WUTiger

Starting in 1974, I played for some 20 years with MacGregor MT irons. The set ran 2i-10i. The 10i got used as a PW, but it had certain drawbacks because it was designed as an iron head. While great for full and half shots, it could be iffy for short touch shots around the green. The head had a sharp leading edge, and would sometimes dig in too much and leave the approach short. I found a MacGregor SW that had some flange-bounce to it - actually an old split-, or step-sole, and this worked better for touch shots. And, it was great for greenside cut shots in the pre-LW era. (And, it was solid out of bunkers) As non-blade iron heads became more popular in 1980s, rounded leading edges and cambered soles showed up in many clubhead models, both numbered irons and wedges.

I carry 48-54-60 (see below). For several years I carried 46* set PW, and 50-54-58 from Cleveland CG14 family. For various reasons, I found that on a given round I would mostly 46* or 50* for pitches around the green. No reason for choice of day. Also, I found yardage overlaps in my wedge matrix. When testing Callaways I stumbled across a 60* LW I could hit fairly well, so went to the current mix. (Also, three wedges is much easier to practice than four). In my TaylorMade backup bag, I have four wedges: SLDR 46* PW and 51* AW, plus Tour Preferred 56*/12 SW and TP.R Tour Grind 60*/10 LW. The PW and AW both have excellent feel, and their own special uses for me.

I actually lose about one ball on average round, but usually get a second (or a third) damaged beyond playability: An approach lands 10 feet left of green on the cart path, gouging the cover. Or, a punch shot out of the rough hits a metal stake marking a new sod area, and gets a little slice in the cover.

If you e-mail Ping a photo like that, the tech people can often identify it. I sent them a photo my circa-1973 Ping Pal. The crew confirmed it was authentic, but they couldn't determine batch due to primitive numerals.

I have hit both the Rogue X and base Rogue irons. Rogue X has noticeably more range dispersion. What you might do is get Rogue 5i to PW, and get a Rogue X 4i as a clearout club. Of course, get a fitting before you buy. Good move on graphite shafts, less vibration will help save your shoulder.

Marv, Check out the Tour Edge FWs. Both the Exotics EXS and Hot Launch models would worth considering. TE now give its reps fitting carts for both Exotics and Hot Launch. Hot Launch has both low offset and mid-offset models. Regardless of brand and model, pay special attention to the shafts. A lighter R-flex shaft, or even a Senior flex might give you better launch. And senior flex shafts come in different weights. My Cobra FlyZ hybrids have Lite-flex (senior) shafts that weights 73 grams. It just works (my other shafts are still mid-weight Regular). This is definitely a situation where a fitting would help, if you haven't had one in awhile. Use the Tight Lies 5W for baseline and see if other 5Ws will do you better. In clubhead design, weighting lower and further back will increase launch angle and spin. For players with modest swing speed, the backspin helps get the ball airborne and improve carry distance. (Thirty-something golfers may benefit from low-spin FWs, but us elder statesmen need decent spin to make things work.)

This reminds me of something I saw at the 2016 U.S. Senior Amateur at Old Warson CC. The tee markers that week were white, arrow-like strips of wood, held in the ground by two metal spikes. Several of the players started teeing up their ball just inside the arrow marker, with their feet on the outside. They were using the marker to assist with alignment. This went OK until the 16th hole, a long par 5. By chance, that tee arrow was pointed about 5 degrees to the left. Several golfers who used the arrow pounded their tee shots into the treetop overhanging the left edge of fairway about 150 yards out. Bad news if their match was tight.

I had a roller-coaster adventure for about eight years trying to find a hybrid that I really liked. I tried a brand X hybrid for $20 from a coupon my brother won at a scramble... Tried the TM Raylor (early 2000s version... Then had the Adams V4 in 3H and 4H. V4 worked fine for a year, until my swing got stronger and the offset face started delivering left misses. Anyway, I went into a local golf shop during August sales and the fitter set me up with the Cobra FlyZ 4H in a 73-gram A-flex shaft! It just worked, and I got the FlyZ 3H a few months later. These non-SGI hybrids have a square face, and slightly heavier stock shafts than most midlines. Unless your BioCells create a gapping problem, why not keep them awhile? Sounds like you found things similar to what I did. If some better hybrid shows up in spring demo days, then add it. Until then, why not just play the BioCells which work for you? Remember, the perfect can be the enemy of the very good...

