As I am looking for a NEW golf set
i am also looking for a new set of woods!

After taking a trip down to American Golf
i looked at the

Taylormade R9 - Matching fairway wood
Nike SQ Dymo - Matching fairway wood
Callaway FT-IQ - Callaway Diablo Fairway Wood
Titleist 909 D2 - Matching fairway wood

any replys are welcome?

I have recently parted company with a Titleist 907 Driver and Ping Ping G10 Fairways.

In place of those I now have a full compliment of Titleist 909s. I have a 10.5° D2 Driver and 15.5° & 18.5° F2 Fairways and also a nice 21° Hybrid.

Went to the fitting centre at Brampton for it and made sure I got what worked best for me. Pretty much stock Voodoo Shafts in Stiff Flex.

Can't believe how Night & Day they were to my old clubs, which I thought I hit pretty well. The 909s are massive improvements for me.

Peter, whatever you eventually decide upon, make sure you try them all before hand. Also custom fitting would be of great benefit too.

Peter,

Don'T get me wrong, but you play of 18 yet we keep getting all these posts on "which this and which that to get?" be it stand bags, irons, putters, and now drivers? on any other occasion i would announce this as spam but for the fact your no linking anything!

So now i ask my question " Are you carrying some sort of survey or research?" or do you genuinely not have a clue on what gear to get?

Please don't take this the wrong way and if your genuine then even more so, only with the amount of spam we have had on here lately i'm starting to get a whiff

Paul.

Hello Paul,
Thanks for your reply and to let you know i am genuine
its just currently im using
Mizuno MX560 Driver
Mizuno F60 Fairway
Mizuno CLK Fli Hi Hybrid
Callaway X20 Irons
Nike SV Wedge
Ping Answer Putter!

And i am after a new set. But i am wondering what everyones views are on the lastest equipment!!

Anymore replys are welcome

With regard to the irons thread you posted,

Trust me in saying take Dave Ley's advice...... He's the finest striker off the ball i have meet on golfshake plus he's in the business and knows he stuff, so if he Say's get the Nike's if i we're you i would take that advice as its totally honest,and imparcial.

Paul.

If you have reached a Handicap of 18(pending 12) inside a year, I would stick with the clubs you have as they seem to suit you and your undoubted natural ability.

I have been in the golf business for 20 years, club fitter using the very latest technology,teacher of golf and up to date on all the latest equipment and i totally disagree with Paul.

He said take David Ley's advice but why would a so called expert convice a 20 handicap golfer to play with blades,total nonsense to me. Obvously David Ley thinks I'm speaking out of turn,but after speaking to lot of teaching pros I can assure you that using blades is not advisable for a high handicap golfer, as these kind of clubs are so much harder to hit than the modern day cavity backs.  You will get more feel from a forged blade, but the forgiveness in a cavity back is undeniable.

Forged blades, in my opinion, will not improve your golf only hinder those of a higher handicap. So why try them?

I think you're on the right track with taylor made drive and fairway woods. The R9 is a superb driver and the fairway woods to match are in a league of their own. They sit flat on the ground when most other manufacturers are concave.

When you try them you will see where I'm coming from.

Regards martin

This guy must be doing market research or a survey of some kind.

However i cant see past the R9's myself, they are the most advanced in terms of technology and performance. But every player is different so it depends on what you are looking for from the club (performance, ball flight, type of shaft etc..)

There are plenty of people on here who work in the business so there are plenty of opinions flying about, so you are bound to get a mixed bag of advice.

Martin,

Golf is an individual sport, and my weaknesses don't lie in my ball striking capability, more so in my course management, And going for the " 1 in 10 shot".

At my home course i easily play to 16 if not better, but in the summer of 2008 i realised what my weaknesses were and decided to play tougher tracks hence the handicap as shot up as I've only played half a dozen rounds on the home course since July but say 30 elsewhere. In this i'm trying to conquer my confidence issues, course management and the mental side of the game.

Being a pro, i would have thought would would remain imparcial until seeing my swing for yourself rather than making an "off the cuff" judgement above my ability??

For the record I'd take Dave's advice over yours any day of the millenium, you seem not to offer a real objective argument but just argue for argument sake?

From past dealing with you i gather you are of an age where we did not have all this technology to hand and players had to learn the game with standard equipment, IE meaning it is possible to do so.

