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Getting use to new clubs - what does it mean?

wubears71

wubears71

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Albatross 2024 Club
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I see this a lot where someone gets a new set of clubs and they go out and do not hit them well. Then, the next thing I hear is “I need to get use to them.”

What exactly does getting use to a club entail? Are you changing your swing to fit the club?

I’m not talking about figuring out new distances but when you get a new club and you are hitting it fat, hitting it thin, shanking it, missing the middle, etc,

I only ask because in the past when I’ve made non-fitted purchases and the club doesn’t work for me, I don’t use it. The Callaway DBD driver comes to mind. I bought it off CPO and after a half dozen swings, I just knew it wasn’t the driver for me. I was not going to change my swing or my setup to make it work.

Thanks.
 
I can see getting used to a different sized head on an iron. I went from Altitudes to Z565s and there was a couple rounds of getting used to them.
 
I haven't ever had an issue getting used to new irons, a driver I will tinker with a bit until I find the settings I want that work. Only driver that didn't work and I sent back right away was the Srixon Z785, that things was just bad for me no matter what I tried.
 
I had to get the "feel" of my news clubs when I got them. Went to a heavier shaft, 1 deg up, different style of grips, etc. Although it didn't take long but took them out to play without range time and struggled the first 6 holes. Then spent an hour at the range and "got used to them". I didn't change anything with my swing but the feel aspect is where I needed to get used to them.
 
I just changed over to graphite in my irons and the swing weights are different than they were. The overall weight is really close but I’m struggling to get used to the balance point change. It’s not been pretty
 
Considering I switched from Srixon Z545 irons with regular flex Nippon Modus 3 Tour130 shafts to the Z-Forged blades with the Tour105 shafts in extra stiff shafts meant a short period of adjustment as the feel was quite different and my tempo/timing didn't feel 100% natural

Once I got used to the new feel, my tempo and timing settled back down and it seems to be showing in my game having dropped to my lowest ever handicap after this last weekend
 
If the new club, or set of clubs, has different shafts than what I was previously playing, it takes me a few rounds to get my timing down with the change is shafts to get consistent with them.
 
TheDoctor said:
Considering I switched from Srixon Z545 irons with regular flex Nippon Modus 3 Tour130 shafts to the Z-Forged blades with the Tour105 shafts in extra stiff shafts meant a short period of adjustment as the feel was quite different and my tempo/timing didn't feel 100% natural

Once I got used to the new feel, my tempo and timing settled back down and it seems to be showing in my game having dropped to my lowest ever handicap after this last weekend
Click to expand...

How in the world do you go from Regular shafts to Extra Stiff?? :unsure:
 
The only thing I have ever had to get used to was distance or less or more likely to draw a club. Kind of have to start picking new lines if a club doesn't curve as much as the last club you used in that slot.
 
golfinnut said:
How in the world do you go from Regular shafts to Extra Stiff?? :unsure:
Click to expand...

A lot of work on my swing over the course of about 3 years - it has changed a LOT since I was originally fitted for the Z545 and it was becoming obvious that they were no longer ideal for how much my swing had improved (launching too high and spinning way too much with every club)
 
The biggest thing for me when switching is weight. Whether that is the head being heavier or the shaft being different, it takes a few rounds to adjust if it's noticeably different. I don't know if I change my swing per say, but usually after a few rounds, I start to see more consistency versus hitting them right out of the box.
 
I switched to a more compact head and heavier shaft irons this summer and had to get comfortable with the look and feel which only took a few rounds.
 
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If I'm suddenly chunking or shanking there'd be more going on, but the things I take a beat to get used to are

Irons - the look at address, the shaft, and the sole.

Driver - look and sound, shaft. I know a lot better exactly what WON'T work for me here, so there's plenty I'd never even try much less buy.

If the look (size, shape, color, whatever) of them is drastically different it definitely takes me some time to get that out of my head, and I have strong preferences in that regard. I'll blow a couple shots with new clubs just because I'm not yet comfortable with what I see when I look down at them before I swing. And the sound of certain clubs can bug the heck out of me. Takes a bit to get used to it or block it out.

Only time I really alter my swing to fit the clubs is if they're someone else's. If I'm playing an unexpected round with borrowed or rented clubs somewhere I need a few minutes on the range to figure out how to make them work for me.
 
I think you generally know right away if a club is going to work for you or not. The only thing I could see as "getting used to" would be any changes in how far you hit a certain club. Based on my past clubs I can say that any club that didnt' feel right out of the gate, wasn't in my bag for long.
 
Sometimes I think its getting to use to the looks of a new club. It appears different at address and maybe feels different too so my swing might change because of that. Getting used to it just means I need to get accustomed to the club to know its going to do what I want it to.
 
For myself, it usually means trying to tinker with it enough that I can justify keeping it in the bag.

Usually it means it will get knocked off as soon as something else just fits.

Driver, Heavenwood, Irons, wedges, and putter in the current bag were just clubs with little to no breaking in period. Hybrid is still one that I can't get a handle on, and thus a 3 Utility is here to take it's place!
 
It's largely between your ears. That being said it can play Hell with your game. I usually start well with new clubs, then fold like a cheap lawnchair a week later. I can't explain if it's a true swing change, or only mental, but there's definitely an adjustment for me.
 
For me it’s getting use to the profile, shape or lofting of the clubs. Which also could include new distances and gapping. After 5 rounds or less I’m comfortable with the new sticks
 
My last two sets of irons were just buy and play.
 
I'm dealing with this right now. I just picked up the Srixon irons in my signature and I'm about 99% certain that the AMT White X100 shafts in them are a bit much for me. When I hit it good, it feels great, but it takes too much of a swing to get it to work for me. Combine that with the high probability that they're too flat for me and I've been hitting them awfully bad. I'll likely put either my PX LZ 6.0 or my Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 stiffs in them and get them bent up a few degrees soon. If that doesn't work, they'll end up here in the market.
 
To me, "getting used to a club" means taking the time to mentally accept the change of clubs and the results that come with it. It has nothing to do with the physical aspect of it but rather the mental challenge of letting go of the previous club and the hope that it would someone perform exactly how you wanted it to.
 
I went to fitted irons with graphite shafts, 2* upright this spring. Other than dialing in distances, anything else is operator error...
 
it’s a good question and different people experience this in different ways. for me, there is no replacement for on-course experience. i have to get some positive vibes under my belt from hitting quality shots as intended. also from shaping and flighting. for whatever reason, success on the range doesn’t always translate into confidence on the course.
 
I just realized that with both sets I hit a bucket then played the Glen Lake executive 9, so that probably helped a lot.

The HL4 I also think felt so good on my shoulder with the graphite shafts that it had a positive mental effect.

:)
 
How about going from steel to graphite? Doesn't that take a bit of getting used to?
I will be going thru this very soon. So I'll let you know either way

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
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