The "right time" to look at new irons?

I know alot of people here will buy new clubs for a variety of reasons. Some do it cause the wind changed direction . Some have a few bad rounds and decide to trade the set in for smething new. I have a set that works for me yet I am always looking at the new sets every time I am at the golf store and I am usually hitting them as well. So I am wondering what is the "normal" amount of time for a person to keep a set before looking to purchasing new irons and what causes people to pull the trigger and get a new set after they have had one for a certain amount of time.

3 years. Why? Because that's what I think

Really I think if you are happy with what you have you should stick with them until you find something that completely outperforms your irons in every way imaginable.

I don't switch very often, and that goes for all clubs in my bag. The last time I switched, 2 years ago, it turned out not to be what I thought it was going to be. I since switched back and have decided that I will not switch unless they are better than what I have, and meet all my criteria. I'm sure most will probably say that they only switch when what they are going to is better for them than what they are coming from. But, everybody has a different meaning for "better". I will add that what I switched back to I've had in the bag '04,a dn they were used when I bought them to begin with.

2-3 years for me or when I hit the lottery.

There's a wrong time to look a new irons? Seriously though, I think you should get fitting and find irons that work for you...if something is better for you than what you're playing, I say go for it.

my father still plays his classic wilson staffs and still shoots in the 70's. In all honesty I think people jump to blame the equipment right away, its the archer not the arrow.

I'm always "looking" for new irons. 99% of the time it doesn't lead to buying the irons. There's always gotta be something better out there right?

I'm on Twitter & someone asked Hank Haney that & his answer was 2-5. I guess the years all depend on how often you play. A person who plays every week will obviously have worn down their grooves a lot faster than a 2-3 time player. I'm pretty sure it impossible to see with the naked eye, buy your grooves will wear down after years of abuse! I mean you certainly wouldn't own/play with a scoring club (wedges) for 4-5 years would you??

I bought my previous set in the early/mid 90's and used those up until winter of last year, lol. This set is a love hate. When Im on all is golden, but as I get a little older and wiser :surrender: well maybe, I think I could do myself a favor it going with GI's soon. So, my eye's are open to something new again.

Jason P said:

I'm on Twitter & someone asked Hank Haney that & his answer was 2-5. I guess the years all depend on how often you play. A person who plays every week will obviously have worn down their grooves a lot faster than a 2-3 time player. I'm pretty sure it impossible to see with the naked eye, buy your grooves will wear down after years of abuse! I mean you certainly wouldn't own/play with a scoring club (wedges) for 4-5 years would you??

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My go to wedge is 8 years old. But the again, I am an idiot.

aggro said:

My go to wedge is 8 years old. But the again, I am an idiot.

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LOL. I was about to say that the wedges I'm using I've had for nearly 6 years, but yours is even older. Wow. Maybe we should consider changing them out? If only I could afford to do that. Hell, i just bought my first bag in 9 years this year.

My problem is I am always second guessing myself and trying to tune up my clubs in any way possible. I always look at my bag and think "does this stuff really work for me?" and then I always tell myself it doesn't and start looking at new stuff. For the most part as I am playing I make evaluations on the golf course of what clubs would be more handy to me.

Examples: Hole 4 on my home course is a 216 yard slightly uphill par 3. A 5 wood is too much and a 4 iron is not enough, I rarely used my 5 wood because I hate it off the tee so I went out and got a 3H

I don't have a 125 or so club, I don't feel comfortable hitting a small PW and I don't like to hit hard 52* wedges either, so there is a gap there I want to fill this year with possibly a 50*

Dent said:

My problem is I am always second guessing myself and trying to tune up my clubs in any way possible. I always look at my bag and think "does this stuff really work for me?" and then I always tell myself it doesn't and start looking at new stuff. For the most part as I am playing I make evaluations on the golf course of what clubs would be more handy to me.

Examples: Hole 4 on my home course is a 216 yard slightly uphill par 3. A 5 wood is too much and a 4 iron is not enough, I rarely used my 5 wood because I hate it off the tee so I went out and got a 3H

I don't have a 125 or so club, I don't feel comfortable hitting a small PW and I don't like to hit hard 52* wedges either, so there is a gap there I want to fill this year with possibly a 50*

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I had a 52 wedge too but i find its easier to choke down and swing easier with a 50 than hit a string 52. Same up top. Stronger lofts and swing easier.

I think it all depends on how much you play and how much $$$ you have. If you have lots of bank and you like to buy new stuff why not get a set every year or two and pass down the old ones. If you don't have the bank and your playing fine with what you have why change. I was watching a playing lesson from the pros and Craig Stadler said he had only three sets of clubs since he turned pro or something like that. That's crazy to me but if you hit the ball like him new technology is probably not that big a deal. For me I need the biggest advantage I can get.

Wedges are a different story. you can wear them down. I play 3-4 times per week and hit balls more than that. I wonder how long a wedge is suppose to last at that rate of play?

Not sure there is a right time unless you don't feel right eith the current set. I like my mach speeds but feel i would be better fit in the mizzies or tm burners. Waiting till demo day to decide.

I used to shop for clubs only when the stores were open. Now I can point and click 24/7.

