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I've had a lot of fun assembling my collection of clubs and equipment. I'm really happy with what I've been able to put together, and the number of good deals I've been able to secure in the process.
You can also assemble a great bag without overspending by knowing where to make good, strategic big purchases (in my case, the R11 driver) and a lot of smart shopping. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area (like we do), your local GolfMart is a treasure trove of good used equipment. Believe it or not, I got my 4 wood, hybrids and wedges all used, all name brand (TaylorMade and Titleist) in great condition, for good prices. It can be done, folks!
Here's my gear (distances in parentheses):
- Driver: TaylorMade R11 – 9 degrees, Flex – S – (250 yards)
- 4 wood TaylorMade Burner 2.0 Superfast : Flex – S – 16.5 degrees – (230)
- 3 Hybrid: TaylorMade Raylor – 19 degrees, Flex – R – (220)
- Irons: Cobra S9 (2008)- steel shafts, Flex R [off the shelf]
- 4 Iron – (200)
- 5 Iron – (185)
- 6 Iron – (170)
- 7 Iron – (155)
- 8 Iron – (145)
- 9 Iron – (135)
- PW – (125)
- Gap Wedge: Titleist Vokey Spin-Milled – 50 degrees (120)
- Sand Wedge: Titleist Vokey Spin-Milled – 54 degrees (105)
- Lob Wedge: Titleist Vokey Spin-Milled – 60 degrees (90)
- Putter: TaylorMade Corza Ghost (2011) - 34″ [Link is to current equivalent]
- Balls: Bridgestone e5 (Or B330RX-s, when I’m feeling spendy). Both have Urethane covers, which I prefer.
- Bag: Ogio Ozone (white/gray/red) stand bag
- Grips: Golf Pride New Decades – Black/White – midsize
- Glove: Bionic Men’s Stablegrip (formerly known as “Classic”)
- Tees: epoch s3
A few tips...
Don't be afraid to borrow/try other people's equipment. It's a great way to try things on the course with no commitment (provided you don't have anger management issues). For example, I've always used a blade putter, but started struggling with my lag putting and ended up convincing Peggy to swap with me for a few rounds (she has the original Corza Ghost mallet putter). She was struggling a bit with the mallet and wanted to try something else. After swapping, we both putted better consistently, and we've now made it permanent (in fact she's already re-gripped it).
Obviously, if you're 6'2" you'll have a difficult time swapping with someone who's 5'8", but in this case - we both use putters of similar length so it worked.
Obviously, if you're 6'2" you'll have a difficult time swapping with someone who's 5'8", but in this case - we both use putters of similar length so it worked.
Game Improvement Irons WORK. The best purchase I ever made was the Cobra S9 irons (2008). I got them new just as the S9-IIs were coming out, so I got a good deal ($449 – at the time). They’re forgiving without being clunky, have nice large faces and are very durable. These are great irons for high handicappers.
Get Grips that FIT your hands. I had to re-grip a wedge a while back and decided to try going up a size (I've got bear paws for hands). I can’t tell you how much this helped my feel and my confidence. It helped me loosen up and trust my grip more, and a looser grip means a quicker swing and more distance. I definitely noticed the difference, and went up to mid-size on all my clubs.
Need a little anecdotal proof? I used to wear holes in the lower palm of my gloves and have to switch to a new one about every 6-8 rounds. This was from gripping the club to tightly. Now I can go 2 dozen rounds on the same glove, in fact I usually replace it from getting crusty, not because I wore a hole through it.
Need a little anecdotal proof? I used to wear holes in the lower palm of my gloves and have to switch to a new one about every 6-8 rounds. This was from gripping the club to tightly. Now I can go 2 dozen rounds on the same glove, in fact I usually replace it from getting crusty, not because I wore a hole through it.
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