Wilson v Titleist, what to play?

[pymmdcp]

Here's my dilemma. I own and play a set of Titleist 735 cm irons, a combo set. I found a set of Wilson Staff Fluid Feel Tour Blades that are in almost new condition for $17. Yes, you read that correctly. I had to fork over another $35 for the 7 iron. Ouch. They are too flat so I will get them adjusted for $25. So, I'm into these for $77. Not too bad and I can sell them for more. Man they are pretty.

 

Question is, which, in your opinion, do you think I should game all things created equal?

[oldschoolrocker]

What year are the Wilson's? Personal preference on my part, but I never liked the Titlest cbs.

[HoldenCornfield]

Wilsons

[NRJyzr]

I don't like Titleist anything, so my vote is obviously for the Staffs.

[birly-shirly]

Keep them both.
Play them both.
Buy some more.

[HoldenCornfield]

[quote name='birly-shirly' timestamp='1403823631' post='9586019']
Keep them both.
Play them both.
Buy some more.
[/quote]

Hehehe, we have a winner!

[Kirasdad]

Well...that is the problem isn't it? All things are not created equal. It's an eternal and healthy debate/discussion, on this forum anyway.

What do you want from your golf?

Don't know what model of Wilson's you're referring to here, but a couple of friends of mine (who really know golf clubs and could play anything) game the mid/late 80's fluid feel. Quite a playable modern blade, I've hit a few shots with them. Great feel. B. Langer and Payne Stewart played them if I remember correctly. Most of us on this forum play blades because we want to, avoiding the nauseatingly mundane arguments on the other side of golfwrx, blades vs CB's blah, blah blah. Having said that, finding a set of blades that one is comfortable with, can hit the center of the face with some regularity, and have fun bagging is worth a search and some experimentation.

Play the Wilson's and see if they float your boat.

[pymmdcp]

[quote name='oldschoolrocker' timestamp='1403820250' post='9585621']
What year are the Wilson's? Personal preference on my part, but I never liked the Titlest cbs.
[/quote]

They are the late 80's Fluid Feels and they are in mint condition. Man they are pretty. I really want them to be the club.

[pymmdcp]

[quote name='birly-shirly' timestamp='1403823631' post='9586019']
Keep them both.
Play them both.
Buy some more.
[/quote]

Man, I like where your head is at. Great advice.

[oldschoolrocker]

Well then. No contest. Those clubs stayed in my bag for 10 plus years. To this day the best clubs I have ever played. Just flat wore them out. I am always on the lookout for a set of them in close to mint condition.

[leerob3]

I need to see these $17 bad boys, pics?

[dbuck47]

I agree with birly-shirly and kirasdad.

[dbuck47]

[indent=1]And with OSR, although my club is the Tour Blade model from a few years earlier.[/indent]

[bigeasybri]

As my very first golf instructor (a kindly, older African-American fellow who happened to play the same model as in my photo) said some twenty-five years ago, "Them Wilsons is self-hitters." I've pretty much stuck with Staffs ever since.

[pymmdcp]

I think the only thing that would keep me from switching to the Wilson's is the weight. They feel much heavier.

[oldschoolrocker]

Better to keep the tempo

[pymmdcp]

Good point.

[pymmdcp]

Ok, my 7 iron was lost in the mail and another was shipped out. I just received it. Gonna get the lie angle adjusted and really give these Tour blade Fluid Feels a shot. Hopefully I can adjust quickly to the weight difference. If I like them I will regrip them and make it official. I found a SW that matches that had the bounce ground down. It will give my bag some character. Will post pics when I get them back from Vans.

Any tips on adjusting to the weight?

[HoldenCornfield]

Just slow your tempo a bit and let the mass of the club head do the work.

Word of caution, though, you may have to regrip them before you can tell what you've got. Old clubs with old grips = junk. Old clubs with new grips = sweet vintage golf

[Kirasdad]

Old clubs with old grips= tension, which kills tempo, no tempo, no striko the sweet spot...uh,o. ( This may be the worst sentence in a post I have ever written).

If you want to delay the new grips for a week or so, get some gritty sandpaper, and go to town on those old grips, then wash with soap and water with a good stiff brush. That might get you a month even with really bad grips. I have done that before, and it works. I get where you are coming from, even if you do it yourself, you're still talking 25-30 bucks for something you may not like, and on ebay they will sell for the same amount regardless of grip wear.

I (he said smugly) don't have to worry about this anymore because as the resident classic wrx Zen Buddhist/minimalist/Henry Thoreau, I only have ONE set of irons, aside from my hickories.

BTW, I practice my short game by hitting short pitches over Walden Pond.

[oldschoolrocker]

+1... On new grips. If the grips aren't vintage original leather, I go straight into a grip change.

[pymmdcp]

Man, that's a lot up front. But, it might be worth it. Also, correction, they are the 84-86 Tour Blade Fluid Feels. I said late 80's earlier.

[oldschoolrocker]

You can find good deals on grips. It all depends on what grips you like.

[birly-shirly]

Also, if you fit grips using compressed air and masking tape rather than solvent and grip tape then it becomes a bit easier to recycle grips from one set to the next. I completely agree that there's nothing like a hard, shiny grip to ruin the experience of hitting a great old club.

[pymmdcp]

Although my first job was making clubs I am not set up to do so now. I'll figure something out. I want to give them a fair shot.

[HoldenCornfield]

Mint Grips are pretty decent, and the price is right as you can order direct from the maker. Less than $2/per

[pymmdcp]

Cool. Thanks.

[oldschoolrocker]

I was able to get some Black Widow grips from a big box for .99 a grip. Bought enough for 3 sets and a few woods. So far they have held up well. I already had tape and solvent, so the cost was minimal.

[pymmdcp]

What kind of vice would I need to grip clubs? Maybe I can find one cheap on craigslist and start doing my own again. I would love to start regripping clubs and giving them a proper shot. May not increase sell price if I sell them but they will have new grips so it may set them apart.

[pymmdcp]

What about this?

Look at this on eBay:

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=310983328198

Table Bench Vise 3" Work Bench Clamp Swivel Rotated Vice Hobby Craft Repair Tool