Advice for Irons

[DanUsh]

Hey guys I am new to posting on the site but have been a reader and browser for a while. Last season I bought a set of TMaG Rocketbladez with Project X 95 shafts in them.  I played them through the season but i just haven't been happy with them.  I played at a 9 handicap this season while only playing a few times a month because of school and work. 

 

 I previously gamed Titleist 704 CB DG S300 for 8 years before i got the RocketBladez.  I am not a fan of the turf interaction, the lack of ability to work the ball with them, and the offset especially on the higher irons.  I played around 9-10 handicap with my 704s.  

 

I think I am in the market to switch back to a set of player irons.  I was hoping you guys would be able to help me decipher which ones will give me the workability that i want while still providing forgiveness with the long irons.  I know and club feels different in everyones hand.  But when you get fit or demo you usually don't get to hit longer clubs or off grass.  Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Good luck out there and hope you get to play year round!!!

 

Dan

 

[The Dansome]

First welcome to the forums.

 

From what I read those RocketBladez were a drastic change for you especially in shafts alone. Definitely make sure whatever you go with next you get a shaft fitting for something that may work better if you had success with S300's in the past.

 

With all that said there's a slew of new irons on the horizon for 2014 and some already out. Callaway Apex, Ping S55, Ping i20, TaylorMade SpeedBlade (if a tour version is released) Nike Pro Combos, Looks like new TaylorMade Tour Preferred line with cavity backs and Muscle backs. Just to name a few.

 

Long story short if you're in no rush hang out with us for a while and go through the discovery phase of the latest and greatest to come.

[Mr_Theoo]

You could always try and hit the off the rack long irons.

 

I always did wonder why when getting fitted you don't try the short or long irons to make sure you're well fitted throughout the whole set.

[DanUsh]

Numbers on a launch monitor can make you do crazy things.  Thanks MBP I am definitely looking forward to the reviews.  Most likely looking to purchase somewhere in February or March before the new season.  I want to demo on a range where I can actually see ball flight.  I agree with you Mr_Theoo I always wondered why you are only fit using one iron.  The problem with me hitting off the rack is i am 2 degrees flat with can give me a false feel with stock irons. 

[BK in TEXAS]

I previously gamed Titleist 704 CB DG S300 for 8 years before i got the RocketBladez.  I am not a fan of the turf interaction, the lack of ability to work the ball with them, and the offset especially on the higher irons.  I played around 9-10 handicap with my 704s. 

If you were happy with the 704's look into the AP2's.  Unless you want brand spanking new sticks, you can get a model or two older pretty inexpensively.  The AP2's haven't changed all that much from the 710,712,714 progression.

[Blade]

If you tried numerous forged player's irons but all with the same shaft that fits you, the differences between them would be small, especially if the weighting, lie angles and lofts matched. It would come down to which one sounds the best. Does one improve the ball flight and spin rate for you over the others? There will be differences in cg location that affect that a little. Some will have more perimeter weighting that others and different sole grinds of course. But in the player's category, those differences can't be huge. It's a small compact head. The weight can only be moved around so much. So in my mind, after you take the shaft variable out, it mostly comes down to, what do you like the looks of and which sounds/ feels better to you?

 

Now if you start looking at distance irons with thin faces and slots and such, there's more you can pick up from reviews to have an idea what to expect. But even then, how much of that will translate to you for your swing? But I think it's always fun to read about new stuff and know what's out there with some idea of how they compare even though I won't really know until it's in my hands.

 

I say all this because of a shaft change late in the season for me. It came with a new set of clubs. But the clubs weren't a huge departure from what I had. I went from MP 63s to Amp Cell Pros. I went from X flex KBS Tours to S+ C Tapers. Those shafts have made a big difference for me to lower my flight a bit but mostly cut down on excessive spin. If I put those shafts in the 63s, I'm sure I wouldn't see much difference from the Pros. But I love thelook of the Pros, gotta say. Bummer for me switching late in the season. Got snow coming. No golf for me for awhile. :-( I can only hit them inside and admire them for now. Haha!

