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New irons and fitting for 10 handicapper

winners1980

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New member here although have been reading through for a few months.

As the title suggests I am currently looking into getting a new set of irons and have been advised that a fitting session is a good option. My current clubs (john letters trilogy irons) must be at least 10 years old and I have steadily improved my handicap from 18 down to 10 over this period.

Now I'm a bit older and have a bit of spare cash burning a hole in my pocket if be interested to hear people's opinions on what irons to go for and where possibly to get fitted. I am from the milton keynes area and currently play all over mk, Northampton and occasionally Bedford.

I know people may say spend the money on lessons etc but I've never had a lesson in my life and am really just looking at upgrading my irons at the moment.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 

Foxholer

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New member here although have been reading through for a few months.

As the title suggests I am currently looking into getting a new set of irons and have been advised that a fitting session is a good option. My current clubs (john letters trilogy irons) must be at least 10 years old and I have steadily improved my handicap from 18 down to 10 over this period.

Now I'm a bit older and have a bit of spare cash burning a hole in my pocket if be interested to hear people's opinions on what irons to go for and where possibly to get fitted. I am from the milton keynes area and currently play all over mk, Northampton and occasionally Bedford.

I know people may say spend the money on lessons etc but I've never had a lesson in my life and am really just looking at upgrading my irons at the moment.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

If you are looking to buy new, then you should definitely consider Orkas.

Not a main-steam brand, but based in your area and fitting is included.

There are quite a few devotees on here and they make the entire range of clubs. And a couple of the offerings are quite beautiful!

08458620061 http://www.orkagolf.com/about-us/
 
A

Alex1975

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Welcome to the forum. Do you have a budget, do you have any brand preference, how far would you travel to get a fitting?
 

Ethan

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At the risk of annoying the Orkaites, however nice the clubs may be, I would cast a wider net than any one brand (even those which I prefer).

There are a bewildering number of choices, so as Alex says, it would be helpful to get some idea of what kinda thing you are looking for.
 

Mungoscorner

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At the risk of annoying the Orkaites, however nice the clubs may be, I would cast a wider net than any one brand (even those which I prefer).

There are a bewildering number of choices, so as Alex says, it would be helpful to get some idea of what kinda thing you are looking for.

This.
 

winners1980

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With regards to what I am looking for, to be honest I'm not really sure. I know that I am willing to spend more than an average amount on clubs for a person of my handicap. What that means in reality I'm not sure. I see irons for sale on various websites in the range of £200-£500 so I guess I wouldn't be averse to spending £350+.

I really don't mind on the brand as I just want the right clubs for me. My natural shot is a fade with most clubs although over the years I have managed to get my longer irons going dead straight (off the tee anyway) the majority of the time.

i am literally starting with no great knowledge on brands and also although I understand that fitting must be a good option, I have no real understanding of the finer details of club fitting.
 

lee_leggett

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Well you can pop to both American golf and direct golf in Milton Keynes, I worked for dg in mk and must say their fitting was good. Compare your current irons to a number of possible new ones.

Or if you fancy a drive pop in and see me in the direct golf on the A14on the way to Cambridge and I'll custom fit you myself. I have fitted a few local guys on here. I'll be happy to help. We have a range for ball flight,global play golf for spin rates, club swing speed and launch angles and a wide range of golf clubs, also we have the mizuno shaft DNA system.

Let me know. Good luck what ever you choose, but try as many as possible.
 

TheClaw

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Have you been looking online? What do you fancy the look of?

As said earlier, I think popping in to somwhere that has a selection of clubs for you to try is the best idea. I like PING but there are so many quality brands out there.
 

Foxholer

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In that case, a 'proper' fitting could well be of benefit.

Doesn't seem to be many fitting centres in your area - except a couple of Orka based ones!

