Golfspy_CG2 Posted August 9, 2019 Share Posted August 9, 2019 Five of our trusted members have been selected to test and review the Tommy Armour Atomic irons and report back their findings to the forum. Their journey with these irons has begun and below you will first read their Stage 1 reviews which will give you some insight to the person behind the forum name and learn a bit about their game to see if what they find in these irons will relate to your game. Along with that they will share some pictures of the clubs straight out of the box and give us some initial thoughts on them. So tune in and follow their journey over the next 4 to 6 weeks as they see if they can gain more distance in their iron game and more importantly, see if that translates to lower scores. Our Five Testers are @sirchunksalot Stage 1 Stage 2 @Tsecor Stage 1 Stage 2 @josmi15 Stage 1 Stage 2 @BigtazzGolf Stage 1 Stage 2 @ZenGolfer Stage 1 Stage 2 OdinSnipes414 and russtopherb 2 Quote G430 Max 10K TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 SM10 48F/54M and58K S159 48S/52S/56W/60B Select 5.5 Flowback 35" ProV1 Play number 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post sirchunksalot Posted August 9, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted August 9, 2019 Official Forum Member Review Tommy Armour Atomic Irons 8/9/2019 By sirchunksalot I want to thank MyGolfSpy and Tommy Armour Golf for the amazing opportunity to review the Atomic Irons! These irons took home the Best Distance category in the 2019 Most Wanted Game Improvement irons category. So, if you're a golfer looking for both distance and forgiveness stick around and find out if the Atomic irons need to be on your radar. The Personal Questions If you would like to read my golfing story, please check out the SuperSpeed review here: The Golfing Questions I am definitely a weekend warrior, if you were to watch me play you would definitely see a mixture of fantastic shots and moments where you would question my sanity for choosing to play this game. I have been able to reign in my game well enough that my handicap is sitting at 19.6 on Arccos when I started this review. My swing tempo is all over the place, I sometimes get too fast, get too slow, and sometimes my tempo is just right. I feel like Goldilocks exploring the cottage inhabited by the three bears. When faced with a 150 yard shot, my ego whispers in my ear to hit the 7 iron, but Arccos tells me to go with the 6 iron and they have the data to back it up. Now when faced with this shot, I'll grab the longer club and give myself a better chance of being on the green. I typically hit the ball high with both driver and irons and most of my misses with my irons come up short. Gotta quit listening to my ego. If I happen to hit the right distance, i tend to favor missing on the left. My biggest strength is probably hitting a low runner with a long iron from under tree branches, I've had lots of practice. I'm also a decent driver, if I do miss it's usually in a spot I can still play from. Weaknesses? I'm inconsistent with my irons, a streaky chipper, and I am a dreadful putter. I average 40 putts a round since getting Arccos. I currently game Cobra F8 irons that I bought at the PGA Superstore last October after reading the review here on the site. I tested several brands, but none could outperform these for me. I was not properly fitted for the Atomics, they only offered True Temper XP 85 shafts in these. The only option I was given was what flex suited my swing. First Impressions I'm going to start this part out a little differently than normal and not first talk about the shelf appeal of these clubs. I was sitting around the other night and some advice I was given long ago came back to me. A guy I used to work with told me "Good cooking beats good looking". I'm gonna tell you these Atomics can cook! When I went to DSG and hit these I saw several shots reach over 160 yards. I did hit some worm burners, but on shots that I hit well, the distance was amazing! It was probably the most fun I have ever had hitting into a screen, to the point I was sweating and exhausted by the time I left. I hit a total of 51 shots before I finished with an average of 148 and a launch angle of 15.9 degrees. I wish I would have taken a photo of the screen before I left, but I was hot and the desire for a Gatorade took precedence. The Tommy Armour irons are extremely good looking clubs. Looking at them in the store, I wasn't too impressed, but now I think they are a sharp looking golf club. I can see why they wouldn't appeal to a better player at address, having a thicker topline, but to a hacker like myself they give me confidence that they will get the ball in the air. The badging on the back isn't too overdone and the dots and lines add a nice touch. I also like how the numbers look on the 60 gram tungsten weight on the toe. The grips are standard Lamkin Crossline 360's and my only complaint with them is the red top, they dont compliment the Arccos sensors that i bought to track how these clubs perform. The Atomic irons have a titanium face and utilize Cup Face technology, along with aggressive lofts to deliver explosive distance. The 7 iron is listed at 27 degrees compared to my F8's which have a loft of 29.5 degrees. The face is made from a DAT55 titanium that are brazed instead of welded in order to save weight and allow it to be distributed lower in the form of a 60 gram tungsten weight in the toe for better forgiveness. it amazes me that a club labeled as a "house brand" would go to these lengths to maximize performance. There's an excellent article on the MyGolfSpy homepage that can explain it better here: https://mygolfspy.com/product-spotlight-tommy-armour-atomic-irons/ Conclusion Tommy Armour Atomic irons are all about distance. Hey, that's what I'm looking for! Will I see better distances? Are they able to improve my iron game? Can I hit the 4 iron off the tee so I can hit something other than driver on holes where it's not the smartest decision? I will be tracking all my rounds using Arccos and comparing them to my old irons. You will notice that the old irons are still paired, so I have paired my new set using other available slots such as 10i, 15i, and 54 wedge. Are you a golfer looking for more distance in your game? Stick around and follow me and my fellow testers as we put the Atomic through their paces. I can't wait to share this journey with all of you. Tommy Armour Golf, russtopherb, downlowkey and 11 others 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted August 9, 2019 Share Posted August 9, 2019 Tommy Armour Atomic Irons Official Forum Member Review By sirchunksalot 9/21/19 I would like to thank each and every one of you who have either read or participated in our review of the Tommy Armour Atomic Irons. I would also like to welcome you all back as we all talk about our experiences with these clubs. Since the day that the long, brown box showed up at my door, I have been able to play 14 rounds and make 5 trips to the driving range. Thank you to the guys over at the Lynx review for inspiring me to make one of those rounds an iron only experience, I’m looking at you @blackngold_blood. I appreciate you taking the risk and inspiring me to do the same. Tommy Armour was once a major player in the golf industry, especially with their 845 irons and are looking to make a comeback. Have they been able to accomplish this? Let’s find out. Looks To me, this is the most subjective part of the test to really quantify, but I will do my best to let you all know how I think the Atomics look in the bag. They really compare in shape nicely to the Cobra F8 irons I have been gaming for the better part of the last year. The one difference I see is that the head of the Atomics stands a little bit taller than the Cobras. Looking at the long irons, you know these are unapologetically game improvement clubs. They have a thick topline and you can see the back of the club at address. I like this, I feel confident they will launch the ball as easy as a hybrid. I've taken my 3 wood out of play for the duration of this test and instead opted to use the 4 iron for my fairway shots. If I could change anything about the looks of the Atomics it would be to change the back of the wedges to look different from the rest of the set like Cobra did. The back of the clubs feature black badging with the Atomic name underlined in red and the Tommy Armour signature beneath that. On both sides of that, there are raised dots on the cavity portion that give these clubs a bit of a retro feel. The numbers are featured on the tungsten that is placed in the toe and are really easy to pick out in the bag. I went back and looked at the photos of the irons that were tested in the MyGolfSpy Most Wanted Game Improvement category, and this is where the Atomics underperformed. If I were just the Average Joe looking at irons I would probably pass these up comparing them on looks alone against other similar irons. Mizuno, Cobra, Bridgestone, Ping, Titleist, and Srixon all beat them on looks. One of the unique things I like about the Atomics is the duller color of the titanium face. There is no sunlight reflection off these, and that’s a good thing. I can’t handle sunlight, always wear sunglasses outside, and love the lack of the sun bouncing off and hurting my eyes. I have been told that these are good looking irons by the people I have shown them to, but no one has come up on the course or the range and asked me about them. In other words, they’re a good looking set of irons but not to the point they draw a crowd. (Looks 7/10) Sound & Feel The Atomics definitely have a discernable click to them, especially when you hit the sweet spot and with short shots around the green. The first few times I hit them, it was a little loud and different from the Cobras, but over time it became a reassuring sound of a pure strike. I can see where it might be a turn off for players who are affected by sound, but I have grown accustomed to it. The Atomics feel hot! It feels like the face is just cradling the ball momentarily before launching them into the sky. For GI clubs, I think they do a great job transmitting the feel between a good and bad strike. They’re definitely more harsh when you blade one, but not bad enough to make your hands hate life for your bad shot. (Sound & Feel 9/10) Basic Characteristics While I don’t believe there is a club that