Reasonable approach to buying new clubs?

[hoffmapc10]

Quick background - I've had the same set of clubs (Callaway Diablo Edge driver through irons) since I started playing ~8 years ago. Finally at the point where my game justifies a step up in equipment (oh and also my driver head cracked so that is forcing my hand a bit lol). No official handicap but low 90s golfer on an average day, recently started seeing a pro which I plan to continue doing consistently, so expecting to break into the 80s this season (knock wood).  I'm getting fit for the first time at CC in a few weeks to get baseline information and a better understanding for specs that work for my swing. I don't plan on buying anything from CC and will make clear to the fitter I'd prefer to focus on shafts offered from the OEMs that don't carry massive upcharges (I'm sure $300 shafts are amazing and very useful for very skilled golfers - I myself am not there yet). Below is my plan for each club, please let me know if you have any suggestions to approach differently. I'm happy to spend money for the right equipment, just want to pick my spots where to buy new vs used.

 

 

Driver - From my understanding Callaway has great customer service and accommodating non-warranty exchange programs. Unless I absolutely fall in love with another driver at the fitting, I'll try to speak with Callaway regarding this program ideally for a recent years model at a discount. I'm used to hitting a 10 year old driver so I think with the right shaft specs any recent driver will feel/perform great

3W - Will use fitting specs and try out the classified section for a previous years model in good shape (2018 - 2020)

Hybrid - Will likely address later on, not a big hybrid player so not an immediate need

Irons - Here is where I'm looking to buy new. Tell me if I'm wrong , but my gut says iron technology doesn't advance year to year to the same degree as wood technology? So ideally this purchase will last 5 years (or hopefully even longer). Plan would be test multiple head/shaft combos at CC and then buy through Discount Dan's or similar (happy to hear suggestions on where to buy). I really like the look/price point of the new ZX5/7 line and candidly I just like Srixon as a brand - of course I'm going to keep an open mind at the fitting and see what feels / performs best, but this currently where I'm leaning

Wedges - Currently game Vokey sm7 52.08 and 56.08 - may add a 60 down the line but not immediate need

Putter - Current Callaway White Ice #9. Will see fitting results but unless this is an absolute mismatch for my putting stroke will likely hang on to for the time being 

 

First time doing a major club rehaul so any thoughts are appreciated, thanks!

  

 

 

[BlkNGld]

I'm always leery of using specs from one club fitting and applying them to another model.   It can help in terms of starting point, sure, but it's less than optimal.  I think  it squanders the value of a CC fitting, which itself is not inexpensive.

 

Your plan to approach Callaway is a stretch.  They've been great with me in replacing current and even 1 generation removed product that's failed, but Diablo is far removed from that.  It's useful life is long over.  That program exists to build brand loyalty with customer that they think are buying the latest every year or so.   If you're calling them about a club introduced over 10 years ago you don't exactly fit that profile.

.   

[monkeyboy]

A few thoughts....

One fitting likely will not yield data for your entire bag...if you are doing entire bag in one session - that's aggressive IMO.

Since irons are most needed - get an iron fitting first. (can easily lead to the right shaft specs for a driving iron and wedges).  Best to go slow vs fast when fitting entire bag as only after time with clubs will gaps/deficiencies show up.

Fully agree to Discount Dans - superb prices!

Would recommend you look at golfusamanhattan web site to see which clubs offer which shaft combos for free or at a premium - great site for that info.  I doubt your fitter will know it all.  

I would not get so attached to one MFG (Callaway) this early in the game...let the fitting lead you.

 

best of luck!

[umassgolfer]

My $.02: I would almost look away from new irons for the very reason you mentioned - you do not get tremendous gains year to year. A nearly new looking set of irons a model or two old can be picked up on the (relative) cheap and not sacrifice much of anything in terms of performance. 

 

 

[hoffmapc10]

@BlkNGld fair point I probably worded that too aggressively; I'm certainly not banking on a free or discounted club or anything, just figured it's worth a phone call to see if there's anything to do

 

@monkeyboy @umassgolfer very helpful, thanks 

[Mych]

I'd recommend spending $100 on a playing-lesson and determine which clubs are the most in need of replacement based on an unbiased analysis of your skill level and goals. You may find out that more lessons would cause a faster improvement than new clubs. Also, I'm not sure whether courses will be having "demo day" events this year, but those can be good opportunities to try lots of different stuff and narrow down your likes/dislikes.

 

Now... what I would actually do is just go pound balls into a simulator screen somewhere until I find something I like, buy it, then sell it two months later and buy something else. Then I'd just keep repeating that pattern for the next 10 years. But that's just me (and most of GolfWRX).

Edited January 14, 2021 by Mych

[hoffmapc10]

@Mych haha I think you just described my future self. Pretty jacked up about this fitting... it's my first time hitting a wide range of newer / higher end equipment all at once. One downside of being left handed is I can never try out my buddies clubs!

