Please Delete, Lock or whatever..... Kind regards Paddy

I ended up going to a fitter for a driver, wedges and even a 3 hybrid.... I let them talk me into buying a set of irons, ~390 USD and to be honest they are pure crap. They are knock offs of the 2004 big bertha's. These things are so damn heavy and I can't stand them... My back was tight and stiff after playing a round with these shovels.

I ended up going back to my 1998 hawkeye irons. Way lighter and I hit them well, with the occasional big hook. (I have the distances dialed in pretty good)

Have you ever done this before? Bought equipment and shelved it immediately? I tried those new ones a couple of times and while they go a mile, 7 iron 155 - 160 while my Hawkeye goes 145-150 I like these better.

Also, they guy told me that the hawkeye shafts are junk and that's why I could be hooking it. Thoughts on this? Is it worth to reshaft these irons with new graphites, like Ozik's or something like that or is the juice not worth the squeeze and/or is there a chance it will hurt my game?

Contrary to what you might hear, playing clubs you're comfortable with is very important to enjoying the game, and a few yards less in distance isn't likely to hurt the score. Also, the weight of your new clubs isn't likely to have caused your back problem. It's more likely your swing.

I have never encountered club weight that was actually too heavy. It may be swing weight. My irons have graphite/steel shafts and are D3, SW is D6 and LW is E0. Anyone that's swings them says boy, they feel heavy, yet they are not actually heavier than most other clubs. Just setup to feel heavy which better players typically go for. My putter is D6 and tour weighted, and some people said the same thing. Big reason is many of my friends and average Joe play light Swing weight C7-D0 irons so if a club is setup heavier SW, they will notice what appears to be weight.

Many, many times have I bought equipment and shelved it. It takes a long time to put a good set together. I got my clubs stolen recently and it is taking me a long time to put a new set together. I know what I am looking for in terms of shot shape, trajectory, and feel, so for me it is all trial and error but still takes a long time to dial in all the factors. So much effects your ball flight: swingweights, static weight, torque, kickpoint, flex patterns, weighting position in clubhead, shape of clubhead, grips, etc. The list goes on and on.

I would see if it is a swing flaw before changing shafts. However, shafts can make a big difference. What kind of shafts are in the Hawkeyes and the new irons?

"Too heavy" is not limited to just static weight. Too heavy swing weight or too heavy static weight both can make the club too heavy. The only difference is what the best solution needs to be. And I have frequently run into clubs that were too heavy in static weight, not swing weight, so I would not automatically discount that possibility.

But all that means is that we really need to get a lot more details before determining if the OP's clubs can be salvagable. What shaft and shaft weight and how does it compare to what the OP's used to swinging? What is the playing length? what is the swing weight?

Not sure about your experience, but here in the Phoenix area there were a few "knockoff" dealers that also did fittings. A couple of these were known to be using better made and performing heads during the fitting, then using cheaper made heads when making the customer's clubs. So in a way they were selling knockoffs of knockoffs. Word spread on their 2 main sales avenues (CL & OU), so they seem to have been run off of those sites.

If this is similar to what happened to you then you may just be stuck with some crappy clubs that don't play well. If you play your old clubs better then there is nothing wrong with that. I would just keep playing them and keep this experience in the back of your head as a hard lesson learned.

The link is stating that the clubs should be built at D2, not that yours necessarily are. 2 SW points are perceptible to some players, but in no way should one be felt to be significantly heavy. I would have them checked. They’re potentially wildly out of spec.

Did a fitter actually admit to being a dealer for the Canterbury Big Bursar??

Jesus...you got hosed. You spent $400 on that junk???? Take them back to the fitter and demand your money back. You could get any sort of ~2014-2017 model iron from a big OEM used for that price, if not better. You'd be lucky to get $50 for those on Kijiji. As to your original question, please do not reshaft your Hawkeyes. Oziks are going to cost you about $300+ installed and to put them into irons that are worth less than $50 in trade is ridiculous. I would just go to a local GG or PGA Superstore and hit as much used or discontinued new product I could (with your BB in tow) and see what happens. I can guarantee that something newer, and likely cheaper than what you paid for your Masterfits will surface and you will beat out the BB handidly on both ball speed, feel, and consistency.

That fitter is one heck of a salesman to convince you to buy new a set of clones based from a 15 year old design. You can get a used set of brand name irons that is only a few years old at that price or less.

I dont want to give this fitter a bad wrap.

The driver has helped me out a ton, dead seriously. Here it is.

The shaft for driver

The hybrid has been okay if you hit it out of rough or fluff it up a little. But off tight lies it's been a challenge. Off the tee it's nice especially longer par 3's

The shaft for the Hybrid

They also reshafted all my Mizuno wedges to graphite and I love them. Here is the 60. (46, 51, 56, 60).

So they have been really good to me, it;s just the irons are HEAVY and I have trouble hitting them.

