On having a "set"

I'd be surprised to learn that my PowerBilt Fuzzy Zoeller iron is for low handicappers, but who knows? I only know it's a club I feel pretty good about using. I don't remember where I got it--possibly from my neighbor, who doesn't use irons anymore, except for wedges. Everything else in his bag is a wood. He gave up trying to master irons and plays much better now with all those lofted woods. If so, he might have the rest of the fuzzy zoeller set in his garage. He's always telling me not to go out and buy irons because he has them sitting around.

As for clones...that's an option to consider as well. I could care less about name brands. After seeing the general trend of opinion in this thread, I've been looking around. At the moment money is tight, so I probably won't get anything until next year, if then, but it doesn't hurt to look.

__________________
Todd
Philadelphia, PA
USA

The reason the pro tells you to keep your head down is so you can't see him laughing. ~Phyllis Diller

Todd,

Buy a set of clubs. You will feel more confident. They will have a different feel to them. I would think having all different grips, styles etc. would just be flat annoying.

Also, go to a used place like "Second Swing". They sell used sets of quality clubs.

My third piece of advice, get a set of used Ping Zing clubs. They are cheap now because they have been superseded by several new style model clubs and secondly, they are the easiest clubs to hit for a higher handicapper. One look at the quality and you will see what I am talking about.

If you can't find them (Ping Zing) at a second hand store, check out Ebay. You can probably get a clean set for under $200. You will love the way they feel and play. They are always on there.....

Go for it....

Chessbum....

A set of these clubs just sold for $165 a few minutes ago on Ebay. Other sets are for sale, and the prices seem to vary from $140 to $205, depending on condition. Maybe I'll have a look in Second Swing this weekend. As I say, money is tight right now. It's hard enough to s****e up the money to go to a course and play, but I'm hoping that in a few months things will get easier. And by then the cold weather will be here and I expect prices will drop even more.

Todd,

Trust me. Ping Zing's and you won't ever regret it........

I would still be playing them if I hadn't won a set of Titleist 804 OS's in a closest to the pin this summer. I still have mine. Thought about selling them but have been too lazy.

Who knows, I may have to go back them someday. Right now I man hitting the 804's just fine.

Trust me on this one........

Chessbum...

I'd say you'll get to 100 much faster with a set of Rac OS's than with a "mixed bag," if you will. It's basically impossible for you to get any consistency with a bunch of different clubs.

Also, whichever of them are blades, take them out of the bag and put them somewhere where you'll never, ever find them again. They are doing you more harm than good...

[quote=mr3856a]I'd say you'll get to 100 much faster with a set of Rac OS's than with a "mixed bag," if you will. It's basically impossible for you to get any consistency with a bunch of different clubs.

I had a hand me down set of iron's/blades that my brother gave me. The only good they did for me was get me back on the course after 20 years. Bought a new set of RAC OS irons for 499$ and went from 115 to 100 in 2 weeks. My brother just gave me his medicus that he never used and that has helped immensely too.

New irons will give you confidence and more consistency. My grips on my new set are awesome and I noticed a difference right away. You can pick up a decent set of irons for under 200$ like the others have said. You need uniform grips on your irons to get better.

I notice you live in Philly. My brother and I just played Pine Hill, NJ and saw the Philly skyline on three of its holes. It was worth the 100$!! What a great course. Magical day.

Regards,
Dan

__________________
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Taylormade R540XD 9.5
Taylormade rac OS Irons 3-PW,SW
Ping PAL2 putter
Taylormade bag/glove
Footjoy
Titleist NXT

"It's never too late to be what you might have been."
George Eliot

At the very least, it may be worthwhile seeing your local club builder, and getting your irons reshafted so that each club will at least flex and bend consistently. New grips will come - Golf Pride Tour Velvet are fantastic.




Then, you'll want to change the heads so that you cn set up to the ball the same way each time.




Then you'll want to change your own grips. Then your own shafts. Then you'll buy clubs you don't even need, just to try them. Oh - wait... that's just me.

There seems to be a very broad consensus that I'd be better off with an actual set of clubs--at least irons. And as I stated at the start, I think the "consistency" argument has some validity. Even though I'm not mixing blades and cavity-backs, my clubs are still not uniform in the way they feel.

So, even though I probably won't have the money to make a purchase until sometime this winter (if then; I have a daughter in college), I've started looking around. Following one tip, I've had a look at pinemeadowgolf.com, where it looks like I can get a decent set of irons for not too much money.

