Beginner, need some help with my clubs

[mArreola1069]

I'm new to the sport of golf! I tried it out about 8 years back with my friend's clubs and now I'm actually getting into it. I'm currently using a Top Flite set, as I piece my own set. I found what I thought to be a pretty sweet deal. I bought a Taylormade Jetspeed Driver $69, 5W and 3W $59 each and 3H, 4H, 5H at $39 a piece. They all are graphite shaft with regular flex. All the websites I visited seemed to give them good, not stellar,  reviews. I've also heard bad things about the Taylromade brand, did I make a mistake in getting these or was it a good deal?

Also, I'm now looking into a set of irons. I'm going to head to Golfsmith tomorrow to try some out and get some tips, but does anyone here have suggestions on what I should look for?

Thanks for your input!

[mvmac]

I'm new to the sport of golf! I tried it out about 8 years back with my friend's clubs and now I'm actually getting into it. I'm currently using a Top Flite set, as I piece my own set. I found what I thought to be a pretty sweet deal. I bought a Taylormade Jetspeed Driver $69, 5W and 3W $59 each and 3H, 4H, 5H at $39 a piece. They all are graphite shaft with regular flex. All the websites I visited seemed to give them good, not stellar,  reviews. I've also heard bad things about the Taylromade brand, did I make a mistake in getting these or was it a good deal?

Welcome to the site. TaylorMade makes good stuff, looks like you got some pretty good deals.

You can check out our reviews of the JetSpeed driver and fairway.

http://thesandtrap.com/b/clubs/taylormade_jetspeed_driver_review

http://thesandtrap.com/b/clubs/taylormade_jetspeed_fairway_wood_review

[WUTiger]

Go to Golfsmith, tell them your situation, and ask for help in finding some irons.

You probably want a 5i-PW (pitching wedge) and a sand wedge for starters. Try out several sets of irons, and find a couple you really like. Then, go back a second day for final selection. Make sure the fitter checks the grip thickness and lie angle (how upright the shaft sets).

Golfsmith shops have some user-friendly TaylorMade iron sets on clearance now for under $500. Also, several other club makers have iron sets you will want to test. Also, Golfsmith shops get lots of trade-in iron sets they want to get back out the door. You might find something used that you like.

And, welcome to TheSandTrap.com! Let us know what irons you find.

(If you don't already have one, you need a putter...)

[mArreola1069]

I went to Golfsmith over the weekend and tried out the Speedbladez. I really like the look and feel, so I decided to go with those. Just last night I found a used set 4-PW, AW. That would put me at 14 clubs, not including a putter. I was looking to maybe trade in one or two clubs to apply towards a putter. I've heard the 5 wood and 3 hybrid are pretty interchangeable and you could do without one of those. Any recommendations as to which clubs I should look at dropping?

[dkolo]

Go to Golfsmith, tell them your situation, and ask for help in finding some irons.

You probably want a 5i-PW (pitching wedge) and a sand wedge for starters. Try out several sets of irons, and find a couple you really like. Then, go back a second day for final selection. Make sure the fitter checks the grip thickness and lie angle (how upright the shaft sets).

Golfsmith shops have some user-friendly TaylorMade iron sets on clearance now for under $500. Also, several other club makers have iron sets you will want to test. Also, Golfsmith shops get lots of trade-in iron sets they want to get back out the door. You might find something used that you like.

And, welcome to TheSandTrap.com! Let us know what irons you find.

(If you don't already have one, you need a putter...)

Taylormade has recently upgraded the sand wedges they package with their iron sets, so they're not the horrible chunky cavity backed ones that are basically 11 irons and not useful out of the sand. As long as the set you get has a good sand wedge, go for a 5-PW, SW set. If your SW looks like the 9 iron but just with more loft, buy a 5-PW set and get a SW separately. Might even be a decent idea to hold off on a SW at first until you have some idea of what you like in them. I like everything shiny and new, but I bought a used SW a year and a half into playing golf for $20 and I have no regrets.

[dkolo]

I went to Golfsmith over the weekend and tried out the Speedbladez. I really like the look and feel, so I decided to go with those. Just last night I found a used set 4-PW, AW. That would put me at 14 clubs, not including a putter. I was looking to maybe trade in one or two clubs to apply towards a putter. I've heard the 5 wood and 3 hybrid are pretty interchangeable and you could do without one of those. Any recommendations as to which clubs I should look at dropping?

