What Irons?

Hey,

Im looking to get custom fitted for a new set of irons. My handicap is 9 although its my short game and putting that holds me back and my ball striking is very good.

I have singled out the following:
Mizuno MP 32
Mizuno MP 67
TaylorMade RAC MB TP
Callaway X-Forged
Nike Forged Blades
Nike CCI Forged
Nike Pro Combo

Although I am also looking at Titleist, Ben Hogan and my club pro keeps recommending Ping S58's but I think he is sponsored by Ping. I have also heard bad things about Nike?

Any suggestions would be very helpful.

Thanks

__________________
Craig

My bag:

Taylormade r7 9.5* Stiff stock shaft
Sonartec SS2.5 3+ 13* Stiff Fujikura Tour Platform shaft
Taylormade Utility 2 16* XS Fujikura TP stock shaft
Titleist 904F 4 wood 17* Stiff Aldila NV85 shaft
Mizuno MP67 3-PW S300 shafts
Cleveland 588 47*, 53*, 56* DSG, 60*
Odyssey White Hot #4 putter

Even though I play OS irons, I was considering Cavs at my last purchase. At impact, I am still not consistently on the center of the clubface. But I do a lot of reading about the irons that are out there....

Mizuno seems to be the "player's" choice. Great quality, but you will pay for it. The Ping S58's get great ratings as well. I love TaylorMade, but some hate TaylorMade. You have to hit them to see.

HOWEVER, being a 9, I would be careful about getting true blades. Let me quote Trevor Immelman from Golf Digest's "What's in my bag"....
"CH-CH-CHANGES: About two years ago I switched from blade to oversize irons. I started testing the 3-, 4- and 5-irons, and they felt so good I just told Nike to send me the rest of the set. You have to make such perfect swings with long-iron blades. Standing over a pressure shot, I want to know the clubs will help me."

DON'T be afraid to look at those mid-range irons.... I was looking at the Mizuno MP-60 & the TaylorMade LT irons. The new R7 TP irons give you the best of both worlds. You can work them and get away with off center hits. You also don't have to have a 105 mph swing speed to play them.

I am a legit 6. But my short game and putting really goes a long way with me. I get up and down quite a bit. I play the rac OS2 irons. I can work them, a bit hard to fade, but it can be done. I get away with off-center hits. Yes they launch a little high, but I can get my 4 iron off the ground and carry it 190. I can also choke down on a 5 iron and play it low to the distance of my 6. You just have to know how to work your irons.

If you are going to spend the money it looks like you are going to spend, I would just get fitted and hit as many different clubs as possible. Maybe blades will be the best fit. But even guys I know who are 1-4s are playing the mid-range irons because they IMPROVE their game.

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What's in my bag....
Cleveland VP 2 Blade Putter
Ping Tour Wedges, 54 & 60
TaylorMade rac LT2, 4i thru PW
Tour Edge Exotics Iron-Wood 21* 3i - Aldila NV 90 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 18* 5 Wood - ProLaunch Blue 75 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 15* 3 Wood - Aldila NV 75 Stiff Shaft
Cleveland HiBore XL 9.5* - Fujikura Fit-On Red Stiff Shaft

I have tried out a few irons and liked the TaylorMade RAC MB TP, Callaway X-forged, Mizuno MP32's! All the irons felt very nice to hit but I'm wondering if there is any other irons I should consider or ones I should steer clear of.

Unfortunatley I didn't try them at the same time so need to go back and try them together. Still wanna try the Mizuno MP67 and Titleist irons. Would anyone recommend Ben Hogan Apex and Apex F-T-X's???

Theres so much choice!

I just think Muscle Back Blades are so freaking hard to hit. I re-read the 2007 Golf Digest Hot List. Check this out....

http://www.golfdigest.com/equipment/...istirons5.html

Only 1/2 of the 22 players who made $2.5 million or more on the tour last year used true muscle back blades. Only 1/4 of the entire tour used them. I would steer clear of muscle back blades all together.

There are other articles that talk about someone who is in "transition," like I was. Did I want something more workable OR something more reliable.

I have read so many good things about the MP-67s. I have read the same things about the Cleveland CG2 & Cleveland CG4

What about the Callaway X-Tour (is that what you called x-forged?) OR the X-20 Tour...?

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What's in my bag....
Cleveland VP 2 Blade Putter
Ping Tour Wedges, 54 & 60
TaylorMade rac LT2, 4i thru PW
Tour Edge Exotics Iron-Wood 21* 3i - Aldila NV 90 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 18* 5 Wood - ProLaunch Blue 75 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 15* 3 Wood - Aldila NV 75 Stiff Shaft
Cleveland HiBore XL 9.5* - Fujikura Fit-On Red Stiff Shaft

No BS...I sent your list to my Cousin, who is a teaching pro at a country club in FL. He said a lot of the same things I have said. Why does a 9 Handicap want blades??? HOWEVER, he thinks the MP-67 is a great club. He plays Titleist himself (695 CB NOT the 695 MB).

He recommended the 775 CB from Titleist, CG2 from Cleveland and the Apex Edge Forged irons from Ben Hogan.

But the choice is yours my friend. Let us know what you decide.

