MacGregor MT86 Irons - 2023 Forum Review

[DoubleBogeyDad]

I ended up adding 50, 54, 60

[DoubleBogeyDad]

Added some initial dispersion data from my Trackman and Top Tracer range sessions. Check it out here:

 

 

[DiscipleofPenick]

On 7/20/2023 at 12:55 PM, Hook DeLoft said:

Yep.  With the Macs, I go from a 44 degree pitching wedge to a 54 degree sand wedge. 

Same I now have a 6 degree gap between my Mac PW and my Vokey 50*

[DiscipleofPenick]

On 7/10/2023 at 2:34 PM, wely324 said:

Like mentioned by DoP, these are players irons but more so a G.I. players iron. The stronger loft and hollow head are producing longer carry distances for me. I’d say they are similar to a p770. They feel more forgiving than a t100, definitely produce a higher flight but that could also be difference in shafts to me. More testing to come.

What's odd is that so far I have not gained any distance even though they are two degrees stronger than my previous set.

[Hook DeLoft]

1 hour ago, DiscipleofPenick said:

What's odd is that so far I have not gained any distance even though they are two degrees stronger than my previous set.

Could it be spin?

[DiscipleofPenick]

1 hour ago, Hook DeLoft said:

Could it be spin?

It would need to be thousands of RPMs more to reduce distance. It could just be that even though they are lower loft, the higher launch of the KBS shaft cancels that out. Also, it has been very humid most of the rounds I've played which is also going to reduce carry distance. And I'm not really hitting them pure yet, so I've got to keep working on that.

[GolfSpy TCB]

1 minute ago, DiscipleofPenick said:

And I'm not really hitting them pure yet, so I've got to keep working on that.

I'm in this boat as well.  Not the club's fault... and why I am hesitating to add updates.... yet... 

While there is important information that can be shared on offcenter hits (I'm in a cycle of missing everything on the toe currently) and there is value in understanding that performance... I owe it to these clubs to find the sweet spot more often than I currently am.  

[DiscipleofPenick]

19 hours ago, GolfSpy TCB said:

I'm in this boat as well.  Not the club's fault... and why I am hesitating to add updates.... yet... 

While there is important information that can be shared on offcenter hits (I'm in a cycle of missing everything on the toe currently) and there is value in understanding that performance... I owe it to these clubs to find the sweet spot more often than I currently am.  

Totally agree, and the wear pattern on my 714s feels bad for me. And as far as the distance goes, it's not like I was expecting a big jump in yardage, but I figured being close to a decade newer and stronger lofts, I'd pick up 5 yards or so...maybe half a club tops. Just not the case yet. 

[Hook DeLoft]

Just posted my final review.

[wely324]

collecting some data to finish up the review!

[Emag315]

Those look nice!

[GolfSpy TCB]

MacGregor MT86 OS Irons 

Final Review by GolfSpy TCB

Is Now Up...

>>>>Click Here<<<<

[rkj427]

On 8/2/2023 at 12:16 PM, Hook DeLoft said:

Just posted my final review.

 

46 minutes ago, GolfSpy TCB said:

MacGregor MT86 OS Irons 

Final Review by GolfSpy TCB

Is Now Up...

>>>>Click Here<<<<

 

 

Awesome reviews, fully detailed to make certain that anyone with any questions would be able to find the answer by reading these.  

[DoubleBogeyDad]

Updated with my final review! Check it out here:

 

[wely324]

Final Review is up, check it out here!!

[Emag315]

On 6/20/2023 at 5:15 AM, DiscipleofPenick said:

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. 

Thanks for all the info. I am a 13 handicapper so not sure if this info will help me but it is nice to learn the stuff you low handicappers dig into for improvement. I will get a fitting and go from there. 

[DoubleBogeyDad]

@Emag315 I'm a 14 handicap, and I've learned a bunch in the forum testing from all different folks. Something here for everyone.

