• Thanks to each and every one of you for being part of the Golf Monthly community! We hope you have a joyous holiday season!

Iron Reviews Dilemma

GB72

Money List Winner
Joined
May 8, 2007
Messages
14,948
Location
Rutland
Visit site
Agreed, nice to hear the comments of the magazines. I personally have found the GM Test pretty good and have tried and bought clubs that I would not have considered as a result. My current Benross putter was given a go because it came top of the panel test and proved great value at £28.00. Reviews are certainly not the overall defining factor when I buy a club but they at least give me a few ideas and a bit of a shortlist before I go into the shop.
 

HomerJSimpson

Hall of Famer
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
73,219
Location
Bracknell - Berkshire
Visit site
Jezz

Thanks for that. Bit of an eye opener. As I have alluded to I have just picked up an ex demo set of R7's for £350 less £130 for my X20's.

Wouldn't normally have looked at Taylormade stuff as I felt like many people that it is overpriced and over hyped through magazines such as Todays Golfer.

Gave them an extensive session on the range (was there for over an hour) and they just felt so good.

Slightly surprised that you get phone calls if you publish less than flattering comments. Whilst I realise that advertising, A&R departments etc at these big players need to flog large numbers of units to pay for development and advertising costs I would have thought they would be smart enough to understand that you have to factor in the budgets and requirements of higher handicaps and newbies.

Indeed you regularly cover budget brands and these often as you say perform better or as well as the big names.
 

MVP

Journeyman Pro
Joined
Dec 4, 2007
Messages
2,068
Location
Medwayterranean
Visit site
Change of subject but in the world of High def tvs and hifi..What hifi mag done a review on the Pioneer plasmas a few years ago and gave them 3stars, Pioneer rang them up moaning and gave them a full on demo themselves and now they got 5 stars. Apparently they didnt even get the telly out of the Box??? If its true ..??
But they are another magazine which are know by enthusiast to have 'Favourites'!
 

JezzE

GM Staff
Moderator
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
1,249
Location
GM Towers, London
Visit site
Homer,
Thankfully those phone calls are relatively few and far between, but I guess what I was trying to say was that it would be relatively easy for us to ensure there were none at all if we really wanted that... it's just that we as a magazine have always tried to say it as we find it, while choosing to avoid what you might term some of the more sensationalist outbursts you may sometimes read in other publications.
Most of the big companies tend to look at the big picture anyway and accept that a logically reasoned adverse comment is part and parcel of the whole game - I think what grates far more for them is what you might term a 'gratuitous slating' if for no other reason than some editor has decided they must have one or two of these every month regardless of how good the products really are. That is not the way we choose to do things on Golf Monthly. If we don't particularly like a product we will try and present our opinions in as reasoned a way as possible as we think that's only fair on manufacturers who have, after all, presumably only put something on the market after considerable research and develoment,
Best wishes
Jezz
 

GB72

Money List Winner
Joined
May 8, 2007
Messages
14,948
Location
Rutland
Visit site
Jezz,

Is there any chance of the readers reviews appearing on the web site? Having been one of the reviewers I know that the process is fair, unbiased and that the reviewers have plenty of time with the gear so these could form a useful resouce as they build in number. Certainly, from my point of view, the opinion of a similarly high handicapper is mroe important to me than that of a scratch golfer.
 

Toad

Tour Rookie
Joined
Dec 11, 2007
Messages
1,197
Visit site
Jezz you don't happen to have any Mizuno MX25's 1/4 inch longer 1deg strong for testing do you :mad: Mizuno and the courier have no idea where they are
 

HomerJSimpson

Hall of Famer
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
73,219
Location
Bracknell - Berkshire
Visit site
Jezz

I think most of the forum members will agree it is one of the main selling points of your magazine over its rivals in that it has always given a fairly independant review of the marketplace.

