Demo Day

[haplesshacker]

Well I've spent the afternoon at a Mizuno demo day at the club.

After all the raving about the MX200s on here, I'd thought that I'd give them a try. Yep, pretty much as everyone has described. So no real surprises there. Until.....

....I tried the MP52s. I felt that I was hitting these better, with a nicer ball flight (to my eyes), a sweet sound, and gorgeous to look at.

Okay so onto the flight monitor.

First the 200s. 6 balls 1 left, (hooked if I'm honest) and 1 right, the rest straight(ish). Then onto the 52s, again the same differences approximately.

Results.
200s were 5 yards longer and 2.5 mph more ball speed. Though only 3600rpm backspin.

52s were by contrast shorter by 5 yards than the 200s, ball speed was just over 100mph, but back spin was up to 4800rpm.

The 52s also had a more vertical drop and less roll out.

The conclusion from the fitter was the 200s would be the better option. However. I wasn't convinced.

The question!

Which would you rather have with your irons?
More distance?
More backspin?
More vertical drop with less rollout?

For me. Distance with irons is not important. I'll just take a longer club if need be. I'd rather have the more vertical drop whereby the ball doesn't roll out so much. Theory being for more distance control.

What would your preference be?

Or am I trying to justify the 52s because I like the look of them?

PS The 52s did feel better to hit with though.

 

[mono217]

Less roll and more verticle drop with out a doubt all the time.

 

[Putting_Green_Pro]

Less roll and more verticle drop with out a doubt all the time.

same plus the mp52's look nicer and therefore your mentality will make you play better as you like them more

 

[Prubs]

Target golf for me too...did you not try the mp57's? although the 200's are brill

 

[haplesshacker]

No I didn't as I thought at my level I might be pushing my luck! The 52s aren't really meant for my ability as it is.

In h'cap terms I would have thought that the fitter would have thrown the 100s and 200s at me and hidden the 52s etc! But I asked to try the 52s.

I forgot to mention that I had a higher ball flight with the 52s than the 200s, though I guess that's implied by the stats I gave!

 

[HTL]

Have a look ate club specs on the Mizuno website. That will explain it all.

The MP clubs all have higher lofts, hence the drop and stop.

 

[Smiffy]

The MP clubs all have higher lofts, hence the drop and stop.

Yep.
They are for knobs.
The MX200's are for real men, isn't that right Hywel?

 

[HTL]

I honestly can't see the point of playing anything else in the mizuno range if your handicap is above the low teens. They are superb clubs!

 

[TWM]

Which would you rather have with your irons?
More distance?
More backspin?
More vertical drop with less rollout?

For me the important thing is less dispersion. I want my irons to be straight. I can soon get to recognise the distance I will get from each club.

 

[brendy]

HH I dont want to sound rude, but are you really going to notice any difference whatsoever out of real grass and in real conditions? High handicappers find the sweetspot less often than an MP throws away receipts. I don't think anyone but the best golfers out there will notice when there is a wind against and non perfect lie.

 

[haplesshacker]

Brendy, HTL,....

You're both absolutely right.

The 6 iron lofts of the 200 are 29 degrees and the 52s are 31 degrees. A 2 degree difference and a 5 yard difference in distance on landing. No surprises there then. About right given that 4 degrees is about 10 yards as an average.

Which leads me to think. Why didn't the fitter care to enlighten me of this difference? He was 'selling' me the 200s because of the extra distance!! Well yes. They would have extra distance. The lofts are stronger!! Muppet.

I don't know how these guys can sleep at night! I know we've done the whole 'lofts' of irons debate before. Well here's your proof. These guys think that all we care about is distance. Tosh!!

Which brings me to Brendys point. Yep I agree with you. So much so that I'd almost go so far to say that despite my h'cap I'd still want the 52s. I hit them better than my own clubs, (MX19s), and I like the look of them (the 52s).

Being custom (lite) fitted? Bah! Just don't take everything that the fitter (salesman!!) says as read.

To bad I ain't spending at the moment!!

 

[haplesshacker]

I didn't mention that I also tried a few MX700 driver varients.

First thought. Wow, it don't 'arf look closed at address. I constantly felt as though I should have been pushing my hands forward towards the target. Also. It's flipping loud in the driving range. My head is still ringing. I don't like too much noise from the driver, so that put me off. As did the fact that I don't get on with my MX500 at the moment. So Mizzy woods are questionable in my mind.

For the first time I can remember I was getting some height on my drives. However I was also getting a huge slice occasionally, but mainly getting a push fade type thing. After change of shafts I was starting to get a straighter flight. Okay, so good so far regarding the shape of the shot.

Problem is that it was landing 220 yards. About my average with my G10 3 wood. (When I hit it right.) So I don't see the point in it. When I said this to the 'fitter', he pointed out that it was with range balls and that I'd eek out quite a lot more yardage with 'game' balls. But he doesn't know what my game balls are. I might be using some hard 2 piece rock, not dissimilar to the range balls! So distance would be similar, perhaps!

