roverT7

Tigerwoo, I am just looking at these clubs because everyone sings their praises and they are cheap. [I'm a grad student with no money:(]. Get the grips replaced and they will work as well for me as any new club. Plus, I think Mizuno's are the best looking clubs, but I am not yet sold on the "cut muscle" line of clubs. So it would be cool to pick up these 2 sets in the next couple of years just to take them to the range occassionally, see how the lofts and heads affect ball flight, let my kids play with them one day, etc. ;) Just basic collector stuff. But don't worry, I also think about new sets. I cannot wait for when a set of used CG1 black pearls runs

Has anyone had the chance to play with each of these clubs enough to make a good comparison among the 3? I am currently playing the -33's, and I've enjoyed them very much. I continue to research the -14's and -29's, and I notice that some players very much prefer one of the 3 over the other two. What I know about the -14's and -29's is very basic. The lofts on the -14's are weaker than the -29's by 2 degrees, and the -14 and -33 share the same lofts on the 6, 7, and 8 irons. Othewise the -14's are 1 degree weaker than the -33's. Does anyone have any real experience to share to differentiate the clubs in areas such as feel, etc. Thanks, Rob

I absolutely love this bag: http://www.ping.com/bags_moonlite.html What's so great about it? The "standing strap". This rigid strap stays upright when you lay the bag on the ground in between shots. Therefore, you don't have to stoop to pick it up again (thereby stressing your lower back). Just grab the strap from a fully upright position and keep walking. I'll throw a 3w, 4i, 6i, 8i, pw, sw & and putter in the bag and walk 9 or 18. Super lightweight. Even better is the price. I think I paid $24 at Golfsmith. If your back really bothers you, and yet you enjoy walking, I would go with a nice cartbag and pick up a moonlite for the random rounds in which you'll carry. For the convenience, it's almost too cheap not to have one. Highly recommend it. Good luck! Rob

