Just started playing again after years away from the game and need a lot of advice...wow! have things changed. (former competitive amateur)

[B of H]

Hello,

I just started playing again after about 9 years away from the game in any serious fashion.  I played competitively from 12 years old regionally and nationally and high school through junior college.  I've played about 15 rounds since 2003 and really could use some help getting up to speed again.  I'm a high ball, high spin player and when my timing is off I tend to flip the club at the bottom producing too much spin and hitting the ball high in the face.  I live in kansas city and play in plenty of wind on a regular basis.  (bad combo for sure)   swing speed is about 112 to 114 with driver on normal swings.

clubs:

Driver: Callaway x-tour 9.5 with nv65 stiff 45 inches

3-wood: old taylor made 13* DGs400

2-9: bridgestone tour premium cavity/blades DGs300

vokey 48, 54, 60

original cameron newport (ie just plain with no insert, gun metal black>rust)

1) hyrids: ?  Long irons are some of my favorite clubs and the 2-iron off the tee is my go to pressure shot.  It seems as if NOBODY carries them anymore.  I've tried a few hybrids and can't control them, I have a taylor made TP(fw) rescue mid (dgs400) 14* from 2005?and a adams pro 18* (nv85 stiff) from about 2006?.  They all seem to go too high and I can't knock them down like an iron at all.  (the rescue actually isn't too bad as far as trajectory but I kind of spray it for whatever reason and it's too strong lofted..it's really a short shafted 4 wood)  I hit my 2 iron about 230 fwiw.

I'm considering putting a DGx100 in the adams as it's too light as it is for me: would this be worth it or should I just buy something new?  I guess what i'm looking for is a 2-iron that is able to be hit out of light rough and goes a tiny bit higher with the ability to keep the trajectory down when needed.  What should I look at?

would carrying a real 2-iron and a 3-iron style hyrbid be odd?  i'd like to have a club to hit into par 5's from the rough and i'd rather not give up my 2-iron.

2) Vokey Spin milled: I currently have some old vokey 200 series wedges 48, 54, 60 and the faces are really worn with major rust/wear marks in the center of the 60* and the groove edges are kind rounded on all 3.  Should I just buy new spin milled ones?  I definately don't want any more spin than my current wedges (although the 60* doesn't get spin from the rough at all anymore)  Will the 'spin milled' spin more than the 200 series from 2000 or so?  Should I buy the CC model or the stock model?  I don't plan on any usga events at this point but what are most people doing as far as the new rule?

3) irons: love the look and feel of mine:  I need to either re-shaft them with x100's or buy new clubs.  The faces have some dings in the hitting area but they should be fine for a few years.  Do I re-shaft or get new irons with conforming grooves?  Is there any advantage to the new titleists or taylor made's etc... over irons that are 7+ years old?  (as far as players clubs go)

4) white belts...brief fad or here to stay?  how many people are actually wearing white belts and pants?  What's the deal with the little cut in the cuffs of pants?  why are golf pants not cotton anymore?  Military style hats: do people wear these on the course?...I like them but just curious about whether or not anyone actually wears them.

5) woods: I got the callaway a while back and i've never really bonded with it.  The shaft is too whippy/too much torque and I think it's a little too light.  My 3 wood is in major need of an upgrade, it's from the mid-90's or so.  What are the clubs too look at the don't have too low of a center of gravity?  what shafts best resemble Dynamic Golds as far as graphite goes?  (seems like nobody is offering steel shafts in 3 woods anymore)   What is the point of having a graphite shaft in a hybrid or fairway wood and not offering steel?  I don't get it.  are people using steel weighted graphite shafts or what?

other thoughts: $46 a dozen for pro v1x's?  wow, this sucks.  what is the deal with all the long and belly putters with younger players?, that doesn't look like golf to me.  the new shoes I bought have better traction than any metal spikes i've ever owned, it's like my left foot is anchored into the ground on down/thru swing which is amazing.  What the hell is a 'Stack and tilt' swing and why would anymore think that is a good idea?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by B of H

would carrying a real 2-iron and a 3-iron style hyrbid be odd?  i'd like to have a club to hit into par 5's from the rough and i'd rather not give up my 2-iron.

Sounds okay to me. Create the set that works for you.

Originally Posted by B of H

2) Vokey Spin milled: I currently have some old vokey 200 series wedges 48, 54, 60 and the faces are really worn with major rust/wear marks in the center of the 60* and the groove edges are kind rounded on all 3.  Should I just buy new spin milled ones?  I definately don't want any more spin than my current wedges (although the 60* doesn't get spin from the rough at all anymore)  Will the 'spin milled' spin more than the 200 series from 2000 or so?  Should I buy the CC model or the stock model?  I don't plan on any usga events at this point but what are most people doing as far as the new rule?

I think the larger (non-CC) spin milleds spun too much. I like the CC ones. Plus you may not be able to get the non-CC ones now as they shouldn't be selling them anymore...

Originally Posted by B of H

3) irons: love the look and feel of mine:  I need to either re-shaft them with x100's or buy new clubs.  The faces have some dings in the hitting area but they should be fine for a few years.  Do I re-shaft or get new irons with conforming grooves?  Is there any advantage to the new titleists or taylor made's etc... over irons that are 7+ years old?  (as far as players clubs go)

Not much. Irons are irons. Yours might already conform - the rule applied largely to wedges. A lot of the "better player" irons already had conforming grooves. Titleist's did, for example, for a number of years.

Originally Posted by B of H

4) white belts...brief fad or here to stay?  how many people are actually wearing white belts and pants?  What's the deal with the little cut in the cuffs of pants?  why are golf pants not cotton anymore?  Military style hats: do people wear these on the course?...I like them but just curious about whether or not anyone actually wears them.

I have one. I guess you need the waistline. Tiger wears 'em. Phil (sometimes unfortunately) does too. With a light colored shirt I think they can look okay. It's not a return to the 70s unless you add the ugly patterns and the bell bottoms. And the hair. ;-)

Originally Posted by B of H

what is the deal with all the long and belly putters with younger players?, that doesn't look like golf to me.

http://thesandtrap.com/forum/thread/6712/ban-belly-putters

Originally Posted by B of H

What the hell is a 'Stack and tilt' swing and why would anymore think that is a good idea?

No clue. I'm not sure what people could possibly be thinking there.

[B of H]

thanks for the response.

I just ordered a 910D3 and 910F with RIP 80 x flex's.  This whole launch monitor thing is crazy, I gained 10 or more yards and a much tighter dispersion pattern compared to my old driver (mostly due to the shaft being too light and weak).  I didn't realize how much backspin I put on the ball with the driver at all, 4k RPM's with the old one when I went after it, I knew I was hitting the ball hard but didn't realize the spin was costing me so much distance.

I tried a handful of hybrids and compared them to my 2-iron...no contest.  a few times I got too steep on them and hit them high on the face which lost 30 yards, I just can't hit the damn things at this point.

So I have a slight gut...no white belt? I've got the hair, was in a rock band for 4 years until this spring.

I guess i'll just go ahead and buy some new CC vokeys, can't hurt.