tradewind_golfer

How about the Tour Edge Exotics XLD? (The first one). Someone gave me a 12* senior shaft and I tried it out for fun. Amazingly easy to hit, straight, long enough and very forgiving. The specs say it's a square face--very rare for such a high loft. You can get them for around $150 brand new (rockbottom?) AND you get a free XLD fairway wood too.

Don't re-shaft a graphite-shafted, titanium driver with a steel shaft--trust me, I've done it twice. You'll love the first three swings with it until you notice that it's about 20 yards shorter than it was with the graphite shaft. The weighting just feels weird--think heavy shaft, light head. Just look on Ebay and find something used; preferably something that came originally with a steel shaft (975 D had a few as well as the old Cobras). Or have a club builder make you a cheap component head, weighted correctly with a steel shaft--should come out less than $100 for sure. Best of luck and let me know if you ever find the PERFECT driver!!!

I would not get your current irons re-shafted. I believe the heads were probably weighted to work with graphite shafts--if you stick steel shafts in their you might seriously mess up the balance and swing weight. Just pick up a used set of MP-14's, 33's, 37's or some Hogan, Titleist blades. You can find decent used sets for $100 to $200 on Ebay. Keep your current irons and just play around with the blades for a while. The nice thing about forged blades, is even if they're used, you can still get them bent to fit you and you won't have spent tons of money. Start by playing with just the PW-7iron or something. If you like them, switch over to the blades. But if you hit your current irons ok, DO NOT re-shaft or trade them in--just keep them in the closet until...? Trust me, I've done this and still kick myself when thinking of all the great iron sets I let go for nothing. Also, if you re-shaft, you'll still be wondering what it feels like to play blades and I bet you'll still want blades eventually anyway. Happy hunting!

I don't think they actually sell "Petite" golf clubs. Most women's clubs are 1/2 to 1" shorter than men's. My "other" is 5'2" and swings regular women's irons with no problem. Depends on how much you want to spend, but you could either buy a used set of women's irons (Mizuno, Cobra, etc...) and just grip down on the club an inch or so. The other club maker pro's on this board can correct me on this, but I think for every 1/2" shorter, your lie will be .5 degrees flatter. Or, if you're really not sure, just pick up 3 used women's irons have them cut down an inch. You won't be able to tell much of a difference between a 6 or 7 iron in the beginning anyway, and you can always move "up" to better clubs later. Good luck!

I just traded in the 588 56* SW I've been playing with for the past 14 years for a Vokey spin milled 56/10 SW. Differences: -588 does feel "softer" and has an old familiar feeling (obviously) -Vokey SM has a straighter/square (not rounded) leading edge--which helps alignment -Vokey has a touch less bounce (10* vs 12*) and seems to make a little cleaner contact on slightly fat/thin shots (the 588 could feel a bit "chunky" at times when off--flop shots especially) -Vokey SM does have a bit more spin I like the Vokey after having played the 588 for so long.

Try one of the older R5 draw versions with a regular shaft (see review on this site--well done and accurate). It definitely has some major left-bias and can be picked up for around $60 on E-bay. I played draw drivers forever thinking it would help with the fade/slice. It definitely helped; however, once you really start hitting the ball well and FULLY releasing the club, you'll get frustrated with it ALWAYS going left--or, you'll over compensate and push it way out to the right. Think about getting both a draw and a neutral version of a decent used driver (like the R5). Then E-bay the one you don't like. Also, I don't know if it's only me, but I always felt like draw-weighted drivers lost a bit of distance compared to neutral drivers??? Happy ho'ing!!!

I purchased a driver that was listed as "Used" and a "9" in terms of condition. I was surprised when I finally got it as they had sent me a brand new one instead (plastic wrap and stickers still on it). I wrote to them to thank them and thought they had made a mistake, but they were very cool and wrote me back personally just saying they appreciated my business. Three purchases from them so far, no problems at all.

Thanks, folly! I haven't been this impressed with a driver for at least the past 50 trade-ins !!! The .5* open face had me a bit concerned, but now I'm seeing there's nothing to fear...big difference--lot's of potential!

I had a 52* Carnoustie for a while. Played just fine but it felt a bit "harder" at impact than the Cleveland 588 and Vokey. Also, look up the specs because at least the 52* had pretty low bounce. Not really a "feel" wedge, but it looks good and goes good. If "soft forged feel" is what you want, you can't go wrong with the older Clevelands (haven't tried anything since the 588 though).

What kind of Wilson's are they? I had Wilson Staff blades (FG-17?) for 10 years and now wish I hadn't sold them for beer money while in college. If you want an old club to feel "brand new," just get some decent grips put on the 5-PW and they will feel much better. DO NOT buy a new "beginner" set because you'll hate them when you improve and resale value is nothing. Get a used, non-premier brand (no Callaways...). Look at Tommy Armour 845's. You can find them used on E-bay for under $100--solid solid irons. And, you can probably sell them for almost the same amount if you decide to "move up" to something later. Good hunting and welcome to the world of the club ho!

