USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
Very long and vague rambling post warning!
*
Do not read if you have a low threshold for boredom, or find loft, lie, and bounce to be something the decidedly average golfer should not worry about.
*
I am planning on changing my irons at the end of the season. There is nothing wrong with my Nikes, but I wonder if, when all of my swing changes bed in, they will still be the best fit for me. I have had to have the lie angles changed again this week, and it’s probable that the shafts are no longer stiff enough. My 6i swing speed can be anything from 85 to 90 mph. Hopefully after a summer of playing, it will stabilise out a bit, and be nearer 90 all the time, and I’ll stop quitting on it. I’d also like to lower my ball flight, but only with the lower lofted irons (could be impossible!).
*
I will be looking for a simple forged iron. Thin top line, minimal offset, and fairly clean. Ideally with the same lofts as my Nikes, which are the same as my previous Titleist ZB. These lofts I refer to as modern traditional (4i 24, 5i 27, 6i 31, 7i 35, 8i 39, 9i 43, pw 47). I can then carry a 50 and a 56, and I’m sorted. They will need to be the same shaft length as my Nikes (which are ½†longer than standard, so my 6i is now 38â€, not 37 ½â€), with the option of non-standard grips. Multi-compounds with 3 layers of tape please.
*
Since I don’t want a set of irons with ‘jacked’ lofts, inserts, busy looking bits of plastic, multi material, bits that stick out of the back but are visible at address, *thick top line, clunky, and frankly ugly irons, that rules out all of the usual JPX, EZ, Apex, X hot2, RAZR, Ap2, I25, Anser, etc. Sorry to anyone who has these and thinks they look ok, they aren’t. They are functional, but not nice to look at. I don’t like looking at an ugly golf club, it puts me off, and I’m mentally weak enough as it is.
*
I don’t necessarily want more distance per iron (although an increase in swing speed will give me a bit more anyway), as this leaves a massive gap at the lower end of the bag. I’m not hugely proficient at half shots, and already struggle if it’s much less than 110 (my 50 wedge). I have been working on a stock half swing, which now gives me 100, 90, 80, or 70 depending on what club I use. I really don’t want to be hitting a half swing from 130, it’s a recipe for fatting or shanking, and high scores.
*
Why anyone wants loads more distance out of an iron is beyond me. 150 is an 8 iron. If 150 is a 9 iron (that’s really an 8 iron in disguise), that’s going to leave a big gap somewhere else. Ok, so the 4i is really a 2i, but as easy to hit as a 4i, but goes like a 2i, but I carry a hybrid, so I don’t want it. My bag would stop at the 6i, but then that’s a 4i really, and I would have to carry 5 wedges. Confusing, and what’s the point in buying a set of matching irons if you only have 5 of them in the bag, out of a possible 14 clubs. The bag would be all head covers and wedges.
*
I have had blades / muscle backs in the past, and although my ball striking is way better than it was, I’m still not good enough to play with this style of club on an off day (and there are many). I need some forgiveness, so a players cavity back it is then.
*
So what else is there?
*
I’m not a big fan of Mizuno. They are a bit hyped, and I’ve never been that impressed. I did enter the Mizuno fitting opportunity, but was actually quite relieved when I wasn’t picked as I just don’t like any of their current range. I do like the idea of having a go on their shaft optimiser though.
The MP59s are busy looking, and the MP64 suffer from loft drift from the 6i down. Ok, only 1 degree, but it’s still drifting. Yes, you can get them bent 1 degree weaker, but that messes up the bounce angle. The top line is still marginally too thick as well.
*
Titleist CB? Nice tidy small head. Possibly too small for forgiveness, but better this than too big. The lofts are spot on though, and you do get a reasonable custom fit from the Titleist fitters. The down side is this has to be booked through a pro, and I don’t wish to support my current pro on this for reasons I won’t go into here. I also wonder if they frequency match the shafts, and align the spine properly. They don’t need to be pured, but I’d rather they weren’t just thrown together randomly. A club fitter I know checked a set of AP2s bought as a custom order for a friends son (who is off plus 1), and the lofts and lie angles were all over the place. So 600 plus for the irons, and another 30 somewhere else to get them put right.
*
Are Mizuno any better?
*
I quite fancy a set of KZG irons, as they can be built by a proper club builder. Tour Evolutions look nice, but they are a degree stronger than my Nikes through the set, and may have too smaller head, like the CBs. Evolution 2s look nice, but the lofts are even stronger again. The KZG CB look like I made them in a shed, and the evolutions are a blended set I may not like (I would need to see them in the flesh as it were). I really like the MA1s, but again, the lofts are a degree out. These do look the favourite at the moment though.
