Getting back into golf….biggest changes since 2008?

[VanTheMan0519]

I used to be a member back in the Delphi forum days while I was in high school lol

 

Long story short I went from playing 1-3 times per week from 2008-2010ish to playing 3x total from 2013-2021. Family, kids, job and excuses. 
 

We moved out of state for a job and joined a course. 
 

Still repping a 907D2, TM burner 3, Ap2 irons and vokey spin milleds. A SC studio stainless as well. 
 

I want to upgrade slowly but where has technology gained the most?  Looks like removing long irons in favor of more wedges seems popular. Huge mallet putters have taken over. 
 

I’ll take it slow but thinking of getting a putter first and seeing how the year plays out and plan for 2022. 

 

 

Edited June 21, 2021 by VanTheMan0519

[bvanlieu]

I'd start with the long clubs. The tech in drivers, woods, then hybrids to provide better ball speed on missed strikes is the biggest gains.  Go boom boom shopping first. 

 

Depending on what you like with putters, there are a lot of higher MOI designs out there along with variations of classic designs that have not changed much. You can still spend hundreds on the designer putters or just game a ping answer 2 for $50 and putt the same. You have the scotty covered 🙂 

 

Lots of good irons out there but I'd get back into the game, see how you are playing, then perhaps find a fitter to see how the irons, weight, shafts etc...work for you before going down that rat hole. 

 

[animalgolfs]

Driver forgiveness 

And spin rate on irons, being able to monitor for correct fit

 

Upgrading without a launch monitor-- is pointless unless you just want to upgrade

[PEI_Golfer]

Start with driver and then wood/hybrid.  Irons and wedges should be more than fine for your current needs unless the shaft is too much for you now in your old man days vs. highschool.

 

Putter is personal and is more than fine, but more stability is out there if needed.

[mcounci2]

Definitely driver first, I'd follow on with wedges, then start with 3w and work your way through the set from there.

[95124hacker]

If you spend too much time on this forum, you’d think everyone is playing the exact same set, LOL, I.e.:

 

- PXG Gen4 or Callaway Triple Diamond Epic Speed driver w/ KHT Autoflex 505XX shaft 

- Callaway SuperHybrid

- King Rickie Fowler (RF) copper blades

- Kirkland wedges

- Kirkland putter

- Kirkland 3-piece Version 2 (aka 3.2), Pro V1x Left Dash, or Chrome Soft X LS balls

Edited June 22, 2021 by 95124hacker

[Red4282]

Welcome back, i had the same story, stopped playing in 08 and came back in 2018. The replies so far are pretty accurate in my experience. You will want to start with the driver and 3 wood. One thing thats changed i feel like is you have 7-8 solid choices, because all the brands make really really good stuff now. (Titleist, TM, Callaway, Ping, Mizuno, Cobra, PXG, even Tour Edge)  Dont be afraid to grab a year or two old used driver, thats where you can get amazing value. Id then go with new wedges with fresh grooves. Id do irons and putter last, that really hasnt changed much. There is a trend with irons to have very strong lofts, so if you hit  a modern club way past yours just know its likely the stronger lofts doing it, not by some techy magic. 

[Jmccas]

Welcome back - I took a 15 year hiatus!  Back in the days when I was playing the only fitting I worried about related to my pants.  The biggest technology change I noticed when I started playing again was how advanced fittings have become and the ability to change the loft and lie on woods.  Blew my mind!

 

As others have said, long ball is the biggest change.  Go hit some new drivers/woods/hybrids and see what you like.  Then spend some time on the BST forum to find some deals.  No sense paying retail unless you have the cash to burn or have to have new.

[c7015]

Driver spin is the biggest change, and arguably the biggest impact on scoring 

 

Irons are likely fine 

 

new wedges have not really advanced that much but at the same time are the easiest to wear out the grooves. 

 

Sounds like your set is decent , would spend the money on beer and get out there and play a lot ! 

 

[MattC555]

To echo the rest, go get fit for a driver.  Then I'd look at adding a hybrid. 

