Upgrading Irons Advice

[Hayden Davies]

Hello All,

First time poster looking for some advice on upgrading my irons.

Currently I am using PowerBilt Grand Slams I got for free, here's a pic since I couldn't find a link to them in case anyone is familiar with them. I think the internet wasn't invented when these clubs were released.

I am looking to upgrade to a new set of irons and need some advice on what would best suit my style of play so I can start to narrow down some choices.

I'm ~20 handicap; although lately it says I am closer to a 16 but I don't believe it. When I play, I don't try anything fancy... My goal is to hit it straight every time and for the most part I am on in regulation unless the hole is really long. My current range is approximately 125 yards with my 9I and 200-210 with my 3I. Not sure if I can provide any more details but please ask away.

I don't want to spend a fortune and I'll probably buy used because I don't play enough to justify the expenditure.

Let me know if you have any suggestions for this hack. Thank you.

[Divotmaker77]

First thing I noticed is you say you are hitting a 3 iron at a high handicap.  JMO, would not be using that club at your skill level.  You may hit it a good distance and accurate on occasions, but can't imagine you are hitting it consistently good.  If so, then your short game must be a mess to be a higher HC.  3 Iron is a tough club to hit which is why most folks use Hybrids now.  I am almost single digit and leave that club out of my bag and use a hybrid instead.  I play with some low HC guys and the highest iron they use is a 4.  Everyone is different though.

As for the club, those are some older clubs so I would probably want newer ones as well.  In your case, I would still get fitted for clubs.  Buying used is always a riskier deal because its hard to get the right clubs unless you test several out and are getting the right feedback that only a quality club fitter can give you.  There are newer clubs you can buy that have been discounted because of the newer models.

That all said, you stated you do not play enough to justify the expense.  I do not know your finances and how much you play.  Everyone is different in that area so I can't tell you how much to spend.  If you play once a month then I would agree that I would get cheaper used clubs and not worry a whole lot about getting fitted, lessons, etc.  To get good at golf it requires a lot of time commitment to practice, lessons, and playing.  Not everyone can do that.  If you want newer clubs and are on a golf forum asking for advice, that tells me you want to play more and get better.  Treat this purchase as a long term investment.  May be worth to spend a little more now to have a quality set you can use for many years to come.

In summary, I would find out who the reputable fitters and stores are in your area and just go by and tell them your situation and see if they have some clubs that meet your budget and how they can help fit you into them.  Start by doing that and then go from there.

[Hayden Davies]

Thanks for getting back to me!

To be honest, I don't actually really use my 3 iron all that much, I just know my range with it. And it's a great suggestion, I was given a free 4 hybrid last year and I love it. Goes 10 yards more than my 3 iron and it feels so much better.

I was actually going to include a note about my short game in here but I was gonna see if anyone picked up on it... within 100 yards I suck, bunkers are russian roulette (although I avoid them for the most part) and putting is more like hockey than golf. I started playing at this little par 3 course before work, loads of fun, tight fairways, lots of trees, wobbly ground and almost everything is 100-120 yards so it forces me to get to know my PW. I am hoping it helps improve my game a bit.

Let's get back on topic.

To answer the question about playing, I played a ton as a kid. Today, I aim to play 6-8 times a month (4 months), 4-6 of those games will be at the par 3. Next season I will be playing more when I get a membership to a local group of courses paid for by my rents (so that would be 30-50 times in the season depending, but we will see).

Finances, well I have dedicated my life to the pursuit of knowledge (i.e. working towards a PhD) so until I make professor in like a billion years, finances are very tight. My understanding is that if I want to get a new set of decent irons that would be worth upgrading from my existing clubs, I am looking at $800-$1000; which if you knew what grad students made, that's a lot of money. I'd like to spend no more than $400 if I can help it and I see a lot of great clubs on Kijiji that are less than that, Callaway Forged Irons, Titleist 910's, stuff like that.

I have to replace my clubs because they are extremely worn and I lost my 7 iron which has been a pain. I don't care about being the best I can be, I just want something that would be fairly easy to play with, would make golfing more enjoyable because my clubs aren't shit and if I really wanted to get better I would go out and chip/putt for hours.

Anyway, let me know if you have any additional advice given my