New clubs question

[Jerry P]

I'll preface by saying I'm 29, been playing for about 12 years, career low is 95, and handicap is 25-30. I play fairly regularly and play at least once a week during the summer months.  I've been hitting Cleveland TA7 gun metal irons ($400) for the past 4-5 years. Due to my inconsistent play I'm considering getting fitted and spending a high price for some new GI irons. The money isn't really an issue, but I don't want to buy a new set of clubs for a steep price and continue being inconsistent. Will the investment make a big difference or should I just play more often? THANKS

[DaveP043]

I'm not sure that new clubs ever solve a swing problem.  A much better investment is some instruction, coupled with practicing the changes that the instruction suggests you make.  Lots of guys post videos in the Member Swing forum and get excellent advice.  For the hundreds of dollars you're talking about spending on clubs, you can pay for a whole bunch of lessons and range balls, and have a much better chance of improving your game.  And I mean practice, not just playing more.  Its really really difficult to make changes in your swing without dedicated practice.

[Mr. Desmond]

Having been where you are, it's not the clubs, its the swing.

A well-fitted club may resolve major issues because the club's specs may be "off" in terms of its fit to you. But if you have a "Zoro" swing (inconsistent), find a good instructor because no club will give you instant consistency.

After your swing is somewhat consistent, it is easier to fit clubs to your specs.

Edited December 14, 2015 by Mr. Desmond

[Golfingdad]

28 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I'm not sure that new clubs ever solve a swing problem.  A much better investment is some instruction, coupled with practicing the changes that the instruction suggests you make.  Lots of guys post videos in the Member Swing forum and get excellent advice.  For the hundreds of dollars you're talking about spending on clubs, you can pay for a whole bunch of lessons and range balls, and have a much better chance of improving your game.  And I mean practice, not just playing more.  Its really really difficult to make changes in your swing without dedicated practice.

I agree with @DaveP043 here.  Neither of your two options are going to solve the problems.  You need good instruction and you need to practice well.  Here's help with the practice part:

There is an old thread that helps you interview instructors as well, but I believe that it is outdated and @iacas is in the process of putting together a new one.  In the meantime, a nice economical way to get some guidance on what to practice would be to take some video of yourself and start a swing thread here.  There are a lot of knowledgeable golfers here that can get you started on the right path.  The directions are in the hidden comments at the top of this page: http://thesandtrap.com/forums/forum/13-member-swings/

 

[Rip62]

If money isn't the issue then get some lessons. 

[onthehunt526]

3 hours ago, Rip62 said:

If money isn't the issue then get some lessons. 

The OP would probably benefit from both lessons and some properly fitted clubs, in that order...

Get some lessons first, get your inconsistencies in check and become more consistent, then with the more consistent swing, get Dynamic fit for a set of irons.

[Club Rat]

@Jerry P  To prove a point what everyone is suggesting, head over to your local golf store and spend a hour or two hitting demo clubs. Select a minimum of 10 different brands and hit each club at least 10 times. Go and do this a couple of times, select a few you liked and try some other brands each time.

You'll then realize there are differences, you'll may like a few and dislike others.

Then you'll find an answer to your question, "would different clubs help, or would you continue being inconsistent?"

[dbuck]

And in the meantime, get your current irons regripped if you haven't lately. New grips are almost as good as new clubs.

[vangator]

It's not hard to tell whether your current clubs are ill fitted or not.  Here is a link to a pretty good reference.  http://blog.hirekogolf.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/2011_golf_club_length_slides_final.pdf

To determine if your clubs are the proper length, measure your wrist to floor.  Your carry distance with your driver and 7 or 6 iron will tell you the shaft flex you need for them.  Look these up in the charts in the reference above.  This will give you an idea if your current clubs are in the ball park.

It's still a good idea to get fitted.  Usually if you purchase the clubs where you get your fitting, the fitting will be free.  Ping has a good site for online fitting.

If you're sticking with your current clubs, the suggestion of new grips is a good idea.

I build my own clubs, so I know my specs pretty well.  I'm in the process of building new irons as we speak.  The epoxy is setting overnight.  I'll be hitting them at the range tomorrow.

My driver SS is about 105 with an average between 250 and 275.  So I have a stiff flex driver.

I purposely swing my irons easier since accuracy is the name of the game, not distance.  I hit my 7 iron around 150, but want to be able to crank it up to 175 if needed, so my irons will be a little softer (in between R and S flex, some call that firm).  My length and lie are standard. 

I like jumbo grips.  I'm in the camp that thinks most people have grips that are too small.  Smaller grips causes the golfer to grip harder increasing tension.

[WUTiger]

One thing a fitting might do: Point out any bad fit points with your current irons. Sometimes consistency problems can be traced to a mismatch between your swing and your equipment.

If the fitting shows that you miss to the left a lot, you may have too upright a lie angle. Or, if you spray your irons all over, the shafts might be too long for you. Problems like this might be solved by a fitter tweaking your existing irons.

If you just took your chances and bought the TA7 irons without a fitting, I think @Club Rathas the solution. Try out different iron sets and see which ones you like. 

Related to fittings, some golf manufacturers have returned to a pre-Recession tactic: allowing players to rent test sets before final fitting and purchase. Some examples:

• Titleist Golf Club Trial
• Test Drive (Bridgestone)