New guy here and need help redoing my bag!

[SharkAg]

Hello all! I am new to the board, but I have been browsing the last few months and I have found all the comments, threads, etc. very helpful. So, I need your help and expertise. So here is some background about myself and my clubs. I am 35, from Texas and I joined a country club about 2 years ago with great practice facilities, so I get to play year round and practice a good amount. Didn't pick up a golf club till after college but I consider myself fairly athletic (I swam in college- maybe I need to be the next Hank Haney project like Phelps), so hitting the club a long way isn't an issue when I get the sweet spot. When I started playing I was horrible and had no consistency in my game, but my competitive nature wouldn't let me quit so I kept at it and purchased clubs a few years ago and have made major strides with multiple lessons and practice. I am currently still taking lessons to score better, course management, etc. I currently a 15 hcp and hit a 7 iron about 170 yds at 90 mph swing speed and my drives are now going about 270 with a lot more consistency. My hcp would be a lot lower with some better putting and short game, but I want some new clubs to be able to work and score better with. I currently take a small divot and strike the ball well and when I miss I hit a hook or left. I have been playing a lot better the last 6 months and think I am ready to take a step to lowering that hcp below 10. Let me preface that I have tried many of these clubs over the last few months and been fited a few times.

 

Current Bag:

R11S with Stiff UST Attas elements

RBZ 3 H/L wood

RBZ 3 Hybrid

Adams 4 Hybrid A12

Ping G 15 4-GW

58* Cleveland 588 Forged Wedge

Scotty Cameron Blade

So I am redoing my bag and could use your advice. I am looking at irons that I can work and grow into and be able to work my handicap down to single digits. I know I need some new wedges as well. I don’t think I need woods or a new driver but have hit some over the last month and this is what I am leaning towards. Let me know what you think or any suggestions. I’m probably going to get new irons , a 3 wood and driver.

Irons I like and been fitted for:

Mizuno MP-64 with DG S300 or KBS C SS: best feel and decent distance

Mizuno MP 59 (same shafts): good feel, but not like 64 and a little more forgiving but didn’t notice a huge difference

Ping I20 DG 300: longest irons and ok feeling but I am used to cast orons

Driver:

Ping G 25 with Phenom 50 stiff shaft : Nice and forgiving but as long and more spin

Ping Anser with same shaft: Super straight and low spin and hit it a consistent. More than my R11s

R1 with Matrix Osik 7M stiff shaft: low spin and straight. Colors ok, but better than my R11s

Woods:

Ping G25: really easy to hit off the deck and straight

Ping Answer: nice and similar to 25 but 25 easier to hit off deck

Titleist F. Nice wood but 25 was easier

RBZ tour 2: not as easy to hit

[SharkAg]

Anyone?! Could really use some advice!

[puttingmatt]

Personally, I see nothing wrong with your current
bag !! If you are looking to spend money, Welcome
to Golfwrx !!! Many will be glad to tell you how to
spend your money !! Also, I see nothing wrong with
what you have listed to possibly purchase !! All the
equipment listed will assist you in getting to your goals !!
Good Luck !!

[jbbates]

[b]There's a big difference in forgiveness going from G15's to either MP59 or 64. The I20's will be much less of a challenge to hit but still a very nice club. If you really want to go forged you could look at the new Mizzy H4's or JPX line. They will be a little more chunky than the MP59's but a lot more foregiving. If you are really looking to drop strokes, the short game should be the focus and course management. You may need to add a wedge and drop one of the hybrids depending on yardage gaps. I'm currently moving from TM R9 TP's to MP H4/64 combo set and I'm worried it's going to be too much and I'm a 4-5. Distance is my strength so wedges and putting are what help my score the most along with playing smart. My home course has 4 par 5's which I can reach but I typically only go at 2 because the risk reward isn't worth it. I play then driver 7-9i and then either 56/60 wedge. Another extremely important part of the game is the lay up. Do not get into trouble with a lay up. If you get into trouble at 210, don't hit your 210 club...[/b]

[gvogel]

First rule of thumb: Lighter goes farther, but heavier goes straighter.

However, as equipment has gotten more refined, especially shafts, equipment has gotten lighter.

