Amazing Solid Feel

I played Ping Eye 2 irons for most of my “growth” stage in golf. For 4 years I played a club that was ultra forgiving and enabled me to learn this game. Ping irons were the rage in the late 80’s. In fact I still play my Ping Eye 2 one iron…it is by far the easiest “knife” I’ve ever hit. I also have a stable of Ping putters…I mean who doesn’t. Kushin, Anser 2 and 4, Zing, and Piper. I wasn’t one to ever give Ping a chance when it came to metal woods…maybe it was the strange experience I had playing Ping Zing woods…and yes they were wood. I never thought they looked normal, and I had a tough time convincing my eyes that these clubs could move the ball down the fairway.

Well today it’s a different Ping, and they have a great line of game enhancing and player woods…this time they are metal thank goodness!

The Ping i15 is a players club. The Ping website has it in the “competition” category. Coming in at 460 cc and a traditional pear shaped head, the Ping i15 looks clean. The smoke grey deep titanium face looks sleek and sexy. The face has an amazing solid feel, not too much “ping” or “pong” or “dink”….just a solid “thwack”, which fills my ears with joy. The ball flight and results were a joy as well! I was surprised that I enjoyed the look, usually anything other than a Titleist looks bulky and toolish. Ping hasn’t gone the route of removable (anything) but sets up the club in a fade bias. This allows the player to work the ball.

The 8° i15 was the club of choice for me. The higher lofts seemed to accentuate my high ball flight, which could also be a result of the shaft I was hitting. I tried the i15 in two shaft models the Fujikura Motore F1 and the UST Mamiya AVIScore Tour Red 69. The Fujikura Motore F1 is a nice option and a great sidekick to the i15 driver. The Fuji comes in at 65 grams and has a low to mid lauch angle. The UST is a slightly heavier shaft and a mid launch. Both have 3.2° of torque, if there was one thing I would have changed…it would have been to a slightly heavier shaft, which is a personal preference since I do not need to increase my swing speed to gain distance.

Overall

The Ping i15 Driver is a very nice club. In fact it has made the short list for my new 2010 bag makeover. The ball jumps off the face, it has a very solid feel and can be worked. I did find that my draw (10-15 yards) was slightly less than with the Titleist 983K  that I currently love….My ball flight was typical…sorta high, but when I focused on hitting a low shot, ball back in the stance and tee’d lower…the ball screamed about head high.

This driver isn’t for high handicap players…the face is somewhat less forgiving (a miss is a miss with this club). The deep face and classic look is for purists or traditional players. Other models of Ping woods offer elongated faces to increase the sweet spot. So if you want a really solid feeling driver without all the wrenches, ports and screws…more of a set and forget…then I recommend giving the Ping i15 a try.

What I like about Titleist is that they don’t pretend to do something they are not good at. What I mean is that they focus on making top notch clubs for low handicap players. They don’t fill the whole spectrum of the golfing public with game improvement clubs. I always felt that Cobra filled that niche for them, and with the sale of Cobra…Titleist is focused on their highly recognized brand.

A Players Hybrid

The Titleist 909H is a hybrid with a classic shape. I demoed the 19° model with a graphite Diamana Blue Hybrid Shaft. This is one of two stock graphite options available for this club (actually there are 12 shafts to choose from in either steel or graphite that are not up-charges). The Diamana Blue Hybrid Shaft is made by Mitsubishi Rayon and weighs in at 82 grams and 40.5″. The shaft has 2.9° of torque which is slightly high, meaning it will twist more than its counterpart in the Aldila Voodo which has 2.6° of torque. Overall I liked the feel of the shaft, solid yet responsive. The swing weight comes in at a D2, similar to most irons… about a swing weight less than mine. The 17-4 Stainless Steel head has a 455 Carpenters Steel insert on the face for added feel and punch. A factory installed SureFit Swingweight Screw lowers the center of gravity, allowing for easier launch. The bottom of the sole is plain and I like that. What makes the 909H nice for me is that it has a 0.5° Open Face.  So many of the Hybrids have closed faces.

