MacGregor MT86 Irons - 2023 Forum Review

[GolfSpy TCB]

Testers Announced!

Welcome to the Official Testing Thread for the MacGregor MT86 Irons!

We can trace our roots all the way back to 1829, with the founders of the company, a pair of English immigrants and expert woodworkers, opening a factory in Dayton OH.

The company initially started as a producer of hand carved wooden shoe lasts, pioneering a new lathe-based technique for producing lasts faster and more accurately than anyone around.

From 1875 to 1897, the company began a transformation. Two new partners were brought on; John McGregor, an expat from St Andrews, Scotland and a die-hard golfer, as well as Edward Canby, who soon became obsessed with the game.

In 1897, the partnership began the manufacture of traditional golf shafts and clubs, one of America's very first club manufacturers.

MacGregor clubs proved popular with both professionals and amateurs alike, with hundreds of thousands of clubs being sold around the world.

The company emerged from the Great Depression with new ownership and management, who sought the services of the legendary Tommy Armour, who in turn brought his assistant Toney Penna, and tour pros Jimmy Demaret, Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan. This was a formidable team; during the 1950s, MacGregor was the number one club and ball on tour. 

A period of innovation and growth followed which led the company to its most iconic partnership with Jack Nicklaus. Besides dominating on the course, Mr. Nicklaus was heavily involved with the management and direction of the company, and even ended up owning the company and bringing stability after a period of mismanagement. 

Please welcome and Congratulate our Testers! Including Special Guest @GolfSpy TCB

Testing the MacGregor Pro
@DiscipleofPenick
@wely324

Testing the MacGregor OS
@Hook DeLoft
@DoubleBogeyDad

[DiscipleofPenick]

Hi everyone, and thanks for taking the time to read my review. My name is Tom and I play out of Cleveland, Ohio. I have been on MGS since 2017, and if you are following the thread, you can see I’ve already been dropped by @MattF and @MaxEntropy as I play with them quite a bit. I’ve lived my whole life in Northeast Ohio, and have been golfing since I was in middle school. I carry a 4.5 handicap right now and I usually play competitively, but other events have taken over the early part of the golf season. I’m still playing 5-6 times a month, but it’s all casual rounds with my buddies. Here’s me with my Bernese Mountain Dog Otis.

So I’ve been incredibly lucky to be part of a few MGS tests, but this will be my first iron test. I know a lot of what MacGregor used to be, one of the top names in the industry and a quality club maker till they went out of business in the early 2000s. MGS actually did a fantastic recap of their history about a year ago, check it out.

https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/historys-mysteries-the-demise-of-macgregor-golf/

So first off, I know the clubs I’m getting are not the MacGregor of old. And they are not the only older brand returning to the marketplace, as I’ve seen Hogan, Lynx, Ram, and Zebra all reappearing in the last year or so. And after a cursory search MacGregor, Ram, and Zebra are all owned by Golf Brands Inc. in Nevada. I can’t find much information on this company, it does raise an important question -

Will clubs produced by this upstart company have the quality and technology to match up with the OEMs, or at least other DTCs?

Because they are so new to the market, there was not a place I could get fitted. On the website, options are limited at the moment as well. They only offer KBS shafts and Lamkin grips. I’ve only ever used DG shafts in my irons my entire life, so I at least went up to Golf Galaxy and got a few swings in with a KBS shaft in a Titleist T100 head. I used to play S300 and my current set I went up to X100. For the MacGregor, and off the launch monitor, I am going back to the KBS Tour Stiff shaft. My swing speed just isn’t there for the KBS Tour X, and all the numbers off the Trackman at GG indicate I was getting better performance out of the stiff shaft. Loft/Lie/Length are all standard. I considered going -1 Flat, but because I don’t know what kind of shot shape I will get with these and the shaft change I just left everything alone.

This will also be my first experience with a hollow-body iron. I’m not one to change clubs very often as this (potentially) will be my fourth set of irons. The previous sets were MacGregor Muirfield 20th, TaylorMade R7 TP, and currently Titleist 714CBs. As much as I love the CBs, they are getting dated, and being realistic, I don’t play enough to justify a true player's iron. So I am really hoping that a player’s hollow-body is a step in the right direction for my game. I also had a MacGregor driver for awhile, so a big part of why I wanted to test these is I hope it is a return to relevance for what was once the #1 golf brand.

So I am going to put these side by side with my 714CBs to see what the difference is. One thing I’ve already noticed from looking at the spec sheet is that the MacGregors are two degrees stronger than my Titleist. While I don’t consider that loft jacking, it is going to make a difference. The clubs should be the same length as my current set. So that creates a few questions that need answered

-How much further do these irons go?

-Is the face hotter and will that also add distance?

-Will they hold greens just as well?

-Will I need to add a wedge? I currently carry 50-54-58, will I need to go 48-52-56-60…

-How does the top of the bag change? I am getting 4-PW so will I drop the hybrid…

I think as long as they are quality clubs and they give me good performance, they will find a permanent home in my bag. I want consistency and the ability to hit and hold greens much more than more distance. I’m in my 30s and have no problem with distance, my home course plays to just under 7,000 from the tips and there maybe a dozen courses in Northern Ohio that get up over 6800, I can get around just fine on that length, but prefer to play around 6500-6600. Below are my Arccos numbers since I got it towards the end of last season. One note - most of these rounds were played in October & April so not optimal conditions.

SG says I miss too many greens short, but if I miss a green I want to miss it short. Ohio doesn’t have a lot of modern courses, so that means greens that slope back to front, or turtlebacks. If I’m going to miss a green, short is the best spot because 98 times out of 100, I’m going to have an easy uphill chip.

My overall numbers, irons aren’t really a weakness, but could be a little better. 

You can also see my proximity is actually really good, especially with the long irons. Need to work on getting wedges closer, but new irons aren’t going to change that.

Now here’s something I can work on GIR with my short irons. Again overall pretty good, but that 125-149 is a struggle point for me. 

 

First Impressions: 20 out of 20

So the irons showed up pretty quick once the order was placed, and they arrived in a nondescript cardboard box. I feel this is pretty typical, and nothing I’m going to hold against the company, but I know anymore things need to be made for the ‘gram’ and everyone likes those unboxing videos with the pretty stuff. The clubs also arrived with the specs I requested so no complaints there as well. I got 4-PW with KBS Tour stiff shafts and midsize Lamkin grips.

The clubs look fantastic and the classic script MacGregor logo looks as good as it ever has. It’s actually great to see it in my bag once again. The clubs are a full chrome set so they shine beautifully. For being a hollow body iron, they aren’t that thick,even compared to my Titleist CBs, and the topline and offset are not distracting. I expected myself to take a little time to adjust to the looks, but this has not been the case.

 

 

Aesthetics: 9 out of 10

Regarding the numbers, I haven’t seen any improvement in Arccos with these clubs. I haven’t noticed any distance increase, which is odd to me because the clubs are two degrees stronger than my CBs. Swing speed and spin seem to be about the same. Perhaps I am getting a higher launch off the KBS shaft vs. the DG X100 and that negates any distance I would gain from the lower lofts. Two other things I want to mention, first when these clubs arrived I was just coming back from taking a month off of golf due to the birth of my second child on June 5th. Second, I believe it takes longer than one month of play to get used to a new set of clubs, so I expect improved performance and numbers as I play out the year with this set.

The Numbers: 7 out of 10 (no better, no worse)

On the course, I thought the clubs performed slightly better than I expected. While I didn’t gain any yards, and I only expected to gain half a club at best, I definitely didn’t lose any distance. Additionally, the MacGregors were so much more forgiving than my CBs. I just don’t play enough to justify gaming a forged set anymore. When I picked up the Titleists I was playing at least 10 times a month, now I’m down to 5 or 6 rounds, so I felt like this type of club is what I should be gaming. I still get great feedback from the club and know when I hit one on the toe or thin it a bit. But the ball still has a better result on mishits than my previous set.

Through the first few rounds I had some concerns as I was missing most greens to the right. I thought I was hitting a push, or even worse, that switching back to a stiff shaft from X was leading to the club face staying open and I made a bad decision. Then about halfway through my third round with them, I realized I was aiming much further to the right than I thought. I adjusted this and things started to improve. Another round later, I discovered that my body wasn’t getting through the swing, and that at the finish I was facing to the right. What I thought was a fade or a push was actually a straight shot because I was setting up blocked out and then not finishing at my supposed target. Once I fixed these two things, I started to hit the ball straight and hit a lot more greens. 

Also, my drives can get wild at times and the 4-iron still works great as a punch out club, even with greater mass and higher launch. I play a bump and run with the 7-iron around the greens and I’ve not had any issue playing that shot with the MacGregor either.

