[SeeRed]

Hopefully this will satisfy my quest for better gear...for at least this year:

Driver: Ping i20, 8.5*, std shaft 'S' (fitted)
Fairway: Adams Fast 10 3-wood, Wahabi 'S'
Hybrids: Adams Pro a12 16*, Matrix 'S'; Nike VR Pro 21*, 24*, Project X 'S'
Irons: Ping i20 5-PW, 1.5* flat, DG S300 (fitted)
Wedges: Eidolon 51, 56, 61, std steel 'S'
Grips: Ping ID-8 gold (+1/32")
Putter: 350 milled FN-1, black widow edge midsize grip
ball: Taylormade Penta TP or Callaway Tour i(z)

Swapping back and forth between the Adams fairway and 16* hybrid to see which is more reliable/versatile. So far the hybrid is in the bag more often. And I finally embraced the leave-the-long-irons-at-home way of thinking/playing last year. Turned out to be a good move. This year I might actually fit the hybrids for shafts.

[GolfSpy Matt]

That's a very fine set up you have. How are you liking the i20?

[GolfSpy Tim]

looking forward to hearing more about the adams fairway vs. hybrid... I've been considering doing a switch to a hybrid in place of my fairway woods, but still on the fence about it.

[SeeRed]

It took much tweaking and trying to get to this set up...at one point I had no fewer than 8 different types of iron in my playing bag (forged stuff by Dynacraft and Maltby mostly). The fitter asked me if I'd just brought one of each of my sets to compare, but no, that was actually my playing set. The i20 driver and irons I love. I really feel like I can control the driver well, it feels great, and is pretty long. The irons are hot, but also pretty forgiving. They don't have the nice feel of the forged irons I had previously, which I'm finding I don't mind as much as I thought I might. The ball jumps off the face, and there is potential for great control. Still on the fence on the fairway vs. hybrid. Though during my last round I hit a screaming draw off the tee with the hybrid to about 255 and the middle of the fairway, which felt easier to do with the hybrid than the fairway. Demo'd the Pro a12 after reading the MGS review and am starting to love it. As I do the Nike VR Pro hybrids. Solid, solid clubs.

[wdgolf]

SeeRed, on 17 March 2012 - 07:16 PM, said:

It took much tweaking and trying to get to this set up...at one point I had no fewer than 8 different types of iron in my playing bag (forged stuff by Dynacraft and Maltby mostly). The fitter asked me if I'd just brought one of each of my sets to compare, but no, that was actually my playing set. The i20 driver and irons I love. I really feel like I can control the driver well, it feels great, and is pretty long. The irons are hot, but also pretty forgiving. They don't have the nice feel of the forged irons I had previously, which I'm finding I don't mind as much as I thought I might. The ball jumps off the face, and there is potential for great control. Still on the fence on the fairway vs. hybrid. Though during my last round I hit a screaming draw off the tee with the hybrid to about 255 and the middle of the fairway, which felt easier to do with the hybrid than the fairway. Demo'd the Pro a12 after reading the MGS review and am starting to love it. As I do the Nike VR Pro hybrids. Solid, solid clubs.

Just curious, which Dynacrafts/Maltbys did you have? Were the i20s really that much better? Did you have the same S300 shaft in both sets of irons?

[SeeRed]

wdgolf, on 17 March 2012 - 03:55 PM, said:

Just curious, which Dynacrafts/Maltbys did you have? Were the i20s really that much better? Did you have the same S300 shaft in both sets of irons?

In my bag, I've had Dynacraft Prophet forged milled and tour forged CNC irons and CNC milled wedges, and Maltby TE, MMB, MCC, and F2 forged irons. Yeah, overkill on the long-term demo-ing maybe. Of all of them, I gamed the Prophet forged milled the longest. I guess it depends how you define better. Nothing feels like a purely struck forged iron, and the Maltby MCC and F2 felt best to me (Prophet Tour CNC a very close second). But...those pure shots are still a little too few and far between for me. I am much more consistent with the i20's. I feel like I have a little more control with them. They are hotter, for sure, but what sold me is their control and forgiveness. I did have DG S300 shafts in the Prophet set I played for 2 years or so, but KBS Tour in all Maltbies but the MCC (DG S300). I found the KBS Tours a little too spinny for my swing. Actually, Trackman found that...I thought they felt nice.

[SeeRed]

GolfSpy Tim, on 16 March 2012 - 06:02 PM, said:

looking forward to hearing more about the adams fairway vs. hybrid... I've been considering doing a switch to a hybrid in place of my fairway woods, but still on the fence about it.

So it seems the Pro a12 16* is the hands down winner. It is just such a great club off the tee. Maybe it's the slightly shorter shaft, but I find I am much more consistent with it than with the 3W. I may give up a little distance, but gain control. The 3W has been relegated to the extra club bag.