Clean Lines, Clean Shots

I love the clean lines of the 909H. It is simple and straight forward. There are no graphic designs, or material designs that make the club head look futuristic. The color of the head matches the classic smoked grey look of all Titleist Wood and Hybrid heads. I felt comfortable looking down…it’s a mini version of my Driver, so I have a familiar visual.

I used the 909H from the fairway, rough and tee box. In all instances the club performed awesome. It played above my expectations. Off the tee it had a medium-high trajectory, and I was able to hit my typical draw. From the rough I found that the club did not turn or twist, which is what I fight when hitting a long iron. That makes for a confident powerful swing, knowing that the club resists the twisting motion. Balls sitting down are easy to get airborne, more in the low to medium trajectory. My key shot with the 909H was into a difficult green..212 yards to the pin from the dormant rough. The wind was directly into me (about 3 clubs extra) and I flushed it. The ball barely wavered off line and stopped within 10 feet of my ball mark. That was my “wow” moment, I normally would have had to play a choke-down 3/4 wood shot, or try a punch three iron…I loved that a full swing, not over swung, with the hybrid gave me the option to attack the hole!

The Good and the Bad

The great things about the 909H are that it has a clean look. The face is not overly closed, and it frames the ball well. The Diamana Shaft is nice, feels at home with the club head. Well hit balls go where you want them. The simple sole cuts through dormant rough.

If I have one gripe, it is a small one…The ball seems to “thunk” and not “click”. I know it’s a face material issue. I just want a little better feedback from the face. Even though the club is marketed as being longer from toe to heel, off center shots will not “feel” good. But I like that. I want poor shots to end up in bunkers or missing greens. That is great feedback for my swing.

If you are looking for ultra forgiveness then I don’t suggest the 909H, it’s a Titleist…it’s a Players Club. The 909H is looking like a solid contender for my bag but with a different loft and surely a different shaft.

The set up will be for a typical Right handed golfer with regular flex shafts and a focus on forgiveness. I had a $300 budget to work with…this is what I found.

The Process

I started at all the online discount sites…I thought about buying new (older models) but after a few tries, I couldn’t get a set that I felt covered the gambit at a fair price.  I tried pre-owned manufacturer sites as well and again no luck.  I then went to Ebay. I chose Ebay because it is the largest auction site around, and I have an account, so I can see completed transactions. I used only completed sales, and they had to be of actual clubs, not photo’s of stock items…I wanted to see what I was buying. I also only used from sellers that had 100+ positive ratings. Those guys that sell a great club at a crazy price with two feedbacks, um no thank-you!

The bag I developed needed to have:

• Driver
• Fairway wood
• Hybrid
• Irons 4-PW
• Wedges in 56 and 60 degrees
• Putter

I wanted to make sure the clubs were an improvement in technology, both in clubface materials and shaft development. I also wanted to add a hybrid and ditch the longer irons.

Here is my ranking of importance in relation to the bag make-up

1. Irons-the set should be ultra forgiving, with perimeter weighting, and lightweight shafts, preferably graphite
2. Putter-The putter should have multiple directional lines. I also wanted something with feel
3. Driver-This needs to have a 460cc head, and an upgraded shaft. I focused on getting the ball airborne to maximize distance. It also needs to be forgiving, with a large sweet spot
4. Wedges-I’m trying to find something forged. Forged wedges have more feel, and give better feedback on our short shots. I’m sticking with a 56° and 60°  make-up. It’s a functional way to go. I’d like to have even more wedges, as the average golfer needs more help in the shorter shots
5. Hybrid-It needs to get the ball out of the rough and into play. It should feel strong, yet easy to maneuver.
6. Fairway Wood-Basically I’m thinking something that can be used as a secondary driving wood. A good hybrid should make the fairway wood a “lesser” option

What I found and built for $300

One of the downsides to buying on-line is that you have to spend money on shipping. Of my $300 budget, about 27% was shipping fees, but due to the low prices of some of the items I feel this is a wash. I also am leery of condition, so I needed to see a photo of the actual club. I searched Ebay and went through pages of completed sales. This is the outcome of the $300 Golf Bag Makeover.

