Help me build a set from "Scratch"

[bruinduke]

Thanks to everyone's suggestion on a recent post about "fitted" versus "tour" equipment. It seems that the majority felt fitting would help lower strokes more than tour equipment. Thanks to Ari's kindness to work out a deal I am having a set of 3-PW CB made to order.

To thank Ari and to try to get as much exposure as I can for "Scratch" I am asking for your help in building a set. A la the Golf Channel's "Breaking 90s" series I am hoping to document one golfers quest to break bogey golf with a custom set of clubs. I'd appreciate anyone's feedback in creating a set of clubs to help this hack break out of the bogeys. Hopefully the experience will get anyone thinking about ordering a set to do so (hopefully through Scratch).

A little about my swing...I don't have one or at least it changes day to day. Every instructional gimmick from the Golf Channel from "Swing the Handle" to "Truth about Golf" by AJ Bomar I've been through and I realized I can't groove a swing because I keep trying every tip under the sun. I can carry a 7 iron about 150, but on grooved days with real good timing I can carry it 175. Part of my problem is that my golf thought is try and see how far I can make this club go, rather than how straight and consistent. My misses are towards the toe resulting in a block right or if over the top pulled well left.

I'd like to experiment with a set with a more friendly shaft in the long irons (PX 5.0, DGR300, TFR 5.0) and progress to a stiffer shaft in the short irons. That's pretty much the only idea I have right now. Need some forgiveness in my long irons and consistency in my short irons.

Thanks for any help...

[VokeyMan]

While Scratch may make a great product , the clubs in no way will lower your handicap.

Also you are saying that you want to try TFR 5.0 and Project X 5.0 and DG R300. FYI the PX will be ALOT stiffer than both of those choices.

[alexlai5050]

When people say that New clubs or custom clubs wont bring your handicap down, this is not true i reckon.

Golf is all about confidence as most people say. If you get a set that fits your eye perfect and you feel good using them you will definatly hit straighter and longer shots. Just to prove all this, i was playing with my uncle the other day. He was playing callaway Hawk eye irons withregular graphite shafts. Well we played the first two holes and he was really playing bad. I told him to hit my irons and Voila his irons were straight and long. Her went on to shoot 9 over for the remaining holes.

Anyway enough said, just wanted to tell you a perfect irons set will make your handicap go down if you have confidence in the irons.

You should consider the following combos.

3-6 Dynamic gold lite R300

7-pw Dynamic gold R300

(Same with rifles as well)

Or

3-4 Nippon NS Pro 85

5-7 Nippon MS pro 95

8-pw Nippon NS pro 105

(They use this combo in taylormade japan)

Also generally the shafts in Short irons are stiffer in Long irons anyway

Mike Wier uses S300 in his long irons and X100 in his mid and short iron i think

You can always use 5.0 in long irons and 5.5 in short if you like

Alex

[bruinduke]

Vokey Man, I agree new irons alone without practice, some proper instruction, and opportunity to play won't lower my scores.

Contrary to my recent buys though and from the advice of others it seems like getting a set that compliments and fits your swing might do more than the constant search across BST posts looking for the next grail.

Maybe if I forget my ego...(been playing PX 6.5 across my irons and actually hitting okay) and just try something more user friendly might help me enjoy the game more. Tried 5.0 rifles for nine holes today and hit everything left. Hope to find a happy medium and a good progression from the long irons to my short irons which I go after pretty agressively.

For the most part though I don't much about the technical aspect of clubs as just need some ideas on what to look for or ask before getting a professional fitting.

[VokeyMan]

You should consider the following combos.

3-6 Dynamic gold lite R300

7-pw Dynamic gold R300

(Same with rifles as well)

Alex, that makes no sense. Dynamic Gold R300 weighs 127 grams and the Lites weigh 109 grams. The SW will be all over the place and there is no reason to have stiffer shafts in short irons, you dont swing harder.

[alexlai5050]

I'd like to experiment with a set with a more friendly shaft in the long irons (PX 5.0, DGR300, TFR 5.0) and progress to a stiffer shaft in the short irons. That's pretty much the only idea I have right now. Need some forgiveness in my long irons and consistency in my short irons.

He said he wanted to try some softer shaft in long irons and progressing to stiffer shafts in short irons

The dynamic gold lite and dynamic gold mix could work, you could have lighter long irons and heavier short irons !! I do agree though the weight difference is a bit too much, also the Dynamic gold lite have a mid bend point so it would get the ball up in the air better for someone

alex

[alexlai5050]

I'd like to experiment with a set with a more friendly shaft in the long irons (PX 5.0, DGR300, TFR 5.0) and progress to a stiffer shaft in the short irons. That's pretty much the only idea I have right now. Need some forgiveness in my long irons and consistency in my short irons.

