Dave40

If you are over 40, then some back soreness is to be expected. If it is really painful, then it could be a medical problem or maybe there is something in your swing that is causing too much pressure. Golfers make swing changes throughout their lives to adjust to the changes of aging.

Chipping practice will be well worth a couple of strokes per round. The time you have available for practice is a big factor in getting to the sub 80 scoring level. It sounds like your equipment is pretty up to date. I always watch the old guys who are able to consistently play around 80. Even though they can't hit 300 yards, the trick seems to be always keep the ball in the fairway and have a good short game. They don't seem to use the driver much. They will take a 5 iron off the tee and another 5 iron to get close to the green. These guys can pitch and one-putt for par with the same reliability as two putting for par. Granted, they are not playing from the back tees, but the strategy is worth noting.

Keep in mind that i'm no golf pro, but this is the way I've heard it explained: If the shaft is too flexible and is still bent at the moment of impact, the effect is like offset on a club. The face might be more open but your body has already rotated through the ball ahead of the club head. The result is usually a hook. On the other hand, when i have used drivers with a shaft too flexible, the feedback of the whippy shaft has somehow caused me to create an out to in swing path resulting in a big slice.

I don't think that the shaft flex would cause a severe push like the one you describe. My guess would be that the appearance of the club head (face angle too open or closed) is causing you to line up incorrectly or maybe the overall weight of the club is too heavy for your swing.

The only thing new in putters is that there are more varieties of mallet-style putters available now. The blade putters are basically the same designs from the 1980s or even earlier. Usually blade putters are some variation of the Pings or 8802.

Small changes in grip can have a big impact on the swing.

I haven't tried the s3, but I am pretty happy with both of the Vista series. The iV gets really good distance.

Unless the flex of your current shafts is different, and the length is not far off, then you can probably get your clubs modified

I switched to graphite and can really tell the difference - less of a backache after a round of golf. Which shaft is best? That's opening a real can of worms for club junkies. Maybe the better question is what shaft weight are you most comfortable with. You can get them from 50g to 100g.

For hitting off the deck, try a 3W that has a low profile face. That was the concept behind the original Adams tight lies woods. The tradeoff is that the low profile face woods have a smaller hitting area when used on the tee.

I saw the show on the GC. Since I like to purchase used clubs, it makes me hesitant to do so unless it is from Cally preowned or TM preowned.

After seeing the Reflex irons on the GG site, they are not bad looking. And on sale for $150.

An inexpensive brand name used driver that you can cut down is what I would do. Most drivers less than 10 years old are good.

You could probably do better than the Reflex irons. If cost is the issue, check out the Callawaypreowned and global golf websites.