[Nevek]

All the custom options that are available

[chussey]

Howdy and welcome back. I was out of the game for many years as well and just got back into it a year ago. I was playing with my old clubs - same driver as you and then Titleist 755s and Titleist Wedges. I started with the Driver and Irons and immediately saw more distance and tighter dispersion. My miss-hits aren't as off as with my older irons and driver. My next upgrade will be wedges because apparently my late 2000's wedges are technically 'illegal' from what I understand. I love my old 3 wood and am also looking to replace the hybrid with a 7wood. I think putter is probably the lowest priority to replace. Just my two cents.

[VanTheMan0519]

Thanks all!  I think my wedges are illegal now too. Going to start with woods and most likely keep my others until a few months down the road. 

[JAMH03]

Quote

 Looks like removing long irons in favor of more wedges seems popular. Huge mallet putters have taken over. 
 

I’ll take it slow but thinking of getting a putter first and seeing how the year plays out and plan for 2022. 

I think your plan makes the most sense.

Alignment, MOI, forgiving faces and the cool guys on TV are all strong reasons to try to see if you can improve your baseline. Also you'll be putting as you practice or maybe play 9 holes sometimes.

Since you haven't been playing it'll be harder to know how much difference you're seeing in a driver or any of the play-clubs vs how much of how you're hitting the ball is rust, age etc.

What putters were you thinking of?

[DaveMc82]

Unless the AP2s aren’t working for you, I’ll be very anti-WRX and say keep them. Barring extra distance you would probably take a step back changing from them. IMHO they’re one of the best sets I should never have traded. 
 

The top end of the bag is worth investing in. The ‘max’ type heads with the exception of the Sim/Sim2 would do 90% of golfers these days for driver. 
 

Hybrids have come a long way in negating the need for longer irons and there’s enough variation in design to fit your tendencies. 
 

Putters are weird in that lots like me hate the super MOI designs and you may be the same. I play on lightning greens and only feel comfortable with an Odyssey 1W. 

[ShortGolfer]

Being able to practice in my back yard every day with an affordable launch monitor is the biggest change I've seen.

[xkilgorextroutx]

Like others have said, driver & woods are where you'll probably find the most immediate gains. My father started playing again maybe 4-5 years ago after not playing for 15+ years and he was in shock over how much further his new (at the time) Cobra F6 went vs. his old Titleist driver. 

[Greenie]

I agree with a driver, fairway woods,and or hybrids if they are your thing. 

 

I bought new irons last yr and they are more forgiving on miss hits. If you hit your irons solid they would be the last thing to upgrade IMO.

 

I like my new irons but still play my old irons too. They are from around 2010. I gamed them a few days ago and hit them as well as my new irons. 

 

I still use my putter I bought around 2010. 

 

With the strong lofted irons of today most have more wedges in their bag now. 

 

If I would get new irons I would do the wedges then to make sure your gaps are covered.

[Rosey31]

I did the same thing and took an 11 year break from the game. I was playing R9 tp Driver and woods, TM 300 Irons, Vokey SM4 wedges and TM Penta golf balls. I did what most of the people here suggested and upgraded the Driver and woods first, then my irons and now working on upgrading the wedges. 

[DaveGoodrich]

Good golf can be played with the set you have. I'd probably work hard at finding a recent driver you can hit well.  Technology has made the biggest difference there (and what you need for the rest of your set will depend on where you end up after your tee shot😁).  I'd play a bunch of golf before making other decisions. You need to know your game before you can know what you need/want.  

[chipa]

On 6/21/2021 at 7:16 AM, VanTheMan0519 said:

I used to be a member back in the Delphi forum days while I was in high school lol

 

Long story short I went from playing 1-3 times per week from 2008-2010ish to playing 3x total from 2013-2021. Family, kids, job and excuses. 
 

We moved out of state for a job and joined a course. 
 

Still repping a 907D2, TM burner 3, Ap2 irons and vokey spin milleds. A SC studio stainless as well. 
 

I want to upgrade slowly but where has technology gained the most?  Looks like removing long irons in favor of more wedges seems popular. Huge mallet putters have taken over. 
 

