Used Golf Clubs

Im fairly new to golf, played a little in high school and college with friends. Took a 9yr hiatus once I started working full time in 2014 and then picked it back up fall of 2023. Bought a cheap $200 Spaulding set off Amazon thinking if I didn’t get into it then not out a lot of money. It’s a cheap set but gets me out there.

Last year me and my wife played 17 rounds (mostly 9 holes) from May to September. This year I’m looking to upgrade my clubs starting with my irons since I use them the most and acknowledging that while it’s fun to drive a far ball, my driver accounts for maybe 25% of my shots.

i can’t afford a new name brand iron set, only looking to set a budget of about $250 for 7-PW or a 6-PW. I have considered a new Takomo 101 set but its about couple hundred more than I was hoping to spend.

Does anyone have recommendations on where to buy a used iron set and what brand/models to avoid? Heard 2nd swing is good but overpriced.

Check out EBay…. I have bought used clubs from there at fantastic prices and they looked new.
Check out this guys clubs. https://www.ebay.com/usr/mikesgolfoutlet

Check out Callaway Pre-owned or 2nd Swing.

A lot of manufacturers still use the same lofts and lies today that were used 20 years ago, with in a degree or two. You can look up the specs and find out for yourself before you buy a set on ebay, pre-owned, craigslist or 2nd swing. Grips aren't hard to replace if needed, just don't get a set that looks like someone's been hitting rocks in the driveway with the grooves wore out and beat up. Ping is the only one that would help on the lie, you can google the ping chart and find which dots are for you if you go that route.

Bought all of my Callaway from Callaway Preowned website.
Cheaper than 2nd Swing also.

You can buy a lot of clubs off ebay, most sellers grade them so you know their condition. If you do not need to do a fitting then you might want to check out DTC. Direct to consumer

Takomo
McGregor
Sub-70
Maltby
Haywood

I just purchased a Cavity Back 100% forged Iron 5-PW-GW from DTC McGregor and paid less than $650. Cannot wait to get them.

Good Luck

I’ve been looking at the Takomos 101, Maltby, Haywood and Stix.. i like the DTC business model, may not be name brand but they’re usually good stuff.

the callaway pre owned looked like a great place to purchase from and I’ll give ebay a look (honestly haven’t thought about eBay in about 10 years haha)

thank you all for the suggestions

I'd like to help you improve so let's forget your original question for a moment and determine if your height and wrist to floor measurement suggests you are a " standard set player". You can get a decent starting point by providing your height and your wrist to floor measurement (while wearing shoes). You can input those online to an application PING golf provides or post here and I will provide you a reasonable starting point.

Here is the deal, the people that build clubs know how they are supposed to be used. A set assumes a set of human dimensions that may or may not apply to you. If you are 6'6 but have arms like an ape, you need short clubs. If you are 5'5 but don't have arms you need them long. This changes how you address the ball naturally. Pro tip-- assume people who make clubs know more than those who do not shoot par or lower.

More important than brand or where to buy is what is roughly the profile that might work with you. Your approximate age and skill level is a question #2. If you can hit your existing 8i 150 or more, that suggests to me you need a shaft that is stiff or greater. If you hit it 120yards, that suggests your skill and/or fitness is less and you might need some more flex in the shaft.

p.s. if your handicap is 5 or less, then you need a fitting and may need to spend 3k to get a full bag that lets you be the best version of you. I don't take your post as being anything near this so am commenting in that context.

The only issue with DTC clubs is the build quality. Swing weights not consistent within the set. Lie and lofts being off. In the end, you get what you pay for. Do your research.

yeah, I'm thinking a used set of Calloway pre-owned if he is a common size. Tour Edge would be my DTC recommendation and might offer a more affordable approach if some unique size is needed. My overall recommendation for cost/performance is Wilson Staff. The C200 or C300 irons in cast can be had on ebay from time to time in good shape for very low cost. I have played and still own both sets. I play Wilson Staff Forged clubs now but still hit the C300's off Matts and they are excellent on the forgiveness front in a reasonable size head. I play a lot of golf and can afford any set I wanted but the Wilson irons over the generations perform with companies that spend a great deal more on marketing and can be found at reasonable cost.

My finding is that PING and Calloway used clubs come at a high premium when I looked for a friend in recent years

On Calloway used golf- they generally represent clubs well if they have been altered for length or lie. Ebay is more of a crap shoot on what alterations or customization was done.

I’m a fairly average person all around in stature and play haha. I’ll have to measure my wrist to floor but fairly short at 5’ 8”.

I played a little at the simulator yesterday and with my current graphite clubs (cheap Spaulding form Amazon $200 for 10 clubs and a bag) and also tried out my friends steel shaft cobra 7 iron. Only got through 4 holes on the sim but was +2 and knocked two balls within 5ft of the hole from 140yds out… now only if that’s how life worked :roll:

With my 7iron, my swing speed is around 83-85mph with a 135-140yd carry on my best strokes.

