Golfers are suckers....

The best thing about all these "gotta-have-the-new-stuff-now" guys is the fact they sell all their "old" stuff on some Web site, though, I forget what it's called.

I picked up a nearly new set of Ping irons for less than $200. Those clubs have shaved about 12 strokes off my game.

EDIT: It's called globalgolf.com.

 

My Adams irons definitely made a difference in my game. So did my TaylorMade driver.

Then again, I've held onto them for a few years now. Love the Adams hybrids.

Two things: 1) If you buy knockoffs expecting real club performance, you will always be disappointed. It took me 3-4 knockoff drivers, each costing less than $100, to get this through my thick head. If you're going to play golf regularly, by the real one in the first place. Your game will be better, and you'll probably not spend that much more than you did on all the knockoffs.

2) Pro V1 balls ARE different. I have no doubt about it. I just can't afford them.

 

It's amazing how much the price of a club, especially a driver, will come down the within a couple of years. Are all but the best players going to notice the small differences?

 

I'm not a "best" player, but with my "new" set, my score dropped from the mid- to low-90s to the low- to mid-80s.

If you're going to play more than a few times a year, you should buy an affordable decent set of clubs. You can find top-notch sets at the Web site I listed. Golf is much more enjoyable when you can play a decent round.

 

I'm still playing a set of Ping Eye2s that I bought in the spring of 1990. Very good clubs, but I'd like to see if a brand new set of today's technology would make a difference.

Problem is, I really don't play enough golf to make spending the money worthwhile. I've broken 80 once in my life (had to shoot a 1-under 35 on the back nine to make my front-nine 44 equal 79) and was shooting mid- and sometimes low-80s during that summer ('96).

Now I can't figure out if I'm playing less because I'm not playing well. Would I play more if I played better? Probably not at this stage.

But I miss the days where if I had nothing to do I would immediately drive to the course and get in a quick nine.

That being said, I have bought a new driver, 3-wood and utility club in the last 2-3 years. And this thread has inspired me to check eBay for sets of Ping ISI irons (I have an ISI sand wedge and it's a great club from 80-90 yards in.

 

Buying models from last year or even two years ago, you're going to get a much better club than your six-year-old driver, and much cheaper than a 2008 model. And no, nobody in the 10-30 handicap range will be able to tell the difference.

 

Check out the Slingshots, too....a little less traditional, but pretty cool.

 

Whatever you buy, get them fitted. Playing with clubs that are properly fitted to you will make more of a difference than the brand or model of the clubs.

 

Go to the marketplace of the world and you can find 1-2 yr old drivers for a great price (like a used 2007 GMC Yukon these days); amazing.

Even the lower tier balls these days are better than the Pro V1s from 5 years ago; that's how far ball technology has come.

As for clubs, I'd suggest for a starter set getting a set of used old Tommy Armour (1990s) or Ping Eye 2s, those are great perimeter weighted irons that are still just as good as those out there today. And learn to hit hybrids instead of 2 and 3 irons.

 

My brother, a scratch golfer, can take any of the three sets of irons in my parent's house -- none of them his -- when he's on a visit and fire between a 68 and 72 at Colonial Country Club, traditionally one of the Tour's harder courses.

The choices are: a '72 set of Staff Tour Blades, swing weight D5; a 1989 set of Ping knockoffs also fitted for my father, who was five inches taller; a 1995 Yonex set, fitted for same father, swing weight D4 (hey, he was 73).

Brother prefers the '72 Blades with the steel shafts and the leather grips.

Anyway, save your money by buying decent older clubs and use what's left for some lessons.

Or have a dad that can teach you for free.

 

Still, that does not mean everyone should play '72 staff blades until they get better.

I hit those Staff blades from '86-07 and although I improved over the years, having perimeter weighted clubs now helps; so does a 460cc driver and multi-layer balls.

Thinking about hitting my old Citation driver with an old Spaulding Molitor ball makes me wonder how anyone hit it over 220.

 

I'm the same way.

Oh, and I've never actually bought golf clubs. They've just been given to me or handed down over the years. My driver has a split shaft and there is a giant dimple on the top of it.

I still can hammer my drives, so I don't see a need to upgrade.

My biggest problem is the length of my clubs. I'm 6-5 and I have to hunch way down and I have a tendency to stand up in my backswing -- the only way I'll be able to change that is by buying custom fitted golf clubs, something I can't justify the cost for.