Had I not done an iron fitting last year, after playing golf for 50 years, I would never have known I like 3° flat- then armed with that and some new irons bent there, I’m hitting some good shots- not that I didn’t before, just more of them I suppose. I was an OK putter, but then got fit into an Edel putter, and I’m a little bit better of a putter now-
asking others if a fitting is worth it, will get different answers from everyone- some would pay $1000 to shave one stroke off their avg, others don’t care and wouldn’t pay a dime-
so what’s it worth to you? If you don’t really care then I would skip it. But if you would pay to have fewer putts per round, then do it-
Day 14 of back injury… no golf period-
actually went to emergency room Tuesday morning as I wasn’t able to get up from bed or a chair without the wife’s help- E-room was of little help, just a shot of morphine and a Valium- but it did get me to the next drs appt.
They started me on massive dose of steroidal anti-inflammatory pills which in two days have really calmed back down- now just waiting on MRI appointment and PT authorization-
this all started by digging up some intrusive sod in back yard garden-
moral of story is to NOT do any yard work, as it might mess up your golf game!
Glad to hear you were able to get some relief while waiting for continued examination and prognosis but sorry to hear this is not progressing well for you. Sure hope they can determine the issue and resolve it quickly with the MRI.
Day 14 of back injury… no golf period-
actually went to emergency room Tuesday morning as I wasn’t able to get up from bed or a chair without the wife’s help- E-room was of little help, just a shot of morphine and a Valium- but it did get me to the next drs appt.
They started me on massive dose of steroidal anti-inflammatory pills which in two days have really calmed back down- now just waiting on MRI appointment and PT authorization-
this all started by digging up some intrusive sod in back yard garden-
moral of story is to NOT do any yard work, as it might mess up your golf game!
Day 14 of back injury… no golf period-
actually went to emergency room Tuesday morning as I wasn’t able to get up from bed or a chair without the wife’s help- E-room was of little help, just a shot of morphine and a Valium- but it did get me to the next drs appt.
They started me on massive dose of steroidal anti-inflammatory pills which in two days have really calmed back down- now just waiting on MRI appointment and PT authorization-
this all started by digging up some intrusive sod in back yard garden-
moral of story is to NOT do any yard work, as it might mess up your golf game!
Day 14 of back injury… no golf period-
actually went to emergency room Tuesday morning as I wasn’t able to get up from bed or a chair without the wife’s help- E-room was of little help, just a shot of morphine and a Valium- but it did get me to the next drs appt.
They started me on massive dose of steroidal anti-inflammatory pills which in two days have really calmed back down- now just waiting on MRI appointment and PT authorization-
this all started by digging up some intrusive sod in back yard garden-
moral of story is to NOT do any yard work, as it might mess up your golf game!
Day 14 of back injury… no golf period-
actually went to emergency room Tuesday morning as I wasn’t able to get up from bed or a chair without the wife’s help- E-room was of little help, just a shot of morphine and a Valium- but it did get me to the next drs appt.
They started me on massive dose of steroidal anti-inflammatory pills which in two days have really calmed back down- now just waiting on MRI appointment and PT authorization-
this all started by digging up some intrusive sod in back yard garden-
moral of story is to NOT do any yard work, as it might mess up your golf game!
Day 14 of back injury… no golf period-
actually went to emergency room Tuesday morning as I wasn’t able to get up from bed or a chair without the wife’s help- E-room was of little help, just a shot of morphine and a Valium- but it did get me to the next drs appt.
They started me on massive dose of steroidal anti-inflammatory pills which in two days have really calmed back down- now just waiting on MRI appointment and PT authorization-
this all started by digging up some intrusive sod in back yard garden-
moral of story is to NOT do any yard work, as it might mess up your golf game!
Day 14 of back injury… no golf period-
actually went to emergency room Tuesday morning as I wasn’t able to get up from bed or a chair without the wife’s help- E-room was of little help, just a shot of morphine and a Valium- but it did get me to the next drs appt.
They started me on massive dose of steroidal anti-inflammatory pills which in two days have really calmed back down- now just waiting on MRI appointment and PT authorization-
this all started by digging up some intrusive sod in back yard garden-
moral of story is to NOT do any yard work, as it might mess up your golf game!
Day 14 of back injury… no golf period-
actually went to emergency room Tuesday morning as I wasn’t able to get up from bed or a chair without the wife’s help- E-room was of little help, just a shot of morphine and a Valium- but it did get me to the next drs appt.
They started me on massive dose of steroidal anti-inflammatory pills which in two days have really calmed back down- now just waiting on MRI appointment and PT authorization-
this all started by digging up some intrusive sod in back yard garden-
moral of story is to NOT do any yard work, as it might mess up your golf game!