Dave did NOT recommend the blades to me, if you do your research on the matter you will see i wished to see if i was capable of hitting blades, managed to get the right set and Dave purely pointed out it was POSSIBLE to play them!

Regards Paul.

Nick,

I have that same feeling.

Objective arument dont make me laugh Paul 20 handicaper using blades.

Give me a break.sorry still laughing

Is that a pro laughing at a perspective pupil then? is that the way you treat people of all abilities,

Before you start shooting down my handicap, POST YA BLOODY OWN! Mine is not a true reflection and if I'd have stayed a club golfer it would be a lot lower, but to be able to play one course to me is false, so whilst i have been playing since Oct 07, i think getting down from 28 - 16 in a year is not laughable. 

Arument is spelt argument.

Now what are you trying to achieve, if you wish to continue to attempt to try and ridicule me then carry on.....

I have noT GOT A HANDICAP  as you well know so dont play that card with me. using blade clubs is nothing short of disgraceful but you can please yourself and believe what ever you want i was only giving advice

You wasn't giving me advice, nothing short of taking the piss out of me for which i'm offended by your manor again Martin.

If you don't have a handicap then your asking us to take your word that your a scratch golfer, but on the other hand don't accept mine that at my home course can play easily to 16 therefore in near reach of blades?

It swings both ways Martin.

To put this argument to bed, when I started serious golf in 1959, cavity backed clubs were still in the womb, so to speak, only bladed clubs were manufactured and every player in that era had to learn to strike them.

It is is pity that we are unable to benefit from the quality clubs that were made during this period. If you seriously think that the modern irons are better, then I am afraid you are being conned.

I would love to play with some of the sets that I owned years ago, they had everything I needed in a club and strange as it may sound, even the pros were still shooting low numbers with this equipment. The standards of golf have not improved with all this so called technology and marketing hype we are constantly being bombarded with.

Martin, Paul,

The debate is over which clubs would be most suited for Peter, NOT who is qualified to give advise or not.

Personal insults meant out side of friendly banter have no place on this forum. Heed the lessons learnt from previous  exchanges.

John, my 'Lee Travino' Greenside' blades of 20 odd years ago were much easier to hit than the latest Nike blades (cant remember the model) I tried last year. They just dont seem to make any clubs like they did any more, or it might be because the lofts have been strengthened beyond the average golfer .. or it could be I am not as athletic as I was then ...  Lol

Why do people constantly live in the past on these forums technology is making golf easier for the people who play this game as a hobbie and thats all it is im afraid guys unless you see yourselfs going from playing off 24 or what ever it may be to playing professionally. As Martin said about the blades i would not reccomend blades to a 20 handicap golfer and probaly would'nt to a guy playing off 5 or below why make yourself have to hit it perfecly all the time to get the best performance out of the club no matter how much you practice hitting balls or get lessons bad shots will always occour no matter how good or bad you are at ball striking lets face your only as good as your bad shot and your bad shot with a cavity i.e tour burner will be so much better than a bad shot with a blade. In my opinion blades are a thing of the past technology has moved beyond blades. But we all want to try differant things i know alot of really good low handicap golfers who dont use blades they use big bertha 04's for the reason that they give them the best bad shot.

I do believe that the lofts have been strengthened over the years if only to back up the claims of the manufacturer that their clubs go further than someone elses. When will people realise that it is not the distance that is important, as each club can be made to hit varying distances.

Nothing on the market at the present time is turning me on, just mass produced overpriced crap.

I watched a young man at Staverton yesterday power a ball off the first tee like you cannot imagine, thinking to myself how nice i would be to be able to play off drives of that length. I was surprised to find out after speaking to him later on that he had scored far less points than me and Iam the worst driver of a golf ball in the world.

He hit the ball so high that it is impossible to be able to control the forward distance, so everything is hit and hope. All these new game improvement clubs follow this line, getting the ball in the air, but that in itself brings its own problems, which I have already stated.

With regards to advice on this wonderful game, we all have our own ideas as to what the swing should look like, what the ball flight should be and how to achieve these things. The Pros, because of their natural abilities have cornered this market because it was the only outlet for their inabilities to be able to make it as a touring professional.

Passing on any form of coaching is a gift and cannot be learned, that is why I do not hold much stock in the present PGA system of allowing young players of limited ability to be able to pass a coaching course and then qualify to teach others.

