Time for some new irons

[Go Coogs']

I've been playing golf since I was 8 years of age and have had two sets of brand new irons over the past 24 years. The sad thing is, both those brand new sets came when I was 13 and when I was 17. The set I got when I was 17, I only had in my posession for 6 months. I was working late at a golf course and had grabbed my clubs out of my car to hit some balls on the range before I picked it. I had my clubs on the back of a cart and parked it in the cart barn while I proceeded to pick the range. When I returned to the cart barn my entire bag was gone. So my dad gave me his set and bought himself a new set.

Yep, since then it's been all hand-me-downs over the last 15 years. I had a set of Wilson Staffs, a set of Mizunos, Burner Bubble Tour Blades, and Taylormade Rac LTs. All given to me by my old man. I inherited the Taylormades 6 years ago when my father passed away. They've been good to me, but it's time I get my first ever set of custom irons.

I went to a friend of mine who is a middle man between the manufacturers and the retailers. He can pretty much get me anything at cost. I met him at the range and tried th following demo irons:

Titleist AP2
Taylormade R9
Taylormade TP R9
Mizuno Mp-68
Ping i15
Taylormade Burner

I went in expecting to like the AP2 or the Mizuno the best. I consider myself an above average ball striker and those two irons are feel/control clubs. Each iron had a +1" longer steel KBS tour shaft and I think they were all 2 degrees upright. I tried all the irons in the order tyou see above. I was pretty much sold on the AP2. It was such a players club and the feel and ball flight was so pure and true. I was sold....until I tried that Burner. I couldn't believe it. I didn't even want to try it because it looked ugly and bulky, but my buddy told me I need to try it. First shot I hit just exploded off the head and went so high and far that it was landing 10-15 yards beyond any other iron I hit. Not only that, but the ball flight had the slightest controlled draw to it. It was perfect. I wasn't thrilled about the look of it, but I just couldn't ignore how powerful the club was.

I ordered a 3-pw, two new taylormade wedges, and a new Taylormade Burner bag.

My 6'5" frame will now have a custom set fitted for me and now I feel I'll be breaking 80 more frequently.

[Dinsdale]

Wouldn't mind a new iron set myself.

But the way I'm playing lately, I'm reminded of the wise words of the best golfer I know -- "It ain't the arrow, it's the Indian."


Last outing, I heard a really bad song by Beyonce as bumper music on a sports show on my way home. It kinda summed up some of my recent outings --

To the left to the left
Every shot I hit in the trees to the left
In the water that's my duff
If I'm swinging, better duck

[Goober McTuber]

Last outing, I heard a really bad song by Beyonce

Is there any other kind?

[Dinsdale]

Doubt it.

But since I try to avoid her "works," on the rare occasions I hear them, there does appear to be a possibility of degrees of suck...

Much like my golf game.

If I have any sort of timing, I par most of them. But some days, my hips/lower body just doesn't do what I tell it. Gets out ahead, and...

Yank left.

[indyfrisco]

Followed up my 77 with a 44-44-88 last time out. And no, like someone else said, that's not Rumplewife's measurements.

100% of my problems this year are irons. I've never hit my driver so long and accurate as I am now. I've not chipped as well as I have been in 14 years. My putting could be a little better, but all in all, I am getting much more used to the belly putter from long distances and am having much fewer 3 putts from distance. My 5-10 foot putting needs to get better.

No, the problem isn't the long or short game. It's the irons. I changed my irons swing last year to an outside-in cut swing. I was having such trouble snap hooking last year with the irons. Elbow was flying higher than Barf after 3 bowls. I got control of that power fade, but it is all gone this year. I'm either rolling my wrists and dead yanking it or I am blocking it and the ball goes high and right and short.

I don't need new irons. I need to change my swing. I'll be heading to Houston this weekend to visit my family. I'll stick with what I'm doing now for the weekend golf with my brother and father. However, I plan on hitting the range when I get back. First thing I am going to do is try to use the same swing I am using with my driver on my irons and see where that takes me.

[Dinsdale]

Putting was kind of a sore spot for me last week.

The reason?

I was knocking them ALL down. Lots and lots of 1-putts. Just on fire with the flat one.

And I still played bogey (on an easy course).

It's one thing to play bogey golf if you're putting a little off, or getting bad breaks on the greens. But to play bogalicious when you're putting lights-out...


That's truly a sign of teh suck.

[Felix]

....don't need new irons.

that's not what the dude at Golf Galaxy told me

(it was something to the effect of better act fast because after this year, they won't be building the v-groove irons)

I always find that shit amusing, because I'm not a good enough player to notice a significant difference on anything over about 150 yards........ball flight is about the same, ability to work it is about the same...the only major difference is how fast the ball will stop

but those places always play to "latest and greatest" guy

[Dinsdale]

Years ago, I had a set of good'ol Wilson 1200 Oversize.

They worked freaking great. With the big heavy heads,the ball went a mile, easy to hit, workable enough for my sorry assed game.


Worked great right up until they got ripped off.

