Best clubs for strong newbie

[SUPERG]

> @Sparty47 said:

> I’ll look into the X7 for sure! Have swung X100 and liked them. Never the PX.

>

> Both previous fitters used a “shaft optimizer” on me and in both cases the KBS C-Taper 130x was the top recommendation. However both talked me out of even swinging it due to poor “feel”. Have also read very mixed reviews on here and other sites.

>

> Curious what you think about it vs. the others mentioned?

>

>

 

I've had a set of C Taper 130 X and have had them in random sets before and I don't get along with them as far as the feel. It's strange because it does feel smooth but it still a very boardy sensation. I find PX to be similar but with better feel and easier to launch, I love X100 and have tried X7 before ( was a lot for me considering my driver SS is only 116) X7 should give you the same DG feel but will hold up better to your speed. X7 is pricey so maybe even X100 hardstepped may work well for you.

[jacobtanaka]

Oh, man, what a great question. Choosing the best set of clubs is enormously important.

 

’ll start with the course. You need to have played the course enough times to know what kind of shots the course requires. For example, does the course have several long par 4s that will require a long second shot, or are most of the par 4s fairly short. How many bunkers, and what kind of sand?

 

Some general recommendations from my side:

 

* Don’t even think about carrying any long irons, that is 2–3–4. In fact, most average players should consider dropping the 5 iron and only carrying 6 iron and down.

* Replace the long irons with hybrids. You have a huge choice of lofts, and what mix of fairway woods (3–5) and what mix of hybrids will depend on your situation.

* If you carry a 3 and 5 wood, plus three different hybrids, and 6 iron through pitching wedge, that gives you the option to carry three other wedges: a gap wedge, a sand wedge, and a lob wedge. This will help eliminate the usual huge difference in carry between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge, and will give you more options out of the sand. If the sand is wet or dry, light and fluffy or heavy and packed, those are very different shots. For example, I have a 60 degree lob wedge with more than the usual bounce. That gives me the ability to smack a ball out of a wet bunker with a lot more confidence than I would usually have from such a “heavy” lie.

 

Again, I can’t give you specific advice for set makeup because every player and course is different, but hopefully these thoughts will help.

 

Play well!

[jacobtanaka]

Oh, man, what a great question. Choosing the best set of clubs is enormously important.

 

I’ll start with the course. You need to have played the course enough times to know what kind of shots the course requires. For example, does the course have several long par 4s that will require a long second shot, or are most of the par 4s fairly short. How many bunkers, and what kind of sand?

 

Some general recommendations from my side:

 

* Don’t even think about carrying any long irons, that is 2–3–4. In fact, most average players should consider dropping the 5 iron and only carrying 6 iron and down.

 

* Replace the long irons with hybrids. You have a huge choice of lofts, and what mix of fairway woods (3–5) and what mix of hybrids will depend on your situation.

 

* If you carry a 3 and 5 wood, plus three different hybrids, and 6 iron through pitching wedge, that gives you the option to carry three other wedges: a gap wedge, a sand wedge, and a lob wedge. This will help eliminate the usual huge difference in carry between a pitching wedge and a sand wedge, and will give you more options out of the sand. If the sand is wet or dry, light and fluffy or heavy and packed, those are very different shots. For example, I have a 60 degree lob wedge with more than the usual bounce. That gives me the ability to smack a ball out of a wet bunker with a lot more confidence than I would usually have from such a “heavy” lie.

 

Again, I can’t give you specific advice for set makeup because every player and course is different, but hopefully these thoughts will help.

 

Play well!

[ChipNRun]

> @Sparty47 said:

> Which category of irons should I be looking at?

>

> SGI and **GI ** seem to be aimed at those seeking higher launch, **less spin**, more distance, etc. Aside from forgiveness, these are things seemingly opposite of what I need for my game. ...

 

First of all, welcome to Golfdom!

 

@phatchrisrules has solid advice on how to start.

That said, I wanted to talk about your remarks on SGI and GI irons. Avoid the SGI - with your high swing speed, the head would launch the ball too high.

 

GI irons are more in line with what you need. And, the launch height and spin you're concerned about can be adjusted

by the shaft you select for the irons. Too many golfers of all experience levels forget that the shaft is half the club.

