Equipment
Forum Thread of the Day: “Best clubs for a strong newbie?”
Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from Sparty47 who is on the hunt for the best clubs for a strong newbie. In our forums, Sparty47 disclosed the following information on his game
“Started golfing seriously in Feb. of this year and looking to replace my old irons. Current gamers are some Callaway Diablo Edge irons/hybrids. They’re “R” flex w standard LLL.”
“Little info on my game… I’m a younger guy, and former athlete so don’t have any problem generating clubhead speed (7 iron 105+mph) but my ball striking is not good (yet?). I’ve taken a few lessons, and the pro insists I have a “good” swing just lack consistency in my sequence/delivery. Also said I NEED new irons, “R flex” with my speed and fast tempo is a bad combo. Also, the heads I’m using have very poor feedback on strikes.”
Our members have been giving their thoughts on what direction Sparty47 should now take, and how he can get the best out of his game going forward.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- mtiger10: “Sounds like you’ve done all the right things for somebody new to the game – lessons, fitting, having right shafts and LLL is certainly important. Cavity backs may not always provide that feel you desire but certainly will help until your swing consistency is where you want. There are certainly great options in between SGI and players irons. The “players distance” category or “game improvement” targeted at mid handicappers may be a good place to start. Demo, demo, demo before purchasing!”
- drumdude96: “I would seriously consider simply re-shafting your current clubs. The Diablo Edge is a pretty good set for someone new to the game. They will give you the high launch and forgiveness you need right now. You likely need some heavier and stiffer shafts to get the most out of them though. There are some really good shaft options nowadays with parallel tips to fit into those heads. Dynamic Gold X100, Nippon Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 and 130, KBS Tour and C Taper are just a few off the top of my head that might work well for you. If I were in your shoes, I would work with a fitter to find the right shafts and then just have the Callaways re-shafted. That approach will save you some money that you can spend on more lessons, which are very important at this stage in the game.”
- Larry14: “Try Ben Hogan Edge irons, you can go to their web site and order two irons to try out for $20….Being athletic you may find the smaller “Forged” head a blessing as to learning to hit the sweet spot…I found they made me really put effort into all parts of my swing from set up to contact…you will know by feel what a center hit verse a toe or heel hit feel like. Even just doing their demo deal is well worth the time….tip is to find a range you can hit off grass before you buy any new irons…”
- lawsonman: “The first thing I would tell you to do is quit worrying about swinging so fast. If you swing your seven iron 105+ mph on the course, you’re 15 mph faster than the average on the PGA Tour. Slow down and get some control in your game or it won’t matter what kind of irons you’re playing.”
Equipment
Neal Shipley, AKA, the “Big Fridge’s,” custom stamping
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.

“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
Equipment
From the GolfWRX Classifieds: L.A.B. Purple DF3 with Masters cover
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.

From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Whats in the Bag
Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4

3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4

5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4

Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms

Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80

Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105

Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Anthony Bekiaris
Sep 9, 2019 at 8:38 pm
you’re a quick study or a deep thinker to be so new to the game and have already got your head around the fitting/technical side of golf wow… i was to struggling enough trying to learn to get up and down out of a bunker to even know what L,L,L were?
Brandon
Sep 4, 2019 at 10:07 pm
If you are picking up the game quickly you shouldn’t buy a set of game improvement or super game improvement that you will want to replace in a year when you are striking the ball more consistently. A players distance iron is probably what you want, and you definitely want to chill on that 7 iron. Smooth is fast.
Prime21
Sep 4, 2019 at 8:54 pm
Doesn’t sound like ur clubs lack feedback, sounds like you don’t know what you’re looking for. Learn to control your swing. Know the difference between 105, 100 & 95 mph. Speed is irrelevant if you don’t know where center is or if you can’t repeat it. Obviously speed is great, but if it is not channeled, it is wasted. Stop searching and learn how to hit those clubs, then get fit by a reputable fitter and see if swinging harder with proper flex makes sense. A “new” golfer does not know the definition of feedback so ignore the lingo and do the work.
James
Sep 4, 2019 at 12:12 pm
A used set of game improvement irons with X100 shafts.
dat
Sep 4, 2019 at 1:32 pm
Easy. Get some X stiff shafts in a moderate set of USED “game improvement irons” and then take lessons.