Leaderboard

Indi Golf Fitting There are times when you walk into a place you’ve never been, and immediately feel like you’re home. Or maybe you just feel like you’d like it to be your home, because of the sweet merch, the clean aesthetic, the GC Quad-connected hitting bay and putting mat in the next room – you get it. (Wedge heads on display) This past Friday, I had the chance to go down to Carlsbad, CA to visit the headquarters of Indi Golf. Most of you know that Indi has some wedges currently in the testing phase in the forum, but as none of the testers lived locally, and as I’m only about 3 hours north, I figured on my day off I’d travel down and check them out, and see what a wedge fitting at a company who specializes in wedges (and now putters) was like. TLDR: it was a nearly perfect experience for a golf nerd (that's me). For background, I’m an ~11 handicap (11.1 to be exact), and I game the OG Kirkland Signature wedge set (52, 56, 60). Shockingly, I wasn’t fitted to these wedges (see, this is hilarious because … they’re from Costco. Off the shelf from Costco.) – I know, this is a cardinal sin amongst the hardcore on this forum but a) they were a gift, and b) they were a significant upgrade from my previous wedges which I’m not even sure had grooves left when I got rid of them. I’ve gamed the K-Sigs for the last 2 ½ years, and they’ve been great to me, in all honesty. I still feel that for the money, they’re a pretty hard set to beat. Nonetheless, I was VERY excited to be able to go to a company whose specialty is wedges, and to go through a real fitting trying the various builds and grinds to find something that suited me the golfer, and not just me the mayonnaise-and-toilet-paper-buying-guy-who-also-golfs. Upon walking into the facility, you’re greeted with a rack of genuinely-great-looking hats, a wall of the wedge heads mounted for you to see the various lofts / grinds, the lineup of putters, some shirts, and then several Jones bags (with Indi’s name embroidered on) full of the various wedges. It’s clean, simple, beautiful and immediately gives you a sense that the company has an eye for design. (Rack of Hats) Zane, the fitter, was there to greet me, and shortly thereafter Rob (the CEO) came out and gave me the mini tour while I took a few photos. (By the way, Rob did the Community Call with us a few weeks back, and if you haven’t checked it out, definitely give it a watch here (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1omlnwjBej48KJCZQZM47x-zXK5vPHN9Y/view?usp=drivesdk) – it’s super fun and informative.) From the get-go, it was clear that both Rob and Zane were, to put it simply, golf nerds like me I asked a little more about how the business started, what the plans were for the space (currently only one hitting net with a TV connected to the GC Quad, but eventually it’ll be a full hitting bay with projection screen along with couches to make it more comfortable), etc. Once the pictures were out of the way, they had me warm up with my 52-degree, hitting a few shots, seeing where the spin was, angle of attack, etc. We segued into the 52 degree FLX head with the Dynamic Gold Spinner shaft, and then hit the ATK head (same loft), and it was immediately clear how much better for me the ATK head was. I have a pretty steep (-7 (avg) degree) AOA (Angle of Attack for those joining the forum recently ), so the FLX was digging a little too much for me, and I was getting some pretty big deviations in spin. As soon as we tried the ATK, my contact was just so much better. It was a really amazing, tangible thing to feel the difference between the grinds, and to know that I really was better-suited to one than the other. It felt a little like magic – with my previous wedges (which, again, weren’t fitted (obviously)), it was a case of me fitting myself to them over the last two years. With these, they were doing the exact opposite, and the help it added was incredible and immediate. (Hitting net for now, but soon to be replaced with a full simulator screen) (Rob, checking my numbers) Once we got the head, we tried several different shafts (DG Spinner, DG 300, and the DG R300), and it was overwhelmingly clear the DG300 (in 120 Stiff) was the right choice. It had the smallest deviations in spin/carry/launch, even on slight mis-hits, it was a winner. The weight surprised me, to be honest, as my irons have always been a 105-ish range, but these felt absolutely fantastic – could be because they better match the weight of the Indi heads, but for whatever reason, it was a very easy choice. Next we looked at the 48-degree, what they call their Super Gap. Full-face grooves, a squared off, high(ish) toe, that really allows for some incredible flexibility. You can go at it, full-swing, or you can go toe-down and use it for bump-and-run shots around the green - it really is incredibly versatile. Flexible, if you will. The FLX moniker is well-earned. This is the only club that ended up with me in a different shaft – the DG Spinner 115g (in wedge flex). As my set PW (in both my current gamers and the Caley 01T’s that I’m testing) is 44-degrees, it’s pretty apparent I need something between 44 and where my current next wedge sits – 52. I did discuss with Rob and Zane the idea of going 48, 53, 58, but Rob said he prefers keeping the gaps the same from PW all the way through the last wedge, and with the numbers we were seeing, I think that’s the right choice – the 48 perfectly slots in right around the 120-125 number – my PW is just about spot on 135, and my 52 right about 112, so this was pretty great to see. (So many incredible choices...) Once I started getting slightly tired (read: very, very sweaty and starting to hit some hosel rockets – wouldn’t be a Samsonite fitting without at least a few of those), Zane and Rob felt like they had enough information to confidently prescribe my set-up. So, even though