CLUBS
Buying clubs? Before spending hundred of dollars on a set, try out a friend's set to see how it feels for you. Or ask a shop if they have a trial period for a set you're interested in buying. If you can't rent the clubs out for a period of time, go to a store that has a driving net to get a feel for the clubs. You don't need to buy a full set of clubs when you are just starting out. You can get by with a 5-wood, 7 iron, pitching wedge, sand wedge, and putter. These five clubs are enough to get you through 9 holes of golf.
Do you buy a club on how it feels, how it looks, or how it performs? All three ways is what we'd prefer but the most important is how it works for you. Golf clubs are a major investment so try out as many clubs as possible. Go to a golf store and if they have a practice driving net, take a few swings with different manufactured clubs. Or ask your friends if you could borrow theirs to try out. Many manufacturers have "demo days" at golf courses where you can try out their clubs on the driving range. Check out when they may have a demo day in your area. Some stores have a policy where, once you buy clubs, you have a trial period to use them. If you don't like them, you can return them for another kind. Find out if the store will replace them at 100% exchange or a portion of that.
Personal club fitting — should you get clubs to be made just for you or are "off the rack" ones OK? The answer depends on you. If you find clubs which seem to feel good and you can hit the ball well with them, then off the-shelf ones are fine. If nothing seems to work right for you, consider having your clubs personally sized and weighted at shops which specialize in tailoring clubs for the individual. But find out the details on their policy for club returns or replacement in case you have any problems.
Personal note: As a person with short stature (5' tall), I've had problems in regular women's clubs because they are about 1/2-1" too long for my comfort. As I would take my stance, the toe would feel too high off the ground. If I choked down on the club, I felt awkward in swinging it because the handle stuck out toward my wrist. But I didn't want to spend extra money on custom-fitting clubs. One of the solutions to my problem is that some manufacturers make "petite" clubs for women 5'2" and under. These clubs are about 1" shorter in length than a regular women's size club. You may lose a little distance than when you use regular-sized clubs, but your goal in golf is to be accurate all of the time and get distance some of the time.
Distances
Each club is used to achieve different distances under certain conditions. Usually, the higher numbered clubs achieve less distance because the loft of the ball is greater. In general, these are the distances women can expect from each club:
* Driver 200+ yds
* 3 Wood 180 yds.
* 5 Wood 160 yds.
* 7 Wood (sometimes used in place of a 4 iron) 150 yds.
* 9 Wood (sometimes used in place of a 5 iron) 140 yds.
* 5 iron 140 yds.
* 6 iron 130 yds.
* 7 iron 120 yds.
* 8 iron 110 yds.
* 9 iron 100 yds.
* pitching wedge 90 yds.
* sand wedge 80 yds.
* lob wedge 60 yds.
When using a wood, an easy, unforced, sweeping motion is used. You are trying to hit behind the middle of the golf ball and the club sweeps over the top of the grass as you come through the ball. Irons need a more upright/ downward swing. You are trying to hit down toward the middle-bottom of the golf ball and the club will continue slightly into the ground as you follow through. NOTE: You must hit the ball first, then let the club follow through as it should. If you are hitting the ground first, adjust your position to the ball at address.
Hybrids
More and more manufacturers are offering hybrids in women's golf club sets. These clubs take the place of the longer irons (3, 4, 5 irons). They are easier to hit the ball and allow for more mis-hits so that your ball gets airborne with more accuracy.
Drivers
The latest technology has enabled drivers to be oversized, to a maximum legal size of 460 cc. Most oversizes are made of titanium or a composite of titanium/non-metals which makes them very lightweight. Manufacturers are making some heads square in shape, which allows for a bigger forgiving area on the clubface and helps to make your mis-hits stay straighter. Some companies are incorporating movable weights to their drivers so you can change the type of ball flight you want.
Practice swings — How many should you take? One or two to find the bottom of your swing and get loose. Take any more than that and the foursome behind you will start to roll their eyes and wish they were in front of you instead of behind!
Keep them clean — The grooves on the club head aren't there for decoration only. They help propel and spin the ball when you hit it. If the grooves are clogged with dirt, it will affect the way the ball spins and flies in the air. Hang a club-cleaning brush to your bag and use it often. It also helps to have a small, damp towel for cleaning the club heads after each swing.
GOLF BALLS
White, yellow, pink, orange. The list is pretty endless, but after choosing a ball, one good habit is to ID your ball with some marking on it so others know it's your golf ball. Even though there are so many golf balls to choose from, many other people seem to end up buying the same one you selected. On the golf course it's very easy to mistake your ball for someone else's, so protect your purchase with your mark.
What do the numbers on the ball mean? It's one way to ID your ball, especially if you don't mark it, because someone else in your foursome may use the same type ball. (If you use Brand X number 1 and your friend uses Brand X number 2, each of you will have some way to identify which one is whose).
What do those other numbers mean? You may find another number on the ball such as 80, 90, or 100. That number stands for the compression (essentially, the hardness) of the ball. It takes more strength to hit a 100 compression than an 80 compression. However, most people buy a golf ball according to how it "feels". Usually the higher compression ball feels more solid. The lesser compression feels softer and "gives" more. Feel is different for everyone so buy one which feels right for you. A ball with no number generally means it's a 90 compression ball, the one most people use.
CARTS
You can walk or you can ride. When you ride you have no control as to what kind of cart you get, gas-powered or electric. Just be sure you follow the 90 degree rule—that means to ride the cart on the cart path, and when you are 90 degrees to your ball, you turn the cart and ride over the fairway to your ball. On some courses you can only ride the cart path throughout the golf course, so ask the golf shop what the policy is. As you get close to the green, there usually will be arrows showing that the cart must not get any closer and for you to ride the cart back to the cart path. Carts are not to be ridden close to the green unless you have a special flag on your cart which means that you have shown you have some disability which allows you to ride the cart as close to the green as possible.
Hand carts allow you to roll your bag throughout the golf course instead of having to carry them over your shoulder. There are many designs as to how they fold over so investigate which one appeals to you. There are some carts which are hands-free. They are controlled remotely and follow you around like a puppy dog. Prices range from the less expensive, no frills type to "I need all the help I can get when it comes to playing this game" hand cart. Be sure to see how the carts are put together and what type of materials are used. Are there replacement parts if anything needs to be repaired? Is there a warranty and for how long is the coverage? Some of these carts can get expensive so investigate the pros and cons to all the types available.
Push carts are becoming more popular in recent years. These carts roll on 3 wheels but you push these along the course instead of pulling them. Many people feel less strain on their back since you stand more upright and don't have to slightly twist around as you do with the pull carts. A breaking system of some kind keeps the cart from rolling away from you when you have to leave it on an incline. Check out how the cart folds and how much room it may take up in your trunk. Companies are developing them to fold up smaller and smaller with little effort and without having to remove any parts.