Since I've had good luck with my hybrids, I naturally looked at those. There is an all-hybrid set, http://pinemeadowgolf.com/golf-clubs...hybrids.i94025, and a mixed set, http://pinemeadowgolf.com/golf-clubs...xcel.hybridset, both of which look good.

For some reason, I'm also intrigued by these clubs, http://pinemeadowgolf.com/golf-clubs.../irons.i32702b which, while not listed as hybrids, are described as "similar to hybrids," and the design of the clubs makes that claim plausible. If anyone has any experience with these clubs (any of these sets), or the name brand sticks that they are imitating, I'm interested in your observations. The cost is about the same for all of them, since there is a $25 shipping charge for the $149 sets, and free shipping for the $175 sets.

__________________
Todd
Philadelphia, PA
USA

The reason the pro tells you to keep your head down is so you can't see him laughing. ~Phyllis Diller

While Pinemeadow Golf has been known to produce some quality knockoff clubs, they've also been known to produce some absolute bombs. The kicker for Pinemeadow is that they use the absolute cheapest shafts available as their stock shafts - so you have to factor in a shaft upgrade for any purchase.

For the same money, you can get some component clubheads that will be able to outperform the knockoff.


Don't get me wrong - you can play with look-a-likes. But you have to remember that's all they are: visually representative of the original clubhead. They DON'T have the same technology built in.



So play a component - all the technology of the big manufacturers, without the bottom line that Joe Consumer ends up paying for - and for probably the same money you're going to spend for base model clubs from Pinemeadow.

Visit your local clubmaker/clubfitter, let him know you want some cheap clubs, and carry on.

__________________
True Length Technology Fitter - www.truelengthtechnology.com
It's live! - www.ShipShapeClubs.com
PCS Class 'A' Clubfitter

A new highlight: Golfing the home course on Christmas Day.

I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

Hi Todd, I've got a full set of Donnay's you can have for free if you want to sort posting out. I've shot 78 twice with them, so there not that bad.


Cheers.
Lee.


P.S. Hi Todd, if you ever come over to Kent, let me know. I'm a few hours away, but would enjoy having a round of golf with you. Might even sort out a few errors in your swing, etc.

That sounds about as cheap as you can get 'em!

That's an offer that's hard to turn down. I've played Donnays, on one of my visits, and had no complaints at all. I've no idea whether the shipping cost would exceed what I'd have to spend for a set anyway, but I'll try to find out. Thanks much.

I'm not sure when my next trip across the pond will be either. The last few trips have been academic conferences, and I tack on a few days at the end for golf. Last July the conference was in Manchester, and I visited my friend in Kent when it was over. I hope to do it again next summer, if I can't get over sooner.

__________________
Todd
Philadelphia, PA
USA

The reason the pro tells you to keep your head down is so you can't see him laughing. ~Phyllis Diller

Hi Todd, well there sitting here, so if postage works out in your favour, let me know, and there yours.

Cheers.
Lee.

My experience, having played my first round in 1959, is that we need new clubs when we think we do. Once we have it in our heads that our clubs are holding us back, then they surely will.

For me, a "set of clubs" is matching five through nine irons. Those are in just about everybody's bag. After that, it's what you like. Also, while matching swing weights were a life and death thing thirty years ago, nobody seems to care anymore now that the "full set" is basically history and folks buy lots of their clubs individually.

Most casual players aren't equipment freaks, but those higher handicap players who play a lot tend to love one trick pony (shot specific) clubs like turf-useless dedicated sand irons (Lovett, et al), driving irons that you can't possibly hit off the deck for tight driving holes, high loft keel-soled recovery woods or metals, and even chipping or run-up irons. The driver and putter are one trick pony clubs as well, so I'd recommend getting every one of those gadgets that you believe will relieve you of stress on the course. What you'll probably have room for after all of that are your 5-9 irons, one fairway metal, and a versatile gap wedge.

I'm a bit of a club ho myself, and I find this setup helpful for an 8 handicap (and climbing) senior:

13.5º driver
17º fwy metal
19, 22, 25º hybrids
#s 5-9 irons
48, 54, 60º wedges--all low bounce
putter.

But that's me. You'll want your own configuration.

My own inclination is to simplify and tote as few clubs as possible. It's less confusing. For example, if and when I can hit with my 19* recovery hybrid properly, I'll drop my 3W; I don't think I need both. My 27* 5h works well enough that I don't carry a 5i anymore. I carry 4 wedges, at 48, 52, 56, and 60 degrees, but that's probably overkill.