Pros say they are scratch but quite honestly how many of them really are. When I could play a bit there was not one club pro in my region that would have been able to live with me, and the reason for this is that they did not play as often as I did and certainly never under competition siutations. For reasons known only to them they did not make the grade and wished to stay in the game as a club pro earning a living by teaching and selling golf equipment.

Now of course that is a hard business, as they have all this competition from hard nosed salesmen in shops.

I think the point being made is it is down to personal choice. Peter will know what feels best by trying all and everything, then making his choice.

We, being individuals, will never all have the exact same veiw on every topic. That does not make some lot wrong and the other lot right. Its just a difference of opinion. Nobody can tell Peter what to do, only give their opinion. Peter comes across as mature and sensible enough to weigh up different peoples thoughts and make his own judgement independantly.

David, you are a gifted young man who has not realised that golf has been played for a long while before you were born, and because of that you have no knowledge of what the equipment was like or available to the normal player.

Everyone had to play blades and it is worth noting that the highest handicap ever allowed was 24.

The scoring has not improved with all these latest gimmicks, and that is all they are.

John honestly why do you insist on talking to me like i dont know anything about golf i know everyone used blades before but technology like everything in this world has moved on just like cars,tv's everything has become better stop living in the past.

David, it is your insistence that everything must be better because of technology which is grating with me and as I do have personal experiences of playing this game with equipment that you think is inferior, and I can only assume that you think this because even you find it difficult, with your skills, to be able to use them, much preferring the easy way out with the modern cavities.

I took my old persimmon driver down to my local range a couple of weeks ago and jokingly said to one of the teaching pros, "have a go with a real golf club".

He knocked it to the back of the range with a beautiful trajectory and was gobsmacked, as that was the first time he had ever hit a ball with one. My persimmon driver I have owned for 45 years and a real player would still be able to use it.

You will never convince me that spending £300 on a driver is the answer to my inability to drive. I know what my problem is, but unfortunately the doctors have not been able to cure the problem, so I am stuck with it.

It is my opinion that new technologies in most sports are not aimed at helping the sportsman play the game but to sell new products. I believe that, say, cavity backs were not invented to help the likes of high handicappers like me because the manufacturers had my best interests at heart, but because they saw this as a marketting tool to earn more money.

New technology can help golfers who are not naturally talented gifted strikers of the ball, but it is only pushed to sell more stuff. BUT that is only my opinion. It is neither right nor wrong. Just my opinion.

Paul.

I have not traded insults with Martin, but feel like i have the right to be insulted with this and another thread going.

Do you think that after the last time i would be daft enough to rise to another's boredom?

Anyway let me tell a little story.: A 21 handicapper played the P.G.A. NATIONAL today with a set of 20 year old maruman blade's, he then went on to beat his personal best by 2 strokes and get an eagle on the par 5 second, wedge in from 100yards.

The shame is the score could have been so much more and my partner will agree (moderator Perry)His also bar the fact we we're playing out of our skins on the front nine, then ran into a fourball on the 10Th. And probably due to the fact the we're trying to enjoy the most of the belfry experience we're putting out everything even 2". The problem with this was they we're proper hackers and on every hole we we're lucky if we had to wait 5 minutes. So out concentration seemed to go down hill, but in the end we should have been able to ignore it by now.

Anyway i had a great day on the blade's today.............

Paul.

Paul, don't listen to people who attempt to ridicule your abilities without ever having seen you strike a ball.

I knew the blades would suit you, as you are a pure striker and once you learn how to keep the basics simple, when caution should be the watchword and fully understand that trajectory is a very important aspect of this game you will become the player I know you wish to become.

Well done today, I know how frustrating it can be when your rhythm is interrupted by a slower match in front causing you to wait, with muscles stiffening up and concentration becomes interrupted.

Paul and Martin, was just giving a gentle reminder before things got out of hand ...

Paul, good for you. Do you think you will play the blades full time now, or will you phase them in over time, or not at all?

Phase them in until i realise i'm kidding myself and go back to the modern h/handicapper clubs.

If your scoring well, then I dont see that as kidding! But as you said somewhere earlier, only you will know if they will benifit your enjoyment of the game or not.

Which ever way you choose, I wish you every success in getting your handicap going in the right direction.

John cheers.

On the second green i gave a dance to rival if not better your robot

The thing being as the green was elavated i had a feeling it dropped as i saw it hit the pin be was uncertain, so that feeling of walking up and seeing my bridgestone sat in the bottom of the cup will be unrivalled for a long time to come.

