- The clubs don’t need to match. One of the keys to shopping for used clubs is understanding that you don’t need to match up clubs as you move down the set. In other words, the clubs don’t need to be the same model, and they don’t even need to come from the same manufacturer. As long as each club is a good fit for your game, you can feel free to pick out clubs from as many different companies as you would like. Professional golfers tend to use the same brand of clubs throughout their bags – but that is because they are paid to do so. When you look at the high end of the amateur game, you will find that even quality players tend to use clubs from a variety of companies, based on their personal needs and preferences. While you don’t need to feel any brand loyalty when shopping, it does make sense to buy a full iron set, rather than trying to mix and match individual irons.
- Consider matching your driver with your fairway woods. If possible, consider matching the model of your driver to the model of your chosen fairway woods. The look and feel of these clubs is likely to be similar, and you may notice that you have more confidence in your long clubs as a result. It certainly is not necessary to match up models when it comes to drivers and fairway woods, but it may provide some benefit when possible.
- Think about the spacing of your wedges. When shopping the used market, it should be pretty easy to find just about any loft you have in mind for your set of wedges. This means you can think about which lofts will work best for your needs, and then you can construct your set accordingly. For example, you might decide to pick up a 52* and 58* wedge, to go along with your pitching wedge, which probably comes in at 47* or 48*. Or, if you would like to carry a total of four wedges, you could add a 52*, 56*, and 60* to your pitching wedge. The key here is to avoid having clubs which duplicate each other, so you can cove as many different yardages as possible.
For the purposes of this section, let’s imagine that you are planning to purchase a complete set of used golf clubs, from the driver on down to the putter. You might be doing this because you are a complete beginner and you need equipment to get started, or you may be moving on from your beginner set into more advanced gear. Whatever the case, you shouldn’t have much trouble putting together a full set by shopping pre-owned listings.
To help you pick out the right clubs for a full set, please take a look at the tips provided below.
Anytime you buy a used club, even if you aren’t planning on buying a whole bag full of gear, you should think about how the new club fits within the context of the rest of your bag. You only get 14 spots for clubs under the rules of golf, so you want to make each of them count. Whether building a full set or just filling a gap, always think carefully about how your purchases are going to help you compose an excellent set.