I’m in love with my L.A.B. DF2.1, I was curious what a putter fitting would look like, so they moved the GC Quad over to the putting area, where instead of a hole they had a Putt-Out set up. (Lining up with the Allison) As Rob mentioned on the Community Call, their goal with the putters was to do something few other companies were doing. The heads are fully aluminum, milled faces, with weights at the back edge (Jet (large mallet)) or far edges (Allison (half-moon) and Cash/Ramone (blades)) to increase forgiveness as much as possible. As my L.A.B. is also milled aluminum, the feel was pretty much right at home, right from the get-go. They had me roll a few with the L.A.B., to get a baseline, and after diagnosing my stroke as a slight arc (no argument here), Rob had me try the slant neck Jet, followed by a slant-neck Allison (my preferred shape). With all three clubs (mine and the two Indi clubs), I was seeing a small “launch” of about 5 degrees, effectively popping the ball up in the air. Zane and Rob were both set on me not changing my set-up, but as the L.A.B. has me having the ball forward-of-center, I moved the ball back about a 1/2 ball, and just like that, my launch was averaging 0.1 degree. I then went back to my DF, and sure enough, having the ball 1/2 ball further back got the same 0.1 launch and much truer roll. Were I in the market for a new putter, for me, the choice would be clear - the Allison, all day, every day. Everything about it promoted a better aim - the half-moon shape, the two parallel lines on the back of the head, the milled aluminum face was soft but consistent - it’s a really fantastic putter. (Talking golf with two VERY smart people) Once all the swings were swung, measurements taken, and data crunched, I got to hang around a little and pick Rob’s brain - about where he started, where he’s been, how he got started Indi, and briefly where he’s going. While he wouldn’t take the bait about whether or not they’ve got a full set of irons in the works (I had to ask - it’s my JOB to ask questions I know won’t get answered!), it’s abundantly clear that he’s passionate about making golf more fun and accessible for the average golfer. It’s why his first design was the non-conforming boxed-groove wedges - who doesn’t want to watch their wedge shot rip back towards the pin after landing on the green? It’s the same reason they developed the putters - they saw a market for something other companies weren’t doing yet, and dived in, creating something beautiful and functional, and ultimately, designed to help golfers perform better. I’ll be putting a set of Indi wedges into play shortly after this is posted - a 48-degree FLX Super Gap (with Dynamic Gold 115g Spinner), and then 52/56/60-degree in the ATK with DG Gold 300 120g Stiff. I really cannot wait to see what these do to push my approach game to the next level - I’ve gotten so confident on the greens with the DF over the last year, that I’ve been actively trying to give myself more and better opportunities to make putts. Given what I saw in the hitting bay, these felt like a no-brainer addition to my bag, and I cannot wait to get them into play (hopefully this Friday, if the shipment arrives when it’s expected to). (They're pretty, pretty pieces of metal) I’ll be keeping you updated along the journey, and am considering myself an honorary tester of the Indi wedges along with the other members. I. Cannot. Wait. Thanks again to Rob and Zane for having me down, and to Jamie (@golfspy_APH) for thinking this was a good idea in the first place. (Zane, the fitter). (Rob Lang, the President and Founder of Indi Golf)

In a new series of articles coming to you from the Forum Staff we bring you the Titleist T-Series Irons. Every iron has a purpose and there is a purpose for every iron. This is what has become abundantly clear throughout my time using the Titleist T-Series irons and it all started with the fitting. However I have to go back a little further to connect all the dots. In 2018 I was selected to test and review the PING i210 irons. As I had been using the PING iE1 irons I thought the transition would be easy. It wasn't, however my struggles soon drifted away and this set of PING irons became my main set for the next 4 years. I had some great rounds with them and fond memories, but being a bit of an equipment junkie I soon wanted to take in the full forged iron experience and transitioned to a set of Sub70 659 TC Irons. I wanted the superior feel of forged irons and felt I had the iron ability to play something with a little less tech, more feel. I wasn't concerned with any distance loss, even though I didn't find much of any. However once again I had early struggles with the new irons. I know enough about equipment to be able to know what works and what doesn't for my game. I was a bit surprised, however again I had a few stellar rounds, but still felt something was missing. My next step was into the players distance category with a set of TaylorMade P790 irons. Having found I was using a lot of my longer clubs in previous sets I wanted to see if my game could be elevated by using a set of irons on the complete opposite end of the Sub70 659 TC's. This time around I didn't have the early struggles. I clicked nearly right away with the P790s, but something was still missing. It was hard to put my finger on what that was until I had my fitting with Titleist. Titleist T-Series Irons Titleist created their new T-Series to be blended and according to Titleist "80% of tour staff have blended sets." and this is where the light bulb moment came. Even though I had success with all my previous sets and most of the sets had some sort of progressive design to improve performance throughout the set they still were just that one set. In truth this moment should have come much earlier as I had long ago replaced the PING i210 4 iron with a PING