What irons are you gaming for Feel & Forgiveness

[MFSOT]

I’m a mid/high handicapper, used to be a low handicapper, but a 18 year hiatus has obviously affected my game. I’m in the midst of trying to find a good iron, my problem is I can’t hit the GI irons as there is no feel, I can’t even tell if I hit the ball plus I expect I’ll play out of them fairly quickly. I love the feel and look of a players iron because that’s what I used to play (Titleist 704CB) I understand I need to be fitted (already have been, and have two more fittings scheduled - PXG and Club Champion) This is a post/thread less about me and more about what irons does the MGS community love for feel and forgiveness and some workability.

[Kanoito]

My vote would go to the Mizuno JPX line over and over again. Different forgiveness levels to match your game and the same old Mizuno feel.

[ballplayer002003]

I would second the Mizuno JPX line as well.  I had them, but got rid of them for my Callaway Apex 19 combo set, they are so nice and a much better feel than my Mizuno's, however, not as forgiving.  I would also look into Srixon's new ZX line, you can combo those as well.  The good news is that you can try them all during your fitting...that's the fun part!  Let us know what you choose.

[Shapotomous]

Another JPX fan here.  I settled on the JPX 900 Forged the winter of 2019 as replacements for my 25yo tour cavity forged.  Very good feel when flushed, definitely some forgiveness on my occasional toe miss, not too thick of a top line or too much offset.  Combined with the PX LZ shafts they are going to be in the bag for a loooong time.

[cnosil]

Callaway, mizuno, Taylormade, Honma, Titlist,  PXG, Cobra, Wilson,  Srixon, hogan, sub70......
 

all manufacturers make great irons and there is a model for you.  I truly believe I could find a set of irons from any manufacturer.  I hit most every model of club during most wanted testing and you can find something that you would like.  What is interesting is everyone has different opinions and their swings result in different sounds and feels.  During one session we were talking clubs and slower swinging player brought a club over for me to hit. Because he thought it was great.  I hit the ball well but the sound was terrible.  He agreed and said it didn’t sound like that when he hit the ball.  I think your miss pattern plays a big part too.  I generally shy away from Cobra because they don’t seem to perform well and have an impact sound I don’t like with a toe strike tendency.  
 

I agree with you that there is a huge difference between GI and Players type clubs.  That said, there are still great clubs in the GI category that provide what you are looking for.  

[PMookie]

I recently switched from Honma TR20 Tour V to the Tour P and they are showing to be more forgiving, which was my hope. Feel isn’t buttery soft, but it’s a strong feel coming off the face. They don’t hit the ball super long, but have a feel I love! They look great too!

I played the original Mizuno Hot Metal Pro irons for a bit and REALLY liked them. Forgiveness and feel were there for sure, the balls just went forever! Take a look at these. Fantastic clubs.

[sixcat]

Ping i210.  Compact head design, minimal offset, exceptional feel with plenty of forgiveness. 

[revkev]

I would say go Players Distance which is a growing category - 

I’m currently gaming the Wilson D7 forged that I tested for MGS.  Nice look, compact head, not much offset, forged feel but certainly enough forgiveness built in.  Oh and a better price point than most. 
 

as others have stated just about every OEM has this category covered so if you have one that you prefer, go for it. 
 

Good luck 

[M. Parsons]

I recently switched from Ping G (2016 model), to Srixon ZX5/ZX7 custom combo set (see signature below).  It was a tough decision with all of the iron options out there, but the look and feel, as well as a 30% discount, really pushed me towards the Srixon irons.  I considered Mizuno & Titleist the most, but also looked at Taylormade and Callaway.  There's a longer story with this switch, but I'm sure it's not that interesting for this thread.  

[Dprince@deveryprince.com]

I like the Callaway Apex combi-set - but you may be ready to go with the Apex Pro model irons. Plenty of forgiveness, height and distance.

[MFSOT]

4 minutes ago, M. Parsons said:

I recently switched from Ping G (2016 model), to Srixon ZX5/ZX7 custom combo set (see signature below).  It was a tough decision with all of the iron options out there, but the look and feel, as well as a 30% discount, really pushed me towards the Srixon irons.  I considered Mizuno & Titleist the most, but also looked at Taylormade and Callaway.  There's a longer story with this switch, but I'm sure it's not that interesting for this thread.  

30% discount?! That'd be hard to ignore if all else is fairly equal.

I'm a veteran, so PXG, Callaway, and Taylormade (ping to a lesser extent) have nice discounts. That said if I really like the feel of something, I'll pay the extra, as it's a longer term purchase, almost an investment, but the returns will be my paltry scores..

