Suggestions on gradually upgrading my old equipment after a 20 year golf hiatus...

[Lu5150]

So the last time I played golf...Bill Clinton was in office 😮 (I kid you not, lol) ....

 

...now that the kid graduated from college, I dusted off the old bag and clubs from the basement, and took an adult golf clinic for the last 4 weeks to get a refresher.....to my surprise, could not believe how much equipment has changed (or grown) over the last 2 decades....

 

...the head of my old driver (Wilson Invex - my first graphite) was smaller than some of the new irons a few of the attendees at the clinic were sporting...lol...and never heard of Hybrids till 3 weeks ago 😱 ...

 

...having said that....I bought a Sim2 Max driver (10.5, reg flex) over the past weekend (on a good deal) and played 9 holes yesterday....it basically cemented the golf bug back into me.......

 

I'm a bogey golfer (and always will be).....I can't afford to buy a new nice set right off the bat.....so I'm looking for suggestions/recommendations on the best way to strategically upgrade my 20 year old equipment by the end of next year......

 

....I got new driver, shoes, and some apparel....I want to get a nice stand bag (a new feature for me too, lol) as the old one will not do (zippers are facing the wrong way on the push cart.....but what do you guys think should be my next club purchase next month....a hybrid, my old fairways did not cut it yesterday, and my 3 iron was 50/50 as always....then what, putter, fairway, etc.......

 

looking forward to your responses....

 

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by Lu5150

[Jeff58]

Acquaint yourself with Callaway Preowned. You can equip yourself for usually around half of retail. Current prices are nothing less than grand customer larceny and there’s no performance reason to buy current models in any case.

[m3fuz]

Look at Craigslist, FB Marketplace and other local sites first, then places like eBay.  May even want to check out the FS section here too.  
 

 

[hartman29]

23 minutes ago, Jeff58 said:

Acquaint yourself with Callaway Preowned. You can equip yourself for usually around half of retail. Current prices are nothing less than grand customer larceny and there’s no performance reason to buy current models in any case.

This…

 

CPO always has good prices, and when they run sales it’s like you’re getting away with grand larceny.
 

I once bought a fairway wood in “like new” condition they had for 50% off what they normally sold it for.  When it arrived the club still had a sticker on the face and plastic around the grip.

[me05501]

Welcome back!!

 

I’m not sure “scratch golfer” means what you think it means. 🙂

[Lu5150]

10 minutes ago, me05501 said:

Welcome back!!

 

I’m not sure “scratch golfer” means what you think it means. 🙂

 

Doh!!!  I meant to say bogey golfer....lol

Edited May 11, 2022 by Lu5150

[jomatty]

Keep an eye on the BST here at WRX.  Lots of people selling gear in very good shape.  I just saw a set of apex pro 19’s for $175…I’d buy them.  You were smart to buy driver first.  That’s where tech will help the most.  I’d consider a 19 or 20 degree hybrid next, and possibly a 4 wood.  Most bogey golfers can do just as well with one 4 wood as a 3 and 5, especially if you need to replace an entire bag and money is tight.  Your putter is probably fine for awhile.

welcome back and have fun!

[Vater]

I did an overhaul, piece by piece, although it wasn’t as big of a hiatus as you’ve been on. 
 

So this isn’t advice as much as an example to try on for size. 
 

Over the course of the past two years, in order:

Used driver 

New previous year model hybrid

New previous year irons

Used wedges

New previous year driver

New previous year fairway wood

New bag
New putter

New wedges

Reshafted OLD 3 wood

New hybrid

 

I could’ve stopped about halfway through the list above, but now I’m in this vortex of never-ending tinkering. 

[drumdude96]

Welcome back!  What irons do you currently have?

[Lu5150]

56 minutes ago, drumdude96 said:

Welcome back!  What irons do you currently have?

 

Don't know how to add a sig line....below is my current set up...

 

Driver: TaylorMade Sim2 Max - 10.5*, Reg Flex

Woods: 3 & 5 Wilson Aggressor 02E - Std Flex

Irons: 3-9, P Wilson Aggressor 02E - Std Flex

Wedges: SW MacGregor - 56*, Multiflex

Putter: Slotline 9801 Classic

Ball: Anything cheap

Bag: Crospete Nova 14-Way Divider

[Lu5150]

2 hours ago, jomatty said:

Keep an eye on the BST here at WRX.  Lots of people selling gear in very good shape.  I just saw a set of apex pro 19’s for $175…I’d buy them.  You were smart to buy driver first.  That’s where tech will help the most.  I’d consider a 19 or 20 degree hybrid next, and possibly a 4 wood.  Most bogey golfers can do just as well with one 4 wood as a 3 and 5, especially if you need to replace an entire bag and money is tight.  Your putter is probably fine for awhile.

welcome back and have fun!

