hrspear

Beung, thanks for the info. Actually I don't have a handicap yet, one more round to get one. I estimated the 42 based on typically shooting mid to high 50's over 9 holes (no mulligans or gimmes), no 18 hole rounds yet. Some background, I started playing last year, did 10 private lessons last season. I am continuing that path this season...typically get to the range once a week, and then alternate playing and lessons (play one weekend, 1 hour private lesson the next, play the next, etc.). I was perfectly happy with my driver, it's a Cobra 400SZ offset with senior flex graphite shaft, well, I could tell the shaft was too flexible for me (when I get comfortable and swing freely I feel like the head is way behind my hands) but it wasn't really bothering me. My teaching pro noticed it and said I should replace it at the end of the season. I'm not looking for a new driver to take strokes off, I'm more concerned with establishing a good swing. I'll happily wait til fall and get a demo driver if this one isn't going to create problems with my swing that I have to fix later. I'll ask my teaching pro at my next lesson if I need to be concerned.

Is my current driver likely hurting my swing development? That's the only reason I'd pull the trigger now. I'm not hunhappy with it, I just don't want to have to break a bunch of bad habbits. Thanks for your help with this.

I demoed the AP1's, AP2's, and the MX-25's. At least I think the Mizunos were the MX25, not 100% sure though. I liked the Mizuno's a lot, but they were heavy to the point I found it distracting. I hit the Titleists better and was more comfortable with them. I wound up going with the AP1's and love them. They have a great feel, which was important to me because I'm learning the game and want feedback so I can improve. They're pretty forgiving, at least in comparison to the blades I was learning on before. And my instructor took a few swings and found them to be pretty workable for a game-improvement iron.

I started playing last year. Gear-wise everything was free, irons were 20+ years old. My father-in-law who is a gear junkie gave me a driver, 3 and 5 wood, a putter and a sand/gap wedge. All very nice. I replaced the irons this spring with AP1's which I love. The woods seem fine, regular flex Cobras, probably 3 years old. The driver is a Cobra as well, same vintage, but it's offset and has a senior flex shaft which is very whippy. I don't have a really fast swing yet, but it definitely seems soft. I hit it well enough that I usually have 2-3 drives over 9 holes that I am really happy(straight and far) with, and only 1-2 drives that I'm really unhappy with (mis-hits that would probably be bad with any driver). I take a semi-private lesson about every other week and my instructor mentioned that I should replace the driver at the end of the season when I can get a good deal. My question is, is my current driver set up going to cause me to develop bad habbits, or am I ok waiting til fall when demos will go on sale?

I hit Mizunos when I was getting fitted, can't remember which ones though, the MX25's I think. They were my third favorite (AP2, then AP1's, but basically tied, then the Mizunos), had great feel. But they seemed really heavy compared to all of the other clubs I tried, to the point it was distracting. I probably would have gotten used to it, but I'm happy with my AP1's.

Stow Acres... http://stowacres.com . Only a mile away, 36 holes and a driving range.

I actually hit the AP2's better than the AP1's. But, based on the higher price and the fact that as a new golfer, started last year, something more forgiving made sense I went with the AP1's. I love the feel, and they look much better than the hodge-podge of blades that I had been playing with (mostly 20-30 year old Rams that looked like someone had used the heads to smash rocks).