Waazzupppp

Last August I started my journey to lose 100 pounds. I was wearing 4x shirts and big pants. Now, 70 pounds into my loss, I'm down to an XLT shirt and normal pants, but that "T" part creates all sorts of crazy problems when shopping for golf clothing. I look around my local stores, which I love to support, only to find "stock sizes" and nothing in tall. I look around that store again and see that the majority of guys in there could easily be fitted into an XLT instead of a 2x, but they just wear the baggy clothing instead of what actually fits. As a "long torso" guy, it's frustrating to see that stores don't stock or manufacturers don't make decent Tall Size offerings. So, with that said, are there any golfers on here that shop XLT and if so, where do you find your best deals on good stuff?

I know JC Penny's has been a life saver for me and my new golf gear, but I'd love to find more places that offer better selections of Tall Sizes.

Dateline - June 2018

I have played various forms of Wilson blades for 30 years now. My beloved 1989 Fluid Feel irons are still in a bag ready to go on a moments notice, but most recently I was bagging the FG-100's. Unfortunately, two of them were going to need replacing to make the set last another season, so I started looking at options. As I watched for what was next, the Wilson Proto images began to roll out, I had my next set of irons in my sights. Unfortunately, I was told the irons would be about $1200-1300 at retail and quickly began to reassess my needs. I continued shopping until October when I hit the JPX 900 Forged irons while trying on shoes at my local store. Now, instead of waiting for the next Wilson blade to hit, I made a drastic change to "fix" a fault and go with the Mizuno JPX 900 Forged irons and just haven't been happy with them. My search continued for my next "perfect irons".

SOMETHING NEW...

As the new year started and the Mizuno's only continued to feel OK, I really started looking hard at other options. Even though I don't have an unlimited golf budget, I did want something extremely playable and blade like, but didn't want to go used as some of the player's irons get beat pretty well before they go on the sale block. I started researching some of the smaller brands and found some great reviews on the Sub70 699 irons. Even low handicap players were crooning over the distance gains and the feel of these hollowed body beasts. I messaged Sub70 on social media and asked about them. Jason messaged me back almost instantly. He gave me a quick rundown of their irons and how the 639CB would be a better match for what I needed. Then, he mentioned the MB model and how it could be even better for me. After a bit of chatting back and forth, he had me give him my phone number and he called me - on a Saturday afternoon! What service! THIS went well beyond what I expected in the way of customer service and it only got better from there. Jason said to send over my specs and he would make up a demo club for me to hit and get it out to me. The next day I went down and double checked specs and sent them off. Within an hour, another email back confirming the specs and adjustments and everything was rolling.

ORDERED...

My shipping notification from UPS was sent out a few days later and after an AGONIZING few days, the black "Sub 70 Golf" box arrived at the shop and I began to drool. Finally the time to clock out arrived and I cracked open the box. The iron was in a "prototype finish" so not the final one, but I can honestly say, I hadn't seen an iron this beautiful since I first set eyes on those 1989 Fluid Feels at the driving range when I was 14 years old. Of course, falling for the looks of a club is one thing, but could it possibly match up to the playability of my beloved Wilson blades or would it feel squishy like most of the new "forged" offerings do? The range would have to wait until tomorrow.

OPENING THE BOX...

I rolled up to the course for a tournament that Saturday morning and "unofficially" unboxed the 639MB. I was still blown away by the looks, and the weighting of the head vs. the KBS Tour 130 shaft. It just felt perfectly balanced. I went with the stock Golf Pride 360 Tour Velvet grip just to keep things simple. The clean lines of the grip flowing to the shaft, then continuing down to the perfectly turned ferrule was a sight to see on it's own. Then the satin-esque finish of the head made the entire package scream PERFECTION. I carefully placed that 7 iron in the bag and headed over to the practice tee.

FIRST CONTACT...
 
