Getting new irons this Saturday

[StrokerAce]

pretty good article on golfwrx this morning talking about irons... puts a lot of things in perspective and what is MOST important...

 

http://www.golfwrx.com/460144/why-your-clubs-are-most-likely-completely-wrong-for-you/

[Zylem]

pretty good article on golfwrx this morning talking about irons... puts a lot of things in perspective and what is MOST important...

 

http://www.golfwrx.com/460144/why-your-clubs-are-most-likely-completely-wrong-for-you/

Awesome article. This is the kind of attitude I hope to have going in there tomorrow. I am a little bias toward a skinnier top line because that's all I've played. But these manufacturers are not paying me anything so I want to be as open as I can. If SGI irons fit best than that's what's going in the bag. I take pride in my score, I could care less what I used to get there.

 

Me hopes are that I can limit my choices down to three sets or so than try and see which of those threes best fit me. Now you throw in different shafts and lengths and lies and you began to see that I may be there awhile. Which is why I cancelled my game today. I want to go in as fresh as possible, get warmed up and get down to business.

 

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[Kor.A.Door]

I know it late to the list, but have you thought about a possible combo set, especially with the 745, 545. You some forgiveness with the 745 in the long irons, but you get the feel of a players iron in the 545 for the scoring clubs, and they both look amazing.

[flynn_rozza]

Bummer about your irons. Try the Srixon z765

 

 

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[dadivots]

Awesome article. This is the kind of attitude I hope to have going in there tomorrow. I am a little bias toward a skinnier top line because that's all I've played. But these manufacturers are not paying me anything so I want to be as open as I can. If SGI irons fit best than that's what's going in the bag. I take pride in my score, I could care less what I used to get there.

 

Me hopes are that I can limit my choices down to three sets or so than try and see which of those threes best fit me. Now you throw in different shafts and lengths and lies and you began to see that I may be there awhile. Which is why I cancelled my game today. I want to go in as fresh as possible, get warmed up and get down to business.

 

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Very good article. The idea of the Z combo set sounds like a good one.

I gotta give it to you on your approach to your next set. From eye appeal on many of us dont make the best decision for ourselves. No doubt we could do better and reap the benefits.

Well done!

[Zylem]

At the fitters. Y'all can expect a full write up tonigjt

 

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[revkev]

I'm anxious to hear about your experience. I'm getting a wandering eye and have a closet full of stuff to trade in. It's time.

 

 

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[Zylem]

We are taking a break from lunch. Just wanted to give everyone an update.

 

We started with all the body measurements to get an idea for what length and lie to start with. It was a little reassuring that I am still fitting to standard length and 2 degrees upright.

 

While I was being measured we went over what I was wanting out of my irons. I told him I want a tighter shot pattern. Basically I want to hit more greens. If I get a little more distance that awesome too.

 

Next I warmed up with my 8 iron. (Since my 7 is broke I had brought my 6 and 8) after that the fun began.

 

I hit five shots with the following clubs.

Callaway Steelhead

Srixon 765

Ping i200

Mizuno JPX forged

Srixon 565

Mizuno JPX tour

Mizuno hot metal

Ping G400

Cobra F7

 

So i swung a bunch of clubs here and my first impression is wow irons have gotten so much easier to hit. This has been truly an eye opening experience and not just for the advancement in golf tech but it is showing a lot about my game.

 

The fitter brought up all my numbers and we have narrowed it down to four irons

 

Mizuno JPX forged

Callaway Steelhead

Srixon z765

Srixon z565

 

After lunch we are going to start hitting those with different shafts so I hope to have another quick update for you all and tonight I'll have more details why these irons made the short list over the others. Plus the final set that's going in my bag.

 

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[STUDque]

I'm dying to know which one won.

 

 

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[Zylem]

I'm dying to know which one won.

 

 

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Proofing the final review now. 

[Zylem]

 Well it's the time you all have been waiting for. Or well the time I like to believe you all have been waiting for. After a long process and a tough final decision I have found a replacement set to my beloved Titlest 710 AP2s. But before we get there I would like to go through all of the irons I tested today and give some of their strengths and the reason why I did not select them. But first I would like to give some details about myself in case someone out there with a similar build/swing is interested in getting a new set of irons but does not know where to start. (like me)

 

I am 32 years old, from central Florida, and have been playing golf since I could walk. I am 6 foot 4, 260 pounds and have a slightly vertical golf swing with a slightly early release. My natural shot is a “baby” fade, and at this point in my life I am fine with that. My strengths are ball striking(irons) and chipping/up and down game from 20ish yards in. My weaknesses are approach shots from 90-110 yards out and 30+ foot putts. Its a funny mental thing on the putting if I am inside 25 feet a 2 putt is almost automatic, at 30+ feet a 3 put is automatic.