On the Course: 18 out of 20 (and I expect this to improve)

The Good, Bad, & In-Between: 12 out of 20

I really don’t have much to complain about with this club. The biggest issue for me is the lack of options for building out the set. I realize this is a new company bringing MacGregor back, but they only offer KBS shafts and Lamkin grips. While these are quality products and I’ve had Lamkin on a number of clubs over the years, this is the first time I’ve not had Dynamic Gold shafts in irons. It was difficult to see how they compare to one another, and all I could really do was go to Golf Galaxy and swing a KBS shaft in Titleist T100 head to try and replicate the feel.

Additionally, I would like to find more information about the new company Golf Brands Inc. They are the company that ‘brought back’/own the trademarks of not only MacGregor but Ram and Zebra as well. I would like to know who is behind this revitalization, and is it some sort of private equity/holding company that is just trying to spin a profit, or is this an actual company that is planning to compete in the golf market with other small OEMs like Sub70 or Edel. All the irons had plastic wrap with a made in China tag on them, so I would like to know if Golf Brands Inc. is sourcing their club heads from somewhere else, if they actually own any patents on the technology, or is it only the brand name trademarks and IP that they control.

In short, is this company trying to be involved in golf for the long haul or not.

Play it or Trade it?: 15 out of 20

For the rest of this season the MT-86 Pro are staying in the bag. I am expecting to get more comfortable with these clubs, and I’ve got at least 3 more months to play around with them and decide if they will stay for 2024. Even though I have several questions about the company behind the MacGregor name, the clubs do perform as well as advertised. I’m not losing distance or control, I just need to get used to them. I think I am the exact type of player that the MT-86 Pro is made for. I'm an above average golfer with a decently high swing speed, but just don’t play enough to be elite. Given that the price of the iron set is roughly half that of any major OEM, I think they are clubs worth checking out for sure. Even more so if you’re someone looking for a nostalgia trip. 

I’m not someone who switches clubs often, as this is only my 4th iron set since taking up the game seriously in high school (I’m 38). If something is working I’m not going to change it. I hope MacGregor is back for the long haul, and I am confident these clubs will find a home in my bag for years to come. I hope you are as excited for MacGregor to be back as I am and look forward to what the company is going to do in the coming years.

Overall: 81 out of 100

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 14, 2023 by DiscipleofPenick
review

[wely324]

MacGregor MT86 Final Review

 

The newly released MT-86 Pro iron from MacGregor could be just what the brand needs to get the spotlight to shine on them. There is so much to like about these irons, but as a DTC brand there might be a few things holding them back…

First Impressions

A critical stage in the early relationship of a golfer and his clubs, which is why I wanted to point out that I was a little shocked when I first picked up the box. The sound and feel of the clubs moving around in the box when I picked it up started to make me worry something was damaged. Turns out the clubs were packaged loose with minimal package material. The iron heads were nicely bubble wrapped but aside from that not much security in the packaging.  Once, I was able to forget about that I started to direct my attention to the irons themselves and I couldn’t put them down. The shiny finish and the overall clean look had me drooling from the get go and made me very eager to get out on the course with them. All of the specs seemed to match up to what was ordered. Lofts and lies were within .5 degrees so I didn’t have to bend any irons.

 

I deducted 4 points from first impressions. Packaging up the irons properly shouldn’t be a big cost to a DTC brand and I would like to see them secure the clubs from sliding around. To add their was no spec sheet or order form with the clubs, and the finish on the hosel near the ferrule seemed to have some residual epoxy left on it. Overall I feel a score of 16/20  (B-) is a solid score, most consumers will pick them up for the first time and skip over these small details, and focus on the positives of these beauties.

 

Score 16/20

 

Aesthetics

 

MacGregor did a great job in the looks department from both the address position, and when the MT86 irons are just glistening in the bag. They just about catch everyones eye when they walk past my bag. I love a chrome finish on my irons and to see MacGregor use a chrome finish like they did in the past is the cherry on top of a beautiful looking iron.

 

The shaping of the head is more rounded, with a nice amount of offset for a players iron. The MT86 squares up nicely to the ball , the face has a blasted finish that runs through the top line. At setup the iron really inspires confidence in the player, where a traditional blade can be a bit intimidating at first. The size of the blade length would be comparable to a T100 with a thicker top line look from above. The chrome finish works wonderfully here as I feel it helps portray a smaller profile to the player at address and focuses your eyes to the center of the face and the ball. Aesthetics score 20/20 (A+), is well deserved with it’s classic blade styling, which sets it apart from other players irons.

 

Score 10/10

MT86 in the middle between a T100 3 iron and CB1008 4iron

 

The Numbers

 

Time to look at the data and see why these beauties are also a beast!

First thing I noticed when hitting the clubs was the sense that they were flying further and higher than my gamers. As expected a solid forged blade with traditional lofts vs the Mac tech filled MT86. To analyze further I was able to use a Bushnell Launch Pro to collect some data and the Mac 6 iron was flying about 3-5 yards further on average than my Miura 6 iron but I also noticed a few shots that flew much further than that as well. A few factors could be playing in this, one of them being the shafts. They felt to me they were easier to load and a more noticeable kick compared to my Nippon shafts. The KBS is a higher launch shaft as well, but with the stronger lofts of the Mac I feel they are a nice match up as a stock shaft.

 

Looking at the numbers from the launch monitor, it seems one or two outlier shots but the overall grouping was very good. The deviations can be a good way to see consistency, and nothing stood out amongst that data, including spin, launch angle, descent angle, ball speed, and carry. Average carry for the 6 iron was 192.2 with a stdDev. of 5.8. Backspin also showed to be very consistent and plenty of it for a 6 iron to hold even a firm green, with an average of 6151 rpm. Descent angle had a stdDev. of 3.4 and launch angle had a 1.8 stdDev. Both very consistent leading to a consistent flight and carry.

 

Overall I feel the numbers only support the beauty and the beast claims, cause these things certainly like to fly with plenty of speed, height, and spin to handle the toughest of approach shots out there! A score of 9/10 for the nerd data, my last shot in the set, 199.7yds carry with 6415 spin!

 

Score 9/10

 

On Course Performance

 

Launch monitors are cool but the real excitement with these irons was getting them on the course. I decided to build a Sunday bag set with them, including a MacGregor persimmon driver to add to the nostalgia feel these irons bring to the course. Immediately I fell in love with the soft feel and the solid sound of impact. If there is one thing that might compete with the looks it is the sound these irons make on a solid shot, it’s all birds chirping and the wind moving through the trees, then a solid crisp whack!!!

 

To add to their audible performance, these irons like to fly straight and high regardless of where you hit the ball on the face. Yes, center strikes are most rewarding with a towering ball flight, but miss hits seemed too also have enough legs under them to make it to the green and hold the putting surface on relatively small greens. Yes, errant wide shots, thin shots, shanks, chunks, are all still what they are. Across the face these retain ball speed and launch with heavy and high on the face hits along with toe miss hits to show the most forgiveness.

 

A big part of the consistency and forgiveness, comes from the cambered sole that glides across the turf so efficiently for shallow to moderate attack angles. I do feel they suffer a bit when steeper taking thicker divots, they certainly don’t cut through the grass like a true blade does. I feel the cambered sole is very common nowadays and most players will enjoy the forgiveness they provide.

 

The best part of their on course performance was how easy and fun they are to play with. Yes I do feel the high ball flight can get tossed around in the wind easily, and it made it hard to adjust my distances, but when I would sneak out for a few holes on a Sunday evening, the small things like that didn’t matter anymore. Smooth effortless swings produced plenty of height and speed. 3/4 swings would take a few yards off but also bring the height down, making for some nice controlled shots into greens. The short irons were also a joy to chip with around the green. The sole again produced minimal resistance when brushing across the turf, and the chips came out with a nice pop and then rolled out. Very forgiving overall, but at the expense of some playability. I’m not sure if it mostly mental or was the shafts playing an effect, but I never felt comfortable to work the ball with these irons. Even as a natural drawer of the ball, I found myself hitting these very straight, even the toe misses would fly straight!

 

Overall, these beasts did not let me down on the course. These irons just wanted to help me find the green whether a center strike or not, and to go along with their sharp looks, they felt right at home in my canvas/leather Sunday bag. Final score of 18/20 for the On Course Performance

 

Score 18/20

 

 

The Good, the Bad, and the In-between

 

First, I’ll start with the bad and for me the one negative was the lack of custom options. One steel shaft and one graphite option is not custom in my opinion, and if they could offer just a few more selections I feel they could capture a bigger audience. It’s great to have the set of irons start at $799, but I’m sure some would pay a little extra to have the shaft they want in the irons.