 

Thanks for the info....I leaning towards a hybrid next..... 

 

1 hour ago, Vater said:

I did an overhaul, piece by piece, although it wasn’t as big of a hiatus as you’ve been on. 
 

So this isn’t advice as much as an example to try on for size. 
 

Over the course of the past two years, in order:

Used driver 

New previous year model hybrid

New previous year irons

Used wedges

New previous year driver

New previous year fairway wood

New bag
New putter

New wedges

Reshafted OLD 3 wood

New hybrid

 

I could’ve stopped about halfway through the list above, but now I’m in this vortex of never-ending tinkering. 

 

wow...nice progression...it's good to know I'm not alone.....like you, my next one seems to be a hybrid, 3 or 4...I'll be going personally to the big superstores (Golf Galaxy & PGA Superstore) to see if they have a wide selection of pre-owned pieces...and down the rabbit hole I go as well....lol

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

I was similar. I stopped playing seriously around 1994 or 5, dabbled a little in the late Nineties, then got back into golf around 2010 after a complete hiatus. Hybrids were a new thing to me, and I couldn't believe the size of the driver heads. Other changes were that sets are now sold with 5i to PW, or even 6i to PW, and the PW is an old 9i or more.

 

With that said, put your three and four irons away and replace them with a hybrid or two. Just try lots to find ones you like. Some hybrids have large heads more like a fairway wood, some have smaller heads that are a little more iron-like.

 

Fairways: a 5-wood now may have as little as 17* of loft on it. You may find it easier to go from driver to 5w. 

A 7-wood is likely to be easier to launch than a 19* hybrid.

 

Wedges. Tons to choose from. Lots of different grinds now. If you can, play around with as many as you can find before committing. If your golfing friends let you, borrow their wedges and try hitting them off grass now and again.

 

Finally, for what it's worth, the top of my bag is driver, 4w, 7w, 23* hybrid. I think of it like this: the 4w is more like an old 3w, and the 7w is like an old 5w, and the hybrid is somewhere between an old 3i and 4i.

 

Have fun with the new stuff!

Edited May 11, 2022 by No_Catchy_Nickname

[solarbear88]

Well your driver should do you for ages!

 

I might have a look at Maltby/golfworks when you want to upgrade.  They will assemble the club pack for you.  The whole STi2 line looks aimed at the bogey golfer.

 

[95124hacker]

Irons next, then wedges, hybrid, FW wood, putter last.

Irons will be your set’s “core” & will set your lofts/distances (today’s lofts are lower/stronger than before).

For balls, buy a few 3-ball sleeves of any major brand cast urethane cover models, rotate them during a round, and eliminate the ones that hurt your scoring. Maybe buy mint grade recycled balls from LostGolfBalls.com until you’re sure what works for you.

[2Down]

I recently went and changed my irons.  Found a deal on a set of 2015 ping iE1.  Some kind of new old stock thing.  Anyways, search out golfdom and check em out.  600 for a new set of pings is a good deal.  Couple of different shafts to choose between with the graphite things a bit more.  
 

The iE1 is pretty much the same as the i200-210s but just a tad on the ugly side in comparison.  Play wise I think they are Maybe a touch softer feel as they still have the aluminum plaque taped into the cavity.   
 

the three iron has a four on it now so you should be able to hit it great 😊 

[mudmarlin]

The driver was the best choice.  I would do a new fairway or hybrid next.  Like you said a new stand bag will make you look like it hasn’t been 20 years since you last played.  Irons and putter you could make due with until you’re ready.  Used is good, but check through the online retailers.  They have a good amount of last generation stuff some at really good prices. 

[drumdude96]

10 hours ago, Lu5150 said:

 

Don't know how to add a sig line....below is my current set up...

 

Driver: TaylorMade Sim2 Max - 10.5*, Reg Flex

Woods: 3 & 5 Wilson Aggressor 02E - Std Flex

Irons: 3-9, P Wilson Aggressor 02E - Std Flex

Wedges: SW MacGregor - 56*, Multiflex

Putter: Slotline 9801 Classic

Ball: Anything cheap

Bag: Crospete Nova 14-Way Divider

I googled those irons, and let's just say they don't look super forgiving.  I would be looking to upgrade to a newer set of irons ASAP.  And there are plenty of great irons from component brands like Wishon and Maltby that are every bit as good as anything made by the big OEMs like Titleist, PING, Callaway, and TaylorMade.

