Taylor Made Tour Preferred irons

[Sidney]

I am a high handicap player in my mid 60s

I have just bought a set ot Tour Preferred irons with stiff shafts fitted.

A pro told me recently that at my standard these are inappropriate clubs for me as they are for single handicap players only,

He said they will be too difficult for co sistent hitting and drive me mad!!

I am committed to work hard at improving but have I made major mistake with these stif shafted clubs?

Adviice please!

 

[Sidney]

I am a high handicap player in my mid 60s

I have just bought a set ot Tour Preferred irons with stiff shafts fitted.

A pro told me recently that at my standard these are inappropriate clubs for me as they are for single handicap players only,

He said they will be too difficult for consistent hitting and will drive me mad!!

I am committed to work hard at improving but have I made a major mistake with these stiff shafted clubs?

Advice please!

 

[JT77]

it depends how well you hit them mate, i had a set for 2 years and really loved them, i miss them now. Iron play is my strongest asset, these clubs tell you when you miss it and when you flush it, i would say that maybe would have been worth looking at some other option. have you played with them yet? how did it go?

 

[Sidney]

Yes I have played with them, shots best ever, others poor.
But i have an inconsistent swing and that rather than the irons could be The reason for the weak shots.

 

[Imurg]

It's possible you have bought the wrong clubs but the only way to know is to try.
Stiff shafts need a decent swing speed to make them work properly. Not being Ageist at all but I would have thought stiff shafts at your time of life might be a little optimistic. That said, if you can generate the speed required then fire away.
The TP irons are designed for better players - again that doesn't mean you can't use them but it is going to be more tricky to get the best from them. They are not as forgiving as, say, TM's Burner series and a set of those with regular flex shafts would probably suit better. Miss-hits with the TP's are going to be poor while a miss-hit with the Burner's will still provide some sort of result.
Get along to a differnt Pro, have him check you over - swing speed, tempo etc - and see what he says. I think you'll find he'll suggest a more forgiving set with softer shafts.
Good Luck

 

[Sidney]

Thanks a v helpful comment.

 

[Andy]

What model was it you bought? Cavity Back, Muscle Cut or the Muscle Back?

Did you not get custom fitted? A lot of money to throw away if they dont suit you.

Andy

 

[RGDave]

Did you buy them new, taking advice? If so.....hmmm.....

If that's what you've got, don't worry too much. I've played with all sorts over the years including stiff and regular - there is a noticeable difference in the result and yes, the design of the head might not be ideal. However, as someone who learned to play with ancient bladed irons that had the wrong shafts, they didn't exactly stop me getting better and enjoying the game.

Is there any way you could shift them if necessary? or swap even?

 

[Ethan]

Depends how you hit them and what you want out of them, but at face value, probably not a great fit. A lot of the players in their mid-60s on the Seniors Tour have gone down to softer shafts.

Still, if you have a decent swing with a bit of hit in it, and you want something consistent with a lower flight and maybe willing to give up a bit of distance for it, may work. More likely, though, you might struggle to flight the ball properly and lose a lot of distance and hit it right.

 

[BeachGolfer]

Broadly speaking and without knowing if you play gale lashed links courses, if you're not consistently (8 out of 10) striking a full 7 iron, you've probably got the wrong club head (with respect) for your ability. If those consistently hit shots have anything less than 150 yard carry, you've probably got too stiff a shaft.

Ask your pro for some demo irons to try or failing that ask for a few hits of your playing partners irons.