Club choices

[cisrael]

I am a seventeen year old who loves golf but does not know that much about clubs. I am a big guy and hit it a long way. I am about a 10 to 12 handicap. I really need help on what kind of irons i need. Do I need to get custom fit? Just a few answers would be greatly appreciated thanks.

[Stacey_E]

Let us know what you have in the bag, and I'm sure you will get plenty of responses on what you might want/need next.

[tim31x]

at a 10-12 handicap, go with a split cavity back or even a full cavity. you will start to drop strokes. depending on height, you may need custom fitted clubs(length extensions, lie angle adjustments, etc.). the best thing to do is to go to your local shop and get "suggestions", these are often free vs. the club fitting programs they run haha. i myself am 6'4" tall. i play stock length for right now, but i do believe i will get some extensions and a lie angle adjustment on my clubs. its all about feel.

[tjy355]

Ping G10...

[CJL]

IMHO it's always best to get fit. It definitely won't hurt your game

[denver_nuggs_15]

IMHO it's always best to get fit. It definitely won't hurt your game

Agreed. It won't hurt your game at all if you're properly fit. I've improved my iron game ever since I was fitted for irons. It's a really big help IMO.

When you say you're "a big guy," how big do you mean? There are simple charts that you can plug your physical attributes into to get a base fitting. If you tell us about your game and equipment, I'm sure we could help you a lot better. Do you work the ball, do you intend to work the ball, do you hit a high ball, low ball, natural shot (draw, fade, straight), swing speed or drive distance (shaft flex), are you a good ballstriker, are you planning on improving very rapidly, what do you play now? There are a host of questions that should be answered before you can decide which irons may fit you. It would help all of us out as well in giving recommendations.

[clearwaterms]

Irons generally fall into one of a few different types. Super Game Improvement (SGI), Game Improvement (GI), and Players Irons are just a few of those types. SGI clubs are generally reserved for high handicappers. They have a wide sole, High MOI, high ball flight shafts / etc. These traits generally give the club alot of forgiveness; and are designed to help developing players enjoy the game more by getting the ball up in the air and straight. Game Improvement irons (GI) are the next step past that. These still have some of the features of the SGI clubs, but also start to incorporate some traits that better players seek. Thinner top lines, thinner soles, less offset, etc. They still have some forgiveness on offcenter hits, but not as much as the SGI clubs. These irons are probably where you need to look. They will have more feel and allow you to work the ball. Players irons generally have little to no offset, and have almost no forgiveness. They present the players that can play them with great feel and workability. One thing to remember is that a handicap is only one measure of the type of iron you should be playing. an 18 handicap that averages 50 putts a game can probably play any iron he / she wants, because his limitation is in his putting not his iron play. Your needs and wants will help to determine exactly which type of club you need.

Irons can also be made out of several different types of material. Cast steel, forged steel, titanium are just a few of these types. The majority of irons fall into the first two catagories, with the vast majority being cast not forged. The difference has to do with how the club head is made. A cast club is made by pouring molten metal into a cast. A forged club is made from a piece of metal that is forged / formed into the shape of the iron. Forged irons are typically more expensive, and you will get a variety of answers on the benefits of forged vs. cast. Titanium, carbon fiber and other exotic materials are usually found on the SGI level clubs. THey are used to allow the club designer to use lighter materials to increase weight in key areas to obtain a specific objective.

so now that you are looking for a new set of irons, you should keep in mind several things. Budget, astetics, brand loyality, feel, playability will all factor into a players decision when they are selecting a club. If you are on a budget, consider used clubs. Golf clubs have a terrible residual value. This presents an excellent opportunity for people that are budget shoppers as technology rarely makes huge progress from one design to the next. You can often times buy new models of last year's clubs for 50-60% of the original MSRP. If you buy gently used sometimes that price can drop another full 10%. Right now most of the major manufactures are selling off their 2008 drivers for $200 brand new. This is nearly half what they cost last year. Astetics also plays a part when selecting a golf club. Several players will like certain things about a club. The thickness of the top line (the top of the hitting area on an iron) most accomplished players (you being a 12 handicap would fit into that relm) prefer a thinner top line. The paint pattern and cavity design will also attract or detract some players to a specific set of clubs. Brand loyality also plays a part. Some people really like a certain brand and will naturally pick that brand when they select their next set of clubs. like it or not, i have several friends that ONLY hit ping irons. The last two pieces feel and playability and simply mean, what do you like? Go out and hit a bunch of irons, observe the ball flight, look at the distance, do you like how it feels? These should be the most important parts of your game. Finally, remember that the clubs don't make the player. You can spend tens of thousands of dollars on golf clubs and still be a terrible golfer. You can also have a $3 putter and put like a tour pro.