Ok, thought I owed you guys an update. The FT-5 draw was a serious draw machine. This was fine when I was just taking it easy, but once I got warmed up and started just letting it go, I was hitting some mean draws/hooks. The funny thing was, contact felt terrific, but the ball just took off straight then started turning to the left. Picked up the FT-5 Tour 10.5* neutral with the stiff E-360(?) shaft. This is definitely a "tweaked" version of the standard model. Ok, here's what I notice: 1. It's a bit heavier and feels even more "stable" throughout the swing 2. The COG does seem just a touch higher (the 10.5* tour launches a bit lower than the 10*) 3. Misses tend to be spread out more evenly left and right of center (not all left and more left like with the regular FT-5). 4. The .5* open face is hardly noticeable but perhaps subconsciously it looks like you can let it go. I never understood why guys liked square or slightly open clubs, but now I kind of understand. Distance is fantastic, impact is great, and I like the sound. I would say that anyone who fights the ball going left when really cranking one would like the tour version a little better than the regular. Thanks for everyone's input. I'm praying to the Volcano Goddess that this driver is THE ONE!!! (pleasepleaseplease!!!)

Yes, that's what I'm seeing, and the shaft is a few grams heavier, also swing weight is D3 vs. D2 (not sure I could tell the difference). I'm just wondering how much that 1.5* difference will make (regular FT-5 is 1* closed). Just wondering if any of you guys tried the FT-5 Tour in the DRAW version. How does that work? .5* open face and draw biased weighting. I'm hoping that it wouldn't be as wicked a "hooker" but haven't really ever tried a "tour" version driver before. Thanks for the input!

Thanks, that's good to know.

Any comments out there on the differences between the two? I picked up an FT-5 10* draw with the stiff E-150 shaft and really like it. However, I notice that I'm getting more distance and actually starting to lose balls left. (Going to the standard FT-5 in neutral bias is not an option as the the shop I trade at does not have any used ones--but they do have neutral Tour versions and draw bias Tour versions as well). I see that the FT-5 tour is .5* open and shaft is a few grams heavier. I know a lot of you guys prefer a square or slightly open face--any feedback on why you like this? I've goog'd this but can't come up with many head-to-head comparisons of the tour and non-tour version. Mahalo for any feedback!

I had ditched my T-zoid PW for a while and played a Cleveland 588 RTG 49* special. Had it bent to 47* but found that there wasn't enough bounce--so had it bent back. A few weeks ago I traded it (and half a closet full of club ho trophies) in for a new driver. Playing the matching PW from your set has the feeling that you're hitting an iron, whereas playing a wedge-like PW is obviously more like a wedge. If you want more feel around the green, you should try the MP-T. However, if you want consistency with full shots down to 100-125 yrds, I would just stick with the MP-57 PW--it's a very nice club and probably a touch more forgiving than a blade wedge. Good hunting!

I don't see how it's different than seeing guys "chop" the newest drivers out there over the fence (ON THE SIDE) of the range. Also, what's your goal in playing golf? Just the score alone? Same as some other guys here, I started on Wilson blades (FG-17?) 23 years ago. Went through 845's, I-3's,..., and back to T-zoids. I play a blade(like) iron simply because of the reward I get when I catch one pure. I am also very happy for someone when I see them catch a blade super pure on the range--because I know the feeling and can relate!

Any recommendations on 3-woods which are either totally neutral or open (no draw bias at all)? I'm buying a 3-wood for a good friend of mine who is a solid ball-striker, 2 handicap, and fights the hooks with fairway woods. As I am the opposite (13 handicap, inconsistent, fader) I have absolutely no clue about this type of 3-wood set up. Any of you Titleist guys can recommend something? Deep face, heavy, stiff would be best...(I saw an old PT but have no idea about the set up). Thanks for any recommendations!

You should just have one or two of the clubs bent first to see if you like it. I had my T-zoid pros bent 2* strong and 2* flat (only 6-9 irons) and it makes a BIG difference. My first reaction to having them bent strong was that the feeling at impact was much different--felt a bit "thin." I don't know about distance increase actually--sometimes the higher ball flight actually makes the irons fly a bit farther. I also have a set of MP-14's that are 2* weaker than today's standards. They actually fill my gaps between SW (90 yrds) up to 5 iron (165ish) quite nicely. I now use the MP-14's for 4-9 iron and the bent T-zoids are sleeping in the closet. Bending the lie was great as I'm a midget by "haole" standards and think it makes a big difference in SW-7 iron. But bending the loft has a big impact on bounce--if you like the way your irons "bounce" when you strike the ball well, you shouldn't mess with the lofts. Good hunting!

Totally agree. Get a 19* 5-wood, try something titanium with a graphite shaft if you want more distance. The 5-wood is MUCH easier to hit off a variety of lies than the 3-wood and may go as far due to better launch...

