Best approach for improving my game?

I don't golf frequently enough to have calculated a handicap at all, in fact, I only really get out once or twice a season for church outings and the like. I got my clubs when I was 14, and I'm 31 now. The clubs I own are full sized, but the fact is that I myself have grown, and I simply can't hit the clubs like I did when I first got them. I can hit the clubs consistently, but they're consistently short...my 3 and 4 iron are consistently around 120 yards; 5, 6, and 7 are consistently around 140; and 8 and 9 are back to 120 (based on the distance markers on the driving range). The irons I'm currently hitting are [some Taylor Made clones](https://i.imgur.com/k92iZMe.jpg "some Taylor Made clones"), purchased brand new at a local trade in/trade up store back 'round 2002 or so.

Being that I'm something of a thrifter/picker, I've acquired a few decent clubs for a couple bucks here or there, and have fallen madly in love with my [Ping Zing 2 sand wedge](https://i.imgur.com/TfvcAf7.jpg "Ping Zing 2 sand wedge"). Maybe it's just mental, but at our last few church scrambles, I carried the team onto the green and into the hole with that club...there's a lot of confidence and control that comes with that club. The clone wedge that I bought in '02 just doesn't have the same feel as the Ping does.

I went to the same trade in/trade up pro shop yesterday to check out their used offerings and was astonished at how consistently (and far) I could hit their set of Taylor Made RBZ's...I thought I would've liked the Callaway X-18's better, given what I'd read on forums like this, but that was not the case in reality. But, the RBZ's were around $200 for the 3-PW set...more than I wanted to spend (and they wouldn't take my [irons](https://i.imgur.com/k92iZMe.jpg "irons") or [drivers](https://i.imgur.com/ph4QbKu.jpg "drivers") in as trade at all).

So, I'm looking at a few options here, trying to stick around $100-125 give or take a few bucks: New (used) irons from eBay...I've got a few auctions saved for complete iron sets that range from Ping Zing 2's and Ping i3's, to a couple sets of RBZ's (though I hate being "that guy" who tries something out in a store, then buys it for half price online), to Tour Edge and Bombtech. I'm also open to the idea of lessons or training aids because there's simply no substitute for more practice time, but given the immediate improvement I saw with the RBZ's at the range yesterday, and given that I'm only going to get about one more round of 18 holes this year, I'm afraid that any money I spend on lessons will become null and void at the end of the season.

Find a cheap set, take lessons.

Get the Zing2 iron set, lessons and practice your short game more than your full swing. The Zing2 is a great set to learn with. They are very forgiving, but not massive by today’s standard. When I had my set the sand wedge was a weapon around the green even though it didn’t look like it should be.

> @shanx said:

> Find a cheap set, take lessons.

Thanks! What should I expect from lessons? I know there are a few local spots that have indoor ranges and stuff...would the telemetry and digital stuff be beneficial for someone at my level, or is it better to just get back to basics with some outdoor range time with a pro?

Talk to your local pro, set some goals for what you want to get out of your lessons, and then make sure you practice on the days you're not taking a lesson. The amount of people I see get lessons that only hit balls the day they're getting a lesson is astonishing and you'll never get better if you're not working on stuff in between sessions. That said, getting some new clubs that you're confident in and you can grow with is important too, so find a decent used set and then after a range session or two go see someone.

You have two major tasks on your agenda: get decent modern used equipment, and take some lessons.

Sorry, but $125 won't get you very far if you are trying to rebuild your arsenal of golf clubs. IF you can hit the RBZ irons well, go with them. **Buy the set you have actually hit well** - buying one online may get you an RBZ set with different specs than the one you hit (different shaft length, lie angle, etc.).

Also get yourself a used driver and a 4 hybrid you can hit - test them out before buying. Shop fitters can help you on this for a modest cost (fittings for new clubs are free, but you're not there yet). The RBZ irons and two long clubs will get you started with newer equipment that fits you. (Add FW woods and wedges besides your Ping Zing SW next season).

