Golf Practice Gear

AsSiMiLaTeD

My brother took me to the driving range over the weekend, and I think I'm gonna take up golf.

I bought an inexpensive set of clubs yesterday, picked up the Wilson Ultra set at Academy for $179. I know it's not great, but should be ok to start with.

What I'm looking for now are a few things I'd need for practice. I'd like to get a net, a chipping/driving mat, and a putting system.

The putting system seems to be straightforward, but the mat and net seem to each have a lot more variability in terms of quality.

I live in an apartment, but have quick access to plenty of room outdoors. I need something that's easy to set up and yet big enough for me to drive into, and that'll last. For the mat I'd like something that I can actually stand on and chip/drive off of, maybe 3x4 feet or so, something that has a rubber tee would be nice.

I've looked a little already, and products in both categories seem to have alot of negative feedback with nets that don't last and mats that wear out too soon.

I'm hoping you guys have some good recommendations. Also, if there's anything else in general you'd recommend for a bbeginning golfer I'd appreciate it.

edbert

I found a fairly decent pair of golf shoes can make a world of difference. I picked up a pair of Adidas golf shoes at a clearance sale for 40-50 bucks a couple years ago. Being in Plano you should go check out the PGA Tour Superstore over by CollinCreek Mall. They have good deals periodically, free classes, swing evaluations, etc. Check at Sports Authority and Golf Galaxy for their clearance stuff. I seem to remember getting my shoes at a Golf Galaxy on their clearance rack.

One thing that I have been able to do more recently is by watching more golf I can find out what I am doing wrong with my swing. I was watching the Charles Barkley/Hank Haney show on the Golf Channel and discovered one major thing that I have been doing forever in my swing and have been trying to fix for years. I watched Hank show Charles one thing, went and tried it immediately in the backyard and was amazed! I also lost a few golf wiffle balls over the fence that I accidentally hit in the road, but I helped fix part of my swing, so what did I care!

Most of all, just start playing and having fun!

shawn474

The nets are relatively expensive and don't last very long. Before I hurt my back, I had practiced a lot with my brother, who is much, much better than i can hope to be. He made a PVC easel type thing with a standard tarp (it attached with bungees wrapped around the frame) to catch the ball. It was loud, but it worked really well.

Rodeo0530

edbert wrote: »

I found a fairly decent pair of golf shoes can make a world of difference. I picked up a pair of Adidas golf shoes at a clearance sale for 40-50 bucks a couple years ago. Being in Plano you should go check out the PGA Tour Superstore over by CollinCreek Mall. They have good deals periodically, free classes, swing evaluations, etc. Check at Sports Authority and Golf Galaxy for their clearance stuff. I seem to remember getting my shoes at a Golf Galaxy on their clearance rack.

One thing that I have been able to do more recently is by watching more golf I can find out what I am doing wrong with my swing. I was watching the Charles Barkley/Hank Haney show on the Golf Channel and discovered one major thing that I have been doing forever in my swing and have been trying to fix for years. I watched Hank show Charles one thing, went and tried it immediately in the backyard and was amazed! I also lost a few golf wiffle balls over the fence that I accidentally hit in the road, but I helped fix part of my swing, so what did I care!

Most of all, just start playing and having fun!

Shoes do make a huge difference. If you have the $$$ take a few lessons before you really start playing much because it can really help you build a solid base to start from. The clubs you are starting with should be fine, but just realize now that golf is addicting and you'll start upgrading golf gear like many people update stereo equipment. Also make sure you test out different putters because that's your most important club to be very comfortable with.

NJPOLKER

Hey ****
Consider skipping the mat. Buy a lot of regular wooden tee's from somewhere like Golfsmith and practice on real grass just like your on the golf course. Hitting off a mat can give you false hope, I know in golf it can be a good thing, meaning when you hit behind the ball the results on the mat are not so bad but in reality/on grass its bad. Using the same tee's you'll use on the course and in practice will help you with just how high you will want to tee the ball, consistency is critical.
Take lessons from a certified PGA instructor ASAP not your buddies!!! It does not matter how low their score is they are not instructors. The sooner the better because it really difficult to break bad habits you'll develop.
To be continued........ its never ending

NJPOLKER

How old are you?
Do stretching before swinging the clubs. The golf swing is hard on the body. A bad golf swing is real hard on the body!!
Put the driver in the closet and leave it there. For now you'll hit your 3 wood/metal farther and more consistent. If the set has 3 and 4 irons you can put those with the driver. When at Golfsmith have the rep. help you pick out a utility club to replace the 3 and 4 irons.
I say Golfsmith because they are great, kind of like Polk Audio.
I have lots of real nice golf shoes but you can practice bare foot if you like and some recommend it. When you do get around to shoes plan on spending some cash on a good pair. The last thing you want are sore feet on the course.
I drink a lot when I play but don't recommend it :rolleyes:

audiobliss

I've not played nor practiced near enough to give you advice, but here's just a little that I've noticed. Used to when I was younger and Dad was trying to get me to play more, I liked hitting off the mats. No big divots to worry with flying through the air or be missing from the ground, etc. Also, I probably just thought the mats were neat. However, now, I really don't like the feel of them. Sure, I suppose it's better than nothing, but it's not a good approximation of how the real ground feels when you go out there and play. I'd much rather practice with some real ground.

Along those same lines, I second using the real tees during practice, as everything in golf is all about consistency.

Have fun with it!

Braddles

Practice on grass not mats or fake grass whenever you can!

It can lull you into a faulse sence that you are hitting them ok. If you hit the ball a bit fat ( hit the ground before the ball) the club will just skid on the mat and you will still feel like you got it ok where as if you hit the same shot on grass you will just dig a big hole that you will feel like jumping in.:mad:
But at least you can see what you are doing wrong and can try to address it.

