Improver irons, why so expensive?

[Parmo]

I have been looking about in the Iron market, I have a handicap of 20 and so need some forgiveness. After looking about at what the main brands offer I am quite shocked at the prices they put on the so called improver irons, Callaway are charging anything from £500+ for their 08 BB's, Cobra UFI are set to retail from £599 & TaylorMade Max CGB start at £650, to me these prices are totally out of order when people are just learning the game and after a year or two of playing with these clubs if you get you handicap down to a decent level you will need some different irons to be able to work the ball.

I would of thought the average cost would or should be in the £250-£400 mark for improver clubs, yes there are cheaper brands about and its always down to choice, but I just thought the bigger brands would of given more to the game rather than take so much out.

What are you thoughts on so called improver irons?

 

[medwayjon]

Get a set of Cobra FP's mate, £299 and they will do exactly what you require.

 

[Parmo]

Yeah I am thinking of them, I dont drive my only options for fitting is AG or local Pro who has $$ in his eyes, so the FP's will have to be standard fit as AG dont stock them, will end up with X20s I think £429 on a price match.

I wasnt really wanting to talk about what I am wanting just that it seems a large scam to sell irons which dont have a very long life span at over the odds prices.

 

[madandra]

AG will fit you for the FP's i.e. get your swing speed and hight and other generic stuff then order the FP's to your spec. Then your frok out the readies for them.

 

[GB72]

Have to agree that some of the prices are getting ridiculous now. When you can buy a set of Di7s or MX19s for less than £300.00, how can manufacturers justify chargin twice that. You may also notice that most sets of irons now have a large gap between the PW and SW so you need to pay out extra for the matching GW.
Have also noticed a trend this year in the prices of mid range balls. Callawy are replacing the HX Hot with a ball costing £3.00 more per dozen, Titleist are doing away with the PTS Solo for balls costing an extra £3.00 per dozen, Nike have introduced the Karma at about £3.00 than the Juice ball that it has replaced. Even the new version of the AD333 are a more expensive.
Have got well and truely fed up with the prices being charged by the big name manufacturers hence the more obscure makes in my bag.

 

[TonyN]

i have only just started playing really and bought a set of X20's in nov. There for mid handicappers but if you can hit the ball reasonably well they will last you. And as above i got them on a price match for £419 from American Golf. BB's are really easy to hit but if you want to start shaping the ball in a few years they'll have to go. IMO something like X20's are a good long term investment. At a decent price too.

 

[stevelockie]

That's the general price of all clubs for those brands, Callaway are always expensive as are Taylor Made etc.

Just because you are an improving golfer doesn't mean you should get subsidised golf clubs from the big brands.

If you want a good set of clubs go for a older version, e.g. Mizuno MX-19's etc. You'll get good deals on those type of clubs

 

[TonyN]

I wasnt trying to say go for a good brand was just trying to explain the difference in high handicap clubs like bb's and mid like X20's, callaway is the only brand i can give an example of, sorry. But i agree you dont have to pay a shed load out because ya can get some decent sets that are a few years older.

 

[Parmo]

I disagree because Ping G10s are or will be far better than than the Cobra UFI or the Callaway BB's yet are cheaper? I wasnt sugguesting improvers get a better deal I was stating that the top 3 brands cream the golf world and people like you are all to happy to bend over for them.

 

[billyg]

I'm afraid it's simple economics- the market will bear it. No more no less.

I liked the CBG's too and if you've seen them at the price you mention i would say that was pretty fair. When i was looking they topped out at around £900 just for the irons!

Most manufacturers would of course argue that it's due to R&D and the use of new composite materials etc. and you either buy into that or you don't.

Perhaps you could turn it on it's head and say that for a relatively small sum you can use the tools of the pro's. Just consider yourself lucky you aren't a touring car sports fan or into power boat racing.

I find this sort of marketing a mere tadpole in the pond of price/goods. For example, why would one pay £60 for a hoodie that has Dolce & Gabbana emblazoned across it?

Does it come with a syndication payment enclosed?

Might as well flush £60 down the swanny and write 'd1ck head' across ones forehead instead - at least it's original.