[Goober McTuber]

I got new (for me) irons last fall. Barely used Callaway X-16 Steelheads for $175. They felt pretty nice the one time I played them this spring. Not sure how much more I can play before giving in and getting the knee replaced.

[Dinsdale]

Callaway doesn't make shitty irons, last I checked.

Goobs, out of curiosity (I've been studying this on an extremely informal basis) -- does your bum knee tend to make you hook the ball?

When I was trying to play through the bad back, everything was a low hook.

A buddy of mine with a very nice swing and deece handicap hurt his neck, and started snap hooking everything.

Another buddy fried a knee, and his lifelong fade became a hook.

Recently, another of my frequent golf buds pinched a nerve in his hip, and the self-proclaimed Slicemeister now hooks it chronicly (tough bastard -- 54 years old, currently on disability, still out there swinging... talk about love of the game, since on his best day, he sucks).

Injuries seem to cause hooks, just wondering if that's the case with you.

Tigers neck seemed to cause him to be blocking them, though, the shots I saw anyway.

[Goober McTuber]

I hit more hooks and dead pulls than normal, though the serious pain comes after the round is over. My guess would be that if you're anticipating the pain, you'll try to get through there more quickly (like pulling a bandaid) and the the pull/hook might be more likely. But that's just a guess. Makes sense to me. But then again so did nailing skanks without protection when I was younger.

[Go Coogs']

My buddy sure did hook me up. Total driveout price for the irons, xft wedges, and bag was $754.

Wedges:





Irons:





Bag:

[Felix]

nice!!!

now make all of the golf forum proud and play like a champion

[Dinsdale]

Yeah, if you don't go 75 or better next time out, you should probably enquire about a refund.

[BSmack]

Yeah, if you don't go 75 or better next time out, you should probably enquire about a refund.

ELIMINATED

But seriously, he won't shoot 75. He'll still shot his usual 80. He'll just 3 putt everything in sight.

[Dinsdale]

Oh yeahhhh?

You're...

DOUBLE ELIMUNATED

"Enquire" and "inquire" are essentially interchangable in American English.

So there.

And I think you're giving Rumps way too much credit -- he'll be hitting so many greens with those shiney (troll lexicon, no ILLUMINATION) new irons, he'll get psyched out of his shoes and 4-putt every hole, except the gimmes where it took 5 shots to bump it close from greenside, which he'll 1-putt.

Oh, wait...

that's my game... nevermind.


But Rumps is under the gun... assuming he can still afford a round, we need an UPDATE by monday morning.

And I propose a new Golf Forum rule -- After bragging about new equipment, a poster is entitled to lie about their score to placate the rest of us after the first round with said new equipment*.


Yay or nay?



* -- No, B... a new ball doesn't meet the standards of the "New Equipment Clause." Since I'd be lying after any hole with a water hazard.

[Go Coogs']

I'll give you shot for shot of my first round when the equipment comes in. The irons and wedges won't be ready until the 21st. They are to be shipped on 3-5 day ground.

The bag, unfortunately, won't ship until late July as it is on a rediculous back order log.

I hope to get the clubs before I go back on rotation. I'll probably spend a pretty penny to play a nice track. If all should go well, then I am going to get serious with my game again.

I'm thinking of joining this place:

http://www.clubcorp.com/club/scripts/se ... CODE=KGWCC

[BSmack]

Yay or nay?

Definitely a yea with one proviso. And that is the new gear must be at least over 300 bucks. No pulling an old Ping putter from your local muni's used club barrel and claiming you shot a 73 at Bandon Dunes.

[Felix]

I'm thinking of joining this place:

http://www.clubcorp.com/club/scripts/se ... CODE=KGWCC

fuck you richer

so why would you want to become a country club douchecanoe?

No pulling an old Ping putter from your local muni's used club barrel and claiming you shot a 73 at Bandon Dunes.

so I bought this spalding wedge from the salvation army "used golf club department" and broke the course record at my home track by firing a 58

[Dinsdale]

No pulling an old Ping putter from your local muni's used club barrel and claiming you shot a 73 at Bandon Dunes.

Why you gotta be like that?

I'll hit Bandon one of these days.

But it ain't like it's right up the street or anything. About a 5 hour drive from here. But one of these days I'll get there. Maybe find some shit to do in the Dunes, go sandboarding or something -- a form of boarding that I won't kill myself doing -- sounds like a hoot.

[Go Coogs']

They're in....

Wedges


Irons


Sorry for the distorted images. Had to use the old digital camera.

Won't be able take these puppies for a spin until I get off work on Tuesday.

[Dinsdale]

Better go sub-75.

[Go Coogs']

Better go sub-75.

That's the plan.

A friend of mine just got his 3-4-5 Burners in on Monday and we played on Wednesday. We got to a 246 yard par 3. He let me try his 3 iron. Keep in mind this is without the 1" longer shafts. I busted it 256. Yep, landed pin high and rolled over the green about 10 yard beyond the hole. I'm fucking stoked.

[Go Coogs']

83 today...