"You practice on what you play on." is what pro told me once and i must say while sometimes it can be frustrating on grass, you come away from your practice felling like you got more out of it.:D

Hopefully you are not too much of a competitive person like me because you will enjoy the game alot more.

I agree with getting some lessons early on so you dont develop too many bad habits that are harder to get out of the longer you do them. Plus they give you lots of practice drills to do which is great to fall back on when your playing a game and things start to go bad.

Which they will!!!!

Ask me how i know this.

avelanchefan

Assimilated,

After golfing now for a good 20 years there are a few things I have learned, and after getting my son into lessons those views have not changed.

1) Chip and putt as much as possible. 80% of your game will come 100 yards and in. So do not get carried away with your driver. Just work on your 7 iron and in. (7,8,9,PW,SW) Also keep your back swing slow. People tend to rush their back swings. Keep it SLOW AND SMOOTH!

2) Whenever possible while putting be in the mindset of 2 putting. Even if your putt is 25 yards, try to two putt. A old golfing buddy gave me that tip and I have stuck with it. I always try to sink my putts on the first try (DUH!) but I also want to make sure that I am close if I miss. When I 2 putt or lower all day, my scores drop like a rock.

3) Whoever mentioned shoes is right on. Even if they are the sandal golf shoes. Get some golf shoes. They make you keep your feet in place. And keep your front foot planted during your swing. If at all possible try not to move it. Moving it during your swing will change everything else.

AsSiMiLaTeD

Thanks for all the tips guys. I was thinking about a mat just to practice here without having to go out to a course. Right now I just need to work on swing mechanics more than anything. I'll check into some lessons.

shack

First of all...if you are really interested in the game spend a few bucks on lessons. 3 or 4 half hour lessons from a PGA Pro will do more good than anything else you do in the beginning. Don't listen to your friends unless they are pros because they will only mess you up. If they were that good they would be scratch golfers. Also find a practice facility or course with a chipping and putting greeen and spend LOTS of time there. That will do more for your game than twice as much time on the driving range. Forget all of the gadgets as they do not work.

Golf is a game you will never master but can enjoy trying to for a lifetime. Good luck.

edbert

Also know that there are some great deals out there on actual greens fees for the different courses that you will be playing. Find the courses closest to you that have decent greens fees and get on their email list. Most places have specials weekly so you should never have to pay full price. I only play about 3 courses, Woodbridge in Sachse, Chase Oaks in Allen and Prairie Lakes in Grand Prairie.

Woodbridge is a beautiful course, the employees are a lot of fun and they can have some pretty awesome deals for such a nice course.

Chase Oaks is nice because it is close to the house and I still have some free driving range balls out there. They have an easier 9 hole course with two different tee boxes so you can play 18 and a regular fairly tough(at least for me) 18 hole course.

Prairie Lakes has 27 holes, so you never know which two they may be playing everyone on that day. The nice thing is there are no sand traps, the trees are easy to hit out of and there is only water on a few holes. They also have a really nice putting practice area and driving range. Plus they have a family owned BBQ place on site that has been in GP for 40+ years. I know all this because my brother-in-law works for the parks and rec department so I generally play there for free, but I have no problems paying because even without specials their rates are good.

AsSiMiLaTeD

I think I'll check out Chase Oaks, that's not too far from me either, and it would be nice to start on an easier course.

I'm not really trying to get good yet, just want to learn how to hit the ball and go out and have some fun and an easy course would be a good way to get started.

edbert

At Chase Oaks they have some package deals on the driving range where you can get(at least when I got it) 20 medium buckets for $90, so you can save $50. It may seem like a lot up front, but it is nice to be able to have the clubs in the car with an hour or so to spare and just pop in and hit some balls. I am not good by any means, but I ALWAYS have fun, and I don't even drink.

AsSiMiLaTeD

We went to TopGolf USA over the weekend and I really enjoyed it there. I like how they have targets at different distances so really someone at any level of skill can come in and have fun.

One issue I do have is really bad eyesight. We found out that I can really only track the ball up to about 50 yards, beyond that I can't see it. This obviously creates a problem and means I'll always have to play with a friend.

It's unfortunate that I actually enjoy golf, because if someone were to say "Go create a sport that's impossible for someone with bad eyesight to play", golf would be a very good attempt at that - you're hitting a small round ball with a stick at a high velocity, then you have to watch this tiny ball as at travels at high speeds in any direction in front of you for distances of up to 300 yards and you're tracking a light colored object against a bright sky, all while aiming for a flagstick that's in front of you that you can't see at a distance that's unknown to you because distances are very difficult to judge.

apc

About nets: just remember that they are good only to determine if you are making contact. The flight of the ball would be impossible to determine, so you would not know how effective your swing actually was.

+1 on the pro lessons. You'll never spend money more wisely than investing in a PGA professional.

+1 on the short game including putting. It's more important than the long game. "Drive for show, putt for dough" should be tattooed on our foreheads.

Don't forget the etiquette. One must learn the rules to enjoy the game to it's fullest.

Have fun. Golf will provide you years of entertainment, agravation and will humble you as never before .

edbert

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

One issue I do have is really bad eyesight. We found out that I can really only track the ball up to about 50 yards, beyond that I can't see it.

Just hit it straight and you won't have to worry about it!

I second taking the lessons. I had the pleasure of having guys that my dad would play golf with that are scratch golfers that gave me lessons while I would walk the course with them. Other than having a pretty bad slice the majority of the time, I can strike the ball fairly well. Real lessons would have been better, but I was only in middle school at the time and they only played every month or so. I can't wait till my kids are old enough that I can take them out and play!