Irons

Score! $129.99 + 15.95 shipping which was fair. These irons rock, and accounted for about 59% of the total budget prior to shipping costs.  The most important aspect of the $300 Golf Bag Makeover is the irons. The set is the Cobra FS  series and totals 8 clubs (4-GW).  The best part is that it includes a Gap Wedge! The clubs are Aldila graphite shafted Regular Flex. The condition looked about right for a set that is about 4 years old and used. The clubs have over-sized faces, and are perimeter weighted. These are quality irons and I’m glad I found a name brand, with a good reputation.

Putter

Second on my importance list was a putter. I wanted a good solid putter with plenty of scoring lines for ease of aim. I found a Odyssey DF990 in 35″ for $22.00. Odyssey is part of Callaway golf. The putter was about 10% of the budget. Again a great value for a quality product. I really liked that I could find a putter with an insert. The Odyssey Stromatic insert really started the rage of exotic materials used in face design. It didn’t come with the headcover, but since it’s already used…no biggie.

Driver

This was a tough decision. I mean we all love to grip it and rip it. Most people tend to spend massive amounts of cash on a club that gets used less than 15 times during a round…Imagine..you spend more per shot on this club than any other. So I needed to find a club that could get the ball airborne, and was easy to hit. I settled on the Wilson Spine Driver at $32.00. The main reason was for the shaft. It comes with a Proforce V2 graphite shaft. I feel that the V2 is better than most stock shafts, and if we need to, we can always re-shaft a different driver and save a couple of bucks. The Wilson Spine is not the greatest looking head, but it is 460cc has 10.5° loft and has a high MOI, letting the club get the ball up and going. I also got free shipping, which sealed the deal.

Wedges

Both wedges are Mizuno MP T Black Nickel, 56° and 60° of loft. I chose these wedges because Mizuno makes the best forged clubs, superior in feel. The fact that I spent less than$10 per club was silly (again without shipping charges). The 60° ($5.55 + 9.95 shipping) looks rough on the bottom, but this isn’t a beauty contest, and the fact that it’s a Mizuno and matches the 56°overcomes this flaw. My only wish was that the 56 ° had more than 10° of bounce. The 12° bounce model would have been better out of the sand.

Hybrid

This is the second best steal of the $300 Golf Bag Makeover. I mean this is a seriously fantastic club. It was sold for $11.00. The Mizuno CLK Fli-Hi has great feel, clean lines and gobs of performance. This club has some loft at 24° making it a great recovery club. It will also do a fine job as a “chipper” around the greens. It comes with a head cover, bonus! The shipping costs of $13.50 were higher than the selling price…unbelievable.

Fairway Club

Ok…every bag has its ugly sister, well this is it. I didn’t want to spend much money and it shows. It was sold for $10.49 and shipping was another $9.95. The fairway club chosen is the Adams Tight Lies. Now when this club came out it made Adams Golf. I think everyone bought a Tight Lies, basically because it worked. The thetrapezoidal-shaped club head and low profile gets the ball airborne. I spent under $21 with shipping. That is why it made it into the $300 Golf Bag Makeover…period.

Conclusion

Well I did it…I made a fairly nice bag for under $300 including shipping. All told the total was $289.82, which leaves me enough money to buy a sleeve of balls. What I find amazing is that there are great deals available for quality clubs if you look hard enough. With winter covering most of the country and the stinky economy, there are real chances to improve the clubs in your golf bag,  without breaking the bank.

So how did I do? What do you think of the $300 Golf Bag Makeover?

What is a hybrid?

