Upgrading the clubs this spring.....?

[CANOPY SAM]

I'm totally upgrading all my clubs this spring (well almost all). I'd really like to buy a quality product that will help my game, and swing comfortably.

I prefer a cavity back iron, and a slightly larger, fairly "grippy" grip.

I'll likely stick with my current driver, but will be upgrading the fairway woods.

Also want a good quality, solid putter. Intend to put the whole works in a new bag, and wear a new pair of quality, comfortable soft spike shoes.

Intend to get fitted, and have clubs cut to my specific length, and weight. I've never done this before.

Where would you guys shop first, and what clubs would you suggest, as well as a bag and shoes? Price is really not a concern.

[DrJuice1980]

The bay of e is a good place. Give some Cleveland's a try, easy swinging clubs that offer a variety of styles and the cavity backs are second to none (for the price). Not trying to sell you some I just am brand loyal. You may need to buy new grips though if you like them a certain way. I've never had any clubs sized for me. I don't think it matters much as long as you're not a giant or a little person. It's more about position/swing pattern than club length.

[Dave S]

I've been doing most of my business at Golf USA in Eden Prairie. Bought a new set of RBZ and Rocket Bladez last year (replaced my Taylormade Burner Plus clubs).

Just bought a new pair of shoes there yesterday (Foot Joy Contour Casual). You can wear these shoes for normal wear too. No spikes per-say but the sole has plenty of grip for the turf. Extremely comfortable, nice looking shoe.

Lots of people are brand loyal, myself included. Best thing you can do is to go to one of the better known stores/golf shops and swing a few different clubs. What swings good for me might not work so good for you. Try several different models/brands. They all make some good clubs.

Even try a different brand or quality of ball. They can make a difference as well. I've been hitting Taylormade and Srixon with good results.

[CANOPY SAM]

I am definitely not brand loyal. I want something that's proven the test of time to be a really good club.

I was becoming a darn good golfer 20 years ago, just before I had a terrible construction accident and broke my neck, and compression fractured two vertebrae in my back. It's been a real tough climb back from that low.

I'm now self-employed, so have a lot more time for golf, and for the most part pain free, but I'll never get the same club head speed I had when I was in my 20's. I love this game, and I'll never quit. I'll just take a few more pain meds before I go out!

Please don't feel like you're "selling" me any particular product. I'm just looking for good starting points. I'm pretty much entertaining all options.

Dr.Juice says that getting fitted isn't necessary. I kinda feel like I'd really benefit from a longer club. 1) I wouldn't have to bend quite as much with my swing and 2) I think I could develop more club head speed, and perhaps more control with a club that is truly fitted for my stance and posture. Not being contrary Dr.J., just looking for the best advice.

I only have a few options for shopping in NW Minnesota. I was looking at Scheel's the other day, but they don't "fit" clubs.

Thanks for the advice so far guys. Please keep it coming.

Remember, I need irons, fairway woods, a great putter, shoes, and a good bag. And again, not concerned about price at all. But I'm not going to get my PGA card this year either!

[picksbigwagon]

Taylormade's new speedblades are supposed to be quite nice, a buddy just got a set and is loving them. I will second going to Golf USA, the owner there orders directly from manufacturers and prices and more importantly service is better than at Golf Galaxy or Golfsmith. I would steer clear of evil bay, way to many knock off and imitation clubs out there. I bought the RBZ stage 2 three wood late last summer and it is a bomber for sure.

Since you have had some back issues, maybe your best bet would be to talk with a local PGA pro and see what his opinions are, it might mean a lesson or two, but it sounds like you have some limitations in your swing.

Oh yeah, Golf USA doesn't have a hitting bay like golfsmith or golf galaxy or even Dick's sporting goods, but I guarantee they will beat the prices of the other places. Golf Galaxy was going to charge me an extra $35 a club when I got my Mizuno's. For extension and jumbo grips, no extra charge at Golf uSA, he also ordered my 3 wood from Taylormade when Golf Galaxy refused to even try and order it for me........

Grips: currently I have Lamkin R.E.L. ACE 3 Gen grips, tacky, work good even when wet

I used to have golf pride tour Wrap 2G, super tacky but absolutely horrendous in the rain, once wet they were a bear to keep dry.

