TMC

Make no mistake about it, you can get some incredible clubs for under $500 Canadian. I even tried out a Taylormade and a Calloway set! Of course, these were last year’s clubs, but they still performed very well. Which club won out for me? Read on and see!

Here’s what I looked at and my impression of them. I’ve been playing for about two years now, and wanted to invest in a set more suited to my swing.

All prices are current at Golf Town as of May 27, as that is where I had a gift certificate.
Speaking of which, the guy who helped me there did the right thing: gave general tips about clubs and manufacturers, but pretty much left me on my own to try each club out without any pressure. When I needed to try another one, he quickly and got it taped up for me to try out on the launch monitor (with neat-o 3D graphics no less).

Methodology: I compared 7 irons (my comfort club) amongst these brands. After weeding out most, I tried the other clubs in the set for my two finalists, to confirm that this is what I was looking for. I know this may not be the best way to test clubs, but it does save time, and I didn’t overwork myself throughout the test this way. Also, I’m going to take these out on the driving range and give them a full test in a more comfortable environment (bit warm in the store). As Golf Town has a 30 day return policy (if you tape up your clubs and keep them in resellable condition), if these don’t hold up to scrutiny, I may very well pick up my 2nd or 3rd choice.


Adams Idea a2 OS steel $499 or $599
Too heavy. Golf Town online price is $100 less than at store. (to be honest, I think the website currently has the price $100 less than it should, as the MSRP is $600 USD, and the website is selling them for $499 CDN)
These clubs offer more straight shots and less workability than the Idea a2. As the soles are wider, they made for a heavier club than what I was used to. This seemed to slow my swing down, and I wasn’t getting the distance I was hoping for. I could have tried the graphite versions, but they were $100 out of my price range.

On the plus side, these clubs had four hybrids in their lineup. The 3 & 4 were more like woods, and the 5 & 6 were iron-like. This smoothes the transition between irons and woods.

Adams Idea a2 Graphite $599
I actually got less distance on these than the steel version. I’m just not used to graphite. And, they are $100 more. Knowing that probably affected my swing. Less distance, straighter & smoother feel, but not used to graphite. I quit looking at graphite after this one.


Callaway Big Bertha 2004 model Steel $438
When hit well, this went further than any other club. However, I felt that I was more inconsistent, with this club, pushing and pulling too many shots. Overall it was fairly straight, fairly forgiving. However, I did not like the grip as it felt triangular and too narrow.

Taylormade rac OS $478
3rd Choice
It was VERY close between these and the set I ended up buying!

Smooth, off center hits did not hurt at all, smoother than graphite Idea a2. This also means it had less response, as I didn’t know when making a bad shot. Inside the cavity back head was what looked like some sort of urethane/metal filler towards the sole. I’m guessing this was basically a shock absorber which made this club so smooth. However, these clubs went the shortest distance for me, with plenty of loft (or perhaps the shock absorber took out some oomph). As I already have a high loft swing, these didn’t suit me.

Tour Edge Bazooka Jmax Steel $348
2nd Choice
Golf Digest 2007 Hot Silver best Value
Almost as smooth as the Taylormades, but more distance on the 7 iron. They were similar to clubs I already own, so they were comfortable for me, but these were even smoother. They are not as forgiving as the Adams, and didn’t have any hybrids in the line. I could not believe how well they performed compared to Taylormade & Adams! These were very tempting as I could have afforded to buy a new putter or a Tom Watson wedge set if I got these. Definitely a best buy. I would rate these as #1 if I were just starting out and didn’t know if I wanted to stick with the game.

Adams Idea a2 Steel $499
Winner
The graduated weight in the back of the clubs and a 3 & 4 hybrid in the mix make for a great buy. There was enough improvement to my game to justify buying them over keeping my old set. Although they didn’t feel the absolute best on mis-hits, they performed very well. Letting me know when I was making a mis-hit is actually a plus for a beginning golfer. So, the balls will stay (hopefully) on the fairway, but I’ll know what to continue to work on with my swing.

By the way, I think Golf Digest’s Equipment Issue has mixed up the reviews of this and the Idea a2 OS clubs. It says this set has 3 clubs types. That’s not the case, it has two. The a2 OS has three types.

Ultimately, it’s about what feels best for you. All of these clubs will kick butt in the right set of hands. In this case, I chose a club that was a little less forgiving and gave more distance than some of the others. This feedback is what I need right now, while still being able to play a decent game on the links.

Cheers,
TMC

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Driver & 3 Wood: Pinemeadow Doublewall
5 & 7 Wood: Maltby Logic Gold
3 & 4 Hy: Pinemeadow Command Hy brid
5 - W: Rimfire Performance + with True Temper Custom Lite Sensicore shafts
Putter: Chipshot $0.50 Promo
Balls: Nike MOJO 2005 Vintage

65nlovenit

Very interesting review, I've also heard some good things about the Tour Edge equipment, and the price is sure realistic. Thanks

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The shortest distance between any two points on a golf course is a straight line that passes directly through the center of a very large tree.