They are interchangeable, generally. I play a 5W, but a 3h has lots of merits. Honestly, see which one you're better with. You shouldn't be stressing about score too much anyway, so if you have the opportunity sometimes on the course, hit two balls, one with each, whether you're teeing off with the clubs or hitting into a par 5 or something, and see which club is better for you results-wise. Personally, I'd prefer a 5W off of a teem but I'd prefer the 3h off of the ground. I find I have more tee shots that require a 5W than I have second shots that require a 3h. You might also switch out the 5h for a 5i once you get your irons, depending on which you prefer. Having both will be redundant, subject to the yardages you get from both.

Speedblades are awesome. Great choice. I have the 6i that Taylormade sent me in a giveaway and it plays longer and better than my 5i, so I use it as such. It's almost like a hybrid.

Which I think is actually illustrative of a point, now that I think of it: the numbers on the club don't matter. How you hit them and why you want to use them in particular cases matters. Practice with them and figure out how you want to choose your 14 clubs based on your preferences and experience. You're in a very enviable and somewhat unique position in this regard because you bought too many overlapping clubs (potentially), haha

[WUTiger]

I went to Golfsmith over the weekend and tried out the Speedbladez. I really like the look and feel, so I decided to go with those. Just last night I found a used set 4-PW, AW. That would put me at 14 clubs, not including a putter. ...

Please clarify. Did you buy the Speedbladez, or just have them in "first place" for choice. Also, what iron model was the used 4-PW, AW?

As far as "which 14 to carry," you'll figure this out about August. Players have different club mixes depending on their swing, and what they want to do with the ball.

You might start out carrying a Driver / 3W / 4H / 5-PW / SW / putter. This is 11 clubs, more than enough to keep a returning player busy. Switch clubs around until you find the best 14.

As mvmac said, TaylorMade makes good clubs. As for your choices, I remember the Jetspeed driver and FWs as being that model that was on clearance before I ever had a chance to test-hit any. I asked a clubfitter at a golf expo about the Jetspeeds, and he said they were a solid club for the average golfer - but, they weren't flashy enough to catch on. He encourages people to try the Jetspeed, there's good bargains to be had. (But, you already now this!)

[RussUK]

As Mike said, you cant really go wrong with Taylormade and you seem to be going about it the right way but getting the best you can for the lowest outlay. May i suggest checking out Ebay? A lot or golf retailers sell their overstock or previous years lines through ebay and you can get some cracking deals.

[WUTiger]

Avoid eBay until you become more familiar with current equipment. Also, you don't get to test-hit eBay clubs before you buy them.

[RussUK]

Avoid eBay until you become more familiar with current equipment. Also, you don't get to test-hit eBay clubs before you buy them.

Yes, if you dont know what you are looking for it does have some disadvantages, however good advice is to test the clubs at a pro shop/ golf retailer and find what you like then go online and look for the best deal. Many pro shops will be happy to fit them for you and you could end up saving a small fortune

[dkolo]

Please clarify. Did you buy the Speedbladez, or just have them in "first place" for choice. Also, what iron model was the used 4-PW, AW?

As far as "which 14 to carry," you'll figure this out about August. Players have different club mixes depending on their swing, and what they want to do with the ball.

You might start out carrying a Driver / 3W / 4H / 5-PW / SW / putter. This is 11 clubs, more than enough to keep a returning player busy. Switch clubs around until you find the best 14.

As mvmac said, TaylorMade makes good clubs. As for your choices, I remember the Jetspeed driver and FWs as being that model that was on clearance before I ever had a chance to test-hit any. I asked a clubfitter at a golf expo about the Jetspeeds, and he said they were a solid club for the average golfer - but, they weren't flashy enough to catch on. He encourages people to try the Jetspeed, there's good bargains to be had. (But, you already now this!)

The Jetspeed brand basically was the straw that broke the camel's back for Taylormade. I think the clubface design looked really cheap, like something out of a box set. But performance-wise they were fine. The market just never went anywhere, which is why the original poster is buying the clubs for pennies on the dollar.

[mArreola1069]

Please clarify. Did you buy the Speedbladez, or just have them in "first place" for choice. Also, what iron model was the used 4-PW, AW?

I bought the Speedbladez 4-PW, AW with steel 85g shafts with regular flex. After trying them out at Golfsmith I scoured the Internet until I found a near mint set for $320.

[cooke119]

I have the Jetspeed driver, 3 and 5W and like them a lot. If you go for a Jetspeed driver, get a higher loft than normal, it is recommended for that club.

