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Hello all, brand new to the site and game of golf! Sorry for the mini novel coming up!

Had one main question, hoping to get some feedback from everyone here. I recently started playing (no idea why just said man I really wanna play lol) went to the range that day, had a blast and have been going whenever I have some free time. I bought a cheap set of clubs that will hold me over for a while and if they turn out to be a POS atleast I have a nice bag and a putter I absolutely love.

Are there any books or DVDs out there that I can read or watch as a "here are some common grips, swings and stances" I know lessons are my best bet but I am unable to take them for a few months due to money and time issues but around the holidays I plan to take a few.

I have two hybrid clubs that I can hit pretty well and I hit my wedges pretty good also but that's about it. My driver and 3 wood are atrocious and I know I am not gripping my driver right due to a huge blister on my right thumb and not a single callus on my left hand (I am right handed) I also have ball marks on the head of my driver very close to the shaft and none on the sweet spot of that club. I probably should take it one club at a time but every time I go out I hope it's the day I can finally hit with my driver lol. If I take a half backswing with my driver I hit it further and straighter than if I were take a full swing.

Any input or help is appreciated, thanks all.

By the way this site has been awesome just browsing around for a while.

Welcome to the game. It will be both enjoyable and challenging.

The 8 Step Swing on Video and in printed format by Jim McLean is a good start.

Another option is the 5 Lessons by Ben Hogan.

Before you even consider getting a new club, you should read the following:

"The Right Sticks" Tom Wishon
"Search for the Perfect Club" T Wishon
"Just Hit It" by Frank Thomas

Good advice above. Since you have internet connection Rock, there are ample venues online that you can seek out information. Your mantra should be: GRIP, ALIGNMENT, POSTURE. Learn these fundamentals now. Here on Golf Rewind we discuss the process quite frequently and it's possible to go back to previous threads and get a wealth of information.

In addition to research, your intuition was right in that you need to start with the shorter more lofted clubs as they are a bit easier to hit initially. Getting some lessons is really a great idea and the earlier the better. Always give the short game practice equal or better emphasis as this will not only improve your score on the course, it will teach you how to control the face angle, loft of the shot, and distance control. This will help you in the long game also.

Do not be concerned with the driver at this stage. A 5 wood or 3 wood off a tee should be the longest club you are trying to hit; so, you have something you can reliably hit on the course. When you can control these then start working with the driver on the range with regularity. Think of golf as a "work in progress" It is for all of us out here!

Thanks for the responses, I really appreciated them.

I will be checking out the old threads on the site while I wait for my books to arrive, since online is dirt cheap compared to the store :)

Thanks again!

To improve your scoring and your confidence on the course, I recommend only hitting shots you have a lot of confidence in. If you can only hit your hybrids and wedges with any consistency, then just use those. Practice the other clubs on the range, but just hit the clubs you have confidence in on the course. And if you really want to improve your score quickly, work on the short game more than the long game.

5 Lessons by Ben Hogan is one of the best instruction books ever written. It is solid fundamentals, very easy to read, understand, implement, and is the basis of the modern golf swing taught today.

I give a copy to all my students who wish to use the modern 2-plane swing. It is very inexpensive around $9 new at book stores and can be had used for $3 or $4 on the internet at places like Amazon and E-Bay.

Perhaps an even easier swing method is the 1-plane swing aka Moe Norman or Natural Golf. Students usually pick it up with 1 or 2 lessons. Best of all you can learn it for free on the internet by registering at Moe Norman Golf Academy

Edited to add following comment:

Now with that said you need to be very careful teaching yourself because what you think or fell is going on can be far from reality. Using video of yourself can help, but only a trained observer can pick up on what is causing what to happen.

I teach a lot of people and a good example was a new student last week cam to me for help. I had him take a few swings and immediately saw a few problems like weight being on his toes, starting the downswing from the top, and a reverse pivot. He did not believe me until I showed him the video.

You could clearly see his heels off the ground, chopping wood with an over the top start on the down swing, and his weight going left on the backswing, falling back right on the downswing, then back left on the follow through. It was a mess of a swing all of which he thought or felt was not happening. Well I am still working on this guy one problem at a time because he taught himself and the moves are deeply ingrained into his muscle memory. What I have him doing now is completely foreign to him and basically he has to forget everything he thought he knew about his golf swing and start over again.

The point here is unless you are naturally talented, there is only so much you can teach yourself. Not many touring pro's can even do it on their own.