Day 14 of back injury… no golf period-
actually went to emergency room Tuesday morning as I wasn’t able to get up from bed or a chair without the wife’s help- E-room was of little help, just a shot of morphine and a Valium- but it did get me to the next drs appt.
They started me on massive dose of steroidal anti-inflammatory pills which in two days have really calmed back down- now just waiting on MRI appointment and PT authorization-
this all started by digging up some intrusive sod in back yard garden-
moral of story is to NOT do any yard work, as it might mess up your golf game!
First hole- dense fog, hooked drive behind a tree and bushes- small window towards the green I hoped-
hit a nine-wood and never saw it, but it felt really good
got to green and there it sat wight in the middle-
missed the birdie putt as usual…
Good evening!
I went out and played 18 holes today with my wife and her family. These clubs just can't seem to miss at all and every time I play with them, I like them a little bit more. The long irons in the TC set are simply incredible. I have never had 4 and 5 irons perform better than these have performed.
This shot was with the 4-iron from 207 yards out and landed on the green, stopped dead in its tracks, and spun back about 6 inches. Although the conditions were soft today, creating that much spin with a 4 iron is incredible. This provides me with so much confidence when I pull the clubs out as I can hit straight for the green and know that the ball is going to stop. Continually impressed with how these are performing.
Tom the Golf Nut checking in.
First a special thank you to Vice Golf for affording this opportunity for testing. PS: I really like the Vice Logo. Total class right there. Thank you, MGS Forum Staff, for selecting me for testing, and the MGS logo is also top notch.
I have a supportive family that lets me indulge in my passion. We live in middle South Carolina between Pinehurst and Myrtle Beach so golfing opportunities are abundant. Of my three children, two are still home, with my youngest about to enter her senior year of college. My son and daughter (when she is not away at school) work at my golf club and if things work out my wife will work there as well someday. I was just elected to the board of directors for the club, so it is turning into a family affair. I can’t sneak out to get away from the family when they all work there. LOL
Family fun time with my wife, son, daughter (front) and my son’s girlfriend.
I am pretty much a self-taught golfer and have been playing for over thirty-five years. I never stop building things or tinkering on golf related stuff to help improve my game. I build most things at home. I’m the son of a carpenter and I was a machinist then an engineer in my early days. If I can dream it I can build it. My biggest improvements in my game came from installing my simulator in conjunction with a MEVO several years ago. I got to see my swing path and ball flight info from the comfort of home. Which will come in handy for testing. I play a decent amount of golf. At least twice a week at my club, playing with customers when I’m on the road, as well as golf outings for charities. I am able to play year-round in my area of the country.
My GHIN handicap is currently 0.5, I have a mid-ball flight and a one hop and stop on the greens. I enjoy playing and do not get upset with a bad shot. Swing tempo is smooth with an average driver swing speed in the mid to upper 90’s. My average ball flight is straight with a middle flight trajectory. I am hoping to increase my iron trajectory a little bit more. Switching to graphite shafts in my irons has helped already. My strengths are finding the fairway with my drive and my short game.
I moved here about a year and a half ago and the courses are generally very different here than my hilly and mountainous courses of Northeast TN. Here it is flatter but requires more placement shots. Being in the sand belt region we have much softer fairways and approach areas (No bounce and roll out here) Lots of dog legs, streams, and waste areas that come into play. The rough is very playable but anything past that is in pine straw or unplayable.
So, what do I want to accomplish during this test?
I am hoping to gain a little more forgiveness with these irons. The King Tour's I was using last year has little room for error and I’m a decent ball striker. I have actually been moving them out of the bag one at a time and putting in my older irons which were a DTC brand. I plan on evaluating the data, and my on-course play. On course is where it matters most. If I can get a little more forgiveness on slightly off-center hits, maintain accuracy, and potentially get a little more ball height these will stay in the bag. A little more distance wouldn’t hurt either, but I don’t want to sound greedy. I have seen a lot of good things come from the direct-to-consumer brands and am looking forward to seeing what these clubs can do.
The Clubs:
I have been selected to test the VGI 01’s. Vice golf is getting with the times right off the bat with different head color trims, shaft, ferrule, and grip color options. So now we get the opportunity to customize the look. Make it yours.
I had my fitting this morning which was very pleasant and informative. I was probably the easiest to fit as I knew all my specs from previous fittings. After discussions with their team and Jamie on the call as well we decided to keep the same shaft weights, flex, lie angles, and length that I was already fit into. Then it came to making them mine in terms of colors.
Decisions, decisions, decisions. I went with the red trim which has the club numbers in red as well. I also selected a Whiz Graphite 60g Mitsubishi black shaft.
I added a black ferrule and went with the red Vice Mid-size grip. I was tempted to go with the gray but a little color in my life would be good. I wasn’t sure if they would be a distraction to me.
