NativeTxn

I like the FJ WeatherSoft. I don't know whether they would meet your "thin" requirement (though I don't know what you consider thin), but they are soft and durable. And you can't beat the price. I just bought a 3 pack for $24.

Going in the order that is2linda suggests, which is a good order, I'll just throw some brands and options at you that you can research, and should be good for beginners (I'm throwing in a range of prices depending on how much you want to spend - however, there are some great deals out there so you could still buy new and not be out a heck of a lot if you decided golf wasn't for you). Regardless, used always remains an option: IRONS 1) Taylormade R7 2) Wilson Staff Di9 and Ci7 (Di9 should be more forgiving than Ci7, but both are geared toward game improvement, and both can be had new for under $400) 3) Callaway X-20 or X-22 (X-20 is the older model and less expensive right now, though some will say that the X-22 is a performance step up from the X-20, and some will say they can't tell much difference) 4) Ping G10 5) Mizuno MX-100 (you could consider the MX-950 too) 6) Cleveland CG7 7) Nike Slingshot 8) Cobra SZ 9) Taylormade Burner 10) Callaway Big Bertha If you know for sure that you will commit yourself to becoming better over time (i.e. lessons, practice, etc.) then you may be better off with game improvement irons (examples from above: Cally X series, Ping G10, Wilson Ci7). If you simply want to go hang out with your friends and hack around and do not have the desire, time, or resources to take lessons and practice and attempt to become a better player, then you might want to focus on Super Game Improvement irons (examples from above: Cally Big Bertha, Mizuno MX-100, Wilson Di9). You can also look into hybrids to replace your harder to hit long irons (3i, 4i, and for some the 5i). They are sort of in between a wood and an iron in theory. For most people, they are easier to hit than long irons and will help get the ball up higher. Some sets you can buy already have hybrid clubs in the set (examples: Mizuno MX-950, some of the Adams sets, and there are others too). A good place to begin your search/learning process (for all equipment) is Golf Digest's Hot List ( http://www.golfdigest.com/equipment/...index_20090608 ). It's not an end all, be all, but it is a good jumping off point. PUTTERS A putter is a very personal thing, so you just need to go to a retail store and hit all different types - blades and mallets included to see which works best for you. You can spend anywhere from $50 to $300 on a putter. But you also have to keep in mind that you will typically use it between 30 and 50 times during a round (especially when you are just getting started). Many people will tell you it is worth splurging on a putter for several reasons. Again, it is the club that you will use the most during a round. The technology doesn't change a whole heck of a lot over the years. And you can use a putter for a long time without it getting banged up or wearing out. WEDGES Whatever iron set you buy should at least come with a pitching wedge. Beyond that, you can look at gap wedges (usually 48-53* range), sand wedges (usually 54-58* range), and lob wedges (usually above 58*). All of them serve different purposes, and you don't need to have all of them. In fact there are some threads on here and other forums where there are discussions that carrying 2 wedges (in addition to your PW) may be perfectly fine because you don't have to overthink what wedge to use on a certain shot because you have too many wedges. As a matter of fact, I'm considering going from a 52/56/60 wedge setup to a 52/58 setup. I rarely use my 60* and a 58* can be used effectively out of the sand. In any event, wedges are important because they are the clubs you use from 100 yards and in, which is the area that separates ok players from the great players. They are versatile clubs, and there are a decent amount of options out there. DRIVERS/FAIRWAY WOODS A lot of people may recommend starting with a 3W for off the tee and not using a driver until you get consistent with fairway woods. Drivers are the hardest club in the bag to hit - it's the longest club, and the longer the club, the more difficult it is to control. Regardless of what you do in that regard, the best idea is still to go hit many different kinds and see what works for you. Everyone on here will have their different opinions on equipment, but you should only use those opinions as a research tool because golf and golf equipment is such a personal matter that you have to find what works up for you because what works for me may not work for the next person and what works for 10 people may not work for you. At the end of the day, there are LOTS of choices out there, in every category of equipment, so if you are able, the best approach is to do some research and go to a golf shop and hit as many clubs as you can that are suited for your type of game. Then see which works best for you. The BEST thing you could do if you are serious about improving as a player is to start taking some lessons - before you engrain any bad swing habits (or at least to where it will be relatively easy to fix bad swing habits. If that isn't your goal, go hit some clubs, see which ones work for you, try to find a good deal, and go have fun with your friends. Hope this offers you a starting point to build from. Good luck and have fun in your search!

Would the Hogan Apex Edge irons (2006 version) be considered game improvement irons? Pocket backs? Player's cavity backs? Something else entirely? Thanks.

Is there anywhere that buys back, or trades, unused, brand new golf balls? For example, I've been trying out several different balls lately to try to settle on one. But after trying a lot of them, I've decided that I don't care for some of them very much and do not want to use them. So I was wondering if there was anywhere that I could take them and they'd buy them back (even if for pennies on the dollar) or something like that? Or, are they just a learning experience sitting in my house for all eternity (or at least until I decide I want to go hit them into the water somewhere)?

