TaylorMade P-Series and Hi-Toe 4 Wedges - 2024 Forum Review

[chisag]

2 minutes ago, Shapotomous said:

Y'all need to live it up a little....or maybe i need to get out more! 

I can kill an hour trying a bunch of shafts just seeing how bad they are for my swing for entertainment!  .   

Stick an X flex in there and lets see if i can come close to transitioning hard enough to make it work....stick an A flex and lets see if i can smooth out my swing enough!  

Put different shafts in there that fit my profile and i will do a bunch of 3/4 swings to work the ball in different windows...which shaft works best for both full and 3/4 swings.

And of course i am not machine gunning the shots out there.  I take my time so i am not too tired by the end.

Ok....after reading this maybe i need some variety in my pursuit of entertainment!! 

 

 

... Most fun I ever had in a fitting was a Callaway demo day with one of their Master Fitters and the last fitting of the day. Scheduled for 30 minutes it ended up being a little over an hour. I was swinging really well and he had a frustrating day with lots of bad players and of course those that just wanted a free fitting with no intention buying anything. So he wanted to, as he said "let's play around a little if you are up for it".

...  .. With a smooth transition he wanted to not only fit me into the proper shaft, but wanted to try some shafts that would at least on paper be too stiff or too soft. So I hit most every shaft he had and he put the ones that were producing decent numbers and those that felt good to me. Never more than 2 or 3 swings. Sure enough there were a few shafts in the too stiff/too soft category that worked for me. There were also a few he thought would be ideal but just didn't work as well as others. The one that stands out is the Graphite Design AD HD that he thought would be just about perfect for me. I just didn't hit to well and we even alternated a few swings with the AD IZ that I did hit well. It was interesting for him because he said that just happens sometime, a player just doesn't hit a shaft well that should fit them. He tried to sneak it back in later in the session and the results were the same. 

... In the end, the shafts that had worked well for me in other drivers worked well for me with the Master Fitter. Tensei Blue, AD IZ, Ventus Red Velocore and the surprise for me but not him was the Callaway RCH. He said most think it is a stock shaft but it is a premium made for Callaway shaft and very similar to the other three shafts. I would have been happy with any of them but the Ventus Red had this nice combination of smooth feel but just a little tighter at the tip for the best of both worlds.  

... I was tired but it was highly entertaining for myself and the fitter who thanked me with a dozen Chrome Soft LS balls. 30 minutes was plenty of time to find my best fitting shaft but I am right there with you and the extra 30 minutes to experiment when my back felt pretty good and I was swinging well was a ton of fun. 

.

[LeakyValve]

Spent a good long time on the range today with my current gamers. Wondering if I'll get the chance to get on the range with these again. Goes without saying for me, the P's have a tall task ahead of them to beat some "pick-your-part" clubs. 

Figured I'd throw this in here too. Quick spec check between my current gamers and the P's. It's extremely close

P770

Acer XV

Edited September 9 by LeakyValve

[Byrnzee]

I had my fitting today for the P7CBs at Mistwood Golf Club, about an hour west of Chicago. When researching where to do fittings in my area, I saw that this club was holding an official TaylorMade fitting expo. I was able to book a 30-minute time slot at the end of the event, which worked out well for me to get 18 holes in at another course nearby beforehand. 

When I arrived, I was immediately greeted by Sacramento Santillan. He was working the expo with another TaylorMade fitter named Brandon Crowley. Sacramento was extremely welcoming and started asking me exactly what I was looking for. I explained the situation about how I was testing the P7CBs and needing to find the right shaft and specs for me and my swing. Although I was their last fitting slot of the day, he seemed genuinely interested in helping me out and we got right down to business.

I was fortunate that I was able to do this fitting on a grass range, far off to the left of the regular range where we wouldn't be bothered. For the stats, they were utilizing a GCQuad launch monitor from Foresight Sports. As many of you know, this is one of the top launch monitors on the market and is widely used by both tour pros and instructors:

Unfortunately, since the session was only 30 minutes, I was focused more on making sure that I was getting the right equipment figured out and less on taking pictures and videos. I should have taken pictures of the data on the GCQuad after some of my shots. However, as you'll see in the video explanation down below, we were focusing on trying to get a launch angle between 17-20º and a spin rate around 7000rpm. 

Sacramento started off by asking what shaft I currently use. I play the Project X Rifle 6.0 stiff shaft, so he decided to start there and do what he called an "apples to apples" comparison. We were only hitting using the 7-iron fitting club, which has an adapter that allows you switch out to different shafts quite easily. However, even though we only used this one club, we were able to see what shaft worked best for me and my swing pretty quickly.

The first thing I noticed about the club was how great it looked. It was a beautiful sunny day and the shine from this club was incredible. I love the look of these irons and am very excited to get my hands on the full custom set when they arrive. The top line of this club is also really nice and appears slightly thinner and more rounded than my current clubs. 

After hitting the Project X Rifle, we noticed that the launch angle was a little lower than he would've liked to see. I was seeing closer to 14 or 15º launch angle as opposed to the 17-20º window we were aiming for. We moved on from the Project X Rifle to the Project X LZ, just to get a slightly different feel and to see if there was any difference. The results were similar to the Rifle and he decided to go in a different direction altogether after that. One of the main reasons we moved on from the Project X shafts was because he described them as "beefy" shafts - thicker, heavier feeling shafts. 

Next we moved onto the Nippon Modus Tour 120 T. He wanted me to try this shaft out because it was a bit "stronger in the tip" and also feels a bit lighter overall than the 120g it's advertised at (I believe he said it's closer to 115g, but the Nippon website has it listed as 114g for the stiff shafts. Nippon's website claims that these shafts offer optimal performance in three key areas:

1. Desired trajectory as a result of the unique structure of a stiff tip section and softer mid section.

2. Accurate distances due to the unique raw steel material and accompanying heat treatment.

3. Tight dispersion coming from the exacting tolerances of the highest quality level.

One of the things I noticed immediately about this shaft was I was more conscious of the weight of the clubhead compared to the Project X Rifles I've been using with my current irons. However, we immediately started seeing better launch angle numbers closer to 17º, with the spin staying right around 7000rpms. This was an early favorite for the shaft and I was definitely a big fan after hitting several shots with it. One of the things he mentioned with this shaft is you don't need to feel like you have to hit it "perfect." With the Project X Rifles, he said sometimes it feels like you have to hit a perfect shot to end up with a good result; which is an accurate depiction of how I feel with my current irons.

I asked him if there were other shafts that we could try, so we gave the Dynamic Gold Mid 115 and KBS Tour C-Taper a try. But after hitting both of those shafts and looking at the stats, we came back to the Modus and decided it was the right fit for me. One of the other questions I had was whether he thought I need to consider anything other than standard length, lie and loft. He said after watching me hit, he thought the stock options for all three were the right fit for me. He could tell from my divot pattern (supposedly) that there wasn't anything there he'd like to tinker with.

