I bought a Top Flite XL box set about a year ago for $300, bought a slightly better putter, a cheap 56 degree and currently beating my friends that use $700 irons and $500 drivers every week.
@@yamirlealjr I just finally bought a more premium set of irons just because I wanted more distance that I couldn’t get out of the top flites. I have played a lot over the last year or so and just grown out of them mostly. Clubs are still in great shape though.
good stuff, I'd also go even further on the advice, driver aside, apply the 24/38 rule, 90% of the amateur golfer struggle to hot a club with less than 24 degree in loft and 38 inches in lenght, with that ain mind a driver, half set of irons, a wedge and a putter will do the job for several years . You save money for lessons and weight to carry!
Regarding Golf Works...do you still recommend getting the clubs you suggested for a starter set? Any updates? Thanks! Great video for me, at 64, getting back into the game after 30 years.
FYI: I placed an order with Golf Works and they emailed me to call them on my order. Some recommended shafts and all grips are on backorder causing order to be fulfilled early next year.
@@studiodemichel You work be disappointed. They know their stuff there. I play almost all Maltby clubs at a 9 handicap. Their quality and performance is unmatched as far as price goes. I build all my own stuff and have been blown away by their components.
Every cheap used club I've seen looks like it been used to pound nails. The used clubs in really good shape are priced so close to new, might as well buy new. I can buy a top of the line set for under 2K all in. A good quality box set like Cobra XL or Callaway XR is 1200 - 1400. I'm a beginner and I don't want to beat up a nice set of clubs learning so I'm leaning towards the Top flight XL. Cheap and when I bury the iron 6" underground I won't feel so bad.
Thanks AJ - love your practical videos. As you know (through your videos and help) I built my first golf set and the golf club I play at were so surprised with the finish they asked whether I was happy to work part time 😂. Your recommendation of sites is also honest - Bought most of my stuff from golf works and their info is very helpful.
Impressive video, thanks for this. Being a handy man and hobbyist, I actually thought of this, but didn’t realize there was a company like Golf Works. Awesome. I have a box set coming as I am getting back into golf heading into retirement. If I stay with golf, I will definitely look into building my next set of clubs. 😎
Great video. I never knew there were component golf club sites. I will be looking into this for my next set. I will also be looking into building a set for my son. Any chance you could go over the best options for kids? Is there options with easy change shafts for growing kids?
When I started I had some Wilson clubs that I found in American golf second hand. Took lessons and played my first club comps with those. Once I got to handicap in the teens I went for a fitting for irons and ended with mizuno mp60s. They were a gift to myself for completing my studies. And I still have them today. I’ve never been fit for driver but have custom built acer xp 3W and 5W. Wish you were around to give me advice on putters. I have spent hundreds On taylormade monza corza with interchangeable weights for nothing as well as an odyssey putter that I currently use. Part of the fun of golf is the club buying. So many beginners don’t realise that a tonne of people with experience could save them hundreds
Hey, I’m also a beginner and I bought iron set 3-9,P,S Wilson pro staff midsize. HiBore Monster XLS Driver, Wilson 3 wood, Wilson Harmonized Putter, Wilson bag, Longridge trolley and some accessories with 150€(165$). They look good not too worn and a bit dirty. What do you think, did I made the right choice? Thank you!
I'm building my first set i've been using the preowned sites to do it. I think i've made a good choice in irons with the callaway razr x's for 220$. Bag, putter and driver are going to cost me a good chunk of money though.
Great advice. I wished I had viewed this video prior to buying my first clubs about 5 years ago. My 2 cents worth. A beginner would need some advice to know what second hand clubs to purchase, or go the component route. I had no-one to consult so I bought a starter set of Powerbilt to start with. Knowing what I know now, I would look at the Tour Edge set that has Driver, 3&5 wood, 2 hybrids, then 5,6,7 iron-woods ( hybrid style hollow bodied) then cavity back 8 through SW and putter. When you are learning back spin is your friend ( counteracts side spin hook/slice) so a 12 degree driver will keep the ball in play more often than a 9 degree driver. As you stated forget the 3 wood, as most average golfers struggle to hit it off the grass. Between 20-30 degrees of loft go for hybrids/ hybrid irons because they get the ball in the air easily and tend to slice less. Some of the fun in golf is trying to find the clubs that do the job for you. I have fooled around with single length irons and found a cheaper brand i like better than Cobras, I really like the hollow bodied hybrid- irons ( e.g. Cleveland HB Launchers), 4 wood ( longer shaft in a 5 Wood head) and 7 Woods. I counted that I had 5 different brands of club in my bag now. Another thing to learn is that there is no standard for lofts for a specific number iron and there is no standard for shaft flex ( some regular flex are stiffer than others) Some of the game improvement irons have so little loft that a lower swing speed player hits several of the irons in the set the same distance. Don't spend too much to start with, as you won't know what will work with your swing for a year or two. My PowerBilts were sold within 18 months.
hi there, can you help me build a set for a beginner under $500 as well ? I am so clueless when it comes to the terms and such ! Lastly, if you do reply back, what are some beginner "complete" sets you'd recommend I pick up ? I'm still waiting for the Callaway Costco set , it's still sold out!
