Have GI irons changed much over the last 3-5+ years? If so which models to look out for?

[Imurg]

, I'm not elitist but there should be stricter rules and regulations regarding what a golf club should be in my opinion

Yes you are.
Golf is played at many levels by many people. Some become Professionals, some elite amateurs, many become single figure players. But for the majority, those from 10-28 handicap, they're not going to get much better than they are now, they just don't have the ability. Couple with that a lack of time or inclination to spend hours beating balls on the range. These people, for the most part, can't hit bladed clubs with anything like the efficiency and consistency to make playing the game enjoyable. Some can and some get enjoyment from using blades - Nick (Crow) is one and if that's they way he has to go to enjoy his golf then who is anyone to say he's right or wrong.
The manufacturers dreamed up new products that can help them play the game, get more consistency and thereby enjoy the game more.
You don't like "shovels" - great, no problem. Play your blades, you've become good enough to use them to some degree of competency.
But don't deny the weekend hacker the clubs he uses to make his game more enjoyable for him.

 

[Parsaregood]

Over the years the following players have used GI irons of some variety in their bag

KJ Choi
Steve Stricker
Ben Curtis
Lee Westwood

Spieth at some stage has put a couple of Ap1 into the bag , Zach Johnson a combo of Ap1 and Ap2

Ye Yang

I suspect there is a good number more

I know a 1 HC still using G15 , a Scratch player using TM SpeedBlade

It’s all about what works for people

It still take a lot of skill to hit the ball whatever club someone uses and it’s not right to look down on peoples ability based on the club they use

They will have hat the long irons at most, guaranteed, that's all gi irons are good for

 

[ger147]

They will have hat the long irons at most, guaranteed, that's all gi irons are good for

Lee Westwood has a bag full of i210's.

 

[Parsaregood]

Doesn't Lee Westwood play i210's?

I210s are a players cavity back, do you know anything about golf club design

 

[Parsaregood]

I was speaking to my coach yesterday who's is very high up in the pga, he made the comment that something is going to be done about the distancesvachieved, whether that's club or ball I don't know

 

[ger147]

do you know anything about golf club design

Do you?

 

[Wolf]

Yes you are.
Golf is played at many levels by many people. Some become Professionals, some elite amateurs, many become single figure players. But for the majority, those from 10-28 handicap, they're not going to get much better than they are now, they just don't have the ability. Couple with that a lack of time or inclination to spend hours beating balls on the range. These people, for the most part, can't hit bladed clubs with anything like the efficiency and consistency to make playing the game enjoyable. Some can and some get enjoyment from using blades - Nick (Crow) is one and if that's they way he has to go to enjoy his golf then who is anyone to say he's right or wrong.
The manufacturers dreamed up new products that can help them play the game, get more consistency and thereby enjoy the game more.
You don't like "shovels" - great, no problem. Play your blades, you've become good enough to use them to some degree of competency.
But don't deny the weekend hacker the clubs he uses to make his game more enjoyable for him.

I Couldn't have possibly worded it any better......

Well said, people need to come down off their high horses about GI club stating people shouldn't be allowed them they should practice more.. GI clubs make the game more accessible to a lot of golfers that otherwise would give up because they don't have the time or inclination to practice. Queue comments saying if they don't have time they shouldn't play or should make the time...

Gone are the days of 9-5 working hours with every weekend off for most people, people have lives and families outside of golf, yes fathers spend time helping out at home these days... So if using a set of GI clubs gives people the chance to play then let them play and use them.

If you're good enough to use blades then use them, if you come up against someone with a higher handicap using these clubs they aren't cheating (or on steroids, strange analogy, a subject I know a lot about professionally) they're just using equipment that makes the game more accessible to them, plus if your the lower handicap, better ball striker using "proper clubs" you should beat them anyway..

 

[G1BB0]

Maybe a new thread is in order or a poll whether GI irons should even be allowed on a course?

Each to their own i say

 

[Parsaregood]

Do you?

I know the difference between a blade, a muscleback, a players cavity back, a cavity back and a gi iron

 

[ger147]

I know the difference between a blade, a muscleback, a players cavity back, a cavity back and a gi iron

What makes a player's cavity back not a GI iron?

Some common features of GI irons:
- a cavity back
- higher launching
- stronger lofted
- progressive offset
- hotter face

Now let me think which clubs in the Ping range have all of those features...

 

[Parsaregood]

A players cavity

What makes a player's cavity back not a GI iron?

Some common features of GI irons:
- a cavity back
- higher launching
- stronger lofted
- progressive offset
- hotter face

Now let me think which clubs in the Ping range have all of those features...

A players cavity is still generally within 1 degree in loft of a blade, has a thinner sole, higher c.g, lower bounce, less offset and a smaller profile overall than a gi iron

 

[Parsaregood]

A players cavity

What makes a player's cavity back not a GI iron?

Some common features of GI irons:
- a cavity back
- higher launching
- stronger lofted
- progressive offset
- hotter face

Now let me think which clubs in the Ping range have all of those features...

A players cavity is still generally within 1 degree in loft of a blade, has a thinner sole, higher c.g, lower bounce, less offset and a smaller profile overall than a gi iron

 

[NWJocko]

They will have hat the long irons at most, guaranteed, that's all gi irons are good for

There's a scratch, maybe plus, player I've played with via this place (not sure he's on here or not) who uses Ping G irons all the way through. Plays in national "elite" amateur comps.

County player I played in scratch league this year used G400 irons. Hit them far better than I could wish to hit any blade (or any type of iron for that matter!!)

