Why should I get new irons?

[Peter-T]

Hi,

I just started playing again after almost 30 years.  I have a relatively new driver (TaylorMade r7 quad), but my irons are over 40 years old.  I regripped them but steel shafts and heads are original.

I know a lot has changed in 40  years but what am I going to gain.  As I haven't played much in the last 30 years, I am not that good.  Now that I am retired I plan to play more often.

What are the benefits of the new technology?

If I can't replace the whole set at once, where do I begin?  I don't have a fairway wood but have pretty much everything else.  I bought a used 4 hybrid earlier this year just to have one in the bag.  My putter is also 40 years old and I think I only paid $25 for it back in 1980.

Thanks.

[cnosil]

No reason to get new irons if you don't want to.  Yes, technology has changed but doesn't mean you will hit your clubs any better.    The general benefits of new technology is that the shafts bend profile may be better for your and that you may get more forgiveness on miss hits.    

You have made some other posts about playing better and your getting back into the game.  Talk to your instructor about clubs and what he recommends. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

Agree with the previous post where you don't have to get new ones of you don't want to. 

Another option could be to go to a local shop and bring your irons to hit side by side with some others. See some of the differences and maybe you'll have a answer if it is worth buying new to you irons. Another good thing to do is give s budget to whoever you're working with. This way you don't get any sticker shock. With all this being said there are lots of not too expensive good irons out there and any good shop or fitter should be able to find clubs you like that work within your budget. 

[Shapotomous]

Why should you get new irons?? 

Asking that here is like a lion cub asking the pride why should we eat gazelles.....Because you CAN!!!!    

Just kidding!  

What irons do you currently have?  My answer will be different if you have an old set of Ping Eye's versus a set of Sam Snead Blue Ridge Korvette's specials.  

Price doesn't equate to a quality club and what you can do with it.  Each of my Cleveland wedges were bought used for less than $30.  My Ping Anser & the various Bullseye wide flange putters from teh 70's & 80's were bought used for less than $25.  I still go back to them from time to time when the new Heppler needs a time out.

As mentioned newer clubs / shafts could be fit to your swing better than your current set and get you more consistent performance.  I like the suggestion of taking your gamers to a demo day or local fitter to get some comparison data.  Pay the fitter for their time and data then take the data and look for used clubs to match up.  If you are patient you can save a good bit of $$.  Besides it's just plain fun to try new stuff! 

[Middler]

You’ve gotten really good general answers already. Really depends on what the 40 year old irons are, your budget and what you expect from newer ones. Among the 20+ guys I play with regularly, there is ZERO correlation between handicaps and club age/cost. Our best player still has 20+ yo Mizuno blades with no plan to “upgrade.” One of our worst players went to Club Champion and spent almost $5K on 14 new clubs (yes, full bag including putter fitting). He’s still trying to convince himself and others it was worthwhile - but his handicap (published weekly) has gotten worse if anything. That said, the (120g S steel) shafts I played 40 years ago would be too stiff and heavy for me today (now 90g R graphite)…

[DiscipleofPenick]

There's going to be a big difference in forgiveness between modern irons and 40 year old ones. Also you could probably find a shaft option that fits you better than whatever is in your old clubs.

You don't need new clubs, just something new-er. Get on eBay and you'll find plenty of options of irons from the last decade for a couple hundred bucks, rather than the thousand+ a new set would run.

[BostonSal]

The best reason to get new clubs is that you feel like it.

I have a small museum of retired sets in my basement, and the above is the only reason that I've ever had for replacing any of them.

I could put new grips on set #1 and play it right now, truth be told.

I'll get the exact same amount of fresh air and hangout time with my friends, you see, either way.

But that's why I play.  Others could feel differently.

[fixyurdivot]

As someone who played PE2's for over 30 years before making an upgrade in 2018, I recommend investing in a quality fitting and seeing for yourself which of the many new offerings can add distance, accuracy, and forgiveness.  

[chisag]

... I will add another element. I was playing with a guy asking me about replacing his irons that were quite old and beat up with shafts that didn't suit his swing. My initial response was absolutely replace them! But I play golf about 5 times a week and he plays Saturdays and not every Saturday at that so he was lamenting the cost of new clubs. $1300 for irons averaged over a year with around 250 rounds is not as big an expense as the original price tag would have me think. That's about $5 a round for a year of golf. Playing 3 times a month or 36 times a year the cost is now $36 a round. So quite a difference. If I had to pay an extra $36 on top of my greens fee every round for a year it might, might give me pause. 

... So factoring in how many rounds you play may have an impact on buying new clubs. Some may certainly think playing 36 times a year they want the best clubs possible while others may think it isn't worth the additional money. That said this is a golf equipment forum and we all like the idea of playing the best tools we can and cost doesn't enter into it as much as other things in our lives. 

[cnosil]

10 minutes ago, chisag said:

 he was lamenting the cost of new clubs. $1300 for irons averaged over a year with around 250 rounds is not as big an expense as the original price tag would have me think. 

Yep,  the cost of new clubs can be high; but you can also get some great deals on lightly used clubs or if you want new DTC brands like Sub70 are great options.

[chisag]

27 minutes ago, cnosil said:

Yep,  the cost of new clubs can be high; but you can also get some great deals on lightly used clubs or if you want new DTC brands like Sub70 are great options.

