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Question for all you "seasoned" golfers


braincramp

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I'm finding myself kind of torn on what to do this upcoming season. I having a hard time dealing with distance loss in my irons but I don't want to give up the feel and look of a smaller footprint iron like my V6's. I know most everything is dependent on lofts but I was wondering how many of you have sacrificed a little feel and looks and went to a distance iron? And did you regret it or has it been a huge improvement? I'm 68 and although I'm distance challenged I have a repeatable enough swing that I can play about anything up to a 6 iron. I played Wilson Staff blades last year and hovered between a 3 and 5 handicap (9 hole) all season. I know it's easy to say just hit a extra club, but for me the shorter the iron I have in my hand the better off I am.

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i feel like you can get back the distance without sacrificing the look you love

T100S comes to mind. compact players profile, strong loft and hot faces. 

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I really enjoy my players distance irons (790s) pretty much all the brands are doing it. Might be that happy medium for you. Don’t have to give up the full look of a blade and still get that added pop you’re looking for.

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22 minutes ago, Chip Strokes said:

i feel like you can get back the distance without sacrificing the look you love

T100S comes to mind. compact players profile, strong loft and hot faces. 

I have been considering them. 

Ping G430 Driver, 19° Hybrid, Ping Anser 23° Hybrid, Mizuno 923 Hot Metal 6-GW, Ping 54°&58° Glides, Scotty Cameron 5.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I went from 714 AP2 to the Cobra Forged Tec for #CCC4 and there’s no looking back for me.

They’re super consistent for me and the gapping is just about 15 yards through the bag.

I never played a super compact head, but I would give them a shot and try some out on a simulator if you can.

The category has grown significantly so I’d imagine there are some smaller profiles now too.

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There are quite a few of the GI and even more PD category irons that find a good compromise between head size and added distance/forgiveness.  I would suggest investing in a quality fitting.  Good luck and keep us posted on what you find.

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16 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

There are quite a few of the GI and even more PD category irons that find a good compromise between head size and added distance/forgiveness.  I would suggest investing in a quality fitting.  Good luck and keep us posted on what you find.

I always do a fitting now a days. I'm not dishing out a grand for anything that doesn't fit me. It's good advice. 

Ping G430 Driver, 19° Hybrid, Ping Anser 23° Hybrid, Mizuno 923 Hot Metal 6-GW, Ping 54°&58° Glides, Scotty Cameron 5.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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As previously mentioned, I would highly recommend trying anything in that players distance category. When fit properly I would think something from there should give you exactly what you are looking for

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3 Wood: :taylormade-small: Stealth Plus+ (14.25*) - Fujikura Ventus Blue 7x Tipped 1"

Driving Iron: :taylormade-small: P790 UDI 2 iron - HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 100 6.5

4 Iron: :taylormade-small: P790 - KBS C-Taper 130 X

Irons (5-7) :taylormade-small: P7MC - KBS C-Taper 130 X

Irons (8-P) :taylormade-small: P7MB - KBS C-Taper 130 X

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I play Mizuno JPX Forged because I want feel more like the Tour with more forgiveness, I get more distance but that wasn’t my primary reason to choose Forged. I don’t want to play Hot Metals, Mizunos distance line, but it may come to that one day. We’ll all face a day when we have to maximize distance...sigh.

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I usually stick with a players type iron for the simple reason of distance control - not to maximise distance. Irons after all are usually for hitting specific yardages. So taking one more club to hit a specific yardage in specific conditions is natural to me.

I dabbled with the GI "distance" irons and sure enough they gave a healthy increase in distance, but the disparity between best and worst strikes was ludicrously wide. Occasionally, you even got the odd bizarrely long yardage for no apparent reason (case in point Ping i500 4-iron with "power spec" that went 240 yards on occasions.

You can't play with that. Instead, I prefer an iron with a consistent yardage disparity. In other words, if I want a 160 yard shot, I know I'm going to get it plus or minus a couple (maybe 10 on a bad day :D) yards. I can live with that.

What I can't live with is an iron that goes plus or minus 30+ yards. That's crazy. So club up I say - and enjoy the solid consistency of a blade or players iron. I'm 55 BTW.

