If you’re new to golf, buying a set of clubs can be a daunting decision. A full box set is a golf set of golf clubs that includes a bag, driver, woods, hybrids, irons, wedges, and putter. There are many manufacturers and they each have different models. Your first set of golf clubs is an important decision. So, what should you do?
Golf has a reputation of being expensive, and rightly so. So, you may wonder, why not buy a few used clubs at a thrift store, then decide what to buy later? This isn’t realistic. To make any progress, you need consistency. Going with the cheapest set you can find might sound logical, but you’re going to be playing golf for a while.
Not many people start golf and then stop, especially the ones going as far as to read about the first set they should be buying on Bye Bogey. If you’re a man, woman, or child, there are boxed sets designed to help you elevate your game.
Picking golf, or being picked by golf?
The first time you play you get a pass to use whatever you find laying around. If you decide golf is for you, (and if you return to play a second time you will realize you have already decided golf is for you), then I recommend you buy a boxed set of clubs for your first set. These are affordable and have everything you need—everything for starting to play the game that has chosen you.
The logic behind a box set for your first set of golf clubs
New vs Old
There are quite a few types of clubs—woods, irons, a driver, a putter, and a sand wedge. When they are all made by the same manufacturer then they will all have the same feel to them. This alone will make a difference in your game. It makes a difference in your comfort and attitude too. It’s the same difference as buying a new car versus scrapping by with an old clunker. Doesn’t it feel so much better driving a new car? You bet it does.
Your first set of golf clubs is not a forever choice
You might be tempted to think your first set will be with you the rest of your life. No. Once you become a golfer, you will eventually upgrade to a better set of clubs—and several times over your lifetime. I’m sure the first people to ever purchase an automobile or computer thought they would never own another. Also, if you’re buying a golf club set for a child, these are affordable for when they inevitably grow out of them in 6 months.
Constant advances in golf technology
You could buy a used set, but golf companies—like car and computer companies—are always improving their products. Would you really buy a ten-year-old car? Maybe. What about a ten-year-old computer? Never! It’s more fun to play with the best you can afford. And even though your first boxed set will not be the very best clubs, they will certainly be better than something old. And they will be just right for you. As a beginner you would have a hard time using a professional set of clubs. Get used to your beginner set, then upgrade.
A boxed set is a new set
Do you think people will laugh at your for being new to the game and carrying a new set of clubs? Get off that kind of thinking! Your friends will congratulate you, and you will truly feel that proud golfer blood coursing through your veins in spite of your hooks, slices, and divots. Your new set of clubs will make you a better golfer. Hard to imagine? Those clubs will be silently encouraging you to relax, improve, and keep playing.
The price is right for all that you need
A boxed set of clubs is not expensive. For only a couple hundred dollars, you get a complete set of up to 14 clubs, and nearly all of what you need. Napoleon once said, “A man becomes the creature of his uniform.” When you have all the tools of the trade, you become a golfer.
Look for sets that include a bag. They can easily cost a hundred dollars alone. It will seem they are throwing in the bag as a free gift. You’ll feel happy about the driver your set will come with. Drivers can easily cost more than a box set of clubs. It will feel like another free gift.
Single length irons?
Think about buying single-length irons. These might not come in a box set, but for a beginner this is a good concept. The shafts of most sets of irons are different lengths. There is a strategy for using different lengths. The smaller the number of the iron, the longer the shaft. The greater the number of the iron, the shorter the shaft. Also, the higher the number the higher the loft, or lift of the ball in the air. It takes time to learn the feel of each length. The strategy for using a single-length set of irons is that you only need to concern yourself with one basic swing. It’s worth considering for your first set. While most pros prefer multiple-length iron shafts, a few—Bobby Jones and Bryson DeChambeau—have used single-length irons to win championships.
So why get into golf?
One of the great things about golf is the socialization. You get to talk to others you play with about anything. Jokes are popular, but on your first few rounds of golf you should ask others in your foursome why they chose the clubs they use. It might help you decide the direction of your first purchase. Chances are if they started in the last 10 years, many of their first sets of golf clubs were also a boxed set.
You have three goals as a new golfer. The first is to learn the game: how to score, the rules, and the terms (like hooks, slices, and divots). Second is to educate yourself on the game, on things like mental approach, fixing a ball mark, and proper etiquette. This means to learn to do things correctly. Your friends will want to give your advice, but lessons will do more for you. Third is to improve your handicap. This will only come by playing more (such a happy thought). Proper equipment helps with that, especially a good set of clubs. When you go with a boxed set for your first set of golf clubs, it takes away much of the stress associated with deciding between a thousand brands early on.
Once you become a seasoned golfer, (at whatever your handicap) you will upgrade your clubs. The temptation will be great to keep one or two of your old clubs. Again, don’t do it. Remember, a whole new set will have the same feel. Every time you buy your next set, you are not just buying better clubs, you are buying new technology. Don’t hold your game back by holding on to an old sentimental club. And don’t start your game out by using inferior equipment. Get a new boxed set.
Where to find a boxed set of golf clubs
We’re not a site that makes money off of affiliate links (for now). Instead we’re here to help golfers learn about the game and get better. Take a look at the links below to see where you can buy a boxed set for your first set of golf clubs. Kids, Men, Women, there is a boxed set for all. If you have questions or need help deciding, drop us a comment and we’ll reach out to help!