Halebopp's What's In The Bag: Mizuno 11, W/S 2, Titleist 1

[markstevens7045]

Those irons are sweet and woods very underrated

[Halebopp]

That's a bag of pure sex appeal right there. I just put the 650 5 wood in the bag and it's a monster off the tee, a bit tougher from the deck with our dormant thin muddy based fairways in Southern Maryland. Always wanted to try the driver.

 

Cheers! The 5 wood is probably the sleeper of the whole 650 lineup. If I had to drop to 13 clubs, I'd drop the 3 wood as the 5 wood is plenty long and easier to hit. As for the driver, one really has to feel it for himself. It is sweet albeit probably not amongst the easiest and most forgiving drivers out there. If you get one, you probably keep it even if it doesn't make it into your bag, it's just a joy to hit even if only at the range.

[Halebopp]

Those irons are sweet and woods very underrated

 

Yeah, the irons are sweet and ain't that the truth.

 

I hate it when the sales people even in the well-equipped golf stores that carry Mizuno woods talk down their woods. "They aren't good enough, lack distance" etc. This happened even right after the 650 had won the big 3 wood test. The JPX-850 driver might have changed things though as it did end up in the bags of many good players - at least our current club champion and the guy who finished fourth carry it now. The funny thing is people talk about how good the 850 feels but I didn't really like the feel, the 650 is just so much better. It is a good thing I didn't listen to those pro shop people and gave the 650s a chance.

[Halebopp]

I'm going to try a three-wedge setup this year and I picked up a used MP-T5 50.07 and a new W/S FG Tour PMP 55.12 wedge today. The 5 wood will need to make way for the extra wedge for now.

 

[Halebopp]

I was asked about updating my WITB and since I have a bit of time in my hands right now, I guess I could do it right away. I just don't know where to start. :D

 

It seems like there are bits and pieces missing even before the wedges. So let's backtrack a bit. The 54s lasted me a year, I just couldn't resist the MP-4s when I came across a used 5-PW set with KBS Tour stiffs back in 2016.

 

The UPS affiliate (automatically) messaged me they had received the MP-4s at their local depot one Friday morning and asked whether I wanted to pick them up myself or to be delivered to me in the evening. We were planning to go and play that evening so naturally I had to go pick them up (otherwise I wouldn't see them before Monday anyway). Since the pick-up caused a bit of a delay, we had no time to warm up with my friend. I opened the package at the club parking lot and off to the first tee it was. I had bought the 5-PW set from Golfbidder (an UK company) and the heads were rated as 7/10 but to me they looked almost like new. My first ever shot with them was a PW approach shot to the first green. I stuck it to within a foot for a tap-in birdie a proceeded to make a total of four birdies that round - with a three-putt par thrown in. I added the 4 iron into the set later on.

 

Somewhere along those times I also bought a used MP-H5 1 iron and I actually used it for a while, playing 1&3 H5s and 5-PW 4s.

 

 

 

Somewhere along the line I also picked up a Titleist 712u 2 iron with the KBS Tour stiff shaft. After that I had all the irons 1-PW.

 

 

 

I'm quite sure that's the way I finished 2016. Of course, not bagging all the irons at once (except for the fun of it on a round or two).

[Halebopp]

Except it wasn't.

 

I did buy a set of MP-32s that summer. I had finished my round, went to check the used clubs "garage" at our home club and saw the set. After buying them for next to nothing, I needed to play another nine holes witout bothering to remove the 54s from the bag but the bag took the extra set really well.

 

[Halebopp]

Another picture of the 32s:

 

 

Now, spring 2017.I sold my H5 1 iron to the same guy I sold my 54s to. But with moving to three wedges, there wasn't room for all the irons I wanted. So, when I got a great offer for the Titleist, it was gone, a decision I regret to this day.

 

Even so, depending on the course I'd either drop one of the fairway woods or the 4 iron as there wasn't room for everything.

 

I bought a Bio Cell driver with the Matrix Ozik Red Tie x-stiff shaft, which was an inch shorter. It was a fantastic club on good swings but would occasionally give me horrible pull hooks so it didn't last too long. Luckily I sold that one for profit too!

 

 

I did also buy a JPX-850 2 hybrid (16º) that summer but I can't find a picture of it. I put a blue Tour Wrap grip on it and it looked fantastic. Blue head, white shaft and a blue grip. It also performed absolutely brilliantly - for about three weeks. :swoon:

 

Late in the autumn I saw a guy selling a set of JPX EZ Forgeds with the XP 105 stiff shafts at a good price. I liked them when they came out so I had to buy them just to try out. The guy wanted to get rid of a 56º Bridgestone wedge as well, so I got that too but I sold it straight away.

 

 

A comparison of the EZ Forged, MP-32 and MP-4 soles:

 

[Halebopp]

I didn't do all that much last year, except for building my own counter-balanced putter

 

The tools, an extension bit, a threaded rod, some nuts, a hacksaw and the old grip for testing.

 

 

The weight ended up looking like this, all wrapped up in tape and waiting to be showed into the shaft. The shaft extension was about two inches so now the putter plays close to 37". The weight was around 150 grams but with the grip being some 10 grams lighter, it came to around 140 grams of added weight. With the extension I didn't need to add any weight to the head of the club.

 

 

Last year I sold the 32s (again, at a profit! :D ) and replaced my 650 fairway woods with the 917F 16.5º 4 wood (despite the fact it claims to be a 3 wood).

 

There's a very good change I'll be replacing the 55 & 59º wedges this year. The TM Hi-Toe was fabulous when I demoed it last year and for some reason I'm thinking a 54.08 M grind might be the sand wedge for me. We play a lot from wet, packed bunkers and I've been struggling the the wide-soled PMPs. They're great for wet fairways and fluffy sand but not so great in tight lies and wet bunkers.

 

I'd like to think it's the arrow, not the Indian. :)

[Halebopp]

Also, somewhere in there I had a set of Ping i20 irons, took them to the range a couple of times, didn't see any difference in results in between them and the 32s and sold them before playing a round. :)