New equipment

[coffeediver]

My wife has given me permission to purchase new clubs this coming Monday. I am currently playing a beginner set I picked up new with bag for $100 about six years ago. The only additions I have made are a TaylorMade R7 draw driver and a TaylorMade putter.

I am having a tough time deciding on iron sets and have been using all the magazines online sites to help in ratings on equipment. In particular I have been looking at Golf Digest and their Hot List for 2007, 2008 and 2009. I have hit several of the clubs at still don't know what to choose.

Should I go off the retail peoples suggestion or stick with what the magazine rates as better? I am thinking of waiting till 3/20 and picking up the new Burner 09 irons.

Driver will either be Cleavland hibore xls, I have played with this well in a demo or the Ping G10. Fairway metals will be TM, PING or some other and Titleist wedges.

My swing speed as measured by the golf store was between 97mph and 103mph with driver.

Discuss...

[Dpricenator]

Goos luck finding what you want. I'm in no possition to suggest clubs, but i do love my XLS Driver.

[coffeediver]

  Dpricenator said:

Goos luck finding what you want. I'm in no possition to suggest clubs, but i do love my XLS Driver.

I did the Golf Galaxy online demo thing and got the XLS 12.5 draw driver and was pounding it 50 yards further than my R7 draw 10.5. I just could not get the wife to ok the purchase at that time as I was supposed to be moving to the Caribbean a over the winter. That has been put on hold so the clubs are a go.

Barry

[Dpricenator]

  coffeediver said:

I did the Golf Galaxy online demo thing and got the XLS 12.5 draw driver and was pounding it 50 yards further than my R7 draw 10.5. I just could not get the wife to ok the purchase at that time as I was supposed to be moving to the Caribbean a over the winter. That has been put on hold so the clubs are a go.

I'm not familiar with the online demo, but you were swinging and hitting a real club and ball right? How do you like the sound it makes?

[Wannabe Paper Tiger]

wow a 12.5 degree driver? Your backspin was ok? What's your price range? I would suggest checking out the callaways x-22s. Are you also going to be pick up a hybrid? Keep us updated!

[coffeediver]

I believe it was www.golfclubdemo.com , there used to be a link for it on Golf Galaxy and you could apply the rental price toward purchase with them. Did not mean online or computer generated.

When I asked my wife if I could get new clubs, I was thinking maybe keeping my driver and not spending more than $500 but then she said "it won't be over $2000, will it", I of course said "NO I am sure I can keep it around $1500 or so"

[Snake]

  coffeediver said:

When I asked my wife if I could get new clubs, I was thinking maybe keeping my driver and not spending more than $500 but then she said "it won't be over $2000, will it", I of course said "NO I am sure I can keep it around $1500 or so"

HA HA! Well played sir!

I wouldn't pay much attention to what the salesman says unless you know the guy personally. Sounds like you have already done your homework, so the best thing you can do is try as many irons as you can and get what feels/looks/plays best to you. But I will say check out Mizuno irons. MX 100s or 200s (forged) should work well for a 25 HCer.

[RocketSauce]

just do as much research as you can. out of all the clubs you listed i think you'd prolly be happy with any of them. are you thinking about the Cleveland Monster driver? that thing is a BEAST!!! LOUD, LONG and STRAIGHT!

[coffeediver]

  RocketSauce said:

just do as much research as you can. out of all the clubs you listed i think you'd prolly be happy with any of them. are you thinking about the Cleveland Monster driver? that thing is a BEAST!!! LOUD, LONG and STRAIGHT!

I was just kind of going off the ratings from Golf Digest and they did not rate the Monster as high as other drivers. So I had not considered it.

Barry

[RocketSauce]

  coffeediver said:

I was just kind of going off the ratings from Golf Digest and they did not rate the Monster as high as other drivers. So I had not considered it.

yeah, thats the thing about the Hot List. there are lots of clubs out there that are BETTER than whats on that list. you need to figure out which is best for YOU

[CosmosMpower]

09 Burner irons have been very well reviewed. At a 25 HC I'd get the most forgiving irons and driver you can get your hands out. For Mizuno that would be the MX100's or 950 hybrid set.

