Ive had one golf lesson and been to the range a few times and i'm hitting the ball well with my 7 iron?

Question

some friends of mine have invited me to play golf with them, they know i'm new to the game and will be patient with me, is it ok for me to just use my irons on the course as i'm not to good with the woods as yet??

Answer 1

Yes. Just play with your irons. You'll spend more time in the middle of the course where you belong, and will probably shoot a better score too (if you even keep score). And trust me, there are plenty of old ladies who only hit their drivers 150 yards. Nobody will care if you take 3 or 4 shots to get near the green as long as you play relatively quickly.

Answer 2

Yeah just use your irons.    

Seven Iron tends to be the club beginners hit best with.  It has a nice balance of loft and distance.

There will be other people on the course who will be of a similar standard to you, just make sure you are not holding up play.  

Mainly just enjoy your golf with your mates.

Good Luck.

Answer 3

Yes, and it will help build your confidence and improve the pace of play, which all golfers appreciate. Practice with your woods on the range until you are more adept. Keep your eye on the ball, see impact, keep your head/chin up, not down and swing with an easy tempo.

Answer 4

Just you stick with the club you feel most confident with. If you can practice regularly with a wood then do so at the nearest driving range as you will need it for distance off the tee eventually. Your mates will keep you right as to etiquette etc.

However, I would also remember that your "short game", the wee chips around the green, and your putting are vital in keeping your score respectable. "You drive for show...you putt for dough"

Answer 5

Yes, if you can hit your 7 iron 160 yards

each time. Then just work on your

pitching wedge and putting. You should

be in good shape. The key is always be in

the fairway and out of the rough.

Answer 6

By all means, go Benny.

It will give an great opportunity to familiarize with the workings of a golf course(pro shop, first tee, which tee blocks, etc.) and more importantly to learn the aspects of golf etiquette; when to hit, where to stand when other people hit, watching so your shadow doesn't bother other people, replacing divots, fixing ball marks, not walking on people's putting line on the green, putting order. Golf etiquette makes the round go smoothly. It's not all about just hitting a golf ball.

Answer 7

yes, stick to the irons, better yet, if 7iron works best for you, just stick with that one club..

I have been playing for over 30 years and still NEVER hit a driver, in fact, I don't even carry one in my bag.  The guy who said you have to learn to hit driver has no idea what he is talking about!

Answer 8

Benny -

Yes, hit the clubs you have confidence with....and don't be afraid to just pick up and take yourself out of a hole.

If you get to 10 strokes....just put it in your pocket and watch the rest of the proceedings...

Have fun!!

Answer 9

Well, I hate to sound negative, but it is VERY important to be able to hit driver before you play.  You must learn to play the game. You will use driver 12-14 times in any given round!

Nothing is worse than watching a beginner duff 5-iron off the tee on a long par-4. Even if you manage to hit a good 5-iron, you have NO chance of getting to the green in two, and therefore NO chance of making par.

I would suggest you go to the range with your driver and practice keeping it in play. Try to hit it hard but with good tempo and just keep it straight.

Don’t worry about 3 or 5 woods, leave them at home.    

Good Luck!

Have fun and give yourself a chance!

And try to keep up.

Answer 10

Mike said "Even if you manage to hit a good 5-iron, you have NO chance of getting to the green in two, and therefore NO chance of making par. I would suggest you go to the range with your driver and practice keeping it in play. Try to hit it hard"

Ignore him. Many golfers have handicaps of 18 or over - so they're not expected to make pars anyway. You would start on a handicap of 28 (or more if you are under 18), so on a long par 4 you will usually have 2 EXTRA shots, and taking 3 to get to the green means you could still make a net birdie with 2 putts! He also shows his ignorance by telling you to hit the driver hard. You shouldn't put in any more effort with the driver than your 7-iron - the design of the club makes the ball go further. If you try to hit it harder you will generally mis-hit more often.

It's perfectly okay to go out without a wood - I once went a whole year using only irons as I'd lost my confidence with the woods, and even good players sometimes take an iron off the tee for safety. Your main problem would be if you play a course where you have to hit a long way over water or heather, but most public courses are set up for beginners and don't set such challenges. If you're having real problems even reaching the fairways, think about playing from the ladies' tees.

Get out there and have a good time - but remember etiquette, if you get a long way behind the group in front and you're slowing down people behind you, please let them "play through". And once you've had a couple more lessons have a go with the driver (or at least the 3-wood), because although it's not necessary, it IS fun!