Club Shopping (AGAIN)

[Lilfrier]

I got myself a new set of Mizuno JPX-EZ irons in the summer of 2014, and am now looking to update the rest of my stuff.. I am probably going to look at going with used this time, after going new with the iron set 2 years back. I have watched Global Golf, 3Balls, and 2nd Swing and done a decent amount of comparison looking. Some things that might be relevant to deciding on clubs:

I get good height with my shots, so I do not feel that I need to go for a club that assist there. However, I do have a low swing speed (haven't had it measured, but it's definitely a slow swing), so something light probably helps me, and worry about "too light" won't apply. My irons' shafts are an extra inch in length, but I am unsure how that translates to driver shaft length. I have a slice that can be moderate-to-severe off the tee, but it is much more muted from the fairway. I play in the 110-120 range, most of the time, with the extremes probably 105 and 125 for my 18-hole scores. A lot of my lost strokes, I feel, is due to the lack of distance from my bigger clubs, as I USUALLY do a decent job once I get inside of 160 yards.

As to which clubs I am considering purchasing, and where I could stand to use input:

Driver: I haven't played a driver for long, but I switched from the 3 Deep to it as I felt more consistent. Like I said, I really do not suffer from height deficiencies, but I swing well on the slow side. This is the club I most feel enticed to replace, since I am currently playing something very old and with a dented head.

Woods: I currently carry the 3 Deep, and a matching pair of 3 and 5 Woods that I got almost 13 years ago. I want to get a new 3 or 5, but probably not both right now. The consistency of my 5 (and having a 3H as a reasonable alternative already) has me leaning more towards going for a 3, as I wouldn't mind dumping the 3 Deep (which I developed a bad slice with over time) and the old 3 for something modern I can use in the place of both.

Wedges: My iron set came with a 45-degree PW. I actually use it almost exclusively, as my current alternatives are a small-head SW with a really bad, slick grip and a shaft too short for me and a 64-degree wedge I bought more for the novelty of trying something that highly lofted (it didn't go well). The first thing I am considering is ordering a used GW from the same JPX-EZ set, if I can fine a decently priced one with the shaft extension the rest of my set has. That would give me a 45 and a 50, I believe. I would probably do well to grab a third wedge, but as someone who has actually developed decently with a 45-degree PW from in close, how far should I really be looking to stretch on the third club's loft? 52? 56?

Insights are appreciated. I know the best input is trying a few things out, but the options are limited here, and I know the users here can tell me more about what might/might not work for me than I can. I am probably going to try to go to the range and/or play a round this weekend, since the weather has kept me from swinging a club for real since October. How I do there might influence which clubs I end up buying, but I am leaning towards starting with the driver and the GW in the near-future (maybe within the week), with a wood and second wedge to probably follow after my tax return and the second wood later on.

[WUTiger]

A look at the big golf shops shows that Golfsmith has quite a few of the Mizuno JPX Black Nickel wedges available for $60 each (price cut from $99).

Selection has lofts from 50* through 60*, with a couple of different bounce options in some. These are shafted in True Temper XP105 wedge flex, which weight about 100 grams and is reported a touch livelier than the traditional DG.

If you're not into LWs, you could go 50* + 56* // or, go 52 + 58. (The 50* is only 6-degree bounce). You would need to see how the BNs "fit in" yardage-wise with your EZs.

Or, if you stay within EZ, you could get the 50* GW and the 55* SW. This would depend on whether you liked the stock EZ wedges.

Also, you might need to lengthen the BN shafts to match closer to your irons. By the time you do this, it might cost about the same to get an EZ with right length from the factory.

[Lilfrier]

Since I haven't played much of a variety of clubs in my life, any idea what the BN vs. EZ difference might be, and would it really be noticeable for someone who plays in the 110-120 range like I do? It's been a long while since I played a proper set of wedges, so I'm pretty open to suggestions on loft. It mostly comes down to what I might reasonably need. I play my PW from the JPX-EZ set pretty well, but I can get somewhat long with it at times. I basically play it for most things inside of 100 because I don't trust the junk SW I have. I've gotten reasonably good at adjusting for different distances with it, but going to a higher loft with less distance where I'm not having to check my swing as much would be nice.

