J.B. TexasEx

I've asked Hogan about purchasing club heads only - no luck. Interesting that Hogan is now available at Club Champion, a purveyor of super-premium after market shafts. I've seen a guy get fitted there. Paralysis thru over-analysis and the fitter never did a comparison with his existing set-up. Always talked about incremental gains with their Gucci shaft offerings. Really a turn-off for me.

Which 8-iron did you hit better? The PTx-Pro or ICON? I'm considering a new combo set, too. I'm a 13.4, but don't really have trouble finding the sweet spot with short irons.

I honestly haven't investigated what manufacturing facilities in China forge which OEM's clubheads. I doubt that information is readily available. A major, higher-volume brand - like Cobra - may have better oversight and QC. But, who knows? It's possible Cobra and NL are forged in the same Chinese factory. I don't know...

Most every OEM's clubheads are outsourced and forged in China, so quality control shouldn't be a mental hurdle to overcome. Does New Level have a demo program? If so, test drive a couple of models you find appealing. Both Hogan and Sub 70 have demos readily available for a nominal fee.

That's funny! I've only been "fitted" for clubs twice in my life, before Trackman and other newfangled launch monitors. Both times only using swing speed and the old fashioned lie board. The results? 1999 - Ben Hogan Apex Plus, Apex S4 shaft, 1/2-inch longer, standard lies 2007 - Cleveland TA3s, DG S300, 1-inch longer, 1-degree upright I've mothballed the Clevelands, went back to the Hogans and recently had 'em bent 2-degrees flat to prevent a left miss. I have yet to hit 'em, but for $30, I thought it was worth experimenting. Trial & error

You won't need a chiropractor if you allow your right leg to straighten and your hips to turn fully in the backswing.

Any difference in ball flight versus your previous clubs? What did you game before? I'm considering Hogan's "players combo set" with ICONs in the short irons. I've never owned black clubs, though. Does that finish help you frame the ball at address?

UPDATE: PGA Superstore will bend 8 forged irons for only $30, so I'm gonna try 2-degrees flat in my E thru 4-iron. Hopefully, this will help eliminate my left miss ala Hogan. Not that I'm expecting it to result in a tour-quality power fade.

I'll volunteer to test Cobra's one-length offerings if y'all still need somebody for this challenge. Always been intrigued by it.

Yeah, I've fought the inside takeaway my whole life. Thanks for the tip.

White shoes, white belt, white cap I used to think it was an old man's ensemble. But, now that I'm over 50 it looks good on me.

I have the "physical characteristics" of a slightly overweight 51 year old. I'm not averse to making a swing change, but my irons are over 20 years old. I just thought it'd be fun to fine tune the specs if/when I purchase a new set of clubs. Maximize what I've got to work with, so to speak.

How much did you flatten your lie angles? Just curious I'm thinking maybe 2 degrees?

Sure, but I've hit bad shots and couldn't ascertain much of anything from the divots. But, you're a +1 and I'm a 14 so it's relative. Swing changes are easier for some people. But, if I can mask a swing flaw with a minor club tweak why not do it? The fact that there's no OEM standard for shaft flexes and/or torques only adds to the confusion and challenge of getting fit properly. If it were easy to "change your swing" why aren't there one-size-fits-all club specs? Think about it.

Our distances are comparable. I rarely hit my 4i off the fairway due to inconsistent ball-striking and can't stand hybrids because I hook them. A 7w may be more versatile, especially out of the rough. Hell, look at the specs on some OEMs' clubs these days. Only a 2-degree gap between the 4i and 5i? Why carry both?

Thanks! I'll look to see if TXG has any recommendations about shaft flexes, too. Bottom line is I need to get fitted for shafts and I'll have no problem going to an R flex in my longer clubs (or the full bag, if necessary). Higher launch is desirable with mid to long irons and fairways. I'm even considering a 7-wood.

Getcha some lead tape in the meantime.

The moral of this story is don't climb ladders after 60. Get well soon, Big Stu!

I'm looking seriously at purchasing new irons and wedges from either Ben Hogan or Sub 70. With that in mind, I was also contemplating shaft and lie-angle options. Maybe getting fitted for a "softer" shaft with a lower kick point in my mid to long irons? Possibly tweeking the lie angles flatter in my short irons & wedges to prevent a left miss? Has anyone else made these type of adjustments? I plan to drop $49.95 @ PGA Tour Superstore for the "Tour Van Experience" and iron fitting. FWIW I'm middle-aged, 6' 3" approx 250 lbs. Driver swing-speed was between 100-105 mph. A good swing produces a nice medium-high draw. Bad swings can result in pull-hooks or blocks. I haven't been fitted for anything since 2007 and that was only with an old school lie board. Any advice or feedback from more knowledgeable golfers will be appreciated.

I've played the MCC's for years with and without the ALIGN feature. Both are good, but I found the ALIGN wasn't doing it for me. Not worth the upcharge, IMO.

How did your ball-flight change when you switched from the Rifle 6.0s to the $taper? Just curious.

Yeah, I'd wanna hit 7-irons for both ICON and PTxPro to see which I hit better. That'd help me decide between a combo set or just going with PTxPro's. At first glance, a UiHi 4-iron, PTx 5-7, and ICON 8-P looks like the ticket!

Great lookin' clubs, RoboDoc! Those new ICONs are just gorgeous. What handicap are you playing to these days?

Great write-up, JW, thanks for sharing your process with us. I'm finally thinking about getting new irons and am also considering a combo set for a lot of the same reasons. I, too, prefer a thinner topline and don't need much help with my mid to short irons. I haven't been fitted properly since 2007 and didn't get the "tour experience" then. Just an old-fashioned lie board. I can't really work the ball much left-to-right, but can adjust trajectory when necessary. My stock shot is a medium-high draw. I'll probably just pay PGA Superstore $40 to get fitted and then purchase some new Hogans or a Sub 70 combo set after a demo.

Project X 6.5's are pretty stiff. I hope you've got a higher swing speed. But, you can't go wrong with Mizuno irons.