Should i change My Irons

[trackbikes]

I started playing Golf last year and bought a set of Cobra S3 Max irons with Graphite shafts.  I honestly thought that I would never get that much better at golf and that these irons would last me a few years.

Roll on a year and miracle of miracles i can play golf better than i ever hoped.  Over the past few weeks I have been starting to think that I've out grown my irons,

I tested a friends RBZ's and hit them 5-10 yards further, the same with a set of Razr XF's  but the main thing was i hit the ball much straigther and the seemed way more consistant.  The S3 max's also have a big offset.

If money was no object I'd get a set of Razr XF's today but at €1200 thats a conversation i don't want with my wife!

I did think while really nice the RBZ's did feel a lot less crisp... sooooooooo

1. Should i look at changing my clubs?

2. Any recommendations what to look at R11's Ping I20's  are about the price I can stretch to ..

[carpediem4300]

hmmmm tough one to call, if you can get to a club to be fitted for irons that is the best bet,....a set of $200 irons fitted will do so much more for you game than a $600 set off the shelves

[trackbikes]

I live in Spain and despite 70 golf courses nearby I have yet to find someone who can fit clubs or even does demo days

[carpediem4300]

hmm tricky one then.

will just be a case of hitting various clubs until you find the ones that you like/hit the best

if you like the rbz and hit them well, then go for it,....i would perhaps avoid ping i20's and go more towards G20's at 18 handicap,....but again, hit both and see what you think

as a general note regarding shafts, not knowing your age/swing speed etc makes it hard to give advise but reg flex steel is always a very good starting point, graphite ones are more senior orientated, or slow swing speed orientated,....but you may be a senior? i dont know :P

[Harmonious]

I agree that graphite shafts for your irons are generally a bad idea. Their resistance to torque is just to low, compared to steel, so the clubhead twists way too much.  That could be the major reason that the irons you tested fly straighter.

As you are still just starting out, I would not recommend spending a great amount of money on new irons, if there are reasonably priced used sets available to you.  Who knows, you may "outgrow" your next set or irons in another year.

[garybbq]

Just my opinion, but I would say it depends on how much you are going to work on your game? if you are going to practice / try and lower your handicap, I would buy the cheapest used set of steel regular flex irons you can find until you sort our your swing, then get fitted and buy the exact set you want. On the other hand if you are fine where you are i would invest the money now and buy a fitted set.

Again just my opinion, but I think you swing can still change more then you think if you are gong to put in the practice time.

[WUTiger]

Any chance you have friends elsewhere in Europe who play golf? See if they have clubfitters in their area.

I traveled to Germany and Italy often from 1999-2003, and it seemed course construction and resort development was growing in Germany and other points north of the Alps. I don't know if this has survived the economic downturn.

A quick look on the Internet yielded mostly online golf equipment dealers in Europe. And, I'm sure you want a face-to-face tryout and fitting. You might talk to the golf pro at a local course and see if he knows of any clubfitters in your area.