After the fittings, what to get?

[Nick G.]

I'm hoping for some thoughts on new irons. I've done big box indoor fittings, also Ping and Callaway at my home club and tried the Mizuno Shaft Optimizer indoors. My driver swing speed with Trackman is 100mph as clocked during the Ping and Callaway fittings, I'm 66 years old and my index is 3.2 but I was an 8 a year ago. Due to my age fitters tend to want to put me into regular shafts or graphite. I already tried a set of TM 790s with C Taper Lite regular shafts and did not like them at all. I was not happy with the QC from TM and I returned them prior to the 90 day return for credit store policy. I am 1 or 2 degrees upright. I have back issues so I am wondering if it may be time to make the switch to graphite for that reason.

The Shaft Optimizer results: C Taper Lite S, N.S. Pro Modus 105 X and SteelFiber 110 S and Project X LZ 5.5 115g was fourth (my old LZ 5.5s were 105g).

I hit Ping i210s before the Shaft Optimizer with their AWT 2.0 S shaft and felt pretty good about them.  I also hit the Apex 21 with the Steelfiber 110 S and liked the dispersion, not sure I liked the feel of the Apex 21. Indoors I also hit Mizuno Forged irons with Steelfiber 110 S and Project X 5.5 115g. Results of both were very good, but I tend to hit the ball very differently off grass versus a mat with Foresight. I really liked the Mizunos but have not hit them on grass. FInally, indoors I hit Mizunos with N.S. Pro Modus 105 S (not X) and the results were good with this shaft also. 

I am leaning toward the i210s because the i500s are no longer available. The Ping fitter did not really want me to get the power specs on the i210 but didn't say why (change in the bounce perhaps?). I am bit concerned about the standard lofts as they are a bit weaker than my old Callaway Rogue Pro irons (already gone), and wondering how people feel about decreasing the lofts. Also, I have two Ping Glide wedges with he AWT wedge shaft. Is it okay to have different shafts in my irons than my wedges or should I be trying to match them? 

 

[pouetvl]

Decreasing the loft don't change much in the end gapping would generally be the same or similar but with a different club. The gapping might start to be a problem in between your last club of the set to your first wedge. If you go retro loft spec, that would be around 2 degree weaker than on standard, power spec is 0.5 degree stronger.

General set are from 4-5 to underwedge in ping. Underwedge is 50, retro loft is 52, power loft is 49.5. I personally have a little gapping problem at the moment between my U and my 56, I game ping G425 which is 49.5 as standard. My first wedge is a 56, gonna remove one hybrid to try back my 52 see how it goes. My current shaft are elevate 95 stiff, I hit my underwedge at around 115 yards and my 56 is around 94, gives me a 20 yards gap and I'm not good enough player to be able to control my underwedge to hit it around 100 easily... 

As for the wedge shaft, you shouldn't see that much of a difference compared to the shaft you have mentioned. I have a friend that game AWT 2.0 stiff compared to his CBX2 wedge and he said that was not that big of a difference, as for me, Elevate vs my cbx2 wedge, I see a big difference in swing.

 

[RickyBobby_PR]

8 hours ago, Nick G. said:

I have back issues so I am wondering if it may be time to make the switch to graphite for that reason.

 

Going graphite is going to help with body pain and will for many people improve dispersion of shots over steel. There’s various graphite shafts to look at. Steelfibers which you’ve hit are probably the most stiff feeling on the market. The recoil for some have been the softest and then you have TGI from KBS, MMT from Mitsubishi and a couple others out there 

8 hours ago, Nick G. said:

I am leaning toward the i210s because the i500s are no longer available. The Ping fitter did not really want me to get the power specs on the i210 but didn't say why (change in the bounce perhaps?). I am bit concerned about the standard lofts as they are a bit weaker than my old Callaway Rogue Pro irons (already gone), and wondering how people feel about decreasing the lofts. Also, I have two Ping Glide wedges with he AWT wedge shaft. Is it okay to have different shafts in my irons than my wedges or should I be trying to match them? 

Like the i500 the i210s are or will be discontinued here shortly. From what I’ve seen they are only available with stock shafts from every retailer. Plus the order time on them is around 12 weeks which means the new releases from Ping will have been announced already based on the rumored dates I’ve seen. So maybe wait to see what comes out in the late summer

As for having different shafts in wedges than irons if it works there’s nothing wrong with it. The general thought  is to match the irons and go heavier. 
 

What might be beneficial is finding a brand agnostic fitter that has an outdoor facility so you can hit off grass and get fit to a shaft that works for your swing. Also the chances of that fitter not looking at purely swing speed to fit shafts goes up imo

When you change lofts it affects bounce on the club in a 1:1 ratio. It also affects offset