a few experiences and questions for the group.

[Nytar]

I posted this at another golf forum but got zero response. hopefully I will have better luck here.

I picked up some clubs at a local thrift store to get used to swinging again. found the short irons to be rather decent and my swing not only came back but in some aspects improved greatly. my first set 16-17 years ago was an off the shelf Dunlop set. these are a clone set of Tommy Armour I guess from what little I found online. I was having issues with the long irons and the driver. the 3 and 5 woods seems to be rather decent. didn't come with putter or wedges. so local golf pro-shop hooked me up with a used BIO Cell. using their fitting bay helped. a little left but repeatable distance trajectory and spin. MUCH improvement over my boomerang driver (120ish yards forward 137 yards right and very low) and picked up a 56* 588 RTX Cleveland and an in-expensive putter.

I know my Lie and Loft would be different as I have several back issues limiting how far I can bend over on address (repeatably at least). so I am a bit more upright but allows me to get a good SS (95-97 mph on the driver) so all this made me very curious so did some checking on the other clubs I am using currently and the results they produced.

I am VERY straight with the ability to shape shots a little with the 7,8,9, and PW. the 6 is not bad and the set was missing the 5. the 3 and 4 irons are hit and miss. I fixed a lot of it when I altered my swing path to inside out (if cutting through a clock face it would be from 4 to the 10 o'clock positions.) but the 3 especially is low and still tends to be a slightly pushed shot that fades to an almost slice curve. and the 56* is left but extremely repeatable. with aim adjustment I able to put it in the same 10-12' pattern over and over.

I looked hard into things then figured out how to do the lie and length measurements myself. and I would like others opinions before I go to look for new irons and hybrids to fill out the bag.

56* (wedge flex)1/4 inch long and 1* flat
8,9, PW (Stiff flex graphite) 1/4 long and 2* flat
(haven't measured the 7 6 or 4 yet)
3 Iron (Stiff flex graphite) 3/4 long and 2.25* flat.

I am hoping to get a 50* and a 60* and then get a full set matching irons rather then piecing several together. but looking to keep my cost within a budget. so have a few questions.
A) should go with 1/4 inch long through the whole set? (I have minor issue getting down enough ((again back issues limit a bit)) so would a 1/2 inch be advisable then adjust lie checks again?) (Maybe just added weight?)
B) does 2* seem right from the results? or maybe a touch less on long irons to pull them back in a bit?
C) do they have to be forged to be able to adjust?
D) what is the most one can re-adjust lie angles on a club? ( if I find a nice set can I go from like a 2 up to a 2 flat?)
E) any opinions on clones (for pricing reasons)? anyone have really good luck with them?
F) any clue where to get a new tool for a bio cell adjustable without ordering one from manufacture and costing an am and a leg?

Any club suggestions would be nice too. I prefer the non fat look when over it, I don't like my irons to be super sized so mid to smallish preferred. and would like to stick to stiff graphite if possible. something I could pick up for 200-250 ish for Irons with room for picking up a hybrid or 2 and at the very least a 50*

[WUTiger]

Welcome to the site. You have a lot of  "moving parts" in your early post. Let's get started...

Lie angle. This is a critical factor in getting fitted for golf clubs. That said, the TST crew can't tell you a whole lot about whether you need upright or flat-angle clubs without seeing you swing. A skilled clubfitter could give you a basic fitting to find the right shaft range, lie angle (using lie-angle board or sole tape), shaft length and grip width.

What is your budget? You mention you're on a budget, but what is it? if the "local golf pro shop" has good people that care about their customers, work with them. Build a relationship with a good shop with skilled people, and it will save you money in the long run.

Back problems . These days lots of orthopedists (MDs who are experts in bone and structural problems) and physical therapists specialize in treating athletes. The Titleist Performance Institute trains paired teams of therapists and golf pros who will analyze your body motions and see if past injuries require adjustments to your swing. Adjustments can be the swing itself, or your equipment. If interested, check out the site: http://www.mytpi.com/

Find a demo day . Local pro shops often with golf manufacturers for demo days in spring and early summer. You can go and test out clubs from different companies to see what's out there.

With the clubs you've accumulated so far, you enough clubs to get you through your return season. If you could find a used 4-Hybrid to bridge your 5W and 6i, you should be able to go out and play. And, with what you have, you can tell what other clubs might help you. And you can plan for the future with notes from your demo day visits.

Above all, in the early going, test out all clubs in person and buy them in person. Good deals off eBay aren't good deals if the clubs don't fit you and you have to replace them, or pay to have a lot of adjustments made.

[Nytar]

Thanks for the reply and the welcoming!

I'll try to make a few less moving parts.

