Got new clubs...here's my story.

I'm 34 years old. I played for about 3 years in high school. I picked back up heavily about 2 years ago. I've been playing with my first set of irons(20 year old clubs), Top Flight Tours. I had gotten "decent" at hitting them, even the long irons. I decided to upgrade. I wasn't sure what to buy...

Went to golf smith. I liked the Ping s57's because they looked similar to my old clubs. They recommended a forgiving club, the TM burner plus irons...said the s57's would be tough to hit. I didn't feel good about getting them because they felt bulkey to me. I bought the TM burners with a bad feeling...

Hit them at the range. Hook city. The clubs had crazy offset, were bulkey, and hard to control. I took em back. Lost about 60 bucks on the 90/10 refund deal. Bought the s57s with S300 shafts. OMG. They rock! A sweet feeling when I strike the ball. They still have a little more offset than my old clubs, but I think I can get used to them. Thin and crisp. I can actually put back spin on the ball now...

Anybody else use the s57s?

I had a similar situation when I bought my 'new clubs' about 5 years ago. I had been playing with a cheap set (Wal*Mart something or other) for a few years and told my wife I'd like to buy a set that I could have fitted.

Went to a local golf place and tried out a few different sets... Callaway X-18's (I think)... Mizuno something... and then the Nike Slingshot. Of all the clubs, I liked the look and feel of the X-18's the most.

They kept talking me out of it though. They were REALLY pushing the Mizuno's... which I just didn't like. Then, they said the same thing about buying a forgiving club... and they pushed the Slingshots. I ended up going with those.

A few trips to the range, and I 'learned' the clubs... but nearly 5 years later, I STILL can't spin them. I can get the 7-SW up in the air and stop it dead... but I can't back them up at all.

Looking back (and every time I play with someone who has the X-18's or X-20's)... I wish my choice was different. But, in the end... I'm happy with my clubs, so...

But, good for you taking them back and picking up something that feels right. If I've learned ANYTHING about this game... it's that feel is the most important thing.

For me... feeling right over and through a ball breeds confidence. All it takes is one bad swing and I can forget the rest of a round.

CY

I agree. I felt bad about losing the 60 bucks...but I don't think I'll regret it in the long run.

Your a 26, and you want to be backing up 7 irons? I'm afraid I don't know a single player that consistently backs up anything past Wedge, most of mine and check and stop or maybe a little back or front kick, nothing like "spinning it back"

Also what do the clubs have to do with spinning it? Maybe its your swing..

I can relate. When I first started to seriously get into golf three years ago, I needed irons. My Dad got me a set of Cleveland Launcher LP. Respectable company, fairly low in cost about 300 bucks, and some cavity back for 'easy to hit' for a beginner looking to get serious. I was terrible with them, but it was obviously my game being a beginner.

So, the next year, My Dad decided he wanted to get new irons. He had the Taylor Made RAC OS2 with pretty good amount of offset, so he was skying them, and hooking the hell out of them on bad shots. He plays to about a five handicap, so he decided he need something more 'blade' like, or a players iron.

Therefore, I got the TM RAC OS2. I loved them at first, but when I became a slightly better ballstriker, I was hooking them a ton and they were going sky high as well!

Well, June of 2008, I went to a local golf shop. The guy their was a friend of my Dad's. He got me BRAND NEW Mizuno MP-57 for 650 dollars. So, I went to that...

Haven't looked back since. If I hook or slice an iron, I get instant feedback with these clubs. They are very workable, but do offer some forgivness - very similar to the S57's that you just purchased.

Congrats on the clubs, they are some nice looking sticks. Good Luck with them.

I'm the same way... can't stand the look of these new "game-improvement" irons. I'm sure they're great for some people but irons have always been about look to me and the big bulky irons just don't do it for me either.

Well i cant speak for a 26 but i can get my 6iron to spin back about a foot or two and my 5 will take a hop and stop and maybe roll out a few inches.

Why are the Taylormade burners being pushed on everyone in golf stores? This isn't the first time I read someone here complaining of the store attendant pushing them on him.

Friction of the club face. More friction = more spin.

Nope, angle of attack (steeper plane) and ball contact (indicated by a long and shallow divot in front of the ball) produces the spin.

IMO, high & mid handicaps (like me) shouldn't be worried about spin, it just gets us into trouble.

The roughness of the face though does increase spin.

Yeah pretty much the same for me, but I took "spinning it back" to mean more than a foot.

True, but with most club faces chrome, its not the leading factor. Groove profile is a bigger factor.

I don't want to be a bitch or anything, but the ball is probably the biggest factor. Also, if you're over 5 handicap really spinny balls will do more bad than good, as they are much harder to hit straight.

Maybe if were talking about out of the rough, but grooves do pretty much nothing from the fairway. Don't have the source, maybe Iacas or someone else does, but golf digest did the wedge vs grooveless wedge and I'm pretty sure the results were pretty similar from the fairway.

I used to have some giant orlimar cavity back irons and this year i got my Mizuno MP 57s and they are so much different. I love the smaller soles and dont think anyone should learn this game with irons that have soles the size of alaska.

Yeah... I know what you're saying, but... I'm not asking to back up a 7 iron. My post said that I can STOP my 7 - SW...

I want to be able to spin my wedges... but not back 10 feet or anything. Just enough so I am able to control the distances better. Right now, anything inside of 100 yards I can get to stop... but there are still instances that I'd like to be able to put it beyond the hole and bring it back a yard or so. And, to be honest... my 26 handicap is because of how infrequently I've played in recent years. When I play well... I'm closer to an 18-20... still not good enough to worry about spin, I'm sure... but - that's me. In any event... the reason I said what I did is because in high school, I used a set of clubs my coach let me borrow for the season and the lower clubs (8, 9, PW) were blades. I was able to spin them back a few feet... but when I started with these Slingshots with the huge cavity backs... I don't get the same feeling when I hit them that I used to with the Pings I borrowed in high school. The sole is so wide and the flange (I think that's what it's called) is so rounded and thick that I feel like it's tougher to get under the ball to produce the check and spin shots. Anyway... thanks for reminding me I suck. CY

I didn't mean to say that at all, I hope you didnt take my post as meaning such. When I started playing I was much worse than a 26. If I offended, sorry.