Buying new Clubs

[chipsandegg]

Can anyone help me??? My Irons are ping G5,s and i have enjoyed them since ive had them, they have helped my game loads but now im at a bit of a crossroads in my game. i still hit my G5'S well so im not looking to replace them because im not getting along with them, im wanting to replace them for Blades as i think it will help my game a lot and move me onto the next level. The thing is, ive decided i would like to buy some Ping S58 Irons and ive now been to the range and tried out a demo club 3 times. each time i dont seem to hit the ball any better than my G5'S. I am aware that its a totally different club.. Bladed,stiff flex and wasnt custom fitted as mine my G5's are. I suppose my question is, can anyone tell me how long it would take to start seeing an improvement in my ball striking and also am i going in the right direction?? Im currently playing to about 12 but its is my short game that is letting me down and stopping me reaching "the land of milk and honey" (single figure Handicap) Id appreciate any help.

 

[TonyN]

Welcome to the forum chipsandegg!

Think you sort of answered your own question.

A) Your hitting your irons well, why change? Its the simple want factor. We all want blades but it isn't going to improve our game.

B) If you have tried another club and its no better, then again, why change? Have you tried any other brands like mizuno, callaway or taylormade. dont have to be blades but just a different manufacturer

C) You say your short game is letting you down. PRACTICE, you only get out what you put in. In my opinion the short game is where you can make the biggest cut to your scores. Since I started practicing a few hours a week, my scores have dropped by about 10 shots.

 

[USER1999]

Why are you going to strike the ball better with a more bladed club? You might get a different flight, but better, no.
With 'game improving' clubs, the emphasis is on having a low cg, which gets the ball up quicker, and peripheral weighting, which makes off center hits more forgiving.
With a 'players' club, these aids are removed, so working the ball (draw or fade) is easier (as are massive slices and hooks), and they require more skill to get airborne (any one who has tried a bladed two iron can tell you this).
If anything, you are likely to hit the ball worse, as it will reveal flaws in your swing.
Bear in mind a lot of pros still play cavity backs (Monty for one).
To move your game to the 'next level', practice your chipping and putting. Blades will not help. Fun, yes, help, no.

 

[theeaglehunter]

Sound advice Tony and Murph. I agree entirely there doesn't seem to be any need to change, unless you really feel that not being able to work the ball as much as you would like is inhibiting your game then you will only make life harder for yourself. As for what Murph was saying about tour pros using cavity backs that is spot on, Lee Westwood was spotted with a G10 2 and 3 iron on the practice range at the US open and had a few i10 clubs in his bag during the tournament itself. Whilst we all dream of using bladed clubs the reality is they will only make the game harder and less enjoyable unless you are of a level where you can really do them justice and my personal opinion on that is until I am off 5 or less I will refrain from purchasing blades.

Oh and before I forget- welcome to the forum.

 

[StuartD]

Welcome to the forum.

I would agree with the other guys and keep your G5's. You will certainly need them for your longer irons

Are you using a G5 PW and SW?

If you are you may want to try some specialist wedges from various manufacturers. This could help improve your feel around the greens and help your short game.

 

[chipsandegg]

hi tony,
thanx for the advice. the reason i am/was considering changing is because i thought by using bladed clubs i would be able to start improving on the quality of strike.i have been told that i will struggle if i start trying to work or shape the ball with the clubs that i have and this is the main reason why i was considering the change. my G5's sit very clumpy looking behind the ball which im not over keen on also, which was another reason for the considered change. just out of curiosity if i were to change then how long would you say it would normally take to get used to a new set of irons ? thanx for your help, its much appreciated

 

[Nico]

Mate,take the hint and dont worry about changing just yet. I use blades but it is partly vanity as they are so hard to hit,especially the long irons.

A new set of irons should fit you right away otherwise why would you buy them? Spend the money on some specialist wedges and a few short game lessons.

I look forward to hearing how your handicap progresses!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm not sure blades are the holy grail in terms of ball striking. In my opinion and having been low single figures with butter knife blades in the 80's I'd rather have a club that gave me some margin for error on mis-hit shots.

If you a still serious about changing, and given your choice of Ping so far, have you looked at the I10's?

