MacGregor MT86 Irons - 2023 Forum Review

[DoubleBogeyDad]

Still looks like Tuesday for me, but they've made it at least as far as Nebraska. In the Midwest, only a couple states to go!

 

[DiscipleofPenick]

I am also expected to receive mine tomorrow as well. FedEx says they're currently in Richland, MO.

[DoubleBogeyDad]

In Iowa now, only one state away!

[GolfSpy TCB]

I gave my MT86 OS a mini workout last night on my home range... and I have 2 words...

FEELS GOOOOOD!

[OdinSnipes414]

very interested to see how these work. say goodbye to all the old MacGregor clubs in the Goodwill golf isle 

[GolfSpy TCB]

Completing some preliminary information gathering for my testing process.  I have several sets I will be testing against the MT86 OS.  I included the MT86 Pro in my chart for reference (though I won't be testing them personally... however a few other testers are).  Of course... Loft is only a part of the story... GI enhancements and weight placement also play a role... but a starting point none-the-less.  

It is interesting to me that the loft spacing between manufacturers spread out - especially in the low/mid irons.  And how they become tighter in loft by the time you get back to the PW.  

I will do my best to see how much those lofts matter with actual ball flight (and results in carry and distance).  

 

[Hook DeLoft]

[wely324]

Just got home from Cape May for a long weekend at the beach with the family and came home to a MacGregor box waiting at the door for me. Not sure if I’ll be able to try them out today, the kid threw up in the car on the way home and it’s also pouring rain, but I’ll definitely try to update my post later with pics and maybe a few swings on the GC3 if it stops raining!

[Hook DeLoft]

Just added an update with pics of the irons.

[GolfSpy_BEN]

38 minutes ago, Hook DeLoft said:

Just added an update with pics of the irons.

Ohh, so pretty  

[DoubleBogeyDad]

Very jealous! Mine have arrived in Minnesota. So close!

[Caddie1966]

On 6/22/2023 at 7:42 AM, GolfSpy TCB said:

Get to know the MacGregor MT86 Testers!!  Follow the links below to see introductions:

MacGregor MT86 Pro Testers
@DiscipleofPenick: TESTING POST
@wely324: TESTING POST

MacGregor MT86 OS Testers
@Hook DeLoft: TESTING POST
@DoubleBogeyDad: TESTING POST

@GolfSpy TCB: TESTING POST (*Forum Staff Tester)

Great opportunity spies.  Looking forward to following your testing. McGregorTourneys were all the rage when I was a teenager. 

[Swood1994]

Very late to this testing thread but for starters the reviews so far are great reads, looking forward to the rest! And second, these irons are gorgeous . Glad to see they get the classic styling while adding some modern touches. You can tell they have that soul of the old MacGregor blades. 

[wely324]

 

[GolfSpy_BEN]

19 minutes ago, wely324 said:

 

So Fresh and So Clean, Clean!

[JustinKendle]

Looking forward to see the reviews on these irons!

[DoubleBogeyDad]

They're here! 

Will get some unboxing photos up later today.

[DoubleBogeyDad]

Couple of early photos. They are really sharp. Particularly enjoy the clean lines of the back.

[Torden Golf]

13 minutes ago, DoubleBogeyDad said:

Couple of early photos. They are really sharp. Particularly enjoy the clean lines of the back.

Quite a thick top line?

[Hook DeLoft]

I just added an update. 

[DoubleBogeyDad]

 @Torden Golf I have the OS (Oversized) model so the topline is about what I expected. It's a little trimmer, maybe 1/32"-1/16" than my Callaway Apex CF16s. I would expect the Pros to have a thinner topline.

Here are the 4i next to each other, MacGregor on the left.

[DoubleBogeyDad]

Since I couldn't hit these today, thought I'd do a quick comparison of Loft and Offset between my existing gamers, the Callaway Apex CF16s and the MT86 OS. I tossed in the MT 86 Pro while I was at it. Lofts and offsets come from the respective manufacturer's website, and I've converted the Callaway offset from inches to millimeters.

Compared to my CF16s, the MT86 OS set is 0.5 degrees stronger on 4i-7i, the same loft on the 8i, and 1.0 degree stronger on the 9i and PW. The MT 86 Pro was weaker than both on everything except the CF16 PW. The Pros ranged anywhere from 1.0 to 2.5 degrees weaker than the MT86 OS.

On the offset side, things were a bit more consistent. The CF16s have 0.5mm to 08.mm more offset than the MT86 OS depending on the club, and the Pros have 0.2mm to 1.2mm less than the OS.

Here is a visual with all three models:

 

Edited June 29, 2023 by DoubleBogeyDad
Clarify source data, brain fart on lofts. No stats after 11pm :)

[sirchunksalot]

On 6/26/2023 at 8:57 PM, wely324 said:

 

That's quite the seductive music you chose and I can see why...those clubs are sexy!

[DoubleBogeyDad]

Got some range work in before my Scramble today. Saw enough to game these today! Won't be able to dig into the data until tomorrow, but anecdotally the distance was about the same and the dispersion was a little tighter.

TopTracer range

In the bag!

Me!

[Hook DeLoft]

Just updated the review post with loft and lie measurements. 

[DiscipleofPenick]

These showed up Tuesday and I went straight to the course with them Wednesday morning. I'll provide more details and photos in my First Impressions post, but I can give the the quick rundown here.

-These club look gorgeous. Didn't realize how much I missed a chrome muscleback design

-It took me till #11 to hit a good one, but then I hit all good ones the rest of the day

-They felt great, good contact and can still feel a mishit but without the sting of a players iron. The ball likes to go straight.

[wely324]

Like some of the other testers have noted, on the hosel next to the ferrule the finish looks faded. It seems to be a thin layer of dried epoxy, on my 6 iron i was able to rub it off with my thumb. 
 

edit: to add I checked the lies and lofts of a few irons and they all seem to be on spec or a half degree strong. I did note the lengths are 1/4 longer than my miuras, the 6 iron is 37.75. Not sure if that’s the different grip but they also swingweight about a 1-2 points heavier as well.

 

[wely324]

I was able to get out on my BLP/GC3 with a 6 iron to collect some data. I’ll have to collect some data with my miuras as well but these seem to be a few yards longer, with a few jumpers here and there that really jump off the face. Overall very impressed with the performance, removing 2 outlier mishits, my average carry was about 194, with 6000+ spin. I don’t see any problem holding greens with these. Slight concern with the few shots that carried 199, that could be concerning if they have a hot spot. 

 

[DoubleBogeyDad]

Realized I had a brain fart looking at lofts between my current Apex, the MT86OS, and the Pros. 

MT86 OS are consistently stronger than both. Updated my earlier post to reflect.

No more stats after 11pm

[sirchunksalot]

58 minutes ago, DoubleBogeyDad said:

Realized I had a brain fart looking at lofts between my current Apex, the MT86OS, and the Pros. 

MT86 OS are consistently stronger than both. Updated my earlier post to reflect.

No more stats after 11pm

Late nights and early mornings can be some interesting times to post. The brain is either waking up or shutting down and things can get a little crazy. 

You guys are killing it so far! Those irons look so good and I can't wait to see how they perform after a couple of rounds.