Shaft problems...

[octabogey]

Hey all-

I have been in the market for a new set of irons as a graduation present to myself. Yesterday, it turned out my time table got moved up a bit as I broke my 6 iron in half on the 9th hole! It wasn't a particularly fat shot, in fact if anything it was thin. The shaft broke in the upper 1/3rd of the club. I'm thinking its probably because they're POS walter hagens, but I'm also thinking I might need to upgrade to a stiff shaft. According to all the various tables for determining this stuff, I'm right on the line. I can usually hit my 6 and sometimes my 7 150 yds. My drives usually are spot on 250 depending on my contact. I am a lefty, and consistently have some right to left movement/slice in my ball flight, any chance this could be due to a weak shaft? There is definately some work to be done on my swing, but sometimes I feel like I'm swinging a wet noodle (especially with my driver). I also seem to have a big gap in my irons. PW 9 and 8 all go between 90-110 yds, and then my 7 is usually 140, again I think this may be due to the quality(lack of) of my clubs.

Any thoughts? I am going to get fitted and all that, but wanted to get some advice before I talk to someone selling something.

Also, any reccomendations on models? I'm trying to stick under 400 if I can, and I know there are plenty of good clubs in that price range. Does anyone have any experience with pinemeadowgolf.com's irons? They seem to get good reviews but I'm not trying to get another cheap set that will break in a year.

Thanks,

-Dave

[WUTiger]

Given how far you hit your 7 iron, you might try Callaway X20 irons. The used originals, or the new NG (new grooves) variant, should come in about $400. A popular model of iron, you should be able to find some left-handed sets.

The X20s are shafted with Uniflex, which is between regular and stiff. The irons are UGI and the heads get the ball up well, but the shafts are midkick and don't balloon the ball. Give them a try.

The shaft weights about 115 grams, so it's a bit lighter then the Dynamic Golf family.

Not all people like the Uniflex, but it's a decent general shaft.

I would suggest going with a name-brand model that's a  couple of years old. Component clubs can work, but they are of little value at trade-in time.

As for your 8-9-PW , make sure you're not overswinging on these. A crisper swing might increase square hits and your distance in the short irons.

By all means, get a basic static fitting when you look for irons. Make sure the lie angle and the shaft length match your height and stance.