Golf advice needed

[catflap]

One for the golfers out there.

About 20 years ago I used to play golf a bit, probably a couple of times a month, maybe once a week in the summer. Got down to about a 16 handicap. Then kids and a few change of jobs came along and I just didn't have the time and money to keep playing. I managed about 6 games about 10 years back but that's it.

I've found myself this morning thinking about starting again, and the more I think about it the keener I get. In fact I don't know why I've waited this long - even popped into an AmericanGolf shop this lunchtime but no idea what I'm looking - a set of irons used to run from 3 - SW in my day!

Now before I dive gung-ho into this it's probably best to take a step back and think about it.

Should I get a lesson or two first before I pick up some clubs? Might hopefully stop any bad habits setting in? I literally haven't swung a club for 10 years so maybe a little bit rusty!

Also on the club front, is fitting a must? Do I need to play a bit before I get fitted?

Has club technology changed much in the last few years, I assume my old 25 year old irons are way out of date now but are last years or the year before that's models worth seeking out to save a few quid or is it best to just pay up for whatever the pro recommends for my game?

I do have my old clubs in the attic somewhere should I get them down or leave them be and start afresh?

All and any advice is very welcome.

[Miocene]

I'm along the same lines as you... I got down to 14 when I was younger, but the children are still too young for me to get back to playing.

As far as I know, and i'm sure people much more up to date than I will soon be along to correct me, but your irons, if good at the time will still be reasonable. New irons will have you hitting the ball further, but thats because a modern 7 iron has a similar loft to an old 6 iron.

Imo, get playing again and as and when you fancy changing things then change them.

[mk1974]

Get done new ones as technology as moved on ,there's loads around about a year old for a good price,lots of sets now start from a 5 iron,as I don't use a 3,4 iron that's what I did and you save a few quid buying 2 clubs less


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[AndyMilts]

I would suggest a couple of lessons and see how you go. Maybe try a few different ones on a few days and then pick one with some advice from the pro

[P ELLIS]

I would suggest a couple of lessons and see how you go. Maybe try a few different ones on a few days and then pick one with some advice from the pro

This and have a swing on the range , I still use my old ping irons even after using new ones .... It's a confidence thing

[Kevin Glover]

I'd say get on the range, have a few lessons and use your old clubs between now and early next year just to get back into the swing of things (no pun intended) as IMHO its pointless getting a club fitting done until you have a fairly consistent ball strike. The trackman (or whatever device your pro uses)data will be hard to interpret unless you are getting a clean strike from the middle of the club most of the time and a few lessons should help you with that and angle of attack which again should help your ball strike, club head speed and spin rate.... All of these factors will be considered at the time of fitting so better to get things working well beforehand..... The proper clubs help for sure but ultimately it's about swing plane and the point of impact to really play well and consistently.

[catch21]

I played (badly) with blades from the late seventies. About eight years ago Petal's boy was working in a pro shop and effectively said "what the heck are you using those for, come and try this second hand set we've got in".

They were Ping Eye cavity back and I couldn't believe how lovely they were to play with. Improved my game a little and my enjoyment a lot. What are your old clubs?

[catflap]

I played (badly) with blades from the late seventies. About eight years ago Petal's boy was working in a pro shop and effectively said "what the heck are you using those for, come and try this second hand set we've got in".

They were Ping Eye cavity back and I couldn't believe how lovely they were to play with. Improved my game a little and my enjoyment a lot. What are your old clubs?

This is from memory (and a bit of googling) but my old clubs are Gary Player Anvil Cobolt 2000. Sounds impressive doesn't it!! I remember them having TT dynamic gold R300U shafts which the pro made a big deal about way back then and they were made half an inch longer than standard and maybe a degree upright (not 100% on the last bit though).

Noticed there's a few previous years sets of known brands kicking around on the web for circa £300 not sure whether to just grab a set of them and then maybe in a year if the bug has bitten maybe go through the whole fitting thing once I've settled into all my bad habits again.

My woods are all a mix of fairly cheap bits and pieces so they really could do with replacing and I want a new super light carry bag rather than the old trolley bag I used to have. Oh and some comfortable shoe would help greatly - these look to have changed considerably since I last played.

[yumma]

I'm not a golf pro, but I would have to say it all depends on what you want to achieve out of your game. If you are happy playing mid handicap for casual games I'd get some Ping G25's or G30's secondhand or similar. These are a great improvers club; no doubt other brands will have similarly forgiving and easy to hit clubs too. If you really want to improve and get into a low handicap get a fitting and the very latest technology.

Most of all, get lessons; putting a good swing/contact on the ball will always outweigh having the best kit on the market. My golf pro could probably hit a 35 year old Howson club further and straighter than I ever could with my current Pings.

[P ELLIS]

I played (badly) with blades from the late seventies. About eight years ago Petal's boy was working in a pro shop and effectively said "what the heck are you using those for, come and try this second hand set we've got in".

They were Ping Eye cavity back and I couldn't believe how lovely they were to play with. Improved my game a little and my enjoyment a lot. What are your old clubs?