 

[ger147]

A players cavity

A players cavity is still generally within 1 degree in loft of a blade, has a thinner sole, higher c.g, lower bounce, less offset and a smaller profile overall than a gi iron

i210's are 2 degrees stronger than most blades, still a reasonable amount of offset, a chunkier sole and the 7 iron for example has 9 degrees of bounce. They are obviously not as big/chunky as a G400 for example but they are also noticeably bigger, chunkier etc. than a player's cavity like a Titleist CB. So at the very least they are midway between the 2 types and more GI than Player's clubs IMO, and classified as Player's Distance irons in most reviews.

And they are a VERY popular iron on tours all over the world, and not just in 3 and 4 irons.

 

[dronfield]

I bought a 2nd hand set of Mizuno JPX800 from a local golf shop 7 years ago and have been delighted with them. Mine are cast rather than forged, but i am not a good enough ball striker to notice the difference.
The evolving JPX range appears to have been a success for Mizuno over the past decade, and within each model they have catered for different standard of player.
Should be able to get a set for around £100 on Ebay.

Rich

 

[Deleted member 15344]

There's a scratch, maybe plus, player I've played with via this place (not sure he's on here or not) who uses Ping G irons all the way through. Plays in national "elite" amateur comps.

County player I played in scratch league this year used G400 irons. Hit them far better than I could wish to hit any blade (or any type of iron for that matter!!)

If it’s the same person he is off 1 and uses g30 I think they are , also won the best gross at H4H using the G30 irons with a one over - hit them lovely and true. We also played together with him at Sunningdale

 

[NWJocko]

If it’s the same person he is off 1 and uses g30 I think they are , also won the best gross at H4H using the G30 irons with a one over - hit them lovely and true. We also played together with him at Sunningdale

Yep thats him not sure on model of irons etc

I could use any irons and not hit the ball as well as him sadly

 

[Crow]

On a serious note, one thing I will say is that (IMHO) the difference in playability between blades and GI clubs is a lot less than people have been led to believe by the various manufacturers and reviewers.

Yes, a GI club will help on an off centre strike but it won't negate it completely, side spin and distance loss might be reduced but they will still be there.
Distance gain is just a con, compare clubs by loft rather than the number on the bottom and the difference in length will be a lot closer.

I'm a double digit handicap player who went through a miserable couple of years with shanks and general poor play, I got a new set of clubs that I thought would be easier to hit, even eschewing the 3 iron as I didn't think I'd be able to hit it, but my game only got worse and I even dropped the 4 iron for a 9 wood and rarely hit the 5 iron.

I then found an interest in vintage clubs and started playing these. I soon discovered that I had to concentrate more on hitting the middle of the club to get any results and as a result my striking improved dramatically, especially on the irons.
I've even recently started hunting out 2 irons to add to some of my sets. This isn't as scary as it sounds as they generally have a loft of 20 degrees so 1 degree more loft than the Titleist AP3 3 iron at 19 degrees.

I'm firmly of the opinion that most people would be able to play blades after a small amount of practice and it would have little or no effect on their scores, at the very worst their handicap might go up a shot or two.

So unless you have a little vanity about your handicap what is there to lose?
(I guess most people will say, what is there to gain? Which brings us back to all being different. )

 

[Robster59]

I have what you may call players CB's (Maxfli Revolution) and what I would call normal CB's (Callaway XR).
I got the Revolution as they were a club I always hankered after and I use them in the winter and on holiday and keep the XR as my home course set.
Certainly the Revolutions are nice to hit and I enjoy playing with them but I also get a great deal of enjoyment in playing with the XR's.
For me, function over form. I want to get my handicap down and if the clubs help, why not?
Do people still play with featheries, gutta percha or wound golf balls? With the old 1.62" balls? Hickory shafts?

People can play with whatever they want but the ones that REALLY wind me up are the snobby/elitist people who decry anything that is not a blade.
I grew up with blades. At the time that was all you could buy. Game Improvement irons have made the game so much more enjoyable for a lot more golfers.

And actually, I like the look of some cavity backs. I find the look of blades do nothing for me at all.

Oh, and back to the OP, I would say that the biggest change is the loft now on the irons. The loft on my Callaway XR is pretty much one club stronger than my old Mizuno MX-900's across the set.

 

[duncan mackie]

On a serious note, one thing I will say is that (IMHO) the difference in playability between blades and GI clubs is a lot less than people have been led to believe by the various manufacturers and reviewers.
...
So unless you have a little vanity about your handicap what is there to lose?
(I guess most people will say, what is there to gain? Which brings us back to all being different. )

As we are back on more serious ground...its all a matter of degrees (pun intended).

I've 5 full sets of irons and these include one extreme, which you know well, the forged Wilson Staff fluid feel MB (inc a 2 iron...)

I am currently off the same handicap I used these many decades ago, but I'm simply unable to realistically use them nowadays. I struggle with any longer iron (longest in the bag regularily is the 6) and despite mainly using TM tp heads regularily the incredibly small Wilson head size (designed for 1.62" balls) and almost complete absence of bounce would leave me a nervous wreck in terms of making any consistent strike. It then gets worse because anything off centre will react dramatically - so whilst I can hit phenomenal hooks and slices at will; it's the will of the club rather than me.

I completely get the challenge element in using either basic, or past generation, equipment for any activity. However, it doesn't cross over with everyone's participation in any activity - it's your choice.

Btw, you have answered the question you keep asking extremely well. The reason your question hasnt been answered is that it is based on such an unrealistic proposition. Even by my view that the differential between my MB blades and more general irons probably represents 25% of handicap if it included the need to use all the irons and discard my hybrids it is still so far from the idea of irons that always did what I envisaged/expected every time I made a stroke, that it simply can't be computed/considered.

Any how, enjoy your game whatever you play with.