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What to upgrade first?

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dway

Pro golfer extraordinaire
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I just got back into golf a couple months ago after several years and want to upgrade to some new technology. I am currently hitting 3-SW Ping ISI irons and a TiSi driver and 3 wood. I don't hit them too bad, but they are 12 years old and I would like to try some new technology. My question is, what do I upgrade first. I have the money to either get new irons and wedges or a new driver, 3 wood and wedges. I just don't know which to do first. I have been to Golf Galaxy a few times and have hit several different irons and drivers. I LOVE the look and feel of the Nike Pro Combo's and will probably end up getting them when I get new irons, but I am going to hit some others again just to make sure. As far as the driver goes, I hit the R11 and the 910 D3 a lot the other day. The stock shaft on the R11 felt terrible, but the Diamana Kaili shaft felt great. The D3 with the Diamana shaft felt really good too.

I just don't know where to go from here. If I was really stuggling with one part of my game I would start upgrading there, but I hit my current clubs pretty good. What to do, what to do?
 
With what you have stated above, I would recommend going the new irons/wedge route as you will simply be taking more shots with them over the course of a round. 100 yards and in are your scoring clubs.
 
dway said:
I just got back into golf a couple months ago after several years and want to upgrade to some new technology. I am currently hitting 3-SW Ping ISI irons and a TiSi driver and 3 wood. I don't hit them too bad, but they are 12 years old and I would like to try some new technology. My question is, what do I upgrade first. I have the money to either get new irons and wedges or a new driver, 3 wood and wedges. I just don't know which to do first. I have been to Golf Galaxy a few times and have hit several different irons and drivers. I LOVE the look and feel of the Nike Pro Combo's and will probably end up getting them when I get new irons, but I am going to hit some others again just to make sure. As far as the driver goes, I hit the R11 and the 910 D3 a lot the other day. The stock shaft on the R11 felt terrible, but the Diamana Kaili shaft felt great. The D3 with the Diamana shaft felt really good too.

I just don't know where to go from here. If I was really stuggling with one part of my game I would start upgrading there, but I hit my current clubs pretty good. What to do, what to do?
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I would say irons but it really depends on your game and what is more important.
 
I would say driver/woods/wedges.

Those irons arent as bad as you think, and people still play them. Or you can go the all-ebay route and pick it all up for probably the same price budget your working with.
 
Thainer said:
I would say driver/woods/wedges.

Those irons arent as bad as you think, and people still play them. Or you can go the all-ebay route and pick it all up for probably the same price budget your working with.
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I thought about that, but I am 6'6" and my irons are +1-1/2" and 4deg upright, so not much chance on finding them on eBay.
 
dway said:
I thought about that, but I am 6'6" and my irons are +1-1/2" and 4deg upright, so not much chance on finding them on eBay.
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The length is findable, the lie is adjustable.

Find a set of cheap pings and sendem to AZ. Theyll do it all there for you. When was the last time you were fitted? Chances are your swing, and fitting knowledge, has changed dramatically.
 
mcook77 said:
With what you have stated above, I would recommend going the new irons/wedge route as you will simply be taking more shots with them over the course of a round. 100 yards and in are your scoring clubs.
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+1 I agree, Driver only gets hit probably 14 times AT most a round
 
I agree with the fact that the driver is hit far less but id also say that driver technology has probably progressed much more from what you have now to todays drivers compared to the technology jump on irons and wedges
 
I would do the woods and wedges frist. As long as the shafts in the irons still work for you, they should play fine. My guess would be that you will see a greater increase of good shots with a new driver and 3-wood, then you would see with new irons.
 
I forgot to mention that I am hitting a 8.5 deg driver with x-stiff shaft and after hitting the other drivers they said I should be using a 10.5 to get the proper launch angle. They also recommended a stiff shaft instead of x-stiff even though my SS was 115mph.
 
I would go down the wedges and putter route first. As has been stated they are the scoring clubs in the bag
 
Putters and wedges make the scores go down....

MikeF said:
I would go down the wedges and putter route first. As has been stated they are the scoring clubs in the bag
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dway said:
I forgot to mention that I am hitting a 8.5 deg driver with x-stiff shaft and after hitting the other drivers they said I should be using a 10.5 to get the proper launch angle. They also recommended a stiff shaft instead of x-stiff even though my SS was 115mph.
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Chances are a driver will show the most improvement, clearly your set up know is not ideal for your swing speed and swing.
 