I have been a fan of the GP CP2 Pro for years now. We will see how these grips go, but I have a set of the CP 2’s waiting in the wings if needed.
Clubs are on order and now comes the hard part. Waiting for delivery. I'm sure everything will go according to plan. I'm super excited to test these out. The Vice team is top notch. They even asked for periodic check ins with the team to see if I have any issues, concerns, comments, and just to see how I like them. I'll be honest this is the first time a manufacturer really cared about the product and my relationship with the product once it shipped. They get a five-star rating on a scale of 1 to 5⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐
Thinking about the testing:
I compared the lofts from my other sets of irons and there isn’t much difference. So really all in all they should compare quite nicely. With the scoring clubs a little weaker they should give me a little more height and stopping power. But we will find out. That’s what the testing is all about right.
The actual lofts are:
I’m interested in the sound and feel. Since these are hollow body and not filled with foam or neoprene, will they sound pingy, dull, or crisp? Without the fill material the clubs should have a little more rebound in the face as well.
Key characteristic claims:
Developed with insights from millions of data sets from normal golfers; An Iron Set that delivers forgiveness without compromising on performance.
- Triple forged head + milled finish
· Lighter head weight design to increase swing speed and improve shaft-head-balance
· Low offset and thin topline with increased face length for improved forgiveness
· 2-piece hollow body construction to create one of the hottest faces in golf
I like to start my testing from the green and work backwards just like I would test a ball. Chipping, pitching, then move back to full shots and then longer irons. The chipping part will be a little harder to test. Most of my chipping is with a Gap Wedge and this set stops at the PW. I’m going to work on using the PW from now until the Vice clubs arrive. My goal is 10 shots per task and remove any outliers. I will use the Mevo to gather the data once I get into the full shots. Data is great for those data junkies out there but I’m more of a performance in the field kind of guy. Hitting off a mat in the simulator or at the range is different than playing conditions. How will these perform out of the rough, tight lies, normal lies, divots, and so on.
I will set up certain distances and hit into a green doing some head-to-head testing with a few different clubs. Distance variance, trajectory, and dispersion will be what I’m looking for. Then try off of different type of lies. (rough, tight lies, wet grass)
We did get notified that our orders are getting ready to ship. So, the excitement is escalating.
The clubs have arrived and here is a little unboxing for your viewing pleasure.
FINAL REVIEW
Vice VGI01 Irons
I spent a couple of days collecting data comparing sets against each other. I checked the lofts between sets, and they were similar, so I wasn’t worried about not knowing distances. I used a Flight Scope MEVO and my simulator to gather inside data. I tried for weeks to get data outside at my range but rain, more rain, and a hurricane caused flooding at the course closing the range. So, all that was left was on course play. I headed to the golf course with my new weapons.
I was playing the Sub 70 699 Pro’s for a few years with great results. Last season I gamed the Cobra King Tours. I’m not knocking the King Tours; they played well but there was little margin for error. The sweet spot was small and missing it I lost too much yardage. So midway through the season I had a split set. Then by the end of the season all that was left in the bag was the Gap Wedge.
I needed to get back to hitting perfectly straight, towering shots that would land softly at the target. Now with the Vice Irons in the bag and high hopes in my back pocket we were off to the proving grounds. The clubs on course performance started out well and never gave me cause for concern. Within the first few rounds I realized that I could just aim at the pin and fire away. My ball flight was higher and there was pretty much a one hop and stop. I also used the Vice Pro Air ball during play. I also would bring along an iron from my other sets to compare. Luckily, I’m allowed out on the course before the public, so I didn’t hold anyone up.
Round after round the performance factor was what I was looking for. The VGI01’s actually delivered more than I hoped for.
Grading:
Looks 9 out of 10
Such a good-looking club with a satin finish. Not the chunky cavity backs with thick top lines you generally see. As a matter of fact, they are the thinnest top lines I have ever seen, and minimal clubface offset. A little intimidating a first look (-1 point). But all the lines are clean, and head shape is very good looking behind the ball. You also get the added feature of customizing your color details on the club head.
Look at that thin top line.
Feel 10 out of 10
You can feel off center hits, but the ball still goes on its target line with minimal distance loss and center strikes just go where you aimed effortlessly. The clubs feel very stable during impact, minimal twisting on off center hits. You do get good feedback upon impact. But on perfect strikes you hardly feel anything. So, you immediately know it was a pure strike. The club feels very well balanced in hand and during the swing. These are very light club heads so a lighter weight shaft will help you feel the club head more. The combined light weight automatically increased my swing speed.