I had thought my skills as a ball striker had diminished a bit over the years, but from the first ball with the 639MB, I realized that I still had it. Center strike after center strike produced a 165 yard draw dead on target. I then tried a cut fade, 160 and stopped on a dime- WITH RANGE BALLS! I think I'm in love with this iron already. Then I started flighting it - high, low, middle... All with easy success. I swapped out to the Mizuno just to make sure it wasn't my swing for the day - and trust me, the way I played, it wasn't. The Mizuno was good, but not like the Sub70 iron. I then did something that I normally don't try to do with them - hit a few heel and toe shots. Now, when I struck the ball outside the groove area on the toe, I lost a bit of distance, but the club virtually corrected the line of the shot - almost like an old wood did with the old "gear effect". It was incredible to watch and even more fun to experience first hand. Moving to the heel, I didn't get killed with the dead pull left that my older blades gave me. It was a nice straight flight, again with a slight distance loss. Overall, the performance of these is on par with the Muira's, Kyoei and other top blades I've tried over the years - and from what I see online, these are going to cost about 1/3 the price of a custom set of those guys.

FINAL THOUGHTS...

Ok, I'm going to be honest here and say that this 32° 7 iron should have been shorter than my 31° Mizuno, but it wasn't. Actually, as I looked at the yardages on center hits, the Project X LZ fitted Mizuno flew a bit higher, but was actually 3 yards shorter than the KBS Tour equipped 639MB. After looking up my stock distances again on my 1989 irons, degree vs. degree, my 167 yard 7 iron was at my peak swing, so tattooing shot after shot at 165 on the range is about as good as it gets. I wasn't able to get dispersion numbers yet, but I'm willing to bet I was 5 yards at most at 165 yards - which I will take all day long. Again, being able to flight an iron is probably the most important thing to me - far more important than distance or lofts, and the 639MB was so effortless in this way. I had completely lost that with the Mizuno's as they float the ball into the air and bring it down beautifully on every shot. Hitting the 639's, I remembered how it felt to be in complete control of the ball and it felt amazing. The good news is I'm 100% sold on these irons and the service that Sub 70 gave me... The bad news - I can't get a set of these until summer. Now, for some that play major tournament golf, Sub70 is getting through the approval process for the USGA ASAP. They thought they had submitting the right stuff to start with, but then the USGA needed some additional clubs (like a full set - etc...) to fully approve the irons. Approval will be coming soon so don't stress about that at all.

If you have any questions on the 639MB, I'd be happy to answer them and I know Jason and/or Jay from Sub70 are lurking around here with more information than I probably have at this point, but I'll do my best. Also, keep in mind that these are completely custom built for you, in the US and they have been amazing getting me information on them. I can't wait to get my order in as soon as they are available. More to come - summer 2019. 

PS: Please keep in mind, this is NOT the final finish. They are still tweaking that, but as soon as I get my set, I'll be sure to update everyone with pictures of the final finish of them.

So dead on with this comment! I remember back in the day where everything was out drive the other guy or hit one iron less into that par 3 than he does... It was fun for a while, but when you see your scores stop moving - or worse, see them moving the wrong way, you realize that it's not about out gunning someone, it's about playing your game and learning what your clubs can do when you swing them. My blades have always been traditional lofts and checked at a minimum every few seasons - and believe me, sometimes they weren't so close to perfect anymore. I still say that the average player should find their 100 yard club, then build their set off that. If that's a lob wedge, then start the gap at 10 yards a club. If it's a 50° wedge, then probably 12 yards a club. You don't want to spread too much more than that, but you could stretch it to 15 yards if needed. Properly setup bags are a key component to scoring and getting that dialed in is all about being consistent with it, not being longer.

Now, with that said, SGI irons are a great answer for those that need the extra distance that are already moved up a tee box or two from where they used to play (or for those recreational players starting out from scratch) as they make the game a bit more enjoyable by eliminating the "horrid shots" with decent tech. It'a amazing to see 200 yard 7 iron, but if it doesn't find the green, it didn't do it's job.

