With spring and summer fast approaching, it’s time to dust off your golf bag and take stock of its contents. What do you need for the coming season? A new club or golf balls can be both a help and a challenge for the inexperienced and experienced player. The amount of time you spend on the golf course and the goals you have for your game often determine which equipment you should choose. To get a better idea of what to consider, we have enlisted the help of golf coach Nathalie Berglind, who has over ten years of experience working as a coach and has played golf herself for over twenty years.
Choose the right golf club
For many, finding the right clubs can feel advanced, given that there are many factors to consider. If you are a beginner, it can therefore easily feel like a tangled jungle to find the right one. The simplest and most important thing to consider is therefore to start from your needs and your physical conditions when choosing clubs.
How do I find the right golf club?
– A fitting is an excellent way to find golf clubs that suit you. During a fitting, you usually measure the speed at which you swing to find out how much flex the shaft should have but also what weight is optimal for your swing. Therefore, try several different types of clubs so that you can decide what feels right for you, says Nathalie Berglind.
Which clubs should I have in my golf bag?
– The idea is that the clubs should complement each other and that you change clubs depending on where on the course you are. You need a putter to get the ball into the hole on the green, a few different wedges that have slightly different angles/lofts, some irons and perhaps a tee club(driver or fairway) that gives you more distance off the tee. Keep in mind that there should be a difference of about ten meters in stroke length between iron clubs and hybrids in particular.
How quickly do golf clubs wear out?
– They last quite a long time. The club that is most commonly changed frequently is the wedge, as it is used a lot and wears out quickly. Generally, it lasts about 75 rounds, which is about 2 to 3 seasons. The rubber grip may need to be changed every other season to keep it looking good.
How the golf ball affects the stroke
What should I consider when it comes to golf balls?
– Golf balls have different characteristics, which means they behave slightly differently on different shots. You need to consider what your strengths are in the game and what you need to work on more. Based on that, you choose the ball. For example, balls can have more or less spin or different softness, which affects your stroke,” says Nathalie Berglind.
What does it mean for a ball to be soft?
– When you talk about soft balls, it is often about the ball having a soft shell or that it has a core that is soft, this is usually called the ball’s compression. To hit long and straight, the compression needs to be adapted to the speed at which you swing.
How does the golf ball affect the stroke?
– To get more control in close games, it is good to choose a ball with a soft shell. It spins more and stops faster. A ball with a hard shell, on the other hand, spins less and can be an advantage to use if you have too much side spin, for example.
The tips to improve your golf game:
- As a new golfer, you need to think about having clubs that are forgiving. This means that they should help you with both ball striking and getting higher ball flight.
- Many golfers overestimate how far they hit or often don’t really know their shot length. Therefore, it can be helpful to write down your shot length so that you can compare it with future shots.
- When buying a new set, it is common for SW (sand wedge) and PW (pitching wedge) to have a loft gap of about ten degrees. This is a big difference, as other irons differ by about four degrees. Therefore, feel free to complete your set with a gap wedge.
- Find a ball model and stick to it during practice and play! If you use the same ball model for every shot and round, it will be easier to calculate the length of your putts and drives.
- Customize your choice of ball according to how far you hit! Do you need a lot of spin or not?
