.

The Secret to Mastering Longer Clubs

As a beginner player, you can continue to golf with short clubs or you can learn to master the longer golf clubs from the start. If you opt for the latter choice, you will probably make more mistakes, but will advance in your golf game much faster.

In order to hit the ball well with the longer clubs, your swing can't come in too fast or too forcefully. Ultimately, the most important thing to having the good control is developing a graceful swing with a smooth tempo.

With longer clubs, your swing arc should be shallow and a bit longer. Keep your clubhead low to the ground when pulling back and avoid making contact with the ball to aggressively. Instead, the club should come up and over the grass in a smooth sweeping motion.

One Final Tip When you are learning to make a shot with longer clubs, move the ball farther up within your stance, more so than you would when playing with a short or middle iron. By positioning the ball 1 or 2 inches back, you are allowing room for the wide swing arc of the longer shaft on the club.