It might be worthwhile to spend some cash on getting a general fitting done so that you can have an idea of what you should be looking for. You would probably have to pay about £60 or so for that, but if you intend to keep the clubs you end up with for a decent length of time, then while it could be 'dead' expenditure it's not a huge amount imo. Stress that you are ONLY interested in getting measured for shaft length, brand, weight and flex rather than 'whole set' though. Tht way, you at least can narrow choises down. Fitting is as much art as it is science btw, so it isn't perfect! It can only be done using the 'swing on the day'. And you still have to swing the club afterwards. You should also take, at least some of, you current clubs to 'calibrate' results too.

And if you feel some Brand Loyalty, you might consider the MK branch of Direct Golf (who own the John Letters brand). They may well consider you a valuable #returning customer'. The JL Master series is 'real purdy', though a little expensive imo. Again take a couple of your current irons with you to calibrate their machine.

Those are two rather different styles of fitting - the DG approch is to use the fitting process to support a sale, where the pure fitter simply charges you for his expertise/time - with subsequent sale of clubs simply a possible bonus.

The Orka approach is somewhere in the middle, determining what set-up is best amongst their offerings, but purely within their range.

Which way you go is really up to you and how much you either trust the guy fitting you, or suspect he might be 'fitting you up'! There are plenty of good and bad stories from all the styles.

And, of course, your local Pro could well be a candidate for fitting or advice on what might suit you too - though you may not have had too many dealings with him!

Good Luck

Edit: Missed ice_leggett's post while typing mine. I'd recommend you take up his offer!
 
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Ethan

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With regards to what I am looking for, to be honest I'm not really sure. I know that I am willing to spend more than an average amount on clubs for a person of my handicap. What that means in reality I'm not sure. I see irons for sale on various websites in the range of £200-£500 so I guess I wouldn't be averse to spending £350+.

I really don't mind on the brand as I just want the right clubs for me. My natural shot is a fade with most clubs although over the years I have managed to get my longer irons going dead straight (off the tee anyway) the majority of the time.

i am literally starting with no great knowledge on brands and also although I understand that fitting must be a good option, I have no real understanding of the finer details of club fitting.

I would take it slow if I was you. Try a few demo sets at ranges or pro shops and see what you like the feel off, and that will help narrow the field. Some of the issues include preferences for appearance - do you like chunky looking clubs or more traditional style, lots of offset or minimal offset. Do you want a hybrid/combo set, with slightly different model of longer irons blending in with a more traditional style of short irons etc etc etc.

I am sure Lee is a decent chap and a good fitter, but my general rule is to look for good fitters based at golf clubs rather than retail stores. There have been too many stories of sales incentive (or slow to move stock) driven fitting for me to have confidence in the big stores. I am sure there are exceptions.
 

sev112

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If I remember rightly, your trilogy's were a very good set indeed and I very nearly bought a set (got persuaded to buy some mizunos at the time)

Always nice to have new shinys though
 

lee_leggett

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As I said in my post, use the mizuno DNA fitting centre to confirm what shaft is best suited for you. Once you understand your shaft options then you can look at head options.
Again I would advise you to try as many clubs as possible, thus removing any brand loyalties.

If it performs well and your happy with the results then it's the one for you.

There is NO obligation to buy any clubs. Knowone can force you to buy anything you don't want. I would be happy to spend time with you and then watch you head off to another retailer to try something they offer which we donot (ping/Cleveland AG)

I know if I do my job right you will not only be back, but back to see me.

Choice is yours. Everyone has their own opinion, but at the end of the days it's down to you.

Thanks
 

HomerJSimpson

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I went to Pachesham in Leatherhead. Not suggesting this as a location but using it as an example. Independent set up with TM, Yonex, Ping, Mizuno, Wilson and Cobra on offer and a state of the art fitting studio and a range outside to see the ball in flight. Perfect set up and I loved it. Independent means they didn't push any particular brand and I was feel free to try what I liked

This sort of set up is what I'd be looking for. I think the Belfry does fitting but whether they are truly independant or what their cost would be. I am a fan of the C/F process and I think having got down so well it will help your game.
 
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