Also, take a tune-up lesson, and then another lesson or two the following spring. Talk to your golfing friends, or maybe a local high school or college golf coach. Ask if they know of someone who both fits golf clubs _and_ is a decent golf instructor. These people really do exist - you just have to hunt for them.

Good luck to you, and keep us posted on what happens!

> @ChipNRun said:

> You have two major tasks on your agenda: get decent modern used equipment, and take some lessons.

>

> Sorry, but $125 won't get you very far if you are trying to rebuild your arsenal of golf clubs. IF you can hit the RBZ irons well, go with them. **Buy the set you have actually hit well** - buying one online may get you an RBZ set with different specs than the one you hit (different shaft length, lie angle, etc.).

>

> Also get yourself a used driver and a 4 hybrid you can hit - test them out before buying. Shop fitters can help you on this for a modest cost (fittings for new clubs are free, but you're not there yet). The RBZ irons and two long clubs will get you started with newer equipment that fits you. (Add FW woods and wedges besides your Ping Zing SW next season).

>

> Also, take a tune-up lesson, and then another lesson or two the following spring. Talk to your golfing friends, or maybe a local high school or college golf coach. Ask if they know of someone who both fits golf clubs _and_ is a decent golf instructor. These people really do exist - you just have to hunt for them.

>

> Good luck to you, and keep us posted on what happens!

Thanks! I've got drivers that I can hit consistently, it's just a matter of preference which one I take out on any given day. This [Taylormade](https://i.imgur.com/6adTMn1.jpg "Taylormade") was donated at a city cleanup day, and this [Titleist](https://i.imgur.com/LCvOTur.jpg "Titleist") was from something similar, maybe a church thing or something.

I'll definitely ask around - our neighbor is the weirdo in the neighborhood who's got an impromptu par-3 hole across all of the front yards on our block, so he's gotta be a great source for an instructor who can fit clubs :smiley: . Seriously, he's out there on some days from 6:30am to 11:30pm, chipping and hitting across all of the front yards in the neighborhood all day long.

Maybe I'm wrong but I can't see where lessons are going to benefit you at all if you're only playing once or twice a year.

Agreed. Playing more often would probably help consistency

Buy a good 6 iron or 7 iron, buy either or both books; Ben hogan's five lessons and/or Bobby Jones on golf(breaks down faults of the swing and what the outcome is) practice with book for a more better swing once swing is 80-90% complete, lesson can always be good. Disregard if you have a sound swing. You can score pretty good and get around a lot of courses with using 6 or 7 iron once you have a sound swing.

Well, you’re on WRX. Buy blades and get all your woods reshafted with TX tipped two inches and you’re good to go. If you have a bad round sell your clubs and buy new ones.

If you play 2 times a year, don't invest in it. That said if you intend to play more, scrounge up the extra 75 bucks and add it to the 125 your willing to spend and get the RBZ you want. You get what you pay for, whether it's new or used.

Practice your shot game in down time. Dont need a range or practice green for this. Putt in your living room and do some chipping in the yard.

> @huckitchuckit said:

> Practice your shot game in down time. Don't need a range or practice green for this. Putt in your living room and do some chipping in the yard.

This! Get yourself a 7 wood to help with the long irons or a 5 hybrid. It is gonna be hard if that is all the time you have.

> @huckitchuckit said:

> Practice your shot game in down time. Dont need a range or practice green for this. Putt in your living room and do some chipping in the yard.

Already doing so! I've got a fire pit set up in the backyard that gives me a 3' diameter, 1' high to chip into...or, I'll go up and over the driveway in the front yard.

Really? Best approach to improving my game? You play twice a year in a scramble? And then the entire post is about equipment.

Start by playing more golf and not in a scramble format.

I think the best way to improve your game is to play more than you are and go to the driving range more. However, when you go try to do more specific drills that are tailored to improving your game.

If you want to accelerate your progress then lessons will certainly help as well as investing in good value golf clubs whether it be a golf club set or just individual clubs like a forgiving driver.

