Pre- Sand Trap vs Post- Sand Trap

[mlf16507]

What clubs did you game before you joined The Sand Trap and what clubs do game now? How much did this cost you? Do you think if you used some of that money for lessons,would your hanicap would be lower than what it is now?

Thanks for the replies.

[tws1098]

This is an interesting topic, as many on this forum have talked up Mizuno (which I love) and I probably wouldnt have noticed had I not joined. On the flip side, some of the negative talk about products have spurred me to check them out or avoid them all together. Once I have a full time teaching job i will be using much of what I learned here to help me make the bag I really want.  To answer the other question, no, lessons would not have helped me more than my purchases because my whole bag including the bag cost me under $300 and I need it to play.  Before I build the bag I want, however, I will be looking into more lessons.

[kpaulhus]

lol...before I joined I had one of those, all in one golf sets from Sports Authority. I have dropped quite a bit of cash since joining the site. $1300 on Irons and a Driver in just the last 4 months.

[Mr. Desmond]

Long answer. Don't think it's a simple one. Golf Clubs v. Golf Lessons. Chicken v. Egg.

Ya know, I can't blame spending $$$ for equipment on a golf forum. I blame myself. I praise golf forums. One must know how to learn from a golf forum and know how to use them.

Golf forums are part of the journey.

1. Use the forums as an educational tool - to learn about golf clubs or sources from which to learn

2. Use the forums to learn about different methods of swinging the club - that will lead you to sources from which to learn

3. After you've gone through the educational process, be honest with yourself and purchase equipment that fits your level of play (Let go of the ego and be humble).

Most Important Rule: One doesn't need new or the most exotic clubs to play the game. There is no magic wand. Different clubs fit different golfers.

To answer your question, after 2 years off from the game , I bought used Ping iSi Irons that came with Ping wedges, already had custom putter and was a decent putter, and kept my driver that was fitted with my old swing. I had an old  5 wood from my previous life and some hybrids. (Clubs were $900, Putter was $500 (Edel custom) It was time for lessons.

I went back to golf forums, again found The Golfing Machine method and its instruction and videos. I had problems swaying, getting off the back foot -- then I saw some Foley stuff, tried it on the range and course, did some reading, it seemed like S&T, then I came here, was influenced and bought the Stack and Tilt Book.

After working on the game and my swing, I was also fitted for irons, fairways, and wedges, and shafts that fit my game instead of my ego.  I spent some money -- and I won't be buying anything other than wedges or a driver for several years. Why? Because I like  wedges. ( Cost of Bag - driver, 2 fairways, 2 hybrids, irons, putter, wedges ($2700). As to value, I haven't looked at another putter in over 2 years -- by having a putter that was fitted, I think I've saved over $1500k. By having irons that were fitted, I haven't looked at those either, and have probably saved over $2000, By having hybrids that are fitted, I've saved another $1k (I was a hybrid ho).  By savings, I know that I would have kept on spending and spending if I had just continued to buy at retail stores instead of a custom fit specialist.

Moral of Story - Starting out, I'd buy good, used equipment that fits your level of game and get it fit for length and lie, stick with that equipment,  take lessons, then afterwards, get fully custom fitted with clubs you'll want to keep, and go have fun. I think you'll spend less money this way.

Of course, that goes against the grain of most forums -- to keep clubs -- but that's for another topic. For some, buying clubs is their hobby or the search for the magic wand. At least, that was once my excuse. No longer.

After you get your clubs, keep on educating yourself about hitting that ball consistently well and practice that short game.

Good luck.

[xxsoultonesxx]

Well I have spent a healthy chunk of change on golf equipment since I learned how to play in the summer of 08. When I first started posting in this forum I was playing a set of Callaway X18R irons, a Taylor Made Tour Burner driver, a Nike Dymo2 4 wood and SQ hybrid with Nike SV tour wedges and a cheap dunlop putter. Nothing wrong with that set at all. Since then I've been fitted for iron and driver shafts, toyed with a few different putters, drivers, irons, hybrids, etc. So about ~$2500 later I have a set of clubs that are at least fitted for me. But I will likely get myself a new set of wedges and a 23* hybrid before I think the bag is "done". (For now)

[TaylorMadeTaylor]

I used to carry, you guessed it, a bag of TM clubs.

I had a:

-TM R7 quad 10.5* Regular

-TM V-steel 3-wood w/ R300

-TM coin forged TP combo Iron set (CB and MB) 3-PW

-TM rac black wedge 56*

-TM rossa daytona 1 blade putter

Was a nice set of clubs. I'd game them today. The Irons were probably too much to handle of me at the time but I think they tought me how to be a better ball striker. They cost me around $1000 all used

Before that I had some "Acuity" junior dicks clubs, which all had very whippy graphite shafts (even on the putter, lol.). Cost my grandmother about $200

Before that, I had an even smaller junior set, which I can vaguely remember as I was 5 at the time. Cost my dad probably $50

Before that. I had peanuts plastic clubs Don't remember them (I was 2) but I have seen the pictures. Cost my mom probably $10 at wal-mart.

Would I be better if I spent the money on lessons? I don't know. When my dad tought me how to golf he was off of scratch, so I guess his "lessons" were pretty good, good enough.

[mihi4]

Ok, here we go:

My first set was the classic Wal-Mart type starterset, driver, 3 and 5 wood, putter and 3-SW irons, graphite shaft, blabla. Cost about 150,-

Worked great when I started, but one time I got to test a friend's W/S Pi5 irons and was hooked. The steel shaft helped me to keep my swing steady, I was too handsy with the graphite shafts.

Cost $230,-

Once I managed to hit my driver better, I got a cheap driver (Mizuno MX-500) for about 120,-

And after reading Pelz' ShortgameBible decided to get a wedge set and got 3 MD Superstrong wedges - most helpful purchase up2date for me.

Played the Pi5 until last October, since I wanted to get a forged set - after reading here and at golfwrx ;) (But of course, the Pi5s were quite used now, since I really play a lot).

Got my KZG CavityBack last fall off the bay, new for 230,-

I always wanted to add some blades the CBacks, and I got a set of used MP-33 for EUR 99,-.

After trying out the MP-33 only the i4 and i5 of the KZG stayed in the bag, I hit the MP33 as well as the cavity backs.

My last addition on the club side is a Mizuno MX700 3wood - which is about 8000x easier to hit than my starter set one, which was horrible.

So, in conclusion - if I never heard of the trap or golfwrx, I would still use my Pi5, I guess *gg*

But I spent about EUR 500,- each of the last 2 years on rangeballs, so I'm using quite more money and time on practice than on my equipment...

greetings

michi