New Level 480 Irons - 2024 Forum Review

[HikingMike]

I just read through the thread, coming here for the first time. Great job everyone. And those are some good looking clubs.

I have a question or musing or spitball. Maybe we won't really have answers, I don't know. Please let me know what you guys think. Sorry for the long read.  

It seems like these New Levels have a cavity back design that is more true to what a cavity back should be, compared to a lot of other irons out there now. And I would definitely welcome anyone knowledgeable in club design to chime in.

I see a lot of "cavity back" and "muscle back" or "muscle cavity" clubs and there is a meaty hunk of metal in the middle. That weight would lead to a strong strike when you hit the ball there I guess. But doesn't it somewhat defeat the purpose of a cavity back? In a CB, with the weight spread more around the edges, that would lead to a more gradual dropoff in the "intensity" of the "sweet spot"... therefore resulting in better distance dispersion, better forgiveness. Is that correct? And a muscle back with a hunk of weight in the middle would have a more concentrated sweet spot, but a bigger dropoff of the sweet spot as you move toward the perimeter of the clubface. Now if they are also perimeter weighted, then why the weight in the middle? That might cause your best strikes to go farther than expected. Also, the smooth lines rather than squared off corners may also smooth sweet spot variability. Squared off corners would seem to me to introduce sweet spot complexity. 

Now this may affect left/right dispersion to a minor degree as well. But I don't know the nuances of that. I just know I've heard that the clubface angle is what determines the vast majority of the ball's left/right flight. So I'll leave that for now.

As for hollow head clubs - those would be even more perimeter weighted, so even more cavity back concept than cavity back.

I realize we are talking about irons, and the dispersions we get from different shapes in heads probably isn't all that different, at least compared to how accurately most of us hit it. We aren't robots.

All that said, I do also see the screw in the center on these New Levels. Do we know is that a heavier/denser weight than the surrounding material? If it's significantly heavier, it could be a muscle-back kind of thing also. And if so, what is the rationale there? There may be an advantage to having the very smooth cavity, but still with a weight placement in the bottom of the cavity.

Does New Level marketing content talk about any of this stuff? I did see this on their website, but I'm not quite sure how to read it. 

Quote

Born from the platform of our award & championship winning 623-CB, the new 480-TC includes a weight port added to the cavity at an angle, bringing more mass, closer to the face. This effectively enhances the sweet spot and enables the ability to add balanced perimeter weighting for the ultimate balance of control and forgiveness: All while touting New Level's legendary forged feel.

So they use that to put a chunk of denser material closer to the face. What can that accomplish as an alternative to just having that same mass spread out in the cavity perimeter? In woods, it would reduce spin, right? Is it a big enough heavy chunk that it effectively creates the same effect of a muscle cavity design? Any other thoughts or guesses for that? 

[Josh Ross]

Interesting questions, @HikingMike. Most of my club design expertise comes in the wedge category. I know often times that the extra mass that isn't perimeter weighted is to control where the CG is. The CG directly relates to gear effect and launch/spin characteristics which also affects the forgiveness of the club. So putting that mass in a certain spot instead of distributing all of it around the perimeter definitely changes the entire design. 

[Josh Ross]

Also, if anyone else had any questions or certain things they want to see please let us know! 

I'm going to the launch monitor Sunday, can't wait to finally get the data to back up what I'm seeing on course.

[CSiders12]

On 8/29/2024 at 9:10 PM, Erin B said:

Next year, my 902PDs are still young!

I am excited to see how they hold up over the full golf season next year. 

[CSiders12]

17 hours ago, cksurfdude said:

I'm tempted. May go in on a 7i demo... 

I love that DTC companies have started demo programs. I don't know why every company wouldn't have a demo program. A great way to get consumers' hands-on products without having to commit to a large purchase price. 

[Shrek74]

8 hours ago, Josh Ross said:

Also, if anyone else had any questions or certain things they want to see please let us know! 

I'm going to the launch monitor Sunday, can't wait to finally get the data to back up what I'm seeing on course.

I'm interested in seeing comparison numbers for ball speed, club speed, smash, carry, aoa, and spin. With their lofts more on the weaker side, I'm curious how that affects these.