Below is a video of my fitter, Sacramento, talking about what we focused on today in more detail:

 

Finally, here is a video of me hitting the P7CB with the Modus Tour 120 T shaft in it. Feeling very confident and getting an awesome reaction from Sacramento (if you listen carefully lol)

 

Apologies for not having more in-depth data breakdowns of my fitting experience, but with the limited timeslot, I'm very happy with how it went. My full spec breakdown is below for anyone who's interested:

I also went with the Lamkin Crossline 360 Grey/Black grips, which are the same as what I have on my current irons.

If you've made it this far, I appreciate you reading and if you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out!

 

[chisag]

4 minutes ago, Byrnzee said:

One of the main reasons we moved on from the Project X shafts was because he described them as "beefy" shafts - thicker, heavier feeling shafts. 

Next we moved onto the Nippon Modus Tour 120 T. He wanted me to try this shaft out because it was a bit "stronger in the tip" and also feels a bit lighter overall than the 120g it's advertised at (I believe he said it's closer to 115g,

 

5 minutes ago, Byrnzee said:

Apologies for not having more in-depth data breakdowns of my fitting experience, but with the limited timeslot, I'm very happy with how it went.

 

... PX shafts are beasts and I love the Modus 120. If I were gonna play steel shafts, it would be Nippon's. 

... I don't know what you are apologizing for as that was very detailed and informative. Nicely done at one of my favorite courses where I ironically had a full bag fitting and I hope you warmed up at Prairie Bluff. But Cog 2 is nice too   if it is in good shape. That seems to be a big IF these days. 

... Congrats on a great fitting and can't wait for your P7CB's to arrive. 

[Indy_Oz]

52 minutes ago, Byrnzee said:

I had my fitting today for the P7CBs at Mistwood Golf Club, about an hour west of Chicago. When researching where to do fittings in my area, I saw that this club was holding an official TaylorMade fitting expo. I was able to book a 30-minute time slot at the end of the event, which worked out well for me to get 18 holes in at another course nearby beforehand. 

When I arrived, I was immediately greeted by Sacramento Santillan. He was working the expo with another TaylorMade fitter named Brandon Crowley. Sacramento was extremely welcoming and started asking me exactly what I was looking for. I explained the situation about how I was testing the P7CBs and needing to find the right shaft and specs for me and my swing. Although I was their last fitting slot of the day, he seemed genuinely interested in helping me out and we got right down to business.

I was fortunate that I was able to do this fitting on a grass range, far off to the left of the regular range where we wouldn't be bothered. For the stats, they were utilizing a GCQuad launch monitor from Foresight Sports. As many of you know, this is one of the top launch monitors on the market and is widely used by both tour pros and instructors:

Unfortunately, since the session was only 30 minutes, I was focused more on making sure that I was getting the right equipment figured out and less on taking pictures and videos. I should have taken pictures of the data on the GCQuad after some of my shots. However, as you'll see in the video explanation down below, we were focusing on trying to get a launch angle between 17-20º and a spin rate around 7000rpm. 

Sacramento started off by asking what shaft I currently use. I play the Project X Rifle 6.0 stiff shaft, so he decided to start there and do what he called an "apples to apples" comparison. We were only hitting using the 7-iron fitting club, which has an adapter that allows you switch out to different shafts quite easily. However, even though we only used this one club, we were able to see what shaft worked best for me and my swing pretty quickly.

The first thing I noticed about the club was how great it looked. It was a beautiful sunny day and the shine from this club was incredible. I love the look of these irons and am very excited to get my hands on the full custom set when they arrive. The top line of this club is also really nice and appears slightly thinner and more rounded than my current clubs. 

After hitting the Project X Rifle, we noticed that the launch angle was a little lower than he would've liked to see. I was seeing closer to 14 or 15º launch angle as opposed to the 17-20º window we were aiming for. We moved on from the Project X Rifle to the Project X LZ, just to get a slightly different feel and to see if there was any difference. The results were similar to the Rifle and he decided to go in a different direction altogether after that. One of the main reasons we moved on from the Project X shafts was because he described them as "beefy" shafts - thicker, heavier feeling shafts. 

Next we moved onto the Nippon Modus Tour 120 T. He wanted me to try this shaft out because it was a bit "stronger in the tip" and also feels a bit lighter overall than the 120g it's advertised at (I believe he said it's closer to 115g, but the Nippon website has it listed as 114g for the stiff shafts. Nippon's website claims that these shafts offer optimal performance in three key areas:

1. Desired trajectory as a result of the unique structure of a stiff tip section and softer mid section.

2. Accurate distances due to the unique raw steel material and accompanying heat treatment.

3. Tight dispersion coming from the exacting tolerances of the highest quality level.

One of the things I noticed immediately about this shaft was I was more conscious of the weight of the clubhead compared to the Project X Rifles I've been using with my current irons. However, we immediately started seeing better launch angle numbers closer to 17º, with the spin staying right around 7000rpms. This was an early favorite for the shaft and I was definitely a big fan after hitting several shots with it. One of the things he mentioned with this shaft is you don't need to feel like you have to hit it "perfect." With the Project X Rifles, he said sometimes it feels like you have to hit a perfect shot to end up with a good result; which is an accurate depiction of how I feel with my current irons.

I asked him if there were other shafts that we could try, so we gave the Dynamic Gold Mid 115 and KBS Tour C-Taper a try. But after hitting both of those shafts and looking at the stats, we came back to the Modus and decided it was the right fit for me. One of the other questions I had was whether he thought I need to consider anything other than standard length, lie and loft. He said after watching me hit, he thought the stock options for all three were the right fit for me. He could tell from my divot pattern (supposedly) that there wasn't anything there he'd like to tinker with.

Below is a video of my fitter, Sacramento, talking about what we focused on today in more detail:

 

Finally, here is a video of me hitting the P7CB with the Modus Tour 120 T shaft in it. Feeling very confident and getting an awesome reaction from Sacramento (if you listen carefully lol)

 

Apologies for not having more in-depth data breakdowns of my fitting experience, but with the limited timeslot, I'm very happy with how it went. My full spec breakdown is below for anyone who's interested:

I also went with the Lamkin Crossline 360 Grey/Black grips, which are the same as what I have on my current irons.

If you've made it this far, I appreciate you reading and if you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out!

 

Great write up!

Nice little club twirl at the end!

My only minor regret from my fitting was that they didn't have the Modus Tour 120 T in x-stiff for me to try. But if there's any chance it launches higher than the PX Rifle, then it probably would have been too high and spinny for me.

Glad you had a good fitting experience. That's a very nice location to go through the process!

Edited September 9 by Indy_Oz

[bens197]

16 minutes ago, Byrnzee said:

I had my fitting today for the P7CBs at Mistwood Golf Club, about an hour west of Chicago. When researching where to do fittings in my area, I saw that this club was holding an official TaylorMade fitting expo. I was able to book a 30-minute time slot at the end of the event, which worked out well for me to get 18 holes in at another course nearby beforehand. 

When I arrived, I was immediately greeted by Sacramento Santillan. He was working the expo with another TaylorMade fitter named Brandon Crowley. Sacramento was extremely welcoming and started asking me exactly what I was looking for. I explained the situation about how I was testing the P7CBs and needing to find the right shaft and specs for me and my swing. Although I was their last fitting slot of the day, he seemed genuinely interested in helping me out and we got right down to business.

