AO Golfers, help me pick clubs

[Lohman446]

Ok, I am probably doing this backwards but I am trying to first buy a decent set of irons

If this were paintball and I was starting out looking for the "best buy" right now I would go out and by a DM4. A lot of reasons, in the end I realize they are all good at doing the same thing. A DM4 gives me a Matrix so I have the name, and gives me plenty of performance. Going to a DM4 gives me all the performance, without the stupid price

What is the buy in irons? I can get a set of good 2004 Calloway Big Bertha irons. They seem to fit my vanity, and Im pretty sure, well the clubs I have are not going to make a great big difference. I want "good enough" with a good name.

What do you recommend?

[LFD92]

Personally, I use Taylor Made Burner Irons (not the bubble burner model). I have mine setup with an extra 1" in the shaft and stiff flex (I'm 6'3" and 280).

4 years ago when they were new they were $800. You could probably get a pretty good set of clubs now for cheap money, as long as you don't care whether or not they have the absolute latest in technological advancement.

Callaway's are excellent clubs, but I have found that the head isn't secured to the shaft well and actually has 2-3 degrees of play after a season. This may not sound like a lot, but when striking the ball it could mean hitting the fairway or singing "GOODBYE!" into the woods.

Just my opinion. Just like with markers though, don't buy anything until you try it first. A lot of larger golf warehouses (even Sports Authority) have a simulated range where you can hit a couple and determine whether or not you like the feel of a particular brand. No matter what the model year of a praticular brand you try, all of the models of that brand within the last 5 years all feel the same.

After determining which brand you prefer, you couuld probably pick them up cheap on eBay (beware of knockoffs) or a second hand sports store.

Good luck!

[RRfireblade]

Holy crap , I was just coming over here to talk golf ! !

Hmmm.

Ima a die hard Callaway player so Ima say Callaways are a great choice for both playabilty and performance and regularly high rated by the HHCer and Pros alike. I've been hitting them for over 10 yrs now.

Pretty much all the "X" series clubs play the same w/ the tour versions being , just that.

Pretty much all the BBs play the same so an 02 or 04 BB would be a great bang for the buck and likely last you a Looong time. If your shopping around you may have found CallawaygolfPreowned , if not check it out , it's a fabulous place to buy from.

My only suggestion is to buy clubs the match your current ablilty NOT what you hope your ability will be after the purchase. Doesn't work that way in golf. Unlike alot of other sports , the equiptment the Pros use in golf will only make your game worse if your not a Pro already.

So... sounds like BBs are a smart chioce again.

FYI , I just picked up a set of Fusions and OMG.... they are amazing. Shot the lights out today with them first time out. Can't wait till the sun comes out Sunday to hit them again.

[Lohman446]

My only suggestion is to buy clubs the match your current ablilty NOT what you hope your ability will be after the purchase. Doesn't work that way in golf. Unlike alot of other sports , the equiptment the Pros use in golf will only make your game worse if your not a Pro already.

Define that if you would for me? I played around with a club and some sensors at one of the proshops and the salesman there told me I definetly wanted graphite shafts - I don't swing fast enough to get the best out of steel. He could not accept that, although I have not played golf in over a decade, I did not want the $200 comes with a bag starter set.

[RRfireblade]

I'm not sure really what your asking.

You 'should' probably be using graphite shafts if I were to take a guess , most people 'should' be. What's your swing speed ?

You can play steel shafted irons if you wanted to , it doesn't really make a big difference in Irons. It's mostly a feel thing there and it will save you some cash. No question graphite on the big sticks. Irons have built in distance control (loft) , there's really no benefit to gaining anything in the shaft , if you 'gain' yardgade there you just end up having to hit less club instead. Drivers a different story of course. Graphite gives you a softer feel and makes the club feel more head heavy during the swing. Steel gives you more feel in the hands and if you have the ability , a tad more control.

In the other regard , a game improvement club like the BBs will have more offset for better contact , larger cavity backs for bigger sweetspot , greater perimeter weighting and a lower CG to enhance ball flight.

A 'Tour' model will have less offset , thinner toplines w/ smaller heads and a lesser cavity. There just harder to hit , less forgiving and more penalizing on miss hits.

The 'X' models are right in the middle.