I play the T-Zoid Pro irons (not the Pro II). Here's what I tried in the past 2 years since starting again after a 5-year break: Wilson Fatshaft cast (crap) MP-29's (tough to hit) Ping Eye 2 (easy to hit, too much offset) Cleveland quadpro (easy to hit, no feel) Wilson Fatshaft RM forged (see Fatshaft above) Mizuno Grad (pretty good, but were cut too short by previous owner) Ping I3 o-size (pretty good, but lacking that forged feel) MP-33's (still a blade, tough to hit) MacGregor M-565 (ok, but a bit clunky feeling) Ended up getting the T-zoids used for $99. What a deal. Re-gripped (which cost more than the clubs) and couldn't be happier. The T-zoid Pros feel almost like a blade (just a bit less "substantial" when struck--but super crisp) and are a bit more forgiving--could be mental though. I remember when these came out around 97(?) or so, really wanted them but couldn't afford them. I've had these for 6 months and wouldn't go to anything else. Not much a difference between the Pro and the Pro II's. Looks like you already have the Pros. The only other model I was interested in but couldn't find was the T-zoid Trues. A long time ago golfsmith or someone had these in the back of a mail catalog for some ridiculously low price--but now they're hard to find on E-bay. These were pretty cool and were more muscle back than the pro's--but you may as well just pick up some MP-33's or 37's if you want a blade. Happy hunting!

If you don't have that much money to spend, I wouldn't buy anything new. When you get better, and you will, you will regret having paid big $$$ for game improvement stuff. Cheap, quality recommendations: 1. Get a set of decent irons first Best deal: Original Tommy Armour 845's (used around $50-$100 for the set)--these are still awesome irons that you can grow into. My buddy is a 5 handicap and still uses these. This is a quality set of irons that you can really learn a lot on and not break the bank. 2. Get a BIG ASS driver Easy to hit and cheap: Taylormade R5 (used around $70-$100). Get a 10.5* as it's a high launch driver. Again, you can pay pay $300 and get fit for a driver when your swing is consistent enough for it and you have a better-paying job --Skip the 3 wood for now. If you're hitting the 5 wood well, then you'll be disappointed with the extra few yards of the 3 wood. Just get the big used driver and you'll have fun learning to bomb it. You DO NOT need to carry 14 clubs. --Trust me and listen to the other club ho's here, your lust for better and newer equipment will only get worse the longer you play. Save money by not buying new game improvement clubs and starter sets, get quality used stuff, and just play!

Anybody see the clinic on Golf Channel last night? Interesting that Tiger said, with modern balls (and equipment) a fade actually goes farther than a draw--with the driver at least. Reason being that modern balls spin less (hence, less back spin than fades of yesteryear) and stay in the air longer than a draw. I've always hit a fade for the past 20 years, but have been working on drawing the ball the past few months. I notice that occasionally I rip a draw pretty far (260 is FAR for me), but you kind of have to stay behing it. Whereas with the fade, it feels like you can just go after it. It does seem that I can get more distance with a fade, but I thought it was just because it was my habit/confidence. Any experience with this? It's pretty much contradicts what is usually said about draw/fade and distance...

thanks for the tips. actually, i shot a lifetime low last Tuesday--73!!! It was a weird experience. didn't feel like i was playing really well, but my mishits weren't very bad. did exactly what folks have been talking about on this thread and all of it worked. the putter was red hot, 27 putts. funny thing is, i thought my short game was good until i was talking to the course pro and he was saying he usually chips in 1 or 2 a round. i was like "what?"--i chip in one or two a year!!! so i finally picked up a lob wedge and will start working on that more. also, the thing about not always hitting 3-wood on the second shot of a par 5 has been key for me. i'm not a long hitter, good stroke with the driver gets maybe 260, average is more like 240. good shot with a 3-wood off the deck is around 220 +/-. So i'm rarely reaching par 5's in two. been laying up to 150-100 yrds and have birdied 1-2 par 5's a round lately. a lot better than trying to save bogey after an OB shot. BTW, obviously, besides practice, how did you get to a +3 hdcp??? What was the biggest key mentally that got you there? Mahalo

I got a set of Ping i3 (o-size) orange dot (1* flat) with JZ regular Cushin steel shafts (used, ofcourse). Actually, I've been playing Mizuno Grads for a while; smaller forged cavity back. Loved the blade PW, but hated everything else...actually, couldn't hit anything else without trying to baby it. I posted in the "how far you hit your irons" thread with the Mizuno distances and was hiting my 6 iron about 150. Shot 88 with them day before yesterday, got pissed, and traded them in plus some cash. Now hitting my 8-iron 145 yards--1/2" longer shafts, more forgiving, and nice soft feel--plus the new club mentality. Playing again tomorrow and will keep working and what was said here. Mahalo guys!

Thanks guys for all the tips... shot 77 today!!! I was pretty psyched. Listened to everyone's advice and considered it when I played. Picked up a 4+ wood (no more hybrid), and it's much better for me off the fairway and long par 3's. Kept track of Fairways hit and GIR's...found that I was only hitting 3-4 fairways a round and 4-5 GIR's. Taking an average of 26-29 putts per round, so I think my short game is pretty decent. Worked on hitting better drives and better irons and chipped out when in trouble off the tee. Didn't make anything worse than a bogey today, no birdies, and felt like I couldn't miss the green from inside 150. Also, picked up a lob wedge (and a set of new irons!) Thanks for all the help fellas; it really worked! Tradewind