Have you used a club that's not reviewed here? Please contribute a review in a reply to this thread, and I'll add it to the database! It's hard to keep this thing up to date!
January 2012: Free rentals are back, so get ready for more reviews! Hopefully I can do some more drivers and woods, and get that database more complete. Please note, however, that I've started using Srixon balls recently, so some reviews may be conducted with them, though I'll probably use the Tour SDs for most. I've also added at the bottom some of my thoughts on upgrades for people just starting out. I hope it can help new players in the upgrade process.
November 2011: So, I'm on a mission to review as many clubs as I can during the free rental period. And the awesome news is the free rental period is longer than I thought! So we'll probably get waaaaaay more reviews than I expected. If anyone wants to pitch in, that'd be great, too, since I can only test so many clubs. All clubs tested with Tour-SD balls unless noted. All distances are rated distances unless noted. So, here's what I've got so far:
Irons, all tested on Pinehurst #8 CTTH, additional testings will be noted;
Well, I did it. Every iron set below L69 has been reviewed. Enjoy.
EZ Swing Starters: These have got to be the worst irons on WGT. Don't bother even if they're free. The precision is just stupid bad. These are so bad I'm not even bothering with the distances. Moving along.....
L5 WGT Starters Plus: These were actually my primary irons for a while.....a long time ago. I bought the full set with my reward for advancing, and, at the time, they seemed awesome. I would recommend them to people who are just starting out in the game, but once you try something else, you will see how un-awesome these are. Stopping power is lame, distance is lame, but if you are just starting out and you are on a low budget, these are a big improvement over the even lamer starter clubs. I know I was better at using these clubs when I used them regularly, but I only managed to stay on two greens out of eight that I used these irons for. That's by far the worst I did with any set. I know it sounds like i'm REALLY hating these clubs, but that's because I'm a spoiled Tour Pro. Once you get awesome clubs, you can't go back. But this is an extremely useful stepping stone to get you into the world of WGT.
Distance:
Full: 180, 170, 160, 140, 137, 125, 110, 90
Punch: 166, 156, 144, 133, 123, 116, 98, 78
Pitch: 68, 62, 56, 52, 46, 43, 38, 31
Chip: 46, 41, 36, 33, 29, 26, 22, 16
WGT Pro Iron Set: I like it. High trajectory is good, so even with the low spin rating, you've got some pretty good stopping power. The spacing is REALLY weird, though, to the point of being rather annoying. Forgiveness is pretty good, and the precision seems good, too. No, they're not the best set around, but if you're playing on a budget, you can't go wrong with these at 475 credits. They're not cool, they're not flashy, they're not awesome, but they are definitely solid irons, and cheap. Also tested on Kiawah F9. Look pretty good there, too. Although they're still not awesome, I highly recommend them if you're in a really tight budget.
Distance:
Full: 195, 185, 174, 162, 146, 128, 120, 105
Punch: 182, 170, 156, 147, 134, 120, 108, 91
Pitch: 79, 68, 61, 56, 54, 44, 41, 36
Chip: 51, 46, 41, 37, 32, 27, 24, 20
WGT Tour PLUS: I must admit, I thought these would be pretty bad when I saw the stats on the product page. Not so, these are good irons. Stopping power is solid, meter is crazy slow, forgiveness is plenty. There's a major problem though, the 2,990 credits these will set you back. They're not anywhere near THAT good, so these really aren't a particularly useful option. The Pro iron set is as good if not better. Move along...
Distance:
Full: 190, 180, 170, 160, 145, 130, 115, 100.
Punch: 175, 164, 154, 143, 128, 117, 102, 87
Pitch: 72, 65, 59, 55, 48, 45, 40, 34
Chip: 49, 44, 40, 35, 30, 27, 23, 18
L6 WGT Tour Starters: Not the best tested. Honestly, these are pretty much not worth buying. The spin isn't great, distance is a little less than one would hope. You should be able to make Pro with the starter clubs, and then buy the WGT Pro iron set I talked about above if you're on a budget. You'll just have to upgrade these waaay too soon to justify the 300 credits.
Distance:
Full: 185, 175, 165, 155, 142, 130, 115, 95
Punch: 171, 161, 148, 137, 127, 120, 103, 82
Pitch: 71, 64, 58, 53, 47, 45, 40, 32
Chip: 48, 43, 38, 34, 30, 27, 23, 17
L10 TaylorMade Burner: I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of these irons. I liked the spin, the meter was tolerable, although I can see how the not so great forgiveness might be a problem for some players. They weren't the best out of the rough or the sand, but felt like I was misusing them in those places. I'm sure a big part of that had to do with the fact that I had never used these clubs before. Overall, I'd recommend these irons to most beginners.
Distance:
Full: 188, 175, 163, 150, 138, 125, 112, 100
Punch: 172, 165, 143, 133, 122, 112, 99, 86
Pitch: 71, 63, 56, 50, 45, 42, 39, 34
Chip: 49, 43, 37, 32, 28, 25, 22, 18
L15 TaylorMade Burner 2.0: I've used these almost exclusively for a few months. They're pretty good. Spin is good, accuracy is good, distance is good. Forgiveness isn't so good, but slow meter makes it tolerable. If you have credits to burn, I think they're a good buy. The L32 R11s are the first to have more distance. However, I live off of surveys, so if I had it to do over again (with equipment now available), I'd hang out until the R11s. I also had a fear of high meter speeds at the time, which unfortunately influenced my decision.