*
It is also may be possible that through stepping the shaft in the shorter irons I may be able to get the flight I want (or may be not). Not something Titleist or Mizuno seem to offer.
*
I quite fancy a set of Miura (talk about over hyped, these make Mizuno fans look like shrinking violets) CB501s. Mainly to see what the fuss is all about. They are silly money though.
What I don’t get with these is the lofts. They are all over the shop. 4i is 24, which is fine, as is the 5i at 27, but then the 6i is 1 degree strong at 30, as is the 7i, the 8i and the 9i, but then there is a 5 degree gap to get back to a 47 degree PW. That’s daft. Their PP9003 is even worse, being 2 degrees out though out the set, leaving a 45 degree pw. Yuk!
*
A lot on here like Orka. I’m not convinced that they don’t look like a school metal work project, which puts me off. RS3 and RS5 have a 4i at 24, but then are a degree weaker through the set. I prefer this in many ways to them being strong. The RS3 are better looking than the 5s though. At least with Orka, I know they will be properly made, which is a plus. With a 48 degree pw, I could swap to a 52/56 wedge combo, which would work quite well.
*
Epon AF302 are 1 degree strong, and a bit busy looking, I don’t like scratch (ugly), Cooper CP45s are 1 degree strong (again) and look a bit like the Orkas, and I couldn’t buy Hakusa because I don’t live in France, or know Retief Goosen.
*
I have not seen Callaway’s Apex Pro yet (lofts 1 degree strong), but I guess I have the same questions about build quality as I do with Mizuno and Titleist, even if I like them (and they look a tad busy on the web).
*
I am not fussed with sell on prices. I still have my last 5 sets of irons, most of which are battered beyond resale. I also plan on keeping them for 5 years or more, as I don’t plan on changing my swing much again (it’s too painful!), and I don’t like the direction the design of modern irons seem to be going.
*
I’m thinking KZG MA1 or Orka RS3, but neither is perfect. The KZG is better looking, but the lofts on the Orkas may suit me better.
*
May be I’m just fussy?
*
May be I’ll just get my Nikes re-shafted.
*
Do not read if you have a low threshold for boredom, or find loft, lie, and bounce to be something the decidedly average golfer should not worry about.
*
I am planning on changing my irons at the end of the season. There is nothing wrong with my Nikes, but I wonder if, when all of my swing changes bed in, they will still be the best fit for me. I have had to have the lie angles changed again this week, and it’s probable that the shafts are no longer stiff enough. My 6i swing speed can be anything from 85 to 90 mph. Hopefully after a summer of playing, it will stabilise out a bit, and be nearer 90 all the time, and I’ll stop quitting on it. I’d also like to lower my ball flight, but only with the lower lofted irons (could be impossible!).
*
I will be looking for a simple forged iron. Thin top line, minimal offset, and fairly clean. Ideally with the same lofts as my Nikes, which are the same as my previous Titleist ZB. These lofts I refer to as modern traditional (4i 24, 5i 27, 6i 31, 7i 35, 8i 39, 9i 43, pw 47). I can then carry a 50 and a 56, and I’m sorted. They will need to be the same shaft length as my Nikes (which are ½†longer than standard, so my 6i is now 38â€, not 37 ½â€), with the option of non-standard grips. Multi-compounds with 3 layers of tape please.
*
Since I don’t want a set of irons with ‘jacked’ lofts, inserts, busy looking bits of plastic, multi material, bits that stick out of the back but are visible at address, *thick top line, clunky, and frankly ugly irons, that rules out all of the usual JPX, EZ, Apex, X hot2, RAZR, Ap2, I25, Anser, etc. Sorry to anyone who has these and thinks they look ok, they aren’t. They are functional, but not nice to look at. I don’t like looking at an ugly golf club, it puts me off, and I’m mentally weak enough as it is.
*
I don’t necessarily want more distance per iron (although an increase in swing speed will give me a bit more anyway), as this leaves a massive gap at the lower end of the bag. I’m not hugely proficient at half shots, and already struggle if it’s much less than 110 (my 50 wedge). I have been working on a stock half swing, which now gives me 100, 90, 80, or 70 depending on what club I use. I really don’t want to be hitting a half swing from 130, it’s a recipe for fatting or shanking, and high scores.
