USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
Not a fan of project x, way too light, didn't have a clue what the heads were doing. Each to their own I suppose.
New Irons
- Thread starter TonyN
- Start date
Handycap
Assistant Pro
Tony,
I went for a free no obligation Mizuno fitting the weekend before last at Clays, near Wrexham. There are only three official Mizuno fitting sites in the country, of which Clays are one. I have never been fitted before, and my last set of clubs purchased some fifteen years ago, were Mizuno grads. I have always liked the look of Mizuno clubs and so I figured that if I liked the look and feel of a new set of Mizuno clubs then they already offer an advantage to ME over other brands on the market.
I believe that within most golf club manufacturers range of clubs there will be a set that will pretty much meet everyone's ability. I believe that confidence in the equipment you use is a combination of what looks good to you and what "feels" right. Of equal importance is the thing that connects the club head to your arms; the shaft.
While I was going through the fitting process it seemed that I have been using the wrong shafts for some time. My club head and ball speed was lower than I thought, but this didn't dent my ego at all, it just made the point of having a fitting more valid to me. From using stiff shafts with a mid kick point with my old Irons, to a regular shaft with a lower, more flexible kickpoint made a huge difference to the results I was getting. This was emphasied after the combination of shafts, lie angle etc came up with the perfect set up for me. I then tried to hit the same club but with a stiffer shaft; the difference was like chalk and cheese. I was consistantly slicing the ball on a low trajectory with poor length of 140 yds air time. My proper fitting was consistantly flying 155yds in the air with a slight draw and a good rainbow flight pattern.
So what have I been recommended ? Here goes:
5 through P/W Mizuno MP-52's
3 & 4 MX Fli Hi (hard to hit a bad shot with these hybrids)
51 & 56 degree Black Nickel MP T wedges
The feedback from the MP 52's has to be tried to be believed; maybe it's because my old irons and shafts are tired and out of date. My second choice in looks and ability rested with the Mizuno MX 200's, but these gave little feedback compared to the 52's. You would expect this as the 52's are a muscle back whereas the MX 200's are much more of a cavity back in design. I had not appreciated that what Mizuno designate as close to a bladed club in the the MP 52's, could be so forgiving. The feedback is extremely useful; you know when you've struck the ball correctly or incorrectly, so you don't get the typical complaint that players using a full cavity back club get when they have no idea why one shot goes well and another badly but both shots felt the same.
I also went back last weekend for the Driver fitting. The Mizuno MP-600 driver with the right shaft is awesomely consistant in length and grouping. It has adjustable weights which are probably more show than go, but to the better player may make a difference.
I've ordered the Irons and am saving for the driver. They should arrive later this week.............watch this space!
I went for a free no obligation Mizuno fitting the weekend before last at Clays, near Wrexham. There are only three official Mizuno fitting sites in the country, of which Clays are one. I have never been fitted before, and my last set of clubs purchased some fifteen years ago, were Mizuno grads. I have always liked the look of Mizuno clubs and so I figured that if I liked the look and feel of a new set of Mizuno clubs then they already offer an advantage to ME over other brands on the market.
I believe that within most golf club manufacturers range of clubs there will be a set that will pretty much meet everyone's ability. I believe that confidence in the equipment you use is a combination of what looks good to you and what "feels" right. Of equal importance is the thing that connects the club head to your arms; the shaft.
While I was going through the fitting process it seemed that I have been using the wrong shafts for some time. My club head and ball speed was lower than I thought, but this didn't dent my ego at all, it just made the point of having a fitting more valid to me. From using stiff shafts with a mid kick point with my old Irons, to a regular shaft with a lower, more flexible kickpoint made a huge difference to the results I was getting. This was emphasied after the combination of shafts, lie angle etc came up with the perfect set up for me. I then tried to hit the same club but with a stiffer shaft; the difference was like chalk and cheese. I was consistantly slicing the ball on a low trajectory with poor length of 140 yds air time. My proper fitting was consistantly flying 155yds in the air with a slight draw and a good rainbow flight pattern.
So what have I been recommended ? Here goes:
5 through P/W Mizuno MP-52's
3 & 4 MX Fli Hi (hard to hit a bad shot with these hybrids)
51 & 56 degree Black Nickel MP T wedges
The feedback from the MP 52's has to be tried to be believed; maybe it's because my old irons and shafts are tired and out of date. My second choice in looks and ability rested with the Mizuno MX 200's, but these gave little feedback compared to the 52's. You would expect this as the 52's are a muscle back whereas the MX 200's are much more of a cavity back in design. I had not appreciated that what Mizuno designate as close to a bladed club in the the MP 52's, could be so forgiving. The feedback is extremely useful; you know when you've struck the ball correctly or incorrectly, so you don't get the typical complaint that players using a full cavity back club get when they have no idea why one shot goes well and another badly but both shots felt the same.