Distance:
Full: 200, 187, 175, 160, 145, 130, 120, 110.
Punch: 185, 170, 155, 143, 128, 115, 107, 95
Pitch: 85, 69, 60, 56, 50, 45, 41, 37
Chip: 54, 47, 41, 36, 31, 27, 24, 20
L17 Ping G|10: These were hands down the worst G|10s I tested. These were also hands down better than a whole lot of clubs I tested. As far as I'm concerned, the G|10 series rules in terms of irons, until you get to the i15s, where we have to trust that the top players know what they're talking about. I personally would say skip these, buy the L35 G|10s and then just keep those until you get the i15s or better. But the G|10s are so cheap that you can upgrade more often than with other inferior and more expensive clubs. So, even if this specific set isn't my favorite, buy, buy, buy on the G|10s. The stopping power is excellent, getting out of rough and sand is pretty easy, and the trajectory seems good, too, though I don't have the hugest elevation changes on Pinehurst.
Distance:
Full: 190, 180, 170, 160, 145, 130, 115, 100
Punch: 175, 163, 152, 143, 128, 117, 120, 87
Pitch: 78, 65, 59, 55, 48, 45, 40, 35
Chip: 49, 44, 39, 35, 30, 27, 23, 18
L22 TaylorMade Burner: Stopping power is officially lame. Next...... If you're serious about getting your shots to stick to the green, this set is NOT for you. I was just rolling all over the place with these, which was certainly not the case with the G|10s of the same price. They we pretty good out of the rough and sand, but who cares if they don't stick? Just do yourself a favor, ignore these, and if you still want an upgrade in this class, go with the G|10s.
Distance:
Full: 190, 178, 165, 153, 140, 128, 115, 103
Punch: 175, 162, 146, 136, 124, 117, 102, 89
Pitch: 72, 64, 57, 52, 46, 43, 39, 35
Chip: 50, 44, 37, 33, 28, 26, 23, 19
L22 Ping G|10: The more G|10s I review, the funner, and funnier, it gets. It just seems stupid to me that the best irons I've reviewed are the cheapest ones! Great stopping power, great out of lies, great. period. case closed. Do NOT be afraid of that meter speed. You will adjust, and you will be happy about it. Any set you want of the G|10 irons are just too awesome at too good a price to pass up. Unless you are extremely meter challenged, you won't be sorry with these, or any other G|10s.
Distance:
Full: 193, 183, 173, 163, 148, 133, 118, 105
Punch: 177, 167, 154, 145, 131, 122, 101, 90
Pitch: 74, 67, 59, 54, 49, 45, 40, 35
Chip: 51, 46, 40, 36, 31, 27, 24, 20
L25 Rapture V2: Not bad, but I'd pay the extra 85 credits for the extra accuracy on the L33 Raptures. Otherwise, these clubs are exactly the same, and I don't really want to be redundant, so for more info see the L33 Rapture review below.
Distance:
Full: 190, 180, 170, 160, 145, 130, 115, 100
Punch: 175, 164, 154, 143, 128, 117, 102, 87
Pitch: 72, 65, 59, 55, 48, 45, 40, 34
Chip: 49, 44, 40, 35, 30, 27, 23, 18
L27 TaylorMade Burner Plus: Not impressed. Stopping power is lacking, which really made life difficult from the get-go over on Pinehurst. This fact was compounded by the fact that what stopping power was there was all but lost as soon as you got into a lie. The meter and forgiveness weren't a problem, but these just aren't practical with such low stopping power. The other thing I didn't like was the wide spacing. If you like hybrids, this is the set for you, but I haven't carried a hybird since I ditched the beginner clubs as I never asked it to do something my wood couldn't. I'd much rather need three wedges and have tighter spacing on the irons, but if you've read this far, you already know that these irons are probably worth passing on. If you're considering these, think about the R11s or L35 G|10s. I'll be reviewing some of the other more comparable irons as well, so stay tuned for bit more comparison of these.
Distance:
Full: 195, 180, 165, 150, 135, 120, 105, 90
Punch: 179, 164, 146, 133, 122, 112, 99, 86
Pitch: 75, 65, 56, 50, 45, 42, 39, 34
Chip: 51, 44, 37, 31, 28, 25, 22, 18
L32 TaylorMade R11s: They've been getting lots of bad reviews, and I can't see why. Nice spin, distance spacing, forgiveness. Just great from what I've seen so far and I'd seriously consider buying them if I was closer to L32. Good out of rough/sand, too. Bonus Review: Kiawah Island full 18, very fast greens: If you're near L30, buy. There's nothing with this much distance until the G15s, and that's a long way if your near L30. I certainly like these better than my L15 Burner 2.0s. Plus, as I talk about more in depth with the driver review below, the R11s are perfect for learning the fast meter.