Twomey, Since you asked for advice, I'll give you my thoughts. As tends to happen on any board like this, I'm sure someone will disagree and tell you why I'm wrong on some point. That's cool, as I'm not any expert. Simply an enthusiast. You asked, " I've been hearing things about the Nike Blades, TM R7, Cleveland Launchers, Mizunos... What else? " - What type of clubs do you want to play? Game improvement? Player's Irons? Blades? I would recommend you start with a set of forged, cavity-back irons designed for the better player. The MP-30 is a modern example of what I am talking about. I started playing with ben hogan edge forged irons that were produced in like 1989, or something. They were my grandfather's, so the price was right:) You can pick up a set here ( http://www.globalgolf.com/product/go...edge.aspx?gd=3 ) for $40. Pretty good price, right? Sure beats dropping a grand at Golfsmith for whatever the newest fad is. Clubs like this tend to have less offset and a smaller clubface. However, they still have some perimeter weighting to help you out on offcenter shots. I think that playing this type of club will prepare you for ultimately playing blades. If blades don't interest you, getting good with these clubs should result in you being very good when you transition to more forgiving clubs in the future. I recommend you purchase a set of used clubs for ~100-300 bucks. For this price you should be able to pick up a set in good condition that was "state-of-the-art" at some point in the recent past. Titleist makes great clubs (obviously). Mizuno and Hogan do as well. Ask around and read reviews at sites like www.golfreview.com to determine what specific brand/club you think you would like. I would bet that some diligent research on a specific manufacturer will yield a short list of about 2-3 clubs, produced in the last 10 years or so, that everyone agrees were really great models. Like the manufacturer just got everything right, you know? (An example for me in the automotive world is the 1992 Honda Civic Si hatchback. This car was fast, had an amazing transmission, and was relatively cheap. Best part is that auto insurers and state troopers could not recognize what a speed-machine this car was! VW Golf VR6 from ~2003 is another example. Anyway, sorry for the tangent. I am sure you get the point.) Once you find a set that interests you, search sites like globalgolf.com, and the used section of your local stores, to try and find a bargain. I picked up my current clubs, Mizuno MP-33's, in this fashion. Any research into Mizuno will reveal that these clubs are considered by many to be their best (if not some of the best blades produced by any manufacturer, ever). Some prefer the MP-14 or MP-29, but regardless they are good enough for me! I got them used for like ~240 bucks from GolfSmith. What a steal. I don't think the previous owner even played two rounds with them! Obviously, the key point is do research and buy used! Whatever type of irons you end up with is up to you. You asked, "I plan on going to Golfsmith soon to get my specs tested out, that should determine what type of clubs, right? (such as shafts)." I think people get too worked up about shafts (and swing speed, etc). At this point, I am simply trying to make consistent contact to strike the ball with a downward blow, and to focus on proper alignment of feet, hips and shoulders to the target line. When I'm consistently hitting the ball on the sweet spot of the club face in the proper direction, I'll start comparing shafts. Until that time (which for me is probably 2 years away), I don't want to worry about shafts. If you are of average build, and you go the used club route, stick with Dynamic Gold S300. There is a reason they are the most popular shafts ever. I am sure you will hit them just fine. Tinker with shafts in the future when everything else about your swing is a constant. My 2 cents. You asked, "I also plan on getting a hybrid. Hybrids take the place of high irons right? Or do they take the place of woods? I should still get a 3 wood?" One of my best friends is a scratch golfer who played US Amateur's and had a scholarship in college. He has replaced his 2-iron with a hybrid. Many on this board and the various tours use hybrids as well. So there is obviously a benefit to them. I've never used one, simply because I want to be able to hit the long-irons before I actually replace them. This goes back to the above philosophy, but it is probably pretty foolish/hard-headed. Hybrids are likely the wave of the future. Replace your 2, 3, and 4 irons with them if you like. I just think it is cool, and a challenge, to hit the clubs that players hit in the past. (Kinda like how in North Shore, Chandler made Rick become proficient with the oldest and largest surf boards first, before he would let him try his hand at the newest boards. Sorry, another tangent.) However, one benefit of hybrids, you can buy used 1-irons and 2-irons for dirt cheap. Try hitting a 1-iron blade on the range! (I'm sure you know the old Lee Trevino joke.) I'd stick with a 3-wood, because it is a handy club off of the tee. In fact, get real friendly with your 3-wood. Nothing better than being able to turn to this club on the tee, confident that you can hit a solid shot, when you have to hit a tight fairway. Hit as many as you can until you find one you are comfortable with. I mentioned the F-50 in that prior post, and others mentioned some good choices as well (specifically, the cleveland launcher comes to mind). I also liked the Nike NDS 3w when I was starting out. Easy club to hit, I thought. I'll probably keep my 3w until the thing literally falls apart. (Finding a good 3-w is like finding an honest mechanic. Stick with it!) You asked, "I was thinking D, 3w, 5w, 3h, 4h, 5i, 6i, 7i, 8i, 9i, PW, a 52d/54d wedge, SW 60d, P. That sounds right?" I'd skip the 5w, particularly if you go with a hybrid. However, I have found that practicing with a 5w off of the deck is a good way to learn how to ultimately hit your 3w off of the fairway. (hope that makes sense.) So, if you can find a used 5w which is the same model as the 3w you ultimately settle on, it will probably be good to practice with when you haven't played in a while, or if you are having trouble hitting your 3w on approaches into par-5's. With regard to wedges, I recommend you get 4. You PW will likely be around 48 (depending on the age of your clubs/choice of manufacturer. Older clubs were less lofted than many of today's clubs, and some man's just use weird lofts.) Most people recommend 4 degrees between clubs, so if you have a 48 PW you can get a 52 gap wedge, 56 sand wedge, and 60 lob wedge. If you decide to only carry 3 wedges, drop the lob wedge from your bag first, because it's the hardest to hit and will get you in the most trouble. But it is a very useful club to have in your bag, in my opinion. My recommendation for the driver is the same as with the other clubs. Buy a used model from 2-4 years ago. I hit a titleist model that is like 6 years old. Bought it cheap and I can hit it 300 yds. Why would I buy a new club? Clubmakers are always introducing new drivers. You should be able to find a cheap one that is of good design fairly easily. The good shops in my area allow you to demo a used club. Just give them your credit card number and check-out the driver, 3w, or whatever and take it to the range for a few days. If you like it, you just call them and they charge your card. If you don't like it, you just return it at no charge. (assuming you didn't scuff it or something. Must be in the same condition.) I love these guys and try to give them my business. Other stores require you to buy the club first, even if it is used, and you can only return it for store credit, or they will buy it back at 90% of what you paid. I try to never buy anything from these stores. Just FYI. Overall, I say go D, 3w, 2h, 3h, 4i, 5i, 6i, 7i, 8i, 9i, Pw, GW, SW, P. If you like switch the 2h out for a 60 lob wedge. But my main suggestion is to buy the great club designs of the past ~8 years, buy them used, play them alot, and ultimately formulate your own strategy. As you get better, trade in these clubs and buy other used models that suit you better. Take the money you've saved and get a membership to a good course that allows you to play all the time. And then play all the time. ha ha. And when you have reached the point where you are confident with your shotmaking on the course, and the results are consistent with your intentions, splurge and get fitted for a set of your dreams clubs with rifle-flighted shafts and a scotty cameron putter. If you never develop confidence in your swing on the course, at least you have saved some money:)