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I haven't seen them in person yet so I could be wrong, but not sure you could do much better than the TM P770 for a compact players distance iron right now. I'm not even a TM guy, but those irons just seem to tick all the boxes for me. As mentioned above the T100S is a good option and Cobra Forged Tec looks good as well. Not sure how it really compares as an MP iron, but the MP20 HMB might be something to look at too. There's also the possibility of picking up some additional club speed with lighter shafts. Your signature doesn't indicate what you're playing and it's certainly not a given, but if you still have 100+ gram steel shafts at 68 it could be something to look at.

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I have played a few Players distance irons over the last year and seen quite a few more in person. If you want to maintain the small profile my vote would be the TM P770 (2020 not the earlier version) or the Titleist T100s. To me these were the 2 that stood out for a shorter heel to toe look with thinnish soles, reduced offset, and stronger lofts.  
 

Im currently rocking a 3-10 set of Honma TW-X Irons and love them. They have wider soles than the ones mentioned above otherwise they would get my vote for sure. 

 

 

 

What is in my Sun Mountain C-130 bag or Jones MyGolfSpy bag

Driver:    :cobra-small: Dark speed LS 8* set to -1.5* with an Attas Daaas 4x shaft @ 45”

Fairway: :srixon-small: F85 3 wood with a XPhplexx Agera X @ 42.5”

 :srixon-small: F85 5 wood with a UST Elements Chrome 7F5 @ 41.5"

Driving Iron: :ping-small: Rapture 2-Iron 

Irons: :edel-golf-1: SMS Pros 4-PW with Steelfiber I95s 

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50* T grind with Steelfiber i110s

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I have played a few Players distance irons over the last year and seen quite a few more in person. If you want to maintain the small profile my vote would be the TM P770 (2020 not the earlier version) or the Titleist T100s. To me these were the 2 that stood out for a shorter heel to toe look with thinnish soles, reduced offset, and stronger lofts.  
 
Im currently rocking a 3-10 set of Honma TW-X Irons and love them. They have wider soles than the ones mentioned above otherwise they would get my vote for sure. 

The black finish T100s look even smaller at address. I saw them at the shop and they looked as slim as anything I’ve seen.

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15 minutes ago, B.Boston said:


The black finish T100s look even smaller at address. I saw them at the shop and they looked as slim as anything I’ve seen.

I haven’t seen those in person but they look incredible in pictures!

 

 

 

What is in my Sun Mountain C-130 bag or Jones MyGolfSpy bag

Driver:    :cobra-small: Dark speed LS 8* set to -1.5* with an Attas Daaas 4x shaft @ 45”

Fairway: :srixon-small: F85 3 wood with a XPhplexx Agera X @ 42.5”

 :srixon-small: F85 5 wood with a UST Elements Chrome 7F5 @ 41.5"

Driving Iron: :ping-small: Rapture 2-Iron 

Irons: :edel-golf-1: SMS Pros 4-PW with Steelfiber I95s 

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50* T grind with Steelfiber i110s

               :ping-small: Glide 4.0 46* zz wedge shaft

               :ping-small: Glide 4.0 E grind 54* zz wedge shaft

Putters: :L.A.B.: Mezz.1 34” 69* lie

              :EVNROLL: EV5.1 black 33.5” 69* lie

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1 hour ago, jaskanski said:

I usually stick with a players type iron for the simple reason of distance control - not to maximise distance. Irons after all are usually for hitting specific yardages. So taking one more club to hit a specific yardage in specific conditions is natural to me.

I dabbled with the GI "distance" irons and sure enough they gave a healthy increase in distance, but the disparity between best and worst strikes was ludicrously wide. Occasionally, you even got the odd bizarrely long yardage for no apparent reason (case in point Ping i500 4-iron with "power spec" that went 240 yards on occasions.

You can't play with that. Instead, I prefer an iron with a consistent yardage disparity. In other words, if I want a 160 yard shot, I know I'm going to get it plus or minus a couple (maybe 10 on a bad day :D) yards. I can live with that.

What I can't live with is an iron that goes plus or minus 30+ yards. That's crazy. So club up I say - and enjoy the solid consistency of a blade or players iron. I'm 55 BTW.

I've never seen a iron with a 30 yard variance. I played the G410's in 2019 and they seemed very consistent for a thin face but the feel wasn't great and I don't get along with wide soles.

Ping G430 Driver, 19° Hybrid, Ping Anser 23° Hybrid, Mizuno 923 Hot Metal 6-GW, Ping 54°&58° Glides, Scotty Cameron 5.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Before shelling out a lot of cash for something that you might not be happy with, try the Sub- 70 demo program. I play the 699 Pro series which is a players distance iron. They have made a positive difference in my game. I am also in my 60's.  At least this would let you know if this category of clubs works for you even if you prefer another brand. 