[Lefty11]

Direct-to-consumer brands have always intrigued me. I’m curious to see how their products stack up against others.

[Mr. Mushball]

1 hour ago, Shrek74 said:

I'm interested in seeing comparison numbers for ball speed, club speed, smash, carry, aoa, and spin. With their lofts more on the weaker side, I'm curious how that affects these.

I'm going to get some numbers for the 480-DBs sometime next week after the holiday.  Work trip and the littlest not having daycare for their summer break has kept me from booking a session this last week.

I can confirm what I've seen on the course and what @Owengeorge13 posted earlier from his MLM testing with these clubs shows.  My unrecorded LM data comes from my last lesson where we put the numbers up to see what was going on. 

I was hitting my 9, though not terribly well.  On good hits (not straight pushes) I was landing within a few yard both front/back and left/right dispersion.  Nice big red spot on the heat map.  My misses were a straight push, and went pretty much the same distance, with just a few degrees dispersion right, maybe 10 yards off center.

Launch angle was a bit high, maybe 25-30°.  Spin rates were good, with the poorer strikes down around 5K RPM.  Got one strike that was around 8k, but that was the high launch 30° strike, so I probably slipped under the ball a bit.  Decent angle looked ok at 44°.  

I'll be interested to get a real table and some dispersion maps.  I'm expecting the results to be consistent through the range with these heads and the Modus shafts.  Also, putting them up head to head to the Rouge ST MAX would be interesting, even though they are a different style of iron.

[CSiders12]

Good evening! 

I went out and played 18 holes today with my wife and her family. These clubs just can't seem to miss at all and every time I play with them, I like them a little bit more. The long irons in the TC set are simply incredible. I have never had 4 and 5 irons perform better than these have performed. 

 

This shot was with the 4-iron from 207 yards out and landed on the green, stopped dead in its tracks, and spun back about 6 inches. Although the conditions were soft today, creating that much spin with a 4 iron is incredible. This provides me with so much confidence when I pull the clubs out as I can hit straight for the green and know that the ball is going to stop. Continually impressed with how these are performing. 

 

[Lefty11]

11 hours ago, CSiders12 said:

Good evening! 

I went out and played 18 holes today with my wife and her family. These clubs just can't seem to miss at all and every time I play with them, I like them a little bit more. The long irons in the TC set are simply incredible. I have never had 4 and 5 irons perform better than these have performed. 

 

This shot was with the 4-iron from 207 yards out and landed on the green, stopped dead in its tracks, and spun back about 6 inches. Although the conditions were soft today, creating that much spin with a 4 iron is incredible. This provides me with so much confidence when I pull the clubs out as I can hit straight for the green and know that the ball is going to stop. Continually impressed with how these are performing. 

 

Great shooting @CSiders12 ! It’s great to hear that you're enjoying the clubs.

[Old New Golfer]

I don’t know if I should muck up this thread with my input. This is for official reviewers. 
Took only two days to receive my clubs. I have to wait till Tuesday to get them from my mailbox service. Then need to be back in my truck mid afternoon. 
I couldn’t add much anyways. Swing hardly together yet. Also will be tuning these up with different shafts once I do get swing together. Get a fitting. 
I could criticize how I like them or not. 

[Owengeorge13]

8 minutes ago, Old New Golfer said:

I don’t know if I should muck up this thread with my input. This is for official reviewers. 
Took only two days to receive my clubs. I have to wait till Tuesday to get them from my mailbox service. Then need to be back in my truck mid afternoon. 
I couldn’t add much anyways. Swing hardly together yet. Also will be tuning these up with different shafts once I do get swing together. Get a fitting. 
I could criticize how I like them or not. 

What set did you order?

[Old New Golfer]

9 minutes ago, Owengeorge13 said:

What set did you order?

The TC’s. Also two wedges 61, and 54

[ManBeard]

On 8/31/2024 at 9:04 PM, CSiders12 said:

Good evening! 

I went out and played 18 holes today with my wife and her family. These clubs just can't seem to miss at all and every time I play with them, I like them a little bit more. The long irons in the TC set are simply incredible. I have never had 4 and 5 irons perform better than these have performed. 

