Hello! Returning golfer Looking for some club advice

[Spoon]

I'm new to the forum so firstly, hello. Hope you're all keeping well given current circumstances!

Hopefully I'm in the right place for friendly advice, or at least.. Advice

I'm a returning golfer, I've been out of the game for over a decade really. I was quite handy as a junior and could shoot into the high 70's on occasion but stopped playing in my early 20's. I can count rounds on one hand since then and maybe a dozen range visits (I'm now 37). In the last 6 months or so I started going to the range again with a view to getting out on the course and I'm loving it (or was) until lock down. In my time out of the game I've slipped 3 discs in my back and put on a bit of timber so my swing is a little stiffer than it was but I'm still driving over 200yrds, maybe toward 240... I'm working on getting rid of the heavy slice I've acquired though! My short game is still solid enough and with practice my iron striking is getting better again.

Only thing is my clubs on the whole aren't so great. They're my old man's discards from the garage as I sold most of mine when I wasn't playing. Im looking to put together a cheap bag to get me back into things. Right now, just something solid, forging. I've promised my self a fitting when I'm playing more regularly and I can shoot under 90 again.

Irons are probably priority as I'm rocking a very knackered set of pinseeker voodoos with graphite shafts. They're trashed and definitely too whippy for me (I think they may have senior shafts in). I've got the option to get locally (and cheaply) a set of callaway x22's 5-pw, Reg steel Shaft with brand new grips. Or a set of Wilson d100 5-pw, again reg steel Shaft.

Both are in decent nick and same price. Just not sure what would suit me best to get back into the game with? Or maybe you guys would recommend something else that I can get for around £100 2nd hand?

My other dilemma is driver. I have a mint callaway steelhead 3, a srixon w-302, or a Dunlop max. They're all reg flex and 10.5 degrees.
I know they are all either pretty old.. Or not great (in the Dunlops case) but not sure which is gonna be the better option for now? I'm thinking maybe the srixon? The callaway is nice but with an under 300cc head... Not very forgiving.

I'll probably buy 2nd hand ping g10 or something when I can but I'm just buying bit by bit and not wanting to spend much until I'm something like what I was.

Fairway woods, I've again got a steelhead plus 3 and 5 wood and a 4 hybrid... I'll probably stick with them for the time being.

Wedge wise and putter I'm good, they're the only things I kept from a decade ago... And I still like them. So it's just the irons and driver I'm looking for help on.

Any other advice on returning to the game after a long lay off would be great.

Thanks in advance

 

[fundy]

Welcome to the madhouse

The Callaway irons for a ton would be more than fine

Driver wise ideally a 460cc would be your best option (the bigger the more forgiving)

As for the slice, this and the stiffness may be combined

 

[Imurg]

Welcome to the mad house...
For 100 quid I'd go with the X22s.
Use them until, your game returns a little and you'll probably be able to move them on for similar money.
G10 is a good bet. Or even a G5. 2014 Callaway Big Bertha ( the bluish one with the moving weight) can be found d for sensible money - has the benefit of being adjustable
Otherwise...when this rubbish ends - get out and play

 

[Spoon]

Thank you for the responses. OK, I'll go with the callaways. I'd kind of expected the wilsons to be recommended simply because they're newer, but I just want the most reliable right now.

Welcome to the madhouse

The Callaway irons for a ton would be more than fine

Driver wise ideally a 460cc would be your best option (the bigger the more forgiving)

As for the slice, this and the stiffness may be combined

Yep, I think you're right. My shoulder and hip rotation is not as good as it was. I'd started to bring it back to straight through grip adjustment and focusing on swing path and I had my first few lessons booked before lock down too, they're obviously on hold.

Yes, a bigger driver is probably needed too. To be fair, when i middle the steelhead 3 it feels and goes amazing... Its just hard to do that regularly. The srixon and the Dunlop are much easier to hit but still only 420cc.

Welcome to the mad house...
For 100 quid I'd go with the X22s.
Use them until, your game returns a little and you'll probably be able to move them on for similar money.
G10 is a good bet. Or even a G5. 2014 Callaway Big Bertha ( the bluish one with the moving weight) can be found d for sensible money - has the benefit of being adjustable
Otherwise...when this rubbish ends - get out and play

Your right, the callaways will hold value better, the brand new lamkin grips are also a real plus. I'm hoping that fitting will have been earned within a year or so anyway so i'll sell them on then.