Edited May 11, 2022 by drumdude96

[Milfordlefty]

If you have a GolfTec (or similar) near you in NJ, you might want to check out a swing analysis session. It could help decide if you are better with fairway wood vs hybrid, thus help decide which to look for. Same thing with irons, player vs game improvement. Wedges, those which come with a set or specialty wedges (there is now something called a gap wedge which wasn't around 20 years ago). It is possible you putter will still work. The other major change in 20 years is golf balls and by a large factor. Callaway Pre Owned, eBay, Global Golf, Dallas Golf are some websites to check out for pre-owned equipment, maybe purchase the last couple of model lines to save some $$ (OEMs have been changing about every 18 months to 2 years). If you have been partial to Wilson, the D-300 line might fit to your liking for a reasonable price on eBay.

[anser85029]

You got a good start with a modern driver.  Take your time.  Play with what you have for a few months.  Get your swing feels back before you buy something just to stick it in your bag.  Over time you will know what you need, but ease into it.  You don't need to replace all your sticks at once.

 

Stop in your local big box retailer and hit some demos in their bays of whatever type of club you need to upgrade or want to sample.  Lots of clubhead/shaft/grip "candy" on the shelves so easy to feel overwhelmed these days.   Don't overlook the used club bin.  Can find some inexpensive treasures there.

 

Welcome back!  

  

 

 

 

[Lu5150]

6 hours ago, Milfordlefty said:

If you have a GolfTec (or similar) near you in NJ, you might want to check out a swing analysis session. It could help decide if you are better with fairway wood vs hybrid, thus help decide which to look for. Same thing with irons, player vs game improvement. Wedges, those which come with a set or specialty wedges (there is now something called a gap wedge which wasn't around 20 years ago). It is possible you putter will still work. The other major change in 20 years is golf balls and by a large factor. Callaway Pre Owned, eBay, Global Golf, Dallas Golf are some websites to check out for pre-owned equipment, maybe purchase the last couple of model lines to save some $$ (OEMs have been changing about every 18 months to 2 years). If you have been partial to Wilson, the D-300 line might fit to your liking for a reasonable price on eBay.

 

Thanks for this info.  There is a GolfTec across the highway from the PGA Tour Superstore by where I work....I'll see if I can schedule a swing analysis for tomorrow to see if I should get a fairway wood or hybrid.  My guess I should bring my current Wilson clubs or do they have stuff there to try?  In addition, do you know how much it should be?

 

I'll also check out those websites for pre-owned equipment as I prefer to go that route and save some dough.....I'm not partial to Wilson as I rather get top if the line gear this time around....anything that can improve my game, even if it is little, is a step in the right direction......lol

[Chunkitgood]

You don’t have to buy new or even recent to get what is called forgiveness also known sometimes as high moment of inertia.  A man named Maltby (who also sells clubs) rates essentially how easy clubs are to hit in categories like “super game improvement” and if you look at his site you can see that they have been making pretty easy clubs for a long time.

 

For example,you can buy these Ben Hogan clubs made I think by Calloway from around 2005 for less than $200.  Maltby rates them as “super game improvement.”  I have a set of the same clubs in reserve.  I like their relatively simple looks.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/384811034813?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338678874&toolid=20006%26customid%3Ds%3AGS%3Bgc%3Ad6d18e43e9251a4a7a99ec3f8193803e%3Bpt%3A1%3Bchoc%3A1&customid=s%3AGS%3Bgc%3Ad6d18e43e9251a4a7a99ec3f8193803e%3Bpt%3A1%3Bchoc%3A2&msclkid=d6d18e43e9251a4a7a99ec3f8193803e
 

Maltby’s rating is here.

 

https://www.golfworks.com/images/art/MPF_BEN HOGAN.pdf

 

Not saying his rating is infallible or even that it is not biased in favor of his own clubs, but it is something to think about to the extent his MOI and dimensional data is not just faked (and I have never heard that it is).

 

You could do worse than getting a 10 or 15 year old set of clubs that looks good to you with a high Maltby rating.  And without a whole lot of investigation and experience, you might not be able to do any better.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

12 hours ago, drumdude96 said:

I googled those irons, and let's just say they don't look super forgiving.  I would be looking to upgrade to a newer set of irons ASAP.  And there are plenty of great irons from component brands like Wishon and Maltby that are every bit as good as anything made by the big OEMs like Titleist, PING, Callaway, and TaylorMade.