I also went back last weekend for the Driver fitting. The Mizuno MP-600 driver with the right shaft is awesomely consistant in length and grouping. It has adjustable weights which are probably more show than go, but to the better player may make a difference.
I've ordered the Irons and am saving for the driver. They should arrive later this week.............watch this space!
Parmo
Tour Winner
I thought the MX200's where pretty decent, nice and soft off the face, a little too much for me but very much like the DI9s.
I also see the X22s are retailing for £420 for 7 irons at golfonline
http://www.golfonline.co.uk/callaway-x22-irons-steel-shaft-p-4655.html
Look very nice, I would have thought the price at the start would have been over £500.
I also see the X22s are retailing for £420 for 7 irons at golfonline
http://www.golfonline.co.uk/callaway-x22-irons-steel-shaft-p-4655.html
Look very nice, I would have thought the price at the start would have been over £500.
TonyN
Money List Winner
Handycap, how come your fitting was free? was this a special offer? How long did the fitting last?
I have been to clays range a couple of times, I like the indoor studio there, although I found a couple of memebers of staff a bit rude.
Non the less the facilities where great.
I have been to clays range a couple of times, I like the indoor studio there, although I found a couple of memebers of staff a bit rude.
Non the less the facilities where great.
Handycap
Assistant Pro
Tony,
The Clays pro shop is an independent stockist of a broad range of manufacturers clubs, which include Mizuno, and as such they are a Mizuno stockist. However, there are only three Mizuno National fitting centres in the UK, one of which is located in premises rented from Clays golf. There are independent regional and local fitting centres too, but the difference is that Mizuno own and run the National centres, so the staff are employed by Mizuno, not by the high street dealer/retailer or local pro shop.
An iron fitting at Clays lasts 90 minutes and is very thorough. I can't speak for members or staff of the club and pro shop, but I found the people I have had contact with representing Mizuno at Clays to be totally professional and easy going.
I had both my fittings with Mark Rooke, and cannot recommend him highly enough. Here is a link to the Mizuno center at Clays:
http://golf.mizunoeurope.com/store/nfc-wales.php
As I said, you are not obliged to spend anything, but be warned; don't expect the results of your fitting with Mizuno equipment to be compatible with other manufacturers equipment. For example, the specific shaft recommendation that suited the Mizuno club heads I chose may not suit a Titleist of Nike equivalent. So the results you get at the Mizuno fitting centre will probably not be totally compatible with any other manufacturers clubs. This is obvious when you understand the science behind a fitting as there are so many variables: not just in the hardware of the clubs and shafts, but also in the squidgy bits that make up your body! Hope this helps.
The Clays pro shop is an independent stockist of a broad range of manufacturers clubs, which include Mizuno, and as such they are a Mizuno stockist. However, there are only three Mizuno National fitting centres in the UK, one of which is located in premises rented from Clays golf. There are independent regional and local fitting centres too, but the difference is that Mizuno own and run the National centres, so the staff are employed by Mizuno, not by the high street dealer/retailer or local pro shop.
An iron fitting at Clays lasts 90 minutes and is very thorough. I can't speak for members or staff of the club and pro shop, but I found the people I have had contact with representing Mizuno at Clays to be totally professional and easy going.
I had both my fittings with Mark Rooke, and cannot recommend him highly enough. Here is a link to the Mizuno center at Clays:
http://golf.mizunoeurope.com/store/nfc-wales.php
As I said, you are not obliged to spend anything, but be warned; don't expect the results of your fitting with Mizuno equipment to be compatible with other manufacturers equipment. For example, the specific shaft recommendation that suited the Mizuno club heads I chose may not suit a Titleist of Nike equivalent. So the results you get at the Mizuno fitting centre will probably not be totally compatible with any other manufacturers clubs. This is obvious when you understand the science behind a fitting as there are so many variables: not just in the hardware of the clubs and shafts, but also in the squidgy bits that make up your body! Hope this helps.
TonyN
Money List Winner
That helps alot thankyou. Although you never said if your fitting was a free offer or the norm!