The Mizuno love falls in line with the readers choice article MGS put out recently. I honestly never gave them much of a thought but am very interested as I'm definitely more of a feel player. The Srixon's are interesting for similar reasons, I've never really liked ping clubs but those i210s don't look half bad, but my issue with ping has always been feel. At the end of the day it'll be what the LM says combined with how I like swinging the club/the feel. Good to see all the opinions here though, it helps give ideas of what to look at.

[M. Parsons]

1 minute ago, MFSOT said:

30% discount?! That'd be hard to ignore if all else is fairly equal.

I'm a veteran, so PXG, Callaway, and Taylormade (ping to a lesser extent) have nice discounts. That said if I really like the feel of something, I'll pay the extra, as it's a longer term purchase, almost an investment, but the returns will be my paltry scores..

The Mizuno love falls in line with the readers choice article MGS put out recently. I honestly never gave them much of a thought but am very interested as I'm definitely more of a feel player. The Srixon's are interesting for similar reasons, I've never really liked ping clubs but those i210s don't look half bad, but my issue with ping has always been feel. At the end of the day it'll be what the LM says combined with how I like swinging the club/the feel. Good to see all the opinions here though, it helps give ideas of what to look at.

I'm a veteran as well, as I'm sure you could already see below my profile pic...but I also joined the VGA (Veteran Golfers Association) https://www.vgagolf.org/ ...Srixon is one of their sponsors, and therefore offer a 30% discount to VGA members.  Srixon is apart of the Cleveland Golf family, along with XXIO, so I think you can get the 30% discount with those brands as well. 

[M. Parsons]

5 hours ago, MFSOT said:

I’m a mid/high handicapper, used to be a low handicapper, but a 18 year hiatus has obviously affected my game. I’m in the midst of trying to find a good iron, my problem is I can’t hit the GI irons as there is no feel, I can’t even tell if I hit the ball plus I expect I’ll play out of them fairly quickly. I love the feel and look of a players iron because that’s what I used to play (Titleist 704CB) I understand I need to be fitted (already have been, and have two more fittings scheduled - PXG and Club Champion) This is a post/thread less about me and more about what irons does the MGS community love for feel and forgiveness and some workability.

I forgot to say...welcome to the Forums.  Keep us posted on your improvement and which irons you decide to go with.

[RickyBobby_PR]

To me feel is a combo of the shaft and head and the feedback felt thru the hands at impact. Finding the right combo goes a long way. I look for a head that gives consistent distance on similar strikes. My good strikes I want to go basically the same distance everytime knowing that a small change in contact point will affect some distance and on my mishits I want to know that they will go in the same direction and lose the same amount of distance compared to my good strikes.

I also want a head that based on sound and feel I know where on the face contact was made.  
 
I have lots of clubs in the bag over the years from pretty much every one of the major brands. Outside of something like the g4xx series from ping, d series from Wilson and some of the gi stuff from cobra I have found most brands offer what I look for. I’ve steered away from the apex lineup after the cf16s because of the inconsistent distance.

My pxg gen3 0311 are a great mixture of what I look for and while slightly different sound compared to the Miura cb301 they have a good feedback and consistent distance

[IDontGiveAchuck]

21 minutes ago, M. Parsons said:

I'm a veteran as well, as I'm sure you could already see below my profile pic...but I also joined the VGA (Veteran Golfers Association) https://www.vgagolf.org/ ...Srixon is one of their sponsors, and therefore offer a 30% discount to VGA members.  Srixon is apart of the Cleveland Golf family, along with XXIO, so I think you can get the 30% discount with those brands as well. 

This is the first I'm hearing about this VGA.  I'm going to have to take a look.

[M. Parsons]

1 minute ago, IDontGiveAchuck said:

This is the first I'm hearing about this VGA.  I'm going to have to take a look.

If you have any questions, just private message me. 

[StrikurJim]

I am gaming the Miz MP-64’s for the last 6 years.  Forgiving/Workable and feel amazing.  If I was in the market now I would lean towards Miz JPX Combo set or possibly a Titleist blend.  All in all nothing feels better then forged.

[Cagolfer]

If you are planning on growing out of this set, I like my Callaway CF16s.  Plenty forgiving for me without being massive GI heads.  Good distance and great feel on flush shots since the face is forged. 