If you have been playing golf for a while, you know that your long irons are the toughest ones to hit. The long irons (3 and 4) are difficult to hit because of their longer shafts and lower lofts. The real reason is that they have a smaller clubface and thinner bottom sole. I jokingly call my 3 iron the “knife” and well it sorta looks like one. A thin sole does not promote or achieve much bounce. Bounce in long clubs is important if you don’t have a very compact and repeatable swing, especially when coming out of the rough. Long irons tend to close down when gnarly grass gets between the face and the ball. Another drawback to long irons is that they are tougher to “frame” the face with the ball. The lack of loft and the length of the club tend to make the ball look smaller than it is. To get the ball airborne and flying a respectable distance you will need to have ample clubhead speed to overcome the clubs lack of loft. Failure to achieve proper clubhead speed will result in a “hot” low shot, which will usually end up in trouble. The development of the Hybrid golf club helped conquer some of the inherent difficulties of striking long distance shots that fell between that of irons and woods.

The hybrid is a mixture between a wood and an iron. The key to a hybrid is that it has the best qualities of both, and it really is easy to adapt to your game.

The typical hybrid replaces a long iron. It does this by being similar in length, while more substantial in head size. Again the most notable feature is the bounce and depth of the club. While it has less depth than a wood, compare a hybrid to an iron and whoa! The increase in overall depth allows for a lower center of gravity and an increased MOI.  So it really gets the ball airborne.

Check this out. A great video from Titleist, and PGA Pro Todd Anderson from Sea Island Golf Club in Georgia..

What’s interesting now is that Golf Club Manufactures have invested millions of dollars to “help” people improve their games by getting science into the game. MOI, perimeter weighting, adjustable weights, nan0-technology shafts, metals that weren’t even known about 5 years ago. Today, Supercomputers simulate every possible action that a golf head, shaft and even grip will or could experience.  Faster, longer, higher, straighter. All in the chance that “perfection” can be purchased as apposed to earned. In some ways I commend the attempt, in others I despise the notion that “technology” replaces fundamental teaching or hard work.

When to get “into” the game

The realist in me understands the importance of “new” technology. If it can make the learning curve easier, then I am all for it. But if technology (and it does exist) allows people to take shortcuts, I feel that it dilutes the game. Growing up in the game I had one natural advantage. I had the height to have a big arc…which then allowed me to generate lots of clubhead speed. This advantage resulted in the ability to hit big long shots. It was not uncommon for me to be 20-40 yards longer off the tee, or 1-2 clubs less for approach shots. Now my advantage also had its drawbacks. I lacked some of the motor skills of shorter/smaller players, as my Center of Gravity was well above theirs.  I had difficulty in controlling my short game shots, but I had to learn how to play….I had to practice, and that meant 1000’s of balls. My skills improved by development, technology didn’t give me “Amazing Powers”…Today I see people with less talent and ability achieve through technology what I did by working on the game and understanding the principles of the swing. Am I bitter? Not exactly, but I’m afraid that many young golfers won’t have to learn the game at a young age, and that is sad. Today’s clubs will hit it longer, straighter and have more stopping power around the greens than at any time during golf’s long history. The science of the game is being viewed from every aspect, and even though I feel that you should work your way to lower scores…I can’t stop you from buying some.

Ultimately I feel that technology provides a better product for 90% of the golfers playing the game today. I feel this because I see the inspiration that can come from a high handicap golfer hitting those extra fairways.  Or the older golfer still being able to play a par four as a par four. The technology available today increases the chance that an ordinary golfer can achieve an extra-ordinary outcome.  The sweet misery the game of golf can provide, suddenly becomes a triumph over that ‘monster’ hole by use of superiorly designed clubs, matched for the user.

So when do I buy into the new technology?

Take a look at your current set of clubs. How old are they? If you have steel shafts in your woods, then I think for sure it is a time to change. If your irons barely cover the golf ball, then yep it’s time.  If Sam Sneed or Hagen is written anywhere on the club…then go get something “new”.