I'm still thinking I prefer to go used, but I am uncertain just what the line is for bad/good/great options. I see folks say 4 degrees is a typical gap in wedges, so I thought 50 degrees would be the obvious option for me. Is there as much of a noticeable benefit going cavity vs. muscle on the wedges? One thing I don't care for is getting sand into the cavity, so that design is a bit less appealing, but not majority so.

By the way, the EZs I have are the XP105 shafts as well, with a +1 length and a small addition in grip as well.

[WUTiger]

An EZ GW and SW would cost you about $100 each; if you got them from factory, you could get the longer shaft at no extra cost. A local fitter could see what you needed, including letting you test-hit some EZs.

Also, if you went to a local demo day, you could hit EZ wedges off the turf and see if they worked for you. And, probably order them at demo day, maybe get a show discount. Adding the 50 + 55 would give you 5* loft gaps through your wedges.

If you get the Black Nickel wedges for $60, and want to get the shafts extended, this will cost you probably $10 each for extension; plus, you may need new grips if the fitter can't salvage the originals, probably $7 or higher each. Due to need to extend, the BN wouldn't saved you much $$ over the EZ factory option.

[Lilfrier]

The problem I run into is that the local solutions are just Dick's and Scheels. Are either trustworthy for club fitting and custom club adjustments? Since our golf shop closed last year, our source for demo days is also gone (again, I find this ridiculous because we have at least 10 courses in-town). If I want any kind of specialty experience for golf, it's 2 hours to St. Louis for me (I went to GS there for my irons). I was hoping to find used options with extended shafts. I'm not dying to go $100+ on the wedges because I don't know how heavily I'll be using them. I'm not dead-set on sticking to Mizuno or a special model of theirs. Are there others in the same price range (sub-$70) that are recommended for looking into?

The driver's probably what I need to look into most. It's where my game really struggles, though a putter wouldn't be a terrible idea to look at, either. I'm pretty lost on either of those clubs, though I'm also not thinking of going for a putter right not because the driver is the club that is both old (more than a decade) and functionally questionable (sizable dent on the top).

Is there anywhere other than Global Golf, 2nd Swing, and 3 Balls to look for used options? I know Golfsmith has some demo clubs up on occasion, but the options and pricing isn't great.

Edited February 29, 2016 by Lilfrier

[9wood]

8 hours ago, Lilfrier said:

The driver's probably what I need to look into most. 

Is there anywhere other than Global Golf, 2nd Swing, and 3 Balls to look for used options? I know Golfsmith has some demo clubs up on occasion, but the options and pricing isn't great.

Try ebay. You can get a used very good condition Taylormade SLDR men's right handed 10 degree stiff driver there for $22.45 and that even includes shipping. It does come from 3Balls Golf

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TAYLORMADE-SLDR-S-10-MENS-RIGHT-HAND-DRIVER-SPEEDER-57-FUJIKURA-GRAPHITE-STIFF-/231857084792?hash=item35fbc25978:g:D-cAAOSwDuJWz2RQ

[Lilfrier]

Yeah, I've looked at eBay. I'm honestly just not sure what I can/should go after for clubs. The link you have is at $23.50 with a day left to bid, and has $15 shipping attached. Were it $22.45 shipped to buy outright, I'd just buy it for the heck of it and figure out if it's right for me later, because $22 "wasted" on a fairly modern driver would be something I could totally live with.

I am doing more looking on there though. There are some decent options, but I have to decide what kind of club(s) I want to buy before I actually order something.

