Which club would you get?

Here's my set: Taylor Made Super Launch Irons 4-PW Callaway Jaw 60 lob wedge Macgregor 52 & 56 wedges Taylor Made R11 rescue 3 hybrid Taylor Made R11 Driver Very old cheap starter set Wilson Putter I am very happy with my irons, so I'm not looking for any changes there. I love my lob wedge, but not too happy with my 52 & 56. I hit my 3 hybrid around 225-230, and would love a 5 hybrid. I have a need for a putter, 52, 56, & 5 hybrid. I've thought about a fairway wood, but find them hard to hit, but love using the rescues. I would like to get the Scotty Cameron Kombi putter, 52 & 56 callaway jaw wedges, or another R11 hybrid. I have a $300 golfsmith gift card. What would you do if you were me? I'm leaning for the Kombi because for #1 I don't think I would spend $300 for a putter, and since this was a gift--why not? But then I think I could get a cheaper putter and my hybrid, or I could keep my putter, and get my hybrid and a wood, or my wedges. I'm like a kid in a candy store with this gift card. Help me out??

Plenty of good putters under $100 (Cleveland classics, Ping Karsten, Odyssey). I'd do that first.

Then with the remaining ~$200 invest in either new wedges or the 3 wood. I really don't see much use in the 5h, as your not swapping out irons for it...what gap is that going to fill? Meanwhile, it appears you have a large gap from driver to 3h which could be addressed. And you say your not happy with the wedges. Since you said you don't care for FWs, I'd probably go with the wedges.

My only advice - I was having such a time slicing early last year, I figured I needed a draw biased driver ... one day was so utterly PI$$ED after a round, went to Golfsmith & dropped $350 on a Ping K15 when they first came out.     I've since adopted S&T; and the slice is long gone & I'm drawing everything - problem is that driver is useless to me now.    Just think it through - $300 is alot of money to spend on a club - don't make an impetuous purchase like I did ...

PS - towards the end of last year, I rediscovered the joys of the 3 wood.   It's a club worth learning to hit & will be my primary focus next year ...

At the end of the day the club you will use the most in any round is the putter. If your not happy with you putter id advise trying some out and getting a good putter. Doesn't have to be an expensive one, just one that you feel comfortable using.

I've recently bought a Scotty Cameron Del Mar, probably the best £160 ($250'ish) i've ever spent.

Failing that, i'd say wedges. They are your scoring clubs so it pays to have good wedges that fit your game.

How does your putter work now?

If it works well, you could almost get the wedges and the hybrid with your $300.

Avoid the R11 3 wood - they get bad reviews. If anything, the new RBZ 3 wood is, by all reports, a huge improvement over the R11 fairways.

Get none of the clubs. Go back in about a month and a half, get an RBZ 3 wood, and call it a day. You seem to be a fan of TM, so you'll buy one anyway I predict.

If you have any left over, either try out a putter in the <100$ range, or stock up on balls, accessories, etc. Don't bother with the extra R11 hybrid if you can manage with the irons, and don't spend 300$ on a putter unless you're rich.

And the 60 degree need not be discarded, if you can really use it. Just don't buy expensive/additional wedges until your short game gets good, especially if you use normal balls.

I can't make up my mind if you're being serious or not...

The gist of your post seems to be "Go buy a driver that you've never seen in real life, never tried and don't know how it will play for you. Buy a cheap putter even though the putter is used in golf far more than any other club in the bag. Don't spend $300 on the most important club you own. Don't buy wedges to give you more choice of shot around the course and to give more utility depending on lie."

That about right?

OP, you've already made up your mind on what you want to buy. If you buy anything other than those you'll constantly think "what if" about your purchase/s. Of the clubs you want, what will benefit your game the most? More utility around the greens? More options with utility clubs? A putter you're happier with stabnding over the ball and that helps you start the ball on the same line each and every time you putt?

Once you know what area will be of most benefit go to a store and try out various models of those clubs. Don't look at prices initially, just see what benefits your game the most and then look at price afterward and decide if the improvement is worth the money. Buy the most beneficial clubs first and if there's cash left over add to them.

I never said buy a driver. OP obviously likes Taylormade, and the R11 FWs aren't that good. He will likely want the RBZ FAIRWAY WOOD when it comes out, and it would be better to wait than to buy the R11 3w and then feel left out of the rocketballz party.

He has a cheap putter, I told him to buy a decent one. A decent putter does not and should not cost 300$. Even 100$ is highway robbery, it's a block of steel for Christ's sake. You can get a brand new odyssey, cleveland, ping, etc. for around 100$ or less.