TonyN
Money List Winner
No worries I just read the site and appears the fittings are all free. Did you hit inside and out? Where was the launch monitor in or out?
andycap
Head Pro
I thought for a minute i had made that post 
Handycap
Assistant Pro
7 days a week, all year apart from xmas day and a few others, all totally free and without obligation. I guess the manufacturers that can afford to offer such a service are big enough to swallow the cost and confident enough in their product that potential customers will convert into buying customers to make such a service worthwhile.
The swing monitor is used inside and later I got to use a narrowed down selction of clubs outside, but without any computer analysis. I guess you could ask for launch monitor analysis outside but there is little point. You get to hit a real ball inside but you would only hit a range ball outside. Also, the time taken to set up the equipment outside is better spent, in my opinion, inside.
With saying that, it may just be that it seemed unnecessary for me, but others may benefit more from both in and out.
The driver fitting was conducted inside and outside with swing monitor analysis inside and launch monitor outside. Given I had already had the Iron fitting, half the relevant data for me was already logged and saved in their database, so there was no point in repeating what was already known.
Ring the number on the site I linked to and go for it!!
All the best,
Rick.
RGuk
Tour Winner
Tony...make sure you take your current set! (you are going tomorrow, aren't you?)
I made the HUGE and expensive mistake of getting fitted for Mizuno (T-zoid) clubs back in 1997 and "presumed" that these would be better for me than my Tommy Armour 845s.....so I didn't even take my old set....
Not wishing to throw a spanner in the works with all this, I'd say you're going to need to find something really spectacular in a new iron to consider ditching your X-20s.
You know, there is a guy near me (who's a well-known clubfitter - Roger Moreton in Shifnal, near Telford) who has offered to retro-fit my MacGregors. I didn't get them done at DG, because I didn't trust a static fitting - if I was to get him to look at my clubs, I know he'd do a proper job....I just need to save up!
I reckon (and please don't take this the wrong way) there's so much improvement to come in your swing, that you might do well to get another year out of your Callaways.
I'm not saying you won't find a miracle set-up, but who's to say in another year, you're not swinging faster and better......then you might regret buying regular/mid-kick (or whatever) with SO much improvement still to come.
Incidentaly, to the best of my knowledge, all Callaway non-tour irons are designed to give a high/rainbow flight.....
I loved your X-20s and the Bertha's you bought along to the range, but in the end, I got a flatter flight with stiff/mid-kick.......but I'm not expecting to get much better.
Good Luck, either way.....
I made the HUGE and expensive mistake of getting fitted for Mizuno (T-zoid) clubs back in 1997 and "presumed" that these would be better for me than my Tommy Armour 845s.....so I didn't even take my old set....
Not wishing to throw a spanner in the works with all this, I'd say you're going to need to find something really spectacular in a new iron to consider ditching your X-20s.
You know, there is a guy near me (who's a well-known clubfitter - Roger Moreton in Shifnal, near Telford) who has offered to retro-fit my MacGregors. I didn't get them done at DG, because I didn't trust a static fitting - if I was to get him to look at my clubs, I know he'd do a proper job....I just need to save up!
I reckon (and please don't take this the wrong way) there's so much improvement to come in your swing, that you might do well to get another year out of your Callaways.
I'm not saying you won't find a miracle set-up, but who's to say in another year, you're not swinging faster and better......then you might regret buying regular/mid-kick (or whatever) with SO much improvement still to come.
Incidentaly, to the best of my knowledge, all Callaway non-tour irons are designed to give a high/rainbow flight.....
I loved your X-20s and the Bertha's you bought along to the range, but in the end, I got a flatter flight with stiff/mid-kick.......but I'm not expecting to get much better.
Good Luck, either way.....
Handycap
Assistant Pro
I thought for a minute i had made that post
So Meester Andycap, we finally meet. Velcome to my complex, ha ha ha ha.......
i guess there are a few like that here. In all honesty, I tried a few usernames I use on other forums I'm a member of but none of them were free, so this was the first thing that came in to my head. Nice to meet you all the same.
TonyN
Money List Winner
after finding out mizuno fit for free I may cancel my fitting tommorow and see if I can get in at clays tommorow. If it's free I have nothing to loose. I don't have a problem with the 20's really it's the shafts and it costs pretty much the same to get reshafted than buy new clubs.
RGuk
Tour Winner
A-ha....BUT, 1/2 an inch and a degree (or two) up or down (whatever, to suit) would cost you pocket money.....
What shaft is in the X-20s? Accuracy first.....distance second.....
