Hi everyone, new to this forum.
I started golfing somewhat regularly in late August and bought a Tigershark starter set on sale. I'm still learning the game but I definitely enjoy it and I intend to golf once a week-ish next year, take a lesson or two at the start of the season, and generally try to improve. My best score this year was 100 on a par 72 links-style course, to give you an indication of my current skill level. I wasn't happy with the beginner driver that came with the set, since I am 6'3" and play hockey, so the high-flex shaft didn't suit me well. I waited until my local Golf Town had a large demo days sale, where I could get slightly used clubs for 40-50% off (which was just at the start of this week) and went down there with the intention of buying a new driver and possibly some new irons if an amazing set popped up at a great price.
Long story short, I came away having put on layaway a set of Taylormade Burner 2.0 irons (4-9, P, S, A wedges), a 3 hybrid (stiff shaft) and 9.5deg Superfast 2.0 driver (also stiff shaft), all at roughly half price. I decided to put them on hold while I did some research on the clubs before I invest a lot of money in something that might not be for me. All reviews I can find online for these clubs seem positive... I'm a beginner golfer with lots of room to grow, and I don't want to get clubs that will be impossible for me to hit right now, but also that I'll grow out of really fast as I improve next year. Swinging in the simulator at the store, I found I typically had about 100-105 mph swing speed on my driver, if that helps.
Also, my brother caught the bug very late in the year. He's golfed 3 times in his life and is shooting around 115-120 on his first few attempts. He is also interested in picking up the same set of clubs I did (though 10.5 deg driver with regular shaft for him).
Basically, are these clubs a good buy for roughly $400 irons, $85 hybrid, $160 driver? Could I do better for this price with more looking? Are these clubs too advanced for someone like my brother who has only golfed 3 times before but wants to get better next year? I trust you guys know the club market way better than I do... I don't really know what to look for in irons or drivers, and I'd like a second opinion from the sales rep at the store. Any advice you can offer is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Oh, one more question: the person who got me into golfing also started this summer, but he's golfed many more rounds than me and shoots consistently better. He recently decided that over the winter he'll upgrade to Titleist AP2 irons and he bought a Titleist 912 D2 driver with a custom shaft at the very end of this season. These irons and driver are a bit out of my price range right now, but how much of an advantage will these clubs give him over the Taylormade set I'm looking to buy? Does the custom shaft in the driver really make a huge difference compared to the stock Superfast shaft in my new driver? If I'm looking to keep pace with him on the course, is my equipment already not up to the task?