is just point and shoot, the Atomics are the closest I’ve hit. I still miss a lot of greens, but with them my misses are closer. The long irons tend to fade a bit, while the mid irons seem to want to draw. The wedges are definitely the straightest to the point I’ve had a couple of longer shots I thought were going to go in the hole. The big feature that Tommy Armour Golf was able to fit into these clubs is the distance. I’ve gained pretty much 10 yards overall. My only discrepancies are with the 7 and 9 irons. If it wasn’t for trees, the 7 iron distance would be better, but it seemed to like to hit them on a couple of par threes… religiously. The 9 iron I just can’t figure out, I’ve actually seen a drop of 7 yards. It might just be that I have not used it as much as some of the others (15 shots). Also, one of my biggest concerns is the fact that they are too tightly gapped toward the top of the bag with only an 8 yard difference between the 5 and 7 irons. Don’t let the strong lofts fool you into thinking that you can’t get them airborne, they hit the ball high. I can even launch the 4 iron into the sky, to the point where it has become more reliable off the turf than my 3 wood. I’m not the most consistent ball striker. Remember that click I told you about earlier on good hits? I can tell you I only hear it a few times a round. I have hit the entire face of these clubs (I call it being thorough) and I’ve still seen decent distance and accuracy. It’s not perfect, but neither is my swing. For my skill level, I’m happy with the performance I’m seeing with the Atomics. For the most part, these clubs start out on the line I intend them to go. I struggled early in the review with a severe over the top swing that you can see in my stage 1 video. I’ll occasionally revert back to it if my concentration falters. This led to a lot of pulls and pull hooks that I probably would have deducted for, if I hadn't noticed it. Are these clubs workable? I can see the potential in them to be, but I just can’t do it. I just play the stock shot shape with whatever club I’m hitting and go from there. I have tried in the past to hit fades and draws, and let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. Basic Characteristics (17/20) On Course Performance Now we’re getting down to what really matters, how the Tommy Armour’s did on the course. Looks, sound, feel, and all the little things are important, but performance is king. I play more for fun than anything, I’m just not to the point where I feel my game is good enough to compete. Most of the pressure I’ve dealt are the tee shots on a few holes that provide certain challenges. The first is #1 at Waterville. Most of the time the middle tees are just in front of the blues and it’s a straight shot to the fairway. Lately, the tees have been moved closer and to the right. The problem? The fairway has trees down the right side that are now directly in front of a good shot. I’ve tried to go over them, but haven’t been able to pull it off. Most of my shots have been pulls that still find the fairway, but aren’t getting within range for a short pitch shot. The second hole is #5 at Waterville. It’s a straight shot over a pond. I’ve actually navigated it pretty well by only skipping one into the drink during the irons only round. I’ve also hit my longest drive with the 4 iron here that travelled 207 yards. The last one is the 10th at Chatata Valley. It has a narrow fairway with trees bordering the left side and a pond on the right. I HATE this hole, with a passion. If I play this course and have to start on the back, I know I’m in for a bad day. I’ve only played this hole once during this review and ended up in the pond. I did play one round with only 4 clubs (thanks CCC#3 guys for the inspiration!) and that had my heart skipping. I took only the 4, 7, and AW from the set and my putter. I shot 52 and walked away happy with the results. Looking back, I wish I would have opted for the 5, 7, and PW, but that was just not optimal planning on my part. When I started testing my Arccos handicap was 19.6 and have lowered it to 16.2 overall while having an 18.6 handicap with all my rounds with the Cobras excluded. Can’t figure that one out, but Arccos has it’s mysterious ways. My first couple of rounds with the Atomics were an emotional roller coaster. I shot 104, 89, 103, 63 (9 holes), and 108. It’s settled down since then and I’m playing some of the most consistent golf of my life. Three of the eight full rounds with the Atomics have been below 90, and three of the six 9 hole rounds have been 45 or better. Tommy Armour Golf has definitely changed my impression of them. Being a DSG/Golf Galaxy brand shouldn’t deter some golfers from giving them a try. On Course Performance (28/30) Miscellaneous The clubs arrived packaged well, each individually wrapped and surrounded by paper. They definitely take care to assure your new clubs arrive looking good. The tech they packed into these is just mind blowing. Low CG, tungsten weight, cup face, brazing, and premium quality DAT 55 titanium in an extremely affordable price is a plus in my book. I would like to see more shaft selections, even if it’s just a graphite shaft like in the Atomic Max. I know the price ($399) doesn’t scream custom fitting, but the original MSRP of $799 does. Other than that, they are winners. Miscellaneous (9/10) Play Them or Trade Them I’m definitely keeping the Atomics in the bag. After the initial “getting to know you” phase, I have been playing consistent, better golf. The extra distance, accuracy, and forgiveness has helped my scores drop. I am going to continue to play some rounds with the Cobras to see if I can replicate the results since I’ve been working on more consistent contact with my irons and they were custom fit. This alone keeps the Atomics from getting a perfect score in this category. The price is a steal, the performance is great, and I’m having fun playing the Atomics. My issue is fitting, the shaft/head combo works for me, but could it be better? This has nagged me the entire review. I think these irons are worth a look for golfers who are looking for more distance and forgiveness. Did I mention the price? There are irons out there that don’t offer the same benefits that cost twice as much. I would highly recommend anyone looking for a long, forgiving iron set to at least hit these before making a decision. Play Them or Trade Them (19/20) Conclusion Tommy Armour is back! The Atomic irons are long, forgiving and fun to play. They are packed with features of a premium club with an affordable price tag. They have lowered my scores and made iron play a joy. They’re not at the top of the looks scale, but good cooking beats good looking all day long. I think anyone who bypasses them as being a “house brand” might be missing out. Thank you again to MyGolfSpy, Tommy Armour Golf, my fellow testers, and everyone for following along for joining us for the ride. You guys are what makes this the best golf community on the planet! Final Score (89/100) Nunfa0, GeekingGolf, ole gray and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Tsecor Posted August 9, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted August 9, 2019 (edited) Stage One – Tester Introduction Hey everyone, this is my first opportunity to be a tester for ANYONE in the golf industry. I’ve applied many times and finally broke through. Let me give you a little background about myself and my game. I may not write like the average tester because I’m new to this and I want to try and keep your attention. I get very bored of the “typical” equipment reviews I watch, so I’ll try my best to keep it entertaining and it will definitely be a real honest review. The Personal Questions My name is Tim Secor from Wallkill NY. I am 25 minutes from West Point, approx. 1.5 hours north of NYC. I am 51 years old but still think I’m 19 for some reason. I play mainly in my immediate area at Mansion Ridge (Jack Nicklaus course) and Apple Greens in New Paltz NY. I have been golfing since 12 years old and my late father taught me the game and I have loved it ever since. Played in high school and went to the state championship my senior year. Had an opportunity to play D3 golf but passed on that opportunity because I was young, stupid and had no idea what I was doing as a 17 year old college student. I am an ok player, not great. I love this game for too many reasons to list here but mainly because it’s the toughest sport I've ever played and that includes football. Its so rewarding and you can play it until you can’t walk. I love the “gentlemen’s nature of the game. There is simply no other sport like it and the fact my dad taught me the game, well that makes it special. The Golf Questions I usually play to a 10 HDCP when I play a lot, but more realistically I hover around 13-15.My swing tempo is medium with slight aggressiveness (if that makes sense). I try to keep the tempo as smooth as I can or I start spraying it all over the course. I usually pull a 7-iron for my 150 club but I am noticing that distance is getting tough for me. For the first time in my life, I feel I am starting to lose a little distance. That bugs me. My typical ball flight is high. I like to hit high shots that land softly with not a lot of backspin. I am a straight player and do not hit fades. I’ll draw it a little when I can but usually I'm a straight shot guy. My misses are pulls normally and my strengths are scrambling around the green. I‘ll miss 50% of my greens during any given round but I can get up and down quite frequently when I need to. I think that’s my biggest area of confidence. Weaknesses? There are plenty. I drive the ball pretty good, hit the hybrid pretty good, but my long irons are in need of serious work. I hate pulling those clubs and will resort to a hybrid whenever I can. I don’t even carry a 3I any longer. I currently game the Titleist 712 CB’s which have been awesome but I am starting to miss more often nowadays. Maybe it’s time for a change. I was fit by a Titleist specialist and was fit into AP1’s or Ap2’s. He said I could play both but suggested AP1’s. I hated the way the Ap1’s looked and LOVED the CB’s. He did not recommend it, but I went with it anyway. That’s how I am. A pro makes a suggestions and I'm like “nah, I can play the CB”. That’s my mentality when it comes to someone telling me I can’t do something. It’s not that I thought I knew better, I