[coffeediver]

  CosmosMpower said:

09 Burner irons have been very well reviewed. At a 25 HC I'd get the most forgiving irons and driver you can get your hands out. For Mizuno that would be the MX100's or 950 hybrid set.

I am a fairly good ball striker so am not going with the super GI. My approach shots are not that bad and I loose most of my strokes up close to the green unless I just happen to hit one fat. I know the clubs I have are not good, lie angle is off several degress as my divots are really deep on the toe and shallow at the heel and I should be able to shave off a couple of points with clubs built to me. I usually shoot in the mid 90s but only play 5 or so rounds a year but this will be my first year doing a league.

Barry

[Wannabe Paper Tiger]

Barry Barry Barry... $1500 - thas awesome. I spent about $1000 on my clubs last year (new driver(a used tm tp tour burner), putter(scotty cameron studio select 1.5), irons (mp-67s) and the only thing I regret is not getting them fit properly. I only got them fit through minimal fitting - ss, launch monitor, checked lie angle/impact and no putter fitting. looking back I shoulda spent the extra 200-300 on getting fitted. there's a couple of decent "looking" fitters about an hour away from you....

http://www.fitforegolf.info/ffgproshop.html

and

http://www.dlancegolf.com/

but i just googled those... anyone wanna chime in with some recommends? Let's enable Barry in his quest for some beautiful clubs!

[Ian]

  coffeediver said:

When I asked my wife if I could get new clubs, I was thinking maybe keeping my driver and not spending more than $500 but then she said "it won't be over $2000, will it", I of course said "NO I am sure I can keep it around $1500 or so"

HAHA

Well done I have a relatively nice set whch cost me only 500$ you can get a GREAT set of clubs for 1500$ even paying retail price. When you demo them in the store (if your in the store) they generally just have you hitting into nets, so you cant see your ball flight. Ask to use hitting stickers or duct tape. And put it on the face of the club so you can see where you are hitting the ball. go with the club that feels best and you hit in the sweet spot more than the others. Good luck finding your clubs keep us updated.

[GDWindowpane]

demo, demo, demo...

Narrow your selections down by doing your research then get out and play with them. Once you think you have your set selected, demo them again and make sure.

Most pro shops in my area let you demo the sets for two days. Much better than hitting into a net. My shop used to charge $20 to demo clubs which could be applied to new club purchases. I demoed so often that they offered to quit charging me. I said no way, I work it like a layaway plan, everytime I demo a set, $20 goes on my "gift" card. When it's time to purchase the clubs I have a pretty good credit stored up. Wife sees a somewhat deflated cost for the clubs... Don't ask, don't tell...

[coffeediver]

I called this place http://www.dlancegolf.com/ and they had had a half off thier custom club fitting through yesterday, $300 to $150. I called and they agreed to give me the same deal so I am going in tomorrow for a custom fit. I may just get them to build me a custom set with components and not the name brand stuff and spend about the same as I would off the shelf. If not I can take thier info and get stuff off the shelf set close to these specs.

These guys website has good info in club fitting and shaft importance.

Barry

[Wannabe Paper Tiger]

awesome... let us know how it goes!

[coffeediver]

Ok, so I went today for a 3 hour custom fitting session at D'Lance Golf http://www.dlancegolf.com/ that they gave me at a half price off their normal $300.

Their suggestions after putting me trough the paces with their True Temper Shaft Lab was that I need clubs that are 1.5 inches longer than the beginner set that I had and I need x-stiff shaft because of the swing profile and the amount that I bend the club on my swing. I am a big guy 6 foot 350lbs.

They are going to build me a set using the TM R7 club head I had for my driver with a new shaft and the irons will be 5-9 AW GW SW using forged heads all with added weight for my size. They will also build a 3 and 5 fairway and also add some weight to my putter and a larger grip. Since I am going to the Caribbean in 3 weeks, I won't get them until I get back on the 20th of April. And after playing for a while we will decide together whether to add a 7W, hybid or 4 iron.

All for $1648 including tax but excluding the $150 and the club that will be added later.


Barry