By measurements alone I would be standard lie and length (1/4 short by some manufactures due to long arms)

as for my back its a birth defect in the bottom vertebrae (it shouldn't be there and doesn't have the right shape to be there) and spinal meningitis as an infant. I've done many things the doctors said I wouldn't be able to do. there is nothing much they can do other then tell me to keep my core strength worked and pain management. I have a good swing, just the plane is a bit more shallow since I stand more upright (cant stoop over the ball to long.)

budget is 200-250 for the irons or maybe a hybrid or two if I can. hence used or clone clubs. I was wondering about the lie angle since it seemed to follow a trend. I hit the 8,9, and pw beautifully and very repeatably. the 56* goes a little left (but very nice grouping) as would be suspected for a club that has 1* flat compared to the straight shooting 2* flat 8,9, and PW. the three straight shooters I can draw or fade when I want to rather well. the 56* I can give it more draw but can not or rarely make it fade. the long irons with the more flat angle I can not get to go straight or left to save my soul. I'll try to get some time with a lie board or do some of the other lie checks (dry erase markers etc) soon as I can. but I am almost positive the 8,9,PW are dead on.

if I can get the 56* and my 3-4 irons to go straight I would be having a field day. didn't know if I should try to order some custom clones that have good outside reviews. or try to get a few clubs bent to meet the other irons I can shoot well and test that.

done the demo day thing 15 years ago. found a putter I fell in love with. cant find another like it unfortunately. but demo days are almost none existent around here these days. its 95 dollars and up now to be fitted to any degree unless you cash down for a new driver or $500+ set of irons or full set then it would be free. other two places around here it was $100/$105 to be fit and it wasn't applied to purchase at all. not that I am cheap, but my budget is a bit. I completely understand the advantage of getting a full fitting, would do it in a heartbeat if I could.

my very original set from 15 years ago was of the shelf kmart cheapies. I struggled trying to get over the ball enough and my back problems escalated. but I LOVE the game. so been itching the golf scratch with several video games over the years. then saw a story about one man that I think it was PING that designed him a set of clubs to use after a horrific accident. so I had this idea of changing my swing to something more comfortable and getting the clubs to fit my swing instead of "me" its pretty standard easily repeatable swing just on a different plane then most golfers.The little time I got to talk with a fitting guy at the store (when I bought the driver) even made comment. this cheapy set showed me many things about how drastic lie angles can be! I can see a pattern through the various clubs but looking to find where the middle ground would be and if the longer clubs would need brought a smidge upright and the 56* brought more flat. I know many say the "amount of lie angle adjustment" might be different as you go longer or shorter with the clubs.

anyways sorry so long. hopefully a few less moving parts?

[WUTiger]

... . I have a good swing, just the plane is a bit more shallow since I stand more upright (cant stoop over the ball to long.)

budget is 200-250 for the irons or maybe a hybrid or two if I can. hence used or clone clubs. I was wondering about the lie angle since it seemed to follow a trend. I hit the 8,9, and pw beautifully and very repeatably. the 56* goes a little left (but very nice grouping) as would be suspected for a club that has 1* flat compared to the straight shooting 2* flat 8,9, and PW. the three straight shooters I can draw or fade when I want to rather well. the 56* I can give it more draw but can not or rarely make it fade. the long irons with the more flat angle I can not get to go straight or left to save my soul. I'll try to get some time with a lie board or do some of the other lie checks (dry erase markers etc) soon as I can. but I am almost positive the 8,9,PW are dead on. ...

A couple of ways to approach this. If you get a fitting on existing clubs, ask them if the adjustment would be included.

If you need the wedges a little flatter than now, and the longer irons (2 and 3) a little more upright, the fitters could do this. Again, good fitters would measure your swing dynamics on the lie board and help you decide how much flat or upright. (This is not unusual for golfers with a fairly consistent swing: Wedges a tad flat, and long irons a bit upright - reason for this: 3 and 4i have longer shafts, and the shaft would tend to bow down more during a swing, meaning the head/sole would be flattened out more when contacting the turf. The Mizuno guys call this the "toe down" factor.)

Since you will likely get new clubs in a season or two, consider having the 4i converted to a 4.5 iron. Have the fitter trim 1/4" off the shaft and increase the loft a degree. You will then have a club that will bridge the 3i and 6i in distance.

When you get the fitting done, the fitter could also tell if you need a little extra shaft length due to your back.

Future plan: If you eventually decide to go with Ping irons, you have a chance to get an excellent custom fitting, which will be included in the cost of the clubs. Ping encourages golfers to do this, and easily covers shaft length and lie angles. If you get stock shafts and standard grips, the irons will cost you no more than off-the-rack Pings. (Special shafts or grips might bring a slight upcharge.)

Major manufacturers all offer custom-fit clubs for no extra charge - unless you get special shafts or grips.

You can get custom fit for wedges and long clubs also.

Sounds like you might get the fittings and tweaks on you current irons ($100) and just play them through your current season, then plan for new clubs sometimes in future.

[Nytar]

that sounds like a very feasible plan. maybe wait till christmas/winter specials hit this area for a newer set. give me time to save then too :) THANKS!