[WUTiger]

On 2/29/2016 at 8:39 PM, Lilfrier said:

The problem I run into is that the local solutions are just Dick's and Scheels. Are either trustworthy for club fitting and custom club adjustments? Since our golf shop closed last year, our source for demo days is also gone (again, I find this ridiculous because we have at least 10 courses in-town). If I want any kind of specialty experience for golf, it's 2 hours to St. Louis for me (I went to GS there for my irons). I was hoping to find used options with extended shafts.... Are there others in the same price range (sub-70) that are recommended for looking into?... 

What town or area do you live in? I might be able to give you some clues on non-StL golf shops. (I live in StL area)

Of the big golf shops, Golfsmith probably has the widest selection of used wedges. If they sold you the irons, you might go back there. Call ahead, tell them when you're coming in for driver and wedges, and make an appointment.

[Lilfrier]

1 hour ago, WUTiger said:

What town or area do you live in? I might be able to give you some clues on non-StL golf shops. (I live in StL area)

Of the big golf shops, Golfsmith probably has the widest selection of used wedges. If they sold you the irons, you might go back there. Call ahead, tell them when you're coming in for driver and wedges, and make an appointment.

Springfield, IL, so it's a 2-hour trek (one-way) to check the place out. I just don't have a lot of chances to get out that far. It's something that eats up the whole day, since you've got 4 hours of driving, what would probably be a couple of hours of shopping, and I have to make sure I get to Lion's Choice, of course.

Really, I only go to STL if it's with family. My grandma and sister like going down to check out the shopping and such, for example, and that would be something that had to get tied in with the rest of it.

[WUTiger]

You might contact Craig Godar at All Seasons Golf Training Center in Bloomington, IL (ISU zone). I've talked to him at a couple of local demo days, he really knows his tech and who needs what. All.S does a lot of custom fitting on brand-name clubs, plus clubsmithing.

http://www.allseasonsglc.com/contact-us/

[Lilfrier]

I might look into that when I have some free time. It's a bit closer than STL (I'd say 90-ish minutes). If I can get a time where I'm off and my cousin is free, I'll have to see about maybe going up there, finding a course to play, and stopping there as well. $150 for an Aeroburner driver and $100 for a fairway's not too shabby for prices. I wish they advertised their whole selection on their site, just to make planning and options a little easier. It definitely sounds like a really nice place, thanks!

[Lilfrier]

So it was announced yesterday that our Sports Authority (which I forgot existed) is closing. They're clearancing quite a lot of golf stuff. I stopped by, and it looks like they were expecting it for a while, since they have nothing that seems modern in-stock. Everything is 2 years older or new. Heck, those Taylormade Rocketballz clubs (the yellow-accented ones), the ones where the major stores have had the drivers at $100 and woods at $80 for seemingly 2 years, they want $120 for the woods.

There was one club that was intriguing, though. They have a Callaway X2 Hot 3-Wood for $100, and it's 20% off all clubs, making it $80. That seems to be on-par with a used offering on eBay, and even cheaper than the options from 3Balls or 2nd Swing.Has anyone given the club a try and have any thoughts on it and that price? What sucks is they have an X Hot 5 Wood (the model year before), and it's the same $100. I was hoping it would be $80 or something, but the store's pricing is all over the place.

There's also an Aeroburner driver at $200 that's 20% off. I'm struggling to leave it on the rack. $160 seems like a steal for a new one of those, I just wish it were the Aeroburner Black. They have a lot of bags whose prices I am also watching.

[Lilfrier]

I went back to Sports Authority and picked up that 3W. I couldn't pass it up for $80 new. I'm hoping I can get out to play Tuesday morning and give it a try. If I like the thing (and most reviews about the X2 Hot woods were positive), I'll probably look to get the 5W to match, so I can finally replace my super-old one. I was looking at the eBay offerings from Callaway's certified pre-owned account (or whatever they call it). Has anyone bought from them to speak to their ratings system quality? I'm wondering what to expect from the different grades, since the sample images are small and kind of tough to judge.

Also, still looking into the wedge options. I still think I want to go with the JPX-EZ GW, and if they have a SW, I'll follow suit, just because of the mental preference of keeping it all matched up. That is, if I'm able to find them with the extended shafts in those models.