Golf Web Tech

Are Used Clubs as Good as New?

 The game of golf can be expensive. Just a single round each weekend can add up, so if you’re new to the game, you might not want to invest in a brand new set of clubs until you know for sure that you’ll be dedicated to the sport for a long time.

 You can find used golf clubs everywhere – from someone unloading their set on the driving range to those selling them on the Internet to interested buyers.  If you don’t get to play a lot or if you haven’t yet learned the ropes, a used set of golf clubs is all you’ll need until you reach a higher level of golf.

 Brand new sets f golf clubs can be very expensive. Just a single Taylor Made Driver can run you $200 or more – and that’s just one club in your golf bag!  After you pick the other woods, your irons, wedges and putters, you might not have enough to play a round with them!

 When you’re buying used clubs, you can find a wide assortment – from those badly worn to like-new clubs you can’t believe have ever been touched.  You want to check the clubs out individually to see what kind of shape they’re in.

 The clubhead is very important.  You don’t want it to be too worn out, nicked, or scuffed.  The clubhead is what makes impact with your ball, so you want it to be free of too much wear and tear.   

 Move on up the club to make sure the shaft isn’t bent.  Sometimes golfers don’t take care of their clubs or are too rough on them, and you want the club shaft to be strong during each swing.

 At the top of the club, you’ll find the grip.  A worn grip can easily be replaced, but if you’re on a budget, you may not have the $5-15 per grip that it would cost to re-grip your clubs.

 Some sellers will pull together a hodge podge of clubs. That means they have a few from one set, a couple from another, and they group them together as a set. You really want to look for an original set that all came together from the manufacturer.

 Before you buy, find out what the retail price is for the set when it’s new.  The prices may have come down since the original owner bought them, ad you might be able to haggle the price down even further.

 If possible, ask the owner if you can go to the driving range and test the set of clubs out to make sure you feel comfortable with them.  Be wary if they won’t let you test swing the clubs (even in the yard).

Navigating Water Hazards on a Golf Course 

            Water hazards bring on about as much (if not more) anxiety as a sand bunker does.  Few things intimidate a golfer or mess up his naturally smooth swing as a small river, lake, or pond getting in close proximity.

            Water hazards are sometimes playable.  There have been many pros seen on Sunday afternoon TV rolling up their pants legs and stepping into a shallow stream to hit their ball rather than have to drop and take a hit on the scorecard.

            Make sure if you try this strategy, you’re not in an area where dangerous wild animals might be lurking nearby, like an alligator.  If the area is secure, it’s perfectly acceptable to try to hit your ball out of the water hazard – but you’ll have to hit it like you mean it.

            A water hazard is similar to sand in that the water itself is an obstacle.  If you gently try to sweep the ball into the air with a soft shot, the water may not get you the distance you’d hoped for.

            Some golfers steer clear of courses that have any water hazards, but ideally, you’ll learn to navigate your way over or around them.  You may be so intimidated by the water ahead that you try to hard to help the ball.

            This is a mistake.  What often happens is you top the ball and it rolls forward, splashing directly into the very water you were trying to avoid.  Let your clubface lift the ball and carry it, and you continue swinging just as if you were using a pitching wedge to hit the ball up and down onto the green.

            If you do land in the water, you have options.  If you’re able to, hit the ball out of the water.  If not, you can take a stroke and drop a ball from the same spot you were at when you first hit the ball, which will cause anxiety because you’re afraid it’ll happen again.

            Another option is to drop the ball in the line of sight and hazard where the ball went in, as long as it’s no nearer to the hole.  You get penalized one stroke for this.  If it’s a lateral water hazard, which means it’s impossible for you to drop behind it, then you can drop the ball two club lengths from where it entered the hazard as long as it’s no closer to the hole and is marginal to the hazard.

            Navigating a water hazard isn’t as hard as it sounds.  Try taking your shot as if you see nothing but a straight fairway of fine, green grass in front of you.  Don’t let the potential for a lost ball cause you to flub your shot and wind up all wet.

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