I was fortunate that I was able to do this fitting on a grass range, far off to the left of the regular range where we wouldn't be bothered. For the stats, they were utilizing a GCQuad launch monitor from Foresight Sports. As many of you know, this is one of the top launch monitors on the market and is widely used by both tour pros and instructors:

Unfortunately, since the session was only 30 minutes, I was focused more on making sure that I was getting the right equipment figured out and less on taking pictures and videos. I should have taken pictures of the data on the GCQuad after some of my shots. However, as you'll see in the video explanation down below, we were focusing on trying to get a launch angle between 17-20º and a spin rate around 7000rpm. 

Sacramento started off by asking what shaft I currently use. I play the Project X Rifle 6.0 stiff shaft, so he decided to start there and do what he called an "apples to apples" comparison. We were only hitting using the 7-iron fitting club, which has an adapter that allows you switch out to different shafts quite easily. However, even though we only used this one club, we were able to see what shaft worked best for me and my swing pretty quickly.

The first thing I noticed about the club was how great it looked. It was a beautiful sunny day and the shine from this club was incredible. I love the look of these irons and am very excited to get my hands on the full custom set when they arrive. The top line of this club is also really nice and appears slightly thinner and more rounded than my current clubs. 

After hitting the Project X Rifle, we noticed that the launch angle was a little lower than he would've liked to see. I was seeing closer to 14 or 15º launch angle as opposed to the 17-20º window we were aiming for. We moved on from the Project X Rifle to the Project X LZ, just to get a slightly different feel and to see if there was any difference. The results were similar to the Rifle and he decided to go in a different direction altogether after that. One of the main reasons we moved on from the Project X shafts was because he described them as "beefy" shafts - thicker, heavier feeling shafts. 

Next we moved onto the Nippon Modus Tour 120 T. He wanted me to try this shaft out because it was a bit "stronger in the tip" and also feels a bit lighter overall than the 120g it's advertised at (I believe he said it's closer to 115g, but the Nippon website has it listed as 114g for the stiff shafts. Nippon's website claims that these shafts offer optimal performance in three key areas:

1. Desired trajectory as a result of the unique structure of a stiff tip section and softer mid section.

2. Accurate distances due to the unique raw steel material and accompanying heat treatment.

3. Tight dispersion coming from the exacting tolerances of the highest quality level.

One of the things I noticed immediately about this shaft was I was more conscious of the weight of the clubhead compared to the Project X Rifles I've been using with my current irons. However, we immediately started seeing better launch angle numbers closer to 17º, with the spin staying right around 7000rpms. This was an early favorite for the shaft and I was definitely a big fan after hitting several shots with it. One of the things he mentioned with this shaft is you don't need to feel like you have to hit it "perfect." With the Project X Rifles, he said sometimes it feels like you have to hit a perfect shot to end up with a good result; which is an accurate depiction of how I feel with my current irons.

I asked him if there were other shafts that we could try, so we gave the Dynamic Gold Mid 115 and KBS Tour C-Taper a try. But after hitting both of those shafts and looking at the stats, we came back to the Modus and decided it was the right fit for me. One of the other questions I had was whether he thought I need to consider anything other than standard length, lie and loft. He said after watching me hit, he thought the stock options for all three were the right fit for me. He could tell from my divot pattern (supposedly) that there wasn't anything there he'd like to tinker with.

Below is a video of my fitter, Sacramento, talking about what we focused on today in more detail:

 

Finally, here is a video of me hitting the P7CB with the Modus Tour 120 T shaft in it. Feeling very confident and getting an awesome reaction from Sacramento (if you listen carefully lol)

 

Apologies for not having more in-depth data breakdowns of my fitting experience, but with the limited timeslot, I'm very happy with how it went. My full spec breakdown is below for anyone who's interested:

I also went with the Lamkin Crossline 360 Grey/Black grips, which are the same as what I have on my current irons.

If you've made it this far, I appreciate you reading and if you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out!

 

Two things that made the 120 Modus stand out for me were feel and dispersion.  It’s so smooth meanwhile holds up so well for stronger players.

A tight dispersion shaft that doesn’t feel like rebar. 

[Byrnzee]

41 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

 

... PX shafts are beasts and I love the Modus 120. If I were gonna play steel shafts, it would be Nippon's. 

... I don't know what you are apologizing for as that was very detailed and informative. Nicely done at one of my favorite courses where I ironically had a full bag fitting and I hope you warmed up at Prairie Bluff. But Cog 2 is nice too   if it is in good shape. That seems to be a big IF these days. 

... Congrats on a great fitting and can't wait for your P7CB's to arrive. 

Warmed up at Cog Hill No 2! Was in great shape today, thankfully. Definitely need to get back to Prairie Bluff though! I appreciate the kind words.

[chisag]

7 minutes ago, Byrnzee said:

Warmed up at Cog Hill No 2! Was in great shape today, thankfully.

 

... I always slept well when I walked #2. We played #1 far more often asit is a much easier walk. The other side of the road has more elevation changes and a lot longer walks from greens to tees but a great lay out. Glad to hear it was in good shape. 

[Indy_Oz]

The great fitting write-ups by the other testers had me doing more digging into comparisons of the shafts in my current P790s vs the 'chosen one' for the new P770s.

P790: KBS C-Taper Lite 115g X-Stiff

New P770: Project X T Rifle 6.0

 

Through the fitting it was clear that I could feel the flexibility in the KBS shafts I game (which I already knew but thought it must be normal for x-stiff iron shafts) and the PX Rifle just felt neutral, with no notable flex that I could discern, but a nice feel through the swing and impact. It just felt better... and right.

It's funny thinking a "stiff" shaft in one brand is stiffer than an "x-stiff" in another, but here we are.

Torque in the PX is 1.4 vs 2.0 in the KBS. Launch is lower in the PX, as is spin and the tip is mid-firm vs mid.

During my fitting I was shown a relative stiffness chart (same as the plots others have shared) and it was clear that, other than the handle section where they were very close, the Project X was stiffer than the KBS across almost all of the club length.

TL/DR: Don't focus too much attention on whether a shaft is listed as regular, stiff or x-stiff as you may find the best suited shaft for you doesn't have the label you're expecting!

 

[RichL85]

23 minutes ago, Indy_Oz said:

The great fitting write-ups by the other testers had me doing more digging into comparisons of the shafts in my current P790s vs the 'chosen one' for the new P770s.

P790: KBS C-Taper Lite 115g X-Stiff

New P770: Project X T Rifle 6.0

 

Through the fitting it was clear that I could feel the flexibility in the KBS shafts I game (which I already knew but thought it must be normal for x-stiff iron shafts) and the PX Rifle just felt neutral, with no notable flex that I could discern, but a nice feel through the swing and impact. It just felt better... and right.

It's funny thinking a "stiff" shaft in one brand is stiffer than an "x-stiff" in another, but here we are.