 

Once you select your irons, you can further fine-tune launch and spin with the type of ball type you select.

 

 

 

[Larry14]

> @Sparty47 said:

> Hello All, new to the forum and seeking some wisdom from you all.

>

> Started golfing seriously in Feb. of this year and looking to replace my old irons. Current gamers are some Callaway Diablo Edge irons/hybrids. They’re “R” flex w standard LLL.

>

> Little info on my game... I’m a younger guy and former athlete so don’t have any problem generating club head speed (7 iron 105+mph) but my ball striking is not good (yet?). I’ve taken a few lessons and the pro insists I have a “good” swing just lack consistency in my sequence/delivery. Also said I NEED new irons, “R flex” with my speed and fast tempo is a bad combo. Also the heads I’m using have very poor feedback on strikes.

>

> To my question:

>

> Which category of irons should I be looking at?

>

> SGI and GI seem to be aimed at those seeking higher launch, less spin, more distance, etc. Aside from forgiveness, these are things seemingly opposite of what I need for my game.

>

> Went to two separate fitters and while I have a good idea on shaft, LLL, they recommended polar opposite style of heads. One more “players” style the other “SGI”.

>

> Sorry for the long post, but thank you in advance for any help you might be able to share.

 

 

[Larry14]

Try Ben Hogan Edge irons, you can go to their web site and order two irons to try out for $20....Being athletic you may find the smaller "Forged" head a blessing as to learning to hit the sweet spot...I found they made me really put effort into all parts of my swing from set up to contact...you will know by feel what a center hit verse a toe or heel hit feel like. Even just dong their demo deal is well worth the time....tip is to find a range you can hit off grass before you buy any new irons...

[Hybrid]

Here’s what I would do...I would make a beeline to the closest tennis shop. Have them set you up with a good racquet. Perhaps the shop can recommend a good teaching pro. Join some leagues and enjoy the game for the rest of your life. Golf will give you a lifetime of frustration. You’ll never, ever be free of equipment switching and tinkering. When your game goes south, and it will, you’ll shuffle through golf pros and videos like they’re going out of style. After all of that, you’ll repeat the entire process. Sounds like fun.

[farmer]

Swinging a 7 iron at 105 mph, is it even possible to NOT have a high launch? Watching the "TV good" guys, they will hit a 7 over 100 ft, and don't swing it that fast. BTW, I wouldn't entirely trust a Superstore launch monitor.

 

[tsecor]

IMO SGI will limit your overall game. I assume you progress quickly in your game so get ahead of the curve and grow into something. Mizuno MMC, Titleist CB or T100, Taylor P790......go hit em and see what works

[wkuo3]

> @Sparty47 said:

(7 iron 105+mph)

> To my question:

>

> Which category of irons should I be looking at?

 

SS 105+ with 7 iron ? What kind of carrying yardage is your 7 iron ? Are you sure it's not your driver swing speed ?

If you can produce a 105 MPH 7 iron swing speed, the first thing you should change is the flex in your iron shafts.

Depending on your game. If you're a strong young buck and have wild golf swing once in awhile, I'd up for any GI iron heads with X flex. I had seen a set on the auction a little while ago, the old set of Nike Slingshot with TTDG X100 should be a good start. Think it was sold just over a Franklin for the set of 4-PW.

You might ended up needing something a bit heavier like TTDG S400.

A more forgivin head design ( not the modern multi material design , which you might vrak the head with that kind of UNREAL swing speed ) a heavier stiffer shaft , that will tone your ball trajectory, at least give it a chance for control.

 

 

[Hybrid]

Here’s what I would do...I would make a beeline to the closest tennis shop. Have them set you up with a good racquet. Perhaps the shop can recommend a good teaching pro. Join some leagues and enjoy the game for the rest of your life. Golf will give you a lifetime of frustration. You’ll never, ever be free of equipment switching and tinkering. When your game goes south, and it will, you’ll shuffle through golf pros and videos like they’re going out of style. After all of that, you’ll repeat the entire process. Sounds like you're up for the challenge though. Best of luck in the search and have fun.