I feel that you should get irons every 4-6 years if you play more than twice a week in season. The key is to determine how much golf you play or will play. Woods should be changed every 2-4 years, or at least re-shafted. Putters are the only clubs that I think you should monitor as needed. My putter is over 40 years old, and they can’t make one like her…seriously they lost the metallurgy for the original Wilson 8802 and though tried, never duplicated.

The best thing going is that you can upgrade technology for not a lot of cash…If you have clubs from (gasp) the 1990’s or earlier you can get into a set of  early 2000’s  irons for about $150 on ebay. These clubs will have perimeter weighting, oversized heads, and maybe graphite shafts…and that’s the beauty of the game, as long as people can imagining buying a game, they will chase the newest and greatest, often selling off their past conquests.  Even buying a previous years model (2009’s) you can see a 30-50% discount off of suggested retail. So you don’t have to spend big $$ on the newest…just buy something “newer”…

It will change your game…they have the science to make you a Six Million Dollar man…all you have to do is buy the right tools.

Golf shafts are the engine of the golf club.  They come in all sizes, lengths, colors and materials. The key is to find one that maximizes your swing potential and delivers repeatable outcomes.

Hickory to Graphite

The first shaft were made of wood, hickory was a prime choice because it did’t brake as often and had a supple feel resulting in a “springy” kick. Hickory shafts provided ultimate feel in comparison to other natural materials. Eventually people got sick of replacing the broken shafts and steel was a logical choice.

Steel shafts were born out of the “steel” revolution in the early 1900’s.  Although difficult to manufacture, and heavier than hickory shafts, the steel shaft came to replace natural wooden shafts due to the ability to mass produce a somewhat consistent product.  By 1931 True Temper was born and they still continue to make most of the steel golf shafts found in clubs today.

Graphite shafts started showing up in the early 1970’s. They were expensive and very technical. People had early misgivings. But as in all things, technology transformed the golf shaft. Today almost every Driver, fairway wood and hybrid are graphite shafted.  Many iron sets are still made of steel, but again technology has made steel even stronger and lighter. Graphite has become mainstream, the main reason is that graphite can be ridiculously light-weight and mass produced within very tight specifications. Top golfers still depend on steel shafts for their irons, due to the “feel” and the accuracy of steel in higher swing speeds.  Graphite is well served by the majority of golfers (which means you!)

Parts of the shaft

The golf shaft is a tapered tube, between 34″-48″ in length.  The end of the shaft that has the largest diameter is known as the butt.  This is where the grip is applied.  The opposite end of the shaft is the tip.  This is the smaller diameter of the tube, and is where the shaft is attached to the clubhead.

Shaft Flex and Weight

Shafts are labeled by shaft flex and weight. Shaft flex is determined by the amount of “bend” under a load. Clubs that bend (who said you didn’t need to know physics) more at a slower swing speed are designated L-Lady, A-Senior and R-Regular. Clubs that are less likely to bend need more clubhead speed and are designated S-Stiff or XS-Extra Stiff. Swing speed is one component that decides shaft flex. If you have a slow swing speed, a more flexible shaft is needed to provide the needed launch angle to achieve maximum distance. Faster swing speeds need a shaft that bends less, and a lower torque to achieve the desired outcome. Golfers need to swing as flexible a shaft that they can control.

Weight of a shaft is another important variable. Imagine that you had a 10 pound hammer, and you nailed roofs for a living. After a while I’m sure that hammer would become heavy. What would happen if you showed up for work and a salesman had a 8 pound hammer. It would be lighter, you could swing it for longer, and it got the job done. The next day a salesman had a 6 pound hammer…you get the idea.  Lighter is better (sometimes). It does a few things

1. It increases clubhead speed
2. It allows for lighter more technical clubheads

The main goal of going with a lighter shaft is to increase clubhead speed.  Increased speed can result in longer shots. (Can result? Well that is another post, if shaft weight was the only thing that increased distance we’d all be swinging nano carbon shafts which are like $400 a pop and Tiger and Streelman wouldn’t be so long anymore!) It should also be noted that other components of the golf club can reduce the weight of the club like the grip and clubhead materials.

