Nelson’s WITB/Putter Swapping Nonsense (PING, CALLAWAY, LAB)

[Nelson.br.1515]

I have played more gear in 2020-2021 than probably the entire previous 10 years combined. I tried Countless club and shaft combinations and the only thing that was a constant was my driver goes right and my putter goes wherever it wants. I mainly played Callaway and loved the ease of shopping and swapping through CPO.  But I got bored and frustrated with my play so I decided to try something different…Enter PING.  I learned how to play on my grandpa’s Karsten 1 irons as a kid so I always had an affinity for PING but had never seriously tried their gear other than trying the PING G400 MAX driver, which I maybe the only person alive to not be able to hit well.  Once I decided to try PING I was really impressed. The PING i200’s and Glide 2.0 wedges were my first purchase and led me down a slippery slope.  I Liked the i200 but decided I needed something a little longer and more forgiving and switched to the g700.  These are so easy to hit and the first clubs I don’t feel like I need to swing hard with to get the results I want.  Next up was driver, I tried the G425 in the MAX and the SFT.  The MAX was amazing but the SFT was even better, for the first time in forever I can stand on a tee box and know the right side is not in play.  After the the success with the SFT driver I tried the SFT fairways and they are just as great, easy to launch, great distance and most importantly don’t go right.  Hybrids have always been hit and miss with me, I was just as likely to sky it as I was to hit the accidental oh crap stinger.  The g425 hybrids are so dang good, so good that I bought the 6 hybrid just because it was so easy to hit where I was aiming.  The glide 2.0 wedges were great but I purchased them used so there wasn’t a ton of groove life left.  I’m so pleased with the glide 3.0 eye 2, great spin and super versatile.  Last up was putter I had a brief romance with a PLD Bruzer but the Odyssey is here to stay.  It sets up so dang square and my brain does much better with the ball alignment compared to lines. 2 other items that I feel need special mention, first is the ACCRA FX 2.0 shafts.  Hands down the best feeling and performing shafts I have ever tried (I still want to try the tz6).  Second is the Garsen MAX putter grip, I went from being totally lost with my stroke to being supremely confident and will never have another putter without this grip on there.  
 

Driver: PING G425 SFT DRIVER w/ACCRA FX 2.0 260

3 Wood: PING G425 SFT 3W w/ACCRA FX 2.0 200F

5 Wood: PING G425 SFT 5W w/ACCRA FX 2.0 200F

4 Hybrid: PING G425 4H w/ACCRA FX 2.0 200H

5 Hybrid: PING G425 5H w/ACCRA FX 2.0 200H

6 Hybrid: PING G425 6H w/ACCRA FX 2.0 200H

Irons: PING G700 7-UW w/AWT 2.0

Sand Wedge: PING GLIDE 3.0 EYE 2 54* w/Z-Z115

Lob Wedge: PING GLIDE 3.0 EYE 2 58* w/Z-Z115

Putter: ODYSSEY 2-BALL TEN WHITE HOT INSERT w/Garsen Max

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist NXT Tour (until I can’t find them anymore)

Edited March 13 by Nelson.br.1515

[Yringa]

Great looking sticks!

[Socrates]

😆😆😆😆😆😆🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂

Who you trying to kid?  It's not even April 1st.

[OnTheBag]

1 hour ago, Socrates said:

😆😆😆😆😆😆🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂

Who you trying to kid?  It's not even April 1st.

Huh???  The guy found something that works for him and was proud to share it.  How's that funny?

[Socrates]

21 hours ago, OnTheBag said:

Huh???  The guy found something that works for him and was proud to share it.  How's that funny?

It's WRX.  No One here stops buying clubs.  They always say they will, but they don't.  Ever. 

 

I was 17 when I told my mom (had to borrow some cash to buy a Ben Hogan set) that "these were the last clubs I'll ever have to buy!"  That was 44 years ago and an unknown quantity of clubs since. 

Edited January 14, 2022 by Socrates

[j.b.newton]

all those pings and an odyssey putter.... Karsten must be shaking his fist from the grave!!   I kid... great set, especially if it works for you!  😛

[Nelson.br.1515]

1 hour ago, j.b.newton said:

all those pings and an odyssey putter.... Karsten must be shaking his fist from the grave!!   I kid... great set, especially if it works for you!  😛

Haha I know!  I really tried to like the PING PLD Bruzer but my aim/brain short circuits with lines on the putter. Every time I put the Odyssey behind the ball I know it is square. First time I have felt that way about a putter. 

[Korndog]

Awesome set-up! I’ve always been fond of Ping and their G series definitely makes the game more enjoyable for those of us that don’t make a living on the golf course!