 

This shot was with the 4-iron from 207 yards out and landed on the green, stopped dead in its tracks, and spun back about 6 inches. Although the conditions were soft today, creating that much spin with a 4 iron is incredible. This provides me with so much confidence when I pull the clubs out as I can hit straight for the green and know that the ball is going to stop. Continually impressed with how these are performing. 

 

Is there anyway you could post some pictures of them? I went back through the posts, and unless I'm mistaken ( highly possible ) I don't see any? 

[Mr. Mushball]

6 hours ago, ManBeard said:

Is there anyway you could post some pictures of them? I went back through the posts, and unless I'm mistaken ( highly possible ) I don't see any? 

Yes, some TC shots would be good.  I think I can do a better job of getting some DB photos posted.

From what I can tell from the NL website, the TC and the DB have a similar look, with the TC having a bit smaller head profile (unconfirmed) and the cavity weighting going up a bit more towards the center of the club.  This would be consistent with moving more towards a muscle back build, but with the help of the weighted cavity.  I expect that this would lead to a bit less forgiveness with better distance out of the sweet spot. 

Side note, a guy I got paired up with today said to me on the first hole, "Sweet looking club there, what are those?".   I've had someone say something to me each time I've been out.  These are lookers.  Never had a girlfriend quite like this, but I'm not jealous.  I'm glad they're by my side.

[Josh Ross]

8 hours ago, ManBeard said:

Is there anyway you could post some pictures of them? I went back through the posts, and unless I'm mistaken ( highly possible ) I don't see any? 

There are posts from me and @CSiders12 on August 14th with quite a few pictures of the TC's but I'll post mine here too. I've got a long day planned with family today but had a good launch monitor session late yesterday evening and I'm turning my data into graphics to get posted for you guys. I'll have plenty more pictures as well!

Sole comparison (480-TC on the left, Srixon ZX7 on the right)

[ClarkWGriswoldIII]

Back out on the course today with the DBs.  It was clear but cooler this morning, starting around 57-58 degrees and finishing around 68.

The ground conditions were a little softer today and I really noticed how approach shots were stopping quickly.  I'm still getting used to the 5, 6 and 7 iron distances being about a half club shorter than my Mizunos, but when struck well the distances are very consistent from shot to shot.  When I missed one today it seemed to be towards the toe and these "misses" still had a decent ball flight and distance.  I also had to shape a couple of shots today and this worked out well.

New Level touts the the angled weight port near the face brings promotes stability and a larger sweet spot.  At this point, I would say that holds true.  I also continue to be impressed with the looks of the DB.  By feel and performance, it is clearly a game improvement iron, however, it really looks like a player's iron from above.

 

[CSiders12]

18 hours ago, ManBeard said:

Is there anyway you could post some pictures of them? I went back through the posts, and unless I'm mistaken ( highly possible ) I don't see any? 

I saw that the others on the forum posted pictures of all of the clubs. Specifically, I have taken pictures of the 4 and 5 irons. 

 

In this picture, you can see how the sole of the club is ground down near the leading edge for better turf interaction. I have found this feature to be VERY effective. 

  

These pictures are comparing the 4 iron to my old 4 iron (Mizuno JPX 921 Tour). In the first picture, the New Level 480 TC is on the left side. It has a sleeker look and is not quite as long from heel to toe. In the second picture, the New Level 480 TC is on the right side. a bit wider of a sole than the Mizuno to provide a bit more forgiveness on off-centered strikes. Truly phenomenal long irons. 

 

[Josh Ross]

Alright guys, I had some time to compile my data from an extended Trackman session I had over the weekend. It was pretty interesting to me as it wasn't really what I was expecting... at all. I know from my on course evaluation that the irons have solid stopping power and are closer to the ball flight I'm after. An increase in spin and a lower launch but higher peak were the ideal setup. Turns out, I am launching the irons higher but have a little less spin than I'm used to. It hasn't translated to anything bad on the course as I'm thrilled with the performance, but it was interesting to say the least. Here is a breakdown of my averages for a 4-iron, 7-iron, and pitching wedge. I will go into further discussion after the table.