Torque in the PX is 1.4 vs 2.0 in the KBS. Launch is lower in the PX, as is spin and the tip is mid-firm vs mid.

During my fitting I was shown a relative stiffness chart (same as the plots others have shared) and it was clear that, other than the handle section where they were very close, the Project X was stiffer than the KBS across almost all of the club length.

TL/DR: Don't focus too much attention on whether a shaft is listed as regular, stiff or x-stiff as you may find the best suited shaft for you doesn't have the label you're expecting!

 

Sounds like a perfect example of a time where just letting the fitter do what he does can be the way to go. It's an unfortunate reality that there is no standard when it comes to flex, especially across different manufacturers. Interested to keep reading how the Project X works out in the full test since it sounds like it might be that Goldilocks shaft for you. 

[Josh Parker]

9 hours ago, Byrnzee said:

I had my fitting today for the P7CBs at Mistwood Golf Club, about an hour west of Chicago. When researching where to do fittings in my area, I saw that this club was holding an official TaylorMade fitting expo. I was able to book a 30-minute time slot at the end of the event, which worked out well for me to get 18 holes in at another course nearby beforehand. 

When I arrived, I was immediately greeted by Sacramento Santillan. He was working the expo with another TaylorMade fitter named Brandon Crowley. Sacramento was extremely welcoming and started asking me exactly what I was looking for. I explained the situation about how I was testing the P7CBs and needing to find the right shaft and specs for me and my swing. Although I was their last fitting slot of the day, he seemed genuinely interested in helping me out and we got right down to business.

I was fortunate that I was able to do this fitting on a grass range, far off to the left of the regular range where we wouldn't be bothered. For the stats, they were utilizing a GCQuad launch monitor from Foresight Sports. As many of you know, this is one of the top launch monitors on the market and is widely used by both tour pros and instructors:

Unfortunately, since the session was only 30 minutes, I was focused more on making sure that I was getting the right equipment figured out and less on taking pictures and videos. I should have taken pictures of the data on the GCQuad after some of my shots. However, as you'll see in the video explanation down below, we were focusing on trying to get a launch angle between 17-20º and a spin rate around 7000rpm. 

Sacramento started off by asking what shaft I currently use. I play the Project X Rifle 6.0 stiff shaft, so he decided to start there and do what he called an "apples to apples" comparison. We were only hitting using the 7-iron fitting club, which has an adapter that allows you switch out to different shafts quite easily. However, even though we only used this one club, we were able to see what shaft worked best for me and my swing pretty quickly.

The first thing I noticed about the club was how great it looked. It was a beautiful sunny day and the shine from this club was incredible. I love the look of these irons and am very excited to get my hands on the full custom set when they arrive. The top line of this club is also really nice and appears slightly thinner and more rounded than my current clubs. 

After hitting the Project X Rifle, we noticed that the launch angle was a little lower than he would've liked to see. I was seeing closer to 14 or 15º launch angle as opposed to the 17-20º window we were aiming for. We moved on from the Project X Rifle to the Project X LZ, just to get a slightly different feel and to see if there was any difference. The results were similar to the Rifle and he decided to go in a different direction altogether after that. One of the main reasons we moved on from the Project X shafts was because he described them as "beefy" shafts - thicker, heavier feeling shafts. 

Next we moved onto the Nippon Modus Tour 120 T. He wanted me to try this shaft out because it was a bit "stronger in the tip" and also feels a bit lighter overall than the 120g it's advertised at (I believe he said it's closer to 115g, but the Nippon website has it listed as 114g for the stiff shafts. Nippon's website claims that these shafts offer optimal performance in three key areas:

1. Desired trajectory as a result of the unique structure of a stiff tip section and softer mid section.

2. Accurate distances due to the unique raw steel material and accompanying heat treatment.

3. Tight dispersion coming from the exacting tolerances of the highest quality level.

One of the things I noticed immediately about this shaft was I was more conscious of the weight of the clubhead compared to the Project X Rifles I've been using with my current irons. However, we immediately started seeing better launch angle numbers closer to 17º, with the spin staying right around 7000rpms. This was an early favorite for the shaft and I was definitely a big fan after hitting several shots with it. One of the things he mentioned with this shaft is you don't need to feel like you have to hit it "perfect." With the Project X Rifles, he said sometimes it feels like you have to hit a perfect shot to end up with a good result; which is an accurate depiction of how I feel with my current irons.

I asked him if there were other shafts that we could try, so we gave the Dynamic Gold Mid 115 and KBS Tour C-Taper a try. But after hitting both of those shafts and looking at the stats, we came back to the Modus and decided it was the right fit for me. One of the other questions I had was whether he thought I need to consider anything other than standard length, lie and loft. He said after watching me hit, he thought the stock options for all three were the right fit for me. He could tell from my divot pattern (supposedly) that there wasn't anything there he'd like to tinker with.

Below is a video of my fitter, Sacramento, talking about what we focused on today in more detail:

 

IMG_8762.mov 76.38 MB · 3 downloads  

Finally, here is a video of me hitting the P7CB with the Modus Tour 120 T shaft in it. Feeling very confident and getting an awesome reaction from Sacramento (if you listen carefully lol)

 

IMG_8763.mov 35.94 MB · 4 downloads  

Apologies for not having more in-depth data breakdowns of my fitting experience, but with the limited timeslot, I'm very happy with how it went. My full spec breakdown is below for anyone who's interested:

I also went with the Lamkin Crossline 360 Grey/Black grips, which are the same as what I have on my current irons.

If you've made it this far, I appreciate you reading and if you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out!

 

Great write up. Looking forward to seeing how these perform. 

[Indy_Oz]

Pulling the fitting process out of my main review post/comment to keep that cleaner and more focused on the review (and to be consistent with the other testers)...

Club Fitting:
My fitting was at Golf Club of Indiana’s “Golf Pro-Formance Academy”, with their head fitter Mike.

(Image courtesy GCI Instagram account)

TL/DR: Fantastic fitting experience. Highly recommended. Mike was knowledgeable, methodical and openly communicating the process throughout. I was VERY happy with the decisions made through the process and the final specs we settled on. The difference between a ‘free fitting’ at a big box store and a ‘paid-for’ fitting at a specialist fitter is night and day.

The quoted appointment time is 60 minutes. I was there around 90 minutes total and there was zero pressure to wrap it up quickly and no pressure to buy. They make their money from fitting fees, not from OEM kick-backs and so are brand agnostic- which is a refreshing change!
 
This photo shows the setup. It’s an indoor/outdoor hitting bay. Roll up garage-style doors are open (when weather allows) so you have the double benefit of launch monitor data along with being able to see the ball flight and path on the range.

Mike is a master level fitter for Mizuno, Callaway and Taylormade and also carries and fits Titleist and Ping. A good one-stop fitting location!

