Help me- Irons Dilemma

[theeaglehunter]

Some of you already may have read this in the 'custom fitting doesn't work' thread but over this week I have been trying out a range of different irons to be custom fitted with in order to replace my old clubs. I tried many clubs but managed to narrow my choice down to the Ping G10 irons and the Mizuno MX-25 so I was today fitted for both of them so that I had the information on the slightly varying specs I need for each set with my pro waiting to place the order with the manufacturer of the clubs I choose. I can't however decide between the two sets, in their respective specifications that suited me, as although the Pings were slightly more forgiving the Mizunos suited my eye mroe and were marginally longer. And in case its relevant I am currently playing to a handicap of around 18, despite what my signature says as this is an estimated handicap from before I joined my club, as I have joined a new club and have improved greatly with the extra practice so have now just got to give a third card in so that I can get my new handicap. Has anyone got anything to help me make my decision...anything at all that may influence my choice between the G10s and the MX-25s, as I can't make up my mind.

And just to clarify it is the clubs I am questioning-not whether or not I should have been custom fitted or not, and price is not an issue as they are fairly similar through my pro.

Tell me what you know!

 

[RGuk]

OOh, tough one. Personally I'd fall on the side of the pings.
The G10 are a wide range of ability club i.m.o. and there's no reason for you to worry about whether you play off 5 or 25 with them. The same could be said for the Mizunos but lower h'cap players tend to use the Muscle backed models.....i.e. in my experience I haven't seen a single figure player with MX 17/19/25 etc but I have seen Ping G2/5/10 users. Pings are a "Mercedes Benz" of golf clubs, Mizuno are more "Ford", covering a wider market with more products. That's not to say that a mondeo is not as good as an E class. Also, forget distance, forgiveness is the way to go.....

 

[theeaglehunter]

Dave that has helped enormously. Just the sort of reply I was after and sort of in line with my own thoughts, althoguh the clarification about the Pings being suitable for me when my handicap drops has definitely encuraged me towards them. I had thoguht that the fact the Mizunos were forged and slightly more progressive from large cavity backs to a less active 'power bar' as they call it (as well as the fact that the Mizuno website declares them as suitable to all handicaps) would make those more suited to a low handicapper but I will take your much more knowledgeable word for it. In my opinion I always thought that lower handicappers would prefer the forged clubs, but as I say you are evidently far more experienced than I am. I am definitely therfore leaning towards the Pings as I want them to last quite a while and am hopnig to cut my handicap considerably within the next year and have been told that 10 is a reachable target. Thanks again for your help, and any further responses would be much appreciated.

 

[Nico]

Buy the Ping's.

Absolutely dont agree with "MB" description tho? How can you compare cast oversize clubs with forged players clubs unfavourably??

Ping are much better at the "game improver" irons and they know all about fitting,their dot system works extremely well. Even if you get it wrong a remedy will not be far away,their customer service is excellent.

 

[steve]

hi eaglehunter,i too play off 18 and own a set of g5 which are more or less the same.They are so forgiving it's unreal ,the lower irons are nice and chunky which gives you real confidence.A friend of mine had the mx25s for a while he got rid of them because they weren't forgiving enough.He plays of 12 now owns mx900 which he loves.I would buy the more forgiving iron you cant go wrong,can you ever have to much forgiveness in a club?

 

[Nico]

Just read your post on the Mats thread.

I have had 2 sets of custom fitted Ping's. Not entirely relevant but the first set were Nickel headed ISI's. They got nicked and even tho Ping had stopped making them,they found a set of heads in the US,flew them to the UK and made them up to my spec. Now that is customer service!!

It really does feel different to stand over a set that actually fit your posture,the confidence this gives cannot be discounted.

Ping are set up to service this kind of customer,all the rest are relatively new to this and have come to it as a way of protecting margins.

 

[par_par_par_treble]

ping get my vote hands down

as for distance vs accuracy/consistency - if you need more distance, you can pick a longer club...

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Has to be the Pings for me too. I tried the Mizuno and although they weren't custom fitted and just off the shelf I found them a bit heavy in the head and harder to control.

The Ping will always give you a good high flight and although that may cost you 5-10 yards your mid and short clubs will be coming into the greens from a nice height and offer plenty of stop even in Summer.

The Ping are designed for the mid-handicapper in my opinion and could be used comfortably by anyone from 20-10 handicap. They offer superb forgiveness.

I'd get them custom fitted and enjoy them

 

[pjaz]

I can only look forward to the day I have such a choice in front of me.

I appreciate you're dilema, but the overall opinion of people more knowledgeable than I is for Ping and I think they may be right. You should have had a vote option.

 

[RGuk]

Absolutely dont agree with "MB" description tho? How can you compare cast oversize clubs with forged players clubs unfavourably?