Once you are playing more often and you feel that you are in control of your game and where it is going you should track your progress using an online golf handicap calculator. This way you are able to see the rewards from your practice and investment in your game as currently it would be hard from only playing a couple of times a year.

> @mikpga said:

> Really? Best approach to improving my game? You play twice a year in a scramble? And then the entire post is about equipment.

>

> Start by playing more golf and not in a scramble format.

So your recommendation is to keep on playing clubs that I've owned for over half my life, that may or may not be inappropriately sized. Got it.

> @HappyGilmoresBoots said:

> > @mikpga said:

> > Really? Best approach to improving my game? You play twice a year in a scramble? And then the entire post is about equipment.

> >

> > Start by playing more golf and not in a scramble format.

>

> So your recommendation is to keep on playing clubs that I've owned for over half my life, that may or may not be inappropriately sized. Got it.

His point is if you're going to play twice a year a fitting or different clubs aren't going to help you. Now, if you're going to start practicing weekly and playing once or twice a week then that's a different story.

> @lawsonman said:

> > @HappyGilmoresBoots said:

> > > @mikpga said:

> > > Really? Best approach to improving my game? You play twice a year in a scramble? And then the entire post is about equipment.

> > >

> > > Start by playing more golf and not in a scramble format.

> >

> > So your recommendation is to keep on playing clubs that I've owned for over half my life, that may or may not be inappropriately sized. Got it.

>

> His point is if you're going to play twice a year a fitting or different clubs aren't going to help you. Now, if you're going to start practicing weekly and playing once or twice a week then that's a different story.

I totally understood that much. The question I was trying to address in the first post was "What can I do to improve my game, given the short timeline and limited budget I have at the moment?" If I could have gotten out once or twice a week all summer, and get a few thousand balls under my belt, that would have been a great option option. If I could have gotten out once or twice a week every season for the past decade and a half, that would've been even better.

Having said all that, I'm incredibly grateful that a very generous forumite offered me an incredible deal on some irons, which I had the pleasure of taking to the driving range tonight (just got back, as a matter of fact). I'm happy to report that my "new" clubs, at least the 3-4-5 irons, allowed me to squeeze some consistently better hits (less chunks and divots, consistently longer yardage) over my old set. I'm excited to get the new clubs out a few more times and really see what I can turn up. I've also begun asking around and trying to find a good local pro to take lessons from, which I'm also excited for because I love getting direct feedback.

> @HappyGilmoresBoots said:

> > @mikpga said:

> > Really? Best approach to improving my game? You play twice a year in a scramble? And then the entire post is about equipment.

> >

> > Start by playing more golf and not in a scramble format.

>

> So your recommendation is to keep on playing clubs that I've owned for over half my life, that may or may not be inappropriately sized. Got it.

Precisely!

My apologies if it came across like a jerk...

But I will stick with my response. I'd encourage you to attempt to play at least 12 times a year as a goal. If you find yourself playing more frequently, then maybe an investment in equipment might be a bit more warranted...

I said this in another thread... in my opinion the heads of the clubs are meaningless if the shaft cant deliver the club head to the ball.

I hear so many threads offering the latest and greatest heads offering or, Ping wide sole models, or the TM's Forgiving head models, but I always cringe a little as I get concerned, we know nothing about the golfer, their swing speed, their tempo, their transition. We know that most of the "forgiving" clubs also have a common theme, light weight, shafts, high launch and regular flex.

If a strong, fast, and quick tempo player picked up a 80gram light weight steal shaft, with a low kick point and a regular flex and started golfing the struggle will SURELY be their as their tempo and swing speed would no load the shaft probably and create a huge amount of inconsistencies, frustration, compensation and bad habits galore.

With the current market and trend there are SO many used options at cheap prices where its better to try to match a shaft profile initially, then a head profile. As the swing tendencies dont change as much. But if you engrave bad habits off the bat its harder to fix over time.....

