Greg15

I came here to post something similar but after searching first I found this thread. I am only really a beginner, I have been playing about a year now, but only about 6 months of that have I been properly "training" rather than just hacking. Lately I have been keeping a training notebook. I take it to the range and note down each shot, writing a dot for a shot I would be happy with on the course, and an x for a bad shot.Anything that would hit the theoretical green I am imagining (my range doesn't have exactly defined target greens, just distances) or just off is considered OK, and anything which slices/hooks or isn't hit clean is an x. I also note down what went wrong with the shots that go awry, and at the end I will write down lessons I have learned, what went right or wrong, and work out the percentage of good shots. Lately it has varied from 80-90%, and usually the difference between an 80 and a 90 is just one or two balls. I find it helpful because knowing I am headed for a high percentage adds pressure, so I'm not just standing there whacking balls. It also means I will practice each swing and think about whether I am too steep/shallow or whatever might be going wrong. I am finding it a good way to take the range a bit more seriously than most people I see there. Usually I will start with the PW, then move gradually (one or two balls for each club) through to the driver until I consider myself warmed up, ironing out anything which is going wrong along the way. Once I get to the driver I imagine that I am on the course, and will hit driver, then an iron, varying the length of the iron relative to how long I am imagining the hole is. I will do this until I have a few balls left and then finish off with the PW again, thinking about what I have learned today. I have found a journal is very good for recording how well all this works out.

I have read a bit about the merits of getting fit, and for a sport so dependent on good body mechanics I think it seems bizarre not to want your clubs to work every bit with your body rather than against it. I don't know what your definition of getting fit is necessarily but when I bought my irons it involved trying out several sets, measuring the launch, spin, roll, smash factor etc. Also fitting the right shaft weight, lie angles etc. At least as far as these things go (especially as it was free at my local shop) I don't see why you wouldn't get it done.

If you're saying that only 25% of your shots with these irons are successful, I personally think you should either trade them in or sell them, or buy another set until you improve. From my limited knowledge there are game improvement irons which still give you a little more control than most. But most importantly the game is supposed to be fun, and only hitting 25% of your iron shots sounds far from fun.

Thanks for all the very helpful replies. I posted this because I wanted opinions but was slightly leaning towards the putter option. However, after reading all your replies and reasons I'm convinced that driver is probably the better option for the following reasons (in case anyone cares) - I think it would be more valuable to have a driver I am comfortable with and can pick up and swing without too much thinking than a putter because the consequences of a bad drive are, as many of you pointed out, far greater than the consequences of a bad putt. - Even though the putter is the one club used on every hole there are so many things that can prevent a putt from being accurate, such as misreading the green, a slight variation in the grass. In other words the cost of bad drives if far higher than that of bad putts. In the long run I think I'll replace both but I think I'll start with the driver. Quote: At this point in the game, getting "fitted" might be a waste of money. I see where you're coming from but I thought that if buying new equipment I might as well buy something appropriate for my swing speed etc. Fitting for my irons was free and I would sooner have one less thing to blame for the average shots!

I have just played my first round with my new fitted R11 irons. Through a combination of the better equipment and practice, I managed a 91 when my previous best was 98. I have been playing about 10 months and constantly improving but now wondering, if fitted irons can make so much difference, how much different having all fitted clubs would make. I am currently using counterfeit (as in branded Taylormade but actually rather poor copies) R5 woods (1, 3, 5) and a fake taylormade putter (inherited from grandfather) with my genuine R11 irons. Having these clubs together in the same bag seems blasphemous, and I plan on gradually replacing the fake clubs with real ones. My question, on which I would like some opinions, is whether a fitted putter or second hand fitted driver would be the best thing to upgrade next. Both are around the same price range. As far as my game, I am starting to come to terms with the driver, hitting it far straighter before but still struggling to be very consistent. However I can confidently say that without requiring a miracle, I can hit straight, longish shots with my driver. It's more a matter of whether I do the things I know I am meant to do each time I get to the tee box. Additionally, I consider myself an OK putter when my head is in the game, but I do struggle with the ergonomics of my putter which I think is too long for me, and I have to concentrate hard on gripping it properly and choking down on it. I know there are different schools of thought on whether drivers or putters are more important. I am hoping some people here have experience with moving to a fitted putter or driver and seeing good results. Thanks in advance.

I believe the guy that tried them out was someone my Mum knew through work, and a nice guy. I am sure he was right because when I took one into a golf shop to be fixed the owner said he didn't recognise the exact model number, and when I said it was because they were counterfeit he agreed that that was why. Thanks for the reply though.

Thanks, will take all of that into consideration. Call it counterfeit then, they are branded Taylormade. Thanks again.

When my grandfather, an avid golfer who battled cancer for a long time solely to extend his golf hobby passed away, he left all his possessions to my mother, including his "Taylormade" clubs. My mother tried to sell them but the one man who checked them out told us they were actually knock-offs or counterfeit, whatever you want to call it. This was a mixed blessing because it meant I got to keep the clubs. For someone who is still learning the ways of golf they do fine, except that I was wondering whether the fact the drive is not genuine could contribute to the poor distance I get from it. I am a fit young male of fair strength so I don't think that's the problem. Would it be worth saving for a modest, but geniune driver? Thanks