Forged irons v game improvers

[jack1]

Interested in opinions. I have always used game improvement irons with regular shafts, had them fitted and play off 15 on a very good day. Recently I had an opportunity to try two versions of forged irons. Both with stiff shafts and standard length and lie. Callaway cf 16 apex and Cleveland 588 cb and I swear I hit them as good if not better than my ping shovels. Am left thinking does it matter that much what you use if you like them?

 

[Ethan]

Forged covers a broad range these days, from blades, through players' cavity backs, to players' distance irons and game improvers, including some with forged faces and cast bodies.

The Apex CF16s are a great iron, solid, long, reasonably forgiving but very playable. Dunno about the Clevelands.

Regular and stiff flexes vary between soft brands, and weight may be a more important consideration than flex. A set of 95g shafts in stiff might feel more playable than 125g in regular.

 

[jim8flog]

Forged irons can be game improvement irons.

It is not about the method of manufacture it is about the design of the head and where the weighting is.

From memory the 588 used Nippon NS Pro 850 shafts and could simply be that this shaft is lighter than what you have in the Pings
allowing you to get a better swing speed.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

There is no industry standard on shafts so one makes R could be close to S in another. I have hit forged and cast and to be honest if you don't put a decent swing on it and find the centre of the club regularly it makes little difference. If you want a proper comparison hit the forged v the cast on a launch monitor and see what the numbers say

 

[Sats]

There's a few things to consider;

Not all flexes are created equal
Sometimes weight of a shaft/head plays a part - I personally like a light shaft so I can "feel" the head during my swing, others may like a heavy shaft.
Looks and feels are an important factor - I personally hate the look of chunky irons, and I don't like too much offset.
Numbers are they what you expect them to be.

At the end of the day, you're the one using them and paying for them so you are the most important factor!

 

[incatrekker]

Wherever possible try to use a trial set of Irons in a whole round after you’ve done the numbers on the monitor. You can then feel the difference in a real setting. Confidence in your clubs is everything.

 

[Foxholer]

Wherever possible try to use a trial set of Irons in a whole round after you’ve done the numbers on the monitor. You can then feel the difference in a real setting. Confidence in your clubs is everything.

I've used both Cast and Forged heads. I've never been able to pick the difference, probably because, to me, the shaft has more influence on feel than the Clubhead! That said, Pings have always felt pretty 'hard' for me.
My (Miura forged) PCB Tours still feel great though - so I'll keep playing and collecting them!

 

[incatrekker]

Given that my first club (just one) was a cut down hickory approx 6 iron, all my irons have felt wonderful, until they didn’t! Still have my blades with stiff shafts decorating my workshop, but recently went to Callaway Apex Pro with NS Pro steel R after a fitting. They’re forged cavity style, love them.

 

[jack1]

Thanks for the interesting replies. I am not convinced i am consistent enough to get "regular" numbers on any kind of measurement device. My handicap is maintained, (if at all) by driving and around the greens. Faced with say a greens in regulation percentage i would say 3 out of 10.

I suppose i am questioning the whole fitting thing for somone like me, who probably has a problem in the head more than anywhere else.

 

[incatrekker]

One other guide that may help overall is to keep track of your stats. So if for example your fairways hit rate (FIR) is 60% and your greens hit (GIR) is 40% then more practice with the irons you have may help. Stats won’t fix your game but they do give an indication where improvements can be made. Bear in mind that the vagaries of golf mean you still need to practice all departments of the game!

 

[OnTour]

I would concentrate on the shaft over a club head, if you like the look and confident with setup. the shaft is the engine oh and good grips don't over complicate the game or mind. I've been there it doesn't help.

 

[huds1475]

Am left thinking does it matter that much what you use if you like them?

Not really.

You can analyse it to death, as this thread proves. But ultimately, you're supposed to be enjoying yourself

 

[Crow]

I pick my irons purely on their looks, I don't score great but I enjoy it.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I aspire to play my irons, which are forged cavity backs but not GI irons.

Probably good for me when I was a low teens player but really hard work now I barely play 8 rounds a year.

Also being 13 years old they really do feel weak distance wise, although a good portion of that is my swing.

Any idea what a modern equivalent of the MP-57s are?

 

[Sats]

Thanks for the interesting replies. I am not convinced i am consistent enough to get "regular" numbers on any kind of measurement device. My handicap is maintained, (if at all) by driving and around the greens. Faced with say a greens in regulation percentage i would say 3 out of 10.

I suppose i am questioning the whole fitting thing for somone like me, who probably has a problem in the head more than anywhere else.

What most people (including myself) do is hit about 10 balls per club; then remove any miss hits (shanks/duffs/thins) and looking at the mean number of distance/spin etc - If you're looking for perfect then golfs not the sport Just use the average number to reflect what you'd get on your reasonable shots.

 

[Sats]

I aspire to play my irons, which are forged cavity backs but not GI irons.

Probably good for me when I was a low teens player but really hard work now I barely play 8 rounds a year.

Also being 13 years old they really do feel weak distance wise, although a good portion of that is my swing.

Any idea what a modern equivalent of the MP-57s are?

MP20 MMC I think or the JPX 919 Forged.

 

[One Planer]

If you decide you want to go down the 588CB route, drop me a PM.

I have a set 4-W you can have on the cheap.

 

[Grant85]

Interested in opinions. I have always used game improvement irons with regular shafts, had them fitted and play off 15 on a very good day. Recently I had an opportunity to try two versions of forged irons. Both with stiff shafts and standard length and lie. Callaway cf 16 apex and Cleveland 588 cb and I swear I hit them as good if not better than my ping shovels. Am left thinking does it matter that much what you use if you like them?

Personally don't think it matters. I think forged v cast is more about style, aesthetics and manufacturing cost.

The bigger point is the head & shaft flex, and if they give you sufficient launch for your swing speed.

I also think there is a potential for some players to concentrate that bit more with a smaller bit of metal in their hand and strike the ball a bit better. Which could / should improve your level of ability and hopefully improve your scores.

I also believe for a good ball striker, they will get far more consistent numbers with a forged club rather than a GI iron.

 

[jack1]

If you decide you want to go down the 588CB route, drop me a PM.

I have a set 4-W you can have on the cheap.

If you decide you want to go down the 588CB route, drop me a PM.

I have a set 4-W you can have on the cheap.

Tell me more please

 

[jack1]

How do I send a pm