How do you pick your clubs?

[GoldenBuff]

With categories of clubs, how to do you select your clubs? Do you pick a category that fits your game? Do you choose clubs that you have to learn how to play (e.g., blades), hopefully improving your ball striking? Do you go for GI/SGI forgiveness regardless of your ball striking level? Do you pick on appearance? Maybe you don’t care, any clubs will do. There are likely as many answers as golfers. Heck, perhaps you keep multiple setups that span the spectrum.

I am curious how this shakes out among the THP universe. I’ve seen near scratch players with SGI irons and most forgiving drivers/fairways and mid to higher handicaps with blades and small head low spin drivers etc. In my short golf tenure, I have only played two irons sets (i25 and mp-18 mmc) and a couple of different drivers and 3 woods. It is time to update, and I’m not sure which way I want to go. I’m a 50% GIR player and fairly good ball striker who can hit most anything well enough, but lowering my scores is the goal. What do you do when it is time to get new clubs?

 

[Scott F]

I got my first set of blades back when I was in high school. Those were the only options back then. I got a used set of cavity back irons recently when I took up the game again. I’m a senior with a moderate to slow swing speed. Seeing I could use a better set, I got fitted and ordered a set of Titleist T400 irons. I chose those because I hit them better and farther than anything else I tested during my fitting. I didn’t go looking for any particular style. I don’t even know or care exactly what category they fit into. What the clubs looked like was not important to me. My opinion is don’t pick your clubs by the labels GI or SGI. As I’m sure many others will tell you, go get a professional fitting and choose clubs that fit your game and feel good to you.

 

[OldandStiff]

Looks play a definite role for me. I'm going to be staring at them over the ball and in my bag quite a bit. After that initial feeling I look for compact blade length. I don't like a long blade. Then I'd prefer something that'll help me out on distance a little in the long irons. I have enough to play well without it, but I'll take the help. I tend to look at the sole before I do the top line, but I get over the look of the sole easier as long as it plays well. I'm picky about how mid and short irons go through the turf though.

With driver, the visual again. Size and shape play a huge role for me. Max drivers tend to look insanely large to me, and anything that looks really upright kind of messes with my head. Prefer a deeper face. Must not favor left. Screw that.

Fairways are tough. Off the tee I like them like I like my driver. Off the deck I prefer a shallower face.

I want to have control with them. I don't want them to do too much. I don't want them to be big, or bias. I want to like the way they look, then perform, then feel is right behind. Irons need to be pretty spot on for launch, spin, gapping in the scoring clubs, and control at this point or I will not be happy and they're out. I'm willing to work to set them up well if they look good. I can play blades to hollow bodies well if those things line up.

 

[Tenputt]

I pick what I believe will help me score the best right from the outset, not from what I may adapt to over time, which seems simple, but may require some below the surface analysis.

As you know, @GoldenBuff, I recently switched to the more recent version of the irons you are playing. I had been playing a game improvement iron or a player distance profile, with the idea that at my age, more distance would be helpful and more GIR would lowers my score. As I continued to think about it, though, I was hitting a lot of greens, but my proximity to the hole was not what I hoped to see. Also, I struggled with gapping in my scoring irons and wedges, particularly. I decided to redo my set going back from my wedges.

This led me to reconsider a player cavity profile. The MMCs were fairly magical for me in terms of consistency. I was shocked, actually. Now, my gapping is much improved in my wedges through 8 iron and I am definitely seeing better proximity to the pin and more birdie opportunities. The downside is that I am sacrificing in the 180 to 210 yard range. I have some gapping issues at that end of the bag, but that was not going to be where I would really see an improvement in my scores. If I played most of my golf at sea level, a player distance iron may have remained a better choice, because I would need the distance more than here, where most of my golf is at 4000 feet. I also am not quite as good out of the rough now.

My bad scores are a little worse, but my good scores are stronger. I am really used to the bag now and my last two scores were near breakthrough on a difficult course, so I am thrilled with the move.

Those were my considerations. My explanation is probably too long, but the short answer is that I would advise you to analyze the weak areas of your game and try to figure out how to address them, because, as we all know, scoring is not about how good are our great shots, but how good are our bad shots/tendencies.

