Top-Flite clubs any good

[Lundy76]

As the title says, last year i played with my grandpa's old clubs which were really old, the woods were wood lol, but i want to get a new set this summer and i found the top-flite set for 199 and it looks like a good deal to me. So i guess i just wanted to see what other people think about the clubs and how they perform.

[uttexas]

They are not stellar, but it's not the arrow, it's the archer. I have a TopFlite 56 degree sandwedge. It doen't have the greatest bite in the world, but it is fine.

[squaddie]

As the title says, last year i played with my grandpa's old clubs which were really old, the woods were wood lol, but i want to get a new set this summer and i found the top-flite set for 199 and it looks like a good deal to me. So i guess i just wanted to see what other people think about the clubs and how they perform.

Which Top Flite set were you looking into? My first set I bought last year was a Top Flite XL 15-piece starter set, also for $199 with free shipping. I don't think the Top Flite XL set is good for beginners. All the shafts except the driver are steel shafts, which are not good for slower-swinging players. The driver is not that great, the head very easy to dent, which I succeeded on doing with a mishit (though I dented the side behind the face). The fairway wood is also not that great and not in the style of the newer fairways that have more weight distributed closer to the ground. The loft of the driver and wood are not great for beginners. The driver is 10.5 and slow-swingers may benefit from a higher-loft such as 13*. The cavity-back irons in the set are good, but again, steel shafts. I also like the feel of the putter, though they don't provide a headcover with it. I plan to donate the set for a tax write-off this year, but will keep the putter (will switch it out with another putter). I think there are better starter sets out there. Perhaps go get your swing-speed checked at a golf store or local Pro shop, find out the proper club specifications (shaft), then find a cheap, used graphite-shafted set on ebay that meets your specifications. If you find you like the game then you can look into buying a better set.

[Lundy76]

Well i played on a golf simulator and my swing speed was around 100 i dont know if thats low or high so idk, i have been using steel irons and woods since i started playing last year lol, i was using a very old set of wilson staff dyna-power something or anothers

[squaddie]

100 mph is much faster than average. But I think you can do better than the Top Flite XL set, if you already have experience with stiffer shafts.

[riverc0il]

Which Top Flite set were you looking into? My first set I bought last year was a Top Flite XL 15-piece starter set, also for $199 with free shipping. I don't think the Top Flite XL set is good for beginners. All the shafts except the driver are steel shafts, which are not good for slower-swinging players. The driver is not that great, the head very easy to dent, which I succeeded on doing with a mishit (though I dented the side behind the face). The fairway wood is also not that great and not in the style of the newer fairways that have more weight distributed closer to the ground. The loft of the driver and wood are not great for beginners. The driver is 10.5 and slow-swingers may benefit from a higher-loft such as 13*. The cavity-back irons in the set are good, but again, steel shafts. I also like the feel of the putter, though they don't provide a headcover with it. I plan to donate the set for a tax write-off this year, but will keep the putter (will switch it out with another putter). I think there are better starter sets out there. Perhaps go get your swing-speed checked at a golf store or local Pro shop, find out the proper club specifications (shaft), then find a cheap, used graphite-shafted set on ebay that meets your specifications. If you find you like the game then you can look into buying a better set.

Good assessment of the XL set though I disagree that it is not a good set for beginners. It is a decent value for someone that needs everything to get started and has no clue about golf equipment (like myself a year ago) and does not have the time to invest in extensively researching which equipment to pick up on eBay on the cheap.

Agree about the quality of the wood heads. My driver has a few dents (not just from bad swings, though the sky mark is definitely mine) and the 3W shaft broke at the hosel sending the head further than the ball at the range. The 4H head bent at the hosel at well, that may have been poor packing in the car though. I really like the irons and I see no reason why the set shouldn't be steel. Most beginners use steel and graphite would make it a cost prohibitive beginner set. More loft in the driver and 3W even would have been helpful... but I understand they have to market the set and beginners like myself quickly noticed that 10.5 is the highest loft of many drivers... so conclusions get drawn whether or not they are correct. I don't this set would sell well with a higher lofted driver. Finally, the bag works. Tough the stand contraption doesn't work well after less than one season. For what it is, it gets the job done and serves its purpose for two hundred. The irons are solid, the putter is good, and I have enjoyed the hybrids though am disappointed one is bent (could have been my error, maybe not, who knows). I wouldn't recommend this product for any one except the first time golfer who is unsure if they will want to keep playing and just wants to try it without doing extensive equipment research and trying to figure out the second hand market. Still need to buy a sand wedge with this set though. I think the 5000 includes a SW. Not recommended for anyone with any experience as I am quickly upgrading my set to better fit my swing and to sets with better quality components.

[Lundy76]

alright sounds like you guys have had some decent but bad experiences with these, any recommendations. I just really need a newer set of clubs that i can build on it the future, i've looked on ebay and they sell for under 100 new, would it be worth it for me to get these and replace clubs as needed?

[riverc0il]

alright sounds like you guys have had some decent but bad experiences with these, any recommendations. I just really need a newer set of clubs that i can build on it the future, i've looked on ebay and they sell for under 100 new, would it be worth it for me to get these and replace clubs as needed?

