Originally Posted by New Era
Wow, I use to play a similar set up. Had a Cleveland sponsorship back in the day so got a set of Clevelands a year for a few years. Loved the Launcher until the Titleist 983 series came out. Then made me realize that you should play the best club from any manufacturer. So I tend to move clubs in and out of the bag as the ebbs and flows of the game changes. Right now I have two different setups that I rely upon.
Driver is consistent. Taylormade R1, set to 10 degrees and neutral weighting. Custom steel shaft, stiff and a half. Stiff and a half achieved by tipping the shafts out and relying on the lower kick point. Same setup for all clubs with the exception of the wedges.
Putter is consistent 2005 Scotty Cameron Studio Design 2.5.
Set #1 - 2013 Cleveland 588 MB, 3-PW. 2004 Cleveland 588 Beryllium wedges (52, 56, 60).
Set #2 - 2006 Mizuno MP32 2-PW. Mizuno TPX black wedges (52, 56, 60).
I supplement each set with a Ping Rapture 3 wood or a Ping G10 utility (15, 21, or 24 depending on need). It all depends what I think the course is most likely to need.
My favorite set of irons is the MP32. Just wonderful to play with exceptional feel. I have three sets of them, although one is a collector set from Japan that I have hit only once. I keep a set in my office, just in case a sudden round beckons.
I'm still a big Cleveland guy as well. I have a couple other sets of 588s from the 80s that are just fun to go out and play with. As hard to hit as the Hogan Apex and just as tiny to setup with.
Balls are a really cool topic and where "fitting" really helps. You should get on a launch monitor and see what your swing speed is and what type of spin you are creating with your clubs. This will help select the best ball for your game.
I think you want to break it down into what you can compress to get the most out of the ball. The more layers to the ball, the greater the swing speed required to make them perform. Most players have a slower swing speed, so they should be in three piece ball (Pro-V, ERC, Q-Star, and Kirkland Sig3 are the best IMO). Those with higher swing speeds can go to a four piece (Pro-Vx, Kirkland KSig Original, Truvis, Chromesoft) or five piece ball (TP5). You really have to have some swing speed to compress the four and five piece balls to get the most out of them.
To me, the most important thing is the cover. I want a ball that is going to react when I hit the green, so a soft cover is a must. To find that cover I take two balls out of a sleeve and rub them against each other. If they bite against each other, that is indicative of a nice soft cover which will really bite the club and the green. They generate the most spin as well, so if you have a shot bias you may take that into consideration. They can also be a bear to play in the wind. More wind, less spin is desirable. Also take temperature into consideration. Cooler temperatures mean you want a softer ball. So keep a sleeve or two of those in your bag too.
Personally I use the Kirkland KSig Original and Pro-V1x as my go to balls. When it gets colder or windy out I go to the Pro-V. When its frosty, I pull out the Flying Lady (no joke) and play those. They are a really great ball when it is really cold out and when your buddies are dropping distance with their Pro-Vs you'll be hitting that little pick nugget well past them. Just like your clubs, there is the right ball for the right conditions.
Hope this is helpful.
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