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10 minutes ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

Before shelling out a lot of cash for something that you might not be happy with, try the Sub- 70 demo program. I play the 699 Pro series which is a players distance iron. They have made a positive difference in my game. I am also in my 60's.  At least this would let you know if this category of clubs works for you even if you prefer another brand. 

Yeah, I would but I'm a lefty. It would be convenient since I live about an hour away from their place.

Ping G430 Driver, 19° Hybrid, Ping Anser 23° Hybrid, Mizuno 923 Hot Metal 6-GW, Ping 54°&58° Glides, Scotty Cameron 5.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Wilson D7 Forged, T200s, Mizuno JPX91, Srixon Z585 (or new ZX5)... the list goes on.  A fitting at one of the "toy stores" is your only way out of this nightmare 😆.

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:ping-small: G400 SFT, 16 Degree 3w

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 19 Degree 5w

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:ping-small: Glide 2.0 56 Degree SW   (removed from double secret probation 😍)

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I'm not really looking for iron recommendations.I have a good idea what's out there. What I'd like to hear about is people who made the change and how they got along. Not that I don't appreciate the input though. 

Ping G430 Driver, 19° Hybrid, Ping Anser 23° Hybrid, Mizuno 923 Hot Metal 6-GW, Ping 54°&58° Glides, Scotty Cameron 5.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I'm not sure if I'm qualified to be of assistance.  I played Macgregor VIP 1025M irons in the mid 1990's, but they were probably not the best irons for me and my 20 hcp.  I liked them, but the steel shafts were heavy and too stiff.  I then went to Ping i20 graphites, and a few years ago I went to SGI Bridgestone JGR hybrid forged irons with Nippon Zelos 8 steel shafts.  The wide sole is not a problem for me.  At my age (73) I think the biggest difference in irons is the shaft.  

I would not be looking so much for iron types, but what shaft fits your swing the best.  If you are happy with the V6 and they do not need to be replaced, I would consider a fitting to see if you have the optimal shaft.  There are some great shafts out there, both graphite and lightweight steel, that might give you back the distance you lost.  I've lost a lot of distance over the last 10 years and probably will lose more in the next few years.  You might also check out SuperSpeed Golf.  Forum members have tested this program out with surprising results.  Do a search and read through their reviews.

We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.”

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My set now (Titleist 718 AP3) was my 1st set that I was fitted for: before that I had a set of GI clubs from pinemeadow that I bought off Amazon. I didn’t switch until I had broken 80, but it was immediately apparent that I needed to keep improving. I loved that they look like more of a players iron, but it took 1/2 a season before I could consistently strike the 4-6 irons in my new set. To me I think all “players distance” irons are prone to an Uber-hot rocket off the face from time to time: I’m not sure whether that’s on me for never hitting the dead center sweet spot or the club for having too thin a face in spots. But the 210 plus yard 7 iron happens a bit too much for my liking. This will be the last season for the AP3’s: I’ll be looking at the following blended sets for 2022:

Titleist 620 CB/T100
Mizuno MP20/921 tour
Ping blueprint/i210
TM P7MC/P770


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Driver - Cobra LtDxLS

3 Wood - Ping g410 LST

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I'm not a talented enough golfer to contribute to this thread maybe as intended, but thought I would give my input.

I also prefer to play 9 holes at a time and typically shoot around a 46 so I'm about 6 shots worse than you.  I've had a golf club acquisition problem over the years and have put into play over the past few years:

G15 - I have had them for years, but despite the size do not strike them consistently well.   I think it is because of the wide soles and my picker "brush the grass" type of impact position.  I still have these.  I keep thinking after bad stretches that these may be the answer to my problem, but they never are.

718 AP1 - I was fit for these, but they did not work on the course at all.  I'm not sure why.  I suffered with inconsistent golf and eventually flipped them end of 2019.

716 AP2 - I liked these.  They look/feel good.  There was a distance penalty, but loft-for-loft I think these did ok.  I flipped them end of 2019, maybe I should have kept them.  The 4i/5i were inconsistent though and needed hybrid replacement.  I think this line of iron is a good compromise.

MP4 - These are the prettiest of the bunch and have great feel.  Mine are shafted with XP 105 R300 so the shaft is reasonable for my skill also.  I think my inconsistency is a little bit worse than with the AP2s, but the good shots made me feel like I was playing real golf.  I still have these.

