new irons opinions

[jdchelsea]

hello all

first off thanks for all the replies, suggestions and advice. I see some have mentioned the Titleist AP2's, Ping I15's and JPX 800 pro. Unfortunately these clubs are slightly out of my price range. my price range started at 300-400 and then moved to 400-500. so it's already stretched. £500+ would just break my heart.

A lot of people have said about trying all the clubs. I went to my local Nevada Bobs and the guy was very helpful saying he could lend me demo clubs for most of the sets im interested in which i could take away for th day and test at the range on my own.

I know ping are notoriously rigid with their prices and so are unlikely to reduce them any time soon but does anyone know if I'd pick up any of the mentioned sets around the end of the uk golf season cheaper? I'd be very interested to hear from any pro/golf shop workers in regards to this.

ps chris661 i'd also be interested to hear how the comparison is so ridiculous?

Many thanks
JD

 

[Alex1975]

http://www.usedping.co.uk/used_ping_G15_K15_I15_iron_sets.html


Worth a look

 

[jdchelsea]

thanks alex

that page will definitely added to my favourites. the only thing that would put me off the 2nd hand market is missing out on the custom fit. i suppose i could go to the shop get fitted for a new set, take note of the spec and then search for a 2nd hand equivalent.

cheers
jd

 

[Region3]

I'm sure I've seen people mention before that Ping will retro custom fit second hand irons for you as well.

 

[haplesshacker]

g15

Welcome to the forum

Careful.


Or Aztec will delete the post.


(For the noobs. Aztec has just been appointed a mod and is a huge Mizzy fanboy). Just before my post is taken out of context.

 

[2004Champ]

Mate, I suggest you have a look at the Wilson Staff FG Tour irons - Clubhouse Golf are doing the 3 to Pitching Wedge for £479 and you can get custom fitted.

A quality forged iron.

Oh and they are doing a deal at the moment where you get a free wedge along with them.

 

[Scouser]

MD.....Maybe I should be an MD fanboy


If only I could use them

 

[BogeyHole]

thanks alex

that page will definitely added to my favourites. the only thing that would put me off the 2nd hand market is missing out on the custom fit. i suppose i could go to the shop get fitted for a new set, take note of the spec and then search for a 2nd hand equivalent.

cheers
jd

Careful now...

You said earlier you are looking for clubs that will be good enough as you come down in handicap.

I've heard stories of some who's original fitting for their high handicap was well out from their lower handicap swing.

Unless you are a genuine strange shape, it's worth considering a standard set up at this stage - they're always easier to move on once you get into the 'new shiny' bug.

 

[Smiffy]

First off thanks for all the replies, suggestions and advice. I see some have mentioned the Titleist AP2's, Ping I15's and JPX 800 pro. Unfortunately these clubs are slightly out of my price range. my price range started at 300-400 and then moved to 400-500. so it's already stretched. £500+ would just break my heart.

Don't know where you are getting your prices from, but I purchased my i15's over a year ago and they only cost me £440.00. And that was from my local pro! I could have got them slightly cheaper had I shopped around on the 'net but valued the service that my pro would have given me should things go tits up.
And I fully endorse what has been said above regarding custom fitting. Unless you are either very short or very tall, I would be inclined to go with standard, off the shelf clubs. With Ping at least, you can always have them altered afterwards if you feel that changes are required, and alterations will be free, as you can send them back to Ping who will make the changes for you.
Problem with having custom fitting carried out is that you limit your market when it comes to selling them on again, and unless you are playing off scratch, or low single figures, your swing will change from one day to the next. Sometimes, from one shot to the next!!

 

[thecraw]

I15 you should get a good deal as the I20 is due out.

 

[timbo1988]

I15 they are almost as easy to hit as the G's and they look much better.

 

[jdchelsea]

smiffy the link below shows american golfs "special offer" of I15's for £550. I think nevada bobs price was roughly the same. do local pro's tend to sell clubs cheaper than the golf shops?

http://www.americangolf.co.uk/product/Ping-Golf-i15-Steel-Irons-3-PW/p80841.aspx

Also does anyone know if you can buy clubs without the PW. I play a 48 degree titleist vokey as my pw so would have no need for it. I've seen plenty of set options of 3-pw, 4-pw etc but all included the PW.

