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.

Incredible! I wrote almost the identicle thing on the "wedge loft" thread. It must make sense then! _________________________________ "47° / 53° / 58° ----plus a dedicated sand iron Four wedges in what I think of in my mind as just a two-wedge system. 47° was a nine iron for most of my linkster life. It's different for younger players who grew up with modern strong-lofted irons. With my matched irons, 5-PW is 4-9 to me. I played with the classic lofts for too long not to think in the older loft / number correlations. The sand iron isn't really a part of the wedge loft progression; it's a shot-specific utility club. So in my mind, it's a 53° pitch/chip wedge and a 58º pitch/lob wedge. "

47° / 53° / 58° ----plus a dedicated sand iron Four wedges in what I think of in my mind as just a two-wedge system. 47° was a nine iron for most of my linkster life. It'd different for younger players who grew up with modern strong-lofted irons. With my matched irons, 5-PW is 4-9 to me. I played with the classic lofts for too long not to think in the older loft / number correlations. The sand iron isn't really a part of the wedge loft progression; it's a shot-specific utility club. So in my mind, it's a 53° pitch/chip wedge and a 58º pitch/lob wedge.

After struggling with today's upright lie angles and lofts stronger than I want, I just got fed up and went back to wooden fairway woods. After one round, I found myself wondering why I'd ever switched to steel to begin with. Actually, my first steel fairway woods, the first generation Taylor Mades from the early 1980s, were made to wooden club specs (see TM webpage archives). Gradually, they changed toward what we have now.

The numbers on the soles of today's irons have virtually nothing in common with the numbers on the soles of irons when numbers replaced the names like jigger, mashie, niblick, etc. This matters when choosing wedges. These are the published standard lofts for the iron set that I played in 1980 (left) compared to my present Mizunos (right): 1-iron: 18° na 2-iron: 20° na 3-iron: 23° 21° 4-iron: 26° 24° 5-iron: 30° 27° 6-iron: 34° 30° 7-iron: 38° 34° 8-iron: 42° 38° 9-iron: 47° 42° PW: 52° 47° SW: 58° na My modern pitching wedge, like all others, is a true nine iron, pure and simple. If I were to just add a sand wedge, I'd be playing without a pitching wedge.

I ride at my club, so I can't participate in the poll. But there's a pitch and putt course near where I live that I enjoy playing once in a while. I play it with 8 and 9 irons, three wedges, a sand iron, and a putter--7 clubs, which is a lot more than most of the patrons are using, but I don't care. For that, I have a little round leather trimmed canvas walking bag--sort of an early 1900s replica--that I keep in my trunk. The seven clubs barely fit. My regular gamers stay at the club's bag room during the season.

Driver: 230-245 Driving iron: 200 ... 4-wood: 210 7-wood: 195 5-iron: 180 6-iron: 168 7-iron: 156 8-iron: 144 9-iron: 132 PW: 120 53W: 108 58W: 96

I am considering the Spin Milled 58-4. Mizzy doesn't make a low bounce 58, and I think that 58° is a more useful loft-- for me, anyway--than 60. I don't like bending, because it changes the playing characteristics designed into the sole. The Cleveland 691 58° was one of my favorite wedges ever, but it's long out of production and the grooves on my old one are totally worn. Plus it had a steel shaft. When the snow finally melts, I'll try to find an opportunity to hit the Vokey. It's pretty tough to find a demo in graphite, however, and I don't play steel anymore.

I think that set configuration is important. None of the OEMs, from any continent, has recently made a driver with the loft, lie angle, and face angle combination that fits me. NOT ONE. My Nak, a high quality component brand, is the first metal driver I've had that actually fits me since the Taylor Made Original One in 1981. I've got wooden fairways because I like the weaker lofts, and I hit them well. The modern, strong-lofted five-iron is like a four-iron to veteran players who started with classic lofts. I hit mine about 180. That realistically leaves me with only two fairway shots left in my bag--a long fairway wood good for about 210 and a lofted one good for about 195. My shot dispersion makes the idea of hitting anything from further away than 210 yards (with an imperfect fairway lie) somewhat unrealistic. Thus, the 2-iron in my bag is used strictly as a driving iron, because teed up an eighth of an inch, I can hit it straighter than the 4-wood. The 4-iron in my bag is a failure of truth in advertising. It's usually not there in favor of a dedicated sand iron which is useless from the turf but better than a modern wedge from the greenside bunker. As for wedges, the irons with which I played for years had a 46° 9-iron and a 52° pitching wedge. Again, with modern lofts, now my pitching wedge is 47°. Thus, the gap wedge. That's how I configured my bag.

I think that clocked hosels are long overdue. For one thing, the OEMs' allowance for shaft droop is wildly excessive for my swing and many others. For decades, 55° was the standard lie angle for 43" wooden drivers with steel shafts. Making a more modest allowance for shaft droop, I now find 55° good for an extra inch of length out to 44". But look at how upright the OEMs make 45 and 46" drivers. That's an awful lot of shaft droop--maybe what the Iron Byron machine needs, but not me. The other thing is face angle. For years, the OEMs have been closing the faces more as the lofts go up. Try to find a generously lofted driver with an open face. I had to go to components to get one, and fortunately, I'm happy with what I've got. Perhaps now, the OEMs are beginning to realize that they weren't really offering the variety of options that they thought they were.

Although, being a*s-deep in snow, I haven't tried the new Pro V1 yet, I can honestly say that I found the previous one to be a very good golf ball. If I had found it to be any better than my $20 / doz. Top Flite Gamers, I'd have considered buying it. For my game, at least, it wasn't.