TE Forged - I bought these early 2020 with a lower flight shaft (DG R300) due to reports of the launch being very high.  They feel good and are reasonably sized.  I'm only ok with these down to a 6 iron also.  Maltby MPF rates these very highly, measurements show MOI is quite a bit less than AP2 but the COG is farther from the hosel.''  I still have these.  The shaft may be a bit much and I think I benefit by going lighter.

0211 - I bought these used off PXG Express after the season for what I thought was a great deal and plan to play them this year.  They are a little bit bigger than the TE Forged, but are hollow/filled and I'm getting a little bit better distance loft-for-loft on my Mevo.  The feel is still quite good.  I haven't gotten them on the course yet.

What's the take away from all of this?  Scores differ very little.  Smaller irons have more "disaster" potential at my skill level and if my swing is God awful on a particular day I may really struggle.  It is possible the really good rounds are helped with a more precise iron. I seem to do much worse with a very wide sole, but ideally a little bit of help still.

Personally, I think irons do not make that big of a difference. 

Dave

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I wish I could scream this from the roof of the building...

Quick background...I am a former competitive golfer who played 962b and 670mb irons for a majority of my playing time.  

Two years ago I began exploring they WHY of what is in my bag.  Let me say this as concise as possible...I cannot believe I didn't switch to an easier to hit set of clubs earlier.  As a new dad, my playing time has dropped from what I wish I could play which means practice and regular rounds are not as frequent.  These easier to hit irons make the game SO MUCH MORE FUN. 

The technology in golf has given better players a better sample of equipment that still resembles heads they prefer to play while offering the forgiveness and playability they want and need.

You aren't sacrificing anything but ego if you continue to hold your ground.

 

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https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/60456-titleist-t-series-irons-2023-forum-review/

 

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On 1/9/2021 at 2:40 PM, Middler said:

I play Mizuno JPX Forged because I want feel more like the Tour with more forgiveness, I get more distance but that wasn’t my primary reason to choose Forged. I don’t want to play Hot Metals, Mizunos distance line, but it may come to that one day. We’ll all face a day when we have to maximize distance...sign.

I don’t know if theirs a huge difference between the pro and the standard hot metals either. With the pros falling closer to the players distance. 

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On 1/9/2021 at 10:40 PM, braincramp said:

I'm not really looking for iron recommendations.I have a good idea what's out there. What I'd like to hear about is people who made the change and how they got along. Not that I don't appreciate the input though. 

For me, I've played both ends of the spectrum.  I've played the big game improvement irons of my career (Ping Eye 2, Ping Zings, Callaway X series, etc...) and I've played the players irons. (Ping I series clubs, Callaway X-Forged,  Lynx Paralax, Titliest DCI's / CBs, etc).  On either end of the spectrum I can honestly say that I've hit some tremendously good feeling irons.  Further, I would say that I've gotten great performance out of either of them.  

However, to your exact question... I would say being a single digit handicapper I'm far more focused at this point in my golf life to hit exact distances within a small tolerance give or take.  The extra distance type clubs don't work for me specifically because of they're variability in hitting that called for distance when it's all on the line for me to shoot even par.  That's not to say they don't work for someone else, cause frankly I play with quite a few guys whom play a GI type club and they shoot even or under quite frequently.  I would simply answer as you asked that for me and how I got on with my choices, the "Players Club" (For whatever that truly means to anyone really) tend to be my club of choice because I can remove a lot of variables from the equation. 

Now that's not to say you can't get a Players Distance type iron that many have mentioned previously and see the successes you may be seeking, but it is to say that first and foremost you would need to understand your specific goals and or needs in the set.  If you're like me, you don't care so much about distance but more about feel and ability to play the shot your mind's eye is playing. 

I have never looked back since I've made that switch frankly.  All new irons, far more than I care to admit honestly, that I look at and potentially purchase to be put in my bag have to fit a set of criteria that has become my "norm."  

Hope that helps.  Have fun trying all your choices and always play your best! 

Cheers!