 

[chris661]

http://www.golfstoreeurope.com/Kits.aspx?ModelID=709

 

[jdchelsea]

hello all

Went down to AG and Nevada's yesterday to get some prices based on smiffy's post. I have a titleist vokey 48 degree so priced 4-9 irons in the pings and Mizuno's. The prices where as follows:

Ping G15 £360 (NB)
Ping I15 £375 (NB)
Mizuno JPX 800 £390 (AG)
Mizuno JPX 800 pro £450 (AG)

The retailer who gave the best price is given in bracets. AG said that on the day of purchase they would be willing to offer some discount. NB said they would be very unwilling to drop any further unless i could find them significantly cheaper elsewhere.

The guy in NB also suggested to me I'd be better buying a 4/5 - pw set as i would get a better rpice for them when it comes to trade in's. his reasoning was that it's easier for retailers to sell sets that include PW's than without. He may have been just trying to upsell to me or trying to get rid of a surplus of stock but at the time of giving me the price he was aware that i was only researching prices and not purchasing there and then. so perhaps had no reason to mislead me?!

based on the prices above i've almost ruled out the Mizuno pro's and i am leaning towards the I15's. The titleist AP1s and callaways are still in the running but i've yet to hit any clubs so still very open minded. Others that are now also being considered based on looks and price alone are:

Cleveland cg16
Ping g10
Nike irons
Callaway x22.

cheers
jd

 

[jdchelsea]

also some advice on shaft flex (regular or stiff) would be welcome my swing speeds are as follows:

4 iron: 92mph
5 iron: 89mph
6 iron: 84mph
7 iron: 82mph
8 iron: 81mph
9 iron: 76mph

another thing i'd been considering (after seeing alex's post) is whether or not to create a composite set i.e. 4-6 ping g15 and 7-9 ping I15. This reason for creating half forgiving half workability is that i'm pretty accurate and consistent with short irons but tend to be inconsistent with the longer ones. my concern is that they'd be harder to sell down the line and the different feel between clubs might create inconsistencies. anybody do this with their set or have any thoughts in general?

many thanks
jd

 

[0]

also some advice on shaft flex (regular or stiff) would be welcome my swing speeds are as follows:

4 iron: 92mph
5 iron: 89mph
6 iron: 84mph
7 iron: 82mph
8 iron: 81mph
9 iron: 76mph

another thing i'd been considering (after seeing alex's post) is whether or not to create a composite set i.e. 4-6 ping g15 and 7-9 ping I15. This reason for creating half forgiving half workability is that i'm pretty accurate and consistent with short irons but tend to be inconsistent with the longer ones. my concern is that they'd be harder to sell down the line and the different feel between clubs might create inconsistencies. anybody do this with their set or have any thoughts in general?

many thanks
jd

above 80mph STIFF shafts all the way

 

[Smiffy]

I'd say stiff shafts too with those swing speeds.
I'd also go along with the idea of buying the PW too. I have 4-PW and purchased the additional U wedge (50 degree) and have a Tour W 56 sand iron to match up.
The cheapest I found my i15's for on the internet (at the time) was £440.00 and my pro matched the price without really haggling. I could see it was a good price he was offering, and was willing to pay it. Didn't want to haggle any more as I feel that taking every last penny off of him is taking the pee to be honest. He has to earn a living!
If you can get Nevada Bobs to include the PW for around £440.00 I reckon you can consider yourself to have got a decent deal. The time to ask though is when you have the money/debit/credit card in your hand and are ready to sign on the dotted line.
If you are serious about the i15's and can't get that deal, I could have a word with "my" pro and see if he will supply another set of i15's at the same price I got mine for. Can't see why not. But I would only be prepared to do this if you were serious and ready to pull the trigger. I wouldn't want him involved in a Dutch auction.

 

[jdchelsea]

smiffy

that is very kind of you to offer your help in this. Genuinely much appreciated.

I dont think i'll need to take up your offer though as NB are selling 4-sw for £500 and they offered me 4-9 for 375 so around £440 should secure a 4-pw set. if i do plump for the i15's (they're the front runners at the moment)

on another note whats your opinion of the I15's? did you consider the g15's? what made up your mind on them?

 

[Smiffy]

on another note whats your opinion of the I15's? did you consider the g15's? what made up your mind on them?

I didn't consider the G15's, I bought the i15's because I saw them sitting in the pro shop, picked one up and thought "I could hit that". It was an impulse purchase, based purely on looks.
I had MX200's (Mizuno) at the time and wasn't really getting on with them, even if I was having a good day I just didn't feel confident with them.
I love my i15's. I still have crap days where I couldn't hit a barn door with whatever club I had in my hand (yesterday was one!!) but when I'm playing well I hit the i15's better than I've hit anything. They feel good, ball just flies off the clubface and I cannot detect any difference whatsoever between the "feel" of my cast i15's and the forged Mizuno's.