used clubs

[Hoss]

so what's a good set of golf clubs go for in the used market and what kind?

[PUCKBOY99]

.............I take it you enjoyed yourself?

[Hoss]

i'm afraid so!

i sooooooooo knew it would happen too...that's why i've put off playing it for this long...i knew i was gonna love it and then start buying golf crap! lol!

[Hoss]

on size/length of clubs...the standard was ok on the driver but the irons and the putter could have stood to be a bit longer...i mean i am 6'4...so how do i tell what the lenght is...is it + or -...i assume it's +...like when they say + or - 1 or 1/2, does that mean and extra inch or half inch?

[Guitar Toad]

Ping irons are good. Callaway woods and drivers are good. Those Tight Lies are pretty good also. That's as much as I know. Do you have a "Play It Again Sports" shop nearby where you can buy used golf gear? This may be a great time of year for some good buys. Watch the local paper and garage sales, too. But, you already know that. There's that one guy on the PGA that does fairly well with Nike clubs.

[PUCKBOY99]

Do you have a "Play It Again Sports" shop nearby where you can buy used golf gear? This may be a great time of year for some good buys. Watch the local paper and garage sales, too.

+1....although sizing might be an issue


Check out this site:

http://www.golfsmith.com/ps/?tcode=M..._-Sponsor-_-TM

I wanted some new clubs at one time but didn't want to pay the big money....so I bought the parts & assembled them myself.

It's not very hard & might be a little more cost effective for a guy your size.

[innerdreamrecords.co]

You're tall you should get fitted for a set of clubs and take it from a one time golfaholic get lessons from a good pro in the beginning - it'll save you years of frustration.

[Hoss]

i definitely won't be able to afford a new fitted set...i gotta go used!

[innerdreamrecords.co]

You should find out in the fitting what loft, lie, and length then find used that is close or matches.

Another suggestion is to get a few lessons before you get fitted because your swing and stance will change.

[Stringer]

"+" and "-" with golf clubs refers to the "lie angle." A club marked "+" is "upright" and a club marked "-" is "flat." Generally, shorter people require flatter clubs and taller people require upright clubs. A little bit goes a long way, however, and very few people have a consistent enough swing to be able to judge what they need on their own.

Even though you are 6'4", you probably require, at absolute maximum, 1" in additional length, combined with, say, two degrees of an upright bend.

Honestly, though, I think you should wait. Golf clubs are a hefty investment, and, at this point, too much will change in your game for you to plunk down the money. Any set will do for now. Work with them, and, end of next summer, treat yourself to a nice set.

FYI, most people end up getting clubs that are designed for much better players than the people who buy them. People want to play the same stuff as a pro, but they have no business doing so. They buy shafts too stiff for their swing speed, drivers with less loft than they need, irons with too small a sweet spot, and a combination of clubs that does not suit their game.

Here's a quick primer:

You should be looking at "game improvement" irons. These focus on helping you hit the ball as straight as possible. They have perimeter weighting, which enlarges the sweet spot. Usually, they have "offset," which means that the club-face is positioned to minimize a slice. Your off-center hits will travel much farther than with advanced clubs. The drawback is that they are not as workable; low-handicappers who can control their ball flight will want more maneuverability.

Drivers: low loft (9.5 degrees and below) requires a high swing speed to achieve the optimal trajectory. Most people use way less loft than they need... somehow, the fact that some guys have small *****es makes its way into every hobby.

Club selection: "long irons" (nos. 2-4) are VERY difficult to hit purely. They require a true swing and lots of clubhead speed. Most every touring pro stopped carrying a one iron long ago, and now many of them aren't carrying a two. It is generally recommended that beginnners forego at least the three iron and probably the four iron and carry more fairway woods.

Hope that helps -- happy swinging.

[innerdreamrecords.co]

What was that Lee Travino quote about holding up a 1 iron in a lightning storm -"even god can't hit a 1 iron."

[Hoss]

"+" and "-" with golf clubs refers to the "lie angle." A club marked "+" is "upright" and a club marked "-" is "flat." Generally, shorter people require flatter clubs and taller people require upright clubs. A little bit goes a long way, however, and very few people have a consistent enough swing to be able to judge what they need on their own.

Even though you are 6'4", you probably require, at absolute maximum, 1" in additional length, combined with, say, two degrees of an upright bend.

Honestly, though, I think you should wait. Golf clubs are a hefty investment, and, at this point, too much will change in your game for you to plunk down the money. Any set will do for now. Work with them, and, end of next summer, treat yourself to a nice set.

FYI, most people end up getting clubs that are designed for much better players than the people who buy them. People want to play the same stuff as a pro, but they have no business doing so. They buy shafts too stiff for their swing speed, drivers with less loft than they need, irons with too small a sweet spot, and a combination of clubs that does not suit their game.

