Please help a newb with clubs!

Hi all - first post here and looking forward to learning from all of you!

I've played golf in earnest for 3 years - first with some wilson sam sneads I picked up at a garage sale, then with some TM TP CBs I bought from my neighbor.  I still have those TM's for my irons, and an Adams driver, which I hit ok - usually 200-225 and straight enough if I don't try to hit too hard.  What really stinks is my iron play - particularly anything longer than a 9 iron.  Because i don't drive real far, i'm commonly left with a 150 + yard shot on my second shot.  I need to be able to hit better from the middle distances. I'm a little better from 9-PW distance in terms of accuracy, cleaner striking, and straighter shots.  I know most of it is my own lack of ability, but would it be worth it to try some different clubs to help myself out?  I typically shoot in the mid to upper 40's for 9 holes.  A good day lands me between 40 and 45.  I'm kind of a minimalist, so I don't want to chase the holy grail too much! :)  I just want a little help that can help me today, and still be applicable to tomorrow, or even 5-10 years from now.  I hit my buddy's Nike SQ Machspeeds and that got me thinking how nice it would be to have more forgiving clubs.  MY TM CBs felt pretty harsh by comparison - could be the stiff steel shaft, but I honestly don't know enough about this stuff to fairly evaluate.

So...should I look at clubs (please throw out a few solid choices) or look into reshafting my own clubs...or should I just take a lesson or two, get fitted, and go from there?

I should add that I've demo-ed jpx800s the aforementioned Nikes, some ping g15s, and some i10s.  They all felt ok but I think I need to get fitted and really get acquainted with/commit to one set of clubs.  Too much demo-ing messes with my head! :)  Thanks for the input!

What is your price range? There are good, 'game improvement' clubs in all price ranges. Pings come with a free fitting at most reputable stores. IMO, lessons, clubs, practice, practice and more practice.

Try a hybrid for that 150 to 180 yard second shot or par 3. I like Cobra woods and hybrids, they're worth a look.

I think you would definitely benefit from a custom iron fitting.  From personal experiece, I think the most common reason a club feels "harsh" is because the shaft is too stiff.   Also clubhead design and material can affect feeling as well.  In general a forged clubhead will tend to have a softer feel at impact than a cast clubhead.  I recently got fitted for my Mizuno JPX-825 Pro irons which has a forged clubhead, and the fitting process was pretty basic, except for the shaft selection process.  Mizuno has a proprietary fitting process that uses a 6 iron with a gizmo attached to a shaft.  When you hit balls with this special club the gizmo records specifics about your swing.  That information is inputted into Mizuno's fitting software which then recommends 3 different shafts.  Then you hit a 6 iron with those 3 shafts and select the one that feels and performs the best for you.  Personally my Mizuno iron fitting recommendation was unremarkable, I selected the R flex Dynalite Gold XP shafts, which are stock on the JPX-825 Pro.  I'm extremely happy with my new irons, they feel great, are more forgiving, and hit 1-2 clubs longer than my 5 year old Mizuno MP-57 irons (which I also still like a great deal).