Typical Steel Iron shafts weigh about 130 grams and a typical Graphite Iron shaft is about 80 grams. As far as woods go, unless you are like me with steel shafted 4 wood(seriously I’m going to change…I promise!) all you can get is graphite. Most Graphite shafts are around 70 grams, with ultra-lites costing you some $$$ getting down in the 50’s for weight.

Kick Point

Where the shaft bends along the length of the shaft is the kick point. If the shaft bends more towards the butt end of the shaft it is said to have a “High” kick point. It results in a lower trajectory and lower spin of a golf ball at impact. A shaft that bends closer to the tip is called a “Low” kick point. Low kick point shafts “help” get the ball up, promotes a higher launch angle and more spin. Unless you are a low handicap golfer, the kick point of a club is a factor you can forget about. FYI the difference in kick point location is about 4-6″, so unless you are super technical, don’t worry about kick points….yet.

For more information about shafts check out Golf Shaft 201

I make it a habit to check the following:

1. Grips.  Are they worn?  Which ones?  Usually the diver and wedges are the most worn.  The driver is due to the grip it and rip it mentality.  A common grip issue causes the “user” —that means you—to grip the club too tight, then during the back-swing the hands come off the grip, resulting a re-grip on the downswing, which causes friction–and wear on the grip. Also check to see if you have a ware mark where your thumb rests on the grip (this is a sign of the re-grip). The wedges are next due to the number of times that club is used.  The more you use a certain club during a swing, the more that grip gets worn!

Replace any grips that have visual signs of being worn.  Also check to see if the grips are slick, worn grips get slick! If you currently have tour wraps or 1/2 or full cords, there is a little trick I use to get a couple more months of use. Get a sheet of fine grit sandpaper.  Lightly twist the sandpaper around the grip.

If you need to replace more than 3 grips, get them all done, its worth the $4-$8 per grip.

2. Next I want you to check the shafts.  Look for any defects.  Dent’s, nicks, Rust?!…Graphite shafts will start to show wear by the protective finish fading or flaking.  If your woods are graphite (almost all are nowdays) look about 5 inches below the hosel.  This is where contact is being made with the iron clubheads.  If your headcovers do not have a protective sock, then you are more likely to have some damage to the shaft from clubs rubbing against the shaft.

NOTE if you have graphite shafts for your irons, and you hit a lot of balls on driving range mats, you need to pay special attention to the area immediately above the hosel. The walls of the hosel (which are metal) grind with the epoxy to form a cutting like motion at that point.  Most clubs that I have repaired that were graphite shafted irons had clean breaks due to constant “ball banging” on the “favorite” club.

Check the clubheads.  Look for loose heads, the club should not twist with moderate twisting of the head and the shaft. Anything that feels loose should be taken to a club repair technician.  Take time to clean out the groves as well.

3. Clean out the bag. Take out everything.  Old scorecards, tees, trash, coins or markers.  Most bags have wadded up gloves…pitch them.  If they are wadded up, they are more than likely to have lost their soft subtle feeling.  Count the number of divot repair tools….YOU SHOULD have 3 to 4 in your bag.

Make sure that you add a little carry pouch.  This should hold your markers, and divot repair tools.  I also have a little bag with athletic tape and band-aids.  Krazy glue is a nice touch…never know when you might need it.

Get rid of all those “JAR BALLS”.  If the balls in your bag are older than 2 years, place them in your shag bag, or save them for the range.  Balls with major scuffs, will not fly true; and are not recommended for play (later posts will tell you why).

Now that your bag and clubs are cleaned up, lets plan on making it a winning bag for 2010!