He said he wanted to try some softer shaft in long irons and progressing to stiffer shafts in short irons

The dynamic gold lite and dynamic gold mix could work, you could have lighter long irons and heavier short irons !! I do agree though the weight difference is a bit too much, also the Dynamic gold lite have a mid bend point so it would get the ball up in the air better for someone

alex

[jeffy]

I don't think mixing shaft flexes will be very helpful for a handicap player. The TFRs and the PXs already have a flexpoint progression built in. I've used the 5.0 in both the TFR and PX and prefer the PX in the irons because of the flatter trajectory. I don't really think the PX is that much stiffer than the TFR, it just has an entirely different feel. In the sand wedge, I use the TFR 5.0 and drop to 4.5 in the lob wedges. If you want more height in your irons, go with the TFR. BTW, both of the Royal Precision shafts are softer than the DG from a vibration standpoint.

I'm going to get on my soap box again and promote the 5* loft/0.625" shaft length progression set I had made by Ari. To me, a set makeup similar to mine will help a handicap player much more than a conventional set of 3 through PW (which has 3* then 4* loft increments and 0.5" shaft length drop per club). To illustrate:

Conventional set (690.cb):

3 iron 22* 38.75"

4 iron 25* 38.25"

5 iron 28* 37.75"

6 iron 32* 37.25"

7 iron 36* 36.75"

8 iron 40* 36.25"

9 iron 44* 35.75"

PW 48* 35.25"

Typically, players will add a 53/54* SW and 59*/60* lob wedge, causing sizable (6*-7*) loft gaps between the most important scoring clubs. To solve this, others add a 52* gap wedge, a 56* SW and a 60* LW, but that becomes 11 irons, which limits the player to two woods in addition to the putter. To add a 64* XL becomes really impractical.

My set (5*/0.625"):

3 iron 20* 39"

4 iron 25* 38.375"

5/6 iron 30* 37.625"

7 iron 35* 37"

8 iron 40* 36.375"

9 iron 45* 35.75"

PW 50* 35.25"

SW 55* 35"

LW 60* 34.75"

XL 64* 34.5"

The length increments in the 3 through PW are 0.625" to compensate for the dropped iron (the wedges drop only 0.25" per club). The loft increments are consistent, right through the wedges, leaving fewer awkward distances. I've played about ten rounds with this set and I'm convinced it is right for me as well as for most handicap players. The only change I've considered is dropping the 3 iron and adding a 7 wood. The wedges are really great and the 64* XL is my secret weapon. Importantly, I've had really no difficulty adjusting to the slightly wider distance gaps in the irons.

My apologies to those who've seen me post this information before, but I really think it is a better way to assemble a set and will result in lower scores, provided the player learns to use the wedges.

Jeff

[dick]

Jeff was kind enough to allow me to hit his irons on his recent visit to Florida and I must say the look and quality of the Scratch irons is second to none. I will be ordering a set as soon as my wedges come in. Probably going to adjust Jeff's theory starting with the 4 iron at a lower loft and not skipping any irons.

The question of shaft is very interesting. I have a 5 iron ss about 85 mph and Ari was kind enough to send me a set of Nipppon 95 GH stiff to install in my Tourstage TS202s. The replaced the DG Lite S300 with sensicore and the change was a major improvement in feel and comfort. I do not notice any real difference in trajectory. Have not really reached an opinion on distance since they are just to new.

On the other hand, I was very impressed with the trajectory of the Rifle PX in Jeff's clubs. They were long and the trajectory was great-took off, flattened out, kept going. easy to swing. This is a shaft I might have stayed away from fearing it was over my head-but I am now pondering the Nippon versus the PX. difference in trajectory is obvious but the feel of the PX is a little harshor maybe not as smooth-I suspect that that would sort of disappear rapidly.

In any event, consider the PX in a suitable flex-possibly going down in frequency a little.

d**k

[TMJUNKIE]

I have no doubt scratch irons are the best irons money can buy.But you won't see big improvements until you find the perfect shaft and head weight for your swing.I did it last year and i've dropped 10 strokes a round.Find someone who makes there living fiitting golf clubs.Someone who has all the gadgets like launch monitors.Trust me you'll be surprised what shaft is really for you.I carry a 5 iron 200 to 210 yds. with a clubhead speed around 115 mph.. My shafts are tx-90's R flex tipped to a 4.0 at a D-2 swingweight.Before I got fiited I had rifle 6.0's and carried a 5 iron about 185.They also told me not to mix shafts in your irons because it can cause tempo problems.Thats my experience maybe it will help.