MVP
Journeyman Pro
I tell you what in my opinion mizuno make the best range of irons the only crapish ones of recent were debateably the mp 60s but i like them all! And importantly as mentioned there customer service and facilities are pretty good too!
Handycap
Assistant Pro
I agree with everything you have said apart from:
That all depends how well you strike the ball and what shafts are matched to your heads. That is the point of a fitting. The Callaway irons will produce a high rainbow flight, so long as they are struck in the optimal manner that a tailor made fitting will try to achieve. I would go further and repeat what I refered to earlier in this thread; there is little to choose in quality between most of the club makers range of products. Struck correctly and with proper "tuning", most clubs available will produce similar results to their competitors in the same category of modern club design. Start your potential purchase decision with what gives you the best confidence, then go for a fitting and see what is ultimately best suited to you. If you can be bothered, you could try as many different manufacturers as you like that offer a free or pay service, so you can get the best of all worlds, but the danger is you will be more undecided than ever!
I realise this is slightly pedantic of me, but never having had a fitting before I would never take a chance of wasting money on club selection again without one. Realgolferuk's advice is very good, and most importantly, as he has advised, take your old clubs with you. The first thing that will happen will be flight analysis with <u>your</u> own six iron.
That all depends how well you strike the ball and what shafts are matched to your heads. That is the point of a fitting. The Callaway irons will produce a high rainbow flight, so long as they are struck in the optimal manner that a tailor made fitting will try to achieve. I would go further and repeat what I refered to earlier in this thread; there is little to choose in quality between most of the club makers range of products. Struck correctly and with proper "tuning", most clubs available will produce similar results to their competitors in the same category of modern club design. Start your potential purchase decision with what gives you the best confidence, then go for a fitting and see what is ultimately best suited to you. If you can be bothered, you could try as many different manufacturers as you like that offer a free or pay service, so you can get the best of all worlds, but the danger is you will be more undecided than ever!
I realise this is slightly pedantic of me, but never having had a fitting before I would never take a chance of wasting money on club selection again without one. Realgolferuk's advice is very good, and most importantly, as he has advised, take your old clubs with you. The first thing that will happen will be flight analysis with <u>your</u> own six iron.
TonyN
Money List Winner
dave they are true temper uniflex
I have been fitted twice before so know how it works. I always take my full bag to fitting sessions.
Dave I am not that accurate with my irons my gir is really poor and wreckon this is what costs me a good few shots a round. It's my driving and scrambling that keeps me where I am.
As I have previously mentioned no two flights are the same with the x20's and it does my nut in. I want somethin consistent. Having tried some different shafts I know I need different ones to what I have.
I have been fitted twice before so know how it works. I always take my full bag to fitting sessions.
Dave I am not that accurate with my irons my gir is really poor and wreckon this is what costs me a good few shots a round. It's my driving and scrambling that keeps me where I am.
As I have previously mentioned no two flights are the same with the x20's and it does my nut in. I want somethin consistent. Having tried some different shafts I know I need different ones to what I have.
TonyN
Money List Winner
Booked in with Mizuno for Monday!
OldWindy
Q-School Graduate
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Small bets are on you getting the 52s.
vig
Tour Winner
Tony,
I do appologise if using my Mizzy's scrambled your brain, You did hit them well however I also think that you hit the Cally's ok. i think now that you've set your mind on new sticks there is some subconcious thought that the X20's are now old hat and is possibly affecting your swing/game.
I hope you find the ones that suit you but don't rush into it until you've covered all bases. I do think there will be some bargains to be had in the coming weeks so just get the specs and hang fire with the purchase.
I do appologise if using my Mizzy's scrambled your brain,
You did hit them well however I also think that you hit the Cally's ok. i think now that you've set your mind on new sticks there is some subconcious thought that the X20's are now old hat and is possibly affecting your swing/game.I hope you find the ones that suit you but don't rush into it until you've covered all bases. I do think there will be some bargains to be had in the coming weeks so just get the specs and hang fire with the purchase.
HomerJSimpson
Hall of Famer
For what its worth my advice having read the whole thread again would be to stick with the X20's for the winter and maybe get a lesson to sort any gremllins out.
Wait until the new models (X22????) hit the shelves and then go out and get fitted properly and take the pick of the big new shiny bats or get yourself a deal on a 2008 model.
Sorry if this puts a downer on it but just my humble opinion
Wait until the new models (X22????) hit the shelves and then go out and get fitted properly and take the pick of the big new shiny bats or get yourself a deal on a 2008 model.
Sorry if this puts a downer on it but just my humble opinion