Distance:
Full: 205, 190, 175, 160, 145, 130, 120, 110.
Punch: 188, 173, 155, 143, 128, 115, 107, 95
Pitch: 85, 71, 60, 56, 50, 45, 41, 37
Chip: 53, 48, 41, 36, 31, 27, 24, 20
L33 2010 Ping Rapture V2: I liked these irons. Great stopping power, enough accuracy, and plenty of forgiveness. They are expensive, and not nearly as accurate as the comparable G|10s, so unless you are meter challenged, I'd say go with the G|10s. The G|10s also have 10 more yards, so that is pretty much reason enough to go with tihem.
Distance:
Full: 190, 180, 170, 160, 145, 130, 115, 100
Punch: 175, 164, 154, 143, 128, 117, 102, 87
Pitch: 72, 65, 59, 55, 48, 45, 40, 34
Chip: 49, 44, 40, 35, 30, 27, 23, 18
L35 Ping G|10 Irons: These were great irons. Everything stopped dead on the green, and getting out of lies was no problem with these clubs. These are definitely better than the comparable TaylorMade Tour Burners. The precision was great, too. Had I not gotten metered a couple times, I probably could have shot 150 or so on Pinehurst. I like these irons a lot, and would recommend them. I actually found these to be the best irons in their class, and the price is one of the lowest in its class, too.
Distance:
Full: 200, 190, 180, 165, 150, 135, 120, 105
Punch: 183, 173, 160, 147, 133, 126, 106, 90
Pitch: 83, 70, 63, 57, 50, 45, 41, 35
Chip: 52, 48, 43, 37, 32, 28, 24, 19
L37 TaylorMade Tour Burner: Tested on Kiawah Island back 9, stroke play, very fast greens. Meh. They're ok. Nothing special. Not great out of the rough, but stopping power isn't too bad. They're not bad irons, they're just nothing to write home about. I'll take the G|10s any day. The comparable K15s and Raptures were better for me, too.
Distance:
Full: 200, 187, 175, 162, 150, 137, 125, 112
Punch: 185, 170, 155, 144, 133, 121, 112, 97
Pitch: 85, 69, 60, 55, 49, 44, 42, 38
Chip: 54, 47, 41, 36, 32, 37, 25, 22
L38 Ping K15: WOW these are awesome. The meter, the forgiveness, the STOPPING POWER! I stopped just about everything nearly dead on Pinehurst. I can't find anything to dislike about these clubs, except that they don't have the best distance. The spin was pretty unreal, here's a link to a replay where I spun the 4 iron BACKWARDS: http://wgt.com/replay.aspx?ID=ffb7c34d-6d92-4453-97d1-9fa7008412f3 Bonus Review; Kiawah Island back 9: Very fast greens, moderate wind. Again, these performed spectacularly. No doubt about it, these are great irons. The fact that these are only rated for 195 yards is a little disconcerting, but that didn't hurt me on Kiawah. I could see how it could in some cases, though. Unfortunately, I was stupid enough to not get myself off the fairway during the round, so I didn't learn much about how these are out of rough or sand, but they did perform well there at Pinehurst, so I see no reason to worry about them in that regard. If you are meter challenged, these are for you. Heck, at L38, these might be for a lot of people if you don't like the R11s.
Distance: 195, 185, 175, 165, 150, 135, 120, 105.
Punch: 179, 169, 156, 147, 132, 120, 107, 91
Pitch: 78, 69, 63, 59, 53, 46, 42, 35
Chip: 49, 46, 41, 37, 32, 28, 24, 19
L48 Ping Raptures: Ok, so the meter is probably the main selling point for most people, but these are really nice clubs otherwise, too. With two dots of spin, I wan't expecting much, but the stopping power was pretty awesome. Forgiveness was great, too. Only thing I didn't like was the club spacing, as the long irons are closer than the short ones. Bonus Review: Kiawah Island front 9, moderate wind, medium tees. This half round pretty much confirmed what I found on Pinehurst. Good stopping power, easy to use. They're not cheap, though, so if you're good with a fast meter, I'd buy something else. If you're meter challenged, these might be for you.
Distance:
Full: 200, 190, 180, 170, 155, 140, 125, 110.
Punch: 183, 173, 160, 151, 138, 126, 112, 95
Pitch: 83, 71, 63, 59, 53, 47, 43, 37
Chip: 51, 47, 42, 39, 33, 28, 25, 20
L50 Ping G15: These are winners. I figured I wouldn't be able to do anything useful without feel balls, but not so. No, I didn't do awesome, but I wasn't far off. Great spin, precision, good out of rough and bunker, just great all around. And the meter is tolerable. Add in a little time to adjust, and these have awesome potential. I had so much fun with these I played 2 CTTHs, and while my score was over 400 on the first, it was down to 227 by the second. Bonus Review; Kiawah Island Front 9: Very fast greens, moderate wind. Great performers all around. Stopping power, distance, it's the complete package. They look good out of most lies so far, too. I'd recommend them if you were looking to upgrade around L50, but you should have experience with fast meters before trying these.
Distance:
Full: 205, 195, 180, 165, 150, 135, 120, 105.