I also had golf pride new decade grips (half rubber, half cord) but they didn't and still don't make an oversize or jumbo grip, once they do, I will go back to it.

[DrJuice1980]

Sam, how tall are you? Getting your body in the proper position will give you much better results than adding an inch or 2 to your club.

I will never give a recommendation for a putter. It could be a Scotty Cameron for over $2G's or a dead squirrel fastened to the end of a PVC pipe. Its all about feel and comfort and most importantly confidence.

[picksbigwagon]

canopySam,

find a local golf club that has a pga pro there, call them and talk with them, most courses have their pro's back from down south, they will be able to direct you to places that offer fitting if they don't do it themselves. You are talking about dropping 1200-1500 for new irons, woods, putter, bag and shoes. It might be worth a "vacation" day to a larger area that has the club fitting and equipment and areas to test equipment. I would assume that Fargo has a few golf shops, but I am not positive.

"dead squirrel fastened to the end of a PVC pipe" that is classic right there.....I will be using that one next week down in Florida when my brother in law starts complaining about his ability to putt.

[CANOPY SAM]

Sam, how tall are you? Getting your body in the proper position will give you much better results than adding an inch or 2 to your club.

I will never give a recommendation for a putter. It could be a Scotty Cameron for over $2G's or a dead squirrel fastened to the end of a PVC pipe. Its all about feel and comfort and most importantly confidence.

That one made me laugh out loud as well!

I'm 5' 10 1/2" and shrinking rapidly at 47! My eldest son is now 6'3"...little son of a gun!

You know guys, it's not so much the stance or mobility issue. If I stretch and start carefully I can still let the big dog bark and not hurt myself. I am seriously considering some lessons this spring though. I've played for 35 years, and I'm still struggling to control the ball the way I want to. Never had a lesson, so I'm sure it would be really helpful, but even with the old injury I can still compress a 100 compression ball, and send it out there 300+ yards.

I really, really appreciate the advice guys. I'm thinking a trip to Fargo might be in order. I know there is a golf shop in Grand Forks, so I'll prolly start there first, but I honestly don't even know if it's a Golf USA, and that sounds like the place to go, right?

So are we in agreement? I should really try to get to a GOLF USA?

Yep, PBW, I'm right in that $1500-2000 range. Can I expect to go to a professional golf shop, get fitted, and leave with the clubs/grips I want, or does this process take a few days/weeks? That's the real kicker to purchasing from a distant location.

[10,000 Casts]

Austads/Golf Bubble and Scheels are all good options in Fargo and I didn't read everything but you should be able to get everything you need. Whether or not they have what you need in stock will depend on if you can leave with it. When I ordered my irons 2 years ago, I needed a midsize Winn grip so I had to wait a few weeks and then I drove back down to Duluth to pick them up.

[DrJuice1980]

Sam, I really dont think you need to alter the size of a standard shaft. I think the lessons will suit you just fine. Its all about developing a consistent swing pattern and I dont think at 5'10" you should lengthen or shave off anything. None of the clubs you hit as a demo will be altered either. Proper squats in the gym should get you feeling good in the right stance, not an extra inch in length.

[Slabasaurus]

Sam, I really dont think you need to alter the size of a standard shaft. I think the lessons will suit you just fine. Its all about developing a consistent swing pattern and I dont think at 5'10" you should lengthen or shave off anything. None of the clubs you hit as a demo will be altered either. Proper squats in the gym should get you feeling good in the right stance, not an extra inch in length.

I encourage most people to have clubs fitted if they can. Back when I was fittin people for clubs I dunno that I altered shaft lengths for folks in the "avg" height range, but frequently would need to adjust lie angles n whatnot. Height isn't really the major factor in club length anyways, it's wrist to floor length.

As for lessons and exercises, yep, those will help too.

Regardless, let us know what you wind up doin and how they work out for ya!

[Jaspernuts]

Im also not brand loyal. I have had all the major brands, but last spring I got a set of Clevelands with the zip grooves. The ball just stops when it hits the green. Love em.