 

[chipsandegg]

hi,
thanx for the welcome and the advice

 

[chipsandegg]

hi,
thanks for thew advice. i am using bladed wedge and sand wedge as i much prefer them and feel so much more confident of a good clean strike than using my G5'S. when i say short game i meant really my putting. its a part of my game ive never had lessons in until last week and the improvements are noticable already.

 

[chipsandegg]

thanks Nico

 

[chipsandegg]

hi Homer
I dont fancy the i10, to be honest, i dont have a problem about hitting blades. especially the S58'S as i feel my ball striking with my irons is ok. i just wondered as to whether i would gain anything by exchanging my G5'S for them. i just fancied getting away from that clumpy looking club.

 

[USER1999]

You gain a sexy looking club, basically, that is hard to hit. Buy them, hang them on the wall, and polish them occasionally, and you will be very happy.
Working the ball is the most over hyped thing in golf. There is no need to do this to play to low single figures.

A bit like Nico, I also play blades. I love the look of them. They have not improved my golf in any way.

Putting is everything.

 

[The23rdman]

Chips, why not make a transition. Try out some of the more player oriented irons with smaller amounts of offset, narrower soles and thiner top lines. There are loads out there fitting this description that'll be a good stepping stone from the G5's.

 

[chipsandegg]

thats why i tried the s58's.. although they are described as full blades and have quite a compact head they are like half cavity backed. the club i used, at first i was hitting my own 6 iron a lot better at first as you would expect but the more i hit the s58 the better i strted to hit it (obviously) the demo club i used was a stiff shaft, an inch shorter and a standard lie so i suppose it was going to take some getting used to. thanks for your help. im chuffed ive found this site, some top people on it

 

[mboy1980]

I got Custom Fitted for a set of S58's in January at the Ping Fitting Centre at St.Andrews.

£600 I paid for them.

Big mistake.I play off 6 at the moment and to be honest I struggled with them.It was a combination of getting them 2 degrees upright and the bladed design.

I have had standard lie and cavitys all my life and the change was too much.

I traded them in to Golfbidder and got £350 back and bought a set of I10's from for £399 (4-PW) with standard lie angle.Obviously I lost £250 but at the end of the day I have a set of irons I am happy with and am hitting consistently well.

The only regret I have is not getting the G10's for my 4 and 5 irons.That's the beauty of Ping.They will let you mix and match your irons.

The moral of the story? - Make the game as easy as possible.

 

[TonyN]

Murph is right, Working the ball is so overhyped, yes it looks good to do but how often will you be playing huge draw or fades??? Slight ones to get you round obstacles yeah maybe, but you can do this with a progressive set of clubs.

I really think you have your heart set on new clubs so have yo u considered the titleist AP2's?

 

[RGuk]

I don't think blades will be the way forward. I honestly believe that a cavity-backed club is the most sensible option for most average players. There may be some irons that don't give the purest strike and are hard to shape....but G5s don't strike me as that kind of club.

I've used cavity backed for years (not an out and out improver iron) and have no problem deliberately shaping shots. In fact, I tend to visualise 50% of my iron shots having some sort of movement one way or the other.

If you play off 12, I'd say you have some way to go before searching for the holy grail of irons.

I had some Mizuno blades....sure the odd shot was better and the feel was sublime, but the bad ones were terrible; at least with my current set, the ball still gets most of the distance and the wonky shots not too off target.

The next level for you sounds like hitting it straighter and getting better at up n downs. Until you are hitting 8,9 10,11? greens or so a round and off 6 (ish) I don't see where you are coming from.

 

[chipsandegg]

hi tony,
The Titleist ap2's were one of the clubs tried but i wasnt overkeen. i wanted to try the ZB but they didnt have them as a demo club. judging from what yourself and the guys have told me on here i think id better have a rethink about my G5'S. like i say, i couldnt hit hit the ball and crisper i just thought that to progress with my game i would need to get some "players clubs" but it would appear there is no need. i will keep hitting the S58 demo clubs down at the range but may hang fire on actually shelling out £600 for any. i think finding this website may have saved me a few quid.. cheers guys i shall but you all a pint next time i see you all

 

[chipsandegg]

thanbks for your help Dave. Ive taken all the comments onboard and will probably have a rethink. your advice is much appreciated.