[Rickles]

I'm with BK. Look at the AP2's with the same shafts you used to like. DG S300. I switched from Mizuno MP 32's to some bigger Cavity backs last year. Mizuno JPX 800 Pro's, with steel fibers because they were the cool shafts at the time. I thought I could get more forgiveness and be a little longer. They were longer but I was incredibly inconsistent and the larger head with more offset gave me less confidence. Then I went and got fit and learned that with my quick transition heavy is my friend and so It was back to steel shafts. I now play some KZG Tour Evolutions (Small head, slight cavity, with almost no offset, with the shafts I was fitted for: NS Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X).

 

For me the moral of the story is to 1. Get fit, it makes a huge difference.

2. Hit a lot of clubs and look at them closely. With a single digit handicap you should play whatever you like the best looks and feel wise that gives you confidence with exactly the right shafts for you. For me the shafts made all the difference.  

[kdm]

Like yourself I am looking at new irons it's just mind bogling. I presently play Mizuno MP30's DGS300 Superlite shafts all MOI'd and fitted correctly.

 

That therein lies the issue getting irons fitted correctly cannot stress how important it is, just wish I could purchase heads only and then take to my guy to fit me.

 

I have hit the Mizuno JPX EZ forged 6 iron, really sweet and easy to hit just cannot get away from the 'chunkier' topline and would really really like to hit the wedge, 9,8,7,5,and 4 iron as Mr_Theo says why only one iron demos!!

 

Like the look of the Adams CMB's and looking at a set on net, like Titeist 712 AP2's

[RoverRick]

Welcome Dushler and kdm.

 

I played Ping Eye 2's for over 10 years and then I went to forged Hogans for a number of years and became a bit.  Then the past 3 or 4 years, I went Titleist AP2's, Callaway Protos, Titleist ZM's. Mizzuno MP62's, MP33's, and MP59's.  I still have the last two.  I really like them but I play everyday.  I sold my Ping Eye 2's to a buddy of mine and he still plays them.

 

Another friend of mine just ordered Ping S55's.  I love the feel of forged but when you play as much as I do, they begin to wear rather quickly.  My favorite club combination was the MP59 and KBS C Taper Lites.  However, I only played these for about 3 weeks.  The reason is that they were already starting to wear and since my course has had construction for the past few years, I did not want to damage them so I went back to the MP33's.  I recently added some TMag Burner long irons because they were $30 but I hate them.

 

Yesterday, I went to the golf store and hit Mizuno MP69 and Ping S55 and S56 and i20's.  The Pings all felt every bit as good as the forged clubs I have been playing for years.  And it looks like I may end up with a set of S56's.  The S55 is supposed to be more forgiving and a bit longer than the S56 but compared to the MP33's the S56 did everything I needed and I can get them at half the price.

 

So while I have not made the jump just yet, I am considering going back to Ping.  I will of course put them on the C Taper Lite shafts.

[DanUsh]

I have been off for winter break and have gone to Golfsmith a couple times over break and I hit the mp 54, mp 64, mb 714, cb 714, and ap2 714.  Right now the loser out of the group were the mp 52  they just didn't have the feel for me.  The mp 62 felt good but not as good as the titleist for me.  If i had to make a decision today I would go with a combo set of ap2 cb and possibly mb.  The key for me is the 3, 4, and 5, iron I need to hit them consistently.  A 6 iron down i can hit anything you put in my hand.  I can't wait to try the apex pro forged when they come out and hit them outdoors to see true ballflight and shot shapes.

[EJ Mac]

I hit several the other day. The 714 mb and cb felt really solid, just too much for my skill level. The S 56 was sweet as well, hated the jpx 800 pro or 825 not sure it felt that bad to me. The new Taylormade cb tp  felt nice as well. Since you have a history with Titleist the cb may feel right at home for you. I settled on the 712 AP1 as it was time to finally check my ego once and for all and get back to enjoying the game and gain some consistency. Good luck in the hunt.

[revkev]

I'm a late comer to this thread but wanted to echo the shaft theme. I would suspect that you could reshaft those irons and be content. Figure out the shaft and then get heads that fit your eyes. I learned the hard way that project x shafts look cool but don't work for me. That set has found a very happy home elsewhere.

 

I ended up with Rickles irons. I'm older and when playing we'll have a very smooth transition. That steel fiber launches high and I like the lighter weight. I love the shafts but am not a big fan of the bulky heads in the short irons. Good luck!