[mgd150]

Are there major differences in forgiveness between irons from a few generations back (burner+/burner 2.0/RBZ HL) and todays rocketbladez, speedblades, etc?  I'm currently gaming a set of irons from gigagolf (gx944) and I'm considering getting a used set from a major brand off ebay.

Thanks

[Vinsk]

I know this seems like almost a cliche of an answer, but not being able to actually hit the club makes this a difficult call. What might be labeled as a "universally forgiving" may not be so great for you...for your own style, taste, swing, etc. With that being said, I don't think there is such a difference between later series, especially with a brand that pumps out sets so often. Are you wanting a name brand because you hope it will improve your ball striking? Or are you just wanting to play a quality name brand? And I don't mean for that to be negative, I comletely understand that. I know for me the way a club simply looks gives me a better feeling when I address the ball. The differences are so subtle I doubt you'll really notice. People like Iacas can probably pick up on subtle differences in clubs as they have solid and consistent swings to where differences in trajectory and distance can be attributed to the equipment and not just " a better strike". If you've got the bug to score a nice set of Taylor Made irons, saving sme coin on an older series will probably be just fine.

[mgd150]

Thanks for the feedback, I think part of me just wants to see if there's actually any difference between the gigas and the major manufacturer clubs, figured I'd start out with an older used set that way when I was ready to get properly fitted I'd have a bit more confidence in my decision to go with a major brand. Im a realistic person, I don't expect my ball striking to improve overnight just because there's a different logo on the club. Also, I know I only mentioned TM lines above, but my question was more to the progression of GI/SGI irons in general over the last couple years.

[WUTiger]

... my question was more to the progression of GI/SGI irons in general over the last couple years.

Classes of clubs vary according to what model you use.

The Maltby Playability Factor (MPF) system grades iron sets on user-friendliness of the clubheads. MPF system takes six clubhead measurements which are fed into an algebra equation to calculate points. MPF has six categories - Player Classic up through Ultra Game Improvement - plus a Minus Points category for unusually difficult clubs.

Example of  Maltby MPF ratings: X14 and X14 Pro both as Ultra Game Improvement. The Ping Eye2 was SGI, and the Tommy Armour 845 was a high GI.

----

Most people use the Golf Digest Hot List classification system: Players, Game Improvement, and Super Game Improvement. Hot List assigns clubs to the three categories depending on perceived marketing niche - not a mathematical equation - and takes into account both head and shaft options.

What you have seen is likely the Hot List categories. And, there has been some shifting among iron "families. The Callaway X20 and Big Bertha (circa 2008) were both rated as SGI, and the X20 Tours as GI. More recently (2011), the Callaway X Hot was GI, while the X Hot Pro was Players.

Personally, I thought the new Callaway X Hot ratings were a bit inflated, as I could hit the "Players" Pro version fairly well if it has a lightweight shaft. (Although the regular X.Hot was about a club longer). In 2008, I struggled to get any clubs from the Player's neighborhood more than 10 feet off the ground.

Again, Hot List is based on marketing niche.

[Mr. Desmond]

I'm new to the sport of golf! I tried it out about 8 years back with my friend's clubs and now I'm actually getting into it. I'm currently using a Top Flite set, as I piece my own set. I found what I thought to be a pretty sweet deal. I bought a Taylormade Jetspeed Driver $69, 5W and 3W $59 each and 3H, 4H, 5H at $39 a piece. They all are graphite shaft with regular flex. All the websites I visited seemed to give them good, not stellar,  reviews. I've also heard bad things about the Taylromade brand, did I make a mistake in getting these or was it a good deal?

Also, I'm now looking into a set of irons. I'm going to head to Golfsmith tomorrow to try some out and get some tips, but does anyone here have suggestions on what I should look for?

Thanks for your input!

The Jetspeed, from all accounts, is fine for a beginner.

Now if you had gotten into the "R" lineup, that's where you hear bad things, because those clubs are generally for higher speed and better players imho. I made that mistake a few years ago.

Irons. I would find something that you like to look at, and are forgiving. I am partial to Callaway, as I think they have a good preowned program. The XHot at callawaypreowned.com has iron sets in 6-PW, and something like that setup may work for you. A set with game improvement (forgiving) features that has a good look. Looks are subjective. As to wedges, probably a 50 and 56. Save the 60 for a time when you have more skills and finesse.