[MontanaMax]

If you do this right, you will get fitted at a shop that has quality people and sell all brands. If you get quality clubs that fit, you can play them for 10-15 years. Only you will know whether the titleist, taylor made, ping, etc irons feel best when you hit them. Try all different size grips as the oversized are easier on the wrists for us older duffers. I settled on AP2's with steel shafts in irons, 2x oversize grips, Taylor made Rocket Ballz 14.5 and 18.5 fairway woods, 60, 56 and 52 vokey wedges, and a Taylor Made R-1 driver. Again all oversized grips. A SC Laguna 1.5 with an oversized grip finished the set. It was just under $2000 for all but I will have these for a long time, at least until I need to go to all graphite shafts. You do this and you will play better, not so much because you have good clubs but because you have confidence in all your clubs.

[CANOPY SAM]

Thanks guys. Gotcha Dr.J! Sounds like there are a few different trains of thought as far as getting fitted for clubs.

I really wanna make sure that this new set is an exact fit. Not disagreeing with you at all Dr.J. I think you make terrific points as well. I'm going to consult with a good professional who can look at my swing, measure my stance, etc., and tell me exactly what I need.

I'm pretty sure I'm not terribly consistent with my stance or approach. I'm sure a club pro will help me with this a lot. And I think you're right Max. The right tools will really up my confidence with my game. I just really need to learn the finer points of "working" the ball. And I need equipment that will allow me to do that with the minimal skills that I have to work with!

If I could ask kind of a nit-picky favor of some of you guys? Could you actually spell out the names of the equipment you're suggesting. You'll have to forgive me, but I'm not completely sure of the different acronyms you're using for brand names, models, etc..

For instance, "I settled for AP2's with steel shafts in irons". What are AP2's? Should I get steel shafts as an average golfer with fairly good, but not colossal strength? Or would a graphite shaft suit me better?

One of the real hang-ups I've had over the years has been with golf gloves. I tear thru those suckers like they're made of paper! Is this a reflection of a bad swing, grip, what? I can't get a good quality golf glove thru more then 36 holes! No lie.

This is really getting me jacked up for golf this spring. Unfortunately I'm looking out at my yard right now at lots and lots of snow!

[Slabasaurus]

This is really getting me jacked up for golf this spring. Unfortunately I'm looking out at my yard right now at lots and lots of snow!

This thread, and the fact I can see my airline ticket confirmation to Alabama on my desk right now, has started to get me pretty excited for the golf season this year.

Getting your clubs fitted isn't going to save the world by any means, but it'll definitely help you out as you improve with lessons n whatnot. One of the more beneficial things I used to do back when I was competitive was to get my swing video taped. I'm pretty sure a lot of pro's do this nowadays, just helps all around. Regardless, if you've never had a lesson... they're going to help a lot.

I can't give specific equipment recommendations nowadays, just haven't kept up with the technology like I used to... fly fishing has distracted me recently. Okay, fly fishing has consumed me the past few years. I digress. Where were we? Ahhh, yes.

One thing I would say is don't try to match the brands in your bag. Meaning, if you have ping irons, don't look only at ping woods... or ping putters, or (god forbid you even think about looking at ping wedges)... each brand will have a different take on each of these equipment types.

My bag, for example, has been like this the past 2 years now:

Ping G10 Driver

Ping Ti3 3wood (yeah, it's like 15 years old now)

Titleist Hybrid 19 degree

Titleist DCI 962 irons 3-PW (These puppies turn 16 this season)

Cleveland 53 degree gap wedge (sub for a 51 degree sometimes, don't ask why, it's complicated)

Cleveland 56 degree sand wedge (with the zip grooves, they're pretty sweet).

Scotty Cameron Pro Platinum Newport Midslant Putter

As for gloves... others will have to chime in. I've been using the all leather footjoys for the past few years and haven't had any issues with durability.

[thatoneguy]

Here's the scoop on club fitting:

If you don't have clubs that are fitted to your height, arm length, hand size, stance/posture etc, every single part of your swing will be compensating for improper fit. Every part. A primary goal of playing well is to create a repeatable swing with as few compensations as possible - that's how you develop consistency. Anyone who plays golf on a regular basis really ought to get fitted.

[DrJuice1980]

Steel shafts and if you're going through gloves that quick Foot Joy makes a thicker "rain"/cold weather glove and they come in pairs. Mine doubled for a thin set of ice fishing gloves this year and last, wearing out a little now so I'll be picking up another pair soon. Those should last you longer. Or just, relax man.....