Punch: 188, 178, 160, 147, 133, 123, 106, 90
Pitch: 87, 73, 63, 57, 50, 46, 41, 35
Chip: 53, 48, 43, 37, 32, 27, 24, 19
L53 TaylorMade R9: I liked them. They performed very well on Pinehurst and got me out of lies nicely. Spin was adequate, precision and forgiveness were pretty good. I think a score of 227 isn't to shabby for only playing one CTTH with them ever, but there is a problem. There 50 credits more than the G|10s, and only 6 levels earlier. I really don't see why you'd buy these when the G|10s are coming, and are significantly better clubs. They're great clubs, but 10 or 15 levels too late to be considered.
Distance:
Full: 202, 190, 177, 165, 152, 140, 127, 115
Punch: 187, 173, 157, 147, 135, 124, 114, 100
Pitch: 86, 70, 61, 57, 51, 46, 44, 39
Chip: 52, 47, 41, 36, 32, 27, 25, 22
Note: The following irons have been discontinued. The review is for historical reference only.
L59 G|10: Also tested on Kiawah full 18 very fast green, moderate wind, and tour pro tees. I liked the Tour Preferreds, but these are way better. Spin, trajectory, precision are all great. These were spectacular out of the rough and sand. Kiawah Stroke Play bonus review: The stopping ability of these irons is great. On hole 17, for example, I was able to stop the 5 iron with negligible roll. These were just great irons in general. I'd like to test them out on another course with more elevation changes, so I'll put more up if I have the time before free rentals end. I'd buy these in an instant if I wasn't about to unlock the i15s. Just tested these on Congressional. They handled the elevation changes just fine and still stopped very quickly. I'm still impressed. I did find it a little ironic, however, that as I was testing these on Congressional, I was also listening to American Roots, which happened to be broadcasting a recording made at some theater in Bethesda, Maryland.... Double Bonus Review! Well, if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you'll see a screenshot of what my equipment editor looked like, and why I couldn't edit it. I just happened to have these in my bag at the time, with 5 wedges (CTTH setup), so I decided to go to Congressional and play off the red tees. Well, that was interesting. I made it through 6 holes and shot +1. Long drive was 229 yards with the 3 iron. Well, that was my strange experience of the day, or maybe just one of them. I wasn't listening to anything recorded in Bethesda when I was doing this one, though.
Distance:
Full: 210, 200, 190, 175, 160, 145, 130, 115.
Punch: 192, 182, 169, 156, 142, 129, 115, 98
Pitch: 90, 77, 67, 61, 55, 48, 45, 39
Chip: 56, 51, 46, 41, 35, 30, 26, 22
L63 TaylorMade Tour Preferred: These pale in comparison to the G|10s. After playing these on Kiawah, I'm re-evaluating my previous opinion. These are awful comapred to the G|10s. Getting out of lies is tough, the stopping power isn't as good, they just aren't as good.
Distance:
Full: 210, 197, 185, 172, 160, 147, 135, 122.
Punch: 194, 180, 164, 153, 142, 130, 121, 106
Pitch: 90, 75, 65, 59, 54, 48, 46, 41
Chip: 56, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 28, 24
Ping i15: Well folks, I bought them. And guess what, they're awesome. They're also really (and I mean REALLY) hard to use. Miss the ding, and not only does your shot go crazy, you lose distance, too. Hitting the ding, or being very close is key to success with these clubs. The stopping power is like nothing I have personally had the opportunity to enjoy before these clubs. It's amazing. The trajectory is awesomely high, too, so you get some stopping power even on the most extreme uphill shots like we see on Oakmont and BPB. One other thing I noticed is that the performance out of the rough is pretty bad. Not only are they touchy about the way you treat them, but also very touchy about the surface that they are hitting off of. Overall, though, these are still far better than any other irons I have ever had the chance to play with.
Distance:
Full: 215, 205, 190, 175, 160, 145, 130, 115
Punch: 198, 187, 169, 156, 143, 131, 115, 98
Pitch: 93, 86, 68, 61, 55, 49, 45, 39
Chip: 57, 52, 44, 40, 36, 30, 26, 21
L79 TaylorMade Burner 2.0: Again, haven't tried them and it'll be a while, if ever. I've heard that they're pretty good, almost as good as the R11s, but not quite, due to tighter range and less stopping power.
Distance: (Courtesy YankeeJim)
Full: 220, 205, 90, 175, 160, 145, 135, 125
Punch: 203, 189, 171, 157, 143, 130, 120, 108
Pitch: 93, 83, 70, 64, 58, 50, 47, 43
Chip: 59, 52, 44, 39, 36, 31, 27, 24
L90 TaylorMade R11: I personally haven't tried them and won't for a long long time, but I have heard that these are somewhat better than the L79 Burners for several reasons; better stopping power on longer irons, in addition to a wider range (an extra 5 yards on each end). I can't say much on these because I don't know them. But I did want to have something here.