 

Enough about me though lets get on to the real reason you all are reading this, the clubs and the experience. As I posted from my phone during our “lunch break” I tested nine different irons today. Five shots each, I was allowed to hit a sixth shot if I felt like any of the first five was a miss. After I went through all nine, we broke down the numbers and eliminated all but four. Below are the five that didn't make it and some details about each.

 

Ping i200 – One thing I have always loved about Ping, is they stamp the iron number on the face. It is such a simple thing but I am sure we all have one time or another grabbed the wrong club and either blasted one over the green are short...nope? Just me? Oh...well I hope I haven't lost any creditability with that little admission. While I like the feel of a pure struck shot on these irons the fitter was not impressed with the side spin, and height when compared to the other irons. It had a too much side spin and was too high. So long story short it was a good club for me but not the best.
 

Mizuno JPX tour – Wow, what a club. This iron seemed to remind me of my old MP33s but at the same time a miss hit did not break my wrist or shake a tooth out of my head. This is a players irons make no mistake. I would say a 4 or lower handicapper owes it to himself to swing these irons at least once. The small head at address is just egging you on, asking if you are feeling lucky. And when you hit this on the screws it flies effortlessly threw the air. With all these good thing I am saying you are probably wondering why these didn't make the cut. Well I was in there looking for more forgiveness. These offer very little and a miss hits saps a lot of yardage off the ball. This was the first set I have to use the 6^th shot mulligan on to get 5 average shots.
 

Mizuno hot metal – KER-POW that is the first thing I wrote down after hitting five shots with these irons. These are some amazing irons. I mean these clubs just slide through the ball like a hot knife through butter. My only con I had with these is really that they felt too good. I used my sixth shot mulligan her to hit one off the toe and another off the heel. Both felt as good as a solid center strike. I could not tell the difference between a good shot and bad shot and personally that would drive me nuts on the course. For someone that is looking for a lot of help with their irons or just starting to take the game seriously I would trying recommend these irons hands down. They had a slightly thicker top line at address but it was not really that distracting.

 

Ping G400 – Oh boy, the newest irons on the market and the real reason you all are here. I mean, I know its not my charming personality. For anyone struggling to hit their irons these are your secret weapon. For people that lack confidence hitting a 5 iron, these are you secret weapon. I hit about 20 shots with these, I told the fitter that he would have a whole forum full of angry members if he didn't let me run them through their paces. Notice in the paragraph above when I said I would recommend the hot metals to any high handicapper or golfer that is having trouble with their iron, well these are what I would recommend they to buy. These clubs go high and straight. My normal shot is a small fade, nope not with these, it's just dead straight. They have a very explosive sound to them to they encourages you to hit another shot, like a mentor sitting on the range with you saying “at a boy” after every swing. I really can't find much bad to say about them. I mean yeah they have a slightly thicker top line than the other clubs, and their head is larger than some others but after a few swings it didn't bother me. And to a higher handicapper the head at address could be very comforting. The main concern I had with these was distance control. I am kind of glad I took those extra shots because for a few of them I gripped down and tried to shave off 5, 10 ,15 yards and just could not get that good of results. These clubs are built to get the ball up and get it out there.

 

Cobra F7 – I am going to lose some fans with this review. I did not like these clubs. Maybe it was that they were the last ones I hit. Maybe I was getting distracted trying to remember all the other shots I hit and compare them to all the other shots, even though my fitter said not to worry about that. To me they felt muted, and produced an “average” feeling that got kind of lost in the mix with the other irons. I really wish I had a better review for these but I was trying to write stuff down about them and nothing really stuck out like the other clubs. They looked nice at address and felt good to swing, but nothing exciting like the others.

 

Whew, that was quite the story, but wait there is more. After our lunch break we sat down to discuss shafts. I was playing Project X 6.0s in my AP2s. All of the testing so far was done with True Temper Dynamic Gold S300. I really don't understand the process he was trying to explain to me but he choose three shafts based on my numbers from all the testing above and we started hitting shots with each of those irons in each of the three shafts. I really don't understand shaft technology so I can't give a good over view of what went on. I was just relaying the feel and he was watching the numbers. Below are the shafts I'll try and give a little summary but please note this is all based on feel and is highly subjective.

 

KBS C-Taper 120S – This shaft felt like nothing I had hit before. I felt like I had to up my tempo a little just to keep a feel for where the club head went.

 

Project X LZ 6.0 – Good swing feeling. I never felt like I lost track of the club head. Great impact feeling

 

Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120S – Similar to the KBS in feeling to me, I like the feeling at impact.

 

Sorry I could not provide much more than that, my fitter was like a wizard at the computer though constantly nodding and muttering things to himself as he read through the numbers. I really wanted this fitting to be as objective as possible but he said the last few parts always end up being subjective. I guess that makes sense, I am the one that his the shot in the end after all. I will try and give a similar write for the final four.