I have been playing for almost 50 years, and my handicap goes from 6 to 8. I play titleist AP1 irons, because I like easy and straight. My advice would be to stay with Ping i20 or G something. In the Mizuno line, I would be looking at the JPX 825 Pro irons - they look good, and they are more forgiving than the MP lines. One could easily play very low handicap golf with JPX 825 Pro irons; or look at it this way - Charles Howell III played those irons for a while, and Stacey Lewis plays them.

the trick is getting the right shaft - for you.

Drivers - I'm not so sure that a 50 gram shaft is right for your game, since you have more than adequate swing speed. I would be looking at least at a 60 - 70 gram shaft for control. And that is why I am not particularly high on off the rack Taylor Made drivers. You might be able to hit the ball very long on your best strikes, but on the course you have to play your misses as well. I would be more apt to go to a Ping or Titleist driver that goes 5 yards shorter on the launch monitor, but goes in the fairway much more often.

Find a 56* wedge that you love, and sleep with it. Learn to hit it from everywhere around the green - except where a simple low running chip will suffice. Vokey's have a great feel, so you might want to start there.

Fairway woods and hybrids are a matter of what works - and shaft is probably the most important part of that equation.

[tsur1]

We have similar distances, do yourself a favor and hit the Callaway X Hot products that just came out!

[Ereim]

Don't see anything wrong with your current setup!

Instead of new clubs I would use that money to stick with your lessons.

[Golfingfanatic]

I'd test out some Bridgestone J40 Irons. The DPCs are probably somewhere between i20 and MP64 and have very sexy feel. Get a nice Gap Wedge, something like Vokey or Cleveland. As far as Drivers go, I'd go with a heavier Shaft. You could try Razr extreme and probably Covert Tour if spin isn't an issue.

[SharkAg]

Thanks everyone. Good Advice so far. I am really striking the ball well and been alot more consistent. I was actually very pleasantly surprised that I could hit the Mizuno 64/59 with ease and love the feel and look. But I am on the fence and a little hesitant to make that jump even though I have been testing a 6 iron MP 64 fro two weeks on the range and on the course and had some succesful shots (approx 160 from bunker 6ft from pin for birdie). I probably should be smart and practical and make the next logical jump to I-20 instead which has more fogiveness and playability. I will try the Bridgestone Irons as well as Calloway X-hot.
I think my current driver shaft is a little heavier and I will check on the wieght to make sure I get something comparable to weight. I really like the Ping G25 and Anser driver heads. Very nice! Probably don't need a new wood, but will get a new wedge for sure. Either 52 or 54 Vokey or Cleveland. Which ones would you recommend. Thanks!

[grochol17]

As a few others have subtly suggested, you should consider starting by identifying the part of your game that is holding you back and then decide if you need a lesson or new sticks. You have a pretty current set, so there's no real need to replace anything unless it isn't working. But, you're on WRX and people here don't need a reason to buy new stuff.

A couple of comments:

The gap between the GW (50* according to ping's website) and the 58* is quite large. Like someone else suggested, this could be an issue.

I second the suggestion that you reconsider the Phenom 50, unless you've demoed it and find that you hit it consistently. Lighter isn't always better if you're just hitting it farther offline.

As for the Mizunos, they are great feeling irons; I love my MP 60s. As you get better it'll be great to have irons that you can work left, right, high, low more easily than the G15s. But, I'm not sure I agree with people that say buying hard to hit irons will make you better. They can just as easily make you more frustrated when you make a swing that feels good but ends up in a greenside bunker because you were just a bit off (been there, done that). If you're ok with that, then by all means go for the player's irons like the 64s. If you might get annoyed, it'd be better to go for something a little more forgiving, like the H4's, JPX 825 Pro, or even the slightly older MP 53s, all of which are still forged and should be varying levels of more forgiving.

[lovingolf90]

Driver: whatever feels good-this is a "ho" club for me
wood/hybrid: im a fan of the ping i20s....these will be in the bag for many years to come
irons: i plan on getting the s55's when they come out....love ping irons and their durability
wedges: i will only play titleist vokeys
putter: i play an old school ping anser....in this case i dont believe the newest tech really matters much, just go w/ what u feel comfortable w/