Putters are devious beasties! Oneminute they work the next they don't!

As has been said, try a load of differen't putters out if possible. I was buying a Yes! Olivia online, but for some reason got distracted and never completed the sale, went down to my local shop and tried one, it was awful. Ended up spending a couple of hours there trying loads of different styles of putters and ended up with a 33" Scotty Cameron Newport 2 for the princely sum of £140 (got £25 off the asking price). It's a great putter when i'm in the right frame of mind but putting is a very weak point for me as i tend to just walk up to them and try to rattle them in as i want to get on with the next hole.

Yeah I am trying to be more calm with my putting. Love the scotty Cam silver one with the 4 dots on the back. Rather impressive like. I will more than likely get a Putter before I get a driver. I mean if im hitting 220Y carry with 3 wood that is good enough for me really. I Hit 200Y on a par 3 to the green in one and that was up hill so i mean i guess that is 220 carry. Maybe 200 but nothing less.

Putter will be bought after I get my irons sorted and had them for a month or two. See how much they improve my game then the putting practice can begin as well. I really enjoy playing just need to find some people near me where ever I am all the time so its difficult lol! But playing with some friends I never met before at weekend was so relaxing and funny had a right ball.

As has been said in a few threads, you would be better going to a place and getting them fitted. I have still to find somewhere on the net that can match the price i paid at my local shop for 3 hybrid and 4-PW R7 irons i recently bought, and that included the free fitting session.

If you're determined to just buy off the shelf, then i would recommend you go for the same 3 hybrid and 4-PW Irons, 3 iron can be decidedly hard to hit off the deck and the hybrids are so much easier.

http://www.golfonline.co.uk/callaway-x20-irons-steel-shaft-p-2572.html best price for clubs i could find quickly. £379 for 4-PW irons then add £109 for the hybrid (you could take the option of the 3 iron at £35 but i wouldn't recommend it).

Also can't comment on the shop above as i have never used them.

X-20s are lovely clubs, though if you don't break 100 with them you'll risk being labelled an "all the gear and no idea" man!

On the subject of chipping, it's not only putters that can benefit from being cut down. I know one wily old senior who, when he got a hybrid, had his 3-iron cut down to the length of a PW - he uses it from under trees (100 yards, never more than 6 feet off the ground) but it's most deadly as an "approach putter" for those bump and runs. I might not do that with something as expensive as an X-20, and it's probably too early in your golfing career to be worrying about specialist clubs, but it's an interesting idea.

Good for you getting out there in this weather - I've tended to shoot my best scores in cold and rain too. I think it stops you getting carried away with how much fun this all is and concentrate on your game!

Kieron,

you need a sandwedge far far far far far more than a LW. The SW has much more bounce to help you out of the sand, mate.

Kefkef,

you tried that putting practice drill I told you yet? you're in training remember

what 23rdman said

Using a low bounce 60 from sand takes some skill and at least a modest understanding of technique.

A 56 with at LEAST 12 degrees of bounce will be your friend

Not sure what you have got against Hybrids, tour pro's are beginning to use them (DiMarco, Mahan, Harrington, Slocum, Stricker, Kaymer etc etc), they are easier to use, generally give you more forgiveness and also have a better launch angle (usually) than a low iron due to the fact they get the ball up in the air and spinning more easily than a low iron, so you still get the distance but have a nicer angle of approach (i.e. slightly steeper so it doesn't run on as far) when using them for 2nd shots to Par 5's or for tee shot to a par 3. I've got a 5 wood in the bag at the moment and it's harder to use off the fairway than my 3 hybrid and doesn't go as far (in fact i am actually wondering now i've just said that why i have it in my bag!).

With regards 3 irons, you really need to work out the distance gap between your lowest iron (4i) and your higehst wood (5w). I would think something like 170yds for your 4i and 200yds for your 5w, thats an awfully big gap of 30yds to fill.

I agree with Kefkef. Why would you not want hybrids in the bag? They're tailor made for someone of your ability, Kieron. I think you're in danger of buying into the culture of wanting what the pro's use instead of what's going to make the game enjoyable for you.

Kef, Got your irons yet? 

Over weekend round I tried using a club up but using less SS it worked really well and only 80% swing as well so I can carry on practicing that to cover the 30 yard gap. Not got anything against them just at 100-120 a pop I cant really afford them and the irons at the same time so will still have that gap for a while. I dont even have a 5 wood only got a 3. no driver either, been a beginner has its goods like learning everything BUT ITS HARD TO GET EVERYTHING SORTED AND HIGH PRICES i DO BELIEVE HOLD PEOPLE BACK STARTING OUT. : ) stupid laptops keyboards are crap ! ARGH hate them!

Kieron, to give you an idea, i started last year with a £100 starter set from ebay (Prosimmon Icon), it included D ,3w ,5w, 3u, 4u, 5-SW and putter with a bag. It's done me fine for a year, during that time i've added a Nike Sumo driver i picked up cheap off ebay - £50 (mainly because it had the right shaft in it for me- Graffalloy Prolaunch blue - this added 20-30yds on my previous driver), Nike 5 Wood (had better results than the 3 wood), 3 Ping Tour Wedges (ebay £120) and a SC putter (present from gf/familly £140). Worst round with that set-up was 114 best was 78 (twice round par 35 9-holer), usually average in the late 80's early 90's, i would think you will be somwhere at the same ability just 6mths behind (if you catch my drift). The one thing i would say is that i have really gone big on lessons, i've probably had at least 20+ now.

The only reason i'm getting a new set of irons is my darling good lady got a rather hefty bonus and treated me (Yes, i could have afforded them myself, but would have meant only 2 holidays this year not three! ), if not then i would have stayed with my usual irons for at least another year. If the set of clubs you are looking at are too expensive (as you say, you are starting out, X-20's are not really a 'starting out' tpye of club) there are other makes (Wilson Fat Shaft springs to mind, also Macgregor make some nice clubs fairly cheaply) out there that will do the job for a lot less cash they just dont have the 'Tour-Pro' endorsements.

Im not too bothered about forking out a little as I like the look and feel of them. After using blades I hate all wide sole clubs sorry to say which is a bit disappointing because I though the blades were ugly when I first started but they not lol!

I think what im going to do it too. Get 4-SW (As you say) And if I think I need the distance inbetween my 3 Wood and 4i I will buy the 3i from Ebay for 30-40. Or go for a 5W. But hopefully wont need to get them and I can get my self a nice putter first for my B'Day from my G/F. (Nice cameron will do nicely chick ) Once I get my game sorted I will move onto a Driver.

I mean the beginners who I was out with other day I was out driving them with a 3W. Whats the difference between 3W and 1W ranges? I got G5 Reg 3W.