Are my irons right for me?

[Chris132]

I am currently gaming 5-PW Cobra Forged Tec Black One length irons. I can hit them pretty well for the most part, occasionally catching them fat, maybe a few times a round. I play off 19 and want to get down to 10-12 by the end of the year. But I've looked at the website for these irons and it states they are meant for scratch to 15 handicap.

My question is would I be more successful with irons designed for a high handicapper?

Potentially keep these for when my handicap does/if comes down?

 

[TigerBear]

For me, if you're hitting them well then why change them?

If it's only the odd fat shot then that's nothing to do with the club but the swing, which can be improved

I'm off 10.2 now and still playing with the same irons I've had for years when I was just a casual fair weather golfer. I game the callaway x-22s...really old clubs lol. Game improvement irons, forgiving and gives me a lot of help.

I'll get new irons at some point but just now, I'm playing relatively well, know my yardage for each club down to a pin point.

I mean I will change my irons at some point as the grips are starting to wear but I'm not basing it on my handicap. I was going to change them for this season but never got round to it and I didn't want to change irons mid season.

Good luck!

 

[Swinglowandslow]

I am currently gaming 5-PW Cobra Forged Tec Black One length irons. I can hit them pretty well for the most part, occasionally catching them fat, maybe a few times a round. I play off 19 and want to get down to 10-12 by the end of the year. But I've looked at the website for these irons and it states they are meant for scratch to 15 handicap.

My question is would I be more successful with irons designed for a high handicapper?

Potentially keep these for when my handicap does/if comes down?

Always fancied a try out of curiosity. But I get the impression that BDC uses them because of his one plane swing? Dunno.
Surely, theoretically, if you hit a 7 iron OK, then hitting other clubs the same would mean a change of distance merely determined by the loft ( the angle of attack being the same ).
Are they blades or cavity backs? that you have. That's what normally is said to be the low/high handicapper decider. ( not necessarily the case , IMHO, but there you go).
If you go to "orthodox" clubs, the different lengths you will get used to, I assume. And then, if you go back to the one length, it's all change again!!.

Personally, first, I'd go for lessons with your 7 iron present clubs. If you can hit that ok, then the others should be OK, yes? Occasionally hitting fat is a technique problem ( which I have more than you, I suspect?) not a make of club problem.

 

[garyinderry]

The chance of playing off 10 is pretty slim by the end of the year.

It's not impossible but pretty difficult. Most people move down a few shots a year. Maybe the odd big jump but on the whole people shave off a few shots a year when progressing.

Your irons are fine. The game is built on many facets. You need to improve on all to become a better player and see you handicap drop. It isnt a case of your irons stopping you from being the player you want to be.

 

[Sats]

Playing off 10-12 from 19 is a big ask - you'd need to put in A LOT of time and effort in practicing and improvement. I'd also ignore the handicap bracket bit for irons as I've seen good players with chunky high handicapper irons and vice versa. Also the benefit of equipment is minimal to the skill set of the golfer - get better at the game, not better equipment.

One length irons were a big pull for me, until I tried them and didn't get on with them - long irons were flat and the long irons went into orbit for me.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I thought you could only 'game' clubs when you play off scratch or better ?

 

[bradleywedge]

where are you losing your shots? My guess would be around the greens chipping and putting, work on the wedge play part of the game that will bring your score down, get a decent drive away, even thinning/fatting an iron will get it near/past the green

 

[Crow]

Post a video of your swing and we'll be able to give the advice you're looking for.

 

[Chris132]

where are you losing your shots? My guess would be around the greens chipping and putting, work on the wedge play part of the game that will bring your score down, get a decent drive away, even thinning/fatting an iron will get it near/past the green

My putting is very good and chipping has recently been fixed so now I tend to get within 6 feet no matter how far the chip is. Driving can be hit or miss but never unplayable, tee off in general is not bad.

 

[Buckbeak]

I think if you hit your irons well then there’s no need to change. The more you play and practice the better you’ll get with them too. Fatting is more of a swing issue, maybe invest in some lessons rather than buying a new set

 

[HeftyHacker]

I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing having clubs that are designed for a lower handicapper than you currently are.

I got some mizuno jpx 921 forged in april which fall into the same handicap bracket as yours and I've found that, combined with a few lessons, my ball striking has improved massively. I think some of it comes from the increased feedback you get from them. My old callaway xr irons felt the same no matter how you hit them.

