Just picked up some Tommy Armour 855s Silver Scots...

[jdelcue]

Posted a few days back about some starter clubs, but got no answer on the particular set I asked about. No matter -- just did some searching around for awhile and browsed some other channels of knowledge on the forums, and I pretty much found the answer I was looking for...

Picked up a used set of Tommy Armour 855s Silver Scot Irons (3-PW) for about $85. Hoping I did alright by these...?

...so my question is...

What's next?

I'll be getting out to the range as soon as I get the clubs in-hand to hit some balls with 'em. Gonna have a couple of buddies of mine who play a few times a week "show me the ropes" soon enough...

But where should I be looking to next as far as equipment is concerned?


...Putter? Dunno, since I probably won't be playing a course for awhile...
...Driver? I've been told that these are sorta unneccesary for beginners...
...Fairway Wood? Help me out here...


And, please, feel free to point me in the direction of some decent clubs to fill out my set and get started. You can see from the above price tag already, more or less, what I'm able to spend these days as a poor college student...lol :rolleyes:



Thanks,
- Joaquin.

[Adam Pettman]

Fairway woods - buy any fairway wood Adams have ever made and you'll be safe. Adams Tight Lies 2 Fairway Wood 22 degree 7 strong - (item 230155861466 end time Aug-01-07 16:33:44 PDT)

[RickinMA]

I'd recommend picking up a putter and a wedge - many will argue beginners don't need wedges and should learn to play the game on the ground first, but I'd recommend picking up a cheap but in good condition sandwedge - then getting out to play pitch and putt courses first - then try short par 3/ executive courses - once you have some shortgame from this practice, and can hit the ball with a full swing (practice on the driving range) - then bring it to the course

if you're going with friends - remember it's not about how you score (because it will most likely be pretty high) but how enjoyable it is to play with you for 4+ hours - if you set expectations pretty low but work to improve, you should be good to go

regarding the putter purchase - it's really all about personal preference, so I'm not sure how much we can give advice on this one - I do remember reading somewhere that the Oddessey 2 ball putters help beginners align putts better than other designs - I'd recommend going to the store and trying everything they have

good luck

[Eracer]

Beginners want to get out and whack balls. Learn to putt first. Then move on to a wedge. You should spend many hours chipping and putting before you ever start hitting full swings.

Read the following book:

"Harvey Penick's Little Red Book" by Harvey Penick
"Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect" by Dr. Bob Rotella
"Five Lessons - The Modern Fundamentals of Golf" by Ben Hogan

Read this article:
Ten Basics of Rules and Etiquette For Your First Round of Golf

Forget the driver. Get an Adams 3-wood and use it off the tee.

Read the article quoted above again...and again.

Recognize that one of the worst things you can do is take lessons from your friends. Once you learn their bad habits, it will take you decades to unlearn them. The single best thing you can do is take lessons from a PGA Professional. If you can't afford it, then read those three books. Study them like you study your chemistry textbook. Practice what they preach, and practice your short game.

I know you want to get on the range and learn to hit full swings - and you should. But take my advice and work on learning to hit wedges around the green first.

Most of all - have fun!

[warbirdlover]

Those irons should work well for you. Chipping + putting = score.

[MCDavis]

Get a 56º sand wedge and a putter first. Don't worry about any other wedges, instead learn to hit a lot of different shots with your 2 wedges.

As far as above your irons, hit some 3 woods, 5 woods, and hybrids that are in the 18º - 24º loft range. Then, buy what you like the best.

Driver...demo many, love few, buy one.

There are many people here (myself included) with drivers/fairways/hybrids/wedges/putters they'll be glad to sell. When you know what you want, post a "Want to buy" ad in the classifieds. Could save you some money.

Main thing: be honest with yourself about what works best. If your buddy starts riding you because you want a 12º driver instead of a 9º, don't shop with him. Buy what works, not what's cool.

[Turkish]

Get a 56º sand wedge and a putter first. Don't worry about any other wedges, instead learn to hit a lot of different shots with your 2 wedges.

I agree with this. I bought an Adams 'Tom Watson' 56* SW and I love it, cost me $29. Helped out with my chips immensly, though I can't really hit my cousin's 60* lob. Though a couple tips from the salesman has my golfing buddies asking how I do it after only a month.

I wouldn't touch a driver on a course right now. Grab a SW and a putter you feel good with and rock on with the irons / hybrids / 3W.