Not a big difference between starter sets in the same price range. Any of them under $400-$500 will be pretty similar. Price usually varies most because of number of clubs you get so just make sure you know what clubs it comes with and beware that a set can say # of pieces but pieces are not just clubs so it can be tricky.
Brilliant. I don't know if AJ(is that his moniker?) is part or not of an unspoken conspiracy to which I subscribe. What is it? The story begins around 2008 with the Financial Disaster and Tiger Woods at the bottom of his driveway with Elin (his wife of yore) pounding on his SUV with a sandwedge. (There are split schools on the latter. Some of us think she should have used a 5 or 6 iron, the other school of thought thinks she should have gone all out with his driver. ;) The short story is Golf, the business and all, spiraled into the dumpster like nothing seen before. Until Covid and 2020, when the most used statistic measuring the business of golf.. US Rounds Played... jumped 20%. This was due to 2 types of golfers. 1) Some average avid golfers returning. 2) But more so, new golfers who wanted to get outdoors and try to "smack around a ball with implements entirely ill-suited to do it" (Winston Churchill). The unspoken conspiracy is to make it as easy and frictionless as possible for new golfers to take up the game. BTW, I have watched 4 "generations" of golfers in my time. AJ's rec for a "Split bag" has been a right of passage for beginners forever. You'll do excellent. Starting out you don't want a $3000 kit. It's embarrassing. It says you're a Cowboy who is all hat and no horse. ;) Another great vid AJ.
A little harder to acquire decent 2nd hands since COVID. Pre-covid you could get a pretty decent set of clubs for $500-600. 100% agree stay away from the box sets, they’re pretty much junk. We did component clubs from Golf Supply America out of Decatur, AL. Similar deal as Golf Smith. And for the money they’re hard to beat.
Probably some amount shorter. Maybe 1/2 inch maybe an inch. Always better to start with the longest option as it's easy to choke down the grip a little or cut the clubs down. If they start out too short, fewer and more complicated options.
GolfWorks is very impressive. Anyone would be hard pressed to find a set of custom irons 4-GW, assembled and delivered to the door for $270 anywhere. (The standard STi2 pak) Don't know much about the True Temper Score shaft but never heard of the one that comes with the premium pak either.
Glad to hear good things about component clubs. I'm not in the market for new/new to me clubs, but component clubs intrigued me. Another thing, when you mentioned counterfeit clubs the brands you mentioned will help with that. Counterfeiters generally go for the big name brands.
Very true. Callaway, Taylormade, Titleist, Ping are always going to be the most faked brands. I am a big fan of component heads from the better brands. There are also some cheap ones that are nothing special so that's why I like the Maltby stuff. Some of my old Golfsmith clubs are still in my all time favorites list.
Great video. Wonderful explanation. I had my first set built by a friend and I loved that set. Used it for four years before moving to a set of Nikes. I do a lot of my own work ton my clubs these days and have built several clubs and given them to friends and family.
I went on there just to mess around and made a pretty good bag (picked the KE4 heads for all but wedge and putter) Dr-4w-5hy-6-GW-SW-Putter for $720 shipping and all. This would be a great starter set for someone that really wanted to give golf a shot without having to break the bank.
I've been looking at the Maltby irons from GolfWorks as an upgrade from my current starter set irons (Powerbilt Pro Power, 6-PW), largely for the same reasons you noted (I'm 6'7", so 1.5" long and 2 degrees upright would be my choice, based on what Ping recommends). Do you have a recommendation for "upgrading because you've been playing for a year and have gotten to a low 20's handicap" clubs from them?
I think the fitted aspect is definitely important especially if your current irons are not longer/upright/larger grips. I might look at the heads I mentioned in the video for you handicap. Good blend of forgiveness in a streamlined design. Probably would look at graphite shafts at that length to keep the weight manageable depending on your age and strength. Could also go with lighter steel options around 100g.
Hi Tyler. Now that you’ve played a bit, I will recommend (sorry don’t know your hcp) you pay attention to shaft flex and weight. Play within your ability. If you don’t already know get some info on your swing speed. If your driver speed is sub 90mph, stick to
@@EFGMC Awesome, thank you so much for your input! GolfWorks definitely should give you a referral (in fact, I'll hold off on the new clubs -- they'll likely be a Christmas present to myself -- so I can see if they ever do).
@@vikrampitre2343 I can shoot low 90's on a good day (assuming a par-72), but can also shoot low 90's on a bad day off a par-60 course Handicap is officially 24. Swing speed is dead on 90 mph on the driver. Thank you for the input!