 

I googled them and got pictures of a tennis racket. Super forgiving, but pretty difficult off a tight lie!

[SDG90]

Can’t understand people are really advising you to get a hybrid first. Absolutely irons first now. You will most likely use an iron on every single hole and iron technology has progressed a lot in 20 years. There is no use in upgrading to a hybrid if you don’t know the gap between your longest iron and 3w/5w.
 

Sort out irons first, then get a good set of wedges as they’re the scoring clubs for bogey golfers. A 20 year old wedge probably has inferior grooves in comparison to modern wedges.

If you like the putter you have, there is no need to switch that. Putter is mostly feel and aesthetics, not so much technology. 

 

I believe hybrids/utilities should be figured out last, after you played enough rounds to know the carry distance of your longest iron and driver/3w. Why buy a hybrid if it goes the same distance as your 4i. 

[kthomas]

On 5/10/2022 at 5:23 PM, Jeff58 said:

Acquaint yourself with Callaway Preowned. You can equip yourself for usually around half of retail. Current prices are nothing less than grand customer larceny and there’s no performance reason to buy current models in any case.

 

CPO is a gem for us bargain shoppers.

[BallerNate]

Welcome back again @Lu5150!

 

I echo the people that have suggested to check out your local Classified/resale sites. There's a ton of value on the used market and that is where I buy and sell about 90% of my clubs. You can even buy 2021/2022 new release clubs from people that Won them through their clubs and get new stuff from trade-ins then re-sell extra stuff.

 

There are even times when people sell their complete bags at massive discounts with varying degrees of quality. You can buy a complete bag that is 4-5yrs old, or stuff that is only 1-2yrs old from people that tried Golf and decided it wasn't for them etc.

 

I agree with the people that said updating your Irons is the best first step though after your Driver. At the end of the day, you can get around the course effectively using only your Irons if you needed to, so having something up to date there that fits you well is key.

[darkhelmet]

Even if you think you like your putter, try something more forgiving.  Something along the lines of a "fang" style, or 2-ball, or taylormade spider.  You can get any of those styles with a variety of shaft setups -- plumber neck, double bend shaft, etc.

 

And get new irons, preferably with a lighter shaft for more club speed.  I think you said you want to keep the cost down, so look at something with a 90g-105g steel shaft instead of graphite.  Of course, with kids out of college, you're definitely not a 30-year-old, so if you find that there are a lot more aches and pains than there were 20 years ago, you may eventually want to switch to graphite, but start with lighter steel.

[BallerNate]

34 minutes ago, darkhelmet said:

Even if you think you like your putter, try something more forgiving.  Something along the lines of a "fang" style, or 2-ball, or taylormade spider.  You can get any of those styles with a variety of shaft setups -- plumber neck, double bend shaft, etc.

Respectfully, I disagree with this. A lot of people actually prefer Blade style putters, myself included.

 

Just depends what works for the individual person, but for me I putt significantly better with a Blade putter than any other style and many others are the same.

[lefthack]

3 minutes ago, BallerNate said:

Respectfully, I disagree with this. A lot of people actually prefer Blade style putters, myself included.

 

Just depends what works for the individual person, but for me I putt significantly better with a Blade putter than any other style and many others are the same.

 

This. There isn't a putter made that will play better for me if I can't stand looking at it. I don't care how much "forgiveness" it has. If it looks like a spaceship, I can't hit it..🤣

[darkhelmet]

12 minutes ago, BallerNate said:

Respectfully, I disagree with this. A lot of people actually prefer Blade style putters, myself included.

 

Just depends what works for the individual person, but for me I putt significantly better with a Blade putter than any other style and many others are the same.

 

 

What's there to disagree with?  I just suggested he try some of the other options since he hasn't looked at clubs in over 20 years.  He might find his current putter works best, or he might find something he likes better.

[BallerNate]

28 minutes ago, darkhelmet said:

 

 

What's there to disagree with?  I just suggested he try some of the other options since he hasn't looked at clubs in over 20 years.  He might find his current putter works best, or he might find something he likes better.

I thought you were suggesting he buy a "more forgiving" putter that's a mallet or fang style. But if you're talking about just testing those styles out at the local Golf shop and rolling some putts with them to see if he prefers that style, then yeah by all means...nothing wrong with that.