golf clubs

Question
I have been using my husbands clubs and am finally getting my own. I am looking at spending around $200-$300 for a club set to get started with. I have what I think is referred to as a 'pure' swing, I usually hit straight up the fairway. My question is, is getting one of the lesser expensive sets a good place to start, and is there a brand or style you could recommend?  Also any advice on putting would be great, that is the worst part of my golf game.

Answer
Christy,

This is a great question. If you are unsure as to your continued involvement in the game, then I would suggest keeping the cost to a minimum. If however, you know you will be playing this great game for some time, then I would strongly suggest getting a better set that is custom fit for you. What is spend is up to you but the investment in a name brand is worth it.

As far as a brand I would consider; Ping, Callaway, Mizuno, Taylor Made and Titleist in no particular order.

Find a "DEMO DAY" at a nearby golf course to "test drive" all the different clubs. Call your local PGA Professional and he/she will find the dates for you. This is a great way to decide on what you like and you will be custom fit as well.

Here are a couple of putting tips for you. Putting is all touch, so hold the putter very lightly. This will help immensely. Use your shoulders and not your hands and wrists to swing the putter back and through. This will stabilize and make the stroke more consistent. Finally, place 6 balls in a circle around the hole, 3 feet away. Practice until you have made all 6 consecutively. This may be frustrating put the time you spend doing this is worthwhile. Once you can do this on a regular basis, move back to 4 feet then 5 feet etc.

Thank you,

Michael Hoffman
PGA Professional