 

Noted on the playing lesson. I've been seeing a pro every 2-3 weeks for the last ~3 months with good results and plan on keeping that schedule going. Will definitely get his take on best path forward once I have specs in hand

[Abh159]

@hoffmapc10 I like where you're head is at (buying used until you keep improving), but there could be a potential drawback to that. The fitter is probably only going to have the latest equipment from all of the major OEMs. Therefore, you might get fit into this year's Callaway driver model for example and it might play totally different than a previous year's Callaway model and you'll be disappointed that you don't hit it as well as you did during the fitting (just using this as an example because I'm not a Callaway guy). 

 

Personally, I don't think that would make massive enough difference to cost you a bunch of shots when you play, but I wanted it to be something you're aware of. 

 

I also agree with a previous poster and say you should buy the irons used and the woods new. Irons are much more durable and last a lot longer than woods. Therefore, a 10 year old set of irons will perform about as well as a new set assuming you have the proper shaft and lie angle for your swing. Also new irons can be crazy expensive so it will be much cheaper to go used irons and new woods. 

Edited January 14, 2021 by Abh159

[ChipNRun]

37 minutes ago, hoffmapc10 said:

Noted on the playing lesson. I've been seeing a pro every 2-3 weeks for the last ~3 months with good results and plan on keeping that schedule going. Will definitely get his take on best path forward once I have specs in hand

Good work. Stabilize swing before re-doing bag.

[5baytjd]

Good news, bad news - as a lefty your prices for used clubs will normally be better (lower demand), but the availability will be quite a bit less too.  You didn't say whether your specs are different than standard, but if you need to have things adjusted (lie angle, etc) a forged set is able to accommodate that with ease, versus some cast irons cant' be tweaked at all.  I have found pricing on used Srixon clubs to be quite reasonable.  And you can easily combo between for instance the z565 (more forgiving) in the longer irons and the z765 in the shorter irons.

Another thing to keep in mind if you do need different than standard specs is that ordering a new set will allow this versus paying to have it done on a used set (narrows the price gap).  Sub70 has gotten some good reviews, and you can order those to your exact spec (numerous no-charge options) and they ARE AVAILABLE left handed - A set of 699 Irons 5-PW are $480 I believe, so that would be another way to consider.  Good luck in your quest !

[5baytjd]

2 hours ago, Abh159 said:

I also agree with a previous poster and say you should buy the irons used and the woods new. Irons are much more durable and last a lot longer than woods. Therefore, a 10 year old set of irons will perform about as well as a new set assuming you have the proper shaft and lie angle for your swing. Also new irons can be crazy expensive so it will be much cheaper to go used irons and new woods. 

I'm on the other side of the fence on this one.  Since driver face COR was reached well over a decade ago, if you hit em on the screws, a new driver CAN'T go any further than a decade old one.  The improvements in the newer drivers allow more of the face to deliver excellent results.  You can find some newer era (~5 years old) drivers with some REALLY NICE upgraded shafts for decent prices.

 

Not all new irons are crazy expensive.  Two examples that have many proponents are the Sub70 699 irons and the PXG 0211's.  The benefit of going new is that you can get exactly your specs, in loft, lie, length, shaft flex & material, and grips -- SEVERAL options available for no up-charge.

[95124hacker]

Driver, wedges & putter are your scoring clubs. Invest more in those. And find a ball you’re consistent with.

[Moonlightgrm]

https://www.golfworks.com/iron-head-mpf-ratings/a/870/
 

[DaRiz]

Just keep in mind that if you are shooting in the 90s right now and you are serious about improvement, everything you are getting fit for may change quite a bit. CC will fit you to your current swing, which likely has a ton of flaws in it

 

Here is what I would do (since I was once you)

 

Driver - use the CC fitting to determine your flex (S or X), shaft profile (L M or H launch), and loft (8 - 10.5), as well as weight (50 vs 60 vs 70g) . Think about the fitting in those terms and then use that very basic info to buy something similar, but cheaper and of good value on ebay or BST.  For example if you get fit into a TSi2 at 10.5* and a Kiyoshit purple 75 g stiff, that will cost you $1100. But it is a high launch head, heavy shaft, that is mid launch. You could go look for a TS2 10.5, or even as far back as a 913 10.5* with a 70g blueboard, depending on how much you want to spend), and you will be very much in the ballpark of what you were fit for

3W and H - same as driver, just figure out what shaft weight and profile works for you , and what you like to look at at address. 

Irons - great opportunity to test a bunch of shafts, one should perform best and will likely stick with you for awhile even through swing changes. dont get caught up in recent model iron heads - just learn your proper length loft and lie (which may all change later if you improve), and buy whatever looks the nicest at address and in the bag. Literally all irons are timeless (except the ugly ones)

wedges need to be tested outside so dont place too much stock in a CC fitting, your SM7s are fine anyways

putter 100% personal although the SAM puttlab at CC will tell you if a different head style or hosel might suit your stroke - dont get caught up in MOI, and dont force anything if you arent 100% in love with the look at address

 

you are just getting baselines here - I personally would not break the bank until I could break 80

[5baytjd]

15 minutes ago, DaRiz said:

Just keep in mind that if you are shooting in the 90s right now and you are serious about improvement, everything you are getting fit for may change quite a bit. CC will fit you to your current swing, which likely has a ton of flaws in it