To go with that hitting a beautifully struck blade and seeing the results was priceless........... i just want more, so the missus as agreed i can play three times a week.......Bonus.

John, I think the point you are missing with David is that not everyone has the ability/dedication to hit something like a blade. Obviously better players, or more consistent ball strikers benefit more from a smaller clubhead, but not everyone hits the ball well. It is a FACT that modern clubs are easier to hit, yes they have been delofted and over hyped but they do help. And they are overpriced (except the last few days LOL) but as in all walks of life, something is only worth what people are willing to pay for it.

And as for the standard being lower now, you are right, however there are far more people playing now and as stated before not everyone has the time/dedication to get to a "good" standard, more than enough people are just happy to get out when they can, and enjoy themselves without wanting to get a single figure handicap.

Lastly going back to one of your points;

"I do have personal experiences of playing this game with equipment that you think is inferior, and I can only assume that you think this because even you find it difficult, with your skills, to be able to use them, much preferring the easy way out with the modern cavities."

Why is it a bad thing using easier to hit clubs, its not the easiest game at the best of times, so why take a club that is harder to use, you will only suffer for it. Like with your driving for example, if someone could manufacture a club that would help you find more fairways (even with your medical problems) would you really say no? Just for the sake of forcing yourself to "hit the club properly"???

Thank you Nick, for a nice reasoned response. I play with players of all scoring abilities but I tend to think that even some of our higher handicappers always strike the ball nice and crisply, they fail to score well for the  many other reasons that make this game difficult.

I do't feel that playing with anything that is meant to cover up a poor action is the way to go. These game improvement clubs and I use a set myself X14 steelheads have limitations in what one can achieve with them, so this stunts the growth of the player wishing to improve.

No one would be happier than me if there was such a thing as a driver that I could send down the fairway 200 yards every time. The problem is between my ears, as I have a brain that is trying to tell my body to do something which it is now incapable of doing. I probably need to see a shrink.

"I probably need to see a shrink."  

I would get an estimate first John probably run into thousands!!!!!

Dave,

How did you get on whilst being "grounded"? I really enjoyed my "Ungrounded day"  

The blades are coming on although i now realise if i try and belt the back out of them i will slice them

So like you said, nice and easy and down into the back of the ball, works a treat. So much so that the par 3 8th on the p.g.a where i have taken anything from a driver,3wood, 4,5,6 iron, today managed a lovely 7 iron onto the fringe about 10 feet short.

Still haven't had the balls or time to try the 1 iron yet, but know i want get much out of it so its defo yours.

Paul.

I know no golf for me, wasn't really a problem  Paul spent some Qt with my little girls. I took them out to the forestry for a couple of hours, couldn't believe they found their way home! Got my seven year old swinging her clubs today she's really coming along.She's hitting her cut down 5 wood 250yrds which I thought wasn't bad, anyways I promised her a new set for her birthday in May.I'm going to build her a set of Wishon Blades 2-PW with X100's using the latest technology and as a so called expert I should have her on the LPGA Tour by the Time she's 12, a long side my other student.

I can confirm that not only did Williams take an eagle on the second with a 100 yard wedge (and he ran to the green to confirm it went in, not walked!) but he is striking the Maruman blades very well.  I can also confirm that his problems are between the ears and not in his swing. 

We were both playing well today (I was 9 over after 12) until we got stuck behind an inconsiderate 4 ball who were a hole down but would not play us through; it comes to something when a 2 ball has a queue of 4 balls behind them.  My concentration and focus went and I ended up carding a 94 instead of the mid-80 I genuinely felt I was on target for; lost control of my draw and started hooking the irons.  I hate waiting five minutes to take every single shot. 

With my moderating hat on now.  Martin Devlin, if you continue with personal attacks on the forums you'll find yourself unable to post.  You are entitled to your opinion and entitled to post it, but if it continues in the form of the current personal abuse as opposed to reasoned debate (a la John Pettit and Nick Thompson discussing their opposing views on technology on this thread) action will be taken. 

Chris - you're just being silly now.  Williams couldn't possibly run 100 yards/

Hawkins you cheeky bu##er you. This from someone who smokes like a chimney And as more injuries than Samuel.l.Jackson's character in the film unbreakable.