So for starters, my typical total distance with a 4-iron is about 228 but this New Level is 3° weaker. My 7-iron is usually 185 total yards but we're 2° weaker here. Lastly, the PW total distance is usually 144 total yards and these lofts are identical (though it is 0.25" longer than my usual PW length while all other clubs are the same length). I'm seeing a much higher launch angle than usual and lower spin numbers. For instance, my 7-ron launch is typically around 17° and backspin near 6500. I'm certain a large chunk of this discrepancy is due to different shafts but I've found in fitting that a shaft that works for you in one head doesn't necessarily work in another. Without the ability to try this combo beforehand, it was a shot in the dark. Again, while the numbers aren't where I would want them in a fitting, the results have been phenomenal thus far, so much so that the Srixon irons are out of the bag for good.

A couple things have led to this switch: consistency and forgiveness. For such a small package, the clubs are packed with forgiveness and are easy to hit. Easier than anything I've played in recent memory. The 4-iron is effortless and just goes straight. And in the 7-iron testing, the carry yardages all fell within two yards of the average. I love that! Even though it appears the spin numbers are down with them, I'm having no issues holding the greens on approach shots.

[hands39]

Been loving reading all the reviews. I’m a big New Level fan, currently gaming 902-PDs and loving them. 
 

Only wish I have, which is for all DTC brands, is to be close enough to a fitter that has them to be fit for the best shaft combination. I got fit in a New Level recommended comparable club to get my shaft but wonder if it would still be the shaft if I was able to be fit with the New Level head. 

[Mr. Mushball]

5 minutes ago, hands39 said:

Been loving reading all the reviews. I’m a big New Level fan, currently gaming 902-PDs and loving them. 
 

Only wish I have, which is for all DTC brands, is to be close enough to a fitter that has them to be fit for the best shaft combination. I got fit in a New Level recommended comparable club to get my shaft but wonder if it would still be the shaft if I was able to be fit with the New Level head. 

Yes, it almost seems as though there is a business opportunity to start a chain of DTC specialized fitters.

Nothing close to me here either.  PXG has a mobile fitter here in the area, but they didn't have a full set of shaft options to try out.  Would be nice to not be brand specific for heads also.  

[Shrek74]

5 hours ago, Josh Ross said:

Alright guys, I had some time to compile my data from an extended Trackman session I had over the weekend. It was pretty interesting to me as it wasn't really what I was expecting... at all. I know from my on course evaluation that the irons have solid stopping power and are closer to the ball flight I'm after. An increase in spin and a lower launch but higher peak were the ideal setup. Turns out, I am launching the irons higher but have a little less spin than I'm used to. It hasn't translated to anything bad on the course as I'm thrilled with the performance, but it was interesting to say the least. Here is a breakdown of my averages for a 4-iron, 7-iron, and pitching wedge. I will go into further discussion after the table.

So for starters, my typical total distance with a 4-iron is about 228 but this New Level is 3° weaker. My 7-iron is usually 185 total yards but we're 2° weaker here. Lastly, the PW total distance is usually 144 total yards and these lofts are identical (though it is 0.25" longer than my usual PW length while all other clubs are the same length). I'm seeing a much higher launch angle than usual and lower spin numbers. For instance, my 7-ron launch is typically around 17° and backspin near 6500. I'm certain a large chunk of this discrepancy is due to different shafts but I've found in fitting that a shaft that works for you in one head doesn't necessarily work in another. Without the ability to try this combo beforehand, it was a shot in the dark. Again, while the numbers aren't where I would want them in a fitting, the results have been phenomenal thus far, so much so that the Srixon irons are out of the bag for good.

A couple things have led to this switch: consistency and forgiveness. For such a small package, the clubs are packed with forgiveness and are easy to hit. Easier than anything I've played in recent memory. The 4-iron is effortless and just goes straight. And in the 7-iron testing, the carry yardages all fell within two yards of the average. I love that! Even though it appears the spin numbers are down with them, I'm having no issues holding the greens on approach shots.

Even with a little less distance (main due to lofts I'd argue), that dispersion and consistency has to be fantastic to play with. Knowing the distance for each iron will actually be that +/- 2-3 has to be very confidence-inspiring.

