Equipment
What GolfWRXers are saying about the best clubs to buy for a total beginner
In our forums, new WRXer ‘XaN91’ (welcome to the WRX family!) created a thread dedicated to clubs suitable for someone just taking up the sport. ‘XaN91’ says:
“I am very interested in starting up golf and was wondering if you guys had any recommendations for clubs. My only experience with golf has been Top Golf and a par 3 course at McMenamins Edgefield while inebriated.
I have been looking at a lot of different brands, and it is quite overwhelming. Which clubs do I actually need when starting out?
My budget is $1000, the less I have to spend the better.”
And our members have been sharing their thoughts on the best ways to go for a total beginner.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- scooterhd2: “I’d be looking at a used set of irons online. You can get some decent irons for under 250 bucks. Driver, 5 wood, 5-gw iron set, and then a 56* SW and you are set.”
- James the Hogan Fan: “If I were you, I would go down to the thrift shop and look for clubs there. Irons generally come in two kinds: Cavity back and Muscle back/blade. The cavity back is meant to be more forgiving and easier to hit, and as there were many models of them released in the 1990s, thrift shops are usually populated with them. Look at clubs like Callaway X14, or Ping Eye/Zing. Clubs that look like this are going to be more reasonable for a beginner compared to something like ‘Hogan Apex ’88’ (A blade type). This is simply mentioned as an alternative to the box sets above. It depends on what you’re looking for and price. Top of the line 25 years ago vs discount rack today. Just remember at this point in our golfing, you probably will be very frustrated with bad contact no matter what clubs you have and use. Wristy Swing has really summed up the goals and expectations well.”
- Mr Smooth: “Tour Edge makes decent intro-level clubs. For example, Tour Edge Bazooka 470 Black complete set, which includes a bag, can be had for under $500 new.”
- Stinger83: “Start as cheap as possible. My advice is buy old equipment on eBay and local small golf shops. Old equipment is 90% as good as brand new stuff, and it’s 10% of the price. The reason I recommend this is because once you improve – and decide you enjoy the game – you’re going to want new stuff. Your swing will change, and you’ll be spending another $1,000 on new irons within a year. I’d say buy an old set of irons, a driver, a hybrid, a putter, and a sand wedge and you’re good to go.”
- jomatty: “I’d get an older set of Titleist AP1’s, Mizuno jpx or ez, Callaway steelheads. Get 5-s if you can. You can get some of those irons for $250ish. Get a 23 degree Adams hybrid for 30 bucks or so (plenty of good options but tough to beat price on some of the Adams hybrids). An odyssey putter $40. A Callaway ft-9 driver or ping g2 driver something like that will cost you maybe another $40. Maybe a 3 or 5 wood, something like a g2 for 30 bucks or so. You’re done for less than $500. As I add that up, I guess the Callaway edge complete set at the same price looks really good.”
Entire Thread: “Best clubs for a total beginner”
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Whats in the Bag
Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB: 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @8.25) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 X
Irons: TaylorMade Proto (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9) Buy here.
Shaft: Project X 7.0 (4-9)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB) Buy here, Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-K @59) Buy here.
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X3 Buy here.
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol Tour
Ball: 2024 TaylorMade TP5x Buy here.
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s WITB in the forums.
View this post on Instagram
The winning WITB is presented by 2nd Swing Golf. 2nd Swing has more than 100,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
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Whats in the Bag
Kevin Tway WITB 2024 (May)
- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Equipment
Did Rory McIlroy inspire Shane Lowry’s putter switch?
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Imafitter
May 11, 2020 at 9:28 am
First thing I’d do is go to a golf shop where they have a PGA Pro and take a few basic lessons. Then ask the Pro to help you find a set of used irons, 6-AW, SW, Driver, 5W, 5H, Putter. Keep taking lessons until you’re comfortable on the course.
Alex
May 8, 2020 at 9:06 am
Driver
3/4 wood
hybrid
hybrid
GI 4/GW
58 with a lot of bounce
Putter