What is your upgrade path?

Dan1247 · August 21

I think I'm getting close to needing/wanting to upgrade most of the clubs in my bag. All of them, except driver, are probably 10+ years old. My sand wedge (Macgregor MS8) might be older than I am. I was fitted for irons a few weeks ago, but while researching cheaper options I started to think getting new wedges and/or putter might be the better idea. I'm OK with my irons, but got excited to move to a players distance set from my Burner Plus set. My putter is a knockoff with no branding and is balanced toe up. I'm still debating what to do, so I wanted to ask what everyone else's upgrade paths have looked like and how it helped.

Hosel Rocket · August 26

I love this question, mostly because I'm wondering about it, too.

I bought a new driver this spring and told myself I would need to play a significant amount this summer to justify a new set of irons. I think I've met that threshold, but I had an experience with a LAB putter today that has my head spinning. New irons? Why not spend half that cost on one club?! Granted, I'll use it more than anything else, but...

Irons, wedges, putter? What's the order? I'm actually thinking it might be the reverse order of what I just typed. I'll use the putter the most, wedges next, then the individual irons. It makes sense, but it also could be a recency bias.

Dan1247 · August 26

13 hours ago, Hosel Rocket said:

I love this question, mostly because I'm wondering about it, too.

I bought a new driver this spring and told myself I would need to play a significant amount this summer to justify a new set of irons. I think I've met that threshold, but I had an experience with a LAB putter today that has my head spinning. New irons? Why not spend half that cost on one club?! Granted, I'll use it more than anything else, but...

Irons, wedges, putter? What's the order? I'm actually thinking it might be the reverse order of what I just typed. I'll use the putter the most, wedges next, then the individual irons. It makes sense, but it also could be a recency bias.

I agree in thinking it's the opposite order. You're going to use your putter at least once on every hole, and pretty good chance I'm still going to have more shots inside 100 yds than GIRs even with more accurate irons. That said I ordered 3 Sub 70 JB Forged wedges to replace my gap, sand, and lob wedges this weekend. Putter I still need to do some research on to see what's right for me. I've always played what's in the set or what has been gifted to me.

Nick_Chilelli · August 26

What are the strengths and weaknesses in your game? My irons are the oldest clubs in my bag by far (they turn 20 this year), but are my biggest strength on the course. They’re the hardest thing for me to replace because of how much confidence I have in them. I’ve rotated new irons into my bag twice in the last 7 years, but my Mizuno MP-32’s always get put back in as my daily gamers.

In terms of my upgrade path, I replaced my old wedges first because they have the most noticeable decline in terms of performance YOY. Then I added a new set of woods (Titleist 3 and 5w) then driver, and finally upgraded my putter most recently. I’m always testing new irons at my local Edwin Watt’s, but until I see dramatic number and feel improvements, I won’t pull the trigger on another new set.

Dan1247 · August 26

50 minutes ago, Nick_Chilelli said:

What are the strengths and weaknesses in your game? My irons are the oldest clubs in my bag by far (they turn 20 this year), but are my biggest strength on the course. They’re the hardest thing for me to replace because of how much confidence I have in them. I’ve rotated new irons into my bag twice in the last 7 years, but my Mizuno MP-32’s always get put back in as my daily gamers.

In terms of my upgrade path, I replaced my old wedges first because they have the most noticeable decline in terms of performance YOY. Then I added a new set of woods (Titleist 3 and 5w) then driver, and finally upgraded my putter most recently. I’m always testing new irons at my local Edwin Watt’s, but until I see dramatic number and feel improvements, I won’t pull the trigger on another new set.

Thinking this through after my post is why I've focused more on upgrading wedges and putter. Without data to back it up I feel like I'm adding most of my score in chipping, putting, and poor course management.

My driver is the biggest strength. It was the first club I've bought that was more personalized for my swing. Even then it was just choosing a stiff shaft vs regular after seeing my swing speed on a Trackman. My irons are ok, but they were an off the shelf purchase 15 years ago. Wedges and putter have been hand me downs or used purchases with the only thought is the cost wasn't crazy.

Dunni2010 · September 4

Coming back to the game I rarely use a driver, trying to play boring golf, so I've gone for irons and wedges to start, my old ones were woeful though, then going putter. Will worry about the top end of the bag next year when I've regained confidence and remembered how to hit the big stick!

Off Map Oscar · September 4

I set goals for myself and tie a reward to them. Breaking 100 = fitting. Break 90. Wedges. Break 80 = new bag.

Next goal is 75 or single digit handicap. Currently sitting at 78 and 11.4 no idea yet what I'm gonna do yet for that milestone.

Dan1247 · September 4

44 minutes ago, Off Map Oscar said:

I set goals for myself and tie a reward to them. Breaking 100 = fitting. Break 90. Wedges. Break 80 = new bag.

Next goal is 75 or single digit handicap. Currently sitting at 78 and 11.4 no idea yet what I'm gonna do yet for that milestone.

I like this idea of goal and reward. If I would've joined sooner then maybe I could've put something like this in place for the whole bag. Still need to replace my putter and hybrid after all.

CPP · September 8

My path is a new driver, looking at a Ping G430 10K or a Cobra DarkSpeed X , need some darn forgiveness.

And a wedge fitting.

ClarkWGriswoldIII · September 9

I'm happy with all of my bag right now with the exception of my driver, which oddly enough is the newest club in the bag. I may just need something more forgiving and the preliminary search is on.

RyanGi · September 9

Not saying this is the way to go, but the way it was explained to me (and made sense) is that irons have the most variety as a set. That is, they cover a large yardage range (as a set), so finding something you swing well and can control will give you the starting point for solid game play. If your clubs are 10 years old, there’s certainly enough new technology to see benefits that will help your game from a new, properly fitted irons head and shaft set.

Once you get them under control, you’ll have a better idea of the yardage range covered by those irons. From there, you can build out wedges, or build out woods. You’re gonna have to do both, so pick one.

Again, as it was explained to me, you start the woods with the driver. Get that head and shaft combo put together and consistent for yardage, then work to fill in the gaps between the Driver and irons with whatever combination is going to work for you. Fairway woods, hybrids, some of both, whatever…but it’s based on filling in the yardage gap.

Before you decide to start the wedges, it’s important that you’ve found a golf ball you’re going to stick with. Not that the yardages won’t change for your irons and woods with different balls or different compressions, but they should change linearly enough across the whole set that it’s ok. But, with wedges, the ball can have a huge difference in how they perform. So, once you know the ball you like hitting, you can build the wedges around the remaining gap from your shortest iron all the way to 0. Keep in mind, if you’re playing more than once a week, you’re wedges will start to wear out somewhere around the one year mark (assuming you can play 52 weeks out of the year). The groves start to dull and they won’t spin the ball as well. Doesn’t mean you can’t play them, but they won’t play like new. Luckily, there are some super awesome DTC wedges that are inexpensive enough to replace almost every year if you wanted.

The putter can be done whenever you want, since it’s it’s own beast.

Anyway, like I said, that’s the way it was explained to me, it made sense to me, and that’s the route I’ve followed…and it’s been successful to this point! FWIW, I went irons, ball, wedges, woods. About to work out the putter end of it.

Edited September 9 by RyanGi