[delmuts]

Sam! Before you buy; do ALOT of looking and trying! Find what you like then shop around for the best deal. Yes there are deals on the "E" place but you need to know exactly what you want. Then check for some where to be fitted.

[DrJuice1980]

Im a 10 handicap, nothing special. The only thing that will bring me down is more golf not custom length clubs.

I play Cleveland blades, standard lengths. The only time I wish I had more club length is when I'm on a down slope. You're way more apt to compensate because the swing needs coaching, not because the length of club.

Reality is ALL clubs have different lengths so what is it that your body is remembering? Sure isnt club length or everything would be off, its swing pattern.

[CANOPY SAM]

Hey Dr.J, I really appreciate what you're saying. I really do. But I don't want to get into an argument over anything, or between anyone here. I'm just looking for sound equipment advice, and I'm open to any and all suggestions.

So if we can, lets just proceed with other suggestions. Pretty confident I'll be getting fitted, if for nothing less then to see if it will make any difference with overall comfort and consistency with my swing. Sounds to me like a good idea for someone with my experience, and particular history of injury.

Whatever I can do to improve my game, and make it that much more fun to be out there! I golf kinda like Tiger (only not as good!). He says he plays against himself, and I kinda do the same thing. I'm not great by any means, but I'm pretty good, and I know I could be a lot better!

[DrJuice1980]

nanananananananananana

[picksbigwagon]

Equipment I play:

Callaway Razrfit driver, 8.5*, xstiff shaft, extra 1.5" ( I am 6'7")

Taylormade RBZ II 3 wood, 13.5*, xstiff +1.5

2,3,4 Mizuno Hybrid's, xstiff, +1.25"

5-pw, mizuno 800pro, x100 True Temper shafts, +1.25"

Cleveland RTX wedges, 50,54,58*, s400 shafts, +1.25" (new last year, as said above, absolutely love them)

Cleveland Almost Belly 39" putter, one buddy can use it as a belly putter, but he is 5'6".........

If I replace anything this year, it might be hybrids, but I really like the ones I have right now. The 2h stays at home now that I own a 3 wood........

Not sure of there is a Golf Usa in Grand Forks, the one in Eden Praire is the one I was referring to. A golf pro at a course can order whatever you might want, it will take two-three weeks to get it though depending on the alterations, etc.

I leave Saturday for 5 days of golf in Florida, i haven't swung a club Since December 27th. I had way too much fun ice fishing with my son this winter. I have been working on putting in my basement and doing some chipping at work with birdie balls in the gym, so I feel confident in the short game right now. I am not against 7 iron, 7 iron, wedge, putt putt on par 5's......that will bother one of my brother inlaws who has been hitting 4-6 days a week this winter hitting off of mats.......grass is a little different.....

[CANOPY SAM]

Geez pbw! You're 6'7"!!!! Were you able to find an ice-house you can stand up in? I'd think ice fishing would be kinda tough on your old sackarilliac (back)?

Thanks for the equipment list! It sounds like some of you guys who play a lot, and are quite dialed in with your game, change equipment with some frequency.

Is this because you find what you have isn't performing the way you need it too, or is it simply looking for something better? That can be super beneficial for guys like me, cause we can find a LOT of really good very lightly used equipment at the good stores.

Is there any "test" period when you buy new equipment? Will they allow you like one round of nine holes to decide if the stuff you want is right for you, or is that strictly sold once it's out the door?

[DrJuice1980]

Sam, I havent purchased new Irons in over 12 years due to the discounts that can be had. "Why buy new when slightly used will do??"

Im not sure about any "trial" period. I dont think they offer it because the masses would take advantage of it.

I think people change regularly because they think they can shave a stroke or 2 off here or there. I dont agree.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I just got fitted by our local pro at the golf course I work at... It was a very fun process. I ended up going with Mizuno MP54, 1/2" added to length, Stiff shaft(but taken a step down)I wasn't a full stiff(keep the thats what she saids down please) but I was more than a regular shaft. I also added 1/32" to the grip. They should be here next week some time.. WOOT!!!