I swapped out wedges two years ago, and haven't been paying that much attention to wedge offerings since then. As for the lower price and more options for Mizuno wedges: Does Mizuno have less model turbulence than TaylorMade, Callaway and Vokey? If so, Mizuno would have longer to recapture R&D costs and might be able to charge less on model X because of this. What have you Muzuno aficionados seen on this? Longer run than average on wedge models?

Most golfers select a SW for the bunker conditions they face most often. Then, you can make adjustments for the odd course you play. If you normally have firm sand and play a course with soft sand, you can still get it out if you have good technique - you may not get it as close. It's about trade-offs. Not that many amateur players have a second SW with different bounce.

Mine is similar. I have rather odd mix of 4H and 4i. My wedges are 48, 54 and 60. (You apparently consider your PW as more 10-iron than wedge). The 4W + 7W gives an extra margin of error for shots off the fairway and out of the rough, especially for mature Senior golfers like us. For the uninformed, the 7W is a beast out of medium rough (unless you are super-skilled and never end up there), and solid on longish par 3 holes and on holes with landing areas too short for driver. I like your bag the way it is. A mix of finesse and power. You are a role model for veteran amateurs!!!

Getting the best sand wedge for you involves more than just hunting for some all-occasions Magic Club. To be a decent bunker player, you need a SW with a head and grind which matches your normal turf conditions, and proper technique. Traditional wisdom (above) says that if you play out of very firm sand, you want a SW with lower bounce. This means the clubhead will cut through the sand and not get hung up in it. If you play in fluffy or powdery sand, you want a high bounce wedge that will glide through the powder without digging in too much. @iacas explains additional aspects of bounce in his forum Edel Wedges (or "Super Bounce") Then there is technique. For starters, access @mvmac's forum on How to Hit Sand/Bunker Shots. An excellent video begins the thread. If you have a history of bad experiences in the sand, you take a bunker lesson. A good instructor could help you incorporate the basics into your swing.

I'm 68. I find that weights and cardio that help with golf are a pretty good fitness regimen overall for someone my age. I retired recently and have not gotten in much golf - or gym time - during the transition. I can tell, as the driver and FWs seem a bit heavy lately. So, let's talk weights and cardio, and intersections with summer heat. The weights help with muscle tone and posture, especially posture late in the round. The longer clubs sometimes get a bit wild on the back nine - and I notice I'm slouching by not being in best shape. Also, the weights also improve durability for those shots out of shaggy lies, and running down hills on cartpath-only days. For cardio, I mainly do treadmill and elliptical machine. I have trouble with my right hip, and running on hard ground gets painful about Mile 2. Also, some of our rounds get played lately in steamy conditions with Heat Index > 110. Add to that "cartpath only," and you run a mini-marathon on some courses going to and from the cart. On a couple of the hilly courses with raised cartpaths, it can be 120 yards out to go hit your shot, and 120 yards back uphill to the cart. Good cardio fitness is the difference between a steady set-up for the No. 18 driver, vs. breathing heavily during the swing. And with the heat there's cramping. On a recent two-day tournament with the added running up and down hills, I started to dehydrate on back nine, Day 2. On one green, I had to drop my putter and shake out my hands to relieve the cramping. This is a bit embarrassing, as in past years I often had good scores on hot days because I was in better shape than many competitors. And there's the issue of flexibility. In my weight training, I go for moderate weight with high reps. I'm not body building. The gym has a True Stretch exercise scaffolding with a golf-specific workout. And I do my back exercises from my chiropractor. My pre-round warmup includes dynamic stretching which mimic motions of the golf swing. For future, I would like to add a seniors' exercise class. Workouts for older trainees now include exercises specifically to increase sense of balance, which fades as people get older.

In cosmic scope, five wedges is a bit much. BUT... it works for you, so why not keep it? From what you say, you basically use the PW as a 10i rather than a true wedge. As for that gapper shot at the long end, try choking down on the hybrid. Some people find this easier than trying to hit a 7/8 swing. Just practice it a bit - on course on a slow day if at all possible - to get the feel.