 

The in-between for me is their performance. Coming from a single forged cb/blade combo set, switching into a players iron with some game improvement tech didn’t completely mesh with the rest of my bag in regards to gapping and the irons come with a trade off for their forgiveness. Lack of workability and the rising/almost balloon like ball flight is not ideal for when it gets windy. For tournament play I don’t see myself playing these without switching out the shafts to something that fits me better, but at the same time they are such an easy and fun set to play with it's hard to not want to game them everyday. 

 

And now for the Good! A set of chrome players irons, with offset, with forgiveness, with classic styling and shape, there isn’t many options in this category and MacGregor did a great job at filling this void in the market with the MT-86 pro irons. MacGregor irons always seemed unique and special to me and these beauties do more than a good job, but a great job at living up to the name MacGregor.

 

Score 18/20

 

Play It or Trade It

 

As mentioned before I don’t see these leaving my Sunday carry bag for the remainder of the year, they have been a joy to play with and the solid sound at impact with the soft feel is something one can easily become addicted too. I’ll have to see if I can find a set of shafts that might fit me better than the KBS Tour do, if not maybe come fall I will find these beasts a new home.

 

Score 17/20

 

Conclusion and Final Score

 

I’m guessing if you have read this far you really like the looks and if that’s the case I would tell you to not hesitate at trying these irons out. The MT-86 Pro is a unicorn iron that doesn’t come around to often as they are a niche in the market. The styling, although classic and very pleasing to the eye, does not fit in with the norm of today. And although they have plenty of tech and ball speed to go with it MacGregor as a DTC brand will not be able to compete with the other brands. I’d love to see the company grow and be successful, and hopefully do more retro style iron designs down the road. Hopefully the golf community becomes aware of MacGregor coming back into the golf space and we can support them to continue making a quality iron.

 

Final Score 88/100

 

 

Thanks so much to MGS for this awesome test and selecting members like me and you to try new equipment out first hand. Looking forward to sharing my thoughts and experience with the MT86 Pro irons!

Update #1 - The irons are in transit to me, so a perfect time to introduce myself before I forget. I live in NJ so weather restricts when I can play, but I generally get about 18-36 holes per week during the warm months. I also enjoy practicing and will spend a few hours a week, mostly on short game, which has been my weak link over the years. Ball striking and approach play is my strength, so I feel this test is perfect for me. Played yesterday in a state open qualifier and hit 15 greens with 38 putts for 76. This game can bring so much joy, but also so much frustration.
To be honest when I first signed up I didn’t realize the irons were hollow players irons. My current set of irons are miura tb-zero 6-pw and cb1008 4 and 5 irons with a t100 3 iron. In comparison I’m expecting the Macgregor to create a little more ball speed, so distance control and consistency will be a main point I focus on. For these irons to kick my miuras out will be a big ask of them. I’m not looking for more distance at the moment. I already have too big of a gap between my 52 and PW, increasing that gap would just cause more issues in my bag. Other key points I’m going to pay close attention to is ball flight and shot shaping. 
 

Hopefully in about a week I’ll be able to test these shiny irons, I’ll mostly focus on collecting some data with my bushnell launch pro and testing them side by side with my current sticks, but I also plan to test them thoroughly on course to see if we get along well together

On course I’ll be able to get a better understanding of their forgiveness and the value that provides to my game, as well as turf interaction. For me forgiveness is one of the main benefits of moving from a blade to a foam filled tungsten head, seeing how the ball reacts to miss hits, and are the misses more left to right or long and short in relation to the target. Turf interaction also plays a part in forgiveness, having the correct sole width and bounce is so important.

Looking forward to the clubs arriving and will update as soon as they are in my hands!

Update #2, I was able to get out this morning for a few holes, no warm up, a few obligatory thin shots on the first hole and after that most of the shots were struck solid outside a few toe misses. Center strikes felt so solid through impact, with a soft but explosive feel off the face. Turf interaction was also very nice in the wet conditions, the irons had no issue ripping through the turf taking nice thin divots. Distance was maybe slightly longer than my current gamers, but ball flight was a little higher, most noticeable in the mid irons. The stronger lofts seem so far to work well with the kbs shafts, which feel softer to me. Before I get too detailed in the data I’d like to increase my sample time with these beautiful irons, but for a players iron I can see these being a great option. The looks combined with the sound and feel, you'll be filled with nostalgia for days, it might not matter where the ball goes!  

 

MT86< >Miura

[Hook DeLoft]

FINAL REVIEW

The MacGregor MT-86 OS irons are an impressive release from the revived MacGregor Golf Company.  They are long and forgiving while retaining the look of classic MacGregors of yore.

First Impressions -- 17 of 20 points

The irons have forged, hollow heads with a nice shiny chrome finish.  Being game improvement clubs, they are definitely larger than the old MacGregor designs to which they pay homage, but the size is in no way off-putting.  The top line and sole are not as wide as some other GI designs.  I would say the offset is moderate for a GI iron. 

They lost a couple of points here because of the packaging.  The clubs arrived in a standard size box of the kind usually used for a set of irons.  Unfortunately, the only protection against shipping company neglect was a little loose paper and plastic on each head that was held on with rubber bands.  The foam protection that has become common was not present.  Luckily, the clubs arrived unharmed.

The build looked good except for a discoloration on the 7 iron hosel that looked like the finish had been accidentally rubbed off while the ferrule was being turned.

Aesthetics -- 10 of 10

No complaints here.  The clubs look classy and refined in the bag.  They are larger than some would like but they are GI irons.  If you prefer a smaller club head, the company offers a smaller players distance model with the same design language.

The Numbers -- 9 of 10

Testing on a launch monitor revealed a design that was high launching and with more spin than other hollow body irons I have tried in the past.  For example, compared to a 2019 model TaylorMade P790, the ball speeds and launch angles were similar but the TaylorMade didn't have enough spin to hold greens very well.  There was no such problem with the MacGregors.  Obviously, others with different swing speeds and impact conditions may see different results, but for a low launch, low spin player like me, the Macs were a great fit.  The forgiveness on mishits was impressive with very little loss of speed and carry distance on all but the most egregious strikes with one exception.  You do not want to hit these irons thin. 

On Course -- 18 of 20

On course performance is the ultimate test of a club and here the Macs really shine.  Iron play is a weakness of my game and it is not unusual for me to hit only 3 or 4 greens in regulation. l rarely miss by a mile but I end up in the fringe to 5 yards off a lot.  I recently hit 11 greens with the Macs and only had 3 or 4 challenging up and downs.  I was able to draw or fade shots within the limits of my ability.  Balls kept going the expected distances shot after shot.  Once, I hit a shot high and in the heel on a par 3 (you can see the ball mark on the face in a pic below) and the shot flew the full distance.  A common complaint with hollow bodied distance irons is the occasional shot that flies much farther than expected.  I never saw that with these irons.

The only worry on the course was the thin shot.  Like I said above, the Macs really don't like that shot.  Hit it and you will lose a ton of height and carry.  This tells me they might not be a good choice for someone who sweeps their irons.

The Good, the Bad and the In-between -- 16 of 20

When I received the irons, I had the lofts and lies checked.  They were all over the place.  I've posted the errors  below.  I had my local shop bend them to the specs ordered.  If you decide to buy these irons, plan on spending a modest amount to have the lies and lofts bent to your specs. 

Almost all companies now offer a matching gap wedge with their GI irons because the stronger lofts leave such a large hole between the pitching wedge and sand wedge.  MacGregor does not.  I think this a bad decision on their part but maybe the bean counters have crunched the numbers and decided there would not be enough sales of a gap wedge. 

I rarely chip with anything stronger lofted than a 48 degree wedge, but I did try the pitching wedge and 8 iron in a couple of practice sessions and found no issues using the Macs around the green.  If you like to chip with different irons depending on the situation, I don't think you'll have any issues with the Macs.

Play them or trade them -- 19 of 20

Oh, I'm keeping them.  I'm going to have to find a gap wedge that fills the gap between the pitching wedge and my sand wedge.  Until I do, I will probably play my other irons most days. After I get that issue sorted, the Macs will probably become my gamers.  Maybe MacGregor will see fit to offer a gap wedge soon (hint, hint).

Final Score -- 89

Good job MacGregor.

 

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First of all, a big thank you to MGS for the opportunity to test the Macgregor MT86-OS irons.  Also, a huge thanks to Macgregor for providing their clubs for testing. I am really excited.  In fact, I'm sure if I was writing instead of typing, the handwriting would be all over the place. 

Second, a little about me.  I'm 66 years old and have been playing golf since my early 30's.  I play or practice 2 or 3 times a week.  I'm retired, so I could probably play more often, but grand kids keep me pretty busy.  I also have an autoimmune disorder that limits play when it acts up.  I live just outside of Jackson, Mississippi and play 90% of my golf at one course.  My membership does include play at 2 other courses in the area but I have a great group to play with at my usual course and it is the closest of the 3.

