Buffly

There is no rule stating it has to match. Before matched sets were popular it was normal to have a wide variety of brands and designs. I would think it has more to do with how you use your PW. If you play one stock shot = set PW. If you play a variety of shots = specialty PW. A specialty PW just gives you bounce options and sole grind options that are different enough to change turf interaction to suit you. Most people play their set PW and add specialty Sand and Lob wedges. The Gap/approach wedge floats around depending on player preferences. I play set PW and Gap. My specialty wedges are my 54* sand and 60* lob wedges.

I wouldn't worry about the number on the club. So now your 170 yard club is an 8 iron. Loft jacking and technology improvements are getting you the extra distance. The set Gap/approach wedge is your current pitching wedge loft and every club is one less. Great to hear you found something you like.

I rarely use driver on the first tee because of past failures. My go-to is either my 5 wood or 4 driving iron. Both good for 200-220 and off to the races.

You're right that it depends on the player.

One way to see if you have low or high spin is trying the Titleist AVX ball. That ball is the lowest spinning ball I have found. If your spin with your current ball and club are optimised then the AVX will fly less distance. If you are creating more spin than optimal then the AVX will fly farther because it has less spin. I picked up 20 yards on my drives with the AVX.

Txg is fantastic

Very cool thread. I would play a different brand of every club in my bag, different shaft, different grip if it helped me score.

Your irons have holes in them. Hehe

Nice

Cool

I hit a friend's one length hybrids = impressed. Very cool

I would stay away from large headed 3 woods. The larger head adds backspin to lower strikes that robs distance. This makes that type of club strictly a tee club = what you are describing anyways. Now, if you still want to pursue it then I will recommend this club as I have used it and it did exactly what you described. Taylormade RBZ Stage 2 TS 13 degree 3 wood. It looks like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/TaylorMade-RBZ-Stage-2-Tour-TS-13-Degree-3-Wood-RH-Very-Good-Condition/274476382644?hash=item3fe81139b4:g:p2cAAOSwf8RfSSDf I hit this about 10-20 yards shorter than my driver. It also has the adjustable sleeve.

I would get him a gift card or order from a place that takes returns. If you put a gun to my head - the M2 set all the way. However, the extensive list of unknown variables makes this a recommendation that could turn out to be a disaster.

I bought one of those sharpeners but it seems like Chinese junk. As long as you don't actually change the shape of the grooves then you are still legal. The sharpener really doesn't sharpen the grooves. It deburs the edges of flattened grooves that bent from being stuck repeatedly. I buy wedges from Golfworks so cheap that it is no big deal to just get new wedges instead of worrying about sharpening old ones. https://www.golfworks.com/paks/c/10015/filter/100000000159eq100000000317/

It is possible that the lie has changed as you have played with them. A dynamic test like the sharpie line on a range ball or lie board will tell you if your irons are set right. Reading your divots and ball flight help to get you close as well. Based on what you said, standing less erect, the upright club would not be too upright = toe up in the air at impact. A divot with the toe up would have the heel digging into the ground first. The ball flight might also have a draw curve with too much upright. If your divot shows the club entering the turf squarely and you have a straight ball flight then not to worry. I have seen many golfers setup with the toe up and just the heel resting on the ground at address. The result is usually poor contact and no control over distance or direction. The solution would be to flatten the lie if the club is too much upright.

I doubt a shaft change of equal weight would affect spin by 2000 rpms. I couple things come to mind that might, might, be contributing to spin. One, the head design of the XR is an oversized cavity back game improvement club designed with wide sole to help launch the ball. The other two heads are designed as players distance clubs with hot faces for extra ball speed. The way they interact with the turf differently has me wondering if impact location in the face is optimised? I am thinking not - maybe hitting a little too high on the face of the new clubs due to less bounce and a narrower sole but, that is just a guess. Two, shaft weight, length, and lie can all affect timing and impact. The new shaft, still guessing here, is probably different enough to affect your timing. It might just need some time swinging to remedy or it could be a poor fit. If you feel like you can swing away and make clean contact consistently then it is a good fit. However, if you have to slow down just to find the sweet spot then the shaft might be wrong for your tempo.

I commend you on your thought process. Since you asked, if the goal is to remove the Gap wedge, 54 & 60 would be great. 54 is easy to find in a high bounce as it is in the sand wedge loft range. 52 is in the Gap wedge loft range which seems to lean more on low bounce. 60 degree with a c grind usually has a low bounce. I like to have a high and low bounce option to let the lie determine the club. I have the Maltby Mseries+ 54 and MG Tour 60 to give me very different options. https://www.golfworks.com/paks/c/10015/filter/100000000159eq100000000317/

I buy my wedges from Golfworks. I have 6 or 7 Maltby clubs all fantastic. https://www.golfworks.com/paks/c/10015/filter/100000000159eq100000000317/

Take the time and rest. During the Covid I gained distance by not playing our practicing.

I know the feeling all too well of a misbehaving driver. My go-to is the 5w. The extra spin helps it go straighter

Buy new clubs at a place where you can try them first. Nothing will make you want to play more than spending money on yourself

I would focus on what helps me be the most consistent. Many people, and fitters, get wrapped up in distance instead of dispersion and shot area. Get fit when you're swinging well Pay attention to consistency of impact location either by face tape or monitor data Pay attention to shaft weight, length, and lie or at least see if your fitter is paying attention to those things Hit more than just 7 irons - set wedges and long irons might not feel as fit for you in that config. Some people play different lie angles throughout the set. Make sure you get an adjustment fit after purchase included. You might need a slight gapping adjustment after you play then for a few weeks. One thing I noticed at the local box store was their launch monitor only captured ball speed. The system would calculate your club head speed based off of a predetermined smash factor. It is easy to spot because all the smash factors will be the same. It is still possible to have a good fit from such a monitor but it requires a well trained eye and experienced staff.

That seems cost prohibitive

Any head can fail. My opinion is that Ping makes the best product for durability and easy of use. I had a college golfer crack his Titleist driver - swings at 130mph. Callaway drivers seem too light to me. Taylormade is good if you get fit for it. Titleist are consistent but not excellent.

Great response. Very informative and accurate.