In total my set cost me this.

Driver and shaft 335 USD

Hybrid and Shaft 149

Irons with shafts 390

shafts for mizuno wedges 240, wedge heads cost me 149.00 a piece so 840 for my wedges.

Under a 1000. My big bertha 1998 cost me 139 off of ebay. Really nice golf pride standard grips too.

I think my friend felt bad for me since I can't hit the hybrid except off of the rough and tee, so he gave me his TS2. He was a lot like you all he shook his head about the irons.

I really don’t know what to say here. I suppose I would just suggest posting any questions you have about future purchases here if you are at all concerned about pissing your money away.

And yeah I’d suggest trying to get your money back on the irons. To be honest I don’t even think you could sell them online for enough to cover the cost of shipping. Totally worthless.

Never heard of them and the prices you were charged for that gear is ludicrous. Hopefully they serve you well and last you a long time but I would have ran the other direction as soon as I saw their website.

I see from your signature that you have the R flex graphite in your Hawkeyes. That shaft was a bit of a noodle, so not that surprising that you are turning over some of your shots. Calloway did a Firm flex which was more stable in the tip. Having said that, I wouldn't even think about reshafting your Hawkeyes. Doesn't make any sense to spend money on irons which are pretty out of date. For not much more than the reshaft you could go on the classifieds and get yourself a nice set of used Ping G series irons or something similar from your OEM of choice.

I would try to get your money back on those irons. That's criminal to charge $390 for garbage like that. Not quite sure what possessed you to go the knockoff route. I don't recognize any of the shafts, go on the UST Mamiya website and see if can find any of them. You can be sure that he bored out the hosels on your nice Mizuno wedges to stick some cheap .370 tip graphite in there. What you paid your fitter would have gotten you a bag full of really nice used 3-4 year old clubs.

I feel really bad for you in this situation. I hope you realize all the advice here is focused on giving you the best options for a set of clubs that will serve you well and you will enjoy for years to come. Sometimes we make mistakes or in this case get taken advantage of by a scam artist, dont feel bad and compound the situation by playing these clubs for years. Try to get your money back (I would go as far as credit card chargeback, this borders on fraud)...but if you can’t recoup it all Consider it a sunk cost and move on. For $250 you can get a really solid set of used irons on this site. Good luck and hope you get sorted out.

"They are knock offs of the 2004 big bertha's."

I've heard of some weird shit in my day, but how anybody could be talked into buying knockoffs of 15 year old clubs is beyond me.

Then I suggest you keep playing the driver if it works. However, those irons are AWFUL. You need to insist you get some sort of money back for them. Surely they can refit them to someone else. I would be shocked if those heads cost them more than about $10 per club and those shafts anymore than about $10. I used to work at a Big Box store and value level product like that from Aldila and UST was no more than about $10-15 CAD at wholesale. Further, those heads are just Chinese component house models rebadged. Take a look at the Masterfit M7 and the Maltby STi OS. You tell me those aren't the same head and I'll buy you a free eye exam. The Maltby heads I got in Canada as a test once for $15 each on a clearance sale, so for you $15 should be roughly standard (and that is retail, not cost). All told, your fitter probably has MAX $200 of wholesale cost into these if you consider some sort of premiumish grip, but based on the look of that site and those components, I have a sneaking suspicion they are just cheap Karmas or Medallists logo'd with MASTERFIT that likely cost them $1 each wholesale. So for them to be charging $390 WITH tax is absolutely criminal for that.

Do not feel bad demanding your money back for that. As another posted said, those shafts don't even exist on UST's website anymore. I've been in the golf fitting business for over 15 years and I haven't seen those shafts ever. The big box store I used to work at for a long time dealt in the cheapest components most of the time (Aldila VX, UST competition, Grafalloy Rocket) and I have never seen those, nor has anyone ever brought them in. Get at least some of your money back if you can and run as far from that as you can and head to the nearest big box store to demo some irons in your pricepoint. You will be shocked at the performance difference between the Hawkeyes, the MF, and the newish models.

Don't feel like you have to defend them either, they 100% ripped you off for that garbage.

Feel bad for you OP, as others have said, it’s absolutely asinine that you were charged such a crazy amount for 15 year old knock-offs...Definitely try to get some or all of your money back, as this “fitter” knew exactly what he was doing by selling you that garbage... I hope everything works out for you, and that you find some equipment that you thoroughly enjoy.