Anyway captain i'd run a mile if i knew i was holing out just to see it. Just starting to get in form and hopefully shape for the north v south(packing up the ciggies)

Paul,

Well done, I've never had an eagle although I was just short of the green in 2 on the par5 18th Saturday.

Stick with the new clubs, I've played 2 rounds with my new ones & have never felt so confident.

Is this the demise of the invincible Mr Perry??

Cheer's John.

They are working well, But nearly every time i put a decent card together he goes and does the same (a part from west mids last week) I even had my 3 wood going off the deck yesterday thanks to a Shawn Clements tip, ball in the middle of my stance and brush the grass. Its this little swing thoughts thats getting my game going.

I've now sorted my driver out thanks to John Pettitts "right arm passive" thought so even Chris admitted yesterday there's nothing in it between us at the moment.

I just hope that now I'll be playing regular my consistency improves.

Paul.

Paul

I stand corrected, if you are lowering your score and playing better golf who am i to argue.

Nice one, Martin, Paul is one of these new breed of very strong young men that seem to be invading the game with their awesome power..

As you know yourself, striking the ball well is only  a part of this game and it is the many other factors required to shoot low numbers that seem to elude most of the golfing population.

Haha these forums crack me up

I am glad you have lightened up at last, David. If you have something to say, then say it, don't be shy.

Make sure you are very careful, though or you might get picked to pieces.

Messers Brown, Flood, Pettitt.  Quit it now.  You're all spoiling for a fight and need to stop baiting each other into it.  You're ALL old enough to know better. 

This is an informal moderation warning before things get out of hand.  Stop before it escalates. 

Chris,

not looking for anything, just amusing the kids

Aw Chris! You just pulled my thread on shaft/head spin rate analysis!

Tim he's a spoil sport, it was much better when Darren was moderating.

Just nipping it in the bud gentleman.  Teacher has spoken, don't make me give out lines......

Shouldn't drink and use forums at the same time.  Apologies to all

Same, HIC, here, HIC

Da  didy da its PERRYRANGER!!

John, I can see where you are coming from. Of course clubs can only do so much, but again it takes time and hard work to develop a sound technique.

I think taking myself as an example might help me put my point across. Im not a good golfer by any means, however i think my swing is OK, but obviously there must be plenty of room for improvent. I have been "playing golf" for about 4 years, however i must average maybe 10 rounds a year. My unofficial handicap is 18, but i think in reality its nearer 22 or so. Id love to get down out of the teens, but unless i play an awful lot more this year and find more time to practice it isnt really going to happen. I have a 7 month old Daughter and work full time, and on my days off my wife usually has plenty that needs doing around the house (proper mans work before anyone starts!!). 

So as you can see i dont get much spare time, and when I do get the time I go for a game. So obviously any help i get from my clubs goes along way, as i cant really spare time to hit the range or see a Pro. Now I would love to be able to hit a set of blades but it aint ever gonna happen. And clubs that cover up my limited technique are all ive got. Again there are plenty of other factors to higher scores, but im sure the clubs i have help keep my scores semi respectable.

But by all means if i had the time and money i would be busting my balls to work on my swing and become a better player, then i would definately look at a set that would help bring on my golf. But until that happens its cavity backs and massive headed woods for me.

Nick, well put. I am in the same boat, with lack of time and money. I don't even consider myself a golfer, but someone who enjoys playing golf. My current dream is to get to an 18 handicap one day. I have limited natural ability striking the ball, I lack confidence, I am inexperienced with course management. But I love the experience when I do get to play. Cavity backs, hybrids, offset woods etc do not make me a better golfer, or help correct the many faults I have, but do make the rounds more enjoyable.

I believe many members on this forum are, or have been, fully dedicated to being the best that they can be ... and my hat is off to them. But there are quite a few of us who cannot afford / commit to that dedication required and so just want to enjoy our hack around once or twice a month just trying to beat our previous 3 figure score, even by just one shot is a success.

Paul,

That is why golf appeals to all of us, whether it be you want to work really hard and put the time in and get down low handicap or just beat your mate every once in a while, its a playing field where we can all play.

"Its not how you get there, but in how many" However we wish to play this game as long as we are true to ourselves then nothing else matters.

Soon i will be back in the bracket where i may struggle to find the time to play so know where your coming from, but i do religiously grab 1/2 hour per day in the back garden working on my swing and driving balls into the kids trampoline netting, otherwise when i do play i wouldn't just be s###, but really s###