Basic Characteristics 20 out of 20
Trajectory is just under a high trajectory category with the Mitsubishi Wiz 60 shafts. This was exactly what I was looking for help with. I needed a little more height. Accuracy is spot on. It goes where you aim it. The trajectory and added swing speed increase distance by a full club. The landing of the ball was for the most part a hop and stop or just land and sit. The manufacturer claims that the low COG gives you high MOI. This is supposed to provide optimal ball flight and increased stability on off –center hits. Their claims are spot on regardless of the club selected. I was totally comfortable pin hunting with these irons. These clubs also sound very good.
On-Course Performance 30 out of 30
My proximity to the pin has decreased. Trajectory has improved. All these factors are exactly what I had hoped to achieve. Truthfully, I was not sure what a company new to club manufacturing could produce right out of the gate, but I am impressed. The results speak for themselves. Right out of the box and onto the course there was no adjustment period required. If you close or open the face a bit the ball will draw or fade. I wipe my club face after each shot before putting them back in the bag. I noticed rather quickly that I am in the center of the clubface consistently and a couple grooves higher compared to my previous gamers.
So many of these types of approaches already.
Miscellaneous 8 out of 10
Packaging was superior, it was a box in a box so even though the outside box was slightly damaged the inside box was just fine. Plenty of protection inside the box as well. They also sent two dozen Vice Pro Air balls and a Vice Glove. Due to the demand of these clubs, they sent an email about being sorry for the shipping delay and gave me another free dozen balls. That was a nice gesture considering the clubs arrived right on time. Serious customer service. I’m deducting a point here because the back sides of the club face will show bag chatter very easily. Another point for the grips. I went with the red grips to match the red details on the clubface. My rounds have left me with a pink hue on my golf glove. I’m sure that will stop over time.
Play it or trade it 20 out of 20
Even though we are still in the honeymoon stage these have earned a spot in the bag. Everything that I was looking to achieve has been delivered in the form of the VGI01 irons. The clubs were built to my specs, and they are spot on. I have been able to put myself in better position on the greens since putting them in play. I have already shot my career low round with an amazing 63 which beat my low by 4 strokes. Several other rounds in the 60’s as well. Granted my driver was spot on, but the VGI01 irons are what put me in position on the greens. Well done Vice. Looks, design, and performance!
Conclusion
If playing a big brand name is not important to you and if you are looking for a club that performs then this club is for you. Comparing the major manufactures pricing for clubs in this category, the Vice line of clubs has a very attractive price point and definitely worth consideration. They are less than the big brands but a little higher than the other DTC brands. For the performance you get it is well worth looking into.
The VGI01’s are a forged players iron but with forgiveness. I feel it is best suited for a person in the five to fifteen handicap range. Even though my handicap is lower these irons are working out very well for me. There is that extra bit of forgiveness built into these clubs. My proximity to the pin is less. My ball flight is higher than what it was, and there is some distance gain.
Final Score 97 out of 100
First hole- dense fog, hooked drive behind a tree and bushes- small window towards the green I hoped-
hit a nine-wood and never saw it, but it felt really good
got to green and there it sat wight in the middle-
missed the birdie putt as usual…
It’s getting cooler in the morning, but hotter during the day-
wore my normal shorts and sweatshirt to start, but simply couldn’t get anything going until the back- +11 on the front, and plus 1 on the back for an ugly 83…
got creamed by my buddy by 4… but I can win on Thursday and split the week…
Go Hawks…
First hole- dense fog, hooked drive behind a tree and bushes- small window towards the green I hoped-
hit a nine-wood and never saw it, but it felt really good
got to green and there it sat wight in the middle-
missed the birdie putt as usual…
It’s occurred to me that my foul play started about the same time I switched my grip back to the Hanson hybrid, due to thumb pain-
im hitting some monster irons with a draw, which is great, except I’m not planning on that happening, so, you can imagine the trouble- so it might take a little adjusting for a few rounds, u til it starts coming back together …
got injected in both thumbs today with some cool goo, that sort of rebuild the worn out cartilage. We’ll see how that works out-
best advice is “don’t get older” and you should be just fine-
Sluggo42 got a reaction from RickM71 in Putter Fitting: I Need Some Convincing!
Sluggo42 got a reaction from cksurfdude in How'd you play?
Sluggo42 reacted to Rob Person in How'd you play?
Sluggo42 got a reaction from MattF in How'd you play?
Sluggo42 got a reaction from TheBirdieMasterLOL in How'd you play?
Sluggo42 got a reaction from MissionMan in How'd you play?
Sluggo42 got a reaction from Rearviewmirror in How'd you play?
Sluggo42 got a reaction from William P in How'd you play?
Sluggo42 got a reaction from cnosil in How'd you play?
Sluggo42 got a reaction from Rob Person in How'd you play?
Sluggo42 got a reaction from HikingMike in How'd you play?
Sluggo42 got a reaction from MidwestGolfer74 in Share your Shot/Hole Of The Day!