 

... Of course, there is also Certified pre owned, classifieds, etc. But the top of the line OEM are crazy expensive for the 4 - pw:

Ping i59 ... $1749

P790 ... $1300

T100/200's ... $1300

King Tour ... $1300

JPX921 Tour ... $1300

Apex 21 ... $1300

 

[cnosil]

4 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Of course, there is also Certified pre owned, classifieds, etc. But the top of the line OEM are crazy expensive for the 4 - pw:

Ping i59 ... $1749

P790 ... $1300

T100/200's ... $1300

King Tour ... $1300

JPX921 Tour ... $1300

Apex 21 ... $1300

 

Wasn't disagreeing that they are crazy expensive.   For someone that really isn't that into golf I wouldn't recommend new clubs but some people like that new club feel.  

[chisag]

13 minutes ago, cnosil said:

Wasn't disagreeing that they are crazy expensive.   For someone that really isn't that into golf I wouldn't recommend new clubs but some people like that new club feel.  

 

... Just throwing stuff out there. This guy was very serious just busy working and could not get out as much as he would like but was gonna get fit and buy whatever the fitter recommended. But you know how clubs go, one guy will buy the newest most expensive PXG irons or new Mizuno only and the next guy won't buy anything he can't find for $100 at a garage sale. And of course everything in-between. 

[WiTerp50]

That the irons are 40 years old and you are retired, I doubt you are under 60. All else equal, you could use the same irons. But your body is not equal to the task. Hey, I’m 71 and not knocking you. Just a fact of life. 
Your options run from used clubs on line to PXG 0211 to full custom set built by custom shops, as Club Champion is one example. I’d work with a local fitter and either buy new that way or pay for the fitting and try to match it from used resellers. You want to get matched to a head and shaft that suits your game. The R7 is a good driver but in 5 strokes Trackman can suggest if it is close to optimal. Reshaping that may not make economic sense. Lots of well depreciated drivers are available. 

[Everardo]

Well, check out my post. I have two sets of irons around 15 years old and preform atleast as good if not better than a newer set. 

Can 15 Year Old Clubs Still Compete?

[RollingGreens]

A new or newer set can help with limiting your miss and possibly give you some added distance. Plus a newer set, the look good, feel good analogy?

[Jim N]

I had a very similar dilemma when I started up again last spring after a 25-30 year hiatus. I was playing a set of original Armour 845s (3-PW), and picked up a set of Taylormade 4-PW Speedblades from a friend of a friend that are around 8 years old for under $300. The new clubs have stronger lofts, but are much more forgiving on off-center hits, longer and hold greens as well or better than the old ones. FYI, I'm 63, but still fairly strong and flexible due to doing a ton of yoga for the past 20+ years. When I hit the Armours just right the results feel more satisfying, but that doesn't happen all that often at my skill level.

FWIW, both sets are steel shaft regulars, and the Taylormades are a little heavier swing weight.

Having said all that, the difference isn't as extreme as when I changed out my first generation metalwood driver for a couple of years old Calloway epic flash. That added 50+ yards to my drives and keeps more of them in the fairway.

[in4par]

I've been playing Mizuno MP20's for about 2 years now and absolutely love the feel/look of the clubs.  My only complaint having gone through a pretty good season of tournaments with them, I'm tired of getting punished by distance lost if I don't hit the club pure every time.   That being said, having tested a wide range of brands side by side I've come to conclusion that most of the latest and greatest out there, they all feel really good.  I could use a little more forgiveness now and then along with benefiting from a slightly hotter face/club.  I recently tried the new P790, a club I never ever thought I'd remotely be interested in whatsoever.   Even my pro said forget it.   After hitting them I could not believe the distance gains, forgiveness and feel of them.   I even went so far to try PXG Gen 4 0311, a club/brand I just couldn't see moving to coming off of Mizuno.   I was shocked at how well, far I was hitting them and loved the feel as well.   I'm now contemplating a step down move.   Perhaps P790 in 5-7 irons, P7 MC's in 8-PW as a combo if doable.   Lots of options to consider and tinker with during my "offseason" here in Northeast.   I've come to accept the fact as I'm getting older (yet still maintaining my single digit hcp) going with more forgiveness and hotter faces is not a bad thing.  Its all about getting ball in hole with less strokes.   I think the hardest most challenging thing is going to be the rest of my bag now.   Already some manufacturers are starting to throw out teasers on the 2022 releases and the tech coming out looks sick across the board.   Utility woods like Callaway has are throwing a wrench in things on how to now use them and properly gap the bag.   Fairway woods as well.    Callaway about to release new Rogue line which been told is super hot.   Isn't it nice we have the tech available to us to use.  I will certainly try the new 221's to compare look, feel, gains if any.   Its going to be really hard to pass my MP20's to someone else but the tech thats out there now is just so good, its hard to ignore how one's game could improve with a little added help.

Edited November 28, 2021 by in4par

[Middler]

Interesting point made by chisag earlier. My $1400 JPX900 Forged irons, with over 300 rounds played, have cost me less than $5 per round so far, and I’ll probably keep them another couple years at least. So I wouldn’t feel bad about spending to get what I really want since they don’t cost that much in the larger scheme of things. I’d rather get exactly what I want, and always have, and keep them longer versus trading often for the latest thing. I’ve yet to have new clubs improve my scores over 57 years.  YMMV

[in4par]

agree