Need an Opinion on Getting Back In the Game and Clubs

[thompsdw]

So, I had to take a 10 year vacation from golfing due to kids sports and my wife and I really want to get back in.  I played this week and it reignited my interest to get started again.  While I know that getting some lessons to start right, I want to make sure that I have forgiving equipment so my frustration factor is minimized (yes, I remember those years ago).  I currently have a set of Ping Eye 2's that has been custom fit to me.  They are in great condition, but they are close to 20 years old.  So, while I understand that getting lessons is the most important step, should I consider changing to a more recent club or not?

BTW - the woods are much more recent Callaway's - that's why I am not asking about those.

[SavvySwede]

Sounds like your set is fine. Plenty of good players are still using the Eye 2's, I saw I guy using a set this weekend. Woods have improved some but new ones certainly aren't needed, I play a 2003 model Titleist driver a lot of the time and it isn't much different from my 2013 Callaway. 

[cooke119]

I have a set of Ping Eye 2s that I use once in a while, I like them but find them harder to hit then my 'go to set' which at Callaway XRs. But I do like taking them out and playing with old school clubs. Don't know what you budget is but if you are looking for a good, very forgiving (SGI) irons, Cobra Baffler's with three hybrids can be had for $350 at Dicks or on Ebay. Ping has a new set of SGI irons out as well but more expensive. You can find really good deals on Ebay (new clubs).

Good luck.

[Rip62]

Lessons are always good.  Test some new clubs and see how they compare to your old equipment. Start out replacing the ones where you see the biggest difference in performance. That s how I replaced my older equipment. It took over a year but that way I wasn't putting all that money out at once. 

[WUTiger]

Start with lessons, and get your swing groove back. Then, test out clubs to see if the make a difference.

As others have said, lots of people still playEye2 irons.

 

[thompsdw]

Thanks for the responses.  If the clubs are even close to "forgiving" my inclination is to keep them, work on the lessons, and then pick a new set down the road.

[Gator Hazard]

2nd the above, my playing partner love's his Ping Eye 2's, he had switched out to more recent clubs and then went back to them.  I have to hear all day, how great his Ping Eye 2s are.  

Welcome back to the game and welcome to TST

[ZappyAd]

I was in a very similar situation to you at the start of this year - hadn't played for 10+ years, had an old set of custom fit Ping clubs and some more recent Callaway woods.  I spent the last few months at the range just getting back into the feeling of hitting the ball and in the process have updated my irons and driver (new Pings) but have kept the Callaway 3W.  I tried to make sure I was at least hitting the ball ok before looking at new clubs and then I tried a few makes out just to see if anything felt much better than what I had.  I managed to resist the temptation to upgrade immediately which I think was a good thing - even though I eventually did get a new set of irons I might have gone for a different make or grade of club if I hadn't put in some hours practicing first.

[WUTiger]

Thanks for the responses.  If the clubs are even close to "forgiving" my inclination is to keep them, work on the lessons, and then pick a new set down the road.

Sorry I didn't address this in my earlier post. The Eye 2 has a Maltby Playability Factor (MPF) rating of 710, which puts it in Maltby's Super Game Improvement (SGI) category. SGI means it has a user-friendly iron head. Maltby has one higher category of Ultra Game Improvement (Ping G10, original Callaway Big Berthas) which are even "friendlier."

Maltby developed the MPF with six categories for irons. What most people hear about, however, is the Golf Digest Hot List variation on MPF.  Hot List classifies clubs as Player's, GI, and SGI. So, Hot List would probably have ranked the Eye 2 as a quite friendly GI category iron. (We don't know for sure: Eye 2 precedes the Hot List by several years)

NOTE: MPF measures clubheads on six factors, and an equation determines the MPF rating. The most prominent factor is lower Vertical Center of Gravity (VCOG). Overall, the lower the VCOG the more user-friendly the club, low VCOG helps launch the ball higher. But, matching clubhead with the right shaft is critical to finding the right combination. People forget that this last thought is from Ralph M. himself.

So, unless the shaft is too firm, the Eye 2 should serve you well as you explore new technology.

[thompsdw]

Thank you very much.  That is extremely helpful.  

[RH31]

On ‎10‎/‎20‎/‎2015‎ ‎7‎:‎51‎:‎09‎, thompsdw said:

So, I had to take a 10 year vacation from golfing due to kids sports and my wife and I really want to get back in.  I played this week and it reignited my interest to get started again.  While I know that getting some lessons to start right, I want to make sure that I have forgiving equipment so my frustration factor is minimized (yes, I remember those years ago).  I currently have a set of Ping Eye 2's that has been custom fit to me.  They are in great condition, but they are close to 20 years old.  So, while I understand that getting lessons is the most important step, should I consider changing to a more recent club or not?

BTW - the woods are much more recent Callaway's - that's why I am not asking about those.

I've never been a Ping iron fan. Then, I hit the Ping Gmax iron. Wow. I currently play Titleist 712ap2 irons and I'll be switching to something easier to hit that is more forgiving next spring. Try those new Pings, they impressed the heck out of me.