When I first started playing I was frustrated by a lack of distance, so I taught myself how to hook it.  That explains my user name.  I still aim right and hit left, which is no way to go through life.  Sometimes, the hook becomes so bad that I should be wearing an orange wig and fishnet stockings.

Unfortunately, I read too many golf instruction books early on and spent decades holding off my release to avoid "flipping" with my hands.  I have recently become much better at releasing the club without flipping but still struggle with hitting it too low much of the time.  As a result, trajectory will be very important to me when evaluating the Macgregor irons.  I recently did a driver fitting and my club head speed ranged from 88 to 90 mph, so a fairly short hitter.  Typically, my 150 club is a 7 iron.

I did something else when I first started playing that has had a permanent influence on my swing.  I thought to myself that a longer lever would result in longer shots, so I added an inch to my irons.  My swing developed with those over-length irons and I still play my irons 1 inch long even though static measurements would indicate I should be plus 1/2 inch at the most.  With the Macgregors, I decided to go with just plus 1/2 inch and have them bent a couple of degrees upright.  I'm hoping that will result in more shots out of the middle of the club face.  Because of hand and wrist issues, I went to graphite a while back and will be testing the Macs with the Recoil shafts.

Readers should also know that iron play is the weakest part of my game, so I will be looking closely at forgiveness.  Driving and the short game are strengths.  Putting is so so.  The USGA tells me my current handicap is 9.6, but my play sure doesn't seem that good.

On to plans for testing.  I will be using the irons for every round during the testing period.  This should give me plenty of feedback.  I also will be using my local golf shop's launch monitor to get hard data.  I have 2 sets of game improvement irons to use for comparisons:  Cobra LTDx and Mizuno JPX Hot Metal HL.  The Cobra's are plenty forgiving but launch low and are low spinning.  I'm hoping the Macs beat them like a drum.  I suspect it will be harder for the Macs to beat the Mizunos simply because the Mizzies are really designed to address the weaknesses of my iron game; namely, low launch and low spin.  I am really interested to see spin and descent numbers for the Macgregors.

I don't know what to expect in terms of quality from the new Macgregors.  Obviously, this is not the same company that made so many classic irons back in the day.  I'll have the specs checked when they arrive to get a handle on quality control.

I will post a video of my swing in the next week so you'll know what kind of ugliness the Macgregors will be dealing with.

Until then, fairways and greens.

Update:  I went to the local golf shop and got some average carry distances with my Mizuno JPX Hot Metal HL irons. 
Gap wedge  104.4 yds

Pitching wedge  117.4 yds

9 iron  130.4 yds

8 iron  145 yds

7 iron  152.2 yds

6 iron  161 yds

Obviously, I need bigger gaps in the longer clubs, but this gives me a baseline for comparison to the Macs. 
 

UPDATE 

I just received the irons. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and this beholder thinks these are very good looking irons. I’m attaching some pics of the bad boys. I’m also attaching a pic of the 6 iron next to a Mizuno MP64 6 iron. As you can see, the Mac, although larger, is by no means ungainly.  There is a stamp on the back that says "Forged."  I can't find any reference on the Macgregor website to their being forged.  Perhaps the face?  I'll try to get an answer to that mystery.  NOTE:  I sent the question to Macgregor customer service and they responded that the "entire head" is forged. The irons were sent loose in the box with a minimum of padding. The heads were wrapped in plastic. The only visible quality issue is a discoloration of the finish of the 7 iron next to the ferrule. It looks like the finish was buffed off when turning the ferrule. I’m going to take them to my local shop in a couple of days and have the lies and lofts checked. Tomorrow, they’ll be in my bag for 18 holes. 

UPDATE

I played 18 holes this morning.  Unfortunately, the driving range was closed.  I drove out to a par 3 on the back to get a couple of swings in before play.  I first hit a 5 iron from 170 yards.  It was a low draw that game up about 10 yards short.  I then moved up and hit a 7 iron from 150.  It was a medium height draw that flew 3 feet short of the pin and released to 9 feet beyond the pin.  I was very pleased with 12 feet of release on a medium height shot.  Here's a pic:

On the first hole, I used the 5 iron for the second shot on a par 5.  Another low shot.  The next hole is a short par 4 with a creek in front of the green.  A mid iron is usually the tee club here.  I hit 6 iron and it traveled a total of 173 yards.  Our fairways are firm, so I'm guessing it flew between 155 and 160 yards.

On the first par 3, I had 150 yards playing 155 according to my laser's slope feature.  It was also into a little breeze.  I hit a high hook with the 6 iron that traveled a total of 160 yards to about 37 feet from the hole.  Of course, I 3 putted it.  The shot felt and sounded as soft as any iron I've hit since my old Wilson Staff blades.  But, the interesting thing was the impact location.  My alignment mark left an imprint on the face that showed I hit it a little high on the face and a little toward the toe.  OOPS.  I meant high and toward the heel.  We now know that a high heel side miss isn't punished much at all.  Later in the round, I hit a 9 iron thin and a 7 iron thin.  Both lost about 10 yards of flight.  I think that is pretty good.

It wasn’t a great ball striking day—I struggled to take divots—but the irons showed a lot of promise. 
 

Hopefully, I can get the lofts and lies checked tomorrow.

Update

I had the lofts and lies checked today.  I’m attaching a photo of the results.  The black numbers are the stated lofts and lies.  The red numbers are the actual lofts and lies.  As you can see, there were some issues.  I had the shop bend them to the correct specs.  The guy doing the work said they are pretty easy to bend.

Update

Here are some comparison pics with 2 other game improvement clubs, the Cobra LTDx and the Mizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal HL.  All are 7 irons.

 

 

UPDATE  

Using impact stickers and a launch monitor, I got some info on forgiveness of off center hits. Unfortunately, I couldn’t hit it off the toe to save my life. Which is odd because my common mishit is off the toe. I will say toe hits have shown good results on the course. I took a picture of the impact stickers and wrote the efficiency numbers on them. I included one that looks like good contact but lost a lot of speed.  It’s the one with a star drawn on the sticker. The cause of the low efficiency was a slightly upward angle of attack (0.2 degrees up).  The other swings reflected a downward angle of attack ranging between 2 and 5 degrees. Consistent I ain’t. Anyhow, I thought it was a good example of just how much you lose when you hit up on an iron shot.
NOTE:  I went back to the launch monitor today and got some toe shots.  I’ve attached a photo.

UPDATE

I played 18 this morning.  Decent day with the irons, but the driver and short game were embarrassingly bad.  Shot of the day was a high fade with a 9 iron from normal gap wedge distance.  That'll teach trees to get in my way!  If you have the ability, these irons can be easily manipulated.  High, low, right, left.  If you're not a worker of the ball you can count on high and straight shots.

[DoubleBogeyDad]

UPDATED FOR FINAL REVIEW!!!

Intro

I want to start by thanking the MGS Forum staff and MacGregor for this awesome opportunity. I have been using MGS as a research tool for years, but have only recently become an active forum member. As a first time tester, I can attest that the recommendations here are spot on.

My WITB post:

My Unofficial Review of the ClicGear 4.0 Push Cart:

Personal Info

On the personal front, I grew up in Superior, Wisconsin right at the southwest tip of Lake Superior. College took me to Michigan Tech in the UP of Michigan, and I lived in Chicagoland for 8 years after graduation. I have called the Twin Cities metro home for the last 10 years, so I’ve got a good chunk of the upper midwest covered.

I am a chemical engineer by education, but these days I manage a team of Control System Engineers and Project Managers who do all the real work while I sit in meetings and give them cover.

I have been married to my wife Becky for 7 years and we have two awesome daughters ages 3 and 4.

Our oldest made this for me at daycare last year for Father’s Day:

Either the people at daycare don’t understand golf, or they’ve seen me play and are commenting on my skills as a father. Either way, I’ve been going with #DoubleBogeyDad. As I write this, I’m realizing that should absolutely be my display name here.

Golf Info and Goals

My grandparents introduced me to the game when I was 6 or 7, and it has remained a point of connection on my dad’s side of the family ever since. Until recently I’ve never put much time into my game outside of playing as often as I could. This offseason I started formal instruction with a PGA Professional and some serious self-study on meandmygolf.com.

My goals are to Break 80 and get to a single digit handicap index. I started the season with a HI of 17.6, currently sit at 14.8, and have been as low as 14.3. Apparently instruction + practice = improvement!

My biggest focus so far has been correcting a horrendous slice off the tee that literally took my driver out of the bag for 10+ years. Arccos tells me that I’m gaining 0.2 strokes compared to a 9.0, so…success!