[gvogel]

> @phatchrisrules said:

> > @Sparty47 said:

> > > @phatchrisrules said:

> >

> > > I have been a fitter for over 15 years and against the recommendations here I would probably put you in something Game Improvement. You only took it up in February, golf is a marathon, not a sprint. You don't want to get something like a Player's CB that the guys on tour play, you will learn to hate the game very quickly in between brief moments of a pure strike where you feel like a tour pro. Trust me, all of the guys I work with, including myself are players that range from +2 handicaps (can shoot under par) to about 10 handicaps and only one of us has irons that would be deemed players, the rest use irons that are either player's distance or game improvement. A player's distance iron is basically the same as a game improvement iron it just has a slightly smaller sole width and less offset (most of the time but not always).

> > >

> > > Go get yourself a set of Mizuno Hot Metals, Ping G410s, Callaway Rogues, or Cobra F9s with the appropriate weight and flex shafts and go have fun. You will probably want to upgrade in a few years when you can shoot in the 80s consistently without breaking a sweat, but until then, just focus on making good contact. Don't worry about "feedback" right now, that's the biggest myth in golf. The ball mark on the face will tell you where you hit it and to be honest most amateurs have no idea where they hit it on the face anyway as they lack the feel necessary to discern this. I can't tell you the amount of people who say something along the lines of "wow that felt good" only to look at the strikepoint on the screen and see it way toe or heel side. You don't need feedback to make a good swing, by the time you've received the feedback the swing has already been made. Get yourself something easy to hit that launches higher with lots of vertical stopping power (high peak height, steep descent angle, higher initial launch angle) as this is going to be much easier to stop consistently compared to spin rates which rely far too much on strike location. Little known fact is that there is 1800 RPMs of difference from the high toe to the low heel in terms of spin rate if the ball is struck there, while the high launch parameters I have listed can assist in helping the ball stop more easily. Further, a simple change to a spinnier golf ball will also help this (if needed).

> >

> > Awesome reply! Thanks for taking the time to post all that.

> >

> > If I may pick your brain a bit more, what if I’m already flighting the ball too high? Is there such a thing? I feel like I could eat a sandwich before my short irons land. The better golfers I play with regularly comment on it.

> >

> > Also since your post I’ve looked more seriously at the “Game Improvement” and “Players distance” offerings.

> >

> > My preliminary list would be something like:

> >

> > 919 Hot Metal

> > Srixon z585

> > Cobra F9

> >

> > Also very interested in the 919 Forged, due to the fact that a lot of offset seems to exaggerate my typical Pull/Hook miss... but I wonder what you would think about something like that for my skill level?

> >

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> If you hit the ball high already there are things that can be done to fix that. A few options are getting something a bit weaker lofted that has little offset and bending it a bit stronger to flatten flight, switching out shafts to something heavier, and going to a spinnier golf ball. I'll unpack each of these for you. Loft is king on ball flight, always will be. Therefore if you don't want to introduce a **ton of offset you could always get something like the 919 Forged, Ping i210, or AP2 **and bend them stronger as these usually have less offset to begin with and bending them stronger will only marginally introduce more offset. However, the problem with these is that they aren't the friendliest irons out there. They would be great for someone who shoots no more than about 85 but anything much higher than that and we are starting to get into the "hating golf territory" again as the mishits will be relatively penal.

>

> Heavier shafts will tend to launch a little bit lower than lighter weight shafts just solely based on the physical weight of the shaft and the way the balance point is moved throughout the shaft (a sort of rule of thumb is the heavier the shaft is typically the balance point moves a bit higher to make it feel stiffer and launch a bit flatter). Not always the case for sure (Modus 130 for example) but it rings true for most. Spinnier golf balls also launch about 2* lower but spin higher compared to low spin golf balls. For instance, I saw 15.6* of launch and 5600 spin out of the Mizuno RB Tour X ball compared to the Srixon Z-Star XV that launched at 18* and spun at 4700.

>

> I think for now I wouldn't really worry about height unless it is excessively high. Only a fitting can determine that with much effect as many people claim to hit the ball high but in reality barely hit the bottom end of acceptable for peak height. I can't count the number of people who say they hit the ball high compared to everyone they play with and they launch a driver at 10* with a peak height of 80 feet.

