Do you have a club that changed your game?

[PAgolfer2017]

When I first bagged the Square Strike Wedge it was a love/hate type relationship.  Once I put  in the work to gain confidence and skill, it has save my butt on several occasions around the green.  Now it's mostly love   with that ugly little rascal. 

 

I can't hit out of bunkers to save my life. May have to look into one of these...

[ole gray]

I can't hit out of bunkers to save my life. May have to look into one of these...

 

I have the 45 degree which works great out of fairway bunkers and some regular greenside traps.  They  have a 55 & 60 degree model now which should be work well with the greenside shots 

[dhartmann34]

I wouldn't say it's a club that changed my game... But I had a putter fitting which took the loft on my putter to -3.7 degrees and it's completely changed my putting game as the ball doesn't skip or start off line anymore. It's amazing.

 

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[revkev]

I have a question, Rev.

 

The Reid-Lockhart V-Sole grind that moved on to Scor and Hogan

seems OK to me in the stronger loft wedges,

but I personally couldn't live with it in a 58 or 60.

 

In my admittedly limited experience,

V-Sole was fine for playing "darts" from back in the stance (if you've got the shot)

but not good at all for playing "parachutes" from forward in the stance (if you've got the shot).

 

At your level of play, you obviously have both shots.

 

Low bounce (6º max, preferably less) was essential to me in higher loft wedges.

How do you get the leading edge to the ground playing a high, soft, vertically descending shot?

I understand how the low, hard spinning pitch would work out ok

Honestly I had issues with the V sole at first and may have dumped the SCORs but I had already given my Ping Wedges away. Also it was very wet when I first got them - a hard time to be trying anything different.

 

Then I tried the 60 out of the trap and that was that. So easy although I still have trouble with really fluffy sand.

 

I find I have no issues opening the blade of the 60 even on a pretty tight lie and hitting what I would call a modified flop - the key for me is to know that the ball will go where the club face is pointing and I don't need to play it all that far forward or swing very hard. I can't hit it as high as I used to hit flops but it's extremely effective combining both trajectory and spin.

 

 

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[HighFade]

Good topic!

 

I don't think I have a game changer club, but since I switched to the Spyder, my putting is so much better than I was with a blade.

[Sluggo42]

When I first bagged the Square Strike Wedge it was a love/hate type relationship.  Once I put  in the work to gain confidence and skill, it has save my butt on several occasions around the green.  Now it's mostly love   with that ugly little rascal.

 

Haha that hurts my eyes to read it's name

[ole gray]

Haha that hurts my eyes to read it's name

 

 

Hurts my eyes to look at the back of my club  

[Sluggo42]

To reply to the topic, no.

I love. Every club, the same.

[Sluggo42]

Altho yesterday my favorites were the ER3 and the 58 vokey. 

[tony@CIC]

I'm in love with my Ping Eye 2 60* LW. Last year I bought 3 Cleveland wedges 52, 56, and 60. The 52 and 56 work fine but the 60 just didn't do it for me so I retired the Cleveland and stuck the Ping back in the bag.

 

 

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[NiftyNiblick]

Then I tried the 60 out of the trap and that was that. So easy although I still have trouble with really fluffy sand.

 

I find I have no issues opening the blade of the 60 even on a pretty tight lie and hitting what I would call a modified flop - the key for me is to know that the ball will go where the club face is pointing and I don't need to play it all that far forward or swing very hard. I can't hit it as high as I used to hit flops but it's extremely effective combining both trajectory and spin.

 

 

I guess that I just couldn't get the leading edge of a high bounce wedge to the ground in the way that I needed to see it in order to feel comfortable with the shot.

 

The only way that I could play a high bounce wedge off turf was to play it back in my stand which effectively removed both bounce and loft off the club.

 

I didn't' mind bounce in the sand where it was helpful, but even there, it wasn't the most important thing that I liked to see. 

 

I liked to see a very curved leading edge in the sand, the curvature sticking out in front of the shaft creating something of an ON-set,

 

which is why I often used up a club slot for a one-trick-pony sand iron, even in member-guests where I actually had to concern myself with annoying stuff like the fourteen club rule.

 

Thanks for answering, Rev, but I guess that I'd have to see the technique in person--and that's not looking likely.

[TxRedMan]

When I was 10, in 1992, it was the introduction of the Ping Eye 2 bd 1 iron that had come with the set when my father bought them for me in 1990 but had not put the one or two iron in the bag. That 1i was my go-to. Fairway finder, thin-it-to-win-it, etc.

 

In 2004, it was the 904f 21*

 

In 2011, the 14* heavenwood.

 

In 2018, it was the Epic 3w.