I have looked back over old copies and even back at the start of the century and in the late 90's the reviews were always given on a judgemental perspective as opposed to favouring one brand

I still think you have one of the best jobs out there so keep up the good work (and no practicing before the 27th)
 

JezzE

GM Staff
Moderator
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
1,249
Location
GM Towers, London
Visit site
GB72,
Have spoken with Mike and this is something we will definitely be doing once the revamped website goes live, which is currently looking like being some time in mid-April,
Regards
Jezz

Toad - sorry can't help on that front. Hope yours turn up soon.
Homer and Boabski - I suppose I could argue that you wouldn't want this job when deadline pressures are on, but I guess it would be falling on deaf ears... and anyway, you're absolutely right - I won't be swapping jobs any time soon unless ousted by the powers-that-be or you can come up with something very, very tempting...
 

Toad

Tour Rookie
Joined
Dec 11, 2007
Messages
1,197
Visit site
Thanks mate I hope so too, on the job swop front I could give you a shot of my train for the week Jezz.
Got to be tempting.
 

Toad

Tour Rookie
Joined
Dec 11, 2007
Messages
1,197
Visit site
Yes that is now my job Jezz check out "what do you do" thread got everyones occupation in there.
 

JezzE

GM Staff
Moderator
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
1,249
Location
GM Towers, London
Visit site
There's a review of these in the latest issue but watch out for the typo in the last bit of my verdict where it should say AP1 not AP2 (must have read it a dozen times without spotting it!).
Felt I probably hit the ZB a fraction better than the AP2 although I preferred the look of the latter over the ball with its more rounded top edge.
Overall though, I think I hit the larger AP1 best of all the new Titleist launches.
As for 735s it's a while since I hit them. I did use a set for a while as I liked the look over the ball, but I always felt I was about half a club down on distance with them relative to other clubs I was using with the same shaft.
 

HTL

Tour Winner
Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Messages
3,464
Location
Surrey
Visit site
I have also found GM to offer the best well rounded advice on equipment.

However, I would like to see smaller companies like Orka golf getting reviewed.
 

GB72

Money List Winner
Joined
May 8, 2007
Messages
14,948
Location
Rutland
Visit site
To be fair Orka were mentioned as an alternative option when irons were reviewed but I agree with your comments HTL. I have now made a concious decision to keep the bigger, more expensive names out of the bag for the moment because, firstly, I cannot afford them at present, secondly, because I think that the more affordable gear is perfect for someone of my handicap and thirdly because I think there is now little difference in quality. I love my Orka gear, have been impressed with Benross and MD kit and find my GoKart to be every bit as good as any Powakaddy etc that costs twice the price.
The only thing I would like to see ended is the use of the term 'budget option'. This always seems to me to be a bit of a cop out when you see a set of reviews (and I am not referring to GM here) and see a set of clubs recommended as a good budget option. Is this because they are not up to the standard of the other kit being reviewed or is it because the reviewer is unwilling to go out on a limb and say that the best option costs half of what the big manufacturers are charging.
 

MVP

Journeyman Pro
Joined
Dec 4, 2007
Messages
2,068
Location
Medwayterranean
Visit site
There's a review of these in the latest issue but watch out for the typo in the last bit of my verdict where it should say AP1 not AP2 (must have read it a dozen times without spotting it!).
Felt I probably hit the ZB a fraction better than the AP2 although I preferred the look of the latter over the ball with its more rounded top edge.
Overall though, I think I hit the larger AP1 best of all the new Titleist launches.
As for 735s it's a while since I hit them. I did use a set for a while as I liked the look over the ball, but I always felt I was about half a club down on distance with them relative to other clubs I was using with the same shaft.

Thanks jezze I take a look at the review.
 

MVP

Journeyman Pro
Joined
Dec 4, 2007
Messages
2,068
Location
Medwayterranean
Visit site
Just had a quick look at a golf forum i found this morning and guess what theyve been chatting about???.. TG Equipment reviews are a pile of Nonsense
 
Top