 

Srixon Z565 – I am really glad I tried these. For Irons we have three standard classifications; players, game improvement and super game improvement. The Z565 created a fourth, somewhere between players and GI irons. These clubs were a pleasant surprise and it was all me that made the fitter include them in the final grouping. I selfishly just wanted to hit them more. They made golf so easy to me. The fitter said I was a better striker and if I really like these clubs then I should build a combo set with the Z765s. He really was adamant about me not purchasing a full set of these and I could see why when we put the numbers up against the other final irons. I will say though, any mid-handicapper should try these clubs. They are beautiful at address. And the ball seems to just pop off the club face.

 

 

Srixon Z765 – When I mentioned I wanted to try Srixon Z565s, the fitter added these to the testing pool after seeing me hit a few of the other irons. Boy, I am glad he did. When I first started this journey of trying to find the best balance between playability and forgiveness had I just grabbed these off the rack and went off to the course I would have been as happy as a pig in s***. These offer a bit more control without sacrificing much of the forgiveness offered by the Z565s. And it is great to see a company like Srixon come out of no where and be able to compete with companies that have been making iron for years. The last time I was fitted for irons, you went with Ping, Mizuno, Titleist or Callaway. Those were to only serious companies that offered any type of fitting. Sorry to get off on a tangent there but I am really impressed with Srixon and would recommend anyone thinking about buying new irons to try Srixon. They could be the perfect club for you. While these clubs put up great numbers they were not great enough the beat the last two.

 

 

Callaway Steelhead – Man oh man. These things were crazy hot. Easily out pacing all the others, some by five or six yards. After my first hit with this club I looked at the fitter and told him the “game has changed” This was a tough choice, the numbers between the Steelhead irons and the JPX Forged were so close. Crazy close. My fitter was laughing because like he said it would, this fitting had now become subjective. At this point we had settled on the Project X LZ 6.0 as the shaft and I was going back and forth hitting three balls with the Steelhead and three with the JPX Forged. I must of hit 30 more shots and each time a different one felt better. I could not make the a call. By now my fitter was laughing at me. I was begging him for some number that would show me the way to the correct choice. He asked to change one thing. Somewhere in those 30 shots he saw something in the numbers or saw something in my swing or maybe he just wanted to add another variable for a poor golfer who was pulling his hair out trying to make up his mind. I don't know Some men just want to watch the world burn. He swapped the shaft on me again, this going to a Project X LX 5.5.

 

 

Mizuno JPX forged – My first swing, 187 carry, with a 7 iron. Second swing, 188, third was slightly off center 180. I had no problem putting 5 great shots up with these irons. I knew with the first swing these were going to the final round. I don't know what the Japanese are adding to their steel but please don't let them stop. After the fitter changed me to the 5.5 shaft these clubs really came alive. Great feel and at the same time amazing feedback. In the end it came down to these and the Steelheads. Based on the number either set would fit perfect in my hands. The forged and Steelheads pretty much matched on every number except side spin, Mizuno won with and average of 50 less rpm across approximately 20 shots each. But that is not why I picked the forged. I selected them for the exact reason I did not want to select a club. I liked them the best. When that fitter put the Project X 5.5 LZ shaft in these irons it was like a light went on and I could not hit a bad shot.

 

In conclusion, I went into this fitting fully expecting a person I didn't know and a computer to show me the best iron for my game and I came out with irons I chose and I couldn't be happier. I had quite a few recommendations for different handicappers through out this post and that is only because I could not think of a better way to break golfers up into different groups. I think I had so much success with this fitting because I tried many different irons built for different golfers (GI, SGI, Players). Please let me know if you have any questions or would like me to go deeper about a certain set. I took a bunch of notes but these post was getting way too long.

[null]

So Mizuno Forged with Project X LZs? So awesome.

 

LZs are such a great shaft

 

It's great going through and fitting and finding multiple clubs that fit so you can choose the one that fits your eye the best

[Zylem]

So Mizuno Forged with Project X LZs? So awesome.

 

LZs are such a great shaft

 

It's great going through and fitting and finding multiple clubs that fit so you can choose the one that fits your eye the best

 

Yeah it was a blast just seeing all the new tech that is out and how easy it is to narrow a huge selection down to just a few sets. I had a lot of fun doing this and hope it helps some one down the road.

 

I'll get some pictures up of my bag soon I just need to figure out how to gap the bottom of my bag now. The Gap wedge that came with the forge set is 48 degrees PW is 44, and I will not take out my 56, that's the work horse of the short game lol. So maybe I go four wedges and add a 52?