I reckon the 19 to 10 is doable. I've gone from an unofficial 22 or 23 in April (after the lockdown) and rarely breaking 90 to an official 14.3 currently. But I'd put a lot of this down to the 3 lessons I had and putting time in working on my <100yards game. I've had one round where I've broken 10 over and now get miffed if I'm shooting my handicap as I can literally count the silly shots that have cost me - a duff here or there, a wayward drive because I lost concentration etc.

TLDR: Get lessons and practice instead.

 

[bwstokie]

A mate of mine has been custom fit for a brand new set of Orka RS10 CB’s, lovely looking clubs. He’s played for over 20 years and pre new clubs had his old set of trusty Lynx Black Cats and had a steady gently fade, 7 iron distance about 155. Now I don’t know what happened in the fitting (probably bamboozled with sale pitch bull) but these clubs just don’t suit him at all. To the eye his swing is exactly as it has Always been but his distance is right down, at least 15 yards shorter with each club. From a loft perspective the two 7 irons are similarly lofted (these were late 90’s black cats before loft jacking was a thing) but there’s just no distance. I feel like he’s been done but what this tells me is if it isn’t broken don’t fix it as golf isn’t a game to be messed with!

 

[Chris132]

Thanks for all the advice, unfortunately when I was drunk last night I have purchased some refurbished PING ISI-k irons and I'm getting messages from a fella on eBay asking for my height, wrist-to-floor measurements and hand length for correct grips. He's going to do a full custom fit for £300! Just researched him and he's a PGA Pro working in Telford. Needless to say these irons will take some getting used to, the lofts are very traditional and it's going to throw my yardages out. But I will do as you've all suggested, I'll get plenty of practice in and if need be some lessons.

Really appreciate the advice.

 

[Chris132]

A mate of mine has been custom fit for a brand new set of Orka RS10 CB’s, lovely looking clubs. He’s played for over 20 years and pre new clubs had his old set of trusty Lynx Black Cats and had a steady gently fade, 7 iron distance about 155. Now I don’t know what happened in the fitting (probably bamboozled with sale pitch bull) but these clubs just don’t suit him at all. To the eye his swing is exactly as it has Always been but his distance is right down, at least 15 yards shorter with each club. From a loft perspective the two 7 irons are similarly lofted (these were late 90’s black cats before loft jacking was a thing) but there’s just no distance. I feel like he’s been done but what this tells me is if it isn’t broken don’t fix it as golf isn’t a game to be messed with!

This has me worried now. I've always just bought second hand and off the shelf clubs, generally ok but some I've had to adapt my swing or course management to. But that is a big drop off for similar lofts I can only guess it must be the club face itself is the problem if his swing is the same. Maybe the shafts aren't allowing as much swing speed to be generated. Odd though.

 

[bwstokie]

This has me worried now. I've always just bought second hand and off the shelf clubs, generally ok but some I've had to adapt my swing or course management to. But that is a big drop off for similar lofts I can only guess it must be the club face itself is the problem if his swing is the same. Maybe the shafts aren't allowing as much swing speed to be generated. Odd though.

He’s absolutely fuming to be honest and I don’t blame him. I’ve had a go of his 7 iron but it’s a reg shaft and I’m a stiff so I just couldn’t get on with it full stop, too much flex. They aren’t right though 100%!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I’m in process of replacing every club in my bag other than my putter and for the first time in 50yrs playing - more seriously from early 80s...I’ve had the clubs custom fitted.

So far got 4H, 5F, driver, 54 and 58 wedges, and guess what...I can’t hit them using the swing I’ve worked out MYSELF over the decades and that got me down to 6 - currently HI 9.5; wedges very wonky, but the three ’woods’ utterly dire barely getting them off the ground. Most very frustrating, irritating and worrying. Feeling I’ve paid a LOT of £££ to make my golf dreadful!

However a couple of lessons with one of our pros has explained why. Why my existing grip, stance and swing worked with my existing clubs and why it wont with my new custom fitted bats. He’s directed me to what I have to change - he focuses almost totally on the strike - the swing will be what gets me the strike I need - and after only a couple of sessions on the range hitting 60 balls a time, plus a couple of rounds really focussing on grip and strike - things are on a strong upward trajectory.

Quite simply. I’ve played for 50yrs, I’m now on week 2 of new me. As he says...I can play the game..I don’t have to worry about my swing, just change a couple of basics.

