BEGINNER'S CORNER

To play the game you'll need some clubs and some balls. Don't take it too seriously, you're out there to have fun. Clubs come in various shapes, sizes, elements and specifications. They are also available in a wide-range of prices. It's not necessary to have what is considered a complete standard set of clubs to begin playing the game, nor is it necessary to spend a lot of money to get the beginner basics. You'll also need some little wooden pegs called tees, which raise the ball up off the ground, making it much easier to hit. You only can use a tee on your first hit of every hole.

You may have noticed players wearing shoes with spikes on the bottom. You will not need these in order to learn the game. Also be aware that not all courses allow you to wear these spiked shoes. A comfortable pair of sneakers will be just fine. You might also notice that some golfers wear a single glove. Right-handed players wear the glove on their left hand, and left-handed players wear the glove on their right hand. What does it do? It simply helps to improve the player's hold on the club. Some players such as Fred Couples doesn't wear a glove. Does a glove help? It can a little bit, and it may help prevent blisters on your hands when you start to practice full shots. In fact, if you have particularly sensitive hands, you might consider wearing a glove on each hand until your hands get used to the friction created when you swing the club.

One of the simplest ways to become familiar with the game is to watch it played on television. This can help you in learning the rules to the game but not so the skill. However, watching the game on television can be very helpful. Just keep things in perspective. You just can't expect to play the game like the pros--but that doesn't mean you can't expect to play well enough to have a lot of fun.

Don't fool yourself into thinking you're going to become a single-digit handicap in short order, and you need the best clubs on the market to reach your goal. You don't have to run out and spend $1,500 for a set of clubs with the latest innovations. But, if you want it and can afford it, go ahead Technically-speaking, investment cast, perimeter weighted clubs are the way to go. They will protect you against your worst swings. Ask any salesperson to direct you to those clubs. Actually, it's hard to find anything else these days. The preponderance of clubs on the market are investment cast, perimeter weighted. OK. Now you know investment cast and perimeter weighting. Don't get too technical beyond that because most of the rest you don't need to know right now. As your game improves and you become more involved, you'll learn the nuances in good time.

In the early stages I don't believe the ability to golf will be enhanced or diminished by the shaft you choose, at least not were your game is now. Price-wise, graphite is generally more expensive and like most things which are costlier there is a certain stigma attached to them, but there are a lot of very inexpensive graphite shafts on the market today that cost little more than steel. The advantage of graphite is that it is lighter and easier to swing and, in some instances, enables the golfer to get the ball airborne easier. Getting the ball in the air can be of critical importance to beginners ,because hitting ground balls is terribly frustrating. Frustration is probably the number one reason people give up golf. As a rule of thumb, I would recommend graphite for women beginners.

The Internet, top retail shops and mail-order houses offer some terrific bargains and reductions on new clubs from previous model years. Look in your local newspaper in the classified section.. There are some great bargains from the people who just have to have this years model. If you know where to look, you can get an excellent demo or used set in the $200-$400 range for eight irons. Department store brands can run as low as $199 for eight irons/three woods. What if you absolutely cannot afford more than the department store brands and don't know where to find a good used set? Buy what you can afford. As a beginning set, it'll work just fine and if you decide you want to become more serious get new clubs that fit your game. In the long run the cost of the clubs will only be a fraction of the cost to play regularly.

Most women use a ball with an 80 compression. What this means is the ball will go further with less club head velocity. If you hit the ball particularly long you may want to try a 90 compression. It may improve your distance. Despite anything else you hear the distance of the ball is determined by the weight and density of the club head in conjunction with the speed of the club head at impact. It is simply physics!

Three-Piece Wound
These balls have a small liquid or solid core, surrounded by several hundred yards of tightly wound elastic. This is covered with a synthetic material such as soft, rubber-like balata. These balls have a very high spin rate, allowing experienced players to "work the ball."

Two-Piece Distance
These balls are made of a polybutadiene core and a hard Surlyn cover. They produce less spin, which cuts down on hooking, slicing and air resistance.

Two-Piece Performance
These balls are fairly new, but already dominate the market. These balls are constructed with a thick core, and a softer, thinner cover. This results in a ball that combines the distance advantages of a two-piece ball, with enhanced spin, control and feel.

Three-Piece Double-Cover
These balls are the newest addition to the game. They consist of an inner core surrounded by a second, thinner layer (or cover), topped with a synthetic cover. Each cover is of a different hardness, which provides a better combination of distance and spin.

Compression
Compression is simply the measurement of a ball's hardness. The three standard compressions are 80, 90 and 100. Softer balls sit on the club face a moment longer, allowing for more control. Higher compression balls "explode" off the club face more quickly, maximizing distance.