He has wedges, unless they're worn out badly they should be used as is, not replaced with the same exact clubs with a shinier finish and a Callaway logo. He's a 20 handicapper, he doesn't need a tour grind wedge or a scotty cameron. Wedges and putter are important, but name brands overcharge for them like crazy.

And for the record, if he wants to play better wedge shots changing only his equipment, he should invest in a spinny ball rather than pay hundreds of dollars for vokeys or the like.

I mis-read the driver part. Apologies. He did say though that he doesn't like fairway woods so I'm not sure he'd be overly fussed with one.

Putters are completely subjective. Someone could get along well with a 'block of steel' as such but then hate playing with a $5k Schwarovski crystal putter buffed with shark sperm and encrusted with diamonds. If he plays well with a cheap putter then why trade it in? If he could benefit from a $300 putter then why discount it?

I have a friend who pretty much makes love to his 'Scotty' and will announce several times every round how Scotty helps his putting, almost to the point he's trying to persuade himself. For me I have an ugly Ping 1/2 Wack-E that resembles some ridiculous weapon from Star Trek or something but that I bought solely because I putted much much better with it. My old Ping iWi Anser was twice the price of the Wack-E when I bought it but I always pushed putts with it so it got donated to my grandfather who putts really well with it.

OP said he gets on well with his 60 wedge but doesn't like his 52 or 56. It's likely then that the bounce on those two is incorrect for the courses he plays and they should be replaced or ground as needed. I don't hit my 58 well at all and I keep blading it so I'l be weathering it through the winter and then having it ground to an 06 in a couple of months. Either way if every time he picks up one of those two wedges he's not confident about the shot something should be done.

Named brands charge more normally because people will pay more for them, whether it's through "look at me" ability or through the fact that they play better. I went for Vokeys as I hit them better than all the other wedges I played but I'd play Dunlop wedges if they were good.

Agree with you that the first trial for better wedge play is a better ball IF the problem is inconsistent chipping, ball rolling out instead of checking etc. Then I'd say a lesson on wedge play next during which your pro will be able to tell you whether your bounce figures are correct on the wedges and be able to help you make the most out of wedge play. After that I'd look at replacement wedges as a last resort.

He said he doesn't get along with his current wedges. I used to be the same way with mine. Sole grinds/bounce can really hurt you if your not playing the right ones. Spent a little money getting new wedges with grinds that suited me and my short game changed a lot. Besides, you can get good wedges for ~$50. So if he seems to be doing OK so far with just driver and 3h, more than likely he'll need wedges that suit him more.

Sorry for the original post. It grouped everything together after hitting submit. I do know how to use punctuation.

I was really thinking about that too. What is the avg. distance you can expect for a 3 wood?

You all have given me a lot to think about. I don't use the 3 wood because I couldn't it when I first started playing 2 years ago, and haven't bothered with it since. Although, my playing partners tell me they can't imagine life without theirs, so I may be missing out. I'm a consistent 2 putter with my old wilson, but I really like those mallet putters i've used at golfsmiths. I really would like to get those wedges, but that wouldn't leave me with much after that, and I can seriously buy those on my own. I'm thinking about the hybrid because I can hit those far better than my 4 or 5 iron. Although I can be surgical with my 4 iron on a punch out...lol. The RBZ line interests me because of all the good reviews I have read, and I'm a "sucker" for all new lines, and yes I am a Taylor Made fan. I waited in line for the very first iphone on day one.

I hope you don't mean me... I wouldn't buy anything TM since I can't afford it and would prefer other makes if given to me as a gift. I recommended that OP get TM stuff because about 11 of his clubs are TM and he obviously is a fan. No point trying to persuade him otherwise... Furthermore, I was the first person on this esteemed forum to make a thread lampooning the very fairway wood I recommended OP. It epitomizes everything TM, so a TM fan will probably love it. And again, he will probably want it in 2 months regardless.

As for the wedges, I didn't see that he disliked his current ones. Knowing that, I'd say consider getting replacements, but try them out and shop wisely. If something about the callaways such as bounce, grind, etc. works for you, try to stick with it. 70$ a stick isn't too bad, but keep an open mind. Still I suggest you try out putters in the sub 100$ range, at least get an idea if you find one you like. If not, there are a number of ways of spending that money.

Just remember, 2011's gear might be cheaper close to the start of spring, and more of the new stuff will be out. Unless you live somewhere golfable in winter, I would suggest you wait or take advantage of a sale.

Southern California......still playing every weekend and off day.

And I like TM, not because of the name, I like them for the quality of the club. I've tried several irons, and those super launch iron, have really improved the consistency of the ball flight. As for my R11 rescue, that has been a god send because I am not consistent with my long irons. I am a homer, but they have earned it.

I am not against any brand if can improve my game.