took it as a challenge for some reason. I do not regret it at all as I have shot some of my best scores of my life with the CB’s. First Impressions My first impression of the set was a mixed bag. When I first saw the cavity back I thought the color scheme was nice (black and silver with a touch of red) and the black and red lamkin grips went well with the True Temper XP 85 shafts. The next thought when I looked at them from the address position was “OMG”! You can tell right away these lofts are jacked up and the number on the club means absolutely nothing. I am used to playing traditional lofts and these sticks are no doubt a completely different ball game. I am admittedly a traditionalist but am starting to embrace the modern club and game. Right after that, I thought “I am going to hit my 7 iron 190 now” and my friends I play with are going to be shocked. Given the fact I am concerned about losing distance, this could be a game changer……on the surface anyway. I understand the lofts are two clubs longer at a minimum. Dicks Sporting Goods describes the Atomic Irons as such “Distance, forgiveness and feel converge to form Tommy Armour ATOMIC Irons. Featuring a traditional cavity back design, ATOMIC Irons combine a DAT-55 Titanium Cup Face and steel body through a patented brazing process to produce explosive distance. A 60g Tungsten weight designed into the sole moves the Center of Gravity low and toward the toe to elevate forgiveness and MOI. The multi-material construction unlocks optimal response and sound at impact.” This is where my brain starts going “blah blah blah”. We have heard this type of marketing for years and years, so while I read it, I basically ignored it. I looked for some key words but I’m more interested in straight performance, feel/sound and results. I hear guys talk like this on the course and I just chuckle internally because im a skeptic when it comes to putting “technology’ in pieces of steel. Dick’s also says “Traditional cavity back club head features a low Center of Gravity placement and a more classic aesthetic at address” – I disagree with this and maybe it’s an age thing, but my version of classic aesthetics are “blade-ish” . I don’t think these look bad or anything, but this marketing does not fit my definition. The 4I at address looks like a driving iron with the back cavity protruding past the top line (see below). That’s a more modern look to me. The Titanium cup face and hollow steel body is interesting to me because im interested in ball speeds and distance. Is this marketing or will you get real life on course results? It’s interesting because they lighten the construction, then drop Tungsten into the mix. I am very interested to see how the weight distribution plays into my game. Will technology change me as a player and change my archaic mindset I seem to have? “Back in the day”, the Tommy Armour 845 was a “sleeper” club in my opinion. Along with Ping, I think they used advanced groove technology to help with backspin on approach shots. A few of my friends used them and still game them today, so they have reached legendary status in some people opinions. As other companies took over the market, this brand disappeared. Once again, all marketing and nothing to do with the quality of the club. Now they seem to be making a comeback, similar to the Hogan brand. Teaser As I get these out onto the course, I’ll be looking mainly at performance. Who cares about how the club is built or how the cup face works. When you are on the course, you want your club to help you SCORE and attack pins. Once the marketing bug wears off, it’s all about how you flush it and how many birds or pars you can make. Even though im huge into how a club looks at address, I am trying to train my brain to ignore that stuff. These clubs claim to be longer and more explosive (than what club?, yea that’s marketing for you) and Dicks has used every marketing term to promote these clubs as a “forgiving performance” club, so I’m very interested to see how they feel on the range and on the course. I’m looking for a new modern gamer to replace my Titleist 712 CB’s, so I’m excited to find out if this is the club for me. If I start “hitting bombs” like Phil Michelson says, I’ll game these moving forward. The next two weeks will be critical as my testing will be hyper critical. I’ll be on the range, on the practice greens and then on the course. Stay tuned!! So, feel free to HMU and ask me anything you wish. If you want to see certain tests, let me know. This is about US as consumers, not just me. Let’s take this journey together. Ciao for now. Edited August 9, 2019 by Tsecor pic insert goaliewales14, downlowkey, HardcoreLooper and 11 others 14 Quote Golf is cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Tsecor Posted August 9, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted August 9, 2019 (edited) Stage Two - The Review - 8/27/19 Official MGS Forum Review Tommy Armour Atomic Irons by Tim Secor As stated in Stage 1, the adjustment from a 712 CB to this iron was initially a struggle. I fail to see the game improvement aspect when it comes to score and that is the main issue with over the top marketing and the golf industry as a whole. Sure, these clubs will help you get the ball in the air, but who is your target audience? With the low price point on these irons, maybe the marketing should be geared towards getting NEW golfers into the sport. One of the issues with this great sport is the price. To play and get started with new, or I should say, nice equipment, it can be well over $1000. Nobody wants to be on the course with an unmatched set of clubs from the 70’s. Maybe the industry should look for that type of demographic and change marketing forever. This Iron could lead the way. A good looking, high quality, low cost iron for the beginner to the 15 hdcp. Sounds like we may be on to something. Nobody really markets irons for a new golfer with too much success. Dicks has that far reaching ability to do so. Looks (7.5 out of 10 points) : ● General Shape – The shape of these clubs are mixture of modern and classic to me. The long irons at address are very modern looking but as you gravitate towards the shorter irons, they become more classic with a nice rounded shape. Very smooth which for me is great. I do not like irons that “bother” my eye. I like smooth rounded lines over sharper corners. When something does not flow, it effects my concentration. These irons do nothing but please at address. The long irons may not be my cup of tea with the thick back, but to the average player who is not so hyper critical of aesthetics, they are fine. ● Graphics – The graphics on the back are classy and simple. Black, gray and slight touch of red. Nice. The “Atomic” graphic with the Tommy Armour signature just below looks good. Not so sure about the broken “O” in Atomic, but that’s just being picky. The rest of the back cavity is fine. Given the new gimmicky looks of the Titleist T200/T300 series and some of the other new releases, these look a lot better and I am a Titleist fanboy, so that says a lot. The graphics on the toe are fine as well. I am not sure every brand out there has to highlight the word “tungsten” so much, but that’s the way companies do it. If it works on a Titleist or Mizuno, why not? I do like the bigger numbers on the toe. They fill up the toe and for some reason, I really like it. Great font choice. The TI cup face graphics are unassuming. Looks good when you focus on it, but no real opinion on this ether way. I do like the satin look of the face. The sun does not reflect off the face in any way. However, I did notice a little glare in the area where the shaft meets the club face. It’s not a real issue, but with the toe area being satin, I am not sure why Tommy Armour didn’t complete the full satin look of the entire face. There is a slight “shiny ring” around the toe and I’m not sure that is needed. If I were the designer, I would make the face look a little more consistent but overall its ok. During play, nobody thinks about this level of detail, but during a review of the clubs looks, we have to go there. ● How does the overall look come together? I think the overall look comes together nicely. I am a simple guy when it comes to club looks, and I think this fits the category of simple but classy. There is a tiny bit of flair with the red stripe and the large font numbers. For any golfer who puts these in the bag, they can be very proud they have a nice looking expensive set of clubs, even though the actual price is far from premium. ● How does the appearance compare to other irons in the same category? With all the new releases and other clubs in this category, I think Dick’s / Tommy Armour can be proud of the package they put together. As I stated earlier, I am a “Titleist guy” and love a lot of what they have done over the years in terms of looks. The new line of T200/300 are not for me and I think the look of the Atomics is much better. I have a black and silver bag so they fit perfectly. If you look at the Callaway Rogue’s or the Ping G410’s, the Atomic irons look better to me. If you look at the entire category of GI or SGI, not many beat the looks of the Atomics. But as we know, looks are very subjective. Some people like blondes and some like brunettes but regardless of what irons you play, I think everyone likes to see a hot looking set of irons in their bag. Guys who really love golf treat their clubs like their cars. They clean them, polish them and will look back at their bag when we walk away to the clubhouse. Call it shallow or whatever you want, but golfers like a good looking set of irons. Sound & Feel (8 out of 10 points) ● This is the category that was very tough to judge and review. The clubs make much different sounds at different club head speeds. What is different is the sound of slow swing chips. Very “clicky” even with a soft urethane ball. I am not in love with the sound around the greens. Some say, and I agree, sound and feel are one in the same. The sound/feel is not optimal for me at slow swing speeds. it’s not annoying or anything, but it’s too clicky and loud which translates to somewhat of a harsh feeling. At higher swing speeds, that noise disappears for me. It’s a very nice sounding club which screams performance. See the videos I’ve posted to listen to the sound at different speeds. Overall a mixed bag for me, but I don’t hate it