Now that I’ve shored up my driving, approach play is my next area of focus. I am consistently missing greens after good drives, and I’m losing considerably on Par 3 tee shots. Enter, hopefully, the MacGregor MT 86 OS irons!

I currently game Callaway Apex CF16 irons. I was fit for them at the time of purchase, and landed on standard loft/lie/length, with regular flex shafts. I will be testing the MT 86 OS model, and spec’d into stiff flex steel shafts to match my current swing speed. I’m hoping the shaft change will be part of fixing a consistent pull. Other than that I’m sticking with standard loft/lie/length.

Testing Plan

For testing, I plan to do the following:

1. Initial comparison at a local TopTracer range. I’ll be using this to get a sense for feel, sound, relative distance to current irons etc. I can make it there over lunch from the office and the price is very reasonable.
2. On-Course tracking with Arccos. I’m planning to game these for every round I play including league night to build up some data. I currently have 8 rounds of Arccos data on my CF16s for comparison.
3. Trackman comparison of a few irons, thinking PW, 7i, 5i. I don’t have direct access to a Trackman, so I’ll be renting a stall at the local Golf Galaxy. Daycare is expensive, so I’m going to try and limit this to a one or two hour session .

Stay in the Bag

In order for these to stay in my bag, I’m looking for the following:

1. Tighter dispersion than my CF16s
2. Comparable distance - With my recent gains off the tee, I’m willing to sacrifice some distance for accuracy with my irons 

Really looking forward to engaging with the community on this test and can't wait to get started!

First Impressions

From an order processing and delivery side of things, nothing but good things to say. The order was placed to MacGregor on Wednesday, June 21st, had a tracking number Thursday, June 22nd, and the clubs were delivered to me in Minnesota a day earlier than initially estimated on Tuesday, June 27th.

I received the box in good condition, no visible damage in shipping. Straightforward exterior packaging with a nice bold MacGregor logo so you know to be excited.

Upon opening, I was a little surprised to find everything shipped loose with a little bit of packing material to keep things from rattling around too much. The club heads were all bubble wrapped and shrink wrapped, but I would’ve expected at least some kind of divider.

Each club had a sticker on the bubble wrap which I assume is the weight of the clubhead. I wrote them all down as I was taking the bubble wrap off so I had a record. 

After looking back I was confused by what I saw. Here’s a comparison of what was on the bubble wrap for each compared to what the website advertises:

The clubhead weights were all over the place. I made the assumption that someone just put the wrong bubble wrap on the clubs. If I re-sort the clubhead weights from lightest to heaviest, I get the following:

Much better than what was listed on the bubble wrap but still 2-3% error on the 6i-9i. I’m not sure what is typical from the big boys, but this seemed like it would be right on the edge of tolerances. 

Out of curiosity I put the clubs on a scale and the total club weights including shaft and grips followed as I would’ve expected based on the website. The 4i was the lightest and everything incremented up to the PW.

Regardless, the fact that I had to stop and do the math and then break out a scale definitely got me started out on the wrong foot. It also leads me to the next issue I had. Besides the clubs, there was nothing in the box. No packing slip, no spec sheet, no card. Just the clubs. After seeing some of the unboxing for Sub 70, Edel, etc, that felt pretty underwhelming.

Three suggestions here for MacGregor on shipping and packaging:

1. Add some foam spacers or dividers to help protect the clubs in shipping
2. Include some kind of spec sheet/order sheet with the clubs
3. Put the clubhead weight on the shrink wrap instead of the bubble wrap. Should minimize the potential for mistakes by putting the bubble wrap on the wrong club.

First Impressions: 16 out of 20

Aesthetics

These clubs look AMAZING. I am especially taken in by the simplicity of the lines.

My 3 year old thought they were very shiny and wouldn’t drop it until I let her give it a try.

I took these to Golf Galaxy for some Trackman time and they got some special attention from the fitters and salespeople. I heard “What are those? They look great”, “Is that a MacGregor? I didn’t think they made clubs anymore." “Can I hit one?” Which I obviously obliged .

Also had a chance to play these in a scramble. My buddy is a 3 HI and swung a few at the range. He just made delighted noises as he roped a couple. I’m honestly not sure what he was saying, but he was definitely enjoying them.

Aesthetics: 10 out of 10

 

The Numbers

I’ll preface this section with the fact that I did my launch monitor session early on in my testing. If I had to do it again, I would do a baseline with my current irons, play the new ones for a while, and then do a second launch monitor session later in testing with the new irons. 

I had two things to adjust to with the MT86. The one I knew about was a switch from Regular flex shafts in my CF16s to the Stiff flex in the MT86 OS. The one I didn’t realize until after my launch monitor testing, was that my CF16s were cut down ½”. All that to say it took me a bit to feel comfortable with the MT86.

I was pretty consistently hitting the MT86 OS off the heel for the first couple of weeks. Here’s an example from the range after 10 balls:

Here is the raw dispersion data from early on in my testing. The TopTracer data is from an outdoor range and I was hitting into about a 15 mph headwind, so take the carry distances with a grain of salt. The Trackman data is from a stall at a local Golf Galaxy.

Top Tracer Dispersion

Trackman Dispersion

In general the dispersion data is pretty inconclusive, no clear winner between the two.

Trackman Carry Distance

Carry distance was also pretty close, with the Callaways edging out on PW and 9i, basically even on the 7i and 8i, and the MT86 OS carrying about a half club longer 6i thru 4i.

Trackman Smash Factor

What was pretty enlightening to me was the Smash Factor difference. I was consistently missing the center of the face on the MT86 OS, as displayed by the lower Smash Factors across the board. THEY WERE STILL CARRYING AND STAYING ON LINE!!! Chalk one up for forgiveness.

Trackman Launch and Landing Angle

The MT86 OS launched a little bit lower than the CF16s for me, and landed a bit lower as well. That being said, I haven’t had any issues holding greens on the course, and I think if I went back and did another launch monitor session I’d see some steeper landing angles.

All in all these really held their own against my gamers of almost 7 years. I knocked off a point for the lower smash factor, on the chance that it’s not just me missing the center.

The Numbers: 9 out of 10

 

On the Course

 

This is where it really matters right? As with any new technology or equipment, I had an initial dip in my performance with these irons. I ended up playing 7 Arccos rounds with these, along with some scrambles that I didn’t record. A couple of the worst rounds were also accompanied by 95 degree temperatures and an awful lot of Minnesota humidity, so I’m giving myself some grace there. Here are my recorded rounds with the MT86 OS compared to my last 7 recorded rounds with the Callaways.

In the last two weeks I feel like I’ve really started flushing these. My handicap index today is a 14.0. I’ve been benchmarking against a 9.0. The last two rounds out, Arccos tells me I’ve gained +1.5 SG Approach in both, which is 5-6 strokes better than where I was at earlier this year. Some of that is attributable to playing more this year, but these irons are legit! 

From a gapping side of things, these slotted in pretty nicely. The only club that might not stay in the bag is the 4i, as I’ve missed having my 4H as a fairway finder off the tee.

The biggest gain? I feel confident over the ball even in the trickiest situations. Long iron from the rough, all carry, false front that drops you in the creek? No problem!

I'm deducting 2 points here for the initial dip in my approach play, but couldn't be happier with my recent form.

On-Course: 18 out of 20

 

The Good, the bad, the inbetween

I'll start with the bad. Being DTC, I wasn't able to go get fit for these irons. I think in general that will be a challenge for MacGregor and any other DTC lines out there. I'm deducting 2 points for that.

On the inbetween side, the ability to customize your setup thru the website was straight forward so if you know what you need in lie/loft/length adjustments you can handle that easily.

On the positive side of things, it is awesome to see MacGregor back in the game. These clubs look great, and the meaty "THWACK" you get on clean strikes is a treat.

The Good, the bad, the inbetween: 18 out of 20

 

Play it or Trade it?

There is no question for me. These are staying in the bag. I think any mid-handicapper should consider these the next time they are in the market for irons. For the price difference between these and one of the premium lines out there, you can add some lessons to your budget or fill in a couple of other holes in your bag.

Play it or Trade it: 20 out of 20

Conclusion

In conclusion, I absolutely love these clubs. They look amazing, I am confident with them on the course, and I have seen appreciable gains in my approach play. I had a couple of early quibbles about the packaging and unboxing of these clubs, but that was easily surmounted by the experience I’ve had on the course. Can’t wait to break 80 for the first time with these things!

Final Tally: 91 out of 100

 

 

 

[GolfSpy TCB]

Hello Forum!