...but that's the bad news. The putting was atrocious and the chipping wasn't far behind. I managed to miss 7 putts inside 6 feet and I also had three bad chips that left me 10 footers for par or birdie. The irons were fucking awesome today with the exception of a botched 7 iron on a par 3, a pushed 5 iron, and a pushed 4 iron. Other than that the irons were great. Especially the short irons.

What I was really impressed with was a 230 yard par 3 of which I stuck a 5 iron 15 feet right of the flagstick. I was also blown away at a 165 yard shot of which I flew the green over the flagstick with an 8 iron. I never hit one piss poor shot with my irons. Every shot I hit was solid contact. Even the pushed irons had pin high results. I'm very pleased with my purchase.

In fact, I am so pleased with the results that I took the time to work on my chipping and putting for about an hour after the round was completed. That was a far cry from my usual three beers on the 19th hole. Tomorrow will consist of a couple of hours of practice on and around the greens. It's fucking on. My goal is to shoot 72 before summer's end. I think I can do it.

[Felix]

What I was really impressed with was a 230 yard par 3 of which I stuck a 5 iron 15 feet right of the flagstick.

what I'm impressed with is that I don't even know anybody that can hit a 5 iron 230 yards

[Go Coogs']

Downwind...not much but enough to go a club down.

[indyfrisco]

38-40-78 Wednesday...and not one birdie. 12 pars and 6 bogeys. How fucking boring!

But I'm seriously liking all the rounds in the 70s this year. I haven't posted more than 3 rounds in the 70s in one year in 13 years and now I've logged 4. Game is getting good....just in time for kid #3 and sports to start and then my game will go to shit again since I can't play near as much.

[Dinsdale]

Golf? What's golf?

Had something like the second wettest May on record. And it hasn't stopped there -- we've already exceeded an average June's rain, 3 days in.

We're breaking record after record for shitty spring weather, which is usually perfect golf weather, or at least for 6 days out of the week, typically. This shit is just freaky.

[Go Coogs']

Played 36 on Thursday. Shot 81 with 37 putts including six 3-putts. Fucking horrific.

Second round was an 80 with 33 putts including 3 birdie putts missed from 5 feet or less. Choke much?

Anyways, the ball striking has never been better. I'm hitting them so pure right now that the spin is rolling back some 8-10 feet when the ball hits the green. Once I get the short game lined out, I could see my first 72 in eleven years.

[BSmack]

Did somebody say something about 3 putts?



The great thing is, once you spend all that time getting your putting squared away, some other facet of your game will fall apart. Ain't golf fun. ;)

[Felix]

Downwind...not much but enough to go a club down.

still impressed...I only know a handful of people that can potentially hit a 4 iron 230

[Dinsdale]

what I'm impressed with is that I don't even know anybody that can hit a 5 iron 230 yards

Before I changed a couple of things, I'd do about that on a hot day.

What's changed:

The current clubs just don't hit it as far, and...

The wrong side of 40 seems to taken some of my distance away.

Shit, 210 is a smoked 5 anymore. 195 if it's cool/wet outside.

Used to pound the 4 240-245 on a hot day. Except now I strike it better, and on the odd chance I hit the green with a 4 or 5, it actually makes an attempt at stopping, instead of giving me that extra 10 yards by rolling off the back.

Hitting it a ton has never been a problem for me -- but it used to be a tremendous problem for the innocent bystanders on adjacent fairways.

[indyfrisco]

Hitting it a ton has never been a problem for me -- but it used to be a tremendous problem for the innocent bystanders on adjacent fairways.

Exactly. That was my game up until last year. I finally slowed the swing down. I don't hit it nearly as far as I used to with the irons. I am still long off the tee, but my iron game has fallen under the "control" umbrella rather than the "grip it and rip it" catagory. I hit my 5 iron about 190-200 now. It's not in the Ken 140 yard range, but considering I used to get it to about 215 it is significant. I'm hitting all irons about 1.5 clubs less than a couple years ago, but I have so much more control now. And with still being able to consistently hit 300+ off the tee, hitting an approach with a 7 rather than a 8-9 knowing I can control that 7 more is no skin off my nose.

Played with a golf bud recently and he kept asking what club I was hitting. I would, for example, say 8 iron. He was like, "Dude, I'm hitting an 8 iron from here. Age getting to you?" I simply said "Nope, experience and disregard for machismo is."

[Felix]

I simply said "Nope, experience and disregard for machismo is."

exactly...I wish I'd known in my 20's and 30's what I know now

I used to play with a guy that prided himself on being 2 clubs longer than anybody else....never knew where it was going, but you knew when he hit it it was going a long way...we were playing this short par 5 and he absolutely kabongs a driver with a hard draw (bordering on a hook) it probably would have been around the 335 to 340 mark....he starts going on about how hard he hit it, how far he hit it, yadda yadda, replaying with great detail the shot I just watched him hit (fuck I hate that) I said "dude, you absolutely hammered that drive and I'm pretty sure that all but the last 30 yards was in bounds...maybe you can keep the next tee shot in bounds"