Should I upgrade my old school irons?

[clarkaj1455]

First off...this is my first post, so I hope I'm doing this right!

Question I'm struggling with....I'm 26 and I've been playing the same clubs since probably 8th grade or early high school. They're hand-me-downs from my dad, Titleist DCI Golds. Now until yesterday, I just knew they were DCIs. I was clicking around and ended up learning that they are from 1991! They're almost as old as me! So now I'm wondering if I should upgrade to get a little better technology in my irons.

Background on me...I've played ever since I was a kid, so I'm not exactly a beginner. I'm a decent player, but I've never gotten serious enough about it to consistently play well. I think my swing is decent, and I always describe myself as capable of hitting some really good shots, putting together some really good holes, but I never quite put together a really good entire round. I have no idea what my handicap is.

Looking through my local Craigslist (actually to find my brother in law some clubs) I found a set of Titleist 704 CB irons selling locally for a pretty good price. At the time I didn't know anything about them, but since then I have done my research and they seem to have some very positive reviews and were very popular when they came out in 2005. They are standard length and lie, as are my clubs now. They also come with 56 and 60 degree Vokey wedges and are priced at $120 total.

I don't have the money to go spend $800 on a nice new (or used) set of irons. To me, this seems like a good way to improve my current set up for very little money, while staying with a manufacturer, length, and lie that I'm already comfortable with. But I admittedly know very little about golf equipment. I'm wondering if I should bother upgrading in this way, or since I'm only a casual golfer should I stick with what I'm already comfortable with? Would these upgrade be noticeable in my game? I'm finally done with school and will start working, so I see plenty more golf in my future.

One concern I saw, though reviews were very overwhelmingly positive, was that these clubs were supposedly geared towards low handicap players, which I am not. Should that steer me away? If so, does anyone have recommendations for some used sets I could look for and get for $200 or under that would be an upgrade from what I have? I'm not sure if I should be playing game-improvement irons or what...since I'm coming from such outdated clubs, I'm not accustomed to the newer technology so I don't need the latest and greatest thing out there. I also read about and found a good deal on Taylormade Rocketbladez Tour irons and have basically the same questions about these. Of the two, which should I get? How would they compare? Am I not good enough to play the Taylormades?

I'd appreciate any and all advice you all have! Thank you!

[newtogolf]

Depending on your budget you can find some newer, more forgiving, clubs than the 704 CB.  Check GlobalGolf.com or CallawayPreowned to get some idea of their inventory and prices.  

If you work on your swing you'll be able to hit the 704 CB's fine.  Since it's a CL deal you have to check their condition and make sure the shafts are good for your swing speed.  Also if the grips are shot you could be looking at an additional $100 for new grips.  

[clarkaj1455]

18 hours ago, newtogolf said:

Depending on your budget you can find some newer, more forgiving, clubs than the 704 CB.  Check GlobalGolf.com or CallawayPreowned to get some idea of their inventory and prices.  

If you work on your swing you'll be able to hit the 704 CB's fine.  Since it's a CL deal you have to check their condition and make sure the shafts are good for your swing speed.  Also if the grips are shot you could be looking at an additional $100 for new grips.  

I think I can work on my swing and improve, as I'll have more time to play a lot more in the future. Speaking specifically about the 704s, would I notice a significant difference between them and what I have now? Would that be worth the $200 total I'd spend on the clubs and grips (he did say that some would need replaced). 

Or should I skip these, wait a little longer and invest in a better set? In my mind, I'd rather spend a couple hundred on clubs that may not be the newest and greatest, but would still be a big improvement over what I have now, and save several hundred dollars that I could put towards more golf or a lesson or something, as opposed to spending $600 or $800 on a set of clubs (my wife wouldn't let me do that anyways... ).

If I did look for some other more forgiving clubs, what are some recommended iron sets for people in my position? Thanks!

[newtogolf]

I'm not familiar with the DCI Gold irons but the 704 CB's were fairly well liked but they are fairly old too.  If it was me I'd work on my swing and stick with my current irons.  For slightly more money you could get some newer Taylor Made or Callaway irons.  Looking at GlobalGolf quickly I see Mizuno JPX-800 Pro irons and many others around your $200 price tag.  

[clarkaj1455]

2 minutes ago, newtogolf said:

I'm not familiar with the DCI Gold irons but the 704 CB's were fairly well liked but they are fairly old too.  If it was me I'd work on my swing and stick with my current irons.  For slightly more money you could get some newer Taylor Made or Callaway irons.  Looking at GlobalGolf quickly I see Mizuno JPX-800 Pro irons and many others around your $200 price tag.  