My full Introduction will come soon, but wanted to kick things off on the MacGregor MT 86 Iron Member Test thread by expressing how excited I am to put these beautiful irons in my bag.  I have had several iterations of MacGregor clubs roll through my bag over the years, and these appear to be another in a long line of clubs I will be proud to place in my bag.  

As I said, more to come about me and my experience with MacGregor's over the years, but briefly:

Tim Root

• MGS Forum Staff,
• Virtual Championship Tour Commissioner,
• Golf Enthusiast and
• Nice guy   

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest - I grew up in Yakima (Central Washington) and moved to Portland Metro (Vancouver Washington) for most of my adult life. 

Golf in the Pacific Northwest is AMAZING and I miss it every day.

I now live in Houston Texas (4 years running) with my wife Annette and our 5 children (Chandler, Connor, Cooper, Chase, and Cameron). 

Before you ask... none of them golf, but I can occasionally convince one or two to join me (with the lure of driving the cart)  

I play out of Willow Fork Country Club and post 100+ rounds a year USUALLY... however the past 6 months have kept my golfing addiction at bay with a series of personal and work priorities.  

But I'm now ready to RE-engage in my golf game, perfect timing... Summer in Houston! LOL

I am considering my MacGregor testing bag... and it just MAY include this baby... 

1. Will surely put the focus on the MT 86's by ensuring I have mid to long irons into greens, and 
2. Because it is a beautiful MacGregor that just needed an excuse to get back in play  

Ok, maybe not so briefly...  

Along with my Vintage Super Eye-O-Matic pictured above... I can think of no better time to bring out my 80's reissue Wingback Colokrom's.

Oh boy... this is going to be A BLAST!!!

Unboxing: 

A day earlier than expected - and on a SUNDAY no less.... 

July 5, 2023 Update:

I am having a blast with the MacGregor MT86 OS Irons.  I continue to find the feel of these irons their strength.  But consistency of distance and accuracy are no slouch.  I haven't done a lot of head to head testing yet, most of my "getting to know you" for these irons have been just getting them out on the course and putting them into play.  

Later this week, I will start my MT86 vs. testing... 

• Equivalent loft testing (trajectory & distance)
• Accuracy (Dispersion off center line)
• Feel (fairly subjective... but already noticed some obvious differences between the MT86 and my previous gamers)
• Off-center hits (heel and toe)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MacGregor MT86 OS Irons

Official MGS Forum Review by GolfSpy TCB

 

The Review:

Overview:

I was provided the opportunity to join 4 MGS Forum Members and test the MacGregor MT86 Irons.  I requested this test because I have a long personal history with MacGregor Golf equipment.  And when I first witnessed the promotional pictures of the MT86 Irons… test or not… I was going to have a set in my bag.

First… a history lesson (as if any of you don’t know this story)

The year was 1986.

The 1985 Season of the PGA Tour saw the likes of Curtis Strange, Lanny Wadkins and Mark O’Meara dominating the top of the leaderboards throughout the season.  Oh, and it should be noted that Bernhard Langer waltzed his way through Augusta to win the Green Jacket at the ’85 Masters. 

As 1986 started… the usual suspects from the prior year were positioning themselves in the weeks leading up to Masters April.  But Jack Nicklaus had something to say that week.  2 years since his last PGA Tour Victory, and 6 years since his last Major Championship Victory… at age 46… Jack put together one of the most memorable charges in Sunday Masters history.  After shooting 74 on Thursday, then 71 on Friday and 69 on Saturday…   Jack found himself four shots behind the leader Greg Norman – and names like Seve, Bernhard, Nakajima, Kite, Watson Lyle McCumber, Pavin and Tway all standing between him and the top spot.

Jack was true to his legend and posted an awe inspiring 65 (-7) on Sunday to leapfrog over everyone mentioned above, including Greg Norman- and winning the 1986 Masters by one stroke.  His 18th Career Major.

If you didn’t just say “YES SIR!!!” when you saw that picture…. Go watch the full broadcast of Sunday at the 1986 Masters.  You won’t be disappointed.

So WHY did I take you down memory lane????

Well… The new MacGregor Irons are a tribute to that incredible Masters win by the most notable of MacGregor Staffers ever to play the game of golf.  Mr. Jack Nicklaus and his amazing feat at the ’86 Masters…. Thus…

MacGregor MT86

Personal Preference and First Impressions:

Having a history with MacGregors, and a sentimental attachment… I was careful not to let that sway the results.  It was a difficult ask… especially as good as they look (more on this below).  But having moved away from my forged blades (MacGregor MT Pro-M and MT Pro-C; and Mizuno MP33, MP68 and Pro 221’s) over the past several years – to clubs with more assistance in the technology department (Titleist T-200, Taylormade Stealth, and Callaway Paradym) has given me a much better idea on how different irons perform with my swing.

Let me say that the ordering process was seamless, and the team at MacGregor had the clubs shipped out SAME DAY as the specs were delivered. 

Clubs came boxed and well padded for delivery (even with the delivery service tossing the box around in transit) – Clubs arrived pristine inside the box.

Removing each club from it’s bubble wrapped protection – the MacGregor name and the Wingback design was almost more than I could take.  They were screaming “PLAY ME NOW”!!

I was excited to receive the irons, and even more excited when I had them in my hands.

First Impressions???

My Score: 20.0 out of 20. 

 

Aesthetics: 

The MT86’s are visually stunning.  Everything they look In my opinion a perfect blend of the decades old legacy of MacGregor Irons, and new technology released by all the major OEM’s. 

Don’t believe me… check out this comparison between my Colokrom M85 and the MT86 OS 7 iron:

The visual appeal is a large part of whether I will play an iron or not.  And specifically… my visual appeal.  Another way to say it… offset and larger topline are ok… as long as they aren’t smacking me in the face.

Well – The MT86’s aren’t even whispering GI in my ear.  The top line isn’t overly thick and whatever amount of beef is there – is very well hidden by rounded edges and clever two-tone painting/etching. Similarly, if there is a significant offset to these irons, MacGregor does a great job in masking it giving the address position a look of a players club.

When compared to the traditional “Wingback” irons – the MT86 are decidedly less angular and feature confidence inspiring rounded edges, along with a large hitting area. 

But how do they compare to current iron models?

(Left to Right – TM Stealth, Titleist T-200, Callaway Paradym, MacGregor MT86)

 

The thing you can’t see in the pictures… is how the MT86 Sound and Feel.

There is a lot of subjectivity in sound and feel… having played forged blades for many years… I know what “butter” feels like.  I’m not here to tell you that the MacGregor MT86 Forged OS irons feel like a Mizuno Blade, or even the MacGregor Colokrom on a center strike… those are “butter”.  But I can tell you that the solid thud and the soft feel compared to the other irons in the picture above… is closer to a true solid forged iron than any of them are.  They sound satisfying, and they feel amazing.  Coming from the Paradyms that have a little “clickier” sound and feel (and not in a bad way… just not in a “soft” way) the first thing that I noticed when starting to test the MT86 irons was the soft feel and satisfying solid sound.  It instilled confidence from my from the beginning.

My Aesthetics Score: 10.0 out of 10

 

The Numbers

I decided to let my fellow testers pull out all the data in their test reviews… my interest for these irons was simple:

• Can I play these irons and be confident that I will play my best golf with them.
• Can I Dial in the distance for each iron and be consistent with the gapping
• Can I shoot at pins and expect to hold the line, or work the ball left or right
• How do they perform on off-center hits.

When compared to my previous gamers, the Callaway Paradyms, I found the MacGregors to be about ½ to 1 club shorter.  This may have something to do with lofts as the MacGregors and the Paradyms aren’t exactly lined up in that respect:

As you can see the MacGregor MT86 Irons across the board are 3 to 4 degrees weaker in loft.  So that supports my findings on distance performance between the two.  This isn’t a ‘negative’ or a ‘positive’… it is just relevant information needed when trying to gap your irons.  You may also note, that the difference between each iron within the set (for example from the 9 iron to the 8 iron) is also 3-4 degrees… further supporting the ~1 club difference in carry distance from set to set.

Once I understood, and adjusted to the slightly weaker lofts, I found the MacGregor MT86 irons to be quite easy to dial in from a distance perspective.  Additionally, I found the gapping from club to club was consistent, and could confidently use a 7-10 yard profile when gauging my carry distance. 

From an Accuracy perspective, I found that if anything I as leaving my approach shots a bit to the right – but that may have more to do with a different shaft profile between my MT86 and my gamers.  But this didn’t stop me from being able to shoot at pins, and have as much success with these test irons as I had with previous irons. 

Off-Center hits gave me the expected results… Toe and/or thin shots (my evident preference in hitting all irons) gave me about a 10 yard drop in distance, and the feedback on the hit was extremely good.  Where the MT86 irons excel in this category – the feedback is there, but it isn’t harsh.  There is no question when I missed the center of the club face – this is partially due to the tremendous feel these irons give when I do hit the center… but the off-center strikes are informative without feeling penalizing. 

