Confessions of a junior golf club maniac

[killer21]

I feel like I lost a season with her playing Ping I25's at 10 years old, great in the wind but the other girls were all hitting high softball iron shots landing like butter flies while she was hitting low balls.  She did ok with them but went back to Flynn irons at 11 years old. She's 12 now, wanted to keep the Flynn's this year but inconsistent with them this spring (something doesn't look right) out side and pretty good growth spirt so custom adult irons are on the way...we'll see.  I would say don't go into adult stuff too soon, especially girls.  11 years old min for woods, 12 years old min for irons.

[heavy_hitter]

On 4/23/2021 at 4:38 PM, killer21 said:

I feel like I lost a season with her playing Ping I25's at 10 years old, great in the wind but the other girls were all hitting high softball iron shots landing like butter flies while she was hitting low balls.  She did ok with them but went back to Flynn irons at 11 years old. She's 12 now, wanted to keep the Flynn's this year but inconsistent with them this spring (something doesn't look right) out side and pretty good growth spirt so custom adult irons are on the way...we'll see.  I would say don't go into adult stuff too soon, especially girls.  11 years old min for woods, 12 years old min for irons.

 

I watched a 14 year old this weekend that had a full bag of Titleist Clubs.  Irons were T200.  Parents spent a ton on this bag, but honestly the irons were the wrong fit.  Probably the wrong shaft.  These things came in so low that he had trouble holding greens.

[Tannerbug33]

There is no substitute for a proper fitting period 

[MB19]

With the holiday season coming up, I figured it was a good time to bump this thread with an update.

 

Both kids have grown a bit since the spring, and that means new shafts and or clubs are circulating in--old gear is circulating out.

 

I put an LA Golf Reign Silver 40L shaft on my daughter's F9, and just to experiment a little I didn't cut it down from almost 43" (she's 58"/92 lbs).  Predictably, it was too long so I cut it down to 41.5" and it looks like a good fit.  Some posts on other threads got me thinking about her F9 junior driver head, which she has been in for about 19 months.  Maybe it was time to go lighter with the TS1 10.5, some of the WRX brain trust informed me.  I listened, found one sub-$200 shipped on eBay, and we'll see what happens when it arrives this week.  Her swing speed has spiked to 74+ a few times over the past three weeks with the new shaft cut down with that F9, so it will be interesting to see what happens when she's swinging a driver head that is 9g lighter.  Lessons with a new-in-town pro soon, hopefully, to try to see if she can catch up to where she should be off the tee.  And due to some genuinely poor stretches of putting (long distance, especially), we'll be looking into putters as well.

 

Pending on how the TS1 goes with my daughter, my son may get one at some point after and we'll resell his F9.  He's shot up to 56" and has TS3 steel shafted irons coming for Christmas.  He's good with everything else.

[mojomover]

1 hour ago, MB19 said:

With the holiday season coming up, I figured it was a good time to bump this thread with an update.

 

Both kids have grown a bit since the spring, and that means new shafts and or clubs are circulating in--old gear is circulating out.

 

I put an LA Golf Reign Silver 40L shaft on my daughter's F9, and just to experiment a little I didn't cut it down from almost 43" (she's 58"/92 lbs).  Predictably, it was too long so I cut it down to 41.5" and it looks like a good fit.  Some posts on other threads got me thinking about her F9 junior driver head, which she has been in for about 19 months.  Maybe it was time to go lighter with the TS1 10.5, some of the WRX brain trust informed me.  I listened, found one sub-$200 shipped on eBay, and we'll see what happens when it arrives this week.  Her swing speed has spiked to 74+ a few times over the past three weeks with the new shaft cut down with that F9, so it will be interesting to see what happens when she's swinging a driver head that is 9g lighter.  Lessons with a new-in-town pro soon, hopefully, to try to see if she can catch up to where she should be off the tee.  And due to some genuinely poor stretches of putting (long distance, especially), we'll be looking into putters as well.

 

Pending on how the TS1 goes with my daughter, my son may get one at some point after and we'll resell his F9.  He's shot up to 56" and has TS3 steel shafted irons coming for Christmas.  He's good with everything else.

 

I ended up getting a TSi1 for $300, and my son seems to be hitting it better than his cobra. Much less dispersion, perhaps a touch more distance. Good luck!

[Kcct82]

3 hours ago, MB19 said:

With the holiday season coming up, I figured it was a good time to bump this thread with an update.

 

Both kids have grown a bit since the spring, and that means new shafts and or clubs are circulating in--old gear is circulating out.