*
Why anyone wants loads more distance out of an iron is beyond me. 150 is an 8 iron. If 150 is a 9 iron (that’s really an 8 iron in disguise), that’s going to leave a big gap somewhere else. Ok, so the 4i is really a 2i, but as easy to hit as a 4i, but goes like a 2i, but I carry a hybrid, so I don’t want it. My bag would stop at the 6i, but then that’s a 4i really, and I would have to carry 5 wedges. Confusing, and what’s the point in buying a set of matching irons if you only have 5 of them in the bag, out of a possible 14 clubs. The bag would be all head covers and wedges.
*
I have had blades / muscle backs in the past, and although my ball striking is way better than it was, I’m still not good enough to play with this style of club on an off day (and there are many). I need some forgiveness, so a players cavity back it is then.
*
So what else is there?
*
I’m not a big fan of Mizuno. They are a bit hyped, and I’ve never been that impressed. I did enter the Mizuno fitting opportunity, but was actually quite relieved when I wasn’t picked as I just don’t like any of their current range. I do like the idea of having a go on their shaft optimiser though.
The MP59s are busy looking, and the MP64 suffer from loft drift from the 6i down. Ok, only 1 degree, but it’s still drifting. Yes, you can get them bent 1 degree weaker, but that messes up the bounce angle. The top line is still marginally too thick as well.
*
Titleist CB? Nice tidy small head. Possibly too small for forgiveness, but better this than too big. The lofts are spot on though, and you do get a reasonable custom fit from the Titleist fitters. The down side is this has to be booked through a pro, and I don’t wish to support my current pro on this for reasons I won’t go into here. I also wonder if they frequency match the shafts, and align the spine properly. They don’t need to be pured, but I’d rather they weren’t just thrown together randomly. A club fitter I know checked a set of AP2s bought as a custom order for a friends son (who is off plus 1), and the lofts and lie angles were all over the place. So 600 plus for the irons, and another 30 somewhere else to get them put right.
*
Are Mizuno any better?
*
I quite fancy a set of KZG irons, as they can be built by a proper club builder. Tour Evolutions look nice, but they are a degree stronger than my Nikes through the set, and may have too smaller head, like the CBs. Evolution 2s look nice, but the lofts are even stronger again. The KZG CB look like I made them in a shed, and the evolutions are a blended set I may not like (I would need to see them in the flesh as it were). I really like the MA1s, but again, the lofts are a degree out. These do look the favourite at the moment though.
*
It is also may be possible that through stepping the shaft in the shorter irons I may be able to get the flight I want (or may be not). Not something Titleist or Mizuno seem to offer.
*
I quite fancy a set of Miura (talk about over hyped, these make Mizuno fans look like shrinking violets) CB501s. Mainly to see what the fuss is all about. They are silly money though.
What I don’t get with these is the lofts. They are all over the shop. 4i is 24, which is fine, as is the 5i at 27, but then the 6i is 1 degree strong at 30, as is the 7i, the 8i and the 9i, but then there is a 5 degree gap to get back to a 47 degree PW. That’s daft. Their PP9003 is even worse, being 2 degrees out though out the set, leaving a 45 degree pw. Yuk!
*
A lot on here like Orka. I’m not convinced that they don’t look like a school metal work project, which puts me off. RS3 and RS5 have a 4i at 24, but then are a degree weaker through the set. I prefer this in many ways to them being strong. The RS3 are better looking than the 5s though. At least with Orka, I know they will be properly made, which is a plus. With a 48 degree pw, I could swap to a 52/56 wedge combo, which would work quite well.
*
Epon AF302 are 1 degree strong, and a bit busy looking, I don’t like scratch (ugly), Cooper CP45s are 1 degree strong (again) and look a bit like the Orkas, and I couldn’t buy Hakusa because I don’t live in France, or know Retief Goosen.
*
I have not seen Callaway’s Apex Pro yet (lofts 1 degree strong), but I guess I have the same questions about build quality as I do with Mizuno and Titleist, even if I like them (and they look a tad busy on the web).
*
I am not fussed with sell on prices. I still have my last 5 sets of irons, most of which are battered beyond resale. I also plan on keeping them for 5 years or more, as I don’t plan on changing my swing much again (it’s too painful!), and I don’t like the direction the design of modern irons seem to be going.
*
I’m thinking KZG MA1 or Orka RS3, but neither is perfect. The KZG is better looking, but the lofts on the Orkas may suit me better.
*
May be I’m just fussy?
*
May be I’ll just get my Nikes re-shafted.