Dimple patterns
Dimple patterns can make a big difference. Dimples, the indentations in a golf ball, give it its aerodynamic character. Most golf balls have between 400 and 450 dimples, although it is not uncommon to see a ball with 500 dimples. Without delving into physics, dimple patterns (the geometric arrangement of the dimples over a golf ball's surface) vary widely. Some examples are octahedral, icosahedral and dodecahedral patterns. However impressive they sound, these patterns are not as important as the depth and diameter of the dimples. Simply put, balls with shallow dimples tend to fly in a shallower arc as they 'bore in' toward their destination. Those with deeper dimples fly in a higher arc, creating lift.

Some other things to keep in mind when choosing a ball are its durability, spin rate, and feel.

Spin Rate
The spin rate of a ball affects how a player can control the ball. Higher spin rates are preferred by better players, who can control how the ball "bites", and ultimately where it will rest. High-handicappers usually prefer balls with lower spin rates, which simplify long shots and are more forgiving.

Feel
Finally, the feel of a golf ball is important to many golfers. Softer-feeling balls may offer more control than hard ones.

Once you find a ball that performs consistently well, on both your long and short games, stick with it.

Woods
With woods, this can be titanium, stainless steel, or a combination of these two and other materials. Stainless steel heads are mass-produced and hit consistently. The heads are hollow, with most of their weight distributed around the club head. This makes the stainless steel club very forgiving when you hit off-center (mis-hit) shots. Titanium clubs currently are king of the course. Titanium is lighter and stronger than stainless steel, allowing for larger (or oversized) head construction. Oversized heads have a larger "sweet" spot, making them more forgiving. In addition, since the heads are larger, the center of gravity shifts back, meaning there is more power and loft at point of contact.

Irons
With irons, the club head usually is a cast-iron design, made of a stainless-steel composite or forged carbon steel. Cast-iron designs use 17-4 stainless steel (the hardest surface), 431 stainless steel (next hardest), or 303 stainless steel (softest). Carbon steel forged irons are much softer than stainless steel irons, and are slightly less durable. Carbon steel allows for a bit more ball control and backspin off the club than stainless steel. Less common are titanium irons, which allow for a larger club head and more radical designs.

Finally, irons are sporting face inserts. These are tabs of material inserted into the club head that form the actual hitting area. This results in enhanced feel and distance while maintaining the weight of stainless steel. The most common inserts are titanium and ceramic. Each insert offers a different feel (soft versus hard, for instance), and is usually a personal preference decision.

Putters
Putters are made from a seemingly endless variety of materials, including carbon-steel, stainless steel, bronze, aluminum, brass, copper, zinc, graphite and tungsten. Each of these materials delivers a different feel at contact. Again, it comes down to personal preference. If you prefer a firm feel with a sharp retort, or "clicking" sound, then stainless steel or other hard material would be a good choice. Many golfers prefer a softer feel, which offers more control on the follow through (since the ball retains contact with the putter longer). If this is your preference, then a soft material insert, such as balata (made from refined latex), is a good choice.

Flex refers to a shaft's rigidity, generally available in a range from ladies, seniors and regular, to stiff and extra stiff.

Woods
With woods, most golfers prefer graphite shafts over stainless steel ones. Graphite lowers the overall weight of a club, which means you can swing the club faster, gaining overall distance on your shot. Also, graphite reduces the jarring you can feel on contact, a process called dampening. Many golfers, however, swear by steel. The main advantages to steel are consistency and cost: steel costs far less than graphite, and offers consistency in feel and flex.. Club length has increased recently, which can mean longer drives, especially for newer golfers. The average driver has grown to 45 inches in length. On longer drivers, flex usually is more pronounced, which minimizes harshness at impact and helps get the ball airborne.

Irons With irons, people are more evenly split between steel and graphite. Again, steel offers more consistency, which can be a benefit to newer players still developing their individual swing style. Also, since ball flight off steel irons is usually lower, there is less wind resistance, which translates into more control, especially for stronger golfers. Graphite is lighter, and usually a bit longer than standard steel shafts, which translates into faster club head speed and more distance. This is especially beneficial for women, seniors and others with slower swings.

Putters
Putters mostly are built with stainless steel shafts. Since one is hitting the ball with much less force than one would with woods or irons, the shaft material is not critical.

It is important to remember that choosing a set of clubs is like choosing a pair of shoes. It must fit you just right. You should not have to work around the club; rather, the club should complement your style and enhance your game. A properly chosen set of clubs can improve your handicap and really enhance your enjoyment of the game.