 

I put an LA Golf Reign Silver 40L shaft on my daughter's F9, and just to experiment a little I didn't cut it down from almost 43" (she's 58"/92 lbs).  Predictably, it was too long so I cut it down to 41.5" and it looks like a good fit.  Some posts on other threads got me thinking about her F9 junior driver head, which she has been in for about 19 months.  Maybe it was time to go lighter with the TS1 10.5, some of the WRX brain trust informed me.  I listened, found one sub-$200 shipped on eBay, and we'll see what happens when it arrives this week.  Her swing speed has spiked to 74+ a few times over the past three weeks with the new shaft cut down with that F9, so it will be interesting to see what happens when she's swinging a driver head that is 9g lighter.  Lessons with a new-in-town pro soon, hopefully, to try to see if she can catch up to where she should be off the tee.  And due to some genuinely poor stretches of putting (long distance, especially), we'll be looking into putters as well.

 

Pending on how the TS1 goes with my daughter, my son may get one at some point after and we'll resell his F9.  He's shot up to 56" and has TS3 steel shafted irons coming for Christmas.  He's good with everything else.

Curious to see your results. My experience is that club head speed goes up and smash factor goes down, so you end up with basically the same distance. 

[MB19]

5 hours ago, mojomover said:

 

I ended up getting a TSi1 for $300, and my son seems to be hitting it better than his cobra. Much less dispersion, perhaps a touch more distance. Good luck!

$300—great price.

[MB19]

3 hours ago, Kcct82 said:

Curious to see your results. My experience is that club head speed goes up and smash factor goes down, so you end up with basically the same distance. 

I’ll definitely report back.
 

 Contemplating keeping  the stiffer air speeder 40 R2 shaft it came with and just cutting it down.  It came today, complete with headcover and tool—so far so good.

[mojomover]

5 hours ago, MB19 said:

$300—great price.

Should clarify, the head was $300 after selling the shaft 🙂

[Jwb68]

On 2/23/2021 at 5:12 PM, Kcct82 said:

Interesting to know that the Prodi G’s work with your kid. As far as I know they’re about the same weight (head weight) as USKG TS3 54’s (10% lighter than adult) and USKG sets for 48” tall kids are 20% lighter. 

This interested me as at the start of the summer we went with the TS3 57 after testing a Ping Prodi G 6 iron.

His TS3 6 iron weighs 327g total weight

His Ping 6 iron weighs 339g total weight

 

The overall club length is roughly the same.

 

He did not like the Ping as it was heavier.  Weight wise USKids are very difficult to beat.   I ported out an adult wedge to match the head weight of a uskids wedge and i had to remove so much material the wedge looks like crap.  He can really spin it though!  lol

 

 I always thought that the TS3 heads and the Flynn shaft would be a pretty good combo.  I think the TS3 shafts are a too whippy for my guy.

 

We lost his Pitching Wedge and because of the club shortage ordered an ALTO PW.  He likes it so much we ordered a new set of ALTO+.

[Jwb68]

On 2/23/2021 at 5:12 PM, Kcct82 said:

Interesting to know that the Prodi G’s work with your kid. As far as I know they’re about the same weight (head weight) as USKG TS3 54’s (10% lighter than adult) and USKG sets for 48” tall kids are 20% lighter. 

 

Edited November 20, 2021 by Jwb68
duplicate

[GoDeacs]

Just ordered the demo for the new Flynn Alto+ as my daughter is ready to move up from the TS3 51".  She really likes the feel and the height she gets out of the Alto+ 7 iron. Probably going to get a Prodi G 7 iron to test and make the decision from there. 

[MB19]

It's that time of year where the new gear is out, and the old gear is on sale/up for sale.  What does everyone have their eye on right now?

 

My 8yo son went from an old Flynn Velocity set of irons/Prodi g wedges to a full set of USKG TS3 57" irons (steel)and wedges.  We haven't played but a round or two with the clubs since getting them at Christmas, but we've put in a lot of range and simulator work.  So far, so good as he is longer, more accurate and gets better spin greenside with his current set.  We'll see how actual rounds go.  Interesting that the 5i in his set has been an upgrade over the Prodi g hybrid he used for quite some time.  Nothing against the ping, as it was the best junior hybrid we've had, but he can hit that 5i way more consistently for some reason.

 

My 10yo daughter upgraded to an Evnroll ER2 over Christmas, and early returns say her long putting is substantially better now (it was a bit of a low bar) with short and medium-range being close to the same.  I dropped off 919 Hot Metal (PW is a Pro, the rest are regular) heads to be mounted to Ping ULT 230 Lite shafts/ladies Dry-Tac grips.  The lofts will be a bit of an adjustment (TS3 8i=39*, 919 HM 8i=35*), but we'll see how it goes. 