Distance: (Courtesy YankeeJim)
Full: 225, 210, 195, 180, 165, 150, 135, 120
Punch: 208, 194, 176, 162, 148, 134, 121, 103
Pitch: 97, 86, 73, 66, 60, 53, 47, 41
Chip: 61, 54, 46, 41, 36, 31, 27, 22
Wedges:
WGT Pro: 200 credits? Ummmm, no. Not for these. They're not bad, it's just that the TM Satins are better and cheaper. Don't waste time on these, the price tag makes them an nonviable option.
Snake Eyes: For 100 credits, these are pretty nice. The stopping power is adaquate, forgiveness seems good, and the precision is serviceable, too. I'd recommend these if you're looking for an early and cheap upgrade. If you're in the business of saving money, though, keep the starters until you get to the Z Satins or Tour-Ws.
L27/29/31 Cleveland 56, 60 and 64 degree wedges: Tested on Kiawah full 18 very fast greens. I loved these wedges. Went great with the R11 irons that I was testing at the same time. Spin, precision, forgiveness were all great. These were so easy to use and a joy to play with. These did great with less than full power, too. Are they enough better than the Z Satin wedges or Tour-Ws to justify the large extra expense? I don't think I'd pay the extra 295 credits. There really just isn't all that huge a difference in the way that the Tour-Ws and Satins play from these. So let's see, 3 X 295 = 885 credits more to get the Clevelands. Save that for a later upgrade. The Satins and/or Tour-Ws will serve you just about as well for far less.
L38/39 TaylorMade Z Satin TP wedges: I've used the 54, 60, and 64 degree wedges for many months now as my primary wedges.With these, I've got plenty of power out of scary lies, and have enough spin to spin the ball backwards in most scenarios. Forgiveness isn't a problem, either. They're a joy to use, but it seems like you really can't go wrong with your wedges these days. The Tour-Ws are great, too (see below), so, honestly, it almost doesn't matter. Mix and match if you want.
L41/42 Ping Tour-W Wedges: Tested on Kiawah Back 9 very fast green, moderate wind. I'll test these on the front 9 in my next round of tests. I tested the 56, 60, and 64 degree wedges so far. I won't be able to test them all, but I might get a couple more in. These are great wedges. I own the comparable L38/39 TaylorMade Z Satin wedges, and I didn't see a huge difference. If you wanted to use these just to be different from the masses, it really wouldn't have an impact. You could probably even mix these with the Satins if you wanted without trouble. Just played Kiawah front 9. Same deal. Still awesome.
L60 Ping Tour-W 54 and 60 degree wedges: Tested on Kiawah Island full 18, very fast greens, moderate wind. I liked these wedges a lot. They do nicely with swings that aren't full power. The distances match well with the high end wedges if you dump the Hybrid and carry a 64 degree wedge instead. I honestly didn't think there was a significant difference between how these played and my L38/39 TM Satins that I own, with the exception of more distance. These are way better, however than the L64 Satins (see review below).
L64 TayloMade Satin 54 and 60 degree wedges: Tested on Kiawah full 18 very fast greens and moderate wind. I absolutely hated these wedges. They are FAR more difficult to deal with on less than full power than the comperable Tour-Ws. And when I say FAR more difficult, I mean just about impossible to control. They really aren't bad at full power, but a lot, if not most, of the time, you need partial power, so these, are terrible. Also, the distances of the Tour-Ws makes more sense than these. I don't need a 110 yard wedge that's 5-10 yards less than my PW. The Ping wedges are hands down better than these.
Putters:
L7 WGT Tour Starters: Tested on Congressional. This putter was so awful that, after two holes, I ended the round. I just couldn't take any more of this putter. Don't waste your credits, folks, this putter is a waste. If you're in this big a hurry to upgrade, get the Spider at L19. Just please don't buy this. It's awful.
L19 TaylorMade Spider Putter: It's a nice putter, folks. Not quite as nice as the higher level ones, but it's not a glaring difference. You didn't expect it to be that good anyway. Honestly, this putter well exceded my expectations. One thing I didn't like about it was that the shortest scale is 25 feet. I find the 15 foot scale found on some of the other putters is real nice, but I would certainly be able to see anyone looking for an upgrade without waiting a while buying this club.
L28 Ping iWi Answer Series: Played it on Kiawah front 9 with Very Fast Greens. I like it a lot, perhaps even a bit better than the TaylorMade Spider. What I really loved about this one over the Spider was the 15 foot scale. It is so nice to have that feature. The precision seemed to be good, too. I think I'd recommend it over the Spider, but only by a hair. Therefore, your personal preference may vary.
L35 TaylorMade Ghost Spider: About as good as the Daytona and 20 levels earlier. Hey, it's another good putter. Good balance, precision. Easy to use, nice meter, great forgiveness. For the 75 extra credits over the Daytona, I think I'd take it to get it so much earlier. They really are very similar.
L44 Ping Redwood ZB: Nice putter. Tested on Kiawah back 9, very fast greens. Good precision, pretty easy to use. The meter isn't as fast as I expected it to be based on the reading in the pro shop. It's a very good club, and if you want to save 125 credits, I could see someone taking it over the Daytona.
L51 Nike Method 001: Tested on Kiawah F9 Very Fast greens. Didn't seem much different from my Daytona, really. The meter distances were difficult to deal with, too. Does very well under 20 ft, but if you ever land more than 20 ft from the hole, I'd say go with a Gohst or Daytona, and save a ton of credits while your at it.