Workability is there with these irons, but I find I do need to make a concerted effort to move the ball left or right on purpose.  Easier to work than the Paradym or Stealth, similar to the T200, but not as easy as traditional forgings of course.  My stock shot is a straight(ish), and if I need to I can move the ball left and right. With these irons, I can manufacture a hook or a slice easy enough… but that subtle fall to the left or right is a little more difficult – what I get is a straight shot left or right of my target line when I try little fades or draws.  That is probably a positive for these irons (especially the target demographic for the OS model).

Overall, I’m satisfied with the numbers, and as a personal preference on workability, I am deducting a point.  Also a ½ point for shots sometimes right of the target line… but nit picking as much as anything there.  There is nothing in the numbers that says these irons shouldn’t be G.I.R. machines.

My Numbers Score: 8.5 out of 10.

 

On the Course

The day I received my MacGregor MT86 OS Irons – June 25th, they went straight into my bag, and other than testing against my other irons shown above… They have been my Gamers over the last 6 weeks.  I feel it is an unfair assessment of these irons to look specifically at scoring.  I have been working on a few swing changes since the start of the year, and I haven’t played/practiced as much as I normally do – especially in the weeks leading up to putting the MT86’s in the bag.  But, there is value to see the scoring with these irons. 

I think it is important to note a few things based on the chart above.  I have played A LOT more in the time since receiving the MT86 irons than I did in the months leading up to them.  So the trend lines are misleading.  If you look at the score clusters… you can see that March/April is more indicative to the July/August timeframe.. and I would consider the scoring to be pretty consistent between the two.  External factors can also be applied.  The Houston Weather of 100+ degree temps to the right of the red line should not be forgotten, as well as the swing changes mentioned above.  All in all, I would say I’m scoring in an equivalent fashion with the MT86’s (especially if you remove that very forgettable day when I shot 90… which had nothing to do with the clubs, and everything to do with the operator ). 

All that said, I do feel a little more scattered from a scoring perspective when using these irons.  The true tale of the tape will be to play a few rounds with my previous gamers to see if scoring is different.  That is always the difficulty with testing clubs… we aren’t machines… our swings and our games can vary dramatically from day to day.  And to be honest, I don’t feel like I have my A game currently… but the MacGregors are holding their own in my bag, however – because I don’t feel “lights out” yet with these irons, I am going to deduct a few points in this category for some sporadic scoring and no evident improvement on round to round scoring.

My On The Course Score: 18.5 out of 20.

 

The Good, The Bad, The In-Between

I will start with the “The Bad” as this comment will segue into the Good:

The only thing I can say in a negative way about these MacGregor Irons is the Market Perception.  Since its heyday as a leader in Professional Quality Golf Equipment, MacGregor has struggled to maintain a position in the top of the pack against the emergence of the Big OEM’s and the aggressive marketing that comes along with it.  And since officially closing shop a few years back – and now re-emerging as a DTC brand, it will be difficult for MacGregor to get the recognition they deserve.  For this reason alone – I worry about the future of MacGregor in the mainstream of golf equipment.  A few points off due to Market Perception

“The In-Between”:

The hopefulness I have for MacGregor is that we are in a current environment where there are a multitude of better educated golfers that are seeking performance rather than status.  When I say better educated – I mean more golfers that understand you can’t go buy a golf game off the rack by committing to spend $4,000-$5,000 for a full bag setup.   Shout out to MyGolfSpy for leading that charge to create a more educated golf community (Shameless plug… www.mygolfspy.com / www.forum.mygolfspy.com ).  And one of the ways educated golf consumers can build a better game without dropping a mortgage payment – is by looking at quality DTC brands like MacGregor.   The MT86 Irons may not match every players needs, but they are every bit the iron in performance and quality as any other equivalent style club on the market – and I’ve played many of them myself.

"The Good":

I am just enamored by the look of these irons – especially when compared to my “old school” MacGregors

I don’t feel like I’m giving away any measurable performance by playing the MacGregor MT86 irons.  Easy to lock in distances, good gapping across the set, exceptional feel and sound resulting in confidence inspiring golf. 

My Good/Bad/In Between Score: 18.0 out of 20.

 

Play It or Trade It

The MacGregor MT86 OS Irons have earned a place in my bag.  So much so… that I’m considering purchasing the “blend” set of the Pro version in the PW-7 Irons.  I am really curious to see how the scoring clubs feel from a feel and accuracy standpoint.  But the OS model just look good and feel right in my hands.  They look like players clubs, they perform like game improvement irons, and they carry ample Mojo in the MacGregor Name and Tradition of Golf Equipment.  One point deduction because I have a few other sets that are of equal quality (Which is a huge positive comment to the MacGregors as they hold their own against my existing lineup).   But right now – they are in my bag, and I have no intent to pull them out this season.

My Play It or Trade It Score: 19.0 out of 20.

 

Conclusion

In summary,  The MacGregor MT85 OS Irons are a diamond in the rough.  That is interesting to say about a equipment manufacturing company that has been around longer than most or all of us have been alive.  As they crested the hill of popularity through the 1980’s – the brand started its decline, relegated to Big Box stores, House Brands, and ultimately somewhat obscurity.  But just as any company will do, blessed with a history of Professional Tour and Major Championship wins – they have re-invented themselves to a niche market as a Direct-To-Consumer brand.  Offering Competitive Quality and Performance with any equipment manufacture in the market today – and at a value price.  $799 for a full set of irons is unbeatable in today’s market.  That is ½ the price of some OEM models, and I would urge any amateur golfer to find even a fraction of performance trade-off for the price. 

The MacGregor MT86 Irons:

• Look Great
• Feel Smooth
• Sound Incredible
• Play Surprisingly Well,
• And saves enough money to add a wedge or two of your choice, and maybe even a putter.

A few nits and nats shaving a couple of points off the score…

• Unfortunately – no longer a “Name” brand in golf, so MacGregor is fighting a perception from the past 10-15 years
• Not a workable as a players iron… but really – should it be??
• Noted some inconsistency in accuracy… but we are talking just a yard or two right of target line on occasion
• Funny to say… but these irons don’t specifically out perform other irons in the same category (but they match performance at a lower price tag)

All that said… I leave you with one final image:

My Final Score:

 

[ZJeb67]

Hi All,  Thanks MGS! Huge thanks to @Hook DeLoft for putting these back out to test and for getting them shipped to me. Thrilled to be selected as a re-tester. I mean, it's not a red ryder BB gun, but definitely more appropriate for my age group. I'm going to throw some movie quotes in the intro if anyone wants to pick that up.

Haven't golfed much since learning as an adult, but now the kids are grown and mostly off the payroll. I've really got hooked this year, and even bought a launch monitor for the patio sim. I'm at at 25 handicap playing with a Costco Callaway Edge set, Kirkland wedges, Costco bag, Kirkland glove, and Kirkland balls. Shoot, a fella' could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.  The question is, can I hit clubs not sold at my local wholesale warehouse?

Disclaimer: I am not a paid Costco shill, but I am a part owner.  At least 0.000000011% of the company, so I got that goin’ for me, which is nice.

As I test these, I really want to see if I'm more accurate and if I get any extra distance. All the while remembering not to think of it as work. The whole point is just to enjoy yourself. To get more than the budget golfer hacker point of view, I've enlisted my brother in law (low handicap) and nephew (all around athlete) to try the irons as well. For a visual, imagine the some of the Fantasic Four.  Bro-law - Mr. Fantastic, Nephew - Human Torch, me - The Thing (not the most graceful on the course, but improving). A man's got to know his limitations. 

More to come in the following weeks. Light snow coming down today in South East Michigan. The heated driving range will be welcome.  Hasta la vista!

Update on the First day of Winter
Received the clubs on Tuesday (expected them on Monday, C’mon USPS!)  Immediately got them out on the patio sim for 18 holes of only iron shots.


Playing the 18 with a 5 iron being the longest club gave me a lot of practice.

Today I was able to get out for a quick 9 (or 14) at my local course.  It took a little time to get used to playing off somewhat soggy ground as I’m used to practicing off the mat. 

The irons have not disappointed and I hit the green on both short par 3’s (and birdied neither)

I’m still getting used to hitting the irons and winter golf in Michigan isn’t quite ideal conditions.  Next step will be the heated bays at the local driving range.  I’ll be using the SC4 launch monitor to get Science!

Update:
December 28th, high 40s, lots of rain

Local driving range with heated bays is closed between the holidays!  C'mon man!

Luckily Carl's Golfland is within 15 miles.  Despite the cool temps and driving rain, their range was packed.
Got the Bro law, nephew and myself out hitting on the range with the SC4 Launch monitor.