My first pro put me onto ping eye 2 bitd and they were a revelation , ended up getting a set of isi K iirc and boy were they good . I remember Westwood using ping zing 2 for ages and still have a 1 iron in these

[village]

I stopped playing for about 7 years due to a combination of children and playing so badly I just wasn't enjoying it anymore. I started up again about 6 years ago. I went down the range with my old clubs and took a couple of lessons to get me back on track. I then bought a new set of clubs and got on with it accepting that I wasn't going to be perfect overnight. Every now and then I have a fine tuning lesson,for example,my chipping wasn't going as well as I would have liked so I took a lesson during which the pro changed my grip & stance a little; this improved things massively. Lately my bunker play has become a bit haphazard so I'm going to get a lesson to tweak that.
I have,through trial and error,decided that I am not a wood person and I don't like Rescue clubs...I have a driver and then irons from 2-pw with a couple of lob wedges and happily play with that set up.
The biggest difference I found was that I had become an angry golfer before my break. When I started playing again I had a totally different mindset and that made a massive difference.

[MikeB687]

Some good advice already, get back into it with what you've got and see how it goes. One of my playing buddies came back to the game with his old blades & Persimmon woods that hadn't been used in 30+ years!
Don't worry about fitting until your swing has settled down and even then it's not essential, the Indian is more important then the arrow!

[thegreatdogwood]

100% take a few lessons and start to play a bit BEFORE looking into new clubs. Then get custom fit.

You don't have to buy this years model which the custom fitter suggests, but it will give you the knowledge of what type of shafts, heads, specification works for you and you may be able to find something similar in last years model.

Irons have frankly not changed much in 25 years and Dynamic Gold shafts are still one of the most played shafts on tour.

Drivers are un-recognisable from 25 years ago, but until you're swing settles down after so many years out, you are totally wasting your time rushing out to buy something now

[sevvy]

Hi there,

My advice would be as follows.

1. Lessons help, even if it’s just a couple to instill basics.
2. Get fitted - most places don’t charge and those that do often knock off fitting charge when you buy. Find a club you like the look of that will suit your standard then get the right shaft for your swing. The shaft makes such a huge difference.
There’s so many clubs out there for all budgets these days.
American Golf aren’t the cheapest but they will always price match.

[Andyg]

As someone who was in exactly the same position I also decided to replace all my old stuff with new.

I went to American Golf and they recommended me some TaylorMade M2.

Not totally convinced. I then decided to have a lesson using my old golfs.

Massive into out swing problems which needed to be addressed (over the last 2 months) including a few additional lessons. 3 weeks ago I went to Golf Principles to be remeasured and to cut a long story short decided on a set of PXG irons (5-PW) , and £1300 worth of new driver and fairway woods. A lot of money.

Last week i ordered the PXG - they really were that good, but having hit the woods (without the custom sharfts admittedly), found very little difference to my current TM gear. I will review it again in the coming months.

i did however replace my PW, SW and LW with a new set Mac Daddy wedges (forged). They are also legal - unlike my old LW. I also purchased a 21 degree hybrid and binned my 3 iron.

Therefore my recommendations are.


Have a few video lessons using a trackman - this will identify any problems and set a baseline.

Once you have regained some consistency go to a fitter and test drive a selection of shafts, heads, grip sizes, lofts and lies.

Do not just hit off mats at the driving range, try to find somewhere you can hit off the turf. Huge difference.

Then if you wish you can order some new clubs in the confidence you are doing the right thing.

Once you have them, you know damn well it's you and not the equipment.

As an an aside I was hitting my old Calloway X14 Pro series (from about 1998) about 140 yards. With the PXG 6 iron (with a Nippon 950 shaft) I was consistently hitting 165 (according to launch monitor).

They should be delivered next week and I can't wait to be honest.

Hope this helps and good luck.

[catflap]

The temptation to buy shiny new things is almost overwhelming so thank you for all the sensible advice.

I've now got a cunning plan.... watch this space :-)

[Jdh1]

I'm the same, except I've had a break or ..erm...35 years. Taken a handful of lessons this year and played a couple of rounds but haven't bought any new clubs yet. Using a set I bought in 1997 last time I was going to start playing again. They're brand new. Will get some eventually, but as others have said, a decent player would do better than me using a walking stick, so clubs not a top priority.

[Andyg]

The temptation to buy shiny new things is almost overwhelming so thank you for all the sensible advice.

I've now got a cunning plan.... watch this space :-)

I know, but if you really need to spend, focus on a new putter and wedges to start with - less swing critical.

And remembet the old saying - buy in haste and then buy again 12 months later.

If you get a chance test drive the PXG 0311. It's a golf club, but not as we know it.

[ditchvisitor]

Last week i ordered the PXG

Talk about going big! Good work! I play Muira irons/wedges and my fitters (Core Golf) have the whole PXG range and have hit them a fair few times, nice clubs! Whereabouts do you play?

[sevvy]

I came very close to buying the PXG 0311 irons. I had a full fitting and settled on the Steelfibre shafts. What I loved about the PXG was they are the same size and shape as blades but are almost as forgiving as cavities. The feel was also superb.

In the end, and this is coming from someone who plays up to four times a week, I really couldn’t justify £2,000 for 7 irons. I went for the Callaway CF16 irons, got new Taylormade M2 driver and 3 wood, new wedges and TM spider putter all for less than the PXG’s.

For all those who own PXG’s I can’t wait to see what would happen when your ball lands in a ditch or bad lie and a swing takes a chunk out of those 2 grand irons 😁

[ditchvisitor]

.... takes a chunk out of those 2 grand irons 

Took a horrible chunk out of my new Muira MB001 5 iron on the driving range of all places, horrible stoney ground, was not impressed.

[Utred]

Worst thing I ever did was sell my McGregor blades when I started playing again a few years back - I just couldn't get on with cavity backs, they just looked too big at address and eventually I bought a split set of blades/muscle back taylormade's and......it made a massive difference! (I was fairly good iron player as a teen and still have a nice swing - just can't drive or putt for toffee!)

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