new guy here with a question on club sets

[champ198]

hello everyone. i am new to the forum here looking for some info and tips. i am wanting to stat playing Golf again. i have played in the past but have always had cheaper sets of clubs and kind of oddball stuff. the question i have is in your alls opinion do you think it would be better for me to start off with some box set of clubs or a name brand set such as Ping Taylormade, Callaway that i could buy used? i have looked at the Callaway Strata set and also have been looking on craigslist and some used name brand sets and the name brands are not a lot more than the new Callaway Strata Plus sets. another question i have is if i do go with a good set of name brand clubs such as Taylormade and so on would i be able to change the clubs as my game gets better and so on? i dont know if some brands you can change by a good fitter or not. i have played like i said in the past and had some decent clubs back then but have got rid of them so i have nothing now. just thought i would get some opinions from you all Thanks

[Jodastra]

I'd  still go package set, and then move up from there.Replacing clubs as needed, probably a  decent wedge set first.  I still take my knockoff set out once a year and am surprised how well they play...get good shoes and play balls you can afford to lose...

[Jeremie Boop]

Depending on your swing speed picking up a box set is definitely a good way to get everything you need to start again for a good price. It gets tougher if you have a fast swing and start looking for stiff flex or stronger. The local store here actually had some nice Adams full sets for around 260 on sale that had everything from driver to putter and a decent stand bag that I would have gotten instead of my Burner 2.0 plus irons had they had a stiff flex set.

[sealpuncher]

I used a box set for a couple months and it was great because I didn't have to worry about shopping around for specific clubs that I needed, I could just go out and play.  Once you start to be able to hit the ball consistently you're going to want to upgrade clubs as you go.  I started out buying new irons, then a putter, than wedges and finally a driver. It's easy to justify the cost if you are only buying one or two parts every once in awhile.

There's nothing wrong with the clubs in a box set but you will definitely see an improvement when you upgrade.

[champ198]

the club sets i was looking at was the Callaway Strata plus set for 300 at Golfsmith

its a compleate18 piece set for 300 which i thought was a pretty good set being made by Callaway so i didnt think that was too bad.

i also saw that Adams has the Tight lies set for about $200 more. would these be a better set vs the Strata set?  there looks to be the same ammount of clubs and so on but the thing i notice is with the adams set i could get a stiff flex which for a beginner i would think is best where as the Strata are a uniflex.

do you all have any opinions on these 2 sets? would the Adams set be $200 better?

[Meltdwhiskey]

I don't know if this is a suggestion or just telling you what I did - but when I first got started a couple of years ago, I got a set of slightly older Pings from the used section of PGA Superstore for $225 and couldn't be happier with them (craigslist should work just as well).  I had a putter already - but eventually upgraded.  Then pieced together a couple woods and a hybrid from the used section/ebay/cragslist for $25-$55 per club.

Considering how much it costs to have golf as a hobby - I felt like it wasn't much money.

[Lash]

I would check out craigslist and CallawayPreOwned.com

I got a great deal on Callaway and if you wait patiently they have a different sale every week. Right now they have pretty good discounts on a lot of clubs..and they have amazing customer service. Have a problem with a club and they will pay shipping to have it fixed while under the year warranty.

[champ198]

the adams tight lies set is $500 and i did find a set of Callaways Set comes with a hyperlite 4.0 stand bag, callaway diablo octane driver, callaway big bertha diablo 3 wood, callaway razr x 3 hybrid, callaway diablo edge 4-aw irons, and odyssey white hot 2 ball putter. and has some other odds and ends. i was thinking something like this would be a good deal to start with and as my game improved i could take theses clubs and have them fitted to me

[Lash]

Originally Posted by champ198

the adams tight lies set is $500 and i did find a set of Callaways Set comes with a hyperlite 4.0 stand bag, callaway diablo octane driver, callaway big bertha diablo 3 wood, callaway razr x 3 hybrid, callaway diablo edge 4-aw irons, and odyssey white hot 2 ball putter. and has some other odds and ends. i was thinking something like this would be a good deal to start with and as my game improved i could take theses clubs and have them fitted to me

How much is that Callaway set? Was that from craigslist?

[champ198]

yes that was from Craigslist. the guy has that compleat set with bag and some other stuff like some callaway balls, a pair of shoes (which wouldnt fit me) and some other odds and ends.

[Lash]

Originally Posted by champ198

yes that was from Craigslist. the guy has that compleat set with bag and some other stuff like some callaway balls, a pair of shoes (which wouldnt fit me) and some other odds and ends.

I looked up each of those clubs on callawaypreowned, and just the clubs you mentioned would come out to $529 + tax, so you have a reference point. That bag is probably worth at least $60 and probably more than that. That is for the lowest quality from callaway but that will still be good stuff and have their warranty. So I wouldn't pay more than $550 or maybe $600 total, but if it's less it sounds like a good deal.

[champ198]

well thats good to know. i might try and see if i can get them a little cheaper just buying the clubs and bag. maybe i would be better off with those than a box set.

[460CompMark]

i would find a good used set of name brand on craigslist or ebay.  i mean, why not?  probably about the same price as a new boxed set.  you don't have to get this years models.  get a set about 5-10 yrs old.

[champ198]

talked to the guy with the set of Callaways. he said he would hold them for me for a few days till i can get the money up for them. im gonna see if i can scrape up a little extra and get those. i think they would make me a nice set and as my game gets better i could take them to a Golfsmith store and have them fitted to me. so i think that is what im going to try and do.