 

pw  44

gw  48

gw  52???

sw  56

[Canucklehead]

Awesome write up Zylem! Need to find a half decent place near me to get fitted myself

 

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[Mr_Theoo]

Sounds like a fun time. I need to get a shaft fitting for my hogans. These kbs tour Vs just don't get along with me

[Zylem]

Sounds like a fun time. I need to get a shaft fitting for my hogans. These kbs tour Vs just don't get along with me

 

I wish I could help you there. I really don't know understand the tech in shafts outside of tempo/swing speed equate flex. 

 

In fact a quick message to the mods, if you see me enter a demo/ review for shafts than this account has been hacked or I've had too much on the 19th hole. 

[Mr_Theoo]

I wish I could help you there. I really don't know understand the tech in shafts outside of tempo/swing speed equate flex.

 

In fact a quick message to the mods, if you see me enter a demo/ review for shafts than this account has been hacked or I've had too much on the 19th hole.

Yea I'm gonna try and get a fitting this winter. No point in changing them now

[yungkory]

Nice write up and welcome to the #mizunobros family. Interesting that he's a Mizuno fitter and didn't have you try the swing DNA thing.

 

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[MaxEntropy]

Thank you for the excellent write-up on the experience. I'm hoping to be going through a fitting this off-season and gives a nice idea of things to consider going in, especially as a high handicapper.

 

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[Zylem]

Thank you for the excellent write-up on the experience. I'm hoping to be going through a fitting this off-season and gives a nice idea of things to consider going in, especially as a high handicapper.

 

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My pleasure. One bit of advice for your first fitting. But truthful to yourself and be humble. And most importantly have a blast. If awesome to get to swing different clubs.

 

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[Zylem]

Nice write up and welcome to the #mizunobros family. Interesting that he's a Mizuno fitter and didn't have you try the swing DNA thing.

 

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Thanks for the welcome to the #mizunobros 😎 he did have me swing on the Mizuno shaft thing. It was part of the fitting I didn't understand. It some how uses fiber optics to narrow it down to the three shafts I listed. I didn't include it in my first post because it was proprietary to Mizuno fittings and I didn't want to confuse someone if they went to a shop that didn't fit Mizuno clubs.

 

It was an interesting piece of technology. It measures the tempo of my swing and was able to sum up those recommendations in like three swings.

 

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[Miboy62]

Great Wright up, glad you were able to hit a lot of different sticks.

Like to see your feedback after you a couple rounds in

[dang3rtown]

Nice! The JPX900 Forged with Project X5.5s are the exact combo I tried. Probably the best feeling iron I've ever hit, hands down. You are a lucky man!

[yungkory]

Thanks for the welcome to the #mizunobros he did have me swing on the Mizuno shaft thing. It was part of the fitting I didn't understand. It some how uses fiber optics to narrow it down to the three shafts I listed. I didn't include it in my first post because it was proprietary to Mizuno fittings and I didn't want to confuse someone if they went to a shop that didn't fit Mizuno clubs.

 

It was an interesting piece of technology. It measures the tempo of my swing and was able to sum up those recommendations in like three swings.

 

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Ah, I was just wondering. The Mizuno fitting process is pretty slick. The shaft optimizer isn't the be-all-end-all, but I think of all of us that had our fitting for the JPX 900 test, we all went with one of the recommended, if not the top recommended? I know in my case, the first on the list was the best one out of about 6 shafts I tried.

[tommc23]

Very nice write up on your fitting process and thought process on what you bought. Good luck with the new sticks.

 

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[Golfspy_CG2]

As YungKory said. Welcome to the JPX family. I guess we're supposed to start using the #mizunobros hashtag. Ha

 

Great write up thanks for taking the time after a long day to do thst. I know Fittings are both fun and exhausting.

 

Can't wait to see pics of the new sticks.

[Kanoito]

Thanks for the update! I enjoyed every single word of it! Are the LZ the new replacement for the normal PX shafts?

 

Enjoy the new toys!!!

[Zylem]

Thanks for the update! I enjoyed every single word of it! Are the LZ the new replacement for the normal PX shafts?

 

Enjoy the new toys!!!

Thank You.

 

No, they are a new model to the Project X line. The weight in the LZ shafts is more in the butt and tip of the shaft.

 

The normal Project X shafts have their weight more evenly distributed through the shaft.

 

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[Zylem]

As YungKory said. Welcome to the JPX family. I guess we're supposed to start using the #mizunobros hashtag. Ha

 

Great write up thanks for taking the time after a long day to do thst. I know Fittings are both fun and exhausting.

 

Can't wait to see pics of the new sticks.

Thank you, I really enjoyed putting all this together. I may try another project like this again. I've got a few different ideas but I need to let the discretionary funds build back a little.

 

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[ole gray]

Great review and very entertaining read!  Sounds like you are set for the remainder of the year and get ya self a PB.