New, with a few questions

[Fore Left]

I'm one of those  "Was good at one point,  but make too many mistakes to score well now"  type of players....     I started playing less and less because of things going on  (College etc)  and ultimately after college I played sporadically and in leagues etc, until finally hanging up the towel for 2 full seasons,  and then picking up the sticks at the end of the following season,  so basically I took 3 years off,  and now this season it's even more evident that I've been away from the game!

In my hey-day  I was a single-digit handicapper,  and now,  since I'm hitting good shots,  but far too inconsistently,  I find myself REALLY struggling to put together scores.

I'm not big on switching up equipment  (ordered my first new pair of shoes today,  and I had the previous pair for 17 years.... yep,  you read that correctly...   they came with metal spikes,  and I loved them,  so I had a cobbler re-size them once,  and to this day I wouldn't say they are  "worn out"  )

I don't carry any fairway woods/rescue clubs.    My clubs are the main point of concern I have right now,  because I think they're costing me strokes since my game has fallen off so badly   (and I've lost distance so I can't hit my 3 iron as far as I once did)

My equipment:

Great Big Bertha,   8 degree driver with an extra-stiff shaft w/ stiff tip.   (oversized grip,  as I have arthritis, and I actually prefer the feel)

Titleist  990B irons    I guess they're considered a "Blade"  style,  although they're not true blades like others I've seen,  but I know they're less forgiving than cavity backs.

Scotty Cameron pro-platinum putter   (A putter is a putter in my opinion.... all personal preference....  It's certainly an area of my game that requires constant work)

I just spent way too much money on shoes otherwise I was considering buying a used fairway wood and just  "figuring it out"   but I've never been very accurate or consistent with one.

On a recent round,  a friend,  who is a very high handicapper,  was hitting a newer driver   (they're all newer compared to mine)  and other than the times he would top it, or really push/pull it,   he was driving as far as me  (and I have a fairly high swing speed,  which is why I went to an 8 degree to begin with)  and a lot of times he was out-driving me by a pretty good amount.    I look at the new  "Tin can on a stick"  drivers out there,  and I'm thinking I need to be less of an angry codger and make the technological leap,  but just don't know where to begin....  I can't tell anything from hitting into a screen with a "simulator"  and even if I find a place to hit actual balls into a range etc,  I'd hate to make a purchase based on one outing, and I certainly don't think I need the "latest"  at this point,  since I'm 15 years behind the technology as it is,  so a used club would be great,  but finding something with an 8 or 8.5 degree loft,  and a firm enough flex shaft seems impossible to me..... where do I look?

I also realize from reading here,  that I should abandon plucking down the money on the Pro-V-1's until I improve,  but no other ball has that "feel"  off of the face of the club as those  (and I prefer the non-* ones too....  not sure what's the difference though)

Too much rambling....  I'll keep reading.

[TN94z]

Which clubs are you losing the most strokes with? If I were looking to go to the newer technology, I would just sit down and figure out which clubs were costing me the most strokes and start there.  I don't know that I would start with the driver necessarily, but that is just me.

[Fore Left]

Originally Posted by TN94z

Which clubs are you losing the most strokes with? If I were looking to go to the newer technology, I would just sit down and figure out which clubs were costing me the most strokes and start there.  I don't know that I would start with the driver necessarily, but that is just me.

I think it's mostly an inconsistency issue with pretty much all of them.   If playing golf is like riding a bike,  it's safe to say I'm  "Shaky" right now.

A couple of good shots,  and I three putt

A great drive,  and I pull the hell out of an iron,  or blade/hit fat the short pitch/approach/whatever.

My sand game is all over the place....

I can't seem to hit the same subtle draw with my irons that I once had,  and my driver has a slight fade even when I hit it as well as I can these days   (I had a nice slight draw, 'raising' trajectory with my driver before)

I hit all of my irons 10 yards shorter than I did when I played much more often,  but I'm hoping the distance comes back when I hit the ball more consistently.

[tristanhilton85]

You might want to consider a new driver... the new ones offer so much more forgiveness and it'll be easier to score from the fairway (or close to it) than not. If you were a single digit, the swing should come back around with some practice and I think you'll see the iron play improve. If you have problems with fairway woods you might want to consider a low lofted hybrid.

[Fore Left]

Originally Posted by tristanhilton85

You might want to consider a new driver... the new ones offer so much more forgiveness and it'll be easier to score from the fairway (or close to it) than not.

Checking out Ebay,  I see that used driver prices are all over the place...   I've had my current driver "forever"  and the one before that was a Big Bertha Steelhead,  and I had a a Callaway prior to that...  I've always liked the feel of them.

With that said,  is the Diablo Octane considered anything 'worthwhile' by most?   I see the used prices on them are very good.   I likely wouldn't buy anything from Ebay,  but I can keep my eye out at the local golf-shops for one I suppose.

Also,  I'd like a good shaft,  so I will probably keep my eye out for one with a nice shaft also,  but I don't know what the used club market looks like these days.