I’ll take it slow but thinking of getting a putter first and seeing how the year plays out and plan for 2022. 

 

 

 

The only thing that has changed in irons is the new materials and the number they choose to put on the bottom, ie the new 4 and 5 irons are the equivalent of the old 3 irons.

 

The ball is definitely longer, maybe a club with the irons.

 

As far as woods they seem infinitely adjustable but I started golf in the late 90's and haven't been able to make the transition to the bigger heads, I'm using a 98 Big Bertha that looks like a small fairway wood.

[lefthack]

God damn grooves. 😞

[VanTheMan0519]

22 hours ago, JAMH03 said:

I think your plan makes the most sense.

Alignment, MOI, forgiving faces and the cool guys on TV are all strong reasons to try to see if you can improve your baseline. Also you'll be putting as you practice or maybe play 9 holes sometimes.

Since you haven't been playing it'll be harder to know how much difference you're seeing in a driver or any of the play-clubs vs how much of how you're hitting the ball is rust, age etc.

What putters were you thinking of?

I’ve always played Anser/Newport style. Never tried an alignment aided mallet. I have a putter fitting for Kate July. Gives me 5 weeks or so to get a decent repeatable stroke down for the fitting. 

[Hawkeye77]

Tiger won another major. 
 

Ditto on drivers for heads and shafts. But more graphite iron shaft options as well. 

[VanTheMan0519]

Plan is to get fitted for driver and putter in late July. That’ll do it for 2021 and slowly work in FW and hybrids as well as irons in the next 14 months or so. 
 

Honestly I haven’t been a fan of the AP2’s. Eager to move to something more forgiving. But I’m in no hurry. 

[phizzy30]

Start with driver.  Modern heads tend to be more forgiving on mis hits especially for ball speed and curve.  Next move onto long irons.  Replace with either hybrids or driver irons or be like me and have both in your bag.  You'll thank me later.  The SC you have is perfectly fine, no need to replace it.  I still have my 2008 or 2009 SC Newport and don't plan on replacing it anytime soon.  Provided the grooves in your wedges are fine, you can still leave the Vokeys in your bag. 

[xkilgorextroutx]

10 hours ago, chipa said:

The only thing that has changed in irons is the new materials and the number they choose to put on the bottom, ie the new 4 and 5 irons are the equivalent of the old 3 irons.

 

Irons today have better MOI, more forgiveness on off-center hits, and better weighting especially in the GI/SGI space. Blades - no you're probably not going to see too much of a difference but saying that the only change from now to then is the number associated with the loft simply isn't correct.

 

That said, my point above (like many others also said) stands - the biggest gains in distance & forgiveness are most likely to come from a new driver & woods. Irons, however, will still be better/more forgiving as well. 

[Hawkeye77]

15 hours ago, VanTheMan0519 said:

Plan is to get fitted for driver and putter in late July. That’ll do it for 2021 and slowly work in FW and hybrids as well as irons in the next 14 months or so. 
 

Honestly I haven’t been a fan of the AP2’s. Eager to move to something more forgiving. But I’m in no hurry. 

Just IMO but I’ve found my new zx7s to be no less forgiving than a few different versions of AP2s which I thought offered enough help but good feedback. Legacy Blacks (so 3 years after 2008) I still think were optimal feel/forgiveness and better than any version of AP2s but man these zx7s are solid. 

[Yellow Jacket]

On 6/21/2021 at 7:16 AM, VanTheMan0519 said:

Still repping a 907D2, TM burner 3, Ap2 irons and vokey spin milleds. A SC studio stainless as well. 
 

I’ll take it slow but thinking of getting a putter first and seeing how the year plays out and plan for 2022. 

 

 

If your Studio Stainless is a Newport 2 in decent condition, I'll buy it from you. 🍻

 

New putters can always be fun, but in terms of sheer numbers, a new driver will make the biggest difference in your game.

[platgof]

Start with shaft selection first. Exactly what shafts should you be playing now? I mean what is your driver swing speed at? Are you in the need for graphite shafts?