Golf Club Brands for Beginners - 3 options, choose the best!

Golfing enthusiasts today need not be disheartened like their uncles and aunts of yore when taking to golfing was something only rich retirees or military officers aspired to as golfing as a preferred leisure sport is here to stay - and for all ages and genders, too. By the looks of things on the 24 hour sports channels and local golf links, there are as many women on the green as there are teens, which makes it evident which way the wind blows when golfing as a classy, gentleman's sport is spoken about. The new age popularity of golfing as a week-end sport and even as a guy-bonding or girl's day outing that is unmatched has busted the old perception about the game.

Beginners taking to golf are spoilt for choice today with so many different companies manufacturing quality golfing equipment and accessories, with the majority of them guided by scientific research and technology for production of the same; then, be it golf clubs, adjustable heads and even an eclectic mix of branded clubs, there's a wide array of designer choices for the discerning golfer.

Choosing the best golf clubs today is more a matter of budget than availability since all the best brands are on display in the market and investing in the right equipment can help one raise their current skill level to a higher one.

Most of the better golfing equipment retailers offer beginners good deals to start off their golfing interest with: from adjustable clubs that are suited to working in different situations to half-set of clubs (minus the higher skill level clubs) to tees and balls and bags to carry your stuff in, there's a wide array of golfing goods stores today carry for your sporting delight. One thing to remember when buying golf clubs is never to buy any set that is outside of your skill range as this will prove to be damaging for your game.

Among the top names in golfing gear is Ping, a leading manufacturer of professional golfing equipment that is also supported by best user reviews from top golfing magazines. What makes this manufacturer unique and gives them such strong brand recognition is because of the quality of their adjustable clubs and half sets that are ideal for beginners. The Ping brand of golf equipment includes half-sets of clubs that are assorted in style but still perfect for the beginner on the course as they can be adjusted easily to enhance performance and aid Golf Club Swing. Even if the manufacturer only offers a select range in this type of clubs, they provide more than necessary features for the beginner golfer to hone his or her skills in order to improve their stroke technique.

Once this is done, the beginner can look towards moving up to investing in a branded full golf club set. This is one that includes all 14 varieties of golf clubs and these can be varyingly used in different situations, which the more advanced golfer will be able to recognize and choose from after analyzing the situation on the green.

If Ping does not carry the golf clubs you are looking for, try the Cobra brand, recommend experts. This brand makes great drivers and many expert golfers prefer buying this make over Ping as they mix and match the best from both brands at will, from various category of clubs. Since most beginner golfers have a tough time with drivers, the frustration of hitting a ball completely off the intended course is minimized quite a bit with Cobra drivers, which are intricate in detailing and provide the beginner long and accurate drives down the golf course.

Golf Bag Reviews - How to Choose the Best Golf Bag

The golf bag has evolved in recent years to the point that features such as backpack straps, rain hoods, and valuables and beverage pockets are all commonplace. Golf carry bags (or stand bags, as some manufacturers refer to them), in particular, have seen remarkable innovation, as manufacturers introduce novel ideas such as belt straps to redistribute the weight of the bag from the user's back to the hips and legs, new forms of specialized pockets, and all kinds of doodads to make the 18-hole stroll a little easier.

What should you look for in a golf bag?  If you typically walk the course, you probably put a premium on lightweight bags with comfortable padding and quality straps. But there is also a natural tension between the weight of the bag and the amount of storage space and number of doodads the bag provides. At Critical Golf, we review bags from a "walker's perspective", based on the following characteristics:

CLUB STORAGE. Bags were evaluated on the size of the club storage area, how clubs were sorted, and the ease of putting clubs in and pulling them out of the bag. The number of sectors into which the club storage area of each bag was divided ranged from 14 (one per club!) down to 5. 

LEGS. The legs on carry bags have improved significantly over the past 10 years. But some have improved more than others, and thus we reviewed legs for their stability and ease of deployment.

STRAPS. A critical part of a carry bag is the comfort of the straps. We evaluated whether there was sufficient padding on the straps, whether they tended to tangle, and how easy they were to adjust. One of the bags tested generated significant bonus points for a belt strap that transferred weight from the weaker muscles of the back and shoulders to the hardier hip and leg muscles.

POCKETS/STORAGE. Golfers have a tremendous amount of stuff, and always want to keep everything in their bag just in case they might need it. Sunscreen? Check. Band aids? Check. Rain jacket? Check. Spike wrench for metal spikes on a pair of shoes you don't even own anymore? Check. Critical Golf reviews the latest carry bags for how easy they make it to store all of your gear. The number of functional pockets (ignoring things such as pen sleeves and tee holders) ranged from 11 down to 6.  

RAIN HOOD. When the big fat raindrops start pouring from the sky, how easy is it to secure the rain hood and protect your precious clubs? We tried to figure out how to install each of the rain hoods on the fly, intentionally ignoring the instruction manual - because who's going to have time to find and read an instruction manual when it starts raining?

CARRYING IMPRESSIONS. Perhaps the most important category was our impressions from carrying the bag through multiple rounds. Weight, balance and padding were all considered as we traipsed across flat and hilly courses. The weight of the bags tested (including rain hoods, since most golfers tend to keep those in the bag at all times) ranged from 4.3 pounds to 9.2 pounds.  

STYLE. Andre Agassi said "Image is everything". Of course, that was when he was young and had a full head of hair. Nonetheless, how the bag looks is a factor, and we give our admittedly extremely subjective opinion of each bag's aesthetics.

INNOVATION. New inventions are cool, particularly if they make the carrying experience easier. We rate the carry bags on whether they are reaching for the stars, or trying to coast by on old technology.

VALUE. The carry bags we tested range in retail price from $160 to $260.  Price doesn't always correspond to value, so we subjectively evaluate the value for each bag - are you getting your money's worth?