I like hearing about peoples progression in their sport, so for people like me here is an update on my golfing exploits....

Some of you may know that I'm very new to this hobby (2 months) - before today I have only had a couple of rounds, I've been having weekly lessons and spending around 8-10 hours a week at the practice facility at my club. Things had been going pretty well. I bought a set of Mizuno MP-32's that were going for a song, I wasn't looking for a replacment for my beginner Wilson irons but the 32's were at an
un-missable price. Chaps on here were understandably saying I should stick with the wilsons and leave the 32's well alone......but I had them so I took them down the range for a test. Whilst there were plenty of duff shots and some stingers, after a couple of days there were no more duff shots than I was getting with my wilsons.......but the good shots felt like heaven and went like a bullet. Something I had never got with the beginner clubs. My swing is still not a natural one.....I find I'm thinking too much about where my hands need to be, as my main issue is I have a bad slice with my longer clubs because I push them out at the top of my swing when coming down. I'm to flat on the way up then I push out and come down from the outside. I'll get this sorted with time !!

Today I decided I would test myself on the course proper to see where I was. I started with a couple of 5's on par 4's....then two 8's on par 4's, I wasn't settled and my swing wasn't smooth. I then lost my pencil and had to keep track of my shots on my phone. Things were going ok - I don't use my driver....because of my slice but I had a few good tee shots with the 'scary to look down at' 3 iron. I had plenty of duff shots....my short game was 'ok' but the part of my game I had practiced least, my putting was on great form - I never had more than two putts on any hole!

When I got home I transferred the scores from my phone to the card....going out totalled to 50....WOW I thought....I might get under 100 on only my first time round this course. The back nine came in at 43.....that's 7 over! and a total of 93... I got my wife to double check it for me......I had got it right. I'm totally gobsmacked but I think that it shows how important my lessons and practice have been to me from the start of my hobby. I'll be back practicing so that I can do it next time with other people with me and the pressure that is sure to bring.

Just thought I would share my day with you guys....and the MP32's are great clubs and I think they will help me get better....but you don't need to be single figure h/c to use them and they look gorgeous

Lewis well done

I have to say you don't need to be a single figure H/C to use them but you do to get the best from them

Stick at it mate and get your Pro to sort out the "going over the top" a.s.a.p and you will see the handicap tumble.

Great going Lewis.

Well done. The dedication and practice are paying off nicely. Keep it up.

Nice one Lewis, you certainly got there a lot quicker than a lot of us.  However, a word of warning, the day will come when the course gets it's own back on you and well and truly kicks you in the teeth - just keep remembering the feeling of hitting that milestone and it'll come back.  Bet there's very few of us on here who have thought about giving it up....  

Tim....I know it will - of that I have no doubt. I already realise thay this game can be torture, but I too have no doubt that I will not want to give it up, I'm the kind of guy who stops doing things when I find them easy......and I think very few people in history have ever found golf easy!

 Thinking about my putting, I only thing I have changed was to reverse the overlap between my left index finger and right little finger so that the index is on top of the little - I also stood closer to the ball which I found helped me go back in a more parallel movement. The only thing that stopped a few single putts was my distance control.

 If next time I go round I shoot 120+ I'll still come back for more

Well done Lewis. Does that mean the Wilson's are redundant?

IF things go well ......then yes

it has to be either YES or NO Lewis, not a maybe.

I would suggest you stick with your mizuno's and pass on the wilsons to your local juniors captain, he'd really appreciate it.

Lewis - just to clarify I think you misunderstood all the comments regarding the MP32s - nobody suggested a high handicapper won't be able to hit good shots with them - you should hit the same number of good shots and bad shots no matter what club you use.

The point was about how those bad shots come off the club - with an MP32 a bad shot from 150 could leave you with 100 yards to the green because it's unforgiving on bad shots. The same bad shot with a game improver club could see you on the green putting for birdie. That is the basis of answering your 'what club should I chose' question.

I'd still stand by that, but if you really love a club then you should use what you feel comfortable with and it sounds like you  just love the MP32s and so I say why not use them even if they are not the 'right' club for you 'technically'.

If a club inspires you and makes you want to hit balls (you won't get that from a cavity back) then I think that more than accommodates any extra forgiveness you'd get from game improvers.

I trust you've already figured out that a good shot will feel a million times better with your 32s than a pure strike with a fat ugly shovel of a cavity back

Congrats on the round!

I'll keep the wilsons for a few rounds yet, just incase I had a really good day, I need to get a confident,repeatable good swing......I'll put the work in to make that happen so I will be able to use them properly.

Jonny, the bad shots definatly were worse with the 32's and the better shots I did not even feel the ball during the strike, It was like it wasn't there.....but the ball went like a rocket. I just need to minimise the bad shot as much as possible, that's where my practice and the passage of time will help

 I'll echo what Jonny P said. Once you've got a reasonable strike going you'll enter another plateau which is equally as testing: although you will get a greater feeling of control with the blades the club selection is crucial (and you must know how far you hit each iron with any particular type of shot) as there is no blaming the equipment for what seems a 'short' 7 iron or a 'long' 7 iron, the reason for that will be either a better  or lesser swing/strike.

Tottally agree with you there Patrick

I know how you feel Lewis regarding hitting them sweet, when I first got my forged clubs and hit them out of the sweetspot I could have sworn I'd just had an airshot it was only the fact that the ball wasn't still in the place it was prior to my swing that convinced me I had hit it, and it creates another learning curve because you do "feel" the shot the more you do it, because your senses become more attuned to this new sensitivity.

Patrick, Agreed......I've had a total of 3 rounds on full length courses !! With my lessons and practice I've been putting in I would expect a nice improvement in the early months. I fully expect to hit a wall at some point soon that will require a step up in skill. First I need to get a swing that I can repeat....and then continue to improve/refine over the years.

The only two clubs I'm certainish on my ranges at the moment are my PW and 7 iron, the PW I can get 110 before landing and my 7 is around the 145/150........although going back just afew weeks ago when it was warmer I was getting my PW around 115, no doubt as it gets colder up here in Harrogate I'll be using my 9 iron on the 110 yard academy hole at my club

I'm really grateful for all the advice from the varied bunch on this forum