After warming up with 50* and 9-iron, we collected a baseline data set with my P790 7-iron (like most places, Taylormade would only send them the 7-iron fitting iron). Then it was onto the fitting…

I was first measured for shaft length- which took into account height and knuckle to floor distance. For me (at 6'1" tall), that came out at +¼” to +½” over stock. My current gamer shafts are +¼”, so I lucked into having the right length with them.
Next was a new-to-me experience of hitting a Mizuno shaft optimization club. Following image is from a google search and looks to be the same device:

It’s an iron shaft with a data collection box half to ⅔ up the shaft. Within the box and the shaft itself are accelerometers and strain gauges so the fitter can record a number of swings and the Mizuno software will then provide a number of measures (ratings) for things such as head speed, tempo, kick angle and release characteristics. With the data recorded, the software provides a list of predicted best fit shafts for the individual and also a recommended lie angle for the club head. They use this to get a good starting point for testing rather than ‘best guess’ based on visual observations and launch monitor numbers. I like using technology to give an initial direction and then lean on fitter experience and both data and real shot flight to move through the fitting.

I found this MyGolfSpy review of the optimizer for those wanting more details: https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/first-look-mizuno-shaft-optimizer-3d/

Mike said the numbers showed I had a smooth tempo, with a shallow attack angle and efficient loading and unloading of the club. I tend to ‘pick’ the ball more than take divots, or take a shallow divot, so the data tallies for me. Those swing characteristics give me good high shot apex, decent spin numbers and approximately 50* landing angle, which apparently is right where he’d want to see it. My club head speed was consistently in the 92-94mph range with the P770. My swing is far from perfect and there are far better looking swings, but I’ve worked hard the last year or so on my swing mechanics and tempo, so it was really nice validation that my swing is moving in the right direction. But I digress…

For my swing characteristics, the top six or so recommended shafts were a mix of stiff and x-stiff shafts of various weights, brands and models. The shaft I currently game, the KBS C-Taper Lite 115g X-stiff, was something like 11th on the list. So the optimizer gave 10 that should be a better fit. Ha ha.  

For head lie angle, stock Taylormade lie angle (7i=62.5*) was recommended.

The shafts from the top few on the list we focused on were:

• C-Taper T (stiff) 120g - stock length
• Rifle 6.0 (stiff) 120g- stock length & +½”
• LS 6.0 (stiff) 120g- stock length & +½”
• Dynamic Gold Mid 115 X100 (XS) 116g - +½”
• Not in stock from top 5: Nippon Modus Tour 120 T X (120g)

Mike explained the reason for a mix of stiff and x-stiff shafts and showed me the flex profile charts for them all compared to my gamer. I like seeing charts like that, showing why a stiff in one brand and model will play stiffer than an x-stiff in another brand. I should have taken a photo!

I hit all the above shafts with the P770 7-iron. Out of curiosity I also hit the P7CB with the PX Rifle and LS shafts, but the P770 was more consistent and the added forgiveness makes the decision easier.

At a Golf Galaxy product launch free ‘fitting’, I was put in the X100 shaft and had felt it was a decent fit. But we didn’t try many shafts. Here, the X100 was the least consistent of the tested shafts, but better than my C-Taper Lite by a decent margin. I’m sure I would have liked the irons with that shaft, had I not done this fitting, but boy am I pleased I booked this fitting!

The top two shafts for feel and shot consistency were the shafts.
The clear winner for me was the Rifle 6.0. And I mean CLEAR winner. At the end of the fitting I hit 5 shots and front to back carry dispersion was within 3 yards! Some were marginal draws and others bullet straight- so there was a little more left to right dispersion but really not much at all. No more than 10yds left to right range at around 176yds. But all carried essentially the same distance and that is money for me!

I hit both the stock length and +½” back to back and there wasn’t much between them. I felt slightly more comfortable with the longer shaft fitted, so Mike suggested that we go with the initial measurement of +¼” for shafts (a length he doesn’t carry)- to confirm this I gripped down a fraction on the +½” and hit it very well.

When setting the benchmark with my old P790s, for the overall data set there was a 26 yard front to back variance with low/thin shots included (shorter end of the range). 168-194yds carry. The known issue of hot shots affecting the older P790 irons clearly contributing in addition to the more flexible shaft. With the P770 fitted with the PX Rifle 6.0 shaft, my carry was 175-178yds- including at least one lower-impact/thin shot! Given the P770 7-iron is 33* loft and my P790 7-iron is 30.5*, I expected there to be a bigger gap in carry. I suspect my on course carry with the P770 when swinging at 'cruising speed' will be closer to 170yds but time will tell.

Mike did say at one point he was tempted to recommend adjusting the P770s 1* stronger loft, to bring my apex, spin and descent angle down a fraction and add a little distance. But he said as I was happy with the flight shape and consistency, that he decided against it and felt very comfortable stock lofts would work well. I’m not looking to gain distance per club, my focus is on shot consistency and I liked the steep landing angle and spin numbers to hold hard and fast greens, so I’ll stick with stock.

Final specs ordered:

*Grip: I requested the GolfPride Tour Velvet Midsize PLUS4 rather than the above. Not sure if they'll send the Plus4 or standard midsize. Above spec with extra bottom hand wraps is to bring the stock grip closer to the low taper Plus4.

Now the wait for the clubs begins…

Edited September 9 by Indy_Oz

[Flanpro]

A short update as I wait for my wedges…… a friend of mine who works for a large golf retailer in Canada gave me a call on the weekend and told me he had a small shipment of clubs from TaylorMade and I should drop in to check them out!

When I got there he handed me a couple of the new Hi Toe 4 wedges that I will be testing.   So as it happened I grabbed them with the back facing me, and to be honest they looked just like the Hi Toe 3 with some minor shape differences on the back.( I own a Hi Toe 3 60 deg already)

I flipped it over and found the Wow Factor in the full face! Pictures to follow but I can’t wait to hit these!

[Shapotomous]

It's Fitting Fun Time!!!!!!

My fitting experience was at a course, Chesapeake Bay at Rising Sun, where the pro, Andrew Barbin Jr  is a TM master fitter.  Andrew is very knowledgeable, knowing the nuances between shafts and having a good feel for what will and will not work by what he sees in a swing.  They have a couple indoor simulators using Trackman equipment where we did the fitting.  I explained the situation with reviewing the P7CB’s and how I wanted to get some baseline comparison data as well as determine the best stock shaft / set up combo with the P7CB’s.  I mentioned I was interested in seeing how graphite performance compared to steel.   Being in the senior category of most tournaments maybe the lighter shaft will buy me a few mph’s and yards.

 

I was feeling good, had taken a few preventive advil an hour before the fitting and hit some balls into the net at home to loosen up prior to the 20 minute drive to the course.  So all systems were a GO to have a session of good swings.  The fitting club is a 7i so after a couple warm up shots I started with my JPX900 Forged / PX LZ 6.0 7i to get baseline data.  The gamer is 2* stronger at 31* and 1* flatter in the stock config plus my 2* flatter custom bend for a 3* difference in lie angle from a stock P7CB.  After a few swings I could see the Trackman data matched the on course yardage and the flight path matched the feel coming off the club.  I hit a few 3/4 swing shots as well to see if the data matched up with the feel, again it was accurate.