My cousin who has played for about 2 years or so uses his dad's 12 year old Tommy Armour 845s. They're great clubs, so he ordered a new set of Silver Scots from Rock Bottom Golf.com ($169!! What a deal) so his dad would get off his case for club placement in his bag. He also bought an Armour 3W the other day at the store, loves it, and got it on sale too.

[Bubble Head]

I returned to golf after a 25 year lay off. I was never any good the first time so it was almost like starting from scratch.

A putter is the one club that you almost have to go to a store for. Go to a large shop with lots of second hand clubs and buy a used putter for under $50 that feels best.

I strongly endorse the Adams 3 wood. They are great and are dirt cheap at Globalgolf.com or eBay.

You are ready to go to the course when 9 of 10 swings at the range get the ball in the air in the right general direction.

I like the recommendation to play pitch and put courses first. As long as the lie is reasonble, hit the 56* sand wedge from anywhere inside 50 yds. Get someone to show you how to hit pitches/chips with a putting stroke.

Once you feel that your swing is repeatable, even if it isn't good, go get some lessons. This shaved 2 stroke a hole from my score in 4 months.

I have learned a lot from "Golf" magazine. Well worth the time an money.

[jdelcue]

Thanks to everyone for putting together the most comprehensive response I could have hoped for!

This reply will actually be shorter and more to the point than intended (because I already wrote a huge and elaborate one, but my browser went screwy and I lost it...and I just refuse to type it all out again lol)...

So, in short:

1) "Pitch and put" courses sound great! I will be looking for some around me. When I said I'd be going out to the range when I got my clubs, it was just for the purpose of working on the mechanics of my stroke, really...do some thinking and self-observing...chipping a few balls with each of the clubs, etc. Not looking to whack away! That just ain't practice or a good method for learning, I know that. And I'm all about practice and efficient learning methods...

2) Will be looking for a decent putter. Actually went to Dick's last weekend and tried a few out. Not too sure about those 2/3-balls from Odyssey...they just seem sorta "funky" (read more below about "traditionalist"). I didn't really like any of the mallets, to be honest. I think that I'm more a "blade guy." Better feel/sound. I've been playing pool pretty intensely for a couple years now, and I just picked up tennis this summer too, so I bring sort of a craving for "feedback" automatically...

3) Will also be looking for an Adams 3 wood at some point, but not just yet (unless a great deal jumps out at me).

4) On a seperate note, I've always sort of been a "traditionalist" when it comes to these things. Equipment, style of play, etc. Never been one to rely on "game improvement" equipment in place of my own developed skill (although I understand that with golf, the circumstances and definitions may be somewhat different?). I'm a "maximum effort and skill growth" sports participant...


Thanks again!
- Joaquin.

[usa1950]

Tommy Armour 855's!!! I had a set of those given to me by a Tommy Armour rep when I worked on the PGA Tour for two years..... YEARS ago. Me and my three colleagues each got sets from hiim, gratis!! It was fantastic.

Then our boss decides to join us the next day (we were based out of St. Louis) at the Torrey Pines event in San Diego, and says he wants to play a nearby course. We know we CAN'T show up with the four of us using brand new clubs.... ALL the same model!! He didn't mind us getting some goodies while at these tournaments, but we decided not to risk it....he'd have been pissed that we did not get him a set!!!

So we walk into a local Golf Shop, Pro Golf, whatever... and made up a story about being in a wedding, and getting the clubs as gifts for being in the wedding... but we would like to trade them in for something else. he guy goes for it, as he is selling 855's like hot cakes.

I got the Wilson Staff RM forged cavity backs in my avatar... 2 through Wedge for $20 bucks after trading in the "then very popular" 855's.

I still have the Wilson Staff's and still love them! Best trade I have EVER made.

Enjoy your clubs! I loved my set of them (for about half a day, lol)

As far as putters go, get an old PING. They are certainly more traditional than most of the new putters out there, can be had relatively cheaply (less than $50) and are QUALITY..... tons of different models as well, you're bound to find something you like. Put on a new GRIP, soft, hard, slick, textured, whatever you like the feel of the best, and you have a NEW putter.

Good luck!!

[indacup]

Before you spend hundreds of dollars on equipment....spend $50 on a PGA instructor to look at your swing....help you....and THEN move on to equipment purchases.

Crawl before you walk....

[jdelcue]

I will definitely look into it if it's that cheap, Indacup. Thanks!

And thanks for the reassurance USA1950! And I think I will most definitely be checking out all the used PING putters (blade and mallet...what the hell!) I can get my hands on...


Thanks again, guys and gals!