So dead on with this comment! I remember back in the day where everything was out drive the other guy or hit one iron less into that par 3 than he does... It was fun for a while, but when you see your scores stop moving - or worse, see them moving the wrong way, you realize that it's not about out gunning someone, it's about playing your game and learning what your clubs can do when you swing them. My blades have always been traditional lofts and checked at a minimum every few seasons - and believe me, sometimes they weren't so close to perfect anymore. I still say that the average player should find their 100 yard club, then build their set off that. If that's a lob wedge, then start the gap at 10 yards a club. If it's a 50° wedge, then probably 12 yards a club. You don't want to spread too much more than that, but you could stretch it to 15 yards if needed. Properly setup bags are a key component to scoring and getting that dialed in is all about being consistent with it, not being longer.

Now, with that said, SGI irons are a great answer for those that need the extra distance that are already moved up a tee box or two from where they used to play (or for those recreational players starting out from scratch) as they make the game a bit more enjoyable by eliminating the "horrid shots" with decent tech. It'a amazing to see 200 yard 7 iron, but if it doesn't find the green, it didn't do it's job.

I don't care what distance I hit any iron, as long as I know what club to hit at any given distance after considering lie, wind, etc.

Best SW EVER?
Is there any other option than the Wilson Sarazen R20?  That was on of the best clubs ever made (and had the retail life to prove it) and would be one that I would still be bagging if they still made them. I think they even did a copper head model at a few different points in history that gave an even softer feel to an already soft design. The only issue with them is that they tended to bend a bit if you used them too long, so you'd have to have the lofts and lies checked every season or two if you were really worried about that sort of thing back then.

I've always purcahsed my grips from GolfWorks, so as I've slowly been thinking about replacing my blades (slowly but surely) the TS-1's are a club on my short list. My only real concern with them is if they are too bladey or too close to my Wilson FG100's in peformance or if they have enough forgiveness for my aging swing or not?
 
Anyone able to chime in with the "forgiveness level" of these verses blades?

Contact them directly. For a few bucks, they will setup a club and get one out to you. Try reaching out to Jason - [email protected] after checking out their website and deciding what you want to take a look at. These guys are top notch in the service department and can help you get dialed in ASAP.
 

Having just gone through a bag refitting - and then done it again to get it correct a second time - I found a few brands that were completely under the radar that performed amazingly well.
BEST LOW COST - I don't think there is a more solid option in the sub $1000 category out there than @GolfSub70 I was able to test drive the 639MB a few months back and I'm still kicking myself for not waiting an extra month and a half to make the move to them instead of the Wilson Staff Models. The performance of the SM's isn't a bad thing at all, but when you think about the 639MB's being less than half the cost - it's a NO BRAINER. They have since added a few additional options to that line that make it an even better value.
BEST "OFF-BRAND" TO TRY - If the Sub70 seems too good to be true (which I will tell you they are every bit as good as any club on the market today) you could opt to try the New Level irons. They have some great designs as well, but again, cost vs. performance, I have to give the nod to the guys at Sub70 due to price vs. performance. New Level is great, and Eric was amazing through the process, but at $200 an iron vs $85 

BEST HIGH PERFORMANCE/IMPROVEMENT - I don't think there's a better blended iron right now than the Mizuno 919 Tour. It's the feel of a blade with just that added touch of forgiveness. I tried the 900 Forged model earlier this year and it wasn't for me, but the 919 Tour could have gone in the bag if it weren't for the Wilson's hitting the shelves right before I hit them.
BEST BLADE - If you're looking for straight up ball control performance, I will always choose a blade. There's no hot spots, cold spots or craziness to them - it's just a chunk of metal on a stick. Now that said, there's not a bad blade out there, but I have to say the new Wilson SM's are fantastic. Great feel, penetrating ball flight, etc... If I were in the market right now and hadn't just dialed these in, I would have a tough time recommending them, but since they were perfectly done for me, I have to give them the nod.

Now, If it were me, right now, and I was ready to upgrade, I'd be sending Sub70 my check for $840 and getting a set of the 639MB's with the KBS C-Taper X shafts and calling the search over. Though I'd be tempted to take the $600-800 savings and grab a set of the RAW wedges to go with them...
 

go to https://www.golfsub70.com/ and you can go to demo products and they will send anything you want to try out to you!

The MB's are still the best blade that I have played in quite some time. If I hadn't just made the move to the Staff Models for my PGA PAT next month, I would have totally jumped on them.