[Socrates]

If I were to pick a Ping set of irons that were my favorite, it would have to be the G10's.  Doesn't get much better than that.

[Nelson.br.1515]

Well long story short I did not stop swapping. But I am really happy with my bag (and all the other stuff I am supposed to say about how much I like stuff and probably won’t change anytime soon, etc.) 

 

PING G425 SFT DRIVER w/ACCRA TZX 255: so pleased with this driver and really like it paired up with this shaft. If it is good enough for the Woods family it is good enough for me. 
 

CALLAWAY BERTHA MINI 1.5 w/ACCRA FX 2.0 260 M4: this is my safety club on tight holes or if I need to keep something low I can tee this down and let it run. 

 

CALLAWAY EPIC FLASH HEAVENWOOD w/ACCRA FX 2.0 200F M3: long forgiving great out of the fairway or of a tee. 
 

ADAMS SPEEDLINE LP 9W w/ACCRA FX 2.0  200F M3: not the prettiest but is great at getting out of rough and bad spots.  I miss the Adams gear so I am glad to still have something Adams in the bag. 
 

PING G425 5H w/ACCRA FX 2.0 200H M3: I seem to only like hybrids in the 25-27 degree loft range. 
 

PING i210 6-UW RED DOT w/TRUE TEMPER XP95: best most consistent irons I have ever played. Feel great and perform great. 
 

PING GLIDE 3.0 SS 54* & 58* ORANGE DOT w/Z-Z115: really like the forgiveness of these, the 58 may get swapped for a TS 60 one of these days. 

 

CAMERON STUDIO STAINLESS NEWPORT MID SUR 33.5” 375G GARSEN MAX GRIP: currently in a death match vs my 2ball ten. Really like the head weight and the slightly larger profile. I also sometimes feel like I lose the head on the big mallets and the blade makes me have a little more awareness.  I also have been messing around with an old Red X2 but I guess I don’t like the center shaft but putters like I thought I used to. 

[akap4surf]

Sweet setup!! No shame in the mid/long iron hybrids! How was transitioning back from a 6 hybrid to a 6 iron? I have a Mizuno 6 hybrid and embarrassed by it, until I hit it dead straight every single time...

[MikeW2]

That putter cover is really cool! Where did you get it?

[Nelson.br.1515]

37 minutes ago, akap4surf said:

Sweet setup!! No shame in the mid/long iron hybrids! How was transitioning back from a 6 hybrid to a 6 iron? I have a Mizuno 6 hybrid and embarrassed by it, until I hit it dead straight every single time...

The 6 hybrid was great but for some reason I hit it almost as far as the 5 hybrid so I went back to the 6 iron in the i210. 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Nelson.br.1515

[Nelson.br.1515]

8 minutes ago, MikeW2 said:

That putter cover is really cool! Where did you get it?

It’s from The Buck Club I think there is a thread on here about their accessories and story. If you search on eBay for The Buck Club Jordan you should find some they have  another white version and a black and red version. Very high quality and magnetic closure which is nice. 

[MikeW2]

2 minutes ago, Nelson.br.1515 said:

It’s from The Buck Club I think there is a thread on here about their accessories and story. If you search on eBay for The Buck Club Jordan you should find some they have  another white version and a black and red version. Very high quality and magnetic closure which is nice. 

Cool thanks! And by the way your bag set up is pretty cool too!

[kwcsports]

Nice bag, well put together. 

[Nelson.br.1515]

12 hours ago, kwcsports said:

Nice bag, well put together. 

Thanks! A lot of trial and error and eBay purchases. 

[DE-ILLINI]

How did you decide on adding the Heaven wood to your bag?  I believe they are basically 7 wood head with a 4 wood length shaft.  Does it go about the same distance as a 5 wood?  Higher flight?  Currently my only fairway wood is a 5 wood.  I thought it could be fun to mess around with a Heaven wood as an alternative.  I have so many clubs, but do not have a Heaven wood in the collection.  It has me intrigued.

 

I also miss Adams clubs.  I still have the original 16* club that I got from my dad after he saw an ad for it on TV.  I made my only hole in one with that club.  Needless to say it has a permanent place in my club collection.

[Nelson.br.1515]

15 minutes ago, DE-ILLINI said:

How did you decide on adding the Heaven wood to your bag?  I believe they are basically 7 wood head with a 4 wood length shaft.  Does it go about the same distance as a 5 wood?  Higher flight?  Currently my only fairway wood is a 5 wood.  I thought it could be fun to mess around with a Heaven wood as an alternative.  I have so many clubs, but do not have a Heaven wood in the collection.  It has me intrigued.