Conceeded.....didn't realise the MX25 were forged irons. The 17s and 19s aren't (are they?) and most of the standard Mizuno cavities never were.....but I'm from the dark ages.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Cast or forged Mizuno do make beautiful eye candy clubs. However for playability on a consistent basis it has to be Ping. They are a bit like an old girlfriend I went out with for ages, not much of a looker but always reliable

 

[theeaglehunter]

yea Pjaz, I should have thoguht about a poll...would have made it easier.

As for the other replies thank you to you all as you have really stopped me worrying about which clubs to get, I couldn't decide and didn't want to make the decision myself for fear of getting it wrong. The view is clearly pretty definitive between many that the pings should be what I go for and once I go and confirm it with my pro tomorrow I should soon be the owner of a set of shiny new custom fitted G10's. I am actually surpised by the answer but more than happy to obey the decision of those more knowledgeable. I will give both clubs one last hit tomorrow to confirm but am currently leaning about 70:30 in the Pings favour largely due to your helpful opinions, and unless they are disastrous tomorrow I am sure I will purchase them. Thanks again and I hope the decision is the right one.

Nico what you said about if they get it wrong you can find a remedy what is this in refernce to?

Thanks for the help.

 

[theeaglehunter]

Few, reading those last two posts having already submitted mine I thoguht that you (homer and Dave) were going to go back on your decision and go for the Mizunos...thought I'd be back to square one for a moment, especially as I have just remembered that my pro was going to throw in a grip upgrade with the MX-25s to the Golf Pride New Decade Multi Compound which Mizuno apprently offer for free at thier authorised fitting centres.

I must admit, and said in my first post, that the Mizunos do look better and feel better due to being forged, but I hit both clubs as well as each other so am prepared to sacrifice this for consistency. Anyway I'm not really good enough to appreciate the feel/feedback from the Mizunos in comparison to the Pings and if I was really worried about feel I'd be a single figure golfer, most probably, and looking for a nice set of blades.

 

[billyg]

Not sure I could concur with the MB/Ford analogy ,I haven't used Mizuno's and you're a better player than me which by rights counts me out of this discussion BUT I do own and use a set of Raptures which I really like.

I daresay some of the technology (which seems to be a smooth, linear, possible conservative progression with Ping gear rather than faddy like some other marques) in the G10's is shared with the Raptures.

I think the overall standards of most golf gear now is outstanding and frankly probably over-engineered for purpose so I don't think quality and consistency is an issue whichever way you go.

You're going to get some nice kit ordered tommorrow whichever way it goes - enjoy the moment if you can get past the momentary fear of handing over the credit card

 

[theeaglehunter]

Thanks for that Billy, further helped to calm me down a bit - looking at it like you it doesn't really matter which way I go they are both going to be beneficial for my game, I'm still not 100% which way to go but your outlook puts it in a helpful perspective. Which is i'm ordering some nice new clubs tomorrow regardless of which ones I opt for.

 

[RGuk]

OK, I should not have bothered with the analogy. What I was trying to say "politely" was that Ping ONLY make premium lines, there's no low end. Mizuno (selling many models) have cheap-ish irons and the finest forged clubs to match any of the big guns. If you have a set of Pings you carry the badge and "pride"....not that this bothers me....but not quite the same with Mizuno i.m.o. I wouldn't buy a club for the brand (come on, Tommy Armour, Macgregor etc.!) but it's a consideration for anyone wanting to buy the very best. I do repeat, again, that Mizuno make some of the best clubs ever, but also some of the cheapest rubbish I've seen, though maybe not of late.

 

[theeaglehunter]

One last question if anyone is around to help out, do you think I should take a demo 7 iron in my spec of the two clubs out onto the course and see how they perform in that environemnt. I am sure my pro would have no problem letting me, I was just wondering if this may help me tell them apart in terms of performance.

 

[Nico]

Yes that is a good idea.

I would still take the Ping's tho.

If you can,drop a spare ball and play both one after the other.

 

[theeaglehunter]

yea, playing two balls is what I was thinking about doing, there is a 153 yard par 3 as well which is about the perfect distance for me with a 7 iron so I may give them a few trys there if possible.

And i think I will get the Pings, the 100% verdict on here is good enoguh to persuade me, especially when I don't really care which set I get as I hit both of them identically well.

Your not a Ping employee by any chance Nico?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

"The GM forum and its members accept no liability. Please remember the value of your investment may decrease and you many not get back your full investment. Your home is at risk if you do not keep up repayments"

Sorry couldn't help but add a quick waiver that I am only giving my opinion. Although the majority concur (a rarity itself on here!!!!!) it is still down to personal preference.

If you go back tomorrow and really want to go for the Pings that's fine but make sure you are making the decision and not being swayed by our opinions.

Anyway the way realgolfer (Dave) and I got slaughtered by the GM crew what do we know about it anyway. He was so traumatised he went out and bought a shiny new set of bats