[Scott M]

There are quite a few good options and getting fit is the key. I have mainly used Taylormade and Mizuno irons, but tried some Srixon Z565s and they were very impressive (still bummed I sold them). I love new stuff so my most recent model of irons were the JPX 919 line (both Tour and Forged). However, during a fitting for those a couple years ago, the fitter had me try the Ping i200 irons. I wasn't a fan of the look but I was impressed with the dispersion and consistency...but I HAD to have Mizuno irons. Well...I am now a proud owner of i210 irons and while I'm not a fan of the look, these are the perfect blend. Forgiving, Consistent, Workable, and really good feel for a cast iron.  Currently shooting scores half of my handicap (HCP 11) with these. I've never considered PING, but almost my entire bag is now outfitted with PING and I'm not really interested in new stuff anymore

[Middler]

That makes six votes for Mizuno JPX Forged (or HM). The best compromise between feel and forgiveness I’ve found, and that’s exactly what I’m after. “Nothing feels like a Mizuno” may be ad copy, but a lot of players agree wholeheartedly. I do.

I am told the PXG irons have great feel and forgiveness, but I’ve never hit them.

No matter what you buy, at least try the Mizuno JPX Forged irons along with others of interest to you. If you choose something else, all good.

[Higgy34]

I’m also a mid handicapper. I would go into the fitting with an open mind because the Trackman doesn’t lie.  I played TM irons for a long time and went in for a fitting and came out with Ping G710s with Oban Reg+ shafts. When you first look at them they do look big I’ll admit but top line looking down wasn’t bad. Long story short Trackman didn’t lie and I tried all sorts of combinations and those had the best numbers.   Few of my buddies said I looked like I was swinging a shovel but as I continuously stripe their rear they have quieted down. 

[Middler]

2 minutes ago, Higgy34 said:

I’m also a mid handicapper. I would go into the fitting with an open mind because the Trackman doesn’t lie.  I played TM irons for a long time and went in for a fitting and came out with Ping G710s with Oban Reg+ shafts. When you first look at them they do look big I’ll admit but top line looking down wasn’t bad. Long story short Trackman didn’t lie and I tried all sorts of combinations and those had the best numbers.   Few of my buddies said I looked like I was swinging a shovel but as I continuously stripe their rear they have quieted down. 

No launch monitor tells you anything about feel, from the OP title…

[MFSOT]

55 minutes ago, Higgy34 said:

I’m also a mid handicapper. I would go into the fitting with an open mind because the Trackman doesn’t lie.  I played TM irons for a long time and went in for a fitting and came out with Ping G710s with Oban Reg+ shafts. When you first look at them they do look big I’ll admit but top line looking down wasn’t bad. Long story short Trackman didn’t lie and I tried all sorts of combinations and those had the best numbers.   Few of my buddies said I looked like I was swinging a shovel but as I continuously stripe their rear they have quieted down. 

I do plan on going in with an open mind, however, I hope that my Gen3 PXG 0311P or my T200s are what win out (with expected new shaft combos) If not you'll be seeing a couple of sets for sale on BST, as I'm going with what the LM and my feel tells me is best. As @Middler mentioned above, feel is very important to me, you can give me a club I hit straight every time and if I can't feel the ball off the face I don't want it.

Edited May 4, 2021 by MFSOT
Fixed BST

[Jay McGilicuddy]

I am 66 also and have the JPX 900 irons with the Recoil graphite shafts.

Love the feel of them.

[John W Sutch]

Been playing Ping G700s for past 2 years with Alta A shafts. Great clubs. The ball goes long, high and straight. Demoed JPX 900s prior to purchase and went with the Pings because of better dispersion. Distance was about the same for both models.

[Sluggo42]

Gotta throw the Hogan PtxPro combo set out there. 3 of my friends now sport the Hogans, and they all LOVE them

[JerBooth]

So Im a returning golfer.

Never really stopped playing but not playing as much as I was when I was younger.

This past year I replaced my Lynx Parallax Tour Irons with a set of Callaway Steelhead XR's

They feel really good and you can still shape a shot when needed. The offset isn't obnoxious by any stretch.

I in a way wish I had of waited a little bit. I've heard the Taylormade P770's are a nice Players Iron and can be combo'ed with the 790

[ebutler116]

Like you I can't play the GI irons. I grew up when blades were the only choice and my brain needs to see a thinner topline. The last 2 years I have been playing the honma tw737v set and I love them. The look suits my eye and nothing beats a good shot from a forged club.

[Teepeegolf22]

Honma XP-1, great feel and performance for this 72 year old.  They are still available at a readonable price.

Previously used JPX 850 and they were great, like other inputs, the Mizuno JPX line offers greet options.  

Even tried the Cobra superlights, before replacing the Mizunos, they were good but the Honma XP-1 won out.  Eventually had to go to regular flex from my 6.0 flighted shafts.  

Best of luck and enjoy the game and getting out to play.

[EEZurg]

Gamed Mizuno JPX Forged irons for years.  Switched to Sub70 699/699 Pro irons.....with recoil shafts.  Happier on every level.