 

I also miss Adams clubs.  I still have the original 16* club that I got from my dad after he saw an ad for it on TV.  I made my only hole in one with that club.  Needless to say it has a permanent place in my club collection.

The course I play at has a lot of weird doglegs and tee shots that are less than driver thus I needed some extra tee options with the mini and the next club down. I had both the epic flash 7 wood and heavenwood and preferred the slightly larger head of the heavenwood. For me the heavenwood plays like a 4 wood off the tee and is still plenty easy to hit off the fairway. I also rarely hit the mini not on a tee (needs to be a perfect lie). So all of that to say I feel like I get 7 wood height with 5 wood distance. It’s also a touch longer shaft so there is a little better progression from the mini to the heavenwood. 
 

Adams had a great thing going and just got killed by Taylormade which is sad. My first and second “real” set of clubs were Adams so they always had a special place. Also being a Texas based golf equipment company didn’t hurt. Went from Nike, Adams and Hogan to just a couple of boutique putter and wedge shops. 

[DE-ILLINI]

1 hour ago, Nelson.br.1515 said:

The course I play at has a lot of weird doglegs and tee shots that are less than driver thus I needed some extra tee options with the mini and the next club down. I had both the epic flash 7 wood and heavenwood and preferred the slightly larger head of the heavenwood. For me the heavenwood plays like a 4 wood off the tee and is still plenty easy to hit off the fairway. I also rarely hit the mini not on a tee (needs to be a perfect lie). So all of that to say I feel like I get 7 wood height with 5 wood distance. It’s also a touch longer shaft so there is a little better progression from the mini to the heavenwood. 
 

Adams had a great thing going and just got killed by Taylormade which is sad. My first and second “real” set of clubs were Adams so they always had a special place. Also being a Texas based golf equipment company didn’t hurt. Went from Nike, Adams and Hogan to just a couple of boutique putter and wedge shops. 

Thanks for the feedback.  The Heavenwood sounds like something I will need to try!

[Nelson.br.1515]

Welp finally accepted I play better with the big ugly mallet. 2-Ball Ten back into the bag and the Scotty’s are off to eBay. 

[BIG STU]

On 8/11/2022 at 6:43 PM, akap4surf said:

Sweet setup!! No shame in the mid/long iron hybrids! How was transitioning back from a 6 hybrid to a 6 iron? I have a Mizuno 6 hybrid and embarrassed by it, until I hit it dead straight every single time...

I would not be embarrassed if I hit it straight every time

[akap4surf]

2 hours ago, BIG STU said:

I would not be embarrassed if I hit it straight every time

haha I have learned to embrace the hybrids and the long fwy's!!

[BIG STU]

Just now, akap4surf said:

haha I have learned to embrace the hybrids and the long fwy's!!

Me and hybrids do not get along in general but I darn sure embrace the 7 and 9 woods

[BIG STU]

5 hours ago, Nelson.br.1515 said:

Welp finally accepted I play better with the big ugly mallet. 2-Ball Ten back into the bag and the Scotty’s are off to eBay. 

Hey whatever works

[WiscoLefty]

10 hours ago, Nelson.br.1515 said:

Welp finally accepted I play better with the big ugly mallet. 2-Ball Ten back into the bag and the Scotty’s are off to eBay. 

I’m fighting this reality myself. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve changed weights and grips on the Scotty trying to get it to work. 

[Nelson.br.1515]

Picked up 2 new tour issue Odysseys to compete with the 2-Ball Ten. 

 

Tri-hot 5k Three with gray stroke lab shaft, top line sight line, Odyssey Iomic grip and white hot insert.  This is way outside my normal putter preferences but wanted to try something different.  These Tri-hots do feel weirdly stable for a blade. 

 

Jailbird with red stroke lab shaft, versa paint scheme, all of the lead tape in the tour truck, top line sight line and o-works insert.  Really like this one so far it feels way lighter than what I anticipated.   

Edited August 31, 2022 by Nelson.br.1515

[Nelson.br.1515]

So far really liking the performance of the Tri-hot 3. I feel like it is a reset for my putting since I am used to bigger grip, low or no toe hang and large mallet shape. However I do really enjoy the o-works insert on the jailbird seems to really get the ball rolling. Hoping to get them out on real grass this weekend. (I’ll probably end up back in the 2-Ball Ten that keeps beating everything I put it up against). 

[MGN01]

Great move to this set.  From one Houstonian to another (it appears), go Texans!!  

[Nelson.br.1515]

1 hour ago, MGN01 said:

Great move to this set.  From one Houstonian to another (it appears), go Texans!!  

Born and raised in Houston but live in the DFW area now. But still a diehard Rockets, Astros and Texans fan!