105mph driver swing speed player that has a quick transition wont really benefit from stock rocketfuel 85gram shafts in regular. They would likely benefit over time from maybe some R or S-300s or KBS "R" or "S" to start off with, as the heavier 120-130gram shaft profile may better fit and the flex would match their tempo better. But this is my take..... if you get the shaft to deliver the head consistently at that point, SGI, GI, CB, MB head is some what meaningless as you just tune the setup to match your shot window.....

my usless $0.02

> @mikpga said:

> > @HappyGilmoresBoots said:

> > > @mikpga said:

> > > Really? Best approach to improving my game? You play twice a year in a scramble? And then the entire post is about equipment.

> > >

> > > Start by playing more golf and not in a scramble format.

> >

> > So your recommendation is to keep on playing clubs that I've owned for over half my life, that may or may not be inappropriately sized. Got it.

>

> Precisely!

> My apologies if it came across like a jerk...

> But I will stick with my response. I'd encourage you to attempt to play at least 12 times a year as a goal. If you find yourself playing more frequently, then maybe an investment in equipment might be a bit more warranted...

>

>

Thanks! Looks like you're a PGA pro...can you offer any recommendations for trainers or coaches in Michigan?

Plan for 3 years of painful golf. When your 35 you will start having good rounds.

> @N0rs3man said:

> Plan for 3 years of painful golf. When your 35 you will start having good rounds.

The golf might be painful, but the journey is ******* fantastic!

Speaking as an enthusiastic amateur who can think of more fun things to do than lessons and driving range time and who doesn't really care as long as he's enjoying himself, these are what have given me the biggest step changes over the years:

* Getting from 120s to 110s - actually taking the time to aim before swinging.

* Getting down to the 100s - playing two or three times a week on top of my normal Sunday knock.

* Getting down to the 90s - reading articles and watching videos online and generally working on my swing. There were a few lessons in there as well but I can't honestly say they made much difference. Then again I didn't really practice what I'd been told. Just made a mental note of it and tried to remember it when on the course.

* Getting down to the 80s - still a work in progress but becoming more proficient at chipping and further swing work that increased most club lengths by at least 10%.

My biggest problem now is consistency on during competitions. Got to keep my head in the game and stop rushing the second half.

> @huckitchuckit said:

> Practice your shot game in down time. Dont need a range or practice green for this. Putt in your living room and do some chipping in the yard.

I would recommend getting a putting mat though. I used to practice on the carpet and whilst my aim was good I kept missing short of the hole. Got a putting mat and now short putts are uncommon. If your ball can't even reach the hole you can be pretty sure it's not going to drop. :)

Take that 17 year old set and throw it away.

Go to a large vacant field and throw them away, walk to them and throw them away again, and again, and again, pay attention to the throw sequence. When you can throw them all into a small area go pick them up, savor those feels, and return home with a smile and put them away because those old pieces of steel just saved some lesson cash. Don't throw them away, save them, so you can throw them away when needed for another lesson.

> @HappyGilmoresBoots said:

> > @mikpga said:

> > > @HappyGilmoresBoots said:

> > > > @mikpga said:

> > > > Really? Best approach to improving my game? You play twice a year in a scramble? And then the entire post is about equipment.

> > > >

> > > > Start by playing more golf and not in a scramble format.

> > >

> > > So your recommendation is to keep on playing clubs that I've owned for over half my life, that may or may not be inappropriately sized. Got it.

> >

> > Precisely!

> > My apologies if it came across like a jerk...

> > But I will stick with my response. I'd encourage you to attempt to play at least 12 times a year as a goal. If you find yourself playing more frequently, then maybe an investment in equipment might be a bit more warranted...

> >

> >

>

> Thanks! Looks like you're a PGA pro...can you offer any recommendations for trainers or coaches in Michigan?

Don't know too many up in Michigan...

Mike Fay at Boyne Mountain is the first one that comes to my mind...

Play the pro tees all the time!

> @platgof said:

> Play the pro tees all the time!

Is that what they mean when they say "Once you go black, you never go back?" :D