I've played Sherrill before. Course #1 is actually supposed to be the more challenging course of the two, but they are both pretty good. I'd also recommend giving Chase Oaks a try. It's basically at Legacy and 75 in Plano (though the flagsticks actually say Allen). They have an 18-hole (Blackjack) and a 9-hole (Sawtooth) to choose from. Blackjack is a pretty tough, but quality course. It's always been in very good condition and the greens seem to be in better shape than the times I've played Sherril. It's a bit more expensive than Sherril, but I've never once had any difficulty getting a tee time there and it isn't as crowded as Sherril. IMO, Blackjack is better than course 1 or 2 at Sherril. I decided to make that my go to course out of those two after a friend of mine and I played Sherril one weekend and it was so busy and people ahead of us were playing so slow that it took us 5 hours and 15 minutes to play 18 - it was ridiculous, and the Marshalls weren't doing anything to help the situation. We played Chase Oaks the next weekend and decided that the extra $10 was worth the nicer course and fewer people.

Cool. Thanks. Any insight into what each of those columns represents and is telling us?

The difference that is first and foremost is in the manufacturing process: Cast irons are made by using a cast and pouring molten metal into it to produce the club head. Forged irons are made by taking one piece of metal and using a very high pressure stamp die and pounding that one piece of metal into the shape of a club head. As David mentioned above, forged irons tend to get dinged a bit easier because the manufacturers typically have to use softer metals in the forging process; whereas, manufacturers can use harder metals in the casting process because they simply melt them down to pour into the cast. There is probably a bit more to the manufacturing processes themselves, but this is the general idea and the most basic difference between cast and forged irons.

At my last lesson, my instructor had me turn my left foot out (I'm a right handed player) about 20* or so when we were working with the driver to help promote a better hip turn on the downswing and follow-through. So for what that is worth, and from what others have said, I think you are on a perfectly fine track.

Head to a golf store with a launch monitor in the LA area and pull a bunch of drivers (i.e. more than 3) and demo them. As a starting point, I'd say: 1) Ping G10 and G15 2) Adams Speedline and Speedline 9032LS 3) Cobra S9-1M and S9-1F 4) TM R9 460 5) Nike Dymo (Squared and Regular) 6) Cleveland Launcher and XLS Monster I know that is more than 3, but I think all of those could be possibilities for a high handicapper (a group of which I am a member). When I was looking for a new driver recently, I hit all of those (except the G15 and the Speedline 9032LS). My final 3 choices (so if you only want 3, these would be the 3 I would personally say to start with) were: 1) G10 (which is the one I bought) 2) Speedline 3) TM R9 Regardless of which one you end up choosing, as a high handicapper, the loft is rather important. You should probably get a loft of at least 10.5* - some people may tell you to go up to 11.5* or higher. I got the G10 with a 10.5* loft. Also, as you are testing, if they have each of the models with different shafts, try as many different shafts as they have available to try to determine which one is best suited for your swing. Good luck in choosing, and have fun.

Is there a site or a list somewhere that lists all (or at least a majority) of the balls and their compression specifications? Maybe something similar in nature to the Maltby Playability Factor, but for golf balls?

I agree - I like Srixon a lot. I've tried both the AD333 and the Soft Feel (I have a sleeve of Trispeed that I hope to try out this weekend). I liked both, and after I'm done "experimenting" with different balls, the Soft Feel may be my ball of choice - it's at the top of the list at the moment.

I also have the X-22s, but my set was 4-PW, so I bought different wedges to go with it. Unless you just really love the X-22s in the shorter clubs, there would be nothing wrong with putting a Vokey in your set.

What clubs do you play?

I'm not in the market for these particular irons, but I was browsing Sports Authority online and I know that I've read on here that a lot of people think the Bridgestone J36s are great irons. In any event, it appears that Sports Authority has them for $399 new. http://www.sportsauthority.com/produ...entPage=family Not sure if this is a new price drop, or if someone has already posted about this, but it looks like Golfsmith still has them online for $799 so I thought I'd give everyone a head's up. Sorry if this is old info. . .

Nike's website lists them as Women's balls ( http://www.nike.com/nikegolf/ ). Golfsmith's website also lists them as women's balls. However, if a man hits them well, I suppose you should and could go with them.

I'm just judging from my own experience of hitting different drivers in launch monitor bays - all of the ones I've hit are very enclosed spaces. From my experience, the Cleveland XLS is the loudest thing I've ever heard - it is the only one that has ever actually hurt my ears (at least to the point where I said to myself "that hurt"). I recently hit the G10, Cobra S9-1, and the Adams Speedline in a launch monitor, and I didn't think that any of these were particularly loud, personally. I would venture a guess to say that while decibels are the main way to tell if something is louder than something else, I think that the pitch of that sound is important too. I'm not an audiologist so I can't say for sure, but like I said, having hit many drivers in pretty enclosed spaces in the last month or so, other than the XLS, none of them have actually made me say "that hurt my ears"

Try the Ping G10. I just switched from the TM Tour Burner because it was a 9.5* and my instructor said (and I also gathered from reading a lot) that a 10.5* or 11* would be better for my skill level (similar to yours). So far, I like it. Seems very forgiving and sound is pretty good (definitely not obnoxious).