I couldn't agree with you both more re: sun exposure in general. I am pretty religious about sunscreen application. I use products with zinc oxide and apply them quite liberally. Face, neck, arms and ears. (Don't forget the ears!) I also wear a hat and sunglasses...always. I plan to play for a long time so I do this even if it is overcast out. I am amazed at how many golfers do not take these basic steps to protect their health and appearance, but to each his own. Two points regarding the shirt. First, spray on sunscreen does exist and application is fairly easy. Second, there is no need to wear the shirt every round, therefore you would only be inconvenienced on limited occasions. But the whole point is to get a tan in the easiest manner possible, so I wouldn't wear sunscreen on chest/back if I was wearing the shirt, anyway. Rob

Let us know what you decide. Rob

Yeah, I'm interested in these as well just because I'm tired of dark arms and neck and white chest as well. I'll spring for one and let you guys know what I think. At ~60 bucks a pop I think they are a little expensive, so I'll just get one. Hopefully the quality is good enough to last a while. Rob

http://www.cooltan.com/shirtafct.htm Does anyone know if these types of shirts work as advertised? Thanks, Rob

Titleist 983E 9.5 degree w/grafalloy prolite 35 shaft. Just got this club last week. $40 at GlobalGolf. What a monster club...very long. I'm in Alabama, and since we haven't seen rain in about a year, fairways are extremely dry and the ball rolls forever. Played the 975D before this. Can't see getting a new driver for a very long time.

Mizuno MP-33's. Bought them used in near perfect condition for $200. Before these I played a set of Ben Hogan Edge Forged circa 1989 (grandfather's set passed down). I also have a set of Hogan Medallion's from the 70's sitting in my bedroom. (Other grandfather's set.)

I just picked up a Mizuno F-50 3-wood with a stock stiff shaft. Great club. Very easy to hit off of the deck, and you can absolutely kill it off of the tee. Highly recommend it. I was playing a titleist strong 904f with a steel shaft, and I honestly think I am just as long (if not longer) with the F-50 at 15 degrees. And let me stress, again...very easy to hit it off of the deck. Also of note, I believe the sole design of the F-50 is very similar to the design of Mizuno's hybrid, the CLK Fli-Hi. I don't own one of the hybrids, but I've heard very good things and I plan to get one down the line. I am hoping there is some type of efficiency gain in playing both due to the common sole design. Just FYI. Oh yeah, I've got to add this point as well. This club is super-durable! I guess it is the composite face, but I think it is almost impossible to scuff the face/sole. For instance, I once tossed it it 15ft in the air when I released on a sloppy follow through and had it come down directly on a jagged, monster rock that was conveniently located nearby. Not a single scratch. Of course, the 20 seconds between seeing the club hit that rock (on the first 18 holes I ever played it) and realizing that it was not chipped or scratched were the longest 20 seconds of my short life. Lol. Bought it for $179 new at GolfSmith. It's actually the first new club I've ever bought. You can pick up one from GlobalGolf.com for much less. See here http://www.globalgolf.com/Product/Go...spx?gd=3∣=4 Hope this helps. Good luck! Rob Ps, You can't go wrong with a 904f, either;)