>

> Sorry for the lengthy post but I think some good ones for you if you are looking for reduced offset but something that will flight the ball lower as they aren't ridiculously wide-soled and have the added bonus of a few more shaft options:

>

> Taylormade M5

> Taylormade P790 (creeping into tough to hit territory for someone who shoots over 90)

> Cobra F9

> Mizuno Hot Metal Pro (don't let the pro name scare you, they are quite forgiving)

> Srixon 585

> Callaway Apex CF19

> Ping G410 Power Spec (stronger lofts to reduce flight and spin)

> Wilson C300

> Titleist AP1

>

For a strong player I would recommend AP2 or Ping i210.

 

[DMAIC]

I just got back into the game after a two decade layoff and love the Mizuno 919 Hot Metal irons I just picked up in the BST. Forgiving enough but not so much that you are fooled when you put a bad swing on it. I feel like I concentrate on my mechanics more compared to when I was playing with the Rogue X's.

[Sparty47]

@ChipNRun Yes solid advice from both you and @phatchrisrules. Thank you.

I've pretty much narrowed it down to GI or the more forgiving offerings in the Players distance category. The shaft is either DG X7, X100 (maybe hardstepped?) or C-Taper 130x. All of which seemed to lower ball flight for me. Ball choice will still have to wait and see.

 

@farmer No, not trusting as gospel by any means! Only posting for a reference so that people would have an idea to better offer advice. However, I have had similar numbers on two separate occasions on a Forsight GC Quad. So I know im somewhere in the ballpark.

 

@wkuo3 7 iron ball speed averaging in the high 130's with an avg. carry of just over 200yds. Peak height is usually over 140ft ish.

 

Please do not mistake this for d**k measuring, as stated before I'm a higher handicapper. I just happen to be able to hit the ball a long way. I need help with getting some control thru equipment and otherwise, which is why I'm here.

 

Thanks again all!

[EllaRose909]

Sparty 47

I would start with an Epic Flash , Taylor Made M6 and or a Ping g410 drivers, A stiff shaft is a must.

For a 3 wood I would go with a Talor Made M6. Losts of distance an forgivness in the club. This club is super easy to hit. Again Stiff Shaft

For a Hybrid a Ping 410 19 degree is what you are looking for.

As far as irons, I am a Callaway man go with the APEX 2019's. These are easy to hit and go a long way. They are smooth and feel like butter. start with a 4-AW. All with stiff shafts.

Wedges Titlest, Callaways, Taylor Made and Cleveland RTX are all good wedges. I would go with a 54 and 58 degree. I am partial to Callaway PM grind or Taylormade Hi Toe.

As Far as putter ther are many many great Options. Don't go for a low end one stay in the 200-400.00 range.

 

[EllaRose909]

Sparty you are overlooking one thing in your approach to the Game, it is not about Distance, it is about your Score. You can it 300+ drives, but if you can get the ball in the hole and have low scores distance means nothing!!

[MizunoMade]

These are some cool numbers, only seen something similar once before when I played with a random who could kill the ball but his control was really lacking.

 

I am a more "normal" 95mph with a 7-iron but I swing at around 85-90% to ensure that I hit the middle of the face. I use the tin cup move, dollar - - - bills. And it works well to help slow things down.

As for equipment I often hear that the c-taper is dead or without feel but I think otherwise. I believe that is a shaft that requires a certain tempo and release to give feel. I used to be sceptic of it as it always came up in every fitting but then I tried it and I get great feel with the c-tapers. And I am a feel player. ?

[YoYoJumbo]

Try the P760s. They are forgiving for what they are and do not have jacked up lofts. Yes, they may be a little too much for someone just starting but who says you can't grow into them? You can probably find them for a decent price used somewhere with X100 shafts. On the same note, the Ping i210 is not a bad way to go either.

[Boxer]

Ping i210 or 718 AP2, with X-stiff shafts. You’ll have some bad hits, but these clubs have enough forgiveness that you’ll grow into them quickly. And the stronger lofts will be good for someone with your swingspeed. Pick one of these two, go to a fitter to optimize shaft selection, then spend your money on a couple of lessons to get your setup/stance and basic swing technique down and have some fun on the course learning this game!