I'd imagine the higher launch is likely giving you higher peaks and thus higher landing angles. So even with less spin, that higher landing angle helps hold greens. Besides, 5400 spin on a 7 iron is still higher than a lot of other irons on the market.

[Shrek74]

1 minute ago, Mr. Mushball said:

Yes, it almost seems as though there is a business opportunity to start a chain of DTC specialized fitters.

Nothing close to me here either.  PXG has a mobile fitter here in the area, but they didn't have a full set of shaft options to try out.  Would be nice to not be brand specific for heads also.  

I actually have a write up on my computer for having my own golf shop (pipe dream), where I'd specialize in DTC brands as well as the lesser known OEM's (Mizuno, Wilson, Miura, etc). A guy can dream.

[Josh Ross]

2 hours ago, Shrek74 said:

Even with a little less distance (main due to lofts I'd argue), that dispersion and consistency has to be fantastic to play with. Knowing the distance for each iron will actually be that +/- 2-3 has to be very confidence-inspiring.

I'd imagine the higher launch is likely giving you higher peaks and thus higher landing angles. So even with less spin, that higher landing angle helps hold greens. Besides, 5400 spin on a 7 iron is still higher than a lot of other irons on the market.

You're right, the peak is a little higher. I should still hit that peak though with a lower launch and higher spin and would love to get those numbers where I want them but it's hard to argue with success. I have a feeling once the greens firm up I'll be in trouble though.

Edited September 3 by Josh Ross

[Shrek74]

29 minutes ago, Josh Ross said:

You're right, the peak is a little higher. I should still hit that peak though with a lower launch and higher spin and would love to get those numbers where I want them but it's hard to argue with success. I have a feeling once the greens firm up I'll be in trouble though.

At that point you can look at the shaft change, if that's something you want to do.

[Josh Ross]

26 minutes ago, Shrek74 said:

At that point you can look at the shaft change, if that's something you want to do.

Yep, just tough to do with no fitting heads available. This particular shaft is a new one for me and was the shaft of choice to get my numbers where I wanted them. It worked beautifully in my fitting using the Mizuno 923 Tour and Srixon ZX7 MkII. It's something I'll definitely tinker with down the road but they're working too good to mess with them now!

[Old New Golfer]

My TC's have been accepted and approved.

[ClarkWGriswoldIII]

Played nine in my league tonight.  Every shot felt good with the exception of a thin 6-iron which gave me a vibratory sensation I hadn't previously experienced with the clubs.  The bad news is that it didn't feel great.   The good news is that it was straight as an arrow and went as far as a well struck 6-iron.

If things work out as planned, I should be able to get on a GC Quad tomorrow so I should have some more numbers by the end of the week.

 

[Owengeorge13]

3 hours ago, Josh Ross said:

Yep, just tough to do with no fitting heads available. This particular shaft is a new one for me and was the shaft of choice to get my numbers where I wanted them. It worked beautifully in my fitting using the Mizuno 923 Tour and Srixon ZX7 MkII. It's something I'll definitely tinker with down the road but they're working too good to mess with them now!

I believe truespec golf and club champion have fitting heads for the New Level line.  I know for a fact truespec does and I was told by someone that CC also carries them.  I may take my DB’s in after the new year and see if they need a shaft change or not.  

[ClarkWGriswoldIII]

I finally had the opportunity to get the 480DBs on a Foresight GC Quad Launch Monitor yesterday.  All in all, the results reflected what I had experienced on the course, with the 480DBs a little shorter than my Mizuno JPX921 Hot Metal irons.  This differential can in part be explained by the loft differentials.

I hit the 5, 7 and 9 irons from the Mizuno and New Level sets, hitting brand new fresh from the sleeve Maxfli Tour balls.  The Mizuno 5-iron is 22 degrees while the NL is 5-iron is 27 degrees.  The Mizuno 7-iron is 29 degrees while the NL is 33 degrees.  The Mizuno 9-iron is 39 degrees while the NL is 41 degrees.  The Mizuno irons have UST Mamiya Recoil ESX 460/F3 shafts.  The NL irons have UST Mamiya Recoil Smac Wrap 760/F3 shafts.