The value equasion: New Clubs

[buckyreal]

I just got a new set of Wilson Staff Pi5 irons. I got them off ebay, got a good deal, they are very lightly used, like they where demos, or someone took them to the range a couple of times.

I realize these are not forgiving clubs, and they are probably a little beyond my skill (I started two seasons ago). I feel like I am rapidly improving and learning, and I feel like the extra challenge of hitting them square will help me in the long run. I've had them at the range once, and when I did hit them well, they felt really great, and went strait as an arrow.

What the clubs are not... set up for someone who is 5' 6" Going through the clubs each one is about 1/2" longer than it should be, some 3/4"

Should I put the clubs back on ebay, and get another set that does fit. Or spent $8-10 a club (which I don't have), on getting them cut down and regripped. (I hate the stock grips anyway)

I talked to a club-fitter and he said I could choke up... but it might make me really inconsistent?

What do you think?

[buckyreal]

Part B of this question:

I have been looking on-line at Golfworks type catalogs of clubheads, shafts, grips...

Is there any money to be saved by having some nice Malbey type clubheads TrueTemper shafts, and nice Golf Pride grips assembled. What isn't clear in these catalogs is how much a golf club maker is going to charge per club for putting it together.

If it can/does save money on decent clubs... what are the best brands of loose iron heads, and hybrids...

I also can't seem to find a good Anser clone blade putter head... preferably with the Scotty Cameron style sound hole.

[allin]

Maltby, Golf Smith, are two of the biggest and most reputable, there are others. Maltby was purchased by Golf Galaxy, which has been purchased by Dicks. Some of the Golf Galaxys carry Maltby in their stores. If you go this route consider an iron with weight ports. It is easier to get the swing weight right if you need to shorten the club. Are the Wilsons just to upright? If you spend money to make changes to the Wilsons make sure the lie is right for you also, since that could be done at the same time.

[mutadayen]

I dont know about you, but choking down on every club you hit doesnt seem too reasonable nor will it give you the proper feel you desire out of the clubs. I think you'd begin to build a bad habit and hinder your golf game. I would say go into a GolfSmith or something like that and see how much you can get for them (if you can get equal or greater value than what you paid for them on eBay). If you like the clubs, and if my math is right, spending around $100 would be worth it if you're looking to keep the clubs long term. If you're not, sell them back on eBay for equal or greater value and then put the $100 you were going to spend on your clubs on a newer/better set of clubs.

[golf_junkie27]

Since you don't want to spend the money on the adjustments, I suggest that you put them back on ebay and find a set of clubs that fit you.

Golf is hard enough without having to make compensations with your swing and game. I can't believe a fitter told you to choke down. By doing so, you actually are making the club, shorter and losing distance.

Good luck finding the right clubs.

[buckyreal]

I paid $120 for the 3-PW set.

Is it fair to say most stock shop club sets are set-up a little long? I understand peoples average hights has been going up... along with the shaft length of clubs.

Being the end of wintertime, I went to an indoor "golf dome" and did one session with the clubs. Impossible for me to tell the ball flight in that situation beyond say... the pitching wedge.

The lie is set-up for the length of the club... so the ends are pointed up a little bit when I grip them normally.

I have an old Wilson Two iron (70's I think ) that's actually looks like the same loft as the 4 iron... and it's shorter!!

I think maybe I'm gonna wait for the real ranges to open up and see if the clubs are worth keeping... so far I like them a lot, based on about 100 practice balls over 45 minutes (damn was I sore the next day).

It sucks that I'm not going to be able to really measure what the clubs would be like if they where properly set up.

[buckyreal]

The club tech was being nice (realizing I don't have a lot of money to spend), and trying to accommodate my wife who was looking over my shoulder, and who doesn't quite think I should spend any more money on anything golf related ;)

Part's aside, can anyone give a generalization how much it costs to get a club assembled? Head, shaft, grip?

[buckyreal]

I do want to spend the money on getting the clubs set-up...

$120+ Shipping + $100 in adjustments... just seems silly, and I stupidly didn't budget for it, or ask the seller about it... my two sets of Junk shop irons came sized for someone a lot closer. Every on-line club fitting I have done, based on my height and arm length has recommended "Standard" club lengths... so I am a little put off that they came "New" as extra-long clubs... unless they where purchased by a tall person... which seems likely.

On the other hand, I have purchased about 3 brand new guitars, all of which required some tweaking and set-up out of the factory box.

The questions, can I build a set of irons (I still want to get a replacement 3 Hybrid)... and pay much less than $250? Better than what I have in Wilson Staff Pi5s?

I just want to reassure myself that I am not throwing good money after the bad. I like the clubs, but if the extra

[rudygu]

I paid $120 for the 3-PW set.

I think it is fair to say that most stock club lengths are too long for someone that is 5'6, the Wilson Pi5's even more than most. They are +1/2" compared to the standard length of most brands. They fit me perfectly and I am 6'2.

[larlev]

Standard length is not really that standard......for example Golfsmiths standard length is 37 3/4 for the 5 iron in steel, and 38 1/4 for graphite.

My Adams 5 is 39...you get the idea

Getting the Pi5's for $120 is a good deal, my BNL just paid $250 for a slightly used set at Edwin watts.

If you really want to pursue this crazy game, you owe it to yourself to get properly sized clubs...you would be better off with Wal-mart clubs that fit, than a set like yours that is way to long.

Buy your wife something, and then get your grips and clubs cut down. This always works for me...LOL

You can save $$$$ by doing your grips yourself, I have done plenty and it's really easy to do.

[buckyreal]

ebay does have it's disadvantages... in a shop the grips and the extra long clubs would have make me keep looking.

I think I am going to have them customized! They have to adjust the lie angle as well as the length right?

Tell me more about re-gripping? Can you point me to some tutorials/background on-line? Is there a trick to lining up the little alignment hash with the clubhead?

EDIT... I found the re-gripping thread :)!

My Woods and Wedges (minus the PW) are good to go... but having the grips all match would be... um... neat.

Carpet knife and some elmers glue?

[rudygu]

Carpet knife and some elmers glue?

A carpet knife is fine for cutting your old grips off. You don't need glue for the new grips. Use grip tape from a golf shop (double sided masking tape) and grip solvent. I use odorless mineral spirits from a hardware store as solvent, but it is flammable - be careful if you use it. You can buy non-flammable solvent from a golf shop, but it is pretty pricy.

Wrap the end of the shaft (the length of the new grip) with the grip tape. Then lube the inside of the new grip, as well as the grip tape on the shaft, with the solvent - make sure it is well coated. Slide the new grip down the shaft without pausing...if you stop, it can get stuck. Once you have slid it all the way down, you can adjust it to make sure it is aligned the way you want until the solvent dries. Here is a link to a step-by-step guide: http://www.golfsmith.com/display_pag...stration5&ln;=N And here is one to a video demonstration: http://www.golfsmith.com/cm/display_...77d11a4f1480fc

[cpht]

In my latest golfworks catalog, they say they'll assemble any club for an additional $10. That almost doubles the cost of the clubs you're looking for. They have clubpaks which include the clubhead, grips, shafts, and ferrules reasonable priced, but for the money I'd rather try ebay again.

You really should get fit, but I understand the financial burden. You might want to look for an iron set that says 1/2" short or even 1 degree flat. The cheaper, customized iron sets usually go cheaper than standard sets. I'm not saying shorter clubs or a flatter lie are right for you (only a fitting could), I'm just saying that the clubs usually sell cheaper on ebay.