First, it seems to me that Golfsmith often has used sets and clubs that are more expensive than the same set or club new (or if not more maybe only a little bit less). Makes no sense to me at times, but I'm sure that the used clubs prices are set somewhere and they more or less have to follow them based on condition, etc. So, I'm not surprised that the used set of TPs was more than a new set. Second, who gives a sh** if the store associate was going to buy them or not. Quite honestly, I'm sure he can get a set just fine, and in my opinion, that should not factor into your decision in any way, shape, or form. Third, it may not be a bad idea to hit the ones you got on the bay to see if you like them or not before you hit the TPs. That way, as you said, you could return the TPs for a full refund during the return period. Plus, I'm not sure if at $400 they meet the price requirement to fit under the 90/90 playability guarantee, so if you did hit them and wanted to take them back, it might only work out under the trade-in program. In any event, sounds like you got a couple of solid deals no matter what your final choice is (especially since on Golfsmith online, the r7 TPs show up at $699 new).

I took Golfsmith up on their offer of 2 for $99 - figured that it was a hard deal to pass up, and even if they weren't that great, I wasn't out a lot of money. I got a 52/8 and a 60/8 in the gunmetal finish. So far, I like them - they come stock with the Golf Pride DD2 grips, which is nice (at least I think it is). Can't comment yet on their durability, as I've only had mine about a month or so.

At a 16 HC, I'd think you'd want to stay away from anything that would be considered truly Super GI, such as the Big Bertha. As WUTiger mentioned, try out the X-22s. I love mine. But I'd also recommned trying the R7s, Mizuno MX-200s, and several others before you make a final decision. Hit as many as you can. It may be that you come back to the Cobras (or the BBs for that matter), but you may find something you like better. In the end, I'm sure the BBs would suit you fine, but at your HC, I'd think you'd likely get more mileage from a GI set, as opposed to a Super GI set. P.S. There is nothing wrong with Cobra's in my humble opinion (though I am by no means even close to an expert). I hit a couple different Cobra sets when I was looking for new irons a few months ago and liked them, but others just worked better for me. One suggestion would be to spend a couple weeks (or more) hitting different models from different manufacturers and narrowing it down from there. Take 5 or 6 (or more) different models into the launch monitor with you, and narrow it down to 2 or 3. Then come back and hit those same 2 or 3 a different day to see if the results vary. Also, throw in some of the ones that you kind of liked, but maybe not as much as the others on prior occasions, because maybe you like them better the next time around. Reason being, you may be just grooving with one brand/model on a given day and think it's the greatest ever, and the more you're hitting the more fatigued you become so the ones you try toward the end aren't hitting as well. So, if you come back on a different day, you can see if it was from being tired, or the club just didn't work for you. Plus, if you are liking the Cobra lines, in a couple of weeks, the Cobra S2s come out, and they look sweet (aesthetically at least)! Don't know how they hit of course, but it might be worth holding off until September to at least take a look at them. One other thing to try to do is to take several different brands into the launch monitor with you, and then pull randomly (or as randomly as possible) and try NOT to see or figure out which brand or model it is - just start hitting it. Then see which feels best without having the name on the club consciously (or unconsciously) swaying your decision. I know that can be hard to do at time because some of them put the names on the grips, etc., but it's worth a try to avoid being tempted into choosing a club because of the name attached to it even if it isn't the one best suited for you. My $0.02

He was playing the R7 TPs, which are designed more for lower handicappers than the "regular" r7s. http://www.golfdigest.com/golfworld/...ersbag20090816 http://www.golfsmith.com/products/TM...h_Steel_Shafts So Golfsmith's front page link regarding Yang's winning bag is part right in that he used r7s, but the link takes you to the "regular" r7s and not the r7 TPs that Yang used.

Hard to find a better all-around deal than the Cleveland, IMO (but only if it works for you, of course).

I've played with the Slazenger Onyx (though it didn't last long) - mine was a 52/8. If you end up thinking that you'd go with the Slazenger, I suppose it's fine, but I'd recommend spending $20-$30 more (if possible) to get a Snake Eyes, or one of the Nike SV Tours (that are on sale), or even one of the Clevelands that some of the people have plugged. If going above $40 is not an option, the Slazenger would be fine. I can't comment on any of the others, as I haven't played them.

My sand wedge is a Snake Eyes 685BX - black finish. http://www.golfsmith.com/products/CC...nake_Eyes_Grip I bought it assembled at Golfsmith and it was $70 (no $80 like in the link). If you are adept at clubmaking, you can buy the components and possibly come out under the $70 for the assembled one. So far, I like it a lot. Mine is 56/14.

Does anyone know of any golf clubs around the Dallas area that require an annual fee for unlimited play, unlimited driving range, etc. (or something close to that), but that do not have monthly fees. Something like the premiere annual pass on this website: http://twinwellsgc.com/golf/proto/tw...membership.htm There are a lot of country clubs, but I was wondering if anyone knows of any clubs similar to the one I described above. Thanks.