After A Heart Attack My Bag and Game Get An Overhaul

Two weeks ago I got the surprise of my life. I had just finished the best 9 holes I have ever played at my local course--(there are 3 sets of 9 and this 15 capper played holes 18-27 at 2 over), and I was looking forward to both a good dinner, and a well earned good night's sleep. While driving back home across the local dam I blacked out (we would later find out it was a heart attack) and totaled my car. In a matter of minutes I was whisked away to the hospital where I spent the rest of the week and eventually had 2 stints put into my Left Circumflex (aka The Widow Maker) Artery. Needless to say, walking 27 in 100+ degree heat is not part and parcel of my current prescription, and the resultant weight loss has led to yet another swing shape. My old clubs, which I had been re-shuffling, and re-shafting already (in a desperate attempt to break 80 on at least a semi-regular basis) were definitely on the way out. I was soon going to have to slow down the swing and make it more compact. I did a lot of soul-searching and after re- reading many of my past reviews I eventually switched to the easiest clubs to hit I could find. The season that began as, "The Year to Become a Single Digit Handicapper ", (9 over looked so in the bag back in April) quickly evolved into, " The Year I Switched to Old Fart's Clubs. "

My OLD RELIABLE IRONS

I was proud of my TaylorMade R7 Xd's. These were incredible irons at the time they first came out. They were so far ahead of their time that TaylorMade actually ended up discontinuing them and splitting up the design into two separate models. The Super Hot Titanium Faces went to The New Burner Irons, while the Balance went to the latter day R7 Irons in various shapes and forms. I had one of the off mini-tour sets with the DG Shafts in them. From the time I had purchased these clubs my score dropped regularly. Eventually, this last season, they would be re-shafted with those very rare and hard to find "Blue Thunder" shafts. I was clocking those things but good, and I was actually able to work them both left and right. I had also become adept at opening up the face full bore as well as closing it off and hitting escape shots from almost anywhere with the 6 Iron. These were some of the best game improvement irons ever made. I had been trying Mizunos from time to time just because I thought I would eventually want a workable iron with that famous forged feel to get into single digit territory, but that purchase was to be at least another season or two down the road. I was going to wear those R7 XD's out. Alas, the forged fantasy was not to be.

DRIVER

Mating a driver to my swing has been a long involved process. I currently switch between 2 Drivers, as they tend to be clubs practically tailor made to my rather eclectic swing. On days when I really feel, "in the zone", and want to work one across the fairways I pull out my 9* Nickent 4 DX Tour Spec with a special Prototype Aldila NV Shaft. It is a tremendously lethal combination. I've hit some real screamers with that driver, and managed to steer some real game winners down narrow bottle necks, and around dog legs of both the left and right variety. Sadly, I sincerely doubt I have the oomph left to get the most out of this somewhat elitist set up. The shaft is now a little on the stiff side for me, and this particular head is more about working the club than it is about forgiveness. I will miss this mini tour weapon of mass destruction.

On days when my swing is not quite there, I reach for my 10* LaJolla 450 w/Purple Ice Shaft. The head on this club is very forgiving, and the shaft makes sure that I can rip it w/confidence. This is the club that lets me run with the pack even when I'm having issues with my swing on any given day. Heel and toe hits still go straight w/minimal distance loss. Sweet spot shots come roaring out of the gate and split fairways in half as if the ball were a cruise missile on a mission. Sadly, The Purple Ice Shaft is now, similar to the Aldila NV Prototype, just beyond the reach of my current swing speed.

Fortunately--the Nickent Arc Wedges and Nike Oz Putter remain constants in a bag full of variables, but that's only because they are already exceptionally easy clubs to hit. I'm amazed that neither of these ever really took off or received the recognition they so richly deserved. Meanwhile, what little workability I had worked so hard to obtain is going to prove to be hard to maintain. Let's not even talk about trying to step it up a notch and go to thinner weaker lofted forged irons. Getting a more slicked out driver that I can work both left and right and play with the trajectories on is also out of the question. So considering the tremendous hit that my budget is about to take thanks to heart surgery, I had to go to my local pro shop, call in some favours, and remind certain folks that the clubs they wanted to be first in line to purchase were now available. After all was said and done, I walked out devoid of the very irons and drivers I had worked so hard to build around my own personal swing, but I was now in possession of the absolute easiest clubs to hit known to mankind.

Wilson Di-9 Irons.

These are just incredibly easy to hit. My swing is slower and more compact but you'd never know it from the distance. Admittedly they aren't anywhere near what you would call workable. They're pretty easy to hit a draw with, but a high cut takes quite a bit of work. Still that's not what they're in my bag for. These have to be the highest,longest, and straightest irons I've ever hit. The urethane medallion on the back sure makes them feel good too. No they're not the Mizuno forged feel I dreamed about back in April, but they're a helluva lot more forgiving to my new swing. If you've ever gone through a swing change or two, much less a total overhaul, you know what a gift forgiveness can be. I'm already hitting these steel shafted behemoths longer and straighter than the R7 XD's ever went---even with the Blue Thunder Shafts. These are the best thing in game improvement clubs since the original Adams Idea irons. Anyone who is in need of distance, straight ball flight, and good feel needs to give these a serious look. I was so impressed I bought them. I just have to get used to the idea that maneuvering the ball is now more a matter of long and straight than it is about finessing it left and or right.

Nickent 3 DX Square Driver

I first hit this driver over a season and a half ago. It was The Dawn of the Block-Heads and I thought this was going to be another square headed wannabe. I was impressed with it back then, but I already had drivers I could hit that far, and work like a job, unlike this straight flying distance monster. Still--it impressed me. I never forgot how good it felt, or how long and straight it was. It had to be the easiest driver I had ever hit. Well--after the go round with my heart I decided --hey I could live with long and straight. I'm not getting any younger, and working the ball left and right can be a stressful situation when rebuilding a swing. These clubs can be had on the cheap too. If you can live with the aluminum baseball bat sound, they're the easiest long and straight driver in the business. I'll be hitting the course again tomorrow, and though I don't see myself working any left or right dog legs I see several fairways getting split straight down the middle. I'm gong to have to learn to milk all the extra distance this one can give me, as I'll no longer be hugging tree lines while steering it around the corners.

All in all, knowing that I can put it on auto pilot and go long and straight is going to be a bit of a relief after going through such a drastic swing change. I'm willing to bet that the time I've got invested in the wedges and putter will help me enough on the up and down front to achieve that single digit status. Fortunately easy long and straight paired with the familiarity of my short game clubs has a lot of promise. If you are in the market for a set of irons sporting one of the fairest prices in the business right now---don't overlook the Di-9's. They are the easiest hitting iron of all time. Between the low price, the extra distance, and the high and straight shot pattern, they truly remind me of the original Adams Idea set that re-ignited the hybrid craze as well as the games of many a weekend hacker. If you need a very good driver on the cheap--don't forget the Nickent 3DX Square--It is equipped with the UST V2 Shaft, and this thing hits it longer and straighter than just about anything else out there on the market. Considering the closeout pricing vs. the distance and quality of components --this one's like stealing.