Is there a resource to read about some of these different iron sets? One problem I have is that I just don't know what to look for. Or is the only way to go in to a golf shop and actually hit some clubs. I think there are some stores here with decent used supply. What should I be looking for on Global Golf?

When you say "slightly more" for newer Callaways or Taylor Mades, how much more are you talking and specifically which clubs? Like I said...I don't know much about equipment and I really appreciate your help!

[nevets88]

Try the PGA Value Guide:

http://valueguide.pga.com/detail-exec/brand/2768/product_type/205/b/Titleist/p/Iron set

BTW, I still use DCI 962s, have tried the latest and greatest and while they're better than the DCIs in terms of forgiveness, very satisfied w/the DCIs. Have been paired with more than a few players who still use these.

[WUTiger]

On 6/3/2016 at 4:52 PM, clarkaj1455 said:

Question I'm struggling with....I'm 26 and I've been playing the same clubs since probably 8th grade or early high school. They're hand-me-downs from my dad, Titleist DCI Golds. Now until yesterday, I just knew they were DCIs. I was clicking around and ended up learning that they are from 1991! They're almost as old as me! So now I'm wondering if I should upgrade to get a little better technology in my irons. ...

Since you are just now exploring different kinds of clubs, stay away from Craig's List. You need to be able to test different irons in person - strike balls with 'em! - to see if you like them and can hit them OK.

CL is OK if you want to get (for example) a Cleveland Gap Wedge and Lob Wedge to match your Sand Wedge. But, upgrading clubs via CL can be risky... you waste a lot of time and $$$ if you buy this and that iron model - untested - from CL, and spend two years buying and selling irons that don't fit your game.

Find a good golf shop (you may have to hunt!) and tell them you want some used irons. They have good trade-in irons just a couple of years old. The shops want to resell these irons to get their $$ back. You can get on a launch monitor and find irons that you can hit well, that give you good data numbers.

Here's a video clip which explains What the Trackman Numbers Mean.

[clarkaj1455]

Ok so I think I'm gonna skip the Craigslist clubs. I've been reading about a lot of different sets, and I keep coming back to the Taylormade Rocketblades or Rocketballz. My understanding is that they're very similar. A question I have is about the Taylormade Rocketbladez Tour irons...they supposedly are made for lower handicap or tour players, but would I be able to hit them? I've not yet had a chance to hit the Rocketballz or Rocketbladez, but I plan to soon. I don't exactly struggle getting the ball in the air, so I'm wondering if a club that is made to elevate the ball with a higher launch is right for me. Will I end up getting to much elevation? I'm hoping to hit them soon, I've found a lot of good deals on line but I'm having a hard time finding a store that has them in stock...

[badfish74]

I would second the notion that it is better to go and try some different sets out before making a decision.

When I was looking to upgrade my irons I had a few sets in mind but ended up going with an Adams RPM3 set that was almost $100 under my anticipated budget.  Really was between them and a Wilson Staff set I like, but the moral is that they were two brands that weren't even on my radar when I started shopping.  You could find something that feels great for a very good price.

 

[Duffmeister]

Just switched to RocketBladez HL this year and it's made a huge difference in my game. I was playing Nike Pro blades and doing okay but dealing with the squirrely shot once in a while. One thing I find with the GI clubs is that the bigger softer faces give you so much more control and when I got on the launch meter compared the RocketBladez the RB Z it was almost a night and day difference. I was able to get a heck of a deal from golfsmith  on demo clubs just about like brand new...300 bucks for a set 4 to gap. Shop around and watch for demo days at some of your local golf courses. it took me 6 months to make up my mind because once you buy them they're going to be your best friends for several years.

Edited June 6, 2016 by Duffmeister

[Rip62]

Don't buy clubs without trying them first. Reviews and getting advice on a site like this can be very helpful but nothing beats seeing which clubs actually work best with your swing.

[Duffmeister]

I wholeheartedly agree. Take your time and evaluate all options

[WUTiger]

If you're trying TaylorMade clubs, see if you can find a set of SLDR irons. These are my backup set of irons - mainly because they're not in my bag this month. I like them except I would probably need to have the shaft lengthened a tad to put them in "first place."

Some people claimed the RBZ irons had a bit of problem with hot spots on the face - different distance yield depending on where on face you made contact.

If you get the chance, give the SLDRs a try.

Callaway XHot and XR irons also are worth trying out.