Deciding on what kind of clubs to buy

There are tons of different kind of clubs that aids beginners/mid to high handicappers and pros.. but i was wondering why not just get the 'pro' sets and keep practising on them? rather than incurring cost by buying beginner sets.. then upgrading to intermediate sets.. then upgrading to pro sets etc.

..why not?

try the cobra amp irons...

$399 brand new ...

cheap, good, accurate, goes far, and feels soft...

Hi r3jz,

Getting a blade for example, some people may be frustrated and quit golf before they are ready to use the blades..

For myself, I got a mid HCP irons to start of with, not too forgiving but at the same time, not as punishing as a blade...

Different people have different preference. Using a beginner set to start of with, you start by developing your swing and gain confidence from there before moving on to the next set.

The choice is yours...

r3iz wrote:

There are tons of different kind of clubs that aids beginners/mid to high handicappers and pros.. but i was wondering why not just get the 'pro' sets and keep practising on them? rather than incurring cost by buying beginner sets.. then upgrading to intermediate sets.. then upgrading to pro sets etc.

..why not?

No matter what u still ended up changing....

enwee wrote:

r3iz wrote:

There are tons of different kind of clubs that aids beginners/mid to high handicappers and pros.. but i was wondering why not just get the 'pro' sets and keep practising on them? rather than incurring cost by buying beginner sets.. then upgrading to intermediate sets.. then upgrading to pro sets etc.

..why not?

No matter what u still ended up changing....

+1

..why not? [/quote]
No matter what u still ended up changing....[/quote]

Yes, I agreed. Cos my son is at this phrase now.

Tiramisu wrote:

..why not?

No matter what u still ended up changing....[/quote]

Yes, I agreed. Cos my son is at this phrase now. [/quote]

I think most people are stuck at this phase...

r3iz wrote:

There are tons of different kind of clubs that aids beginners/mid to high handicappers and pros.. but i was wondering why not just get the 'pro' sets and keep practising on them? rather than incurring cost by buying beginner sets.. then upgrading to intermediate sets.. then upgrading to pro sets etc.

..why not?

I started golf with a set of Mizuno MP14's. They had very tiny heads and the sweetspot of a tee. Love the look n feel of blades and didn't wanna spend money buying a worthless beginner set, then upgrade and upgrade.

Then changed to MP33's with X-100 shafts that became too heavy for me after my shoulder injuries and my game suffered big time. Massive loss of distance, and thought changing to forgiving cavity backs would help improve my game. But i lost accuracy and workability in terms of playing draws or fades and even controlling my distance and trajectory with them. Then i got another set of blades and i'm seeing improvements again.

Think most ppl have the mentality that only pro's can play blades, and those who do are wannabe pro's. Think its all in the head. a mishit is a mishit. a shank is a shank... a duff is a duff.. and so on.

The best is still to try em out and see what works best for u.

BestofTheBest wrote:

try the cobra amp irons...

$399 brand new ...

cheap, good, accurate, goes far, and feels soft...

Can advise where to get the cobra amp iron at $399? Cheapest I have found was at GD but its abt $500.

Opps sorry

Its $499 from GD

My bad...

By "Pro" clubs I take it that you are referring to irons used by Touring Pros? Or those touted as "Player's Irons"? Touring Pros use a variety of clubs, some less forgiving (pure blades), some more forgiving (e.g. Titleist AP2). Some use long irons, some use hybrids ... BUT all of them want the same thing ... equipment that will help them score better.

One school of thought is that if we are going to learn something from Touring Pros, it is to use whatever will help you shoot a lower score. i.e. use equipment suited to YOU, appreciate the forgiveness built into such equipment because it will make golf slightly easier.

Another school of thought is that practicing with forgiving equipment encourages bad habits because even fundamentally incorrect swings can produce acceptable results. Golfers who subscribe to this approach believe that unforgiving clubs give the "feedback" needed to improve. A swing which sends a Game Improvement 6 iron relatively straight might not even be able to launch a bladed iron of a similar loft (since GI clubs all have stronger lofts, it would probably translate to a 5 iron or less on a "Player's" iron set). Hence, the concept is to get clubs that will let you know instantly when you have made a good swing. The flip side is that it will instantly tell you when you have made a bad swing as well.

Not trying to make it sound like mission impossible, but even if you have learnt how to use blades on the driving range, the journey is only 25% complete. You still need to learn how to use such clubs on the golf course. Grass and soil are a lot less forgiving than driving range mats. You will need to be pretty committed to practicing and playing frequently in order to use such clubs effectively on the course.

It depends on what you want and your personality. Are you willing to commit all that time and effort (and it may take months of continous daily practice to achieve basic short iron proficiency) to learn how to play a game? Can you deal with the disappointment of duffing the majority of your iron shots on the course after a supposed good range session? Or hitting it decently and leaving all your iron shots short of the green? It sounds very negative, but these are the facts of what normally happens when you put blades or unforgiving player's irons in the hands of begginers or even mid to high handicappers.