Providing my rational and reasoning through time series

Bought driver because of the idea of custom fitting. Wasn't that impressed by the PGA superstore to be honest and I had been out of golf ~8 years prior to the 19 season. The drive was very good and I felt my right miss went all but away. Shaft is spec to my swing speed, ~96 MPH'sWas over joyed by the results and had a huge gap in my long game that I thought what the heck let's get a hybrid to hit off the tee and par 5 advancement. It's getting better especially from the tee but still some questions. Shaft is decent.The fitter made mention that my wedges were going to be off since they weren't tour models so he put them in a lie machine and my lies were all off. 60 was a 62 1/2. He bent them down and suggested going to a higher end shaft so I had them add the masterfit shafts to them. The fitter a few shopping trips later made note that the hawkeyes irons had crap shafts and that I should go so superior irons. Said the heads were decent but the shafts had to go and for the price of shafting might as well get the hottest irons going. Said a couple of the reps replaced their blades with these very clubs and can work the ball both ways. These guys are scratch. I also noticed on the shot tracker my AOA was -5 which is close to where they wanted to get my. I believe - 7 is what they are looking for....... At the time my hawkeye was ~-2.Recap

Driver first, took a lesson with it and it helped tremendously

2nd lesson I committed to the 3 hybrid. I brought it back up (Im used to the return policy at the PGA SS) but he said wait a few months to see how the club performs and then we can look into doing something, but it wouldn;t be one for one, if memory serves me correct.

Next lesson mention the wedges were off, promised. He was 100% correct so in doing the bend I got the shafts grips etc....

And the rest is history.... I did get the 51 degree masterfit, but honestly I never hit it. I feel like my 60 goes about 90 easy and my 56 is 110 and the 46 125 so I don't really hit it so no way to judge it.

I'm pretty much done with spending on clubs. 2020 is a club free year. The set "works" and the driver has really helped me out. I'd like to practice the TS2 when I get sometime, but to be honest I am always working on pitching and chipping when I get time. I'll find a few practice balls laying around and hit some drivers but that's about it. 0 money to practice that way.....

Besides I'm looking at getting under a 100 consistently and I feel the equipment is good enough to do that.

I only mentioned the Ozik's because I really have no clue what Im talking about and the pro was raving about there performance.

You look like you're trying to justify your purchase to yourself. Please don't. You've been had. Do not try to cure it by throwing money at the same problem. As others have said, minimise your loses, move on and get a good brand name set from the used rack, the world is full of used top quality clubs.

This has to be a troll post. No way it’s serious.

I thought that initially but the photos made it a bit elaborate for a troll to bother, I think.?

The sweetness of low price is forgotten long before the bitterness of low quality.

I think for 2020 I'm going to play the white tees and rely heavily on my wedges for approach shots. Truth be told the Hawkeyes are okay, but the shaft makes them terribly inaccurate, for GIR's.

Like I said the driver is really good, I can carry 240 no problem, on the muni circuit I pass a lot of weekend golfers. Im generally 20 yards farther if not more. So from 6,000 I should be able to attack greens and in 2021 I can think about getting some new irons. I really only want to get minimal stuff this year. Shoes, towels and balls.

Anyway thanks for the advice. I was thinking about getting some Hawkeyes with stiff shaft graphites. I am familiar with the head and I am hopeful they will be more accurate. I just can't muster up the motivation to spend anymore money on clubs until my handicap comes down. I'm a 21.8 after todays round of 100.

CALLAWAY HAWK EYE IRON SET STIFF FLEX GRAPHITE 3-PW, SW 0789126 | eBay

These look the part.

What do you think about the Fusions?

Callaway Fusion iron set 3-PW regular | eBay

120 USD not bad.

Just follow up the resell isn't that great for these irons....

Here is the club selling individually on line. 16 dollars.... Masterfit Deep Cavity 7 Iron. Masterfit Stiff Graphite.GP Tour Velvet Grip | eBayI'm going to try them out again on Wednesday, New Years Day. There is no way they are going to give me my money back, even for the 3 hybrid they really were resistant and basically said no.

As others have suggested, please do get your money back, sir. For all of that equipment. What you do afterwards certainly is up to you regarding new or used gear, but please consider getting all of your hard earned dollars back.

I would keep pressing them for a refund, there’s no reason not to try. Even if you get a portion of your money back, it’s better than nothing.

OP - if this is a troll job, I tip my hat to you because you got a lot of us.

if not, please understand you got sold cr@p equipment from a scammer that cost you $1000 but probably cost them $50.

Upgraded Masterfit shaft?? Really?

Shaft fit for your swing speed?? You do know that swing speed is only a small part of shaft fitting, right? Did the fitter mention this? Or just say “96mph, I have a Masterfit shaft just for you!”

Scratch guys trading in their blades to play a set of knock off 2004 game improvement irons? Do you seriously believe that? If so, I have a bridge to sell you.

They must’ve seen you coming a mile away.

And I told you several posts ago you have no resell on those clubs. You won’t be able to cover your shipping costs!

Here’s a simple solution for you that will hopefully help you to understand the situation. If they are competent fitters and really believe in their product, then they will have no issue with customer satisfaction and back up their product by allowing you to return if it doesn’t work for you. The reason they are hassling you about the return is because they know they sold you garbage equipment that cost them $1 each and they made a FORTUNE off you and don’t want to give it back!