After 19 years with the same set of irons, it’s time (boy is it ever!) for me to invest in some new golf equipment.
I am in no hurry. My dad, who follows golf club technology pretty closely, told me to take up to a year. I just might.
Now that I’ve joined a club and am starting to play semi-regularly again, getting new sticks definitely makes sense. I already bought some new golf shoes for my birthday. My pair of Nikes had been around since the early 90s. I know. That’s pathetic.
Some of you are quite expert in this area, so please chime in on equipment preferences and why.
I’m a tall guy (6’4″) with short arms, so I’ve always played with irons that are an inch over. I’ll probably get fitted instead of buying off the shelf. As far as brand and club style, I’m a blank slate.
I’m a decent golfer, shooting in the high 70s and low 80s most of the time. I played numbers two and three on my high school and community college golf teams. I sure wouldn’t mind getting my game back. For me, that would be a single-digit handicap in the 5-7 range. (I probably play to about a 10 now.) Physically, I’m in pretty good shape. No big limitations.
If you have any suggestions or thoughts, please comment or feel free to email me at armchairgolfer@hotmail.com.
The Armchair Golfer
Lee Trevino once said that sometimes it’s the Indian and not the arrow. In other words, it’s you and not the clubs, contrary to what the club makers would have you believe. That said, I would look closely at Calloway because I believe they’ve done more to change the game over the past 15 years than any other club maker.
Go to two or three personalized club fittings and get a variety of opinions. Yes, they’re trying to sell you clubs, but you’re in the market! Anyways, a club fitting can tell you the most important things you should be looking for in a new set of irons.
First, pay attention to the lie angle of the clubheads. I’m tall myself, with short arms, so my lie angle has turned out to be about 3 degrees upright from “standard” – which can vary slightly between manufacturers. I found out (through three fittings) that my standard clubs were too flat, leading me to catch the toe in the ground rather than the whole leading edge of the face.
Next you need to find out what shafts you should use. This is part metrics (for the tall player, likely an inch longer than standard) and part swing speed. The faster your swing, the stiffer shafts you need to maintain control of the clubhead path. Again this is something you need from a professional fitting, where they can actually measure how fast you swing the club.
Finally, make sure you get grips that actually fit the size of your hands. Too thick will block your hands; too thin and you lose control in the grip.
It doesn’t really matter what brand you go with, as long as it fits your unique body type.