The first set up in the P7CB was the PX LZ 6.0 shaft to get a baseline comparison.  This was the first time I had a P7CB in my hand side by side with my JPX to compare the look at set up.  They are very similar, top line about the same and toe curve about the same.  The P7CB is slightly smaller heel to toe but not drastic to my eye.  It was a familiar look and I didn’t have any mental adjustment to make at the start by looking at something different.  A couple quick comparison pics while there.

 

P7CB, on the left, is more compact but similar shape between the two.

A couple practice swings before hitting a ball to ‘feel’ the club and I noticed it felt heavier to me.  Andrew said the stock swing weight is a D3 which is a couple points higher than my gamers which are at D1.  We didn’t take time to measure swingweight or club weight in each shaft set up we tried but as we went through the fitting some felt heavy and some felt lighter.  Maybe it was the overall weight of the club maybe it was swingweight or maybe a combo.  Andrew set up the club 2*flat and 1* strong to start with after seeing me swing the JPX900.

I had solid contact from the first swing with the P7CB / PX LZ combo and the results were pretty much the same as with the JPX.  The ball height and spin was slightly higher with the P7CB, average distance about 3 yards less which is all in line with the 1* difference between the two.  The dispersion was very similar as you can see from the pic.  The feel between the two clubs is very similar, the feedback from contact off the sweet spot is very similar and shots results were also about the same.  Time to move to the next shaft.

The steel KBS C Taper Tour Stiff was next up but it didn’t work out so well.  Something was off with the feel and I had trouble making solid contact.  Almost every one felt chunky ending up short & left.  It only took about 5 swings to move past this one.

The next two shafts we tried were scratching the graphite itch, a Ventus Blue Stiff and then a Speeder NX Stiff.  They both felt light and I gained 3 -4 mph in avg swing speed.  However the lighter feel had me all over the face with impact with both and I only gained 1 or 2 mph in ball speed.  The ball flight was about 15 feet higher but distance was right about the JPX900 gamer and dispersion was worse.  A positive note from these last two shafts is that even though face impact was mostly off the sweet spot there was really no loss in distance so there is some forgiveness in the clubheads for thin and toey hits where I was mostly missing.

We then went back to steel and tried the KBS Tour Lite in stiff.  With the 100g shaft the club felt lighter than with the PX LZ but a little heavier than the graphite shafts.  The sweet spot came back into play consistently and the steady distance and tight dispersion pattern reflected the solid contact.  This one felt and performed very well. 

 

I tried a couple other steel shafts around the 100 – 105 g weight and though they felt good, the face contact was not as consistent as with the KBS Tour Lite.  We also tried a couple upcharge graphite shafts that were a little heavier than the first graphites but again the face contact was not consistent. 

I went back to the KBS Tour Lite.  Even being a little tired by this point, again I had consistent face impact on the sweet spot and a nice tight dispersion.  I dialed back the swing to 3 /4 and was able to hit the different target windows working the ball a little.  It was the clear winner!

One thing that I got out of the fitting and comparison is that my JPX900 Forged / PX LZ clubs have aged well from a performance perspective.  The distance and dispersion is very close and even exceeds the performance from certain shaft selections for me.  So I am not in a desperate situation with my iron performance but the very tight dispersion with the KBS Tour Lite has me anxious to try it on the course.   

So the config for the set is 5 – AW, Steel KBS Tour Lite stiff, 2* flat, 1* strong, standard length with standard TM Tour Velvet grips.

 

Edited September 10 by Shapotomous

[LeakyValve]

@Shapotomous advil pre anything golf now is always happening. Putting practice - advil. Range - advil. Long round - a few advil 

[Byrnzee]

1 hour ago, Shapotomous said:

This was the first time I had a P7CB in my hand side by side with my JPX to compare the look at set up.  They are very similar, top line about the same and toe curve about the same.  The P7CB is slightly smaller heel to toe but not drastic to my eye.  It was a familiar look and I didn’t have any mental adjustment to make at the start by looking at something different.  A couple quick comparison pics while there.

Love the side-by-side comparison between the P7CBs and the Mizunos. I've always loved my Mizunos (MP-54s) and it's one of the reason I was so attracted to the CBs when they started getting teased. Didn't take my eye too long to get used to looking at a new club since they're quite similar in many ways. 

Sounds like you had a great fitting experience and that dispersion is incredible! Excited for us both to get our hands on the CBs in the near future

[Indy_Oz]

35 minutes ago, LeakyValve said:

@Shapotomous advil pre anything golf now is always happening. Putting practice - advil. Range - advil. Long round - a few advil 

I’m starting to think our test group needs a team name based on Advil!

Advil and Tiger Balm (on lower back) form a basis for my pre-golf prep

[Indy_Oz]

1 hour ago, Shapotomous said:

It's Fitting Fun Time!!!!!!

My fitting experience was at a course, Chesapeake Bay at Rising Sun, where the pro, Andrew Barbin Jr  is a TM master fitter.  Andrew is very knowledgeable, knowing the nuances between shafts and having a good feel for what will and will not work by what he sees in a swing.  They have a couple indoor simulators using Trackman equipment where we did the fitting.  I explained the situation with reviewing the P7CB’s and how I wanted to get some baseline comparison data as well as determine the best stock shaft / set up combo with the P7CB’s.  I mentioned I was interested in seeing how graphite performance compared to steel.   Being in the senior category of most tournaments maybe the lighter shaft will buy me a few mph’s and yards.

 

I was feeling good, had taken a few preventive advil an hour before the fitting and hit some balls into the net at home to loosen up prior to the 20 minute drive to the course.  So all systems were a GO to have a session of good swings.  The fitting club is a 7i so after a couple warm up shots I started with my JPX900 Forged / PX LZ 6.0 7i to get baseline data.  The gamer is 2* stronger at 31* and 1* flatter in the stock config plus my 2* flatter custom bend for a 3* difference in lie angle from a stock P7CB.  After a few swings I could see the Trackman data matched the on course yardage and the flight path matched the feel coming off the club.  I hit a few 3/4 swing shots as well to see if the data matched up with the feel, again it was accurate.

The first set up in the P7CB was the PX LZ 6.0 shaft to get a baseline comparison.  This was the first time I had a P7CB in my hand side by side with my JPX to compare the look at set up.  They are very similar, top line about the same and toe curve about the same.  The P7CB is slightly smaller heel to toe but not drastic to my eye.  It was a familiar look and I didn’t have any mental adjustment to make at the start by looking at something different.  A couple quick comparison pics while there.

 

P7CB, on the left, is more compact but similar shape between the two.

A couple practice swings before hitting a ball to ‘feel’ the club and I noticed it felt heavier to me.  Andrew said the stock swing weight is a D3 which is a couple points higher than my gamers which are at D1.  We didn’t take time to measure swingweight or club weight in each shaft set up we tried but as we went through the fitting some felt heavy and some felt lighter.  Maybe it was the overall weight of the club maybe it was swingweight or maybe a combo.  Andrew set up the club 2*flat and 1* strong to start with after seeing me swing the JPX900.