Not everyone likes the 60*. Even on the PGA tour, a past survey showed that half the pros had 58* as their highest lofted wedge. As you have noticed, it takes getting used to. Like you said, you have to hit it firmly. You need smooth turn-through and left-hand lead to get the ball where you're going. Good form and smooth downswing increase chances of success. I hear you on uphill (to?) the flag... This especially is true if you also have an uphill lie: the 60* can quickly become a 66* at impact on an uphill slope. I added back a 60* early last season. It is one I can hit - at least for quarter and half swings. I used a 58* for more than 10 years because none of the 60* models worked. Funny note: I gave a troublesome offbrand 60* to my brother, and he loves it!!

Shouldn't a golfer try out some putters and find something that may work before a fitting? By try out, I'm talking about testing out putters to see if their rough performance is encouraging. The purchase would come after the fitting.

Sequence: find a putter you like, appears to be pretty much on for you, and then get a fitting. Some of the really basic checks include lie angle, clubface loft, and head weight. Ping - among other things - sorts its putters by stroke arc characteristics: Straight is for golfers with forward swing arc of 3.5* or less; it also features face-balanced heads for golfers with straight-back, straight through stroke Slight arc is toe balanced, for forward swing arc of 3.5* to 7.5* (most golfers) Strong arc is for swing arc of > 7.5* In enhancing putting stroke, consistent eye position over the ball is critical.

Some cautions on shaft extensions from GolfWorks Academy: Extend graphite shafts with graphite, and metal with metal (Exception: graphite universal extenders can be used for either).. Extending graphite shafts with metal can create a shear point in the extension. Do not extend a non-putter shaft more than 1 inch. The following video covers the key points of extensions (sorry for audio slight echo):

Do a search here on TST. A few years back I asked people how good an iron the 845s were, and I got more than a hundred replies.

If the higher end course is more difficult than your normal course, then it proved to be a mistake to bring along your duffer pals. If the Duffers are just out for social fun and never work on their games, then you two 80s Twins will be frustrated with them - especially when the course is full. You and the other 80s shooter may have to play one course for challenge, and an easier course for fun with the Duffers. Don't feel you have to "sneak away" to play the higher end course. I suspect the Duffers will play much less than you two 80s Twins. Unless the Duffers are your bosses or something similar, just play less with the Duffers and more with each other.

Depends on what time of year. I have a FlyZ 3H and 4H. During warm weather, I play the 4H along with the 7W. In cool weather when the rough is thinner and the winds stronger, the 3H bumps out the 7W. Last month I refitted my 4i with a hybrid shaft. This helps with launch, and makes it much more reliable off the fairway. If this works out well, and I go back to a fourth wedge, the hybrids may only be an occasional club in the bag.

The Ping B60 is like the Pal and the Anser. It keeps coming back around every few years. I won a (new) Ping B60 with fitting at a golf shop Christmas party in 2011, and played with it for about five years.

Alternative: Go to a decent golf shop and hit some of their used clubs. Tell them your plan The shop wants to turn these trade-ins around to recoup their $$. The shop may charge you a little bit for a fitting, but they could also tweak the clubs you like if this is needed. Also, a good fitter can update you on some of the finer differences between 2002 and more recent clubs. The demo days are an excellent "clearing house" to try different brands of clubs. Once you have a better understanding of newer clubs, you could pick some up on eBay to change up your bag.

@Club Rat pretty well covers it for the greater StL area. OP @ShawnieD , since you live in Palmyra, you might consider driving south to Columbia, MO. Poe Golf http://www.poegolf.com/ is run by Richard Poe, former MU golf coach and onetime pro at Country Club of Missouri. He fitted my brother with a mixed set of TM woods and Ping irons. His play has really improved since fitting. I have talked to a couple of Poe's assistants at St. Louis area events, and they really know the ins and outs of golf clubs and how they work... or why they don't. Something to consider...

Circa 2009 I was switching out irons for the first time in 14 years. From research on available irons, it appeared the Ping i10 would the front-runner. Then I test-hit the i10 and other irons. To my surprise, the i10 was rather difficult to hit. I ended up eventually with Callaway X20 Tours which I used until recently. The user reviews on i10 irons showed golfers either liked them or they didn't. A year later, I hit the i15 irons just for fun at a demo day. These flew much better than the i10. Fast forward... the Ping G irons (now in legacy stage) would be worth looking at.