Crossover, but that was to create better gapping at the top end of the bag which is normal for many. What I ended up with for my Titleist set is purposefully selected specific irons for each area of my game and bag to ensure that I have all the proper irons for each situation. So what does this mean exactly? Well let me walk you through my setup. My Golf Bag - The Finer Details I prefer to use a 58, 54 combo of wedges. I also prefer and have had more success with cavity bag type wedges (Mizuno S23 and Ping Glide series). For my next club I either wanted to add another one of those wedges or as what happened add a set wedge. The main reason I go down this route is forgiveness. I am a solid ball striker, but I consider any opportunity with a wedge or less to be a scoring opportunity. I want to be set myself up for the most success possible, even if that means a less sexy looking club. When discussing this situation with my fitter and going through several shots we landed on a GW(50*) and PW (46*) in the T100. These are an all forged, slim top line and built for greater precision. If I want the best scoring club possible that fits my comfort zone this was going to be the choice. The next section of my bag we wanted to be able to add a little extra distance, keep a certain level of forgiveness and still have the ability to use these irons as potential scoring clubs. While I don't expect to hit every green I still want to see if I can make improvements in that area. While my fitter did suggest I could continue with the T100 set throughout this area, I wasn't as confident. I knew the gapping would be easier, however the Iron distance was a little shorter than I would prefer to see knowing the courses I play and the clubs I would have more confidence in playing. When we factored all of this together we landed on the Titleist T150 9-6 irons. The T150 have a bit more technology in them, while aiming to mimic the feel and the performance aspects of the T100. The T150 have an added 2 degrees of loft meaning a bit more distance. However this also left a decent gap with the T100's which we needed to address and did by making both the GW and PW 1* stronger. I now had a middle section which was better suited to longer approach shots and tee shots into par 3s. The nice part with these together is they look nearly identical. Yes the topline on the T150 is marginally bigger, but it isn't enough to truly matter. The feel for both is exceptional and the main difference I can say is that the T150 have a bit more pop to them. I am sure that is partly their tech, but also the loft. The other key feeling both keep is their responsiveness to strike location and turf interaction. In this area both sets excel and versus any of my previous sets. This left me with one more club to select for my set and where I often use my 5 iron. There are two main areas that I have need or use this club. One is off the tee on shorter par 4s or situational par 5s, sometimes into longer par 3s and to progress up the fairway on par 5s. While not a max distance club I was less concerned about exact carry number and more in getting a club that would meet those needs of distance versus accuracy. Once again the fitter did give some leeway in the decision as he felt I could use either the T150 or make the leap to T200, which is where I ultimately settled. The look on the Titleist T200 is a lot different to to the T100/T150 irons that have the brushed look. The T200 is shiny and does a better job appearance matching the T350. That is where the similarities end though, as at address the T200 has the same shaping of the T150 as well as offset. The topline again is marginally thicker, but not by much. All the irons used the same Project X IO 6.0 shaft that matches up well for my swing and it was a toss up between that and the Project X LZ. Both performed really well, but with a slightly higher peak height on the IO it just felt really good and we loved seeing the window that the ball came out of. With the fitting done and everything awaiting arrival the anticipation grew. When irons arrived it didn't take me long to get them out to the range. A slightly similar trend followed and while not my first round, but my first session on the range I struggled. This meant a lot of my initial excitement dampened and maybe expectations lowered because the first round turned it all around. Key Takeaways - On Course I have since played 20 or so rounds with these irons and here are my biggest takeaways from this time. - I wish I had never played a straight set of irons and it will be nearly impossible to consider a non blended set in the future. - PW and GW are way more forgiving than I had initially anticipated and the quality of precision is exceptional. - With the mid irons (non T100) my GIR have gone up along with my confidence. - T200 is not my favorite club, however the purpose in which I need it for does the job. - Stopping power! I have never owned a set that has had this level of stopping power. Not just spin, but flight and consistency. I have still of course had awful shots and struggled at times, as with any amateur golfer. I also still have not reached my ceiling in terms of potential. But I can say with extreme confidence that my floor has been raised. This is due to each iron being purposefully selected and built to work best for not just my game, but having the proper purpose. Where previous sets aimed to fit the bill everywhere and do everything well, this set is built to excel only where it needs to and not provide performance aspects which are not going to be utilized. Moving Forward The Titleist experience is exceptional, from fitting, to delivery to putting them in play. I had never owned a set of Titleist Irons before and much like my PING i210 irons staying in the bag for several years, I can see these irons holding their spot for many years to come.