I had solid contact from the first swing with the P7CB / PX LZ combo and the results were pretty much the same as with the JPX.  The ball height and spin was slightly higher with the P7CB, average distance about 3 yards less which is all in line with the 1* difference between the two.  The dispersion was very similar as you can see from the pic.  The feel between the two clubs is very similar, the feedback from contact off the sweet spot is very similar and shots results were also about the same.  Time to move to the next shaft.

The steel KBS C Taper Tour Stiff was next up but it didn’t work out so well.  Something was off with the feel and I had trouble making solid contact.  Almost every one felt chunky ending up short & left.  It only took about 5 swings to move past this one.

The next two shafts we tried were scratching the graphite itch, a Ventus Blue Stiff and then a Speeder NX Stiff.  They both felt light and I gained 3 -4 mph in avg swing speed.  However the lighter feel had me all over the face with impact with both and I only gained 1 or 2 mph in ball speed.  The ball flight was about 15 feet higher but distance was right about the JPX900 gamer and dispersion was worse.  A positive note from these last two shafts is that even though face impact was mostly off the sweet spot there was really no loss in distance so there is some forgiveness in the clubheads for thin and toey hits where I was mostly missing.

We then went back to steel and tried the KBS Tour Lite in stiff.  With the 100g shaft the club felt lighter than with the PX LZ but a little heavier than the graphite shafts.  The sweet spot came back into play consistently and the steady distance and tight dispersion pattern reflected the solid contact.  This one felt and performed very well. 

 

I tried a couple other steel shafts around the 100 – 105 g weight and though they felt good, the face contact was not as consistent as with the KBS Tour Lite.  We also tried a couple upcharge graphite shafts that were a little heavier than the first graphites but again the face contact was not consistent. 

I went back to the KBS Tour Lite.  Even being a little tired by this point, again I had consistent face impact on the sweet spot and a nice tight dispersion.  I dialed back the swing to 3 /4 and was able to hit the different target windows working the ball a little.  It was the clear winner!

One thing that I got out of the fitting and comparison is that my JPX900 Forged / PX LZ clubs have aged well from a performance perspective.  The distance and dispersion is very close and even exceeds the performance from certain shaft selections for me.  So I am not in a desperate situation with my iron performance but the very tight dispersion with the KBS Tour Lite has me anxious to try it on the course.   

So the config for the set is 5 – AW, Steel KBS Tour Lite stiff, 2* flat, 1* strong, standard length with standard TM Tour Velvet grips.

 

Great write up and looks like a thorough fitting experience. 

Reading and comparing fitting differences is interesting- particularly as I’ve moved from KBS C-Taper Lite to PX Rifle and you’ve gone from PX LZ to KBS Tour Lite and @LeakyValve went for KBS C-Taper Lite! It’s a good example of there not being a one size fits all and why testing multiple shafts is important!

[chisag]

3 hours ago, Shapotomous said:

The next two shafts we tried were scratching the graphite itch, a Ventus Blue Stiff and then a Speeder NX Stiff.  They both felt light and I gained 3 -4 mph in avg swing speed.  However the lighter feel had me all over the face with impact with both and I only gained 1 or 2 mph in ball speed.  The ball flight was about 15 feet higher but distance was right about the JPX900 gamer and dispersion was worse.  A positive note from these last two shafts is that even though face impact was mostly off the sweet spot there was really no loss in distance so there is some forgiveness in the clubheads for thin and toey hits where I was mostly missing.

 

... Sounds like an awesome fitting. One thing I am a little surprised by is why would he have you try those  light weight stock graphite shafts? I would think Steelfiber in the 85-95gm range and Recoil Dart 90's would be a much better match with the steel shafts you were demoing and hitting well. I have very little success with sub 85gm iron shafts for the very reasons you experienced. For me at least since I can play up to 5 times a week all winter long, the joint dampening quality of graphite is a must if performance is similar to steel. I find Steelfiber's in the right flex surpases steel performance. 

[Shapotomous]

42 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Sounds like an awesome fitting. One thing I am a little surprised by is why would he have you try those  light weight stock graphite shafts? I would think Steelfiber in the 85-95gm range and Recoil Dart 90's would be a much better match with the steel shafts you were demoing and hitting well. I have very little success with sub 85gm iron shafts for the very reasons you experienced. For me at least since I can play up to 5 times a week all winter long, the joint dampening quality of graphite is a must if performance is similar to steel. I find Steelfiber's in the right flex surpases steel performance. 

We tried the stock graphites because upcharge graphites are not selectable for our set to review.  So we figured why not try them and see what happens.  As you can see the distance and dispersion results for them were about the same as the PX LZ shaft in both the P7CB and JPX900 heads.  Although they flew higher and spin was much higher too.

We did try an upcharge MMT 105 and TX shaft (113g) but face contact was not consistent at all. Dispersion looked like the lightweight graphites. 

The steelfiber shafts on hand had a Mizuno adapter on them not a TM adapter so i didnt try them.

[chisag]

4 hours ago, Shapotomous said:

We tried the stock graphites because upcharge graphites are not selectable for our set to review.  So we figured why not try them and see what happens.  As you can see the distance and dispersion results for them were about the same as the PX LZ shaft in both the P7CB and JPX900 heads.  Although they flew higher and spin was much higher too.

We did try an upcharge MMT 105 and TX shaft (113g) but face contact was not consistent at all. Dispersion looked like the lightweight graphites. 

The steelfiber shafts on hand had a Mizuno adapter on them not a TM adapter so i didnt try them.

 

... I have a permanent graphite iron shaft soap box and can be pretty zealous about everyone at least trying them. It made such a difference in my joint issues and finding performance that meets or exceeds steel was such a game changer for me. Watching the majority of the best iron players on the LPGA tour all using graphite in their irons I recommend them every chance I get. Obviously if steel works for anyones swing and they don't have joint issues, hit off matts or put in a ton of practice, I completely understand their choice. 

[Flanpro]

50 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... I have a permanent graphite iron shaft soap box and can be pretty zealous about everyone at least trying them. It made such a difference in my joint issues and finding performance that meets or exceeds steel was such a game changer for me. Watching the majority of the best iron players on the LPGA tour all using graphite in their irons I recommend them every chance I get. Obviously if steel works for anyones swing and they don't have joint issues, hit off matts or put in a ton of practice, I completely understand their choice. 

I’m on the soapbox right beside you! I went through a complete fitting for my new Ping G430 irons and gained 8-10 yards with each iron and dispersion was tightens right up. I needed the lighter shaft. 
I find it unusual that a very small percentage of players talk about the torque in a shaft. I found the difference in this number was the most important for me to get the club square! 

[LeakyValve]

1 hour ago, chisag said:

 

... I have a permanent graphite iron shaft soap box and can be pretty zealous about everyone at least trying them. It made such a difference in my joint issues and finding performance that meets or exceeds steel was such a game changer for me. Watching the majority of the best iron players on the LPGA tour all using graphite in their irons I recommend them every chance I get. Obviously if steel works for anyones swing and they don't have joint issues, hit off matts or put in a ton of practice, I completely understand their choice. 

This is kinda something that I wish was offered a bit more for the P's. There really wasn't any free options for graphite shafts that were close to a good weight. Everything was under 80G. Which for some might be okay. 