If you're in the market for a player's iron, you NEED to consider the MB series. They are long, workable, and flight better than anything else out there - bar none!

The MB's are still the best blade that I have played in quite some time. If I hadn't just made the move to the Staff Models for my PGA PAT next month, I would have totally jumped on them.

If you're in the market for a player's iron, you NEED to consider the MB series. They are long, workable, and flight better than anything else out there - bar none!

now played 4 rounds with the MB's are they are incredible!!! very forgiving for a blade. Easy to work left or right, but ive found these to go super straight compared to my old P770's.
 
Also ive noticed about 5 extra yards with the MB's even tho the lofts are weaker compared to what I used to play (and yes that's including higher spin rate also). 

These cut through the turf quite easily and haven't hit a fat, chunky shot....yet. My whole bag is new this year and these irons are by far my favorite investment! and cost less than just my driver

This kind of thinking is what the big boys don't get right now... Look at how many sets they have out there just hoping to land people on something. Instead, make fewer great clubs that fits more people. I think it was the Tour Edge video where the President said he didn't want to make the best driver on the market, he wanted the best driver for 80% of the market... Smart idea...

Love where you're headed with this... Waiting impatiently for those MBs!!! Come on summer!!!

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As someone that has spent a few years playing "softer" balls, I almost laughed when I read the article. With my 110-115 MPH swing I hit my driver 285 with a good cut off the tee - perfectly controlled, or 325 on a very much less controlled "smash". I spin my wedges to a perfect stop and loved the squishy feels of the "softer" balls around the green. Of course, I grew up on Maxfli HT-100 Balatas and Titleist 384 Professionals, so even today's "soft" balls go quite a ways farther than those old timers. In fact, I saw so little performance gain in ball testing over the winter months that I settled on the Aris Hero (great ball, bad cover) until I found out that it isn't on the conforming list. Back to my beloved Wilson Duo Spin stock that I had left...

So, after reading the article, I went back and grabbed the demo sleeves of the AVX's that I had gotten from the golf show in Seattle. Now, if I understood correctly, I still benefit from "slower balls" in some ways, so this may be skewed a bit, but I picked up between 20 and 25 yards on my driver (right in line with the 115 MPH testing) and I had about 5 yards an iron increase as well. I also had a much stronger ball flight, which made playing in wind and wet conditions a bit more manageable. So, ultimately, I have played/tested about 25 balls over the last 6 months, My experiences were very similar to MGS's test results - which has me no longer laughing. In fact, I'm almost mad at myself of doing it in the first place.

So with all of that said, remember MGS is a great place to start, it's not an end all to providing a solution for anything, but it's an amazing place to start when you don't have any preconceived ideas about your game. I have a feeling that if the average person used the information on MGS to build a bag, they would have a lot more fun playing the game. So, thanks MGS for doing the test and making my game just a bit better. Now, for those that haven't read the results, go check out the article and decide which balls you'd like to try. Even if it's just out on the course, grab a sleeve of the "best" balls for you and give them a hit. There's something there that will help you... 

As someone that has spent a few years playing "softer" balls, I almost laughed when I read the article. With my 110-115 MPH swing I hit my driver 285 with a good cut off the tee - perfectly controlled, or 325 on a very much less controlled "smash". I spin my wedges to a perfect stop and loved the squishy feels of the "softer" balls around the green. Of course, I grew up on Maxfli HT-100 Balatas and Titleist 384 Professionals, so even today's "soft" balls go quite a ways farther than those old timers. In fact, I saw so little performance gain in ball testing over the winter months that I settled on the Aris Hero (great ball, bad cover) until I found out that it isn't on the conforming list. Back to my beloved Wilson Duo Spin stock that I had left...

So, after reading the article, I went back and grabbed the demo sleeves of the AVX's that I had gotten from the golf show in Seattle. Now, if I understood correctly, I still benefit from "slower balls" in some ways, so this may be skewed a bit, but I picked up between 20 and 25 yards on my driver (right in line with the 115 MPH testing) and I had about 5 yards an iron increase as well. I also had a much stronger ball flight, which made playing in wind and wet conditions a bit more manageable. So, ultimately, I have played/tested about 25 balls over the last 6 months, My experiences were very similar to MGS's test results - which has me no longer laughing. In fact, I'm almost mad at myself of doing it in the first place.

