“Baseball may be a game of inches, as they say, but golf is a game of millimeters.”
–Arnold Palmer (Source: Golf Digest via X)
When you’re playing a sport that’s measured in millimeters, hitting a club that’s an inch too long (or too short) can be incredibly frustrating.
Selecting the right clubs is an easy way to avoid unnecessary frustration on the links. Unfortunately, too many aspiring golfers rush into purchasing a pre-boxed set that ends up collecting more spiderwebs than birdies.
At Las Sendas Golf Club, we recommend that golfers—especially those new to the game—receive proper instruction and a professional fitting before investing in a set of clubs. Here’s why.
Factors that Impact Your Golf Club Needs
Knowing which set of golf clubs to buy depends on multiple factors, some of which even experienced golfers fail to consider:
- Height
- Arm length
- Hand size
- Posture
- Swing
A shorter person with long arms and a slow swing has different needs than a tall golfer with short arms and a “grip and rip” mentality. And yet, if you go online to shop for clubs, you’re likely to see options like “standard” length and “regular” flex. With vague information like this, how can golfers make an informed purchase? It’s a good question.
A Smarter Approach for Buying Golf Clubs
In the long run, we believe there’s a better approach to buying golf clubs—and it starts with professional instruction followed by a custom fitting session.
Taking lessons from an experienced golf instructor puts your game on solid ground from the get-go, helping you understand the fundamentals that ultimately impact club selection. Many golf courses—including Las Sendas Golf Club—offer rental clubs for use during instruction. That means there’s no rush to buy a set of clubs before your first lesson. Sometimes it’s smarter to rent rather than buy, and golf is one of those occasions!
Having received proper instruction and, ideally, played a few rounds with loaner clubs, you may be ready to take the next step. Resist the temptation to buy a pre-boxed set from your local sporting goods retailer. Instead, look into scheduling a custom fitting session. Many retailers offer fitting services, usually for a fee. Some companies provide free or discounted fittings as a promotional tool. At the end of the fitting session, you should receive a detailed printout with club specifications for shaft length, flex, grip size, and other factors.
Find the Right Clubs for Your Game
Visit our instruction page to inquire about lessons or call our pro shop at (480) 396-4000 for recommendations about golf club fitting services.
New to the game? We’re happy to help! Contact us to get started.