Finally, getting fit will help alot. A good fitter will work with you to help determine what club fits your game. He can help select the shaft that is right for your swing, the head that matches your ball striking ability, and most importantly, he can set up the length and lie angles to ensure that the club fits your swing. As a person gets taller they will sometimes increase the distance of their wrist from the ground. So as a person gets taller they might need a longer club. Also, depending on how upright you are at address and at impact, you might need to have the angle that the hosel leaves the club head adjusted. This is called the lie angle. A club fitter will use what is called a lie board to assist with getting you fit correctly. Above all else, getting a proper fitting will ensure that your clubs are not hurting your game.

[cisrael]

Thanks for all the replies. I am about 6' 1" and 220 lbs. I do like to work the ball. I naturally hit a fade and I want to improve quickly. I currently play "bridges" an off brand iron like a calaway according to the store that I bought them from. They have a big cavity and sometimes that seems to make it hard in tight lies. I have calaway x series wedges, taylormade rosa putter, taylormade r7 driver, bridges 3 wood, and schlanzenger 5 wood. They are all extra stiff shafts. Any help would be greatly appriciated, thanks.

[denver_nuggs_15]

Thanks for all the replies. I am about 6' 1" and 220 lbs. I do like to work the ball. I naturally hit a fade and I want to improve quickly. I currently play "bridges" an off brand iron like a calaway according to the store that I bought them from. They have a big cavity and sometimes that seems to make it hard in tight lies. I have calaway x series wedges, taylormade rosa putter, taylormade r7 driver, bridges 3 wood, and schlanzenger 5 wood. They are all extra stiff shafts. Any help would be greatly appriciated, thanks.

6'1" would probably be .25" to .5" increase in length of shaft. It all depends on arm length and your own swing (and what feels comfortable for you). The lie angle of the club would probably need adjusting. Maybe a degree or two upright. It depends on you swing...upright, flat, etc. and your stance/posture. A good fitter should be able to help you more than we can without seeing a swing.

How good of a ballstriker are you? Chances are the "big cavity" was covering up your misses feel wise, so this may be hard to figure out. I would hit some player's cavity back irons. Cleveland CG 7 Tour, Titleist AP2, PING i10, Callaway X-20/22 Tour, and Mizuno MP52/57 just to name a few. There is also the used route. You could also find some of last year's gear new at a heavily discounted price at most places.

[cisrael]

I am a pretty good ball striker I seem to push or pull the ball sometimes but overall I strike it well

[elchene]

I am a pretty good ball striker I seem to push or pull the ball sometimes but overall I strike it well

If you strike the ball pretty consistently and like to work the ball, then definitely go for a player's iron. Try out a bunch of blades/player's cavities and then try to get fit for it.

[Blades4me]

I am a seventeen year old who loves golf but does not know that much about clubs. I am a big guy and hit it a long way. I am about a 10 to 12 handicap. I really need help on what kind of irons i need. Do I need to get custom fit? Just a few answers would be greatly appreciated thanks.

Here is my .02 cents---get a combo set of clubs (cb's 3-6 or 7 and mb's for the rest). If you don't like the 3i look for a Bridgestone Air Muscle. MacGregor VIP V-foil 1025's, Niki combo, Bridgestone had/has combo sets. Probably the best buys are going to be used clubs on the internet. Golfsmith and Golf Galaxy have used club sections; Golf Galaxy has better prices.