at slow swing speeds, just dislike it a little bit. I chalk this up to being more of a solid forged CB player. Maybe I’m just not used to it. In this review, I can be hyper critical. On the course it may not matter so much. We’ll see. So I rate this category a eight because at higher swing speeds, the sound / feel is really really good. It made up for the “clickiness” of the greenside chipping. When I first hit the range, performance was spotty for me. Hitting off the mats was fine, dispersion seemed to be wider than normal but to be honest, my ball striking was very poor. I was thinning a lot of shots, then I hit a few good ones but I did struggle…..initially. On the thin shots off the mat, I noticed the feeling of the club was very dull and mute. The really bad shots, I was punished with distance and direction but not with any harsh feedback into my hands. I took notice of the solid “thud” on thinned shots. Amazingly the ball still got up in the air pretty good, so that can be looked at as a positive. Getting used to the thick soles took a few range sessions, but I eventually got dialed in. I moved to the grass area of the range and my ball striking was much better. My shots were becoming consistent and the ball started to fly a little better. I then began my typical range routine which consists of the following hits 1- 10 wedges 2- 10 8 irons 3- 10 5 irons 4- 5 hybrids 5- 5 drivers 6- Miscellaneous clubs to finish off the buckets I noticed the launch angles of the clubs are higher than what I’m used to. With the light 85g shafts, I am sure my club head speed has increased but I do not have access to a launch monitor to truly confirm this data. I would love to get on a Trackman and present that data set, but I am sure one of the other reviewers will handle that. My review is based mainly on course play which is what truly counts in my opinion. Important Note: I did notice the distances of these irons are generally 2 clubs longer than my CB’s. That’s definitely due to the loft difference. My current 712 CB 7 iron loft is 35 degrees while the Atomic 7 Iron is 27 degrees. That’s two full clubs in my bag. My current 5 iron is 27 degrees, so the # on the club is truly irrelevant. BUT, I will say there is a mental advantage to hitting a “7” iron at 27 degrees over a true 5 iron at the same loft. During target practice, the irons acted as every other does. This was a drill I did with the wedges. Aim and shoot. No draw or fade bias. Just go for pure accuracy. Both wedges that came with the set flew high and straight. Nothing too unique except for the fact the faces are hotter than what I’m used to. With a more bladed iron, the output is equal to the input. With these clubs, the ball comes off “hotter” and you get out more than what you put in. You can actually feel the technology working and even at very slow swing speeds, you can feel the ball jump off the face. I was able to hit these very straight and was on target with my 50 - 100 yard pitches. These are shots I would be happy with on the course heading into the green. The one aspect of these clubs that jumps out is the ease in which the ball gets up in the air. I can see how these can inspire confidence in any golfers swing. The less you have to think about during your swing, the better off you are and I had no worries about launching these high and straight. It allowed me to dial in the distances a little better. I have never really played SGI irons before and I am an old school type player where I will play a bump and run as opposed to a flop shot of any kind. I am not even sure I have the flop shot in my game any longer. My point is, even when I tested these around the green, the ball came off the face hot. Initially it was difficult to control bump and run distances but like everything else, the more you practice something the easier it becomes. On-Course Performance (27 out of 30 points) This is the meat and potatoes of the review and this is what REALLY counts. PERFORMANCE is truly the ONLY thing that matters when you purchase a new set of clubs. All the data in the world means nothing unless that translates directly to the course. While I am a very analytical guy, I have been one to question the GI aspect or SGI aspect of any club that claims to “improve your game”. What does that mean? Ball striking? scoring? All of the above? I took a few marketing classes in college so I am very skeptical when I see any manufacturer make claims of “improvement”. It’s always very generic and has no connection to anything. It’s typically just words. Then I hit the course and I now have a slightly different take on GI/SGI clubs. My first round with the Atomics started off better than expected. As I get older I notice its easier for me to criticize things in my life and that includes golf clubs and marketing. The first hole was a short par four, dog leg left. My hybrid off the tee made it to the turn and I had ~ 135 yards to the center of the green, 110 yards to the front. The pin was tucked in the back right corner. I pulled the P iron and flushed it. The ball landed six feet from the pin, but ended up 10 feet away on the edge of the fringe and next level rough. I was happy with the shot and to my surprise, it felt great off the club face. Better than the range sessions I had prior The high trajectory helped keep the ball near the landing spot. It rolled off, approx. 4 feet away from where it struck the green. This shot was directly into the sun, but you can hear the sweet sound when you give it a nice solid swing. My 3rd shot was a bump and run with my eight iron. This was not a good shot. The ball jumped off the club face and rolled 6 feet past the cup. This is a big negative for me. Around the green, I am a pure “feel” player and I want to be able to control the speed of my chips and bumps. This club made it difficult to chip for feel. It’s hot. Taking speed off your chips from the rough can easily lead to hitting your ball 2 feet. In this area, you want to be able to hit a firm, crisp bump and roll without it coming off hot. I made bogey after missing the putt. To me, that’s a lost stroke due to the club. To be fair, this was my first on-course bump and run with the hot club face. As I progressed through the round, I left my driver in the bag and wanted to test the long irons off the tee. This is where the clubs shined the most. The long irons have a very stable feel and you can actually feel the spring like bounce off the club face. The “hotness” of the face is apparent all through the set. I was able to hit high draws or straight shots. I am not a fade player at all, so I cannot attest to how workable these are outside of the draws I hit. I will tell you, hitting a high draw can be a great weapon to have and these clubs responded better than I thought they would. At this point, I was thinking “these are ripe for a blended set”. If the Atomics had the current set up in the long irons through the 7 iron and then had solid forged irons in the 8-w, you could have a great set that reached even MORE of an audience. If Dick’s can figure out a way to keep the cost down and offer this as a blended set, they could change the market as we know it. As I played a few more rounds, I adjusted to the wide sole and hotness of the face. I was able to dial in distances better and the consistent take away is these clubs are two clubs longer than anything I’ve played before. The high trajectory of these irons benefitted me greatly while playing on a course that was built in an apple orchard. One example of this was, I found myself in trouble off the tee and ended up behind a row of apple trees. I had 110 yards to the green and had to get the ball in the air quickly. I was able to get the ball up quickly while carrying the distance to the green. I was 20 feet away from the pin but I’ll be honest, the more I hit these, the more I liked ‘em. I was able to pull off a few shots I may not have been able to do with the 712 CB’s. To me, that is the essence of “game improvement”. In this one example, I may have saved 2 strokes on this one hole. One of the best shots I hit with the Atomics came on a dog leg left, 511-yard par 5. I decided to hit a long iron off the tee and try to get par. I chose the Atomic 5 Iron which flew ~195-200 yards. It put me in perfect position for my second shot. Once again the Atomic long iron felt great and responded perfectly. By this time, I am very comfortable hitting these irons and feeling confident doing so. I pulled a hybrid for my 2nd shot. (did not record it) I am now 160- 165 yards out. The pin is tucked in the left center of the green along a tree line. Almost under the trees. Perfect time for the high draw shot we spoke of earlier. I pull the Atomic 7-iron. Here is a view of shot #3. You can clearly see the 150 marker and the angle into the green. I would have liked to go after it from the right side of the fairway, but the 2nd shot with the hybrid was slightly above my feet and I pulled the shot just slightly. I struck the shot perfectly and sent the ball high up into the air. It wasn't the most fluid swing I've ever had but It had a very small draw and was heading towards a branch that was overhanging the front of the green. I saw the ball come down and thought it was a good shot. You can hear the solid contact and it sounds really sweet. Felt even better. Have a look. So, the Atomic 7 iron responded in amazing fashion and it even held the green better than expected. I was 8-10 feet away for a birdie opportunity and of course I missed the putt. I get my par and I move on, but I walked away from that green feeling good with what I had accomplished. I parred the next three holes of this round and walked out of there with a 39. +3 for the round. If I could have putted better, I would have scored much much better. This was the best of the 5 rounds I've played with the Atomics. To wrap up this section, I will tell you I am pleased with the long game performance and even most wedge shots. For me, the clubs performed great on full swings, half swings but lacked for me right around the green to 50 yards out. These were not a great fit for me in just that one aspect of playing. They are too hot for me in the short game. I am not sure if the clubs improved my overall scoring but they did allow me to attempt shots that I would not have with my 712 CB’s. The hotness of the face provides a level of confidence in my long game that may be starting to fade for me. That’s a big positive. I was a Tommy Armour fan back in the day and it’s sad they have gone away, but these clubs are a great first step in bringing back the name to the masses. I think Dick’s Sporting Goods can capture a piece of the market nobody really has before. $399 for a set of hot, well performing irons is unheard of in today’s market and I think Dick’s can really change the market if they can blend this set with some solid forged clubs in the high irons (8-W). I think the high irons are just a bit too hot for the feel players. If you are a true beginner and “grow up” using these clubs, it may not matter but I think a nice blended set would work well with a wider range of players. Overall, these performed well and I was pleasantly surprised how explosive they were for me. Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points) When it comes to this category, everything aligns. Dicks has always had great customer service and they may have hit a home run with these if they can market them correctly. A lot of my friends like the way these look and a few of them hit them and all had positive responses. The one question I heard over and over is “These are only $399?” Obviously the value is there and shocking to everyone who hits these irons. I had someone ask me about a new set of irons for their son, who has taken up golf this year and wants to purchase a set for their Christmas gift. Guess where I directed them? Yup, I said “for the money, you may not find a better set.” So, I know one person who will be making a purchase off this review and recommendation. Play it or Trade it? (17 out of 20 points) Play it or trade it? For me I am on the fence of fully committing to changing from my current set make up. I say that because I do know the long irons would completely benefit me. The short irons from 50 yards and in as well as the irons right around the green were a struggle for me. I would make a blended set in V2 of this model. That being said, the price is right, the irons preform great and they can fit beginners all the way down to a 10hdcp. Anyone getting into the sport would benefit greatly from this model. Conclusion In conclusion, I would say Dick’s Sporting Goods and Tommy Armour have a potential big time winner on their hands. These irons do have the ability to reach a wide range of golfers and once V2 (if they choose to blend) of these come out, Dick’s could potentially change the market. The club face is hot, the ball flies high and far and they are a good looking iron. For the price of $399, there may not be anything better on the market. A TM driver cost nearly $600 and you hit club only a few times a round. A set of hot irons for almost half that price?? Whaaat???? It’s a no brainer. I am not saying these are the greatest irons to ever be released and I am not saying these are for everyone, but I am saying these are a great set for anyone looking to get into the game. They are also perfect for anyone not willing to spend $1200+ on a set of irons. Let me be clear, THESE IRONS ARE A PLEASURE TO HIT. They are very forgiving on mishits and feel perfect when you hit it right. Even on this shots, it’s not a horrible feel like a blade. If you are a 10HDCP or higher, these are for you. These should be a major player in the GI/SGI category, especially at the great price point. The value is unmatched. The holiday season is rapidly approaching and these would be a nice gift for the golfer in your family. Thank you to Dick’s Sporting Goods / Tommy Armour for allowing me to review these irons. It was an absolute pleasure and an honor to be part of this project. Good luck down the road. You have a potential blockbuster on your hands!! Final Score: (Add up all categories and present a total score out of 100) My final score is an 86.5. I see room for improvement but these have changed my mind about the GI / SGI category. Great job by Dick’s Sporting Goods and Tommy Armour!! Edited August 28, 2019 by Tsecor addition Nunfa0, golfertrb, russtopherb and 8 others 11 Quote Golf is cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post josmi15 Posted August 9, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted August 9, 2019 (edited) Let me introduce myself, My name is Josh and I'm a golf-a-holic. I'm from NE Indiana and have been an avid golfer since 2012. In the years between 1997 and 2012 I was a weekend hacker. You know the type, shoots a 120, brags about his 7 good shots a round. Drinks a lot of beer to either loosen up, or forget. In 2012 something clicked. I just realized that I needed a hobby, something to pass to do while not at work. I made a "life altering decision" I walked into Dicks Sporting Goods saw a price of clearance irons Adams A7's for $199.00. I became hooked. Now I say hooked, I meant hooked on buying equipment. You know the type, starts hitting a wicked slice, go buy a new driver! After 2 years of Scalding the ball across the green with a wedge, I decided to take my first lesson. I was actually high bidder at our Kids' schools charity fund raiser for short game practice session. So a tax free donation of $50.00 I was high bidder to hang out with my daughters Science teacher and learn how to chip. She had taken lessons and passed it on to me. Laugh all ya want, I'm real good w/ a wedge now! Now, I take my game serious. Not PGA type serious, but I actually don't drink on the course. I golf because I love the game and want to shoot well. Plus, it's great exercise, walking 18 with a push cart. That's where my game is now. I can break 90, 85 is my goal. I struggle hitting driver, my other clubs are accurate as all get out! So, I feel this test suits me fine, since I'm Dead on Balls accurate with my irons. (To use the phrase from "My Cousin Vinny") Imagine my surprise when I came home from work and this was at my door. Have you ever seen an overweight 43 year old dance? Well you're not going to for this, you just have to picture it! When I opened the box I felt like the kid from "A Christmas Story" when he finally gets his BB Gun! NO, I didn't shoot my eye out. Into the back up they go. Who agrees that putting new clubs into a bag is an AWESOME feeling? Tell me it's not just me. The Grips felt good and the Clubs were clearly labeled. I was impressed at the way they felt during my first range session. I went through them 4-AW and it was fun. Don't get me wrong, it was hot and I was giving them a good workout. How am I to know what my distances are, if I don't take them out and put them through their paces. I tried to hit every shot that I could think of on the range. No matter what, they still found the sweet spot. That'll bring up their stock value in my eyes. The below pic was right before my first swing. Putting in some work! I'm going to give these a test for who they are built for. The weekend players. I want to provide honest feedback. Will this club deliver on this promise? We shall see. I've already figured out they can get me out of a pine tree! If you have any suggestions feel free to let me know what you'd like me to try with them. It's an honor to have been selected to test this equipment. So that I can provide you with the best and most honest feedback that I can. Thanks to My Golf Spy for this honor. (And they finally made it into my Playing Bag) Edited August 13, 2019 by josmi15 Tommy Armour Golf, goaliewales14, Nunfa0 and 10 others 13 Quote Titleist 917D2 10.5 Ben Hogan GS53 3 Wood PING G425 MAX 5 Wood Cleveland UHX Launcher 3 Iron PING G30 5-PW Cleveland RTX 3.0 50/10 V-MG Cleveland RTX 3.0 54/14 V-FG Cleveland RTX 3.0 58/12 V -FG EVNROLL ER-3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josmi15 Posted August 9, 2019 Share Posted August 9, 2019 (edited) Welcome back to my review of Tommy Armour Atomic Irons. It has been a thrilling ride. I tried to put these through every test I could think of to make sure I do My Golf Spy proud. I believe that I've done a thorough job on this review, so bear with me. I've posted videos on my Twitter "Josmi15" and I also tagged My Golf Spy . I apologize in advance, everytime I tried to add it to the reviews I failed. I even had my teenager assist. Dicks hit a hole in one with this product. I didn't want to use a baseball phrase here. This is golf, this is serious business! With without further delay, here's my review. Looks 8/10 The graphics did take some getting used to. I thought they were too clunky, I was wrong! I really was amazed at how well these things looked when I took them out on the course. They won me over, and that's a hard sell. I really liked the larger Iron designation the Tungsten i thought was a bit much. Sound & Feel: 17/20 These Clubs felt great. When I hit a shot, the ball seemed to jump. The 7 Iron had some moves. It actually felt that the ball was just scared and it seemed to know when I was pulling Iron. Below are some results that I did during my side by side comparison. I used a 7 Iron from my Pings against the 7 Iron from the Tommy Armour Atomics. As you can see it was close, but the Atomics outperformed. Club 7 Iron Swing Speed Ball Speed Carry Distance Total Distance Offline Tommy Armour 72.3 98.3 155.8 161 11.3 PING 70.5 95.9 145.2 156.3 6.5 Tommy Armour 68.3 92.8 145 157 5 PING 67.4 91.6 142 153 3 Tommy Armour 67.7 92 151 159 11.3 PING 65.8 89.5 149 157 -2 On-Course Performance: 26/30 Hitting outdoors, i perfom better than the indoor information shows. I guess it's my nerves. I recently hit the 7 Iron 160 pin high. If only I hadn't pulled it just a tad I'd have my first hole in one. Then we'd be talking about how these are the greatest things since sliced bread. I posted that Video on my Twitter. Again, needing my teenager to step up her game and figure out what I'm doing wrong. These clubs did inspire confidence. I took them out numerous times to more than just 1 course. I wanted to see how they performed at my favorite courses and my go to course, when it's just me. #5 at Garrett Country Club. Garrett, IN Stuck the green. Rock Hollow, Peru IN. Missed green short, but par was saved! and my pulled 160 pin high New Haven, made my par. Miscellaneous: 18/20 I feel that these Irons would help any golfer out there improve their score. Who is against shooting a better score? So, if a weekend player can go out and get a set of these and save some strokes so be it. When you start seeing the scores drop you'll come back and want to play more often. I was able to see