Edited March 9, 2022 by MB19

[Movingday]

10 yo- last year- full bag (driver-Wedges) TS3 54” graphite shaft 

This year-

Callaway XR16 Driver- bassara e42 shaft

Epic Flash 3W Flynn VT max alto shaft

Epic Flash 4 (21*)Hybrid- VT max alto

TS3 57” Steel shaft- 5-Wedges

SeeMore putter- best purchase I made

 

He hits the woods so good, there is now a big gap from the 4 hybrid to the 5i. Currently just keeping the 25* TS3 hybrid in bag because I have it. May look to add something as we approach summer. 

 

Swing got a little flat for a couple weeks after making the switch (and taking a few months off) but is now back to normal and hitting everything farther, higher, straighter.

 

Edited March 9, 2022 by Movingday

[MB19]

After putting the new Hot Metal 919 irons in her bag, my daughter naturally broke her personal best by three strokes today for nine.  Best upgrade ever.

 

I'm sure it's just a coincidence, but the higher lofts coupled with playing a Pro-V1x seemed to suit her.  Plus, they just look so good in the bag!

 

She also sported new kicks today--Adidas Crossknit DPR, on supersale from 2nd Swing.  Comfy feet FTW.

[Movingday]

54 minutes ago, MB19 said:

After putting the new Hot Metal 919 irons in her bag, my daughter naturally broke her personal best by three strokes today for nine.  Best upgrade ever.

 

I'm sure it's just a coincidence, but the higher lofts coupled with playing a Pro-V1x seemed to suit her.  Plus, they just look so good in the bag!

 

She also sported new kicks today--Adidas Crossknit DPR, on supersale from 2nd Swing.  Comfy feet FTW.

Man nothing better than seeing positive gains from new equipment 

[leezer99]

On 3/8/2022 at 7:02 PM, MB19 said:

...and early returns say her long putting is substantially better now (it was a bit of a low bar)

 

🤣  Love it!

[Goldenhawk]

On 4/26/2021 at 10:21 AM, heavy_hitter said:

 

I watched a 14 year old this weekend that had a full bag of Titleist Clubs.  Irons were T200.  Parents spent a ton on this bag, but honestly the irons were the wrong fit.  Probably the wrong shaft.  These things came in so low that he had trouble holding greens.

 

It all comes down to the kid's swing.  My 13-1/2 year old is 5' 4" tall and swings his 7 iron in the 70s.  He uses the 2021 T200s with R Flex AMT Black shafts and hits them just fine.  Gets the ball up in the air just fine.  He likes them better than the 2021 T300s.

[heavy_hitter]

9 minutes ago, Goldenhawk said:

 

It all comes down to the kid's swing.  My 13-1/2 year old is 5' 4" tall and swings his 7 iron in the 70s.  He uses the 2021 T200s with R Flex AMT Black shafts and hits them just fine.  Gets the ball up in the air just fine.  He likes them better than the 2021 T300s.

It comes down to the right shaft for the swing, speed, launch, and spin each player produces.  

 

This kid was in a stiff flexed shaft with more than likely a shaft that produced a lower ball flight.  Just how he launched the ball.

[tiger1873]

41 minutes ago, heavy_hitter said:

It comes down to the right shaft for the swing, speed, launch, and spin each player produces.  

 

This kid was in a stiff flexed shaft with more than likely a shaft that produced a lower ball flight.  Just how he launched the ball.

 

Something I learned is finding the correct shaft is almost more important than the heads.   It isn't an easy task either because it just impossible in most place to try a lot different shafts out there.

 

If you have the correct shaft the head is pretty easy to figure out based on your style of play and skill level.

[Goldenhawk]

1 hour ago, heavy_hitter said:

It comes down to the right shaft for the swing, speed, launch, and spin each player produces.  

 

This kid was in a stiff flexed shaft with more than likely a shaft that produced a lower ball flight.  Just how he launched the ball.

 

Wow.  Stiff flex shaft in the T200s.  If they are the stock AMT Blacks, that shaft is stout for their respective flexes to begin with.  Even tough my youngest son can bring it, he has low kick point shafts in his driver and fairway woods.  His miss is the low miss.  So the low kick point shafts help him elevate the ball.

 

As for his set of T200s, the only thing we did was bend them flat (my son is only 5'5" and 13-1/2).  As he grows, the heads will be bent upright.  Most likely he will be going into stiff flex shafts when he plays golf as a freshman in high school in a couple of years.

[heavy_hitter]

28 minutes ago, Goldenhawk said:

 

Wow.  Stiff flex shaft in the T200s.  If they are the stock AMT Blacks, that shaft is stout for their respective flexes to begin with.  Even tough my youngest son can bring it, he has low kick point shafts in his driver and fairway woods.  His miss is the low miss.  So the low kick point shafts help him elevate the ball.