BNewt51

Golf Addict.... Father of 4.  Pennsylvania Golfer 

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond - Ventus Red X :callaway-small:

3 Wood:  TS2 14* :titleist-small:

Hybrid:  Titleist TSI 2 18*  (Only used on Soft Rainy days)  image.png.94e8f04243fe8584238d70d382b90525.png

Utility Irons:  4 iron (Steel Fiber FC 110 - Stiff)  image.png.edaa152b6173d27a9529d0f1d7fcc172.png

Irons:  Titleist T-150 4-PW Steel Fiber CW 110 - Stiff  :titleist-small:

Wedges:  Vokey 48-8 Vokey 54-10 Vokey 58-6 all SM9's  :titleist-small:

Putter:  Scotty Cameron Special Select 5 Flowback (custom shop copper finish) or Bettinardi QB8  :titleist-small:  :bettinardi-small:

Ball:  Pro-V1x :titleist-small:

Titleist Tour Carry Bag Black and White  :titleist-small:

Bushnell Range Finder (Patriot Pack)  

*King of taking (borrowing) all my club ***** friends clubs after they've discarded them after a couple months!

 

 

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Oooh Oooh - I’m a fit here - I’ve struggled for years to find an iron that I like as I’ve moved out of my 50’s into my mid 60’s.

I had 2 iterations of Wilson C’s but wasn’t satisfied there - tried Ping G’s, had reasonable results but couldn’t stomach the way they looked.

I’m currently gaming the D7 forged - it’s given me a similar distance boost, is much more controllable than the G things and looks pretty good.

I can play year round but am not in the competitive season - I’m anxious for April to roll around so that I am able to put them to test under pressure.

I hope that helps - our games sound similar.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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I will be the contrarian.  I am 64 and play to a 5.5 handicap and play Ping G700 irons with Recoil 65 graphite shafts.  I got distance back and no lose in accuracy.  Play what works for you.  I'm hitting greens and making putts.  No one is even looking in my bag to see what i play.  They just say, "Nice shot!"

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I will be the contrarian.  I am 64 and play to a 5.5 handicap and play Ping G700 irons with Recoil 65 graphite shafts.  I got distance back and no lose in accuracy.  Play what works for you.  I'm hitting greens and making putts.  No one is even looking in my bag to see what i play.  They just say, "Nice shot!"


I think that’s great, clearly the OP doesn’t want to go that route if he can avoid it, but your feedback is exactly the kind that he wants.

I made a similar move with the Wilson Cs and then the Ping G30’s. I did fine with the G30’s but really hated the way that the short irons looked. Certainly that was impacting my performance. You could see it in the ARCOSS data where I was more accurate with 7 and 8 iron than PW.

I fully agree that we need to play what works.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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I'm probably in the target demographic here, 65 years old, 3.6 index, haven't lost a lot of distance (yet).  As far back as I can remember, I've played with some type of slightly game-improvement players iron.  That started with forged cavity-back sets including McGregor JNP, Mizuno MP30.  Then to AP2 714, a forged multi-material iron, and now with the Titleist T200 (thanks to Titleist and MGS for selecting me as a reviewer).  The process of changing from one to the next was never difficult, they all play relatively the same.  The exception, the T200s are a club longer, but in order to keep my gaps consistent, I play 5-P plus a 48* W instead of 4-P.  I would probably be just fine with the T100, but I volunteered for the slightly increased game improvement features of the T200 as a bow to my increasing age.  I don't know that my experience is really applicable to the OP, my changes from one set to the next have been pretty small, so the transition has been easy.  I guess that's my advice, don't worry about making a small step towards more GI features, you'll probably make the adjustment without any problem.  I'm not ready to go to Super-GI, maybe I never will, but I do like the slightly higher ball flight that the T200s have brought me.

:titleist-small: Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff

:callaway-small:Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X

:mizuno-small: T22 54 and 58 wedges

:mizuno-small: 7-wood

:Sub70: 5-wood

 B60 G5i putter

Right handed

Reston, Virginia

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6 hours ago, revkev said:

 


I think that’s great, clearly the OP doesn’t want to go that route if he can avoid it, but your feedback is exactly the kind that he wants.

I made a similar move with the Wilson Cs and then the Ping G30’s. I did fine with the G30’s but really hated the way that the short irons looked. Certainly that was impacting my performance. You could see it in the ARCOSS data where I was more accurate with 7 and 8 iron than PW.

I fully agree that we need to play what works.


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

I've toyed with the idea of reshafting my Taylormade Tour Preferred irons with Recoil 65 shafts and getting the swing weight to D2 and see what they do.  I honestly think the distance gain is mostly moving from a steel shaft to a lightweight graphite shaft.  I also have a set of Hogan Apex Plus that I loved.   Reshafting them with graphite would be fun too.

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