If these clubs are so hard to use, why do pros use them? I don't really know, but my guess is that at that level, they are more concerned with spin control and trajectory. And the clubs that are designed to help beginners and amatuers launch the ball and play the game will result in too much spin (and/or too high an initial lanuch angle) when used by Tour Pros, who have a much higher swing speed than average amateurs.

Summary of my very long post:

1) We do not swing like tour pros
2) Even practicing 8 hours a day, very few of us have the ability to swing like a tour pro
3) Depending on the characteristics of your swing, the optimal equipment for you varies
4) Tour Pros use what suits them best, shouldn't you?

That being said, one of the unwritten goals of GR is to promote the 2nd hand golf equipment market in Singapore, so just buy what you like, and if it doesn't work out, sell it off and buy another set!

Derek wrote:

By "Pro" clubs I take it that you are referring to irons used by Touring Pros? Or those touted as "Player's Irons"? Touring Pros use a variety of clubs, some less forgiving (pure blades), some more forgiving (e.g. Titleist AP2). Some use long irons, some use hybrids ... BUT all of them want the same thing ... equipment that will help them score better.

One school of thought is that if we are going to learn something from Touring Pros, it is to use whatever will help you shoot a lower score. i.e. use equipment suited to YOU, appreciate the forgiveness built into such equipment because it will make golf slightly easier.

Another school of thought is that practicing with forgiving equipment encourages bad habits because even fundamentally incorrect swings can produce acceptable results. Golfers who subscribe to this approach believe that unforgiving clubs give the "feedback" needed to improve. A swing which sends a Game Improvement 6 iron relatively straight might not even be able to launch a bladed iron of a similar loft (since GI clubs all have stronger lofts, it would probably translate to a 5 iron or less on a "Player's" iron set). Hence, the concept is to get clubs that will let you know instantly when you have made a good swing. The flip side is that it will instantly tell you when you have made a bad swing as well.

Not trying to make it sound like mission impossible, but even if you have learnt how to use blades on the driving range, the journey is only 25% complete. You still need to learn how to use such clubs on the golf course. Grass and soil are a lot less forgiving than driving range mats. You will need to be pretty committed to practicing and playing frequently in order to use such clubs effectively on the course.

It depends on what you want and your personality. Are you willing to commit all that time and effort (and it may take months of continous daily practice to achieve basic short iron proficiency) to learn how to play a game? Can you deal with the disappointment of duffing the majority of your iron shots on the course after a supposed good range session? Or hitting it decently and leaving all your iron shots short of the green? It sounds very negative, but these are the facts of what normally happens when you put blades or unforgiving player's irons in the hands of begginers or even mid to high handicappers.

If these clubs are so hard to use, why do pros use them? I don't really know, but my guess is that at that level, they are more concerned with spin control and trajectory. And the clubs that are designed to help beginners and amatuers launch the ball and play the game will result in too much spin (and/or too high an initial lanuch angle) when used by Tour Pros, who have a much higher swing speed than average amateurs.

Summary of my very long post:

1) We do not swing like tour pros
2) Even practicing 8 hours a day, very few of us have the ability to swing like a tour pro
3) Depending on the characteristics of your swing, the optimal equipment for you varies
4) Tour Pros use what suits them best, shouldn't you?

That being said, one of the unwritten goals of GR is to promote the 2nd hand golf equipment market in Singapore, so just buy what you like, and if it doesn't work out, sell it off and buy another set!

That my firend is a sermon worthy of the pulpit. Amen to that.

to the mbgc ksls 18 aka derek....

u are morphing to our dear fren ciao lang aka birdman....


STOP IT!!!!!!!!

slinger wrote:

to the mbgc ksls 18 aka derek....

u are morphing to our dear fren ciao lang aka birdman....


STOP IT!!!!!!!!

just buy a cheap blade set, play with it once or twice, then get it out of your system. Nothing worst than getting an expensive set like Muira and then die die stick with it (cause its expensive).

my opinion as a beginner myself is to try it.... if u think too much, it will affect ur game (too many "what if") and the love for the game. U hear ppl write or talk about blade set, ur mind start going into overdrive (disadvantages vs advantages, then there is that new set that removes all the disadvantage ie rocketbladez....) u may not play better now but u will enjoy the game more.

try it, even make a small effort. If it does not work out, no regrets now (not like the set may cause u a few stoke that prevent u from getting below 80....now u score 99 or 110, its no big difference........79 or 81, A LOT!!!! )

BTW i played a vintage blade set for 3-4 full games...not much difference but 6 iron onwards it gets tough. Certainly can never play it like a SGI set. Distance also much shorter but u realise that u are more accurate (no more trying to get on the green from 160-170m out..just layup and chip)

thats y got combo set...

Another one to the list of quotables.

Derek wrote:

...so just buy what you like, and if it doesn't work out, sell it off and buy another set!

Conservatives buy lower cost or 2nd hand game improvement sets until they feel their skill warrant a sleeker model. Some commit early with blades and make sure they practice their money's worth to make the equipment work.

