There is no need for a beginner to buy the golf set that your favorite PGA Golfer plays. Besides the fact that these clubs will be too difficult to play they are also way too expensive. Any money saved on clubs should be used for proper golf lessons, a much better investment by any standard.
You are allowed to carry 14 clubs, but you actually don't need that many. The first clubs to leave out are the long irons (3, 4). Your iron set should start with the 5 or 6 iron and go up to the pitching wedge (PW) and sand wedge (SW). For longer shots use lofted fairway woods (3, 5) and hybrid clubs (3, 4, 5). You may find you still hit them all about the same distance, so if you can experiment, test them all to see which ones feel the best. Don't take the ones that you don't hit well and leave them at home. You should still buy them because you will get better and need them later.
The right set also depends on swing speed. Swing speeds between 65-80 mph (women, juniors, and some seniors) will need more woods and hybrid clubs as well as more loft to help get the ball up in the air. Average male golfers with swing speeds of 80-90 mph can begin to add a few more irons (5-6), but you still should use hybrids and lofted woods instead of long irons. Woods are always easier to hit for beginners, so why make life difficult? Their larger heads and flat soles compared to irons also create more confidence. Slightly shortened versions of 3, 5, and 7 kinds of wood (-.5") should be considered for all beginners regardless of swing speed.
The driver should have a 440-460 cc titanium head. These new large-headed drivers are a lot easier to hit, there are no second thoughts about it. Make sure you have extra loft - at least 10 - 12 degrees for men and above 12 degrees for Ladies - to increase accuracy and distance. If you find you still have problems hitting it accurately try holding the grip an inch or so lower down than usual. Many golfers, especially beginners, have a tendency to slice their shots. If you do you should consider an offset driver as their design helps to counteract a slice. Don't buy a driver with fancy weight ports, for now, it will confuse you unnecessarily. Later on once your game improves you may consider one to further fine-tune your game.
For a putter, you should get one of the new large-headed mallet putters. These impressive putters provide great stability (i.e. they don't twist on mishits), and their alignment aids make short putts much easier.
In our opinion, your preferred set configuration should be Woods (1, 3, 5), Hybrids (4, 5), Irons (Super Game Improvement) (6-SW), Putter (Mallet).
So here is what we think would be a great set for you:
Driver: The popular Power Max GX Squared Ti Driver (12 degrees) includes an internal weight chip that is placed to the rear and center. This is to lower the center of gravity and create higher launch conditions. If you struggle with a left to right shot pattern consider the drawing model.
Irons: The popular PowerMax GX922-Z Irons are the oversized cousins of the PowerMax GX922 Irons. The GX922-Z version is designed with the high handicapper in mind for anyone who is looking for more forgiveness with a large hitting surface.
The set recommended here is only about $450, compared to over $2000 you would have to pay for the equivalent branded clubs. The golf set will help you to get your game into shape, and it will suit you for at least a couple of years depending on how often you play. Use at least some of the money saved to get good lessons from a golf teaching pro, and you're on your way for a lifetime of fun (...and frustration...).
Here is some additional info about the clubs we recommended above:
- Power Max GX Squared Ti Driver (12 degrees)
- GX Squared Fairway Wood (3, 5)
- PowerMax GX922-Z Irons
- P3 Hybrids
- Ring Mallet 2 Putter