New Irons

[DannyL]

Hi
I would like a little advice. Have been a social golfer for 10 years playing very infrequently. I have just had an iron fitting and am torn between 2. My handicap is 18..
The 2 irons I hit very well and felt good are the Ping G425 and Callaway Apex 21.. although these were obviously a bit harder to hit.
I am looking to play more from this year, hopefully once a week.

Would you invest in the better forged Apex irons and look to improve with these or go for the Game improvement Ping irons??? Am really torn because of I do manage to play a lot more and my game improves by say 5 shots I may want to upgrade irons again to get better feel and control

 

[Grizzly]

Have a look at the long irons in both on the rack. I have the Pings and they are great irons, really stable and consistently solid in distance terms but the 4 and 5 irons are absolutely fugly to look at and have near ridiculous levels of offset - I ended up swapping them out for my old Wilson Staff forged long irons because I just couldn't get my head around them!

 

[Imurg]

As good as the Pings are I feel the Apex will get you further down the handicap ladder before you look at them and think " I need to change these".

 

[HomerJSimpson]

As good as the Pings are I feel the Apex will get you further down the handicap ladder before you look at them and think " I need to change these".

I disagree. I think the Pings will certainly do a job down to the 11 or 12 mark. I would lose the SW for a specialist SW as I think Ping's in particular make ugly stock SW's. I would also swap the 4 and 5 irons for hybrids. I did it a couple of years back and really glad I did

 

[Grizzly]

I have just realised that I replied to a thread on "ask the experts" which is daft as the only expertise I have is in playing terrible golf

 

[Region3]

I would choose the one that made me happiest looking at and hitting them. I also don’t think the more forgiving clubs massively hinder progress as you improve but that’s only my opinion = I’m very often wrong.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

It’s nowt to do with the clubs for beginners.
I used Howson Derby irons as a kid. I got down to 10 using them.
They were £60 for a full set, new. Similar to Callaway Big Bertha irons, but nowhere near the price or quality.

Just buy a cheap set and learn to hit them. Concentrate on swing and shot choice, not the bats themselves.

 

[Jensen]

Callaway also do an Apex DCB (which stands for deep back cavity). This is an Apex iron aimed for the higher handicap. Have a look at the DCB I think this would be a compromise.
To throw a spanner in the works have a look at Srixon ZX4 or ZX5

 

[BridgfordBlue]

I’d add the mizunos in too to try, I ended up going for the pings though as they were the most consistent for me. I don’t think you will need to change them as quickly as you think whichever you go for, so just go with the ones that make you feel the best.

 

[Bdill93]

I disagree. I think the Pings will certainly do a job down to the 11 or 12 mark. I would lose the SW for a specialist SW as I think Ping's in particular make ugly stock SW's. I would also swap the 4 and 5 irons for hybrids. I did it a couple of years back and really glad I did

I agree - 100% the pings. 4-PW and then buy a separate set of wedges for the "feely" shots

 

[Banchory Buddha]

Hi
I would like a little advice. Have been a social golfer for 10 years playing very infrequently. I have just had an iron fitting and am torn between 2. My handicap is 18..
The 2 irons I hit very well and felt good are the Ping G425 and Callaway Apex 21.. although these were obviously a bit harder to hit.
I am looking to play more from this year, hopefully once a week.

Would you invest in the better forged Apex irons and look to improve with these or go for the Game improvement Ping irons??? Am really torn because of I do manage to play a lot more and my game improves by say 5 shots I may want to upgrade irons again to get better feel and control

I'm just moving to a new set of G425 from a 10 year old set of Ping i20. Handicap 6.

You've said it yourself, the Apex were harder to hit. Why make the game difficult, you've had a fitting, and the Pings are best. Buy them.

 

[Banchory Buddha]

As good as the Pings are I feel the Apex will get you further down the handicap ladder before you look at them and think " I need to change these".

He says himself "they are harder to hit". How's that going to improve his handicap?

 

[Dando]

He says himself "they are harder to hit". How's that going to improve his handicap?

my first set of clubs were ben sayers top scot. They got swapped for a set of blades and my handicap dropped to 5

 

[tsped83]

You’ve answered your own question. If the performance is comparable but you feel the Pings are easier to hit then it’s a no brainier. When it’s wet, cold and you’re swinging like an eejit (as befalls us all) you want all the help you can get. Also, this nonsense about looking to change if they get you down to this or that handicap is exactly that, nonsense! Why would you change clubs that assisted in tumbling your handicap. Vanity, that’s why.

 

[Ethan]

Where was the fitting done? Were different shafts types and flexes tried for each?

Personal preference is important, so lots of people love Pings. I am not one of the, though.

I am not sure I regard these two clubs in the same category. The Ping 425 is a game improvement club, but the Apex is in this newish category of a players distance club.

If you liked the Apex, Callaway do various mixed sets, with easier to hit longer clubs and more player-like shorter, so you can go Apex DCB (a game improvement club) - Apex, or Apex - Apex Pro etc. So may be worth trying a DCB to see if that would work better in the longer clubs.

 

[Imurg]

He says himself "they are harder to hit". How's that going to improve his handicap?

The reasoning is, as he says, he hit them well and is likely to get better through playing more.
IMO the Apex will last longer before he feels the need to change.

 

[Crow]

I can just about understand why some (most) people like to make the game easier, but why then do they not take the most obvious route of all and play from the red tees, or whatever their most forward tee colours are?
Shoot lower scores, no need to buy expensive gear.
Win, win.

 

[Oddsocks]

Got the apex 16, will be in the bag at least another 5 years before they are at risk.