So with all of that said, remember MGS is a great place to start, it's not an end all to providing a solution for anything, but it's an amazing place to start when you don't have any preconceived ideas about your game. I have a feeling that if the average person used the information on MGS to build a bag, they would have a lot more fun playing the game. So, thanks MGS for doing the test and making my game just a bit better. Now, for those that haven't read the results, go check out the article and decide which balls you'd like to try. Even if it's just out on the course, grab a sleeve of the "best" balls for you and give them a hit. There's something there that will help you... 

As someone that has spent a few years playing "softer" balls, I almost laughed when I read the article. With my 110-115 MPH swing I hit my driver 285 with a good cut off the tee - perfectly controlled, or 325 on a very much less controlled "smash". I spin my wedges to a perfect stop and loved the squishy feels of the "softer" balls around the green. Of course, I grew up on Maxfli HT-100 Balatas and Titleist 384 Professionals, so even today's "soft" balls go quite a ways farther than those old timers. In fact, I saw so little performance gain in ball testing over the winter months that I settled on the Aris Hero (great ball, bad cover) until I found out that it isn't on the conforming list. Back to my beloved Wilson Duo Spin stock that I had left...

So, after reading the article, I went back and grabbed the demo sleeves of the AVX's that I had gotten from the golf show in Seattle. Now, if I understood correctly, I still benefit from "slower balls" in some ways, so this may be skewed a bit, but I picked up between 20 and 25 yards on my driver (right in line with the 115 MPH testing) and I had about 5 yards an iron increase as well. I also had a much stronger ball flight, which made playing in wind and wet conditions a bit more manageable. So, ultimately, I have played/tested about 25 balls over the last 6 months, My experiences were very similar to MGS's test results - which has me no longer laughing. In fact, I'm almost mad at myself of doing it in the first place.

So with all of that said, remember MGS is a great place to start, it's not an end all to providing a solution for anything, but it's an amazing place to start when you don't have any preconceived ideas about your game. I have a feeling that if the average person used the information on MGS to build a bag, they would have a lot more fun playing the game. So, thanks MGS for doing the test and making my game just a bit better. Now, for those that haven't read the results, go check out the article and decide which balls you'd like to try. Even if it's just out on the course, grab a sleeve of the "best" balls for you and give them a hit. There's something there that will help you... 

Waiting till the seasons change can yield good deals on polo shirts or pullovers from their clearance or sale racks

The course where I belong gave a substantial discount to members, so I bought all my equipment there. They recently are being run by a management company, and the discount was discontinued for all but the highest membership category, and that has been greatly reduced. We used to get stuff at cost plus 10% plus shipping. I couldn't afford to buy elsewhere.

I'm willing to buy anything that I need at my club.  The prices are similar to the off green shops.  I like supporting the club when I can.  Sadly, their inventory is limited. When traveling and playing other nicer courses, I will often purchase a shirt if I find one that I like.

Nothing except for hats/polos


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Outside of mementos of a new/different course I played, the only thing else would be something unusual - but I rarely see those kinds of items, especially those that you have listed.  $65. for a headcover 😱 - well maybe if it was Bethpage and signed by BK.  

Get the usual ball markers but like to get some logo stuff at the special courses. I have a set of Muirfield headcovers, Royal Troon oversize towel and all sorts of Turnberry logoed shirts.

To answer the question of What Would I Buy at an on-course Pro Shop? Nothing really. I am always prepared when I get to a golf course. Either home or away. I carry everything from balls to band-aids including a spare glove, socks, sunscreen, chap-stick, shoelaces, spare battery, pain or headache pills, etc. As you can tell; I'm not a spender at the golf course. There's really nothing they have that I need or want. I only belong to a club for access to golf. Thankfully there's no requirement for me to spend beyond the monthly dues and cart fee.
 

Nothing unless I liked something with the logo on it.