Here's a quick primer:

You should be looking at "game improvement" irons. These focus on helping you hit the ball as straight as possible. They have perimeter weighting, which enlarges the sweet spot. Usually, they have "offset," which means that the club-face is positioned to minimize a slice. Your off-center hits will travel much farther than with advanced clubs. The drawback is that they are not as workable; low-handicappers who can control their ball flight will want more maneuverability.

Drivers: low loft (9.5 degrees and below) requires a high swing speed to achieve the optimal trajectory. Most people use way less loft than they need... somehow, the fact that some guys have small *****es makes its way into every hobby.

Club selection: "long irons" (nos. 2-4) are VERY difficult to hit purely. They require a true swing and lots of clubhead speed. Most every touring pro stopped carrying a one iron long ago, and now many of them aren't carrying a two. It is generally recommended that beginnners forego at least the three iron and probably the four iron and carry more fairway woods.

Hope that helps -- happy swinging.

thanks...that does help alot...so i should (if i can find them) find a set with maybe and additional inch in length and then just something standard on angle and stuff!?

and nothing more than a 4-SW set with big sweet spots and a driver of 10 or 11?

sound good?

do you have any recommendations for the best "cheapest" set i could find used?

[innerdreamrecords.co]

If you can find a set of Ping Eye 2's those are great even though it's old technology. Callaway, Pings, Taylor are all good standard brands.

3 through SW and a 10 degree driver and a three wood is what I would suggest.

[Stringer]

thanks...that does help alot...so i should (if i can find them) find a set with maybe and additional inch in length and then just something standard on angle and stuff!?

and nothing more than a 4-SW set with big sweet spots and a driver of 10 or 11?

sound good?

do you have any recommendations for the best "cheapest" set i could find used?

You could definitely go with 1 or 2 degrees upright, if you can fiind them, but do not think of it as essential. Certainly do not get anything flat. Also, another thing to remember: club manufacturers are like shoe companies; one company's size 12 is another company's size 14. In general, Mizuno and other Japanese companies tend to have a "standard" lie that is somewhat flatter than their North American counterparts (probably because they are manufactured in a part of the world where the population is, as a whole, shorter than here).

4-SW sounds good. That also is probably good loft for a driver. Normally, I would say that you could even go with a 12 degree, but you are a big guy. If you are somewhat flexible, you will probably be generating real good clubhead speed once you start to groove a swing.

As for brands... jeesh, a lot of them are like guitar companies. They have their high-end lines and their budget lines. Ram and Square 2 both have entry-level sets that are highly regarded. When you want to make the investment, Mizuno, Calloway, and Nike all make VERY good (and expensive) game-improvement clubs. A lot of it comes down to aesthetics, too. I like Mizunos because they are very sleek and clean looking. Calloways are way too chunky for me. But other people like their more modern look. Anyway, there is a big market for used clubs. Places like Second Swing sell them.

I think you can get a whole set (w/ a bag), new, at D!ck's or Sports Authority (or even Target) for around $200 that would suit your needs just fine for right now. Most people buy their irons up through the PW as a set. You buy your woods, putter, and additional wedges separately. The bundled sets come with everything and are just fine for most uses. The graphite shafts they use are shoddy compared to the high-end stuff, but I've seen some of those bundled sets (particularly the ones by Ram) and been genuinely impressed with the quality.

When you have been at it long enough to know what your preferences are, plan on dropping maybe $500 for a good set of used irons plus driver. When you get obsessed, plan on dropping $300 for a driver (and almost that much for a fairway wood), $800-$1,100 for a full set of new irons, $200 each for a sand wedge and lob wedge, $100-300 for a putter, and $50 for high-spin golf balls. Oh, and $150 on a new bag, and $100 for shoes, and $30 for a cabretta leather glove...

[Stringer]

Oh, I have a buyer's guide at home, and they had their optimum sets for each handicap range. I'll post their ideal set. I think they even scrapped the four iron.

Definitely carry at least a 5 wood, in addition to the driver and three. I guarantee you will use it more than a three iron.

[Hoss]

cool...thanks for all your help!

[matt99camero]

I've got a Ram ZX Tour set laying around I don't want anymore. They have probably only been played about 10 rounds. Comes with a driver, 3 wood, 5 wood, 2-pw irons and a putter. I'm about 6' and they fit me fine, if you were interested I might even be able to ship you a couple clubs for you to try out. Yes they are your typical Wal-Mart clubs so if your looking for something a little more high end then forget about it but I don't want them and could sell them pretty cheap.

[xerxes]

i just got my college school golf bag (im on the team)...im sooo pumped!!!

[Hoss]

i might hit you up on that...i'm gonna ask around my church first and see if any of them have any sets they want to get rid of...they're all a bunch of golfers!

[Hoss]

i just got my college school golf bag (im on the team)...im sooo pumped!!!

i wondered when you were gonna chirp in...i remember talking about golf with you a long time ago!