Back from a loooooong hiatus. Re-evaluating clubs...

[pond prowler]

Hey gang,

Now that I'm finished playing college soccer and getting back to golf after ~8 years (giving it up competitively just after the start of high school for soccer), I've started picking up the game again.  Shot 78 yesterday and 77 last week at a relatively short course (6400 yards).

I've got some equipment that was fairly "to date" at the time (keep in mind I purchased most of it used then):

Driver : Titleist 975D, 10.5*, Ultralite50 S flex

Woods : Titleist 975F 12.5* and 18.5* S flexes

Irons : 3-PW Cleveland TA3 S Flex

Wedges : Cleveland CG15 56* (new Christmas gift) and Reg.588 60*

Putter : Scotty Pro Platinum Newport

Ball : ProV1

I was a fairly consistent 70's to low 80's player and worked at a driving range through high school which at least kept me competitive (during high school) with my friends that went the golf route.  Getting back into things, I've found that the swing is still there for the most part, but the sweet spot is a little harder to find with the irons.  The short game has been the biggest need for improvement (as expected since I'm still developing feel) but I'm certainly happy with the clubs I've got in this department.

My biggest questions are about (1) driver (2) irons, and (3) utility clubs/woods.

(1) I love the 975D, but am wondering if I'm passing up on forgiveness for power with this club.  The thing looks TINY compared to my friends' gigantic drivers, but I've tried many types of the larger drivers and don't achieve nearly the distance from trying them out.  It feels like these bigger headed drivers create a lot more lag in the shaft than I'm used to and seem a lot slower club-head-speed wise...  I've tried both my friends' clubs and those at retailers (although without enough effort to prove conclusive).  Furthermore, the extra lag seems to jeopardize accuracy. Is there a "new" club head or shaft combination I should be looking at? I don't won't to be THAT guy who swears by old technology if it's not the best (been there done that with my Dad's old persimmons)...

(2) The irons have been well loved/used over the years.  The wear patterns on the faces are extremely visible due to rust on the forged clubs.  I still hit my 9h ~150 yards and my 5h ~200 yards, but accuracy is much more of an issue these days.  Block to the right or hook to the left are my typical misses with all of my clubs. Should I stick with these clubs that will provide me with instant feedback that I'm hitting the sweet spot on plane and try to develop my game around them or find more forgiving clubs?   Are worn grooves something to be concerned about?

(3) I have a ~2/3 wood (12.5*, S Flex) that I can no longer hit with much consistency and a 5 wood that I'm happy with at the moment.  I'd like to replace my 3h with something else as I'll either hit a 5 wood or draw a hard 4h. What's a decent set of woods/ hybrids that I should at least try?  I think this is a potentially BIG improvement area for my game.

And I'm pretty sure my grips would be deemed illegal in competitive play as they are the same ones from ~10 years ago and pretty much a mold of my grip-  which was nice each time I periodically played to keep the same decent grip, but will be replaced shortly.  I can replace them on my own...

Any advice, comments, or suggestions are greatly appreciated as I begin this addiction again!   THANKS!!!

[wmiller]

The 975s were one of my favorite drivers in it's day. Today, I play a 909D3 which is huge in comparison to the 975, but slightly smaller than the 460cc monsters. It is also considerably more forgiving than the 975, yet still workable. They are a year old now, so you can get them for a reasonable price.

My irons are 16 years old, Titleist DCI blacks, that have been restored. Iron tech hasn't progressed as far as driver tech has. I tend to play older irons and putters, but newer woods.

Can't speak to the hybrids, don't use 'em yet. I've tried them, just can't keep the ball below low earth orbit when using one. I do use a 5w that replaces my 2 iron though. Love it.

[pond prowler]

Thanks for the feedback.  I'll take a good look at the 909D3.  Sweet irons btw.

[delav]

To the OP:

I was in a similar boat several years ago as you are now.  I stopped playing during undergraduate, and picked the game back up 2 years ago with a bag very similar to yours (Titleist 975D, 975F, DCI 962 irons, pro platinum putter, etc).

I don't care for very large drivers either, and ended up really loving the TaylorMade R7 TP 425 driver from 2006/2007.  The size, shape and feel of the head is great; it's a very solid and balanced driver and can be found pretty cheap on eBay.  I'd also look at the Titleist 909 and 905 series drivers, and if you've got the $ the 910D3 is great.

Irons aren't worth losing sleep over, and there have been dozens of great sets in the last few years.  Take a look at any players cavity from Titleist, Mizuno, Callaway, or Bridgestone for a great value (particularly, AP2, MP57, X-Forged, J36, respectively).

The nice thing about the short product life cycle in golf is that last years top product is this years bargain.

[pond prowler]

Thanks for the info delav.  I'll definitely be looking at used clubs.  All the clubs I've purchased were pre-owned.  They're going to get used one way or another...

Thanks to you guys that buy this year's equipment and sell it off on Ebay two years later! Makes golf a little less expensive for the rest of us. jk