[frazzman80]

Thanks all! Appreciate the breakdowns and the perspectives from all the testers! Chalk up another option to consider for iron replacements!

[MaxEntropy]

Well done, everyone!

On 6/20/2023 at 5:15 AM, DiscipleofPenick said:

Need to work on getting wedges closer, but new irons aren’t going to change that.

Maybe if you had some better wedges, like Clevelands or Sub70's....  

In all seriousness, something about Vokeys don't work for me and I have no clue what it is.

 

[GolfSpy BOS]

A fine set of review for a lovely set of irons!  Nice work all, lots of details and numbers to through there, but it was the pictures of them that we're my favorite part.

 

@GolfSpy TCB loved the photos of the OG blades with the new models, they did an awesome job capturing the essence of the MacGregor irons while bringing them to more forgiving package.

Based on how well you all like them I hope to see them gain some success and hopefully they'll be able to expand their custom build options as I saw that was noted as a weakness right now.

 

[Noland]

My first driver and three wood were Macgregor.  I think my parents still have them somewhere at their house 

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Question for @wely324 @DoubleBogeyDad @DiscipleofPenick @Hook DeLoft

 

Now that you guys are 3 or so months removed from testing, are you still playing the irons? If so, how have they performed for you this season and do you plan to keep them in the bag for next season?

[wely324]

53 minutes ago, Ben Joest said:

Question for @wely324 @DoubleBogeyDad @DiscipleofPenick @Hook DeLoft

 

Now that you guys are 3 or so months removed from testing, are you still playing the irons? If so, how have they performed for you this season and do you plan to keep them in the bag for next season?

I’m headed to Florida next week and bringing them with me. As for next year, I’m not sure but I am a gear junkie so no club is safe!

[Hook DeLoft]

5 hours ago, Ben Joest said:

Question for @wely324 @DoubleBogeyDad @DiscipleofPenick @Hook DeLoft

 

Now that you guys are 3 or so months removed from testing, are you still playing the irons? If so, how have they performed for you this season and do you plan to keep them in the bag for next season?

I have been rotating between the Macs and Mizuno JPX 923 HLs.  I like both, so , why not?  Well, common sense would tell you that always playing with the same set of irons would result in becoming intimate with their strengths and weaknesses and thus lead to lower scores.  However, I've never been accused of having much common sense.

[DiscipleofPenick]

19 hours ago, Ben Joest said:

Question for @wely324 @DoubleBogeyDad @DiscipleofPenick @Hook DeLoft

 

Now that you guys are 3 or so months removed from testing, are you still playing the irons? If so, how have they performed for you this season and do you plan to keep them in the bag for next season?

Yep, these irons have stayed in my bag. I hit them the same distance as my previous set of Titleist CBs, which I like because I don't have to change anything else in my bag to adjust for yardage gaps. Also, I hit them higher with the KBS shafts, and they are far more forgiving than the CBs as well. So I am happy with these clubs and will keep them in the bag for next year as well. 

[DoubleBogeyDad]

I'll be keeping these in play as well. I added in the MT86 Pro PW and 9i to blend in with the OS at the bottom end. Should be arriving soon after a spam folder mixup with the initial order. Hopefully get those in play for what's likely my last outdoor round of the year next Saturday.

[GolfSpy_APH]

Given the black Friday deal of 15% off (Use code bfcm15) how many of you as testers would take advantage of this deal if you had not been given these irons to test?

[Hook DeLoft]

2 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Given the black Friday deal of 15% off (Use code bfcm15) how many of you as testers would take advantage of this deal if you had not been given these irons to test?

If I was in the market for irons I absolutely would take advantage of the sale. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

Congrats to @ZJeb67 for being the selection for the re-test on the MacGregor MT86 OS irons. Really excited to have you try these and see how they perform for you!

[Josh Parker]

Congrats @ZJeb67!

Look forward to seeing how they work for you.