This was the question I had to face. I have irons that are 10 years old, Taylormade 300 forged irons. They are fantastic irons, even Golf Digest's 'cold list' of outdated clubs said I could hold onto them a little longer. However, as many others have mentioned, my grooves were certainly wore out. So, I had to put a price on fixing up my old clubs compared to the price of a new set of clubs.

I'll do my best to give my thought-process, however, because my priorities may be different than yours, this thought process may not work for you.

I know my irons are still good quality irons, and sales people at golf galaxy told me to just fix up my current irons, despite my open and complete willingness to drop $900 on a new set of irons. I mean, why would a salesmen not want to sell me new irons? Seemed like credible advice. So, after getting the same opinion twice, I decided to look into fixing up my clubs.

Well, my clubs need a lot of work. The grips need replaced, the grooves re-cut, and the lofts bent back to original position. Add on to that getting them fit to me (which I haven't done with them yet). So, at this point, depending on what all needed done with fitting my clubs and rebending the lofts, golf galaxy estimated $200-250. This doesn't include regrooving the irons. To regroove irons, Golf Galaxy just ships clubs out to Golf Works to do that work. Golf Works charges $13.00 per club to regroove them. However, if the clubs are chrome plated, it is an additional $30.00 per club to strip the chrome off and then rechrome after the grooves are re-cut.

Well, I was fine with everything and the prices, but only if my clubs were not chrome plated. Regrooving without the chrome plate issue would cost $104 for 8 irons. However, with the chrome plating, it was going to cost $344. The total costs I was looking at to fix my clubs up to 'new' was $300-350 without any chrome plating, and $540-$590 with chrome plating.

Turns out, my clubs were chrome plated. It made me sad. So, I had to look at these numbers and decide whether it was time to get a new set up clubs. I can certainly get any used set of clubs for less than $600. I can even get some new clubs for about $600. The question was whether it was still worth dropping $900 on a new set of irons.

This is where it gets pretty subjective. Even though I would save $300+ by fixing up my current irons, my irons are already 10 years old. I know they're good irons, but golf clubs, in my opinion, do have limited life span. I believe 1) that new irons will add a little extra forgiveness (i'm likely going from a muscle-cavity to a full cavity back with the TM TP CB irons), and 2) that my new irons can last 10 years or more. Essentially, I had to go with my gut feeling that I don't really want to spend $550 fixing up 10 year old clubs.

Or as my wife tells me, I just want something new and shiny.

before THP I would buy a set and keep them, now I see all ofthe new stuff, hear people rave about it, and it leaves me wanting new

Same here buddy. I want new irons because I feel I've outgrown my GI set because I hit the sweetspot 2x. HAHAHA.

Really though, I'm not sure there is a set right time. I bet if I took all the time I used on hitting new irons at Van's/PGA SS and put them to practice time with the irons I have.. I'd probably be a much better player. I want to try that one day. Get a full official fitting again and see if I can last a year or so with the irons. I have one set I'm looking at the try and then I think I'll do that. Make sure I get the exact specs the fitting recommends. I wonder what it would lead to score wise.

One-T said:

before THP I would buy a set and keep them, now I see all ofthe new stuff, hear people rave about it, and it leaves me wanting new

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Yoccos1981 said:

Same here buddy. I want new irons because I feel I've outgrown my GI set because I hit the sweetspot 2x. HAHAHA.

Really though, I'm not sure there is a set right time. I bet if I took all the time I used on hitting new irons at Van's/PGA SS and put them to practice time with the irons I have.. I'd probably be a much better player. I want to try that one day. Get a full official fitting again and see if I can last a year or so with the irons. I have one set I'm looking at the try and then I think I'll do that. Make sure I get the exact specs the fitting recommends. I wonder what it would lead to score wise.

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I hear ya buddy, I hit the sweet spot once....she married me after that

One-T said:

I hear ya buddy, I hit the sweet spot once....she married me after that

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LMAO! Its always time to ponder new irons.

In my honest opinion -- if I found a set of irons that worked for me ... I would keep them until they were worn out or until something came out that was a major upgrade accross the board. Personally I've been thru 5 sets of irons within the last 3 years. Partially because I was trying to find the right head and shaft combo. Really loved the old AP2's I had but hated the PX shafts. Lets see how long I can keep these Mizzies in the bag!

rrpruett said:

Wedges are a different story. you can wear them down. I play 3-4 times per week and hit balls more than that. I wonder how long a wedge is suppose to last at that rate of play?

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I think you would be able to feel when your wedge grooves are going (rougher shots, less spin, ect,ect.). At the rate you play, I'd say not very long before you'd have to get new wedges.

I personally have had the same set for quite sometime and before this set of irons I had a set for almost 6-7 years (they were easily worn-out 3 years prior) but when you don't have the $$$ for a new set, you stick with what you have. My past two sets have been slightly used hand-me-downs and that has worked for me for now, but the more I get into the game the more I have been piece-mealing my full set together. I think within the year I will "bite the bullet" and get fitted and buy a new set.

The first set I bought was just after I started playing. Had them fit and played them for a few years. Nothing was wrong with them but then I saw a set of used DCIs at a good price so I bought them. That was over 10 years ago, so I figured for my 50th birthday I would get a new set and recently bougth the Burner 2.0s. I'll probably keep these until they wear out and then go back to the first set I bought (they will be good "senior clubs").