L55 TaylorMade Daytona: I've owned this for several months now, and it's a great putter. It's easy to use, and got the precision we all need. Seeing what some of the new putters coming out cost, it looks like a relative bargain at 725 credits. I'd buy it over again even with the current selection. The new stuff just isn't much better, and it's a lot more expensive.
L66 TayloMade Ghost Spider: Tested with the L60 G|10s on Kiawah, very fast greens. It is definitely a great putter. However, I own the TaylorMade L55 Daytona putter, and honestly, I didn't notice a meaningful difference. I personally wouldn't pay an extra 475 credits to get it, but if you have credits to burn, go for it. The half dot of balance and dot of forgiveness it gains you might save a stroke every now and then.
Jan 2012 Update: I just tested this one again, and am really starting to appreciate it. It is definitely better than the Daytona, and I'll be upgrading as soon as I get a couple surveys in. The forgiveness and balance is amazing. My putting is much improved with this club. Let me put it this way: I just had a total distance made putts of 70.04 on Kiawah B9. That is such a personal best for me it's ridiculous.
L72 Ping Redwood Putter: Seems nice to me. It's seems to play very similarly to the Daytona. I think I'd rather have a Ghost, but if you like it, I can see getting it. The scales are set up pretty well, and the precision and balance seem very good. The biggest problem I have with it is the forgiveness. Combine that with the fast (at least for a putter) meter speed, and putting is a bit challenging with it. I'll take the L66 Ghost any day.
L77 Nike Method 001: Tested on Kiawah F9 and Congressional F9 w/ Srixon Z-Star balls. Nice putter, but same deal as the L51. The distances are good as long as you manage to get within 20 ft. Over 20, and then you have the difficult to deal with 50 ft meter. Personally, I vastly preferred the Spiders that I've tested. It just feels like it's easier to get it down the drain with them than with these.
Drivers/Woods/Hybrids:
Lynx LX5 10.5 Driver: I was very pleasantly surprised by this driver! For just 200 credits, I'd recommend this to everyone who's just starting out. On Kiawah F9 with Tour SD balls, I averaged 240 yards, which would have been probably closer to 245 had I been a little more careful. This is a great deal for those of you who are just starting out and hate the free driver. Have a look at it if you'd like some extra distance.
WGT Tour Pro Driver: Can't lose at 250 credits for this. Tested it on Kiawah F9 with Tour SDs and averaged around 255 yds. Forgiveness isn't stellar, though, so be sure to make sure that you are near the ding. Luckily, meter speed isn't too crazy, so the lack of forgiveness is somewhat offset by that fact.
WGT Pro 3 Fariway Wood: Nice for the price. Same deal as the driver. Get something else if you have the credits, but this is plenty adequate for the pro tier if you're conserving cash.
And again, more of the same as the previous clubs from this set. Did a fine job of rescuing me from the sand in front of the fairway on Kiawah #2...Shot it over the marsh and about 180 yds out of hard sand. Phenomenal for the price.
WGT Tour Plus 10.5 Driver: Tested on Kiawah back 9. Medium Tees, moderate wind. Nice driver, but don't buy it. Sure, the distance is underrated (I averaged 257.5 yds), but still, 3,000 for ANY driver is over the top. There are drivers as good or better than this one for half the price. I must say, however, that I did find it to be a fine driver. Easy to use is certainly its biggest attribute, as nothing else here is particularly special.
WGT Tour Plus 3 Wood: Same deal as the driver, nice club, but better ones are available for a fraction of the cost. Kind of like the entire Tour Plus set. The clubs are good, but the prices are just obscene.
L29 TaylorMade R11 10.5 Driver: I used this as my primary driver up until about a month ago, and it served me well. I pulled it out again, along with the new R11 irons and my old wood to give it a good review. It's so easy to use, and has great distance (Just averaged 259 yd), for a club in its level range. Not only is it a great club, it (and the entire lower R11 series) is a great learning tool. It gets you used to a faster meter, but it gives you more than enough forgiveness for big misses while you get used to it. If I'd gotten the Raptures or other low speed club, I'm not sure I'd be able to handle my R9 that I use now. I'd recommend the R11 full set for anyone near L30 who's serious about being good. It's a blast to use it with the awesomely high trajectory, too.
L29 TaylorMade R11 3 Wood: Another great club. I can stop the ball just about dead on the green if I use it right. A lot of the selling points I mentioned in the review for the driver apply, as it's more of the same. Buy this, too, if your near L30.
L29 TaylorMade R11 3 Hybrid: Never owned this club, didn't rent it, and don't plan on reviewing it. Truth is, you don't need this club. You're far better off to carry 3 wedges once your PW gets over 100 yards. You'll never even wish you have this club, since a 3 Wood with a punch swing has essentially the same end result as the hybrid.
L32 Ping Rapture 10.5 Driver: Tested in Kiawah F9 with Tour SDs. Hey, what can I say...it's another rapture. After reviewing the higher level ones below, this is just another rapture. Great for staying on the fairway while playing a relaxed game. I averaged 256 yards, a solid distance until you get to Master. It's easy to use and keeps you on the fairway. If you're meter challenged, this club may be right for you.