(This is speaking Callaway, altho the theory applies elsewhere)

(FYI , most pros 'usually' shoot steel shafted irons)

[Lohman446]

You actually answered the question pretty well. I am very likely to go with a game improvement set, since I have no game at all at this point and time.

The Big Berthas are right in my price range (used)

Though I can a set of Nike NDS (the reviews tell me they are a decent set) new in the same price, and still have the name

[master_alexander]

since band, i havent had time to play, so its been around a year. but i have a set of big bertha irons, and they are sooo nice. my dad has a set of pings, and i loved them, but the big berthas were starting to grow on me. i really dont know the running price of clubs anymore, but you cant go wrong with calloway

[RRfireblade]

You actually answered the question pretty well. I am very likely to go with a game improvement set, since I have no game at all at this point and time.

The Big Berthas are right in my price range (used)

Though I can a set of Nike NDS (the reviews tell me they are a decent set) new in the same price, and still have the name

Nikes are decent IMO but not quite there as the price suggests (in this case). I played a set of Ignites for a little while. Not to bad but lacking in feel for me. Kinds 'cold' to me.

It's like alot of things , there are a bunch of brands out there that will get the job done but I'll say this about Callaway , their customer service for me over the years has been stellar. I've sent bend shafts and other things in for service over the years and to this day I've haven't even paid a shipping charge but once. (should have called it in first). They've covered everything well out of warranty coverage.

The current set I picked up this week was using the trade in/trade up. I came out with a like new set of $1200 irons for just about $300 w/ my trade. You can't ask for more than that from a company IMO and they deliver.

That's my experiences. Sounds like your making good choices yourself , good luck.

[Lohman446]

Im basically down to possibly a new set of Nike NDS... or

X-14 / 16's / 18s

Ping Zings or possibly oversized I3s

[gam-e]

A 'Tour' model will have less offset , thinner toplines w/ smaller heads and a lesser cavity. There just harder to hit , less forgiving and more penalizing on miss hits.



this quote could otherwise be stated as if you are a well skilled golfer you can place your shots (put appropriate spin on the ball) better and actually feel what shot you are making.


my advice and what i would personally need would be an oversides set of irons with a deep cavity in the back... very forgiving.

Dion

[Lohman446]

Nike CPRs? I can get a decent set with graphite shafts (5-PW), with the hybrid irons 22 and 26 degree for under $300 shipped to me, brand new.

[RRfireblade]

A 'Tour' model will have less offset , thinner toplines w/ smaller heads and a lesser cavity. There just harder to hit , less forgiving and more penalizing on miss hits.



this quote could otherwise be stated as if you are a well skilled golfer you can place your shots (put appropriate spin on the ball) better and actually feel what shot you are making.


my advice and what i would personally need would be an oversides set of irons with a deep cavity in the back... very forgiving.

Dion

Exactly. A skilled golf wants to be able to spin the ball at will (fade , draw) and have total control. A lesser golfer wants the club to inhibit as much of that as possible since he has little or no control over that spin and in most cases, will be fighting a tendancy of one or the other.

[Lohman446]

I figure on going towards a beginning set. I could get really annoyed by a ball spinning and going away unpredictably because I dont know what I am doing, and I like the idea of forgiveness. The people I will play with are not pros, so I think I can do ok with consistency... or at least to start with

I think like the Nike set above gives me that, with a name...

[gam-e]

Exactly. A skilled golf wants to be able to spin the ball at will (fade , draw) and have total control. A lesser golfer wants the club to inhibit as much of that as possible since he has little or no control over that spin and in most cases, will be fighting a tendancy of one or the other.

hey hey hey, I'm not lesser!. i even shot a 79 once... once

its been so long now i couldn't even break 100 i bet. but once upon a time i used to not suck.. mind you i shot a 79 with an entire set of HIPPO clubs. An offbrand for titleist. Same quality bro, different name.

you can also get steel shafts with a "smart-flex" to them, its automatically adjusts between regular and stiff flex depending on the quickness of your downswing.



Dion

[FlawleZ]

I personally play with King Cobras mostly because I got a killer deal on my set of Irons and woods a while back. They're great clubs, but don't seem to have quite the touch as a few other select brands do. My dad has always swung Ping clubs and they're great as well. Really and truly there are a lot of great clubs out there, it comes down to what feels right for you.