Using the cobra steel shaft 7iron, swing speed dropped around 79-80mph and carry was about the same.

I usually have my clubs dialed in at 6i 140-150yds; 7i: 130yds; 8i 120yds; 9i 110-120yds knowing this is far less than what a scratch golfer can expect.

my handicap over 18 holes is probably 20+; Normally play 9 holes and score an honest +10 to +11 over par.

I know the clubs probably won’t make a difference in reducing strokes but having something a little better quality than what I have might just make it more enjoyable. Kinda like rods, sure a $100 rod is nice, but man those custom rods we can build sure are more fun

I recently purchased a set of TaylorMade “Speed Blade” game improvement irons. 4 through AW for $200. They were in great shape and were pretty decent on lie angle and length. I found them on FB Marketplace. Took a bit of time to sort through some of the undesirable clubs, but was worth it.

you are very "grounded" in your thinking. clubs alone are not going to magically make you a great golfer. That said, I can hit my PW almost off the end of my iron and loose only about 15 yards on a club I hit 120 yards average. What that means is I miss the green by about 15yards and let my putting and chipping do the talking. The irons I might have played 30 years ago, I lose at least 30yards if not more and at that time I could not putt to save my life.

At 5'8 and if your wrist to floor measurement is between 33 and 34 inches, this suggests you are a standard length and lie PING player; which for a steel shafted 7i is 37 inches. You are closer to being -1/2 inch then you are being +1/2 inch. So my beloved Wilson C300 cast iron is stock 37.5 inches. If you are on the "short side" of normal, this is not the length I'd recommend. I am hung up on approximate fit because after 40 years of golf, I find that having a tool approximately right can be the difference in finding the proper swing. Clubs too long stunt meaningful growth and the growth is what lowers the score; not what we spend on clubs.

On shaft material, your distances suggest to me a 95g iron shaft in regular or senior or potentially graphite slightly lighter. I still play steel iron shafts as I near 60 but in a 105g stiff configuration. I maybe loose a bit of distance but I have better control. You will find a better price / condition set in steel then graphite imo.

Forgot to add, I’m 33.

I took measurements and my wrist measured about 32.5” from ground to crease. Might remeasure but according to the charts I’m a standard length, with stiff graphite shaft.

im happy with my shot shape, usually ball has high flight path with very little roll out. Tend to hit cleaner with the heel of the club touching and the toe slightly upward

Static measurements are not a god but I prefer them as a general starting point for average players. Your static measurements suggest a 37inch 7i and 1 degree flat. Any club you look at, you can google specs and see what standard length it is built to. If a used set, note if someone has bent it upright, altered shaft and check specs. I am not a believer in 1/4 inch or 1 degree making a difference to most avg golfers. However, +1/2 inch and 1 degree up for someone who should be stock length and flat will present obstacles in my experience. Most of us who play golf don't need any additional obstacles:smile:. Also NOTE, no standard length exists. I think Wilson and maybe Taylormade are +1/2 inch longer then Ping as stock shaft length.

Given your age and that you are on a budget, I'm recommending a 105g stiff steel shaft. To determine weight, google is your friend. I play Dynamic gold 105, I have similar weight shafts from KBS in several sets. Graphite shafts can be had in 105g weights but generally such shafts double the cost as these premium shafts are about $100 each.

Calloway pre-owned is a great seller and lists accurately clubs it is selling. You can google reviews of any club you are interested in and should get some independent reviews. I'm partial to Wilson Staff but they are a bit long for you as stock clubs.

$250 is a tight budget. I would normally say Facebook Marketplace, but I just checked on Callaway preowned website and they have several Callaway XR iron sets 6 iron-PW with a gap or sand wedge for under $250. The XR isn't one of their great sets, but it is a game improvement cavity back and will probably be triple + easier and more forgiving than what you are using now. They also have a few Edge set of irons that they level super game improvement which usually means thick cavity back and probably more offset to help reduce left to right movement for RH.

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Originally Posted by barbarian

$They also have a few Edge set of irons that they level super game improvement which usually means thick cavity back and probably more offset to help reduce left to right movement for RH.

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costco has a complete set of Edge irons, hybrids, driver, and and odyssey putter for $550. Yes, not $250 but full set and the putter looks pretty good. I did not study reviews of these irons but likely a good deal. Sometimes super game improvement irons can come with long shafts so I'd watch that.

Costco sells a men's "almost full set" for $580. I bought a women's set for my wife. Great bargain.

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Originally Posted by Dmy-rt188p

Costco sells a men's "almost full set" for $580. I bought a women's set for my wife. Great bargain.

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this is the calloway edge set, saw them yesterday at Costco. Looks like a nice set, I could not pull the club out of the display to look at the shaft label. The iron is a large cavity backed iron.

Just get a set and go out and have fun. Remember, it's not the arrow, it's the Indian.