extra yardage with these clubs. Thanks again for My Golf Spy for affording me this opportunity. If you're thinking of getting fitted for a new set of Irons, make sure you add these into the rotation. I gave these an honest run and they have performed for me. I'm happy with the outcome of these Irons. Game Bag material 17/20 Honestly, I'm still debating if these will replace my Pings. If they don't they're still a great option if the Pings start letting me down. I do like to have a set for backup just in case. These Irons will help you improve your game. The performed very well on the range and on the course. Overall: 86/100 These are the real deal. Figurative and literal. For those that are looking for a new set of irons, or a first timer out there new to the game and looking to buy there first set of irons. You won't be disappointed in the Tommy Armour Atomics! Edited September 28, 2019 by josmi15 ole gray, sirchunksalot, StrokerAce and 1 other 4 Quote Titleist 917D2 10.5 Ben Hogan GS53 3 Wood PING G425 MAX 5 Wood Cleveland UHX Launcher 3 Iron PING G30 5-PW Cleveland RTX 3.0 50/10 V-MG Cleveland RTX 3.0 54/14 V-FG Cleveland RTX 3.0 58/12 V -FG EVNROLL ER-3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigtazzGolf Posted August 9, 2019 Share Posted August 9, 2019 Stage One – Tommy Armour Atomic Irons by BigtazzGOLF August, 2019 Intro Hello Spies, I’ll be reviewing the Tommy Armour Atomic Irons from DICKS Sporting Goods. Normally in past reviews of products I’d do a product vs what I currently play. I’ll do this review from scratch and do my best not to compare it the irons I currently play. The Personal Stuff My story is similar to a lot of others here. Late getting to the game then once I did I fell in love for it hard. Living in Memphis, I usually get to play year round. I’ve been playing for maybe 20 years and golf has a love hate relationship with me weekly. I’d like to think of myself as an average golfer, maybe a hair above at times. I carry a 13 USGA index and play in a local handicapped league called the GolfNuts. We play all over Memphis and always have a little side money involved in the game. Nothing crazy, but it seems to add spice to our matches. The Golf Questions Handicap? 13 (12.7 last revision for those keeping track) Swing Tempo Freddy Couples? I’d like to think so lol Strengths/Weaknesses of your game? This has been a revolving door for me the last 5-6 months. One weekend, my tee box game is stellar and around the green game is weak. Then the next week, just the opposite. What are your currently gaming? My current irons are the Taylormade Speedblades I really like these and they feel great to me. They are stock off the shelf except for the grips. One day I plan to do a full bag fitting and tweak things to see if I’m able to squeeze out a few more strokes or at least eliminate some excuses Posting some video's of my swing, hopefully they come thru. Slow swing Swing from front Swing from behind First Impressions My first impressions of these irons right out of the box was how they all looked like hybrids. They have a wide sole but from above it really isn’t noticed. The grips are standard Lamkin Crossline 360, which I’ve been in an internal battle in finding grips to replace the Lamkin R.E.L. ACE 3GEN that were discontinued (for some unknown crazy reason). The Crossline 360 feels good, but only come in standard and I play midsize and oversize. I blew them off and replaced them with some Karma grips that I hoped would give me the feel of the Lamkin’s, a few range sessions and it isn’t looking good. Could be just the humidity from going from inside to the Memphis heat, but I’ll dive more into that later. Below is my last session at the range using the Toptracer launch monitor to track my shots. I'm getting more comfortable with the wedges up to the 7 iron. The 4-6 is still touch and go. One thought of why the 4-6 are causing me issues is they are a little longer than my normal irons. I'll put some thought into this when I get back to the range this week and before our league match play event this up coming weekend. I'll continue to update stage 1 as I also work towards stage 2. Hope you guys enjoy the ride and holler if any questions. Tazz Tommy Armour Golf, Nunfa0, fixyurdivot and 4 others 7 Quote Grip n Rip it Chicks dig the LONG ball In my staff bag King F7+ Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 60 - Graphite Tour X-Stiff CBX 13.5 3 Wood Atomic Irons 4-AW (reviewing) CG16 Satin 52* 588 RTX 2.0 56* and 60* Sentio Sierra 101-M Putter Proud tester of the Tommy Armour ATOMIC Irons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigtazzGolf Posted August 9, 2019 Share Posted August 9, 2019 Stage Two – Tommy Armour Atomic Irons by BigtazzGOLF Oct, 2019 Hello Spies, let me start off that I would like to apologize for the delay in getting my stage 2 posted for you guys. I’d like to thank MyGolfSpy and Tommy Armour (DSG) for the chance to review these irons. I started off hoping not to make it a competition between what I currently gamed, TM Speedblades, and these, but it just didn't happen. A month into the test and I was putting them against each other. Sadly to say I loved them equally and can’t pick a winner. I will say with 100% honesty that these clubs are very nice and I think anyone from 10ish handicap up would really like these clubs and at the price point, you really can’t compare them. Looks (9 out of 10 points) I really love the look of these irons from the top. If you look at the bottom, you’ll notice a wide sole that may put you off. So to fix this, I didn’t swing the club upside down In my opinion you can’t see it from above or when addressing the ball. For looks I give it 9 only because the sole will be noticed when the club is in your bag and it may make you think bad things, like why is this shovel or hybrid in my bag. Rest easy, you’ll be fine. Sound & Feel (8 out of 10 points) These irons sound crisp when hitting the sweet spot and as expected, off center hits have a different sound. Not clicky just not the pure sound you are supposed to hear. They are forgiving on these mishits and feel really good during the swing. The club feels well balanced to me and if you ever sliced butter with a knife, then you know how these clubs feel on well hit shots. Basic Characteristics (17 out of 20 points) When I first started testing these irons, short irons were the first ones to get dialed in and to be honest I’m still having issues with the long irons, 4-6 but that isn’t the irons, that’s me. I injured my knee at the beginning of the season and since then I’ve swung the club to try and protect and guard against the pain and not put so much torque on my knee. This has caused a bad over the top path and we all know what happens then. Distance, I had a mixed bag. I figured with the jacked lofts it would mean and increase in all my irons, but it didn’t happen that way. I did see an increase in some and none in others. My trajectory is usually high because of a flaw in my swing and I’ve learned to play to it. I didn’t see any difference in the ball flight compared to the Speedblades. Just nice high long shots that would go a certain distance then drop from the sky like a duck shot during the season. Some will understand that metaphor. At my skill level, working a ball and controlling a ball are accidental not purposeful. But I’d like to say that once I got used to how the ball would react I could depend on the flight and dare say “control” it. Maybe you noticed my post earlier about making a bird from 103 yds with the wedge down at Ole Miss. I’ve had on more than one occasion some very nice shots. Was it the club? Me? Ball? Dumb luck? Who knows? On-Course Performance (25 out of 30 points) This is where it all matters; I’ve mentioned the good and what to me could be bad. Playing with confidence is part of golf and if you have it then you’ll likely play better. After a week or so in my hands I was oozing confidence with these irons and didn’t worry about what would happen.Sometimes with new clubs you’re hesitant on pulling the trigger to use it in a pressure situation. With the Tommy Armour irons, I wasn’t worried. I just pulled the trigger and let it go. With these irons, what pleased me the most is the ease of getting used to them and how smooth they feel when playing from various lies. On the other end of the spectrum is the lack of customization. I mean you get what you order and ordering options are very limited. Here lies the curse of a big box store selling golf equipment. You really can’t have it your way, you have to have it their way for the most part. Final Performance Comments: Overall, how did it perform? These irons performed great for me and I really enjoyed hitting them Did it help improve your scores? By how much? Not really improve, but with new sticks in your hands, it didn’t hurt me either How, if at all, did this product change your overall impression of the OEM? It really opened my eyes to Tommy Armour and I could only imagine how clubs built by them really performed during the companies peak. What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation of this model? Find a way for the consumer to get them ordered with more options, ie grips, shaft options. What features do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models? Love it as is, don’t change a thing except to give the golfer some options Miscellaneous (5 out of 10 points) Here is where DSG is lacking and needs to improve, but the lack of grip or shaft options really hurt in my opinion. Then again, maybe these irons are marketed for golfers who care about this and stock is good for them. If that’s the case, then one of us doesn’t know the golfing audience like we think we do. Play it or Trade it? (17 out of 20 points) I will play these irons for the time being and will continue my search for a grip I like. Then will re-grip these again (3rd time) and hopefully the last time until the grips are actually worn. Conclusion My conclusion on these irons if you read nothing else is if your a mid capper or high capper and are looking for something new that won’t bankrupt you, then really look hard at these irons. You will be surprised and if able to demo them, please go do so and compare them to your own. Final Score: (81 out of 100) Tsecor, StrokerAce, russtopherb and 2 others 5 Quote Grip n Rip it Chicks dig the LONG ball In my staff bag King