A 9 handicap may want blades due to their CG being generally higher and closer to the face than a traditional GI iron. While you lose forgiveness, you gain a lower ball flight.

Although my handicap is 9, this is mostly due to short game & putting, my ball striking is very good. I didn't go looking for blades in particular but when I hit the TaylorMade RAC MB TP, Mizuno MP32 and the Callaway X-forged they felt very nice at impact.

The Callaway X-forged are just out from Callaway and are used by Ernie Els, I was looking at the X-22 tours but the X-forged felt great to hit.

Next week I'am demo'ing Titleist 735 CM's and I'v still to try Nike forged blades & CCI Forged as well as the Ben Hogans. I'm unsure about the Nike and the Hogans as I'v heard Nike aren't worth the money, has anyone else heard this? I'v not seen Hogans anywhere in Glasgow and no1 plays them at my club. what tour pros play hogans?

Thanks for everyones advice

__________________
Craig

My bag:

Taylormade r7 9.5* Stiff stock shaft
Sonartec SS2.5 3+ 13* Stiff Fujikura Tour Platform shaft
Taylormade Utility 2 16* XS Fujikura TP stock shaft
Titleist 904F 4 wood 17* Stiff Aldila NV85 shaft
Mizuno MP67 3-PW S300 shafts
Cleveland 588 47*, 53*, 56* DSG, 60*
Odyssey White Hot #4 putter

Hogan's are Callaway's blades.

Thomas Bjorn plays them - just to name one.

100% correct. But ending up in jail because I am a 1/4 of an inch off is harsh

To each their own. I like using technology to my benefit. The irons these days can give you the best of both worlds.

I’d be interested in your opinion on these clubs. I recently bought a used set off ebay and have been having a great time with them. I’m not a "Tour quality" ball striker by any means, but I really don’t find them particularly harsh or unforgiving coming from Callaway X14 irons.

Can some one explain the main differences between the RAC Tps and the r7 TP's and advantages and disadvantages of both. I've hit both - liked both - is one better than the other?

Well, the only RAC TP irons I know you can get right now are the RAC MB TP irons. There are several differences between those and the r7 TP's...

1) RAC TP is a Muscle Back iron, r7 TP is a Cavity Back iron

2) RAC TP is Forged iron construction, r7 TP is Cast iron construction

3) The r7 TP irons are 1* stronger from the 5 iron down to PW than the RAC TPs (TaylorMade does this to improve workability of your scoring irons)

I would also check the shafts, could be VERY different from set to set. Based just on what I know about them, there are some pretty big differences. I think most of whch comes down to the feel when you hit them, not just the look and construction.

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What's in my bag....
Cleveland VP 2 Blade Putter
Ping Tour Wedges, 54 & 60
TaylorMade rac LT2, 4i thru PW
Tour Edge Exotics Iron-Wood 21* 3i - Aldila NV 90 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 18* 5 Wood - ProLaunch Blue 75 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 15* 3 Wood - Aldila NV 75 Stiff Shaft
Cleveland HiBore XL 9.5* - Fujikura Fit-On Red Stiff Shaft

I demo'd today the Callaway X-forged, Mizuno MP32 and MP67 and Nike CCI forged irons. they were all nice but the Nike didn't feel in the same league as the other 3! I have now narrowed my selection to:

Mizuno MP32 or MP67 (If i choose Mizuno then I'm going to the Mizuno centre which will tell me which 1 suits me better)
Callaway X-forged

and possibly TaylorMade RAC MB TP

I'v still to demo Titleist 735CM's which I'm trying later this week and I'v ruled out Nike, Ben Hogan (due to the fact no shops stock them and to me they are big in america but Ben Hogan don't really make as big an effort in the UK).

Could anyone give me reasons to or not to choose my above selections?

Thanks for everyones help

__________________
Craig

My bag:

Taylormade r7 9.5* Stiff stock shaft
Sonartec SS2.5 3+ 13* Stiff Fujikura Tour Platform shaft
Taylormade Utility 2 16* XS Fujikura TP stock shaft
Titleist 904F 4 wood 17* Stiff Aldila NV85 shaft
Mizuno MP67 3-PW S300 shafts
Cleveland 588 47*, 53*, 56* DSG, 60*
Odyssey White Hot #4 putter

I've noticed you haven't mentioned Cleveland irons. Maybe you dislike them, but if I were you, I'd give the CG2 irons a test run. These irons are a perfect mix of cavity back and blade. I actually own a set of these and just love them. Plus, it's very easy to shape a shot with these puppies and there is very little offset in them. Now I can't speak about your above choices except for the Hogans, but on the other hand, the feel of the CG2's is outstanding. In my case, I hit a full club longer... seriously! In comparison, the Hogans felt harsh in my hands on contact. Anyway, just wanted to share this with you.

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Cleveland Launcher 400 10.5°
Cleveland Launcher 17° FW
Cleveland CG2 3-PW
Hogan 52°
Mizuno 56°
Hogan 60°

doppelganger: I consider Cleveland to make good clubs and use their weges however I haven't seen Cleveland irons anywhere so just ruled them out like I did with the Ben Hogans. Cleveland and Ben Hogan are big in America but nowhere seems to stock them.