 

 

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[Tparker23]

Definitely my 54 and 60 degree wedges. I only started last year and once I'd changed the standard SW to a fitted 54 and added a lob wedge, I had much better results around the green, where beginners find themselves a lot. Just had so many more options and loved practising my short game. Handicap came down from 28 to 20 in 6 months and a lot was down to being able to hit better shots after I'd missed the green.

 

 

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[PAgolfer2017]

When I was 10, in 1992, it was the introduction of the Ping Eye 2 bd 1 iron that had come with the set when my father bought them for me in 1990 but had not put the one or two iron in the bag. That 1i was my go-to. Fairway finder, thin-it-to-win-it, etc.

 

In 2004, it was the 904f 21*

 

In 2011, the 14* heavenwood.

 

In 2018, it was the Epic 3w.

 

 

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i don't even think I could hit a 1 iron haha

 

 

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[fixyurdivot]

Most recently, my upgrade from a GBB to a Razr Fit Driver. An increase in distance and fewer balls in the heavy stuff has lowered my handicap.  Still haven't pulled the lever on the irons upgrade, but hope for similar results. Maybe I'll get lucky and selected to test the Ping i210's  .

[Eseay32]

The driver...for the worse

 

 

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[bassing33]

I love my mashie 3 hybrid. It makes me smile every time I hit it. Great for short par fours.

[RoverRick]

It's awfully soon to make the statement that it's changed my game, but I played 49 holes on Sunday (was planning on 54 but the wife called)(I made a sacrifice for her)

This was my second outing with the Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 816 Double Black Diamond and I had no double bogies or worse and hit all but 2 fairways. Those misses were mishits that didn't reach the fairway, but still flew straight.

Distance wise, I was hitting longer than I have been in years.

 

The GBB 816 DBD came out after I quit playing regularly. I had read about it and the complaints that it was almost too low spin and too fade biased for most golfers. I thought it would be perfect for me and it may well be.

I also hit this off the deck one time on a par 5 and it went 240 with a 40 yard left to right curve. I only needed 230 with a 35 yard curve so was both pleased and surprised.

 

 

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[Tap In]

I have a Bridgestone J38 3-wood that I picked up used. I haven't found anything that can match the balance of the club and the sound of the ball off its face. It gives me the confidence that I will carry that bunker that is 230 out rather than needing to lay up.

 

 

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[Kanoito]

That would be my X2Hot 3W.

I used to have a gap between driver and 4i. I couldn't hit hybrids nor fairway woods.

 

I was always at a disadvantage on Par 5's, cause my 2nd shot would always be shorter than my playing partners and I couldn't reach Par 3's over 220 yards.

 

Then I learned how to hit this 3W and things worked out beautifully.

 

Now I can even reach some Par 5's in 2, tight Par 4's and reach long Pdar 3's.

 

[Aotearoa_Brad]

Definitely my Tour edge XCG6 4-Wood. It is super long, knows how to go straight and has been super reliable both off the tee and fairway!

 

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[txgolfjunkie]

Not necessarily a club but a change in shafts has changed my game. Oban kyoshi black in the driver has narrowed my dispersion, hzrdus black has lowered my ball flight in fw and hybrid, KBS C-taper has tightened mishits in irons.

 

But if it has to be a club, oh definitely the putter. Notice I didn't say what kind of putter. Why? Because Every two months my brain tells me it's time to find a new flat stick. Just ask Kor.A.Door as he waits patiently on the buy, sale, trade forum for my gently used putters. Who knew there were so many options to 3 putt from 10' out there for me?!

 

 

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[NiftyNiblick]

I can't hit out of bunkers to save my life. May have to look into one of these...

Everybody puts down "one-trick-pony" clubs, but a wedge specifically for sand remains a good idea for many recreational players.  They're on EBAY for a song if you don't want to buy one of the newer models..

 

Consider___the Lovett Wedge;  the Alien Ultimate;  the Ray Cook Shot Saver; the Moe Norman Hickory Stick (which doesn't actually have a hickory shaft).: 

 

One of them or something similar will be there dirt cheap.

 

But if you quit on the shot, it won't matter what you hit. You have to build up the courage to swing hard from in close. 

 

Think to yourself, "I don't care if this shot goes 175 yards and I never see this ball again--I'm hitting it hard and splashing sand onto this green!".

[PAgolfer2017]

Everybody puts down "one-trick-pony" clubs, but a wedge specifically for sand remains a good idea for many recreational players. They're on EBAY for a song if you don't want to buy one of the newer models..

 

Consider___the Lovett Wedge; the Alien Ultimate; the Ray Cook Shot Saver; the Moe Norman Hickory Stick (which doesn't actually have a hickory shaft).:

 

One of them or something similar will be there dirt cheap.

 

But if you quit on the shot, it won't matter what you hit. You have to build up the courage to swing hard from in close.

 

Think to yourself, "I don't care if this shot goes 175 yards and I never see this ball again--I'm hitting it hard and splashing sand onto this green!".