If you are picking up the game and have no equipment, $100 for this set is a no brainer good. You'll be better off in the long run starting with something better. But if you are just picking golf up like I was a year ago, you will likely not know what is better and what is "best for you" until you start playing.

[squaddie]

Good assessment of the XL set though I disagree that it is not a good set for beginners. It is a decent value for someone that needs everything to get started and has no clue about golf equipment (like myself a year ago) and does not have the time to invest in extensively researching which equipment to pick up on eBay on the cheap.

I agree, the stand bag is OK, and I do like the irons, as they were my favorite part of the set (along with the putter). The reason I don't think steel is good for beginners is if the new golfer in question could have a slow swing speed (under 80mph) so the heavier and stiffer shafts would not be appropriate. If the beginner has 90mph or higher swing speed already then the irons would be OK.

[right handed phil mickelson]

i suggest you try and get the Nike OSS Slingshot irons. They aren't that much, and are very very very forgivable. even if they have steel shafts, they do not need to be swung hard to be hit good. I hit mine almost as far when im swinging 90- mph than when im swinging 98+

[ryohazuki222]

When it comes to these it all depends what you want. Bottom line is these sets aren't built to last. It depends a lot on use and the user, but it IS a cheaper set with cheaper materials.

I went a similar route with different clubs. I bought a box set to get me started. Learned more, decided I WILL stick with the game. Then invested in some real clubs. I don't have ANY regrets.

If you're on a budget and get get it for $100, I'd say it's a no brainer. You can easily sell em on craigslist or something for $20-$50 if/when you don't like them. And the sooner you have clubs, the sooner you can use them!

[Lundy76]

alright sounds good you guys, all things considered i have a decent set of irons, their old but they do the job, what i really need is a new bag and woods but since these are so expensive i was looking at whole sets, any recomendations on how i could spend less than 150 on these 3-4 items

[riverc0il]

Rock Bottom Golf usually sells multi-sets of fairway woods or 1/3/5 combos. And you can also find some good deals on eBay. Will those heads and shafts meet your swing needs is a different story, but you can get fairway combos on the cheap brand new at those two locations for $100-150. Personally, if I had to do my first year over again, I never would have tried to hit my driver instead of making it the first club I tried to upgrade. So I would recommend going with a 3/5 fairway wood set and the bag and that is easily under $150 at RBG or eBay. You might even be able to swing a 3/5/7 set and a bag for $150 if you are patient and look around. Bottom line is it could easily be done in your price range new and definitely even more doable used.

[golfer100]

I am a beginner. I have tried Diablo, Burner and a few other brand name demos on the range. I can hit the top flite as far as any. I hit 270-280 with any driver. I do have to adjust the club face tilt and position w.r.t. the ball on Top Flite to get it going straight. The key is to make a mental memory of the ball and driver tilt and axis line and keep the same swing. Then, keep adjusting the club face or the tilt after watching the ball flight. The best swing for you is what you can repeat without thinking about it and needless to say, a swing that doesn't hurt you i.e. most comfortable. You don't have to look like Tiger Woods while swinging. I have seen too many would be good players trying to look pretty with the swing and ruin their game. Remember, driving requires brute force, pretty doesn't cut it. Start with thinking that you are clubbing a robber. Repeat and adjust. It may take 200 drives or more but you will get it right. Use a masking tape or an impact tape too. It will help you see where you hit. Get an elastic/bungee trainer($14) from walmart. It is great for building the muscles. You only need to spend about 15 minutes a day on and it will get you more distance than any TaylorMade or Callaway can ever give.

[jonnythan]

For people on a tight budget, I really recommend discount/clone clubs or newer used clubs. You can get a high quality full set of irons, a hybrid, and a 3 wood with premium Grafalloy shaft from Gigagolf for under $250. Add a driver later.

[Hacker James]

I just gave my set of Top Flight XL to my grandson. I used them and found them OKAY. Good value for the money. No problems as described above, no dents, e.t.c.  I liked the feel of the irons, the driver and fairway woods, not bad, just sort of "ordinary". In any event, you get a set including stand bag and putter.  The graphics are decent also. Took my grandson to the range, and after giving him a little bit of instruction, in no time at all, he was hitting them out there pretty well. Surely, he had a scattering of some wild shots, but he also was able to hit some decent draws once I showed him how. (actually, he seemed to do it easier than I do). I did not press him, but just let him sort of find his way and would only point out some obvious things for him to work on, but mostly let him have fun.

[Buckeyebowman]

Well said Guest and Hacker! And, as someone said earlier in this thread, "It's the archer"!

My first set of clubs, when I was about 12 or 13, was a set of Sam Snead "Blue Ridge" that didn't even come out of a golf store. They were sold at Woolworth's or Sears or some place. As I recall, the irons were swingweighted at about D-27! Real sledgehammers!

But, I learned to play golf with them. As I began to learn more about the game and the equipment involved, I was in a better position to make more informed choices. The fancy stuff can come later. Just take care of the basics and get started.

[Jackal66]

I have a set of Top Flite Tour Titanium irons.

These are Pro clubs like Payne Stewart played.

They dont, and never did sell these at Walmart.

I hit them every now and then. 

Great clubs.