As I said earlier, salesman or fitter!!

I'm not convinced about the driver. If it was 'the' right driver for me then maybe, just maybe.......

 

[HomerJSimpson]

My personal advice would be to go back and try a set of each on a range somewhere (200's and the 52's) with no pressure and see what you feel like then. Personally I think the 200's would be the better bet in terms of consistancy and forgiveness but can see how the higher flight and especially the looks would be an enticing prospect.

 

[Imurg]

The 200's do look like they would suit your standard better than the 52's but.....

Its the performance and the feel that matter. If the 52's look better to you than the 200's then you will have more confidence with them therefore you should play better with them.

Refering to your "custome fit" - is this another nail in the coffin for the must-be-custom-fit-brigade?
We've had so many bad experiences recently... Hey that's an idea - get GM to do a mystery shopper thing at custom fit centres. My idea - I volunteer!!!!!!!!!

 

[Golfmmad]

Of course I could be completely wrong here, but I thought the idea of, "custom fit", was to choose a set of irons that you like and then get them custom fitted personally to you, ie: your height , reach and lie angle. Not what a salesman wants to sell or thinks you should have.

Golfmmad.

 

[Jahmoo]

I went up to Mizuno last year at Leatherhead. I was not overly happy with it all, as the guy just gave me the MX950's to try, did not even let me feel a MX25. I felt the burn, the fitter/sales guy was pushing the 950's though I hated the look of them, I also had to grip down the club, as he did not have the shorter shafts, which in its self, holding different clubs, I was not hold them consistantly. After trying them out and not being too happy with them, I had a go with the MX560, which was atraight enough, though I had a go with a F-60 4 wood, which I was hitting the same distance as the Driver.

I have the F-60 4 wood from the day, but that is all, 3 weeks after the MX200's were Launched, so looked to me to be trying to get rid of some stock.....wont use again, though will show my MX20's the Love they deserve

 

[haplesshacker]

Imurg.

I wouldn't say that this is another nail in the coffin. As I believe that having the right shaft in the clubs, especially the driver is important. As are the basic static measurements being correct.

Let's face it. CF'ing an inconsistent hitter cannot be easy for these guys. Educated guesswork at best, at worst just agreeing with whatever the customer says, just to get a sale! And somewhere in the middle is the grey area of not quite pointing out why the stats on a flight scope type thing are what they are.

Reading the info on these things ain't rocket science. I can read numbers. And as in my previous sport, it's how you interpret these numbers and use them is what matters. I just got the impression that with regard to the 200s and 52s, that all he had in his head was distance.

Strangely though. The other Mizzy chap there was a really nice chap. He was eye-balling peoples shots and swapping clubs around for them to try etc, before getting them on the flightscope thing. What's surprising is that I think he was a Sales Rep for Mizuno and the chap on the monitor was a fitter.

I'm not disappointed with my experiance as a whole today. And I was squeezed in briefly between appointments. But I was disappointed with the second rate sales ability that I could so easily see through.

He may be right. As HTL and others have said, 200s all the way. But using 'warped' stats to prove that, puts me on my guard.

Would I go for CF as and when I change my clubs. Probabably. But it will be somewhere like The Belfry. Where there is a choice of brands, and if I have to pay to be Cf'd, then so be it. That then makes me the customer and not a 'free-loader'! He'd just better get his facts straight!!

 

[Imurg]

I take your point Hapless.
I was just saying that its another example of a level of dissatisfaction with the custom fit experience. No doubt that having the right shaft etc etc is important. But when they're pushing a particular brand or model on to you when you feel something else is better - and the numbers back you up - you do have to worry as to the standard of some of the fitters out there. A poor custom fit from a poor custom fitter - you may as well buy off the shelf.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

HH Not sure where your nearest Mizuno fitter would be but there is one in New Malden (A3) and I'm wondering if you could get a fitting there and a second opinion. I know world of golf is where HTL got his mizzy's from

 

[haplesshacker]

I don't think we're in disagreement about this. I agree with your sentiments. But in his defence, we didn't have long. But a little more 'helpfulness' wouldn't have gone a miss.

I've just realised. Oops!

Mizuno are a great company, that provide the best clubs, particularly their irons. Their CF fitters are all experts in their field and understand the requirements of hackers, like myself, and pros. They never fail to provide an excellent service, and are always helpful if you're uncertain about aspects of club design, suitability and selection.

Firstly I hope that Mizzy will now re-instate their advertising in GM, and that I'm not in their bad books when I need to go and sign my sons contract with them as a junior 'staff' player!!

I love Mizzy irons. I just can't decided which I prefer 200s or 52s. And after today. I'm really none the wiser.