Nephew was absolutely crushing the 6 iron.  Ah, to be young again.
Bro Law had his usual smooth, consistent and television worthy swing.
I couldn't match the distances, but continue to hit them longer than any previous 6 iron.

Update:

December 29th, 41 degrees and overcast. Soggy course from all day rain on the 28th. 

Out to the course for a quick 9 before celebrating the 33rd wedding anniversary (no time off for good behavior)

Still hitting the  Macgregor irons longer than my usual Callaway Edge irons despite the standing water in the course.  Even a soggy day on the course is a good day

Update 30Dec2023

Got out again for 9 (OK, I played 14 holes as the course was near empty)

36 degrees, overcast, golf grounds mostly swamp like, but I'm determined to keep playing until snow or she who must be obeyed puts a kibosh on the season. 

Hit the 5 iron to the front of the Donald Ross designed par 4 15th hole in regulation. 

Then followed with the 5 iron on the green at the par 3 16th. 

Really starting to get a good feel for the irons despite layers of t-shirt, heated vest, hoodie, and wind proof outer shell.  Had the armpit vents open halfway, but after walking 14 holes, full venting might have been the more judicious option. #Steamed

Update 8Jan2024  It's a new year and the MacGregor Irons are getting a lot of work on the backyard sim.  36 holes on Sunday and another 36 tonight.  33 degrees, big winter storm coming, this might be the last backyard sim round for a bit.  Bought right hand Kirkland gloves just to go along with the left glove to keep the fingers as nimble as possible at almost freezing.

Hit the 7 Iron to 2 feet on the 17th handicap par 3, 3rd hole for a birdie.

 

If the snow decides to be rain instead, my next quest is to play one par 3 hole exclusively and take some chances on a hole in one.
 

The (winter re-test) Review - 8Jan2024

MacGregor MT-86 OS Irons (5-PW) – Official MGS Forum Review by ZJeb67

First Impressions  (20 out of 20)

Sleek! Shiny! Throwback look!  Arrived just before Christmas and while not ideal for outdoor play in Michigan, couldn't have been more excited to try them out.

Aesthetics (10 out of 10) 

Per MacGregor:
“We were clear that we wanted to respect and honor the aesthetics and clean lines of the original”
“explosive impact for penetrating shots”
“The head is filled with a proprietary polymer which gives that buttery soft feel you know and love, while also improving acoustics for a satisfying sound.”

I agree the clubs are quite eye pleasing.  While there weren’t many other Michigan golfers out in late December, I am looking forward to my league this year and telling the MGS story.  The bro-law was quite impressed with the look similar to the clubs of yore.

I don’t know about explosive impact, but I do hit them farther than my previous irons and that is huge for me and my game.

It was hard to listen for acoustics when the ambient temp for my testing was low 30s to mid 40s and hats were in play.

The Numbers (10 out of 10)

I found the irons to be accurate with better distance than I’m usually hit.
I played 3 outdoor 9+ holes rounds on a local course in cold, wet and soggy conditions.

I’m planning on getting to a warm weather location this winter to try the clubs in a warm and inviting locale. 

I got 18 rounds of 18 holes on the sim at Aviara in Carlsbad, CA.

Am I a good enough golfer to shape shots with these irons or any other?  No, not yet, but hope springs eternal.

On-Course (18 out of 20)

I’ve used these clubs on my league course and scored better in December than all my league summer scores. 

My 9 hole average was 3 strokes better than my best league month.
Is the added distance due to the ½” longer shafts?  Maybe, all I know is I get longer distance, and the same accuracy as my previous irons.

The Good, the bad, the in-between (17 out of 20)

By far, the best for me is increased distance of 5-12 yards per club and equal accuracy. The distance was great on the soggy December course where any shot had 0 roll out. The Lamkin grips were great in the cold temps. I expect they'll be just as great in the warm summer months.

Play it or Trade it? (17 out of 20)

I am absolutely playing these clubs and that’s big for someone who is all Costco all the time. I do consider myself a budget golfer so the price is a bit more than I like.  However, my Scrooge like frugality frequently leads to a false economy of worse play due to lesser clubs.  (There’s probably a lesson I could learn there. . .)

I do plan on going for a professional fitting at some point in 2024 to see what ideal irons would be and how they compare to the MacGregors.

Conclusion

Can't thank MGS and @Hook DeLoft for the re-test opportunity.  Wouldn't have believed it if someone would have told me I'd get in almost 20 rounds of golf the first 3 weeks of winter.  Between the irons and all the practice my handicap has gone from 25 to 17.5 (maybe there's something to this practice stuff they speak of)

Final Score (92 out of 100)

 

 

Edited January 12 by ZJeb67
12Jan2024 update picture sizes

[MattF]

Congratulations all, especially @DiscipleofPenick. Can't wait to see them in action at Windmill.

[russtopherb]

Congrats all! Looking forward to your reviews. 

[Peaksy68]

Congrats testing crew. Hope they play as good as they look

[DiscipleofPenick]

Thanks all! And thank you MGS, this should be a really great test. My first set of irons were MacGregor Muirfield 20th Anny. They still out in the garage, maybe I'll bring them out for a little old vs. new comparison

 

[Daniel Carrier]

Congratulations to all! Will read with interest. Nostalgia!

[GolfSpy TCB]

What a great group of testers, I am honored to be testing right along side them.  I have been drooling over these irons since they were announced and I am so thrilled to have the MacGregor legacy back in the golf landscape.  Thanks to MGS and to MacGregor for this opportunity to test!!

[sandbagger54]

Looking forward to these reviews and congrats to the 4 lucky reviewers.

[ParFore74x]

Congrats testers! Great looking clubs, looking forward to your thoughts. 

[IndyBonzo]

Congratulations Testers!  Enjoy these beauties!!

[dmanref]

Congrats. It will be interesting to see results. Still have a McGregor sand wedge that I use 

[rkj427]

Congrats. to the testers chosen for these irons.

Really looking forward to he comments and reviews, especially for the Pro irons.

 

[Willie T]

2 hours ago, GolfSpy TCB said:

Testers Announced!

Welcome to the Official Testing Thread for the MacGregor MT86 Irons!

We can trace our roots all the way back to 1829, with the founders of the company, a pair of English immigrants and expert woodworkers, opening a factory in Dayton OH.

The company initially started as a producer of hand carved wooden shoe lasts, pioneering a new lathe-based technique for producing lasts faster and more accurately than anyone around.

From 1875 to 1897, the company began a transformation. Two new partners were brought on; John McGregor, an expat from St Andrews, Scotland and a die-hard golfer, as well as Edward Canby, who soon became obsessed with the game.

In 1897, the partnership began the manufacture of traditional golf shafts and clubs, one of America's very first club manufacturers.

MacGregor clubs proved popular with both professionals and amateurs alike, with hundreds of thousands of clubs being sold around the world.

The company emerged from the Great Depression with new ownership and management, who sought the services of the legendary Tommy Armour, who in turn brought his assistant Toney Penna, and tour pros Jimmy Demaret, Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan. This was a formidable team; during the 1950s, MacGregor was the number one club and ball on tour. 

A period of innovation and growth followed which led the company to its most iconic partnership with Jack Nicklaus. Besides dominating on the course, Mr. Nicklaus was heavily involved with the management and direction of the company, and even ended up owning the company and bringing stability after a period of mismanagement. 

Please welcome and Congratulate our Testers! Including Special Guest @GolfSpy TCB

Testing the MacGregor Pro
@DiscipleofPenick
@wely324

Testing the MacGregor OS
@Hook DeLoft
@SpencerKelly

Congrats to those chosen.  Will be great to hear how these irons perform, have always had a soft spot for MacGregor (the old Mike Souchak irons still have a place in the stable) - let’s see how the crew compares old school to new!  

[DisVet1]

Congratulations guys, looking forward to your views of the irons!

[Griffgotgame]

Way to go guys! Hit and test them well!

[Q22Golf]

Have fun!!

[Caddie1966]

Congratulations you lucky dogs.  Those are some sweet sticks. I will follow your progress with them.

[NickyBobby]

Can’t wait to see the testers set ups and reviews!

[MacTourney]

Reading glasses cleaned, bring it forth boys, but I'll review in stealth mode so my other Macs don't get upset.   

[cojobro77]

Congatulations! Happy testing!

[CFreddie]

Huge congrats to these testers!!! Can’t wait to read these reviews!

[gajrsports]

Enjoy and hope they are the best!

[BKervin]

Congratulations Spy Testers!  Now the fun begins!

[GolfSpy_KFT]

Looks like a great group of testers! Looking forward to reading the reviews on the revival of a classic brand!