[Indy_Oz]

Just now, LeakyValve said:

This is kinda something that I wish was offered a bit more for the P's. There really wasn't any free options for graphite shafts that were close to a good weight. Everything was under 80G. Which for some might be okay. 

Same! A UK youtuber I watch (Matt Fryer) switched to carbon shafts on his irons and wedges last year. I commented recently that it was Accra I think, but I just checked and he went Fujikura AXIOM shafts (and has Fujikura as a channel sponsor, so there is an incentive for him to be more positive maybe). He's younger than me, a PGA teaching pro (now more youtuber) and hits the ball a bit further than me, so faster swing. This is his 'one year on' vid about his experience with the Axioms- both pros and cons:

It's a good vid for anyone toying with the idea.

It's definitely something I'll seek out a fitter to try at some point in future. The one I went to for the P770 fitting didn't have any that would be suitable weight and flex for me. 

[Shapotomous]

2 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... I have a permanent graphite iron shaft soap box and can be pretty zealous about everyone at least trying them. It made such a difference in my joint issues and finding performance that meets or exceeds steel was such a game changer for me. Watching the majority of the best iron players on the LPGA tour all using graphite in their irons I recommend them every chance I get. Obviously if steel works for anyones swing and they don't have joint issues, hit off matts or put in a ton of practice, I completely understand their choice. 

I have wanted to try the steelfibers because of the LPGA use and also reading about your success with them.  I probably will after the TM review is over.  But since the fitters is a Mizuno adapter i will use a JPX Forged iron to see how it compares to P7CB / KBS Tour Lite S and JPX900 Forged / PX LZ 6.0

I think i am bass ackwards.  I used graphite back in the mid to late 90's when i put a set of these together...

Using these shafts

And after about 5 years i quit playing except for fundraiser scrambles due to severe right elbow pain when i would take a divot. 

Early 2000's i was playing in one and tried a partners new callaway iron with a steel shaft.  I took a divot and had no pain, then another and another.  I got home and ordered a set of DG S300's.  Except for the 2i pictured above which i never really hit anyway and had moved to a hybrid by then.  Swapped them in and stayed with steel ever since. 

Besides playing, I have hit 10's of thousands of balls off a mat here at home since then with no right elbow pain.  I cant explain why i am the reverse of most everyones experience.

 

Edited September 10 by Shapotomous

[chisag]

7 minutes ago, Shapotomous said:

Besides playing, I have hit 10's of thousands of balls off a mat here at home since then with no right elbow pain.  I cant explain why i am the reverse of most everyones experience.

 

... You remind me of my Orthopedic surgeon that was also a low index player. After my 2nd back surgery the double strap had just come out and I asked what he thought about me using it and will always remember his response "I think they are great! They will put all 3 of my kids through college". 

... He went on to say some compare it to a back pack where the weight is distributed so that you can keep your spine posture while walking. But the size, shape and weight distribution of a golf bag makes it impossible to keep your posture, especially walking with elevation. He said most carrying their clubs will have some back issues, some will have serious issues requiring surgery and a few will have no issues at all. No human body is the same and some can just deal with things others cannot.

... You seem to be one of the lucky ones because I don't believe I have ever heard any golfer with serious elbow tendonitis that switched to graphite and then went back to steel with no issues. When Cobra sent me MIM Tours to review, steel was the only option so I ordered Nippon 950GH shafts. I figured I should give them a try and was surprised that they didn't cause any elbow discomfort. Well, that lasted about a month and seemingly overnight my tendonitis returned with a vengence. I took a little time off, re-shafted with Steelfiber's and the elbow pain never retuned. Figured I dodged a bullet and won't make that mistake again. I hope your experience remains the reverse! 

[Indy_Oz]

21 minutes ago, Shapotomous said:

I have wanted to try the steelfibers because of the LPGA use and also reading about your success with them.  I probably will after the TM review is over.  But since the fitters is a Mizuno adapter i will use a JPX Forged iron to see how it compares to P7CB / KBS Tour Lite S and JPX900 Forged / PX LZ 6.0

I think i am bass ackwards.  I used graphite back in the mid to late 90's when i put a set of these together...

Using these shafts

And after about 5 years i quit playing except for fundraiser scrambles due to severe right elbow pain when i would take a divot. 

Early 2000's i was playing in one and tried a partners new callaway iron with a steel shaft.  I took a divot and had no pain, then another and another.  I got home and ordered a set of DG S300's.  Except for the 2i pictured above which i never really hit anyway and had moved to a hybrid by then.  Swapped them in and stayed with steel ever since. 

Besides playing, I have hit 10's of thousands of balls off a mat here at home since then with no right elbow pain.  I cant explain why i am the reverse of most everyones experience.

 

I still have my early 90s Titleist 1-iron with carbon shaft. Tempting to put a stiffer shaft in it and try it out. It's too flexible for me and my current swing.

 

I also have the gap wedge from my 2017 P790s with a Steelfiber i95 regular flex shaft in it. A stiff i95 might work for me, but this is too flexible. I know it plays closer to stiff, but not stiff enough for me right now. I did like the feel of a carbon shaft when I first got these clubs though. Less vibes was nice and I hit them long, just with poor dispersion and distance control. Sometime after the P-series test is done I'll get a carbon shaft fitting to compare with the P770s. I'm too curious about it not to get the fitting at some point. I just need to find a well rated fitter with a wide selection of stiff and x-flex weightier carbon shafts.

 

[chisag]

1 hour ago, Indy_Oz said:

A UK youtuber I watch (Matt Fryer) switched to carbon shafts on his irons and wedges last year. I commented recently that it was Accra I think, but I just checked and he went Fujikura AXIOM shafts (and has Fujikura as a channel sponsor, so there is an incentive for him to be more positive maybe). He's younger than me, a PGA teaching pro (now more youtuber) and hits the ball a bit further than me, so faster swing. This is his 'one year on' vid about his experience with the Axioms- both pros and cons:

It's a good vid for anyone toying with the idea.

 

... Excellent video! I would think it only applies to the ignorant non forum golfer but judging by comments I see on golf forums, it is probably relevant for them too. I would argue a little on the cost of graphite being much more expensive and there are certainly some high priced graphite iron shafts from Fujikura and LA Golf, but plenty of both steel and graphite in the $49-$65 range.

A Steelfiber i95 ($60) Recoil Dart 90 ($60) and MMT ($50) are less expensive than a KBS $-Taper Lite Chrome ($69.95) compared to a TT Project X LS ($54.95). 

... But the rest of his points are spot on. Thanks for posting it! 

[MissionMan]

On 9/9/2024 at 10:46 AM, Byrnzee said:

 

 

 

 

I use Pro Modus 105's in my T150's. Love them. Enjoy. 

[Byrnzee]

Recently watched a video on YouTube of Grant Horvat's new irons for 2024, which is a combo set of the P7CBs and the new P770s. Very informative video and cool to see why he chose a combo. Would recommend watching for anyone interested in the new irons (and likes seeing a beautiful golf swing)