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Putting together a first set of clubs...

• G1ler 40 Posts

  Wed, Aug 5 2020 7:20 AM

  Hello -
  
  Any chance of helping a rookie out with some advice about clubs?
  
  I've just started WGT, currently Level 41, using starter clubs, and am still not very good! However, while I'm practising and trying to improve, I'm also looking at planning a frugal set of club upgrades in the nearish future, to last me a long time.
  
  I've read various threads on the forum, which have been very helpful, and the current plan is to buy a couple of short wedges - I'm thinking Vokey 64° (60ft) and 60° (75ft) - and then work my way to Level 59 in order to get the high-trajectory Ping i500 L59+ iron set.
  
  Does this sound sensible?
  
  If so, I'm looking at a couple of options for fitting other clubs around the Ping irons and the Vokey wedges:
  
  Option 1: buy the whole Ping L59+ club set. That includes the i500 iron set, and adds the G410 270yd driver, 235yd 3 wood and 220yd hybrid. The set sells at a reasonable discount compared to buying separately, and I can always sell the hybrid back for a third wedge down the line.
  
  Option 2: buy the i500 irons and, separately, the TaylorMade SIM L55+ 277yd driver, the Callaway MAVRIK Sub Zero L51+ 3 wood and the same Ping hybrid (or a third Vokey wedge to fill the gap between sand wedge and 9 iron).
  
  Any thoughts about which option might be better? Option 1 is certainly cheaper and keeps the meter speeds for the driver/3wd/hybrid the same as the irons, which will presumably help my consistency; option 2 is more expensive and varies the meter speeds a bit, but the clubs are much more forgiving and the driver gives an extra 7yds.
  
  I'd appreciate your views (but leaving aside the cost factor, please, as I'm happy to take my time and grind the extra credits along the way if the more expensive option would be better).
  
  Thanks!

• 1irony 415 Posts

  Wed, Aug 5 2020 8:44 AM

  Ok, here is the full roadmap I have recommended a lot of newer players in my CC, starting out around your level:

  Driver: L55 TM, L85 Cally, L94 Cally, L102 Titleist

  3 wood: L51 Cally, L73 Cally, L89 Cally, L99 Cally

  Hybrid: Ignore

  Irons: L59 Ping, L75 Hogan, L90 TM, L97 Cally

  Wedges: Set 1: MAX Spin (L50-52), Set 2: Titleist (L76-80)

  Putter: L0 Scotty Cameron, L70 Scotty Cameron, L98 Scotty Cameron

  That should set you up beautifully, especially if you are not hung up on the credits aspect.

  Cheers,

  Darren

• dhjam1 581 Posts

  Wed, Aug 5 2020 9:21 AM

  1irony:

  Ok, here is the full roadmap I have recommended a lot of newer players in my CC, starting out around your level:

  Driver: L55 TM, L85 Cally, L94 Cally, L102 Titleist

  Cheers,

  Darren

  I personally waited to get the L96 Cally Driver instead of the L94, better meter

• G1ler 40 Posts

  Wed, Aug 5 2020 9:27 AM

  That's extremely helpful; thank you.

  I hadn't looked at the MAX Spin wedges; will give them a look and may wait until L50+ to get started.

  Out of interest, any recommendations on purchasing sequence? I was thinking driver first, as that'll make my starter irons more useful while I'm waiting to get up to L59. Then wedges, 3wd, and irons. Any views?

  (I was planning on leaving the putter until I can afford it - which may not be until L70 anyway! - as the starter putter seems to be the best starter club. But I may be wrong.)

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Wed, Aug 5 2020 9:41 AM

  G1ler:

  
  I've read various threads on the forum, which have been very helpful, and the current plan is to buy a couple of short wedges - I'm thinking Vokey 64° (60ft) and 60° (75ft) - and then work my way to Level 59 in order to get the high-trajectory Ping i500 L59+ iron set.
  
  Does this sound sensible?
  

  Yes. Forget about the HB, it'll never get used as often as a 3rd wedge will. Your idea about the full set is OK but by the time you're ready to get it you could already have acquired your 3 wedges and maybe a driver.  :-)

• el3n1 4,502 Posts

  Wed, Aug 5 2020 10:16 AM

  G1ler:

  Does this sound sensible?

  Yes... either option sounds feasible depending on how many credits you can build up watching 2 credit videos or how much money you wish to invest in the game.

  I considered both options you presented myself and since it can take a little time to reach those levels, I also used the coin rental club sets to gain slight improvements over the starter clubs.  If considering those, I posted on the specs of a few of the lower end coin rental sets in another thread.  

  The set I labeled the Royal Blue with the higher trajectory while not significantly longer can play better than the starter irons and green set.

  Either way, it helps you feel like you are doing something with those silver coins that many feel often become relatively worthless other than upgrading apparel. 

  If you are playing coin games starter clubs, make a note of what rooms you enter because you will lose your forward default tee advantage as you play in the mid stakes room and above (10K room and up) I believe.

• G1ler 40 Posts

  Thu, Aug 6 2020 6:01 PM

  el3n1:

  I also used the coin rental club sets to gain slight improvements over the starter clubs.

  That's really helpful advice; thank you!

• G1ler 40 Posts

  Thu, Aug 6 2020 6:26 PM

  YankeeJim:

  Forget about the HB, it'll never get used as often as a 3rd wedge will. Your idea about the full set is OK but by the time you're ready to get it you could already have acquired your 3 wedges and maybe a driver.  :-)

  Good reasoning; I'm convinced!

  So after all these helpful suggestions, I think I'm settled on the following:

  • Driver: L55 TaylorMade SIM
  • 3WD: L51 Callaway MAVRIK Sub Zero
  • Hybrid: none
  • Irons: L59 Ping i500
  • Wedges: see below
  • Putter: I think I'll wait until L70 for the Scotty Cameron - the starter seems okay and I'm not made of credits...

  So my last piece of the jigsaw is whether I go for the L27-L31 Titleist Vokey wedges or the L50-L52 MAX Spin ones recommended by 1irony above. The former more forgiving and slower meter, the latter cheaper and more spin.

  Any thoughts? Whichever I go for, I hope this looks like a bag that'll look after me well up to and beyond L75 or so (which I may never reach anyway...) but I'd like to spend my hard-ground credits as wisely as possible.

  I'm so grateful to you all for your expertise!

• Jeff1172LD 271 Posts

  Sat, Aug 8 2020 8:30 AM

  Exactly! I used coin rentals, and twice I eventually purchased a club, with the 10% rental discount.

• el3n1 4,502 Posts

  Sun, Aug 9 2020 4:50 PM

  G1ler:

  So my last piece of the jigsaw is whether I go for the L27-L31 Titleist Vokey wedges or the L50-L52 MAX Spin ones recommended by 1irony above. The former more forgiving and slower meter, the latter cheaper and more spin.

  Nothing wrong with the advice already offered on wedges... sometimes it depends on your long term goals... and whether you want to start learning a 100 80 60 or a 100 75 50 type yardage gap with your wedges.

  Some players learn the playability of their mid range wedge so well, they don't upgrade it... others eventually upgrade everything.

  If there is still time yet today, rent both options of nearly identical clubs in different lines and get a feel for what seems to play better with your eye / timing.

  I will note when I was considering these decisions the mid range PM Grind wedges were not available and I may have given them a serious look.  I prefer to have slower meters as we are not all young kids with the quick reflexes of a cat.  It also allowed me to keep most of my clubs at similar meter speeds.  

  The only drawback to the PM Grind line is you need to find or use either the 50 or 60y wedge from one of the other lines offered to round out your set.