I currently carry 45/50/55/60 but since I don't hit my 3 wood ever I've thought about carrying a 5th wedge and adding one. I've looked at them on eBay and you're right at how cheap they are.

 

 

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[PMookie]

Not one, but a set of irons. Ping Zing 2. I've never made better strides as a golfer, and was more consistent than when I owned those.

 

 

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[NiftyNiblick]

Not one, but a set of irons. Ping Zing 2. I've never made better strides as a golfer, and was more consistent than when I owned those.

 

 

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Thus my manta....Never sell your old golf clubs. 

[LoganT]

The biggest game changer in my bag is my Cleveland 2135 TFi satin elevado putter. It's so easy to line up and I've never been so confident putting.

 

 

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[GB13]

It's awfully soon to make the statement that it's changed my game, but I played 49 holes on Sunday (was planning on 54 but the wife called)(I made a sacrifice for her)

This was my second outing with the Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 816 Double Black Diamond and I had no double bogies or worse and hit all but 2 fairways. Those misses were mishits that didn't reach the fairway, but still flew straight.

Distance wise, I was hitting longer than I have been in years.

 

The GBB 816 DBD came out after I quit playing regularly. I had read about it and the complaints that it was almost too low spin and too fade biased for most golfers. I thought it would be perfect for me and it may well be.

I also hit this off the deck one time on a par 5 and it went 240 with a 40 yard left to right curve. I only needed 230 with a 35 yard curve so was both pleased and surprised.

 

 

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Low spin and fade biased... hmmm. I am normally happy if I hit 2 fairways. Might have to try this one out.

[azstu324]

For me it's not so much what the clubs do, but what they inspire me to do.

 

In this case, I decided last year to take the plunge and switch from a super GI style iron with a pretty aggressive offset and thick top line to a more sleek “player's” style club with a thin top line and almost no offset whatsoever. It's a forged cavity back so not completely on the other end of the planet but still a pretty aggressive shift from what I was used to playing.

 

The inspiration to make the change came when I was really working on my iron swing mechanics and focusing on hip rotation and in to out swing path, flattening out, etc, instead of over the top or too steep. Well in correcting my swing, I also inherited a push draw that wasn't too attractive. Well it turns out that the massive offset was only making matters worse. The more I read and learned, the more I realized that the offset clubs are to help those with my previous swing issues. Now that the swing issues had been corrected.. or at least was much better understood, I wasn't using the clubs in the way that they were meant to be used. I didn't really feel that making other grip or swing adjustments was the right path to go down.

 

Well one day at the good ol PGATSS, I decided to demo some “player's” style irons with a much smaller profile and very little offset. Wouldn't you know it, my push draw was gone! I went back multiple times and tried just about every thin player's club I could get my hands on. Not only did they really help with my shot direction but they felt fantastic when hit cleanly. My mind was made up that I'd fare well with that style of club so then the real research began.  

 

After much back and forth and trying and researching various brands, I had come across a smaller company called Maltby. My extensive search for a quality but budget-friendly set of irons is actually what led me to MGS. I was able to find threads and chat with real folks who have experience with these clubs and I saw their passion for them and the Maltby brand and was sold. Because of my relationship with the guys at PGATSS, I was able to pretty much mock up a fitting session with different shafts, lengths, lies, and club heads that were pretty close in physical specs to the DBM irons that I was interested in. Maltby isn't a major OEM and unless you live in OH, it's next to impossible to get personally fitted for the clubs but I was confident that this mock fitting session should do the trick. I placed the order and they were at my door in about 2 weeks.

 

Getting to the point: I got the clubs in and they were everything that I had hoped for. They're sleek with a perfectly thin top line and a really sexy DBM black/charcoal grey finish. Not too overly small and nothing even close to large. When hit well, they're like a hot knife through melted butter, with a nice pop off of the face. The shafts are lighter 95g but are just the feel and trajectory that make me feel all tingly inside (like when we used to climb the ropes in gym class). These clubs are definitely special. Do they magically make me play better? No.. but what they do is inspire me to practice more, let me know when my swing is off in the slightest and that I need to make some corrections. They reward me with beautiful trajectory, laser dispersion, and that nostalgic feeling of a forged blade when hit on the numbers (figuratively.. not literally because that would be a horrible shot). When my game is off, I have absolutely no reason to blame the clubs and know that it's 100% my error that can be very easily corrected. The bottom line is that these clubs have inspired me to improve and play some of the best golf that I've ever played. While I realize that I still have much room for improvement, I also know that these clubs can get me to where I need to go in my game. I'm really only tapping through the surface on their potential and know that I won't have any interest in buying new clubs for quite some time.

[pulledabill]

Currently it is a TM Itsy Bitsy Spider. Went from Old Ping putters to this a few weeks ago. Im making more putts with this then any before especially from 10 feet in.