 

Here is what I would do (since I was once you)

 

Driver - use the CC fitting to determine your flex (S or X), shaft profile (L M or H launch), and loft (8 - 10.5), as well as weight (50 vs 60 vs 70g) . Think about the fitting in those terms and then use that very basic info to buy something similar, but cheaper and of good value on ebay or BST.  For example if you get fit into a TSi2 at 10.5* and a Kiyoshit purple 75 g stiff, that will cost you $1100. But it is a high launch head, heavy shaft, that is mid launch. You could go look for a TS2 10.5, or even as far back as a 913 10.5* with a 70g blueboard, depending on how much you want to spend), and you will be very much in the ballpark of what you were fit for

3W and H - same as driver, just figure out what shaft weight and profile works for you , and what you like to look at at address. 

Irons - great opportunity to test a bunch of shafts, one should perform best and will likely stick with you for awhile even through swing changes. dont get caught up in recent model iron heads - just learn your proper length loft and lie (which may all change later if you improve), and buy whatever looks the nicest at address and in the bag. Literally all irons are timeless (except the ugly ones)

wedges need to be tested outside so dont place too much stock in a CC fitting, your SM7s are fine anyways

putter 100% personal although the SAM puttlab at CC will tell you if a different head style or hosel might suit your stroke - dont get caught up in MOI, and dont force anything if you arent 100% in love with the look at address

 

you are just getting baselines here - I personally would not break the bank until I could break 80

DaRiz, some fine advice you have added here. 

 

As you say, figure out the weight of the wood and hybrid shafts.  Many (most?) folks go at least 10 grams heavier than their driver for their first FW, and some will then go another 10 grams with the next FW or hybrid, depending on bag make-up at the top end. 

 

Since you'll have access to these variations at the CC fitting, make sure you take advantage to find out what feels and works best for you.

 

Edited January 15, 2021 by 5baytjd

[5baytjd]

@hoffmapc10 I was going to point you to some reviews of the Sub70 699 Pro irons, but I just checked and those are not available left handed.

Edited January 15, 2021 by 5baytjd
new information gleened

[Funkytee75]

On 1/14/2021 at 11:09 AM, hoffmapc10 said:

Quick background - I've had the same set of clubs (Callaway Diablo Edge driver through irons) since I started playing ~8 years ago. Finally at the point where my game justifies a step up in equipment (oh and also my driver head cracked so that is forcing my hand a bit lol). No official handicap but low 90s golfer on an average day, recently started seeing a pro which I plan to continue doing consistently, so expecting to break into the 80s this season (knock wood).  I'm getting fit for the first time at CC in a few weeks to get baseline information and a better understanding for specs that work for my swing. I don't plan on buying anything from CC and will make clear to the fitter I'd prefer to focus on shafts offered from the OEMs that don't carry massive upcharges (I'm sure $300 shafts are amazing and very useful for very skilled golfers - I myself am not there yet). Below is my plan for each club, please let me know if you have any suggestions to approach differently. I'm happy to spend money for the right equipment, just want to pick my spots where to buy new vs used.

 

 

Driver - From my understanding Callaway has great customer service and accommodating non-warranty exchange programs. Unless I absolutely fall in love with another driver at the fitting, I'll try to speak with Callaway regarding this program ideally for a recent years model at a discount. I'm used to hitting a 10 year old driver so I think with the right shaft specs any recent driver will feel/perform great

3W - Will use fitting specs and try out the classified section for a previous years model in good shape (2018 - 2020)

Hybrid - Will likely address later on, not a big hybrid player so not an immediate need

Irons - Here is where I'm looking to buy new. Tell me if I'm wrong , but my gut says iron technology doesn't advance year to year to the same degree as wood technology? So ideally this purchase will last 5 years (or hopefully even longer). Plan would be test multiple head/shaft combos at CC and then buy through Discount Dan's or similar (happy to hear suggestions on where to buy). I really like the look/price point of the new ZX5/7 line and candidly I just like Srixon as a brand - of course I'm going to keep an open mind at the fitting and see what feels / performs best, but this currently where I'm leaning

Wedges - Currently game Vokey sm7 52.08 and 56.08 - may add a 60 down the line but not immediate need

Putter - Current Callaway White Ice #9. Will see fitting results but unless this is an absolute mismatch for my putting stroke will likely hang on to for the time being 

 

First time doing a major club rehaul so any thoughts are appreciated, thanks!

  

 

 

Unsure if you know about this or how helpful, but it’s free and more information is always nice to have for consideration.   I liked speaking to both Callaway and Ping pro fitters after getting flightscope feedback from an initial gap fitting.  Reading up on things like AoA and swing speed along with tips from the fine folks here is good research and worthwhile considering potential costs. 

https://www.callawaygolf.com/distancefitting/

https://webfit.ping.com

All the best!

Edited January 15, 2021 by Funkytee75
Link add

[Moonlightgrm]

Hoffmapc10, I don’t know if you have enough posts to receive a PM but I sent you one regarding the MPF Ratings.