ScruffyScraper

Because I prefer to play without a glove, I only use wrap-style, synthetic leather grips. Presently, I'm going with WINN Excel RF grips, but I've had plenty of clubs with Golf Pride Tour Wraps and they work fine for me too.

Since my nine iron is an old fashioned (weak lofted) 46°, I go with a 51-6 pitching wedge, a 56-8 gap wedge, a 61-4 lob wedge, and a dedicated sand iron that I don't play from the turf except in deep rough. However, I suck with the 61-4 and should go with a 52-6 and a 58-6 instead of the set of three (excluding the sand club) that I have now. That would get me down to thirteen clubs and I can't think of anything I'd want to add. Perhaps twin drivers with open and closed faces. My present setup is described in detail on my thread about it being hard to find good clubs for seniors with a little game. http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26039

I'll admit to not liking the billboard headcovers that come free with the woods. I've got a big rubber tub almost full of them taking up space. I've presently got Travis custom knit covers on my fairway woods and, although I'm a Beagle guy off the course, a Great Dane headcover for the "big dog." As much as I love beagles, a beagle headcover doesn't look very ferocious and would only make me miss my buddy and want to go home.

Red dot for me when I played Ping gear. Just a little bit flat of standard.

I've been playing Bridgestone B330-RX balls which I like well enough, but I honestly don't think that they're worth the extra money. For me, Top Flite Gamers perform very similarly at a more reasonable price. I will try a couple of sleeves next time I purchase golf balls, and if I still don't see a difference, I'll go back to the Gamers permanently. At least for me, they seem like a very good ball for the money.

All of the OEMs make clubs for seniors as though all seniors were high handicappers and/or beginners. What about senior players who have skills but reduced flexibility and swingspeed? I am a 63 year old player in my 51st season of golf playing to an 8.3 index. It is impossible for me to buy modern clubs from a major OEM or component manufacturer. I can only buy gear fitted by high end boutique clubmakers who charge ludicrous prices. This is what the OEMs make for seniors--modern strong lofts that don't correspond to the number/loft correlations with which seniors are accustomed, upright lie angles and closed faces on metalwoods as if all seniors slice, and loft increments that are too close together for a senior's swingspeed. As a public service, here are my custom specs (13 clubs, all except putter)for OEMs to use so they won't continue to look as thoiugh they don't have a clue, which sadly, they don't. WOODS driver: 14° loft, 55° lie, 1° open face, 44" strong fairway wood: 18.5° loft, 56° lie, 1° open face, 42½" lofted fairway wood: 23° loft, 56.5º lie, 1º open face, 42" IRONS / WEDGES 5-iron: 26° loft, 60.5° lie, 38" 6-iron: 31° loft, 61° lie, 37½" 7-iron: 36° loft, 61.5º lie, 37" 8-iron: 41° loft, 62° lie, 36½" 9-iron: 46° loft, 62.5° lie, 36" pitching wedge: 51º loft, 63° lie, 6° bounce, 35½" gap wedge: 56° loft, 63° lie, 8º bounce, 35½" lob wedge: 61° loft, 63º lie, 4° bounce, 35½" UTILITY IRONS: dedicated driving iron, 19° loft, 59° lie, 39½" dedicated sand iron: 59° loft, large oval face, very curved leading edge Professional clubmakers and fitters, your comments would be very welcome. post script: Woods have UST ProForce V2 75 HL (R-flex) shafts. Irons and wedges have Aldila NV Pro 105 (R-flex) shafts Grips are Winn Excel RF

Thank's, but of course, I really wish that my GAME had the "10" Wow Factor instead!

Mizuno forged irons are the best major OEM forged irons in my opinion, but it's only my opinion, and I don't play major OEM irons. If I did, I'm guessing MP-57s. In fact, I think sister company Cobra's forged irons are nicer than Titleist's present offerings--again, just opinion, though. Titleist erred greatly, in my view, by discontinuing their DCI investment cast stainless steel line. So many of the stainless irons are absolutely butt-ugly today, looking almost like brightly colored children's toys. I think a progressive set starting out with DCI Black OS+ long irons morphing to DCI 962 shorter irons would probably be a successful offering. And to me, more appealing than Mizzy's MX series.

This is really hard to do. All of the equipment mentioned is good for somebody. Whether it's best for the person playing it is the issue. I don't have a major OEM driver because I couldn't find one with the loft/lie/face angle combo with which I feel confident. All the hi-loft ones were too upright and had hooked faces. I'm sure that they're good for somebody if not me. I have wooden fairways because for $50.00 extra per stick, I could get the exact specs that I wanted. Can’t do that with metal. There are several major brand steel fairways out there with which I could probably play, but my Louisvilles take away all the excuses. They fit like a glove, are the lofts that I want, so there are no extraneous thoughts interfering with my shot. The published specs on my irons matched almost exactly the specs of the Kenneth Smith Royal Signet customs that I played before when I still hit steel shafts. Very little tweaking was required. But I had to have the 3-PW set custom numbered 2-9 to match the loft/number correlations with which I was accustomed. For me, the set has to be close to a ten. I’m playing to an 11.3 USGA index and 10 home course handicap as of last season’s close, and at this stage of my life, I’d say that was pretty good.

Good enough to play my own gear? I'm really screwed if I'm not. Most of it was made on my back. What would the next step be, bowling?

The next addition to my gear will be some new chrome. I'm having my irons stripped, re-chromed, and rebuilt. Steel will be welded and ground over the stampings so that the 3-PW are re-stamped 2-9 and a (probably psychotic) hangup that I've had for a long time will finally be put to rest. No more complaining about modern lofts, even if they are just numbers. What the OEMs won't do fo you, you have to have done by somebody else.

In my experience, the vinegar soaking regimen is only effective if you also add a little olive oil and parsley.

I would like equipment with modern technology and materials built to 1960 mechanical specifications. Modern irons are at least a full club too strong lofted. Modern drivers are too upright (overcompensation for shaft droop) and have closed face angles in the higher lofts. Modern fairway woods are too strong lofted and sometimes too upright as well. Any of the top brand names could make for me, from their current models, a dream set if the specs were right--right from initial forging and grinding, not from bending that affects sole playability. Whether it makes sense or not, I care what number is stamped on the bottom of the club. I want it to match what it was before. Driver: 14°, 1° open, 44", 55° lie 4-wood: 19°, 1° open, 42½", 56°lie 5-wood: 22°, 1° open, 42", 56.5° lie Driving iron: 19°, 39¼", 59º lie 4-iron: 26°, 38⅝", 60° lie 5-iron: 30°, 38", 61° lie 6-iron: 34°, 37⅜", 61.5° lie 7-iron: 38°, 36¾", 62° lie 8-iron: 42°, 36⅛", 62.5°lie 9-iron: 47°, 35½", 63° lie PW: 52°, 35½", 63° lie, 7° B LW: 58°, 35½", 63° lie, 4° b dedicated sand iron: very curved leading edge putter: 34", not offset Wouldn't seem to be that hard, would it?

If your present clubs are from recent years, those lofts will likely be similar. If they're from before the mid-eighties, the new clubs will be a full club stronger.

The clubhead looks as though it's made for full swings as well as chipping, but the club is shorter and much more upright than either 8 or 9 irons--in that regard, it's like a chipper. It might work for some, but couldn't possibly work for me. It would feel awkward to me.