 

[Swinglowandslow]

I’m in process of replacing every club in my bag other than my putter and for the first time in 50yrs playing - more seriously from early 80s...I’ve had the clubs custom fitted.

So far got 4H, 5F, driver, 54 and 58 wedges, and guess what...I can’t hit them using the swing I’ve worked out MYSELF over the decades and that got me down to 6 - currently HI 9.5; wedges very wonky, but the three ’woods’ utterly dire barely getting them off the ground. Most very frustrating, irritating and worrying. Feeling I’ve paid a LOT of £££ to make my golf dreadful!

However a couple of lessons with one of our pros has explained why. Why my existing grip, stance and swing worked with my existing clubs and why it wont with my new custom fitted bats. He’s directed me to what I have to change - he focuses almost totally on the strike - the swing will be what gets me the strike I need - and after only a couple of sessions on the range hitting 60 balls a time, plus a couple of rounds really focussing on grip and strike - things are on a strong upward trajectory.

Quite simply. I’ve played for 50yrs, I’m now on week 2 of new me. As he says...I can play the game..I don’t have to worry about my swing, just change a couple of basics.

Got to ask. H. How the hell did you accept the fitting if you had the results you've described?
I mean, what happened when you tried to hit them st the time of fitting?
The shots must have seemed OK.
Were they judged on a tracking device, I.e, you didn't see the ball flight?

If so, there's a moral there.

 

[rksquire]

Nothing beats the idea of new clubs - I know some guys who change regularly with no deterioration of their game, but they tend to be 'good', low handicap golfers. I also know some high handicappers (2 in the senior bracket hoping new technology returns some distance; another who hopes to improve alot and have the right equipment to do it) who have found the process painful. One of the seniors has only now started playing golf to the same standard he was before the change (after 2 years) - initially he thought they'd bed in and he'd come good, but lost distance and confidence. The other senior has swapped out his sand wedge, pitching wedge and 4 iron from his new to set to use the old clubs, so he has a fairly mixed bag of clubs. He has also reverted to using his old driver after changing last year. The other guy has power and hits the ball miles - he got custom fit and basically his handicap is going the wrong way. What he needed was lessons, not new equipment.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Got to ask. H. How the hell did you accept the fitting if you had the results you've described?
I mean, what happened when you tried to hit them st the time of fitting?
The shots must have seemed OK.
Were they judged on a tracking device, I.e, you didn't see the ball flight?

If so, there's a moral there.

The pro and Ping rep set me up as I should to hit them. My existing 20yr old clubs were totally wrong for me - far too upright. My pro knows me well and he knew at the fitting what he would be getting me to change. He knew the clubs would be right for me - with a bit of work.

I had developed a very ’manipulated’ swing that only worked for me as I played masses through the 80s and early 90s and so absolutely grooved the swing. But it always had multiple faults - some of which I was aware of - that in the end really bit me badly (when I fell off the tightrope - I wasn’t in a groove I had become an excellent tightrope Walker).

And I will add. i have been battling the shanks for 30yrs. Over the last 15yrs I have been losing and recently (last 5 yrs) completely lost that battle. My pro identified the source of my shanking, and it was the fundamental nature of my manipulated swing. It worked well when I was playing loads and could walk that tightrope most expertly, but when I started playing less (family) I fell off the tightrope - that hurts and it is difficult to get back on that tightrope - very different to get back into the groove - and I haven’t succeeded. I have to change some basics or I will forever be playing with the S-word ever present every shot.

 

[Swinglowandslow]

Nothing beats the idea of new clubs - I know some guys who change regularly with no deterioration of their game, but they tend to be 'good', low handicap golfers. I also know some high handicappers (2 in the senior bracket hoping new technology returns some distance; another who hopes to improve alot and have the right equipment to do it) who have found the process painful. One of the seniors has only now started playing golf to the same standard he was before the change (after 2 years) - initially he thought they'd bed in and he'd come good, but lost distance and confidence. The other senior has swapped out his sand wedge, pitching wedge and 4 iron from his new to set to use the old clubs, so he has a fairly mixed bag of clubs. He has also reverted to using his old driver after changing last year. The other guy has power and hits the ball miles - he got custom fit and basically his handicap is going the wrong way. What he needed was lessons, not new equipment.

Yes, my mate has some new irons coming. He might be 'disappointed ' from one or two things he's said. Funny old game!?