Older newbie needs your iron opinions!

[zehnmm]

Hello everyone! Older guy here who started playing golf last summer. Bought 10 year old used Cobra cavity backed clubs (graphite, regular shaft, standard length and lie) off of Ebay to get started and now I should like to hear what you think about some new irons for me.

As a matter of background, I shoot embarrasingly high scores, probably a 40+ handicap. I have been taking lessons and my teaching pro says to check in to getting some clubs fitted. Right now, I hit a driver about 175 - 200 yards. Iron shots are an adventure! Went in to a Golfsmith and talked to a fitting pro who suggested that because of my height and wrist-to-floor measure (I'm 6'2", 37" wrist-to-floor) a longer length iron is highly suggested, such as 1/2". Lie angle to be determined, probably 2 up or 3 up. I have gone through the various online charts like the one for Ping and also Callaway... Both my teacher and my low-handicap friends say I am crouching down too much, out of posture, and then coming back to posture and hitting bad, thin, shots more than I should. Plus my back hurts.

I really have learned a lot from cruising these forums and would value your thoughts on some different clubs. Before I take the plunge, I have spent countless hours searching forums, reading magazine articles, and talking to folks.

Hence: I am contemplating getting some new "game improvement" irons, probably 5-9, PW, SW. So far, I have narrowed my choices to:

Callaway Big Bertha 08 new
Callaway Big Bertha 06 (used from Callaway used site)
Ping G10 new
King Cobra S9 new

What do you think?

Thanks very much for sharing your thoughts!

Regards,

Steve

[mikelz]

... I have gone through the various online charts like the one for Ping and also Callaway... Both my teacher and my low-handicap friends say I am crouching down too much, out of posture, and then coming back to posture and hitting bad, thin, shots more than I should. Plus my back hurts.

Good luck on the clubs. In the price range you mentioned, the clubs are all good.

Just a note: I used to try to sneak up on the ball like you describe. Stand up to the ball and hit the little f###er.

[Left Is Right]

Callaway is big on game improvement so you can't go wrong there, so the 08 big berthas from Callaway are probably right for you

But I can't stress this enough, Demo all the clubs you can before choosing one it may be that you don't like the Callaways and you prefer Ping BUT DEMO BEFORE YOU BUY!

[glebert]

I would think you would definitely need a longer iron. I am just a touch shorter than you, but have a 34" WTF, and I can play regular length. Even that can feel a little short.

Have you considered experimenting with your current irons, put an extension in 1 or 2 clubs and then see how you like them? I'd put in a longer extension than you think you need so you can choke down a little to experiment with different lengths. Since you have graphite shafts you can probably live with a longer club than if you had steel shafts, because they are lighter (I could be wrong on this).

BTW, extending clubs is pretty cheap, around here it is about $7 a club plus the cost of the grip.

[zehnmm]

I would think you would definitely need a longer iron. I am just a touch shorter than you, but have a 34" WTF, and I can play regular length. Even that can feel a little short.

Great idea! I will look into that!

Thanks!

[zehnmm]

Callaway is big on game improvement so you can't go wrong there, so the 08 big berthas from Callaway are probably right for you

Thanks for the suggestion! So far I have demo'd the Callaway BB06 and the Ping G10 both on two different days. Have not tried the Cobra S9 yet. Both the BB06 and the G10 were standard length, steel shafts,. Hit the BB06 about the same as the G10, but both were standard length.

Again, thanks!

[bobbydacron]

I, too, am an older newbie. At the end of last year I bought a set of Orlimar hybrid irons and it helped my game immensely - basically it just made me look semi-respectable. I love the game but I'm not sure it loves me back. That's why I went for the most forgiving clubs out there. Good Luck mate!

Cheers

Bobbydacron

[Dave24309]

How did the Callaway or Pings feel relative to your current irons? Are you comfortable with your current swing?

There is one school of thought that you shouldn't fit clubs to a problematic swing. Get comfortable with a repeatable swing and then get fitted. It sounds like you are open to advice -- what are the fitters telling you?

You are going about it the right way, though. Good luck!

[PuterPutter]

I too am a older golfer.

After a 17+ year lay off I got back into the game last year.

I bought a set of Big Bertha 2004 irons and hit them great. Then
the "ho" bug got me. I bought a set of Big bertha 2006 and a
set of Big Bertha 2008 irons. Right now I play the 2008 irons and
really like the results. I am still trying to get some of my old swing
back, but I hit the Big Berthas high and straight. The big head does
not bother me. The "I-brid's" in the the 4 and 5 iron takes some getting
used to.

The clubs I hit before I took the lay off were Ping Eye 2.

I have not hit the G-10 irons, but am a big ping fan.

[CG031]

I really like my Taylor Made RAC OS.

[zehnmm]

How did the Callaway or Pings feel relative to your current irons? Are you comfortable with your current swing?

Hi Dave.

Both Callaway and Ping demo clubs hit and felt better than my current 10+ year old Cobra cavity back clubs that I got off of Ebay. Maybe slight edge to Callaway. My next lesson from a local golf pro is Tuesday. Will learn more! Yea! If my plans work out ok, will go to a Golfsmith in a few weeks. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts! Regards, Steve

[zehnmm]

Hello! Thanks to all who posted to share their expertise.

An update: I bought a used Callaway Big Bertha 2004 6 iron, 2 up, +1/2" longer for $38 including $10 shipping. Went out to the range and hit a very much larger percentage of shots than before. For me, that was a red letter day in golf.

In another red letter day, my wife and I had our first lessons since last summer, yesterday, from the new pro at a nearby course. Great teacher! Great lesson! He figured, given my wrist to floor of 37" and watching me hit, that even +1.0" might be in order. For the next lesson, he said we will get a Cobra S9 demo club and use some tape to make some judgments about the lie angle. So far, the +2" seems to work pretty good.

After we zero in on this, I can then go on ahead and make some choices. One is to continue on the Callaway used lineup, where I could trade the 6 iron back in, if I wish.

As for my older clubs, as it turned out, they were exactly the same Cobra clubs the pro used about 8 years ago. But, they are in average condition, at best and I will look around to some of the area high school golf teachers and see if they could use them for kids who cannot afford to get clubs. I might get a whopping $50 for them as a trade --- and I would rather give them to a needy young man just starting out.

Again, thanks! As I proceed more, will share.

Regards,

Steve