Treebound's 2017 club sort/swap/shop

[treebound]

Here is what I currently have in the bag or on standby alternate status:

Cobra Amp Cell-S 10.5* driver
TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Tour 3HL 16.5*
((TM RBZ Stage 2 Rescue 3 19*))
Cobra Baffler T-Rail 3H 19*
Cobra Amp 4H 22*
(TaylorMade Burner Rescue 5H 25*)
TaylorMade Burner irons 5-9,PW,AW
5-24*, 6-27*, 7-31*, 8-35*, 9-40*, PW-45*, AW-50*
Titleist Vokey SM4 54-11 54*
Titleist Vokey SM4 60-07 60*
Ping Karsten 1959 Craz-E putter 35"

() = alternate
(()) = beat up alternate

Alternate drivers:
Taylormade R11S, 9*, S shaft
Taylormade Burner Superfast 2.0, 10.5*, R flex

The TM Rescue 3 is pretty beat up (found it at a thrift shop) so I'll be using it on the range during the frozen months and if I decided to go whack some ice balls on the course during lunch near work. 

 

The irons I hope to upgrade from at some point this season. 

 

The Cobra hybrids I've become iffy on. In the store they seemed okay, but the time I had them in play and when I used them on the summer grass driving range they seemed just so-so for me. 

 

Not sure what I'll end up with once the playing season opens again. Budget is tight so I will watch for decent trade-ins at a couple local stores for iron sets. I did see a pair of TM Jetspeed fairway woods that looked interesting (3 & 5), but I didn't have time to hit them in the swing bay and wasn't sure what they'd replace. 

 

Anyway, just posting a shopping/upgrade thread for 2017. Feel free to comment or offer suggestions.  

[iacas]

Okay, but… which is your favorite?

[treebound]

Ram Laser 5 iron from the 1980-90's if I had to pick my best ever go-to club, but that was several decades ago when I got it. 

 

Current stuff:

drivers: the R11S is L-O-U-D, using it was "meh".

Cobra Amp Cell-S felt good in the store, but haven't used it enough to form a playing opinion of it, so I'm planning on using it to see how it plays for me. 

 

Cobra Hybrids I mentioned above. 

 

Burner irons: I can't figure out if they are the '09 or 1.0 model so I don't know if they are conforming grooves or not. The PGA site and an email inquiry were inconclusive. They play okay for me, but a SpeedBlade set I demo'd a year or two ago felt a lot better. I did have a Titleist 5iron AP2 for awhile but just couldn't settle into it. Maybe 8 or 10 years ago I tried out a Mizuno blade iron at one of the local outdoor golf demo days, and that club felt utterly fantastic, but I don't recall which model it was and nothing I've tried since in the Mizuno line has felt even close (probably just a magical club on the right day at the right time where everything clicked).

 

My two Vokeys I like, so I'm sticking with them. Same with the putter for now. 

 

The RBZ 3HL wood works for me for now, so it stays for now. 

 

I did run some Wilson Staff irons for a season or two that I bought from someone on the site here. While they were okay, I have no regrets in having passed them on to someone else. 

 

Probably more than you wanted to know.  I'm planning to head down to Golf Galaxy tomorrow which moved into the Golfsmith store location apparently and will try out a variety of clubs depending upon what they have. Worst case is I just play with the Burners this season, which wouldn't really be all that bad, and keep a casual eye open for a newer conforming iron set. 

 

Those are my current New Year's Day thoughts for now. 

 

Edit: I really wish there was a way to get signature entries showing what people are using and what they have in the bag to show up with a smartphone browser, oh well. 

Edited January 1, 2017 by treebound

[treebound]

Got down to the golf store this afternoon and test hit several options head to head. Tried the Titleist AP2, some TM RocketBladez and Speed Blade (or speed balls? Speed something), and some Callaway RAZR X Tour. 

 

I really wanted to like the AP2 but they kept losing against the others. The ones that seemed to feel and hit the nicest were the Callaways, even over the Taylormade Rocket or Speed versions. I didn't have my trade in clubs with me, and they were a little high so later this week I may go back and try them again. 

[treebound]

Almost got a set of used TM's today with graphite shafts, but when I got to looking at them real close I noticed a lengthwise razor blade cut by one of the grips running up under the grip. My assumption is that someone was heavy handed cutting off the old grips. I won't trust graphite or c/f with a slice into it, so I put them back and the search continues. 

[jmanbooyaa]

Give the Jetspeed line a try. Very solid and underrated line from TM. Plus they can be had for cheap. 

[treebound]

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll keep my eyes open. 

[treebound]

I picked up a set of used TM RocketBladez today at lunch from a local craigslist seller. Got the 5-9, PW, AW, SW in regular flex steel shafts. I plan to get them to a local range this week and hit a few buckets of balls with them to sort out the feel and distances.  I was heavily leaning towards the RSi irons and a set of Mizuno irons also kept catching my interest, but with these less than a third of what the others would have cost I went with this and now I still have a little left over to pay for a few rounds of golf and the handicap system county discount card as well.

 

I know that I have a bit more than 14 clubs listed in my signature, those will get sorted out as I figure out my distances and club preferences over the next month or three. I'm fairly sure I'll leave the TM sandwedge out of the bag.  The 5 iron will be wrestling with the hybrids and maybe a 5 wood for a slot in the bag. Or I may (probably) rotate clubs based upon how the season progresses and where I'll be playing and what the weather is and how my swing holds up or stabilizes.

 

There's my update on my 2017 bag upgrade. I'll adjust the signature a bit, and I'm not sure if anyone cares what shoes I wear so that may go away.