Whatever the motivation as long as you enjoy the game it's worth the money, not to mention countless hours of playing, watching swing videos, swopping golf stories with buddies, reading golf books, shopping for equipment at golf fairs, browsing GolfWRX and GR to research and chit chat, waiting for the epoxy to dry so you can take your new toy out for a swing...it's all part of the experience. That 4 hours out on course is just one fraction of the whole addiction.

i think its best to get a cavity back, much easier to hit. as you play better, you can still feel comfortable playing CB if you dont want to try blade.

r3iz wrote:

There are tons of different kind of clubs that aids beginners/mid to high handicappers and pros.. but i was wondering why not just get the 'pro' sets and keep practising on them? rather than incurring cost by buying beginner sets.. then upgrading to intermediate sets.. then upgrading to pro sets etc.

..why not?

If u get blades, can't handles them....
U might end up losing interest in the game....

Anyway, changing clubs is part of the fun too!

As what all fellow GRians mentioned.. you might want to look for a forgiving set instead of blades. Get interested in the game and passion is essential in the beginning..

I have a forgiving set to let go if this might interest you..
http://www.golfrepublic.org/t21412-wts-beginner-set

Derek wrote:

By "Pro" clubs I take it that you are referring to irons used by Touring Pros? Or those touted as "Player's Irons"? Touring Pros use a variety of clubs, some less forgiving (pure blades), some more forgiving (e.g. Titleist AP2). Some use long irons, some use hybrids ... BUT all of them want the same thing ... equipment that will help them score better.

One school of thought is that if we are going to learn something from Touring Pros, it is to use whatever will help you shoot a lower score. i.e. use equipment suited to YOU, appreciate the forgiveness built into such equipment because it will make golf slightly easier.

Another school of thought is that practicing with forgiving equipment encourages bad habits because even fundamentally incorrect swings can produce acceptable results. Golfers who subscribe to this approach believe that unforgiving clubs give the "feedback" needed to improve. A swing which sends a Game Improvement 6 iron relatively straight might not even be able to launch a bladed iron of a similar loft (since GI clubs all have stronger lofts, it would probably translate to a 5 iron or less on a "Player's" iron set). Hence, the concept is to get clubs that will let you know instantly when you have made a good swing. The flip side is that it will instantly tell you when you have made a bad swing as well.

Not trying to make it sound like mission impossible, but even if you have learnt how to use blades on the driving range, the journey is only 25% complete. You still need to learn how to use such clubs on the golf course. Grass and soil are a lot less forgiving than driving range mats. You will need to be pretty committed to practicing and playing frequently in order to use such clubs effectively on the course.

It depends on what you want and your personality. Are you willing to commit all that time and effort (and it may take months of continous daily practice to achieve basic short iron proficiency) to learn how to play a game? Can you deal with the disappointment of duffing the majority of your iron shots on the course after a supposed good range session? Or hitting it decently and leaving all your iron shots short of the green? It sounds very negative, but these are the facts of what normally happens when you put blades or unforgiving player's irons in the hands of begginers or even mid to high handicappers.

If these clubs are so hard to use, why do pros use them? I don't really know, but my guess is that at that level, they are more concerned with spin control and trajectory. And the clubs that are designed to help beginners and amatuers launch the ball and play the game will result in too much spin (and/or too high an initial lanuch angle) when used by Tour Pros, who have a much higher swing speed than average amateurs.

Summary of my very long post:

1) We do not swing like tour pros
2) Even practicing 8 hours a day, very few of us have the ability to swing like a tour pro
3) Depending on the characteristics of your swing, the optimal equipment for you varies
4) Tour Pros use what suits them best, shouldn't you?

That being said, one of the unwritten goals of GR is to promote the 2nd hand golf equipment market in Singapore, so just buy what you like, and if it doesn't work out, sell it off and buy another set!

This is a very insightful post. I think i should relook into what i need to improve my game as i practice more with my dad's 2nd hand set before dreaming about buying my own set.

Kinda afraid that i get stuck to this buy/sell syndrome and overlook on practicing my skills lolx

Appreciate reading these posts! I have been wanting to get a new set and have been doing much reading about the different sets and talking about the sets with my partner talking about pros and cons about each set, don't know if that set is too tough for me etc etc until she told me to just buy it! I really like the look of blades but can understand how morale affects you if you can't hit anything straight. Tried some clubs from an older set of mizuno MP (cannot recall which series) then came away from the range with pain in my elbow and disturbed that all my shots were much shorter than usual. I guess I could not handle the much heavier steel shafts (it was nspro regular). My current plan is to go for some pro lessons to get my swing in order and then to a club fitter to get some recommendations! Even though I am itching so much to get a new set!

Get one that will make the game more enjoyable.

i suggest go get a golf club fitting, chose a brand or club head (blade/cavity..) u like and get them to look at how u swing get u fitted for the best suited club and shaft for you.. unless you know exactly what you need

I know PING will do this for you. and also came across some other shop doinf fitting for other brands ...
You will get to swing different clubs w different shafts and even check the size of your grip.

note that shaft options are equally important to the club head choice

you will never regret the $$ spend on club fitting

good luck and enjoy

Whatever said here, end of the day, u must enjoy what u are doing............if not, no point spending times and money on a game that stress u out...may as well have a beer..