 

[HTL]

I disagree because Ping G10s are or will be far better than than the Cobra UFI or the Callaway BB's yet are cheaper? I wasnt sugguesting improvers get a better deal I was stating that the top 3 brands cream the golf world and people like you are all to happy to bend over for them.

Pardon? How do you know this?

Thats a brash comment before midday!

 

[Mowgli]

Mate,

Understand where you are coming from.

I have the X20 excellent clubs and i think they are good value for money.

Brought mine from AG in April 2007 for £380.00 at the time i throught do i need to spend so much on a set of irons but am glad i did money well spent in my opinon.

Beginners and alike get the bug with golf early on, and know weather they are going to take to the game or not.If you are like me, know that i am going to play this game until i am in my coffin then they should invest in some quality irons.

This is of course depends on how much they want to spend and can afford obviously but as far as improver irons go you get what you pay for.

Regards,

 

[TonyN]

Exactly the same reason why i bought my X20's they felt right when i picked them up, they were highly recommended and i have not looked back since. Will last me for a good few years and also callaways after sales customer service has been second to none so IMO it was a good choice. But this may not be everyones cup of tea.

 

[bunkered]

Parmo, had a we chuckle at your comment, after playing a couple of years you would need a decent set of irons to work the ball,try 20 years, i have a mate who plays of 2 and plays with so called improvement irons, x20.

 

[USER1999]

Out of interest, there is no reason why you cannot 'work' X20s. Although Cally are not my choice, these are a fine clubs, and I know plenty of people who can make these do whatever they wish. It is technique, not the clubs which is the limiting factor.

 

[clubchamp07]

I cant wait to see Parmo on youtube video working his ball, or should that be working his ball's?

 

[Parmo]

Out of interest, there is no reason why you cannot 'work' X20s. Although Cally are not my choice, these are a fine clubs, and I know plenty of people who can make these do whatever they wish. It is technique, not the clubs which is the limiting factor.

I never mentioned X20s in my post, it was a simple observation that the improver/wider soled irons are more expensive than the mid-low irons and just wondered what the reason was, but I see the "boys" are having a go again.

 

[USER1999]

Parmo, I am not 'having a go' at any one. There is a general view that to work the ball you need to move away from cavity backs, and that the only clubs which do this are blades, which is untrue (you probably already know this).

My advice, for what little it is worth, is to buy the clubs that suit you, at what ever is a price you can afford, and if your handicap comes down such that you feel you need new clubs, then you should get a good trade in for your existing set, if you bought a premium set in the first place.

Even Cally BBs are fine down to a low teen handicap. I have a mate who has just bought a set playing off 13, and he loves them. He doesn't want to work the ball, just tame a fade, and get good contact. If you hit everything straight, you don't need to bend shots round things.

The people who bug me are the ones who regard someone who has an expensive set of 'game improvers' as a mug. If they can afford them, why not? They could have bought 'better players' irons, but if that is not their game, fine. It is how you play that counts.

Why should all game improving clubs be for beginners? or cheap? They may have expensive shafts, or expensive composite materials, or an expensive manufacturing process, who are we to know? There is obviously a market for expensive clubs in the game improving sector, or they wouldn't make them.

 

[RGuk]

There is a general view that to work the ball you need to move away from cavity backs, and that the only clubs which do this are blades, which is untrue (you probably already know this).

Hooray......some sense comes to land on planet urban myth.

I've hit em all with my cavity backed irons.....mostly by accident though.

No, in all seriousness, a sensible "perimeter weighted" club will be fine for the odd shaped shot.
As for the new tech stuff....I suppose it's possible that it's harder with draw technology/high m/o/i gadgetry.

Personaly, I don't quite get the gist of this thread. The reason "improver" irons are so expensive is because that is where the golf makes spend a lot of their r&d budget and target new technology to those folks keen for any help, even if the claims are hugely exagerated.
If you don't want to spend this (frankly silly) money, buy some old season stuff or better still, wait for a good opportunity to pick up some 3-5 y/o top notch gear for pennies.

Dave

 

[Smudge]

They are so expensive because there are people willing to pay it.