 

[Junkyard]

My last set of irons was chosen on performance first, feel second. It was actually a brand that I never would have considered. They served me very well for many years. While cavity back, they weren't what would likely fall into the "SGI" category; they'd be more of a "player's iron". But hey, categories are just names.

My new set was chosen based on what I liked visually, but still gave me good performance numbers. While I may have given up a bit of distance, I will take control over distance any day.

For the record, both sets were determined during a proper fitting. Irons are so much of an investment I wouldn't recommend doing it any other way.

 

[GoldenBuff]

As you know, @GoldenBuff, I recently switched to the more recent version of the irons you are playing...

... My explanation is probably too long, but the short answer is that I would advise you to analyze your weak areas of your game and try to figure out how to address them, because, as we all know, scoring is not about how good are are great shots, but how good are our bad shots/tendencies.

I thought about you as I wrote my question. I have enjoyed learning about your experience. I also like the idea of focusing on my bad shots, weak areas more than strengths. I'll have to process that.

 

[DataDude]

I play whatever I want to play. I know the shaft profile I need so any clubhead with that shaft profile is open for me to try. If it looks good and the story catches my eye I will go for it. Irons seem to be where this decision for forgiveness vs looks has to be made. Honestly IMO in a 8 iron through a PW most every mid handicap golfer or better could play blades or players irons. Nearly 100% of us play a blade GW or SW so saying we don't have to jump right to a giant shovel in our PW spot IMO. Now getting into the modern day 6 iron and up lofts forgiveness should play a bigger role in club selection. These days I think golfers are doing themselves a disservice if they buy irons as a set. In 2020 it is possible to play a different club at every slot in your bag. Most of us have to few variety.

 

[OldandStiff]

I can't remember exactly what I said to @Tenputt about his irons a while back. It was actually something someone else said to me. It was about deciding what iron profile to play. Something along the lines of 'if you feel like you have more control, you're good enough/fit those irons. If you feel like you have less control, play something else.' I basically try to combine that with the idea of 'play the most forgiving iron you can stand to look at' as best as humanly possible. That's my nutshell.

 

[wubears71]

It has to look sexy - if I don’t like the way it looks at address then I won’t play it. From there I’m pretty open. As much as I love my MP20s my next set will probably be a players cavity back.

 

[Daluteh]

I feel in the same boat. I have never been to a fitting before and bought a stock starter set that is absolutely lacking, as I find out more about my game it becomes more and more true.

I think when I go in for a new set in a year or two I'll be looking at helping me be a consistent ball striker with the irons. Good direction control with the driver and woods and hopefully some good aim with wedges.

Right now my typical hole goes something like this. Driver goes a bit or more off to the right, then an iron hit or two to get close to the green, then my only wedge to get it on the green from there it's a 1-4 put to finish the hole.

 

[Tenputt]

I can't remember exactly what I said to @Tenputt about his irons a while back. It was actually something someone else said to me. It was about deciding what iron profile to play. Something along the lines of 'if you feel like you have more control, you're good enough/fit those irons. If you feel like you have less control, play something else.' I basically try to combine that with the idea of 'play the most forgiving iron you can stand to look at' as best as humanly possible. That's my nutshell.

I agree with your hybrid concept. I used to completely subscribe to the “play the most forgiving iron you can stand to look at” concept, but I am not sure that I do anymore. I am not that picky in how the irons look. the only thing that bothers me is seeing huge offset. Thus, the theory would have me play an SGI set, as long as it doesn’t have loads of offset.

I played Cobra F9s for most of last year as part of my set for the Morgan Cup. Those were great irons, very forgiving, long, strong/high launch and not a ton of offset. I played some great golf for me with them. However, I can honestly say that I can score better with what I currently am playing (I also can score worse when my swing is off, LOL). I simply feel like I have more precision. I shot my best score ever on one of my two home courses this past week. It is a tough course. You miss the green in the wrong place and you will three putt.

One of my buddies commented on my iron play. We had not played a round together since May. He noted that my ball flight was different with these irons. He’s right. Even though they theoretically are less forgiving, I can reproduce the same draw over and over and when the ball hits the green, boom, it just stops. Also, when I am in between clubs, I seem to be able to do more with the shotmaking. During Saturday’s round, I had an uphill approach of about 130 yards to a pin on the left side of the green. With the elevation, it probably played about 135, which is smack dab in the middle of my pw and 9 iron. I put the pw back in my stance, hit a hard, low flying draw and I was right where I needed to be. I never had that kind of comfort with the pw in my other set. That set has its own strengths, but I could never manufacture a shot like that with the pw.