Yeh I can't wait to get back to it. luckily we're in the countryside surrounded by fields.... Theres been alot of pitching practice going on!

 

[spongebob59]

What's your budget for the driver ?

 

[i*windows]

to be honest, you cannot go wrong with most irons from the last 10 years, there are not many duff sets out their, so I would buy the ones you like the look of most. Then invest the rest of the money you have in lessons to sort your slice out. Once that's done look at what you need driver wise, or stick with the callaways you have, they are still very good clubs

 

[Spoon]

What's your budget for the driver ?

I'm flexible depending on what's available to be honest. Been as I'm not 100% sure what Shaft and loft would suit me best I want something that I can move on for similar ish money when I've improved to the point of getting fitted. I'm not overly bothered by hitting it miles, like most people I'd rather it was forgiving and went a straight 200 yrds than a banana'd 250.

Maybe 50 - 100?

to be honest, you cannot go wrong with most irons from the last 10 years, there are not many duff sets out their, so I would buy the ones you like the look of most. Then invest the rest of the money you have in lessons to sort your slice out. Once that's done look at what you need driver wise, or stick with the callaways you have, they are still very good clubs

I've got a couple of lessons booked for after lock down. I've managed to get the guy down to £80 for the x22's so I'm going to get them. I've always liked wilsons to be honest, but with nothing to separate them price and condition wise with the callaways, the new grips on the callaways swung it, even though they are quite a bit older.

I do like the steelhead driver, 3 and 5 wood I have but they are just so inconsistent for me at the moment and I need something easy to build my game back up. I might keep them for the odd retro round when I feel more confident I can hit them. The driver head is the size of a modern 5 wood! ?

 

[spongebob59]

I'd suggest you also consider cobra drivers, the fly-z was one of the most forgiving driver I owned. Should be able to find one of these or an early F (maybe F6) in your budgets
.

 

[Spoon]

I'd suggest you also consider cobra drivers, the fly-z was one of the most forgiving driver I owned. Should be able to find one of these or an early F (maybe F6) in your budgets
.

Thanks, I'll look at fly z's

I had a new s3, reg flex in 10.5 in my basket from golf depot.. It sold before I could check out. They've only got 9.5 and stiff flex, which is probably not suitable I think

 

[spongebob59]

Loft is your friend with a driver

 

[IanM]

X22s for that money are well worth it... plenty of modern drivers about for the money you are looking to pay...

From what you've written, you are on a good path! If no lock down, you'd be out testing, which would fill in the blanks!

 

[jim8flog]

THe driver

G10 although pretty good is old tech.

Within a fairly reasonable budget I would look for a driver that you can shaft, head angles etc on

The older versions of these should be less than £50 on ebay. eg TaylorMade R9

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TAYLORMADE-R9-SUPERTRI-DRIVER-10-5-REGULAR-FLEX-FUJIKURA-SHAFT-TADR9078/153868362072?_trkparms=aid%3D1110001%26algo%3DSPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225113%26meid%3D1900e205c8ec429787eeaefae9972c45%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpf%26sd%3D333590360628%26itm%3D153868362072%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851


www.ebay.co.uk/itm/callaway-driver-XR-10-5-degree-Graphite-Project-X-5-5-R-flex/303554388938?hash=item46ad4063ca:g:GbsAAOSwZRFeqZ6z

 

[Spoon]

THe driver

G10 although pretty good is old tech.

Within a fairly reasonable budget I would look for a driver that you can shaft, head angles etc on

The older versions of these should be less than £50 on ebay. eg TaylorMade R9

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TAYLORMADE-R9-SUPERTRI-DRIVER-10-5-REGULAR-FLEX-FUJIKURA-SHAFT-TADR9078/153868362072?_trkparms=aid%3D1110001%26algo%3DSPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225113%26meid%3D1900e205c8ec429787eeaefae9972c45%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpf%26sd%3D333590360628%26itm%3D153868362072%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851


www.ebay.co.uk/itm/callaway-driver-XR-10-5-degree-Graphite-Project-X-5-5-R-flex/303554388938?hash=item46ad4063ca:g:GbsAAOSwZRFeqZ6z

Thanks for the advice, might bid on the xr, maybe more forgiving than the r9?

Your right, I'm also looking at some newer benross drivers, the occasional ping g30 or g series come in between £50 and £100.