L34 Ping G|10 9.5 Driver: Tested on Kiawah B9 with Tour SDs. This club crushed my expectations. Average distance of 267.03 yards. Precision is a plus on this club. As this driver is so close to the comparable R9 in distance, I'd say that the L42 G|10 full set (which includes the L35 irons which I previously praised so heavily) is worth a serious look. Just add a 64 deg wedge, and you are in awesome shape.
L34 Ping G|10 3 Fairway Wood: Good in tight spots, and better stopping power than the comparable TM club. I'd say it's probably the best 3W in its class.
L36 Tour Burner 9.5 Driver: Tested on Kiawah B9 with Tour SDs: Not too impressed. Comparable G|10 and R9 are both far better and no more expensive. Only averaged 262.4 yards, while also having some issues with the precision. I'd recommend something else.
L36 TaylorMade Tour Burner 3 Fairway Wood: It's long, though I'd worry about potential precision issues on shots onto the green and also in tighter spots than I encountered on Kiawah. Might want to think about going G|10 on this one.
L37 Ping K15 10.5 Driver: Tested with Tour SDs on Kiawah B9: It was certainly easy to use, though there was a price to pay for that. I only averaged 264.4 yards. Keeping it on the fairway was no trouble at all, though, as I was able to run my driving accuracy all the way up to 100% with this one. I personally don't think it's worth it at 1,095 credits, though. Not when you can get the G|10 for 400 credits less. It's certainly a great driver, but it really only makes sense for you if you are meter challenged.
L40 TaylorMade R9 TP 9.5 Driver: Tested on Kiawah B9 with Tour SDs. WOW, this thing is awesome. Averaged 269.8 yards, and that was with light winds! I must say, though, that this R9, being that it averaged only 2.8 yards longer than the comparable G|10, might not be worth the price in precision.
L47 2010 Ping Rapture V2 9.5 Driver: Tested on Kiawah Island, Medium tees, moderate wind. Nice driver. The distance isn't awesome, but it is certainly easy to use. I averaged in the low to 260s, and I don't think I went off the fairway once on a drive. Unless you're meter challenged, I think I would recommend getting something else, though. You can get something just as good for way less if you can take a faster meter. Distance: 255 full, 221 punch
L47 2010 Ping Rapture V2 3 Wood: Tested with above driver. It's a pretty nice wood. The stopping power isn't so great, but it's good otherwise. Just like all the other Raptures, really. Easy to use, decent distance, acceptable precision. Like I said before, these are for you if you are meter challenged. Otherwise, consider another cheaper or better alternative. Distance: 230 Full, 215 Punch
L49 Ping G15 9.5 Driver: It's about as good as the L34 G|10 but with a faster meter. Using Srixons on Kiawah B9 I averaged 270.4 yds. Might as well save a few credits and get a slower meter with G|10, or just wait for something else. Not anywhere near as spectacular as the G15 irons. I wouldn't recommend this club or the associated wood.
L49 Ping G15 3 Fairway Wood: Same deal as G15 driver. Not too impressed. I'd rather have the L34 G|10 or better yet wait for something else.
L52 TaylorMade Burner SuperFast 9.5 Driver: Tested on Kiawah front 9, Srixon Z-Star balls. I averaged 268.7 yards, but despite crushing the rating, I still wouldn't buy it. The G|10 is only 6 levels higher, and by far the better driver. Heck, I'd wait until I got to L62 for the R9 to bypass this club. It's overpriced, too. I'll pass big time on paying more for this than a G|10 or R9. Meter is definitely faster than both of those options, too. It was fun to test, but it doesn't make sense in practice at all.
Rented the L60 G|10 full set, played it in stroke play with the L66 Spider putter. Tested with Tour-SD balls on Kiawah full 18. Very fast greens, moderate wind, Tour Pro tees. See above for L59 G|10 Irons and L60 Tour-W wedges.
Note: The following club has been discontinued. The review is for historical reference only.
L58 G|10 Driver: I loved this driver. It is somewhat easier to use than the comparable L62 R9 (which I own), but as has been discussed on this forum before, it definitely doesn't go quite as far. My average with the G|10 on the round was 280.5, while it was 294 with the R9. If you're not so good with the meter or are a more relaxed player, than the G|10 is for you. If you want to be an aggressive player and are good with the meter, don't bother, get the R9 and its extra yards.
Note: The following club has been discontinued. The review is for historical reference only.
L58 G|10 3 Wood: I like it, and it's also my primary wood. The R9 3W isn't quite as good as this one. It is a tad longer, but I went with the opposite philosophy with my woods. I want the precision, and I'll trade yards to get it. The stopping ability seems to be pretty good, I'd say 10 yards of roll or less is a good starting point to play with for roll.
Note: The following club has been discontinued. The review is for historical reference only.
L58 G|10 3 Hybrid: I did not need this club. I did want to test it, though, so I got myself into the first cut rough on #16. It was great out of there, but I don't think it was enough better than the 3W with a punch swing would have been to warrant carrying it instead of another wedge, which I wished I had had often during the round.