 

As for his set of T200s, the only thing we did was bend them flat (my son is only 5'5" and 13-1/2).  As he grows, the heads will be bent upright.  Most likely he will be going into stiff flex shafts when he plays golf as a freshman in high school in a couple of years.

There are pro players in XS in the T200 including Will Zalatoris with a 3i.  Get the right shaft and there is no issue.

 

My kid is in Cobra Forged Tech with Nippon Modus 120 XS.  4i 105mph swing speed with 227 carry average and 240 total.  Not a T200, but the same category of iron.  We were going to do a split set but supply chains told us not to because at the time he couldn't afford to wait.

Edited March 10, 2022 by heavy_hitter

[Goldenhawk]

7 hours ago, heavy_hitter said:

There are pro players in XS in the T200 including Will Zalatoris with a 3i.  Get the right shaft and there is no issue.

 

My kid is in Cobra Forged Tech with Nippon Modus 120 XS.  4i 105mph swing speed with 227 carry average and 240 total.  Not a T200, but the same category of iron.  We were going to do a split set but supply chains told us not to because at the time he couldn't afford to wait.

Wow.  You were able to find Nippon Steel shafts.  Nippon Steel and KBS are hard to find or delayed delivery for the most part.  We have been staying away from those two manufacturers.  There also have been issues with iron shafts at Ping too.

 

My 16 year old plays AMT Blacks in his 2021 T300s.  We caught Titleist right before they get. Huge shipment of AMT shafts in the fall last year.

[heavy_hitter]

11 hours ago, Goldenhawk said:

Wow.  You were able to find Nippon Steel shafts.  Nippon Steel and KBS are hard to find or delayed delivery for the most part.  We have been staying away from those two manufacturers.  There also have been issues with iron shafts at Ping too.

 

My 16 year old plays AMT Blacks in his 2021 T300s.  We caught Titleist right before they get. Huge shipment of AMT shafts in the fall last year.

 

Actually, bought the stock irons with stiff KBS shafts.  GolfWorks online had the Nippon Shafts I needed and purchased from them.  Went to the local shop and they pulled and replaced the shafts.  Sold the KBS for more than I paid for the Nippon.  Local snapped the 5i head and rep had to work to get it replaced because no one had them at the time.

[MB19]

In an effort to remedy my daughter's high spin rate I bid the minimum on a used Radspeed 10.5* driver with an Evenflow 40 CB Senior shaft and won with the only bid.  The Cabal (a notorious and nefarious WRX offshoot) has warned me this is a bad idea, and they may well be right, but we're going to give it a go anyways in a head-to-head comparison using at least two different shafts with this low-spin head.  I will put the results here for reference for WRX members (like me) deciding to make equipment changes in the dead of night on way too little sleep.  I anticipate reselling the driver to my local golf shop, but not before putting that bad boy through its paces.

 

I'll have my daughter (after a proper warm-up) take 5 cuts with her current setup, and then 5 cuts with the Radspeed setup... and 5 cuts with a LA Golf Reign Silver 40L shaft I have tipped for Cobra.  The data the Flightscope Xi gives me gets posted with some notes.

 

Maybe I'll have my son take a few rips with the Cobra head as well, because YOLO.

 

 

[leezer99]

[jj9000]

2 hours ago, MB19 said:

In an effort to remedy my daughter's high spin rate I bid the minimum on a used Radspeed 10.5* driver with an Evenflow 40 CB Senior shaft and won with the only bid.  The Cabal (a notorious and nefarious WRX offshoot) has warned me this is a bad idea, and they may well be right, but we're going to give it a go anyways in a head-to-head comparison using at least two different shafts with this low-spin head.  I will put the results here for reference for WRX members (like me) deciding to make equipment changes in the dead of night on way too little sleep.  I anticipate reselling the driver to my local golf shop, but not before putting that bad boy through its paces.

 

I'll have my daughter (after a proper warm-up) take 5 cuts with her current setup, and then 5 cuts with the Radspeed setup... and 5 cuts with a LA Golf Reign Silver 40L shaft I have tipped for Cobra.  The data the Flightscope Xi gives me gets posted with some notes.

 

Maybe I'll have my son take a few rips with the Cobra head as well, because YOLO.

 

 

 

Offer to sell your sh to me before going to the local golf shop.  Food for thought.

[darter79]

13 hours ago, jj9000 said:

 

Offer to sell your sh to me before going to the local golf shop.  Food for thought.

What you need I might have it. 

[MB19]

3 hours ago, darter79 said:

What you need I might have it. 

A+ vendor

[heavy_hitter]