Based upon this experience, I think that at a certain level of play, the sole, launch, ability to flight the ball override the general notion of play the most forgiving iron you can stand to look at.

 

[Tenputt]

I feel in the same boat. I have never been to a fitting before and bought a stock starter set that is absolutely lacking, as I find out more about my game it becomes more and more true.

I think when I go in for a new set in a year or two I'll be looking at helping me be a consistent ball striker with the irons. Good direction control with the driver and woods and hopefully some good aim with wedges.

Right now my typical hole goes something like this. Driver goes a bit or more off to the right, then an iron hit or two to get close to the green, then my only wedge to get it on the green from there it's a 1-4 put to finish the hole.

Welcome to the forum, by the way.

 

[Smiter]

I went with the “buy stuff on the internet until I get something that works”.

Woulda been cheaper to get fitted but I had a lot of fun with it when I still had disposable income.

 

[Daluteh]

Thank you!

Welcome to the forum, by the way.

I appreciate the welcome.

 

[fairwaynut]

Since I've joined THP, this forum has had a huge influence on what kinda clubs I buy, not to mention the shafts that go with them. The fitting at Club Champions (also influenced by THP) has been the guide I've been working off this whole summer. My Cobra Forged Tec irons now have Recoil SW 780 SW shafts on them. I have Bettinardi wedges in the bag (50*, 56*, and 60*) . The Aidhm putter in the bag right now is working so well. I'm playing with the best set of clubs I've ever owned in the some 55 years I've played golf. So I can truthfully say THP has worked for me. The other thing for right now, is that I'm playing some of the best golf of my life right now.

BTW, @Daluteh. I echo Tenputt's sentiments.

 

[blueonblack]

I really started played golf with true regularity when I was 21 and had i3 O-size Pings to start. I've never veered too far from that head size. That was just about the size I grew up with, save for my early clubs as a kid. To this day, that's my comfort level. My Ap2's have less offset and tungsten for MOI, but are about that size. I've tried larger, more offset clubs, and have owned MP-33's etc. Blades are pure feel and pure hell when the game goes south. Too much for me. If GI/SGI head size is too big and I feel shots from the rough can suffer. AP1's were a set I played for a while that were my "large" size limit. So after some back and forth over the years, I went no where.

I like things to look a little more classic. Not this sad sack grey thing they have going on too often, but that it just exudes quality.
Do you remember that indestructable paint Titleist used to paint their metalwood clubs with? THAT.
Or the old school TM TP badges and lineup. It can't all be tech story as we have to look at them too.
I could never afford them, but some of that high end Japanese gear is the nuts!

 

[3_putt]

It has to look sexy - if I don’t like the way it looks at address then I won’t play it. From there I’m pretty open. As much as I love my MP20s my next set will probably be a players cavity back.

I second the 'sexy' part. I am likewise a visual person, confidence starts at the looks of the club. I once borrowed a friends set of irons, a SGI set of club (can't remember the brand). But my golly the from address I can see lots of the back of the club. Looked like I will be like a gardener digging up worms with that shovel....and sadly I did dig up holes all over the course.

Furthermore...the club has to feel good. I want to be able to feel & hear where I am making contact with the ball. I also need to be able to feel the clubhead during the swing.

 

[OldeDude]

For irons, my last couple of sets I went right to GI types, never even looked at anything else, figuring that was what I needed for the way I played. I tried all I could, and selected the set that was a combination of what I hit best, and looked good to me. This time I had a real fitting, hit both GI and Players Distance models, passed on the number one recommendation because of price, poured over the data and determined that there were a few models I hit nearly as well as the ones recommended. I found a place where I could hit everything I had narrowed it down to, and ended up ordering my JPX 919 Forged set with the shafts that I was fit into.

For me, I saw little if any difference between the GI and Players Distance models, probably because most of my misses are so bad that it really doesn't matter. I either hit near the middle of the face, or I mishit it by a mile. :confused2:

 

[thewilderside]

I've chosen most of my recent purchases via internet research. Since I'm usually buying used and older equipment due to budgetary constraints I read through the reviews on here primarily to see if I think it'll be a good fit for me.