Do you have a view on Ralph Maltby( Golfworks) playability factor. Where he has rated almost every iron head ever made in the last 30 years in terms of playability. Thanks.
I've never really looked at it. I know some people who quote it all the time and others who say it's not a good measure. I've been in golf long enough to know what all the design features do or don't do. However, I think it can be helpful to give a basic idea on a certain club if a golfer is unsure.
I think that the numbers in the Maltby Playability Factor can be deceiving. I’ve hit a ton of golf clubs as there is a 2nd swing shop down the street from me. What I’ll say is that their ratings should not be hundreds of units apart from each other. Ralph Maltby himself said that the average golfer would generally not notice a difference in playability factor that is a couple hundred points difference. That being said, I’ve hit the clubs that are well over 1000 MPF points and they were definitely easier to get the ball in the air. But anything in the 550-850 range I barely noticed a difference.
@@rodrig13 opinions vary on the MPF but it’s no coincidence that a brand originally built on playability (Callaway) particularly the older models are frequently in the ultra game improvement category. Surprisingly some other top brands (Taylormade) for example never got close to the top.
@@ulster7717 yeah I understand how they work. It’s all based on MOI, low and centered CG, blade length and a number of other factors. When those small things are combined, it starts to add up. I’m not disputing it’s value. I just think that there is much less difference in 200 points than people who are familiar with it can realize- especially at the extreme ends of the scale and the level of feel and skill of the average golfer. For instance, I hit the JPX 921 Hot Metal at 746 MPF and Ping K15 at 894 MPF. There were barely any differences in terms of forgiveness on poor strikes. It’s a useful tool to know what you are getting into before being able to hit a club. But by no means do I think it should be a huge determining factor in a club purchase. For instance, I hit the Wilson Launch Pad irons and found them incredibly easy to hit. Yet their MPF is only around mid 500. One area where MPF falls short is being able to measure any kind of face tech ie Callaway’s AI 360 face or those hollow bodied thin faced irons. I think that companies are starting to realize that most average players want something that is forgiving but also pleasing to look at. You can see this even in Maltby’s own designs. They haven’t released a new club with a ridiculously high MPF in a very long time. Myself, I don’t care what I’m looking at if performance is maximized, but most consumers do not want to look down at those early Callaway designs or those really wild Maltby irons of the past.
@@rodrig13 I was also surprised that the “ hybrid irons “ of some manufacturers didn’t get higher scores given they could put the cg low and further back from face. Also tried the ping K15 but my own Callaway FT irons beat them at every point. The FT irons have a player type head but have a MPF of 900+.
Hi, great video. Some of the shaft and grip options on The Golf Works site changed since your video. Which shaft and grippers would you suggest for STi2 irons?
I just bought a set of irons from one of the brand companies. There very forgiving which I need. I think I'm going with the componet driver, (4) hybrid & (5) wood. Would you suggest STh2 or M890?
@@EFGMC About $599 for a set, sans bag. The reviews have been very good, though (see Lets Play Through's video on them for an example). The problem is that they come and go in and out of stock pretty quick; April-June seems to be when they're in stock, July is low, and August-March they're hard to find, if impossible.
Hi! I just bought the Callaway Strata women’s 11-piece set and am rethinking them after watching this video. I received my first set of clubs 15 years ago in high school but haven’t touched them since. I wanted to upgrade to new technology but you stated in the video that the box sets have old technology. Wondering if this set is still worth the buy or if I should return them and considering the Golf Works option instead. Thanks!
Spot on. This advice works for seasoned players as well.. 2 years ago, I wanted to get new irons. I was so lucky to search Ebay and find a set of MIZUNO mixed JPX900's Hot Metal 5, 6 irons and Forged 7, 8 ,9 PW. (stiff shafts as I wanted) The price: an amazing low 290$ (including shipping!) BTW, My previous set was actually a Golfworks MALTBY full set, which was about 10 years old and I needed an upgrade.. Great stuff, and good advice.
It's a great video and explaines a lot but what's about the lie angle? Buying my first set of clubs (no matter new or used) shall I go according the fitting charts or just choose standard lie as well as standard flex and length. How much lie angle does matter for a total beginner?
In most cases unless you are very tall or short, the lie angle won't be far off. Lie angle is all about how it changes the face angle of the club. Most people think it's about turf interaction, and it's not. If your lie angle is off, your start line on the ball will be to the left or right of your target. This will show more in the shorter irons.
That's some good advice for starter sets. Unless the player is a naturally gifted striker of the ball, I'd suggest beginners wait to add the driver until they can show they are ready to hit the big dog.. Stick to woods, irons and hybrids off the tee because an untamed driver only drives you deeper into trouble. And by the time they learn to hit the driver, they are ready to upgrade to something more fitting of their swing. Saves some money and a lot of frustration.
I thought about leaving a driver off the list, but knowing and fitting golfers for a long time I realize that everyone wants to hit the long ball (or at least try to)!