F7+ Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 60 - Graphite Tour X-Stiff CBX 13.5 3 Wood Atomic Irons 4-AW (reviewing) CG16 Satin 52* 588 RTX 2.0 56* and 60* Sentio Sierra 101-M Putter Proud tester of the Tommy Armour ATOMIC Irons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZenGolfer Posted August 9, 2019 Share Posted August 9, 2019 (edited) Hello, all. So, first off, a little bit about me. My name is Chad and I currently live in Columbus, OH. Im 39 years old and have playing golf for 22 years. Im currently playing at about a 15 handicap. So, about my game. I would say that Im not the longest hitter in the world but I am pretty decent with my driver, wedges and putter. The best part of my game is my wedges and putter. Im a flop shot master and I excel at lag putting. My weakness is probably my irons. I just dont seem to be very good at getting my approach shots close to the hole. Thats probably why Im so good at lag putting. LOL My typical ballflight is a lower trajectory with a slight draw. So, first impression on the Atomic irons. I actually think they have a semi-classic look to them in that they dont have super fat soles and dont have as much offset as some GI irons that Ive played. They dont have thin soles either though and do have some offset, so for me they kind of sit somewhere in the middle of being a player's iron and an SGI shovel. They actually are quite pretty as far as GI irons go, although the lack of a cavity gives them a somewhat intersting look. Another thing that I noticed is just how light there are. Compared to my vintage Spaldings from the '30s and my Titleist DCI 981s from the early '00s, they are super, super light. At first Id though maybe it was just my bias but I had my wife hold them and didnt tell her that I thought they were very light and she commented at how light they are. I will be interested to see how they play because they do have very strong lofts and I have some concerns for being able to hit the ball high enough to get the ball to check up on the greens. With strong lofts when you get to the mid and long irons you get to where the launch angle is low and there simply isnt enough spin to keep the ball in the air but we shall see. My normal set of irons right how is a set of Titleist AP1s and the TAs have stronger lofts than the AP1s do, so it will be intesting to compare them. So, that brings me to the questons that I have for these irons: 1.) With such strong lofts, will I be able to get enough launch angle with them to hit the ball off the deck with the mid and long irons and with all of the irons will I be able to get enough launch to get the ball to hold the green. I typically play less expensive balls that arent quite so spinny, so I need to use height instead of spin to get the ball to stop on the green. 2.) How much more distance will the stronger lofts give me? 3.) How is the feel? With the feel be clicky or will there be no feel at all? Typically, GI irons are more forgiving at the cost of feel. Edited August 15, 2019 by ZenGolfer Shankster, sirchunksalot, ole gray and 6 others 9 Quote "I suppose its better to be a master of 7 than to be vaguely familiar with 14." - Chick Evans Whats in my Sun Mountain 2.5+ stand bag? Woods: Tommy Armour Atomic 10.5* Hybrid: Mizuno MP Fli-Hi 3H Irons: Mizuno T-Zoid True 5, 7 and 9-irons Wedge: Mizuno S18 54* and Top Flite chipper Putter: Mizuno Bettinardi A-02 Ball: Maxfli Tour X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZenGolfer Posted August 9, 2019 Share Posted August 9, 2019 (edited) The Review So, Ive had a little while to get accustomed to these irons and I think that I pretty well have it nailed down what these clubs are all about. I'll cut to the chase: these irons are looooooooong. They easily are 1 or 2 clubs longer than whatever you are probably using now. When you first start hitting them, you almost get the feel of what its like to be a tour pro because they are so stupid long. I actually had to seriously adjust my feel for the distances on them and had to switch to a ball that gives more spin because the ball would just run and run and run. Even still, if you struggle with distance and feel like hitting the ball longer would help you, these may be the clubs for you. These clubs have beautiful chroming on them and for being a GI iron, they really arent all that chunky. They are very friendly and easy to hit though and will reward you with long, high shots if you put a good swing on them. The only real downside to them for me was the feel. As someone who plays a half set, I rely pretty heavily on shotmaking and being able to use feel to take a little bit off a shot if I am in between clubs. With these clubs, it was more difficult to get a feel for that and even if I felt like I was taking a lot off of a shot, the ball would still go longer than I wanted to. After a while, I got a feel for gripping down and it and taking a 3/4 swing but the club doesnt give you a whole lot of feedback, so its something thats difficult to dial in. So, that begs the question, are these clubs good? Id say absolutely. Theyre great clubs for the money, really. If you want distance and forgivness, these are a great option. If you are a better player who wants feel and wants to flight the ball down, these may not be for you. For 90% of us weekend hackers though, these are probably the kind of clubs we all should be playing. Edited September 18, 2019 by ZenGolfer sirchunksalot 1 Quote "I suppose its better to be a master of 7 than to be vaguely familiar with 14." - Chick Evans Whats in my Sun Mountain 2.5+ stand bag? Woods: Tommy Armour Atomic 10.5* Hybrid: Mizuno MP Fli-Hi 3H Irons: Mizuno T-Zoid True 5, 7 and 9-irons Wedge: Mizuno S18 54* and Top Flite chipper Putter: Mizuno Bettinardi A-02 Ball: Maxfli Tour X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsecor Posted August 9, 2019 Share Posted August 9, 2019 bump. check out stage 1!! let me know what you think sirchunksalot and HardcoreLooper 2 Quote Golf is cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wedgie Posted August 9, 2019 Share Posted August 9, 2019 bump. check out stage 1!! let me know what you thinkNice job on stage 1. At the price point these are going for I can’t wait to hear more about them.Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy sirchunksalot, ncwoz and ole gray 3 Quote Wedgie Driver - XXIO X Driver 9.5 - Launcher Turbo 2 hybrid - F9 One Length 3-L - ER 1.2 Top Flite Gamer Play Right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsecor Posted August 10, 2019 Share Posted August 10, 2019 51 minutes ago, Wedgie said: Nice job on stage 1. At the price point these are going for I can’t wait to hear more about them. Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy Thanks. The price is right, that's for sure. I will definitely highlight that as the testing continues. In a world of $1200 - $2000 iron sets, this hits the mark. For anyone looking to enter the sport at a very reasonable spot, these work. A full set of GI irons with very strong lofts?? yea, that works. Part of the issue with this sport is cost....I am sure that discourages a lot of people from playing. I've heard it myself from friends.....this could help younger kids get into the game and people looking to upgrade to a "modern" iron may take a look at these. ncwoz, Nunfa0 and sirchunksalot 3 Quote Golf is cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted August 10, 2019 Share Posted August 10, 2019 My stage one is up! https://forum.mygolfspy.com/index.php?/topic/32823-2019-Official-Forum-Member-Review-Tommy-Armour-Atomic-IronsSent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
golfertrb Posted August 10, 2019 Share Posted August 10, 2019 Good job on Stage 1 guys! I enjoyed it and I'm interested to see what you find!Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk sirchunksalot 1 Quote Ping G400 LST 8.5* Graphite Design DI 6 stiff 45" Taylormade RBZ Proto 14.5* Oban Kiyoshi 85 04 42.5" Adams 4555 19* Matrix Ozik Altus 80 S/X 42" Ping G410 Crossover 2 Project X Even Flow Blue 85 6.0 40" Ping i500 4-8 Modus 105 Stiff Ping Blueprint 9-P Modus 105 Stiff Fourteen RM-12 53* and 58* Tour Issue Black Onyx s400 Odyssey Tour Black Series 9 35" Flatso 1.0 Srixon Z Star XV 2018 Ping Hoofer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted August 10, 2019 Share Posted August 10, 2019 I thought I would go ahead and release a "Way too early to tell how the clubs are going to perform" bit of data and compare the Around to the Cobra's. To be honest, I've been struggling a bit recently with my game. My scoring has been the worst it's been in a long time and my poor wife has had to listen to me talk about how bad I am at golf. Well, being an intelligent voice of reason she asked, "Didn't you struggle when you got your other irons?". I went back and sorted the data from the first five rounds I played and saw this:CobraTommy ArmourWith the 5 and 6 irons, I'm basically the same through the first few rounds. The 7, 8, and 9 irons are performing better, with a 12 yard minimum gain in this group. The wedges are just a bit shorter, but by enough that it's minimal. For reference the comparisons are 5i (10i), 6i (11i), 7i (12i), 8i (13i), 9i (14i), PW (50), and GW (54).I don't have a four iron to compare, but I left it out since I've used it quite a bit for knockdown shots. Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app Nunfa0 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ole gray Posted August 10, 2019 Share Posted August 10, 2019 21 hours ago, Tsecor said: Stage One – Tester Introduction Hey everyone, this is my first opportunity to be a tester for ANYONE in the golf industry. I’ve applied many times and finally broke through. Let me give you a little background about myself and my game. I may not write like the average tester because I’m new to this and I want to try and keep your attention. I get very bored of the “typical” equipment reviews I watch, so I’ll try my best to keep it entertaining and it will definitely be a real honest review. Great stage one and I'm looking forward to your stage two! I game the Atomic Max irons and love em Tommy Armour Golf, Tsecor, golfertrb and 1 other 4 Quote Ping G430 Max Driver 10.5 Degree Titleist TSR1 4, 5, & 6 Hybrids Titleist T350 Irons 7 - W48 Cleveland CBX ZipCore 52 56 & 60 Degree Wedges LAB Mezz Max Broomstick Putter / TPT Shaft (Platinum @ 45/78) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsecor Posted August 10, 2019 Share Posted August 10, 2019 1 hour ago, ole gray said: Great stage one and I'm looking forward to your stage two! I game the Atomic Max irons and love em Thanks. I have some short game tests and some full round tests to post. sirchunksalot and ole gray 2 Quote Golf is cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted August 10, 2019 Share Posted August 10, 2019 I'm about to head out and play nine with nothing but the Atomics, my wedges, and a putter. I'm actually a little nervous about the results, as the driver is my security blanket. It should be fun, though, and I'll let y'all know how it goes. Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app GolfSpy_BNG, ole gray and ncwoz 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted August 10, 2019 Share Posted August 10, 2019 In the planning stages of the review, I considered playing a round with nothing but irons in the bag. I was actually starting to get hesitant after a few times hitting the Atomics, until I read about@blackngold_blood doing it during the Lynx review. He didn't even take his wedges or putter! I wasn't that brave and my bag did look a little different without my driver or 3 wood.I went out with the mentality I was going to expect bogey on every hole, and I came close. I ended up shooting 50 and was really pleased with my round. I'm still struggling finding an alternative for driver, the 4 iron and I are not getting along too well. I keep wanting to hit it toward the heel and didn't really have any spectacular drives with it. The 5 iron is a better option, I hit my best drive of the round with it (188) after putting one in the water. I am pulling it a bit, so I'm going to have to hit the range to try to straighten both of them out. My favorite shot of the day was a 6 iron approach on hole 3 that I just absolutely flushed.I still feel I can squeak a little more distance out of it, but I'm truly happy with it. I might do this again later on in the review, I definitely felt less pressure to perform since I set more realistic expectations for this round. Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app GolfSpy_BNG, JohnSmalls, Nunfa0 and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ole gray Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 3 hours ago, sirchunksalot said: I'm about to head out and play nine with nothing but the Atomics, my wedges, and a putter. I'm actually a little nervous about the results, as the driver is my security blanket. It should be fun, though, and I'll let y'all know how it goes. Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app I only game the 6 - GW as I use hybrids from 3 - 5 positions however those upper clubs really shine for me. MDGolfHacker, JohnSmalls and sirchunksalot 3 Quote Ping G430 Max Driver 10.5 Degree Titleist TSR1 4, 5, & 6 Hybrids Titleist T350 Irons 7 - W48 Cleveland CBX ZipCore 52 56 & 60 Degree Wedges LAB Mezz Max Broomstick Putter / TPT Shaft (Platinum @ 45/78) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 I only game the 6 - GW as I use hybrids from 3 - 5 positions however those upper clubs really shine for me.It's looking like I might have to do the same if I can't get a handle on the 4 & 5 irons. Right now I'm leaning toward taking the 4 out of the bag in a few weeks, but the 5 is still up in the air. It's showing signs of life, just gotta get the accuracy up on it. I know you've been gaming the Atomic Max and love them, how much distance gain have you seen? Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app ole gray and JohnSmalls 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ole gray Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 3 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said: It's looking like I might have to do the same if I can't get a handle on the 4 & 5 irons. Right now I'm leaning toward taking the 4 out of the bag in a few weeks, but the 5 is still up in the air. It's showing signs of life, just gotta get the accuracy up on it. I know you've been gaming the Atomic Max and love them, how much distance gain have you seen? Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app A full club over the Cobra light irons I tried (briefly) and a half club over the Cally Steelheads. I use to hit my Steelhead 7 iron 145 and the Max is 150 ish. The Max irons feel quite sexy when you center pound them! sirchunksalot and JohnSmalls 2 Quote Ping G430 Max Driver 10.5 Degree Titleist TSR1 4, 5, & 6 Hybrids Titleist T350 Irons 7 - W48 Cleveland CBX ZipCore 52 56 & 60 Degree Wedges LAB Mezz Max Broomstick Putter / TPT Shaft (Platinum @ 45/78) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy_BNG Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 In the planning stages of the review, I considered playing a round with nothing but irons in the bag. I was actually starting to get hesitant after a few times hitting the Atomics, until I read about[mention=55774]blackngold_blood[/mention] doing it during the Lynx review. He didn't even take his wedges or putter! I wasn't that brave and my bag did look a little different without my driver or 3 wood.I went out with the mentality I was going to expect bogey on every hole, and I came close. I ended up shooting 50 and was really pleased with my round. I'm still struggling finding an alternative for driver, the 4 iron and I are not getting along too well. I keep wanting to hit it toward the heel and didn't really have any spectacular drives with it. The 5 iron is a better option, I hit my best drive of the round with it (188) after putting one in the water. I am pulling it a bit, so I'm going to have to hit the range to try to straighten both of them out. My favorite shot of the day was a 6 iron approach on hole 3 that I just absolutely flushed.I still feel I can squeak a little more distance out of it, but I'm truly happy with it. I might do this again later on in the review, I definitely felt less pressure to perform since I set more realistic expectations for this round. Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile appIn hindsight taking the putter out wasn’t the smartest move in the world but it was fun/interesting putting left handed with the back of the 4 iron! Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy sirchunksalot and JohnSmalls 2 Quote What is in my Sun Mountain C-130 bag or Jones MyGolfSpy bag Driver: Dark speed LS 8* set to -1.5* with an Attas Daaas 4x shaft @ 45” Fairway: F85 3 wood with a XPhplexx Agera X @ 42.5” F85 5 wood with a UST Elements Chrome 7F5 @ 41.5" Driving Iron: Rapture 2-Iron Irons: SMS Pros 4-PW with Steelfiber I95s Wedges: SMS 50* T grind with Steelfiber i110s Glide 4.0 46* zz wedge shaft Glide 4.0 E grind 54* zz wedge shaft Putters: Mezz.1 34” 69* lie EV5.1 black 33.5” 69* lie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 A full club over the Cobra light irons I tried (briefly) and a half club over the Cally Steelheads. I use to hit my Steelhead 7 iron 145 and the Max is 150 ish. The Max irons feel quite sexy when you center pound them! I definitely agree with you on that, these irons feel great when you get then in the sweet spot. There is a nice click, and you can just feel the ball springing off the face. I really didn't expect the feedback from these, but you can tell a difference between a good and bad shot.In hindsight taking the putter out wasn’t the smartest move in the world but it was fun/interesting putting left handed with the back of the 4 iron! Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpyI definitely give you props for using the 4 as your putter, I definitely could not have done that. I thought it as a great read and you all are killing it over in the Lynx thread. Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app GolfSpy_BNG, ole gray and JohnSmalls 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 A full club over the Cobra light irons I tried (briefly) and a half club over the Cally Steelheads. I use to hit my Steelhead 7 iron 145 and the Max is 150 ish. The Max irons feel quite sexy when you center pound them! I definitely agree with you on that, these irons feel great when you get then in the sweet spot. There is a nice click, and you can just feel the ball springing off the face. I really didn't expect the feedback from these, but you can tell a difference between a good and bad shot.In hindsight taking the putter out wasn’t the smartest move in the world but it was fun/interesting putting left handed with the back of the 4 iron! Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpyI definitely give you props for using the 4 as your putter, I definitely could not have done that. I thought it as a great read and you all are killing it over in the Lynx thread. Also,@Tsecor great job on the stage 1! Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile appSent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app Tsecor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirchunksalot Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 I meant to post this on my stage 1, I did an unboxing video for the Tommy Armour irons. It's my first attempt to do one of these vids, so it's not the greatest. I thought it would be nice for all of you to see how well these clubs were packaged. Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app Nunfa0, ole gray, Tommy Armour Golf and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimNantzsToast Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 great stage 1's so far fellas! I'm looking forward to seeing more! sirchunksalot 1 Quote Tommy Armour 845 10.5* Rogue 3W King F7 5W Sub70 939 3H Lynx Black Cat // King F8 5i-GW Tour-S 54*/12* Adams Tom Watson 58*/8* Tommy Armour 303 Milled Habanero Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnSmalls Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 Great stage one @sirchunksalot and @Tsecor! Can’t wait to see how you guys get along with the new irons! sirchunksalot and Tsecor 2 Quote Gameday Vessel Sunday 2.0/ Ogio Silencer Dynapwr Carbon | Hzrdus Smoke Black Mavrik 3w | Evenflow Riptide FG Tour F5 Hybrid(20,23) | MCA Fubuki Staff Model CB 5-PW | DG 120 Vokey SM7 (50, 54, 58) | DG 120 Studio Stock 15 -ProV1x (left dash) Romans 10:9 Classic Bag Jones Collegiate Clemson Stand Bag Eye 2 Laminate 1973 Staff Dynapower 4-PW Anser DUO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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