I am going to go ahead and get the wedges and I am still debating the irons or the driver/3W combo. They told me when I was ready to order the irons that they would use the Mizuno shaft analyzer to figure out what shafts I need, but do they need to do that for the wedge shafts too?
 
dway said:
I thought about that, but I am 6'6" and my irons are +1-1/2" and 4deg upright, so not much chance on finding them on eBay.
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If you know your specs check with Patty of BlindNineGolf, She will work you a great price if you let her know you are a THP member. You will know your clubs are the real thing and be helping out a fellow THPer. I adhere to the thought that the driver, wood technology has advanced the most in the last 12 years and you would probably benefit most by spend your money on driver, wood(s) & wedges.
 
I would get woods and wedges. I had to google images of the clubs you are playing and that TiSi driver looks pretty sweeeeet! :) A few years ago I started taking the game and equipment seriously. I had an old Dunlop set from Sam's club that was at least 10 years old that I replaced with a used set of irons (2-3 years old), a driver and woods from a previous model year, a mix of used wedges, and a new putter. All this cost me under $500 and over the past several years I have been slowly "upgrading" various pieces each year. I find that buying last year's clubs at 50-70% off "new" prices is the only way I can keep up.
 
Thainer said:
I would say driver/woods/wedges.

Those irons arent as bad as you think, and people still play them. Or you can go the all-ebay route and pick it all up for probably the same price budget your working with.
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I agree with thainer here. While the technology in irons has greatly improved, the technology improvements in drivers from 12 years ago is night and day.
 
It depends on how the different clubs perform on course, if the irons works good I would go for the new driver and wood.
 
Ok, the wedges are a given. They will get purchased first. They are going to use the Mizuno shaft analyzer when I get ready to order the irons, do they need to do it for the wedges? Also, since I am going to order the VR Combo irons eventually, would I be crazy to go ahead and order the VR Pro wedges in 48,52 and 58 and when I order the irons just skip the PW?
 
The VR Combo wedge is 47*, I would go 52, 56, 60 myself and utilize the wedge from the set

This way if you ever came to sell you would have 4-PW which is better than 4-9 imho
 
MikeF said:
The VR Combo wedge is 47*, I would go 52, 56, 60 myself and utilize the wedge from the set

This way if you ever came to sell you would have 4-PW which is better than 4-9 imho
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+1 here. Good choice here in wedges to fill the gaps and you should still go with the PW from the set for potential resale value when you ready for even newer irons later on down the road...
 
Shaft and head technology have advanced much more for drivers than any other club. While it is true that the other clubs are more important for scoring, if the shafts and grooves are still OK on the irons and wedges they should still play OK. I would start with the driver (especially given what you learned in the fitting) and then test new clubs against what you have now. Save some dough so you can play more golf.

Watch out for ebay. Too many fakes, even the ones being sold as used. You can get a knock off driver from China for $30-$40, sell it as "like new" used for $150 and still make a mint.
 
bumpnrun said:
Shaft and head technology have advanced much more for drivers than any other club. While it is true that the other clubs are more important for scoring, if the shafts and grooves are still OK on the irons and wedges they should still play OK. I would start with the driver (especially given what you learned in the fitting) and then test new clubs against what you have now. Save some dough so you can play more golf.

Watch out for ebay. Too many fakes, even the ones being sold as used. You can get a knock off driver from China for $30-$40, sell it as "like new" used for $150 and still make a mint.
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Could not agree more
 
bumpnrun said:
Shaft and head technology have advanced much more for drivers than any other club. While it is true that the other clubs are more important for scoring, if the shafts and grooves are still OK on the irons and wedges they should still play OK. I would start with the driver (especially given what you learned in the fitting) and then test new clubs against what you have now. Save some dough so you can play more golf.

Watch out for ebay. Too many fakes, even the ones being sold as used. You can get a knock off driver from China for $30-$40, sell it as "like new" used for $150 and still make a mint.
Click to expand...

This is kind of the way I am leaning - wedges, new driver & 3W.

I noticed some of the clubs on eBay almost seem too good to be true. I priced a R11TP with a Diamana shaft at Golf Galaxy for a little over $600 and the same thing on ebay is $460. Sounds a little fishy to me.
 
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