TaylorMade Tour Preferred Full Set: Kiawah full 18, Medium tees, very fast greens, moderate wind. See above for the L63 Tour Preffered Irons and L64 Z Satin wedges
L62 R9 8.0 Driver: Personally, I like this one a bit better than the G|10. It's harder to use, but I averaged 294 yards with this one. An average of 13.5 extra yards per drive is worth the trade off of a harder to use, less precise club. That's my opinion, and your mileage may vary. The R9 is not for everyone, but it is hands down better than the G|10 when properly used.
L62 R9 3 Wood: Ok, I'll have to admit I didn't do much with this club. But it is certainly less accurate, less forgiving, and has a lower trajectory than the G|10 3W. Same price, same distance. I'll take the Ping. Again, your mileage may vary.
L62 Burner Rescue Tour Launch T3 20°: Do yourself a favor. Don't bother. A classic case of the useless 3 Hybrid. I never needed it once, but I did use it on 16 just because I knew I needed to use it at least once. It did ok, a little less than what it is rated for, but as usual, the third wedge would have been waaaaaaaaaay more useful.
Ping i15 Driver: Tested on Kiawah front 9, moderate winds. WOW this is one awesome driver, as long as you hit the ding. I had no trouble at all with the meter on this (hit the ding on more drives with this than I have in a while, actually), and man was if fun to play. Although I wasn't trying and the shot didn't do at all what I wanted it to do, I set my long driver record while I was at it, at 323 yds (It probably would have rolled another 30 yards if it hadn't been for some weeds). Forgiveness is a problem, though, so if you're not so great with the meter, use something else. If you can handle most fast meters ok, I think you'll be fine with this. It's precise, it's long and it's also fun to be able to use an i15. Master it and love it. If I have an influx of credits, I am totally buying this club. Distance: 272 full, 237 punch. By the way, I tested this on Oakmont full 18, too. I'd say that the R9 has a few yards on it, but it's not a huge margin, and this club has far more precision. I missed a couple dings pretty bad, and based on what I'd heard about the i15s, I expected to be waaaaaay off the fairway, but the worst I did whole round was second cut rough. Oh, and I know it's a lame reason to like a club, but I loved the sound this club made, especially compared to the R9. I'll be happy if the irons sound half as good, lol.
Ping i15 3 Wood: It's an awesome wood if you can ding the meter. I had not trouble with it at all, and it perfomed great for me. The precision is excellent, and the stopping power is pretty good, too. Only problem is forgiveness, which really wasn't a problem for me at all. I'm actually thinking I might buy this next time I get into a survey. Check my blog on my profile for a few replays of the i15s in action. Distance: 237 full, 222 punch.
TaylorMade R9 SuperTri 8.5 Driver
Tested on Kiawah front 9 with Srixon Z-Star balls. I averaged 286.8 yards with this club, and it's harder to use than the L62 R9. I think I'd skip this one, as it seems shorter, more difficult to use, and more expensive than the L62 R9. It's also far more effected by wind. It's not a bad club, but I think I'd probably take a pass since it doesn't seem to be the best option.
Just some thoughts on upgrading:
If you're new and looking at upgrades, here are a few things I've learned from these reviews and from playing the game:
1: Don't be afraid of fast meters. They're just not that bad and having a fear of them like I did will only limit your options and drive up cost. In my case, it resulted in me playing with a set of irons that were not nearly as good as ones I could have gotten for far less.
2: Don't upgrade too soon. A lot of the early upgrades are pretty meaningless. Don't waste credits on them.
3: Get some decent balls. No matter what clubs you use, you'll struggle with the starter balls no matter how good the clubs. The Tour SDs are a great option until you get to the really high meter speed clubs such as the i15s or G15s.
Finally, a few upgrade recommendations: If you're new and wondering what to upgrade to, this is for you:
Lynx LX5 10.5 Driver: I never would have guessed that I'd actually like this club, but I do. It's a great deal at 200 credits, and it's available the day you join. If the free driver frustrates you, have a look at this one.
R11 full set: This is the perfect set to learn how to deal with a faster meter due to its extremely high forgiveness. You've more than enough so that even missing big won't kill you. An ideal learning tool, plus the clubs themselves are great, too. Add the L35 Gohst putter and some TM Satin wedges to this and you'll be good to go until you get to the L60s.
L42 Ping G|10 Full Set: If you cant afford the R11 full set, these are the next best thing, though you'll have to learn the faster meter without the help of huge amounts of forgiveness.
In terms of wedges, it doesn't matter all that much. The Clevelands are the best, but the Pings and TMs are about the same. I like the TM Ghost putters best of any putter out there right now. I'd say buy all three as you progress and skip everything else.
After that, it's mix and match. Right now, I have a smattering of equipment: L62 R9 driver, L59 Ping G|10 3W , Ping i15 irons, L66 TM Ghost, and Cleveland wedges. I'm planning on getting the L83 G20 full set in the near future, so look for that review in the next couple weeks.
Anyway, those are just a few thoughts for you, I hope they help, and I hope you've found the reviews useful.