When to buy Irons such as Miura?

As a fly fisherman, I have always enjoyed "classic" equipment.. bamboo rods, g&p reels, etc.

Due to the restrictions resulting from Covid-19, I have recently taken up golf, currently with a very much game-improvement focused set of clubs. But I think the goal - probably much more than a decent handicap - would be to play beautiful clubs I can enjoy.

So I am wondering... at what point does it even make sense for me to look at something like Miura irons, assuming that their more classic approach requires a certain skill-level to play them well? (Or well enough not to slow down the game or get frustrated...)

There is nothing wrong with owning more than one set. Use your full on GI set for everyday play/practice and get the Miura's to grow into and/or play just because. The type of iron one plays isn't super important so long as the clubs fit them physically in terms of length and overall weight.

The PP-9003 are my suggestion. They are midsized and offer some real help in terms of forgiveness but they are Miura's through and through with impeccable build quality and beauty. This model has been discontinued so now is the time to grab them. Find yourself a clubmaker when you are ready and have them built up to your liking. I've got a set and count it as one of my better purchases.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Miura-Golf-PP-9003-Straight-neck-Iron-heads-6-PW-6-GW-5-PW-or-5-GW-Cavity-back/164128340542

^ This is good advice

Haha, I actually thought about that, but I guess I should at least be good enough to get properly fitted.

Any recommendation what goes well with Miura for woods / hybrids? Ryoma?

I've only been playing 3 years and started playing CB-301's in the fall of last year. I still have my set of G410's, and Apex 19's in the garage, but neither are as consistent (or fell as good as the Miura's). I'm currently a 15 handicap and the Miura's are very easy for me to hit. Got my first hole in 1 this summer with my 8i, too. If the CB-301 line is what's on your radar I would buy with confidence if your main concern is game improvement. I dropped my handicap 7 full points since I went Miura full time. Is it the clubs? The Indian? That's a different debate, but they sure didn't hurt my game, that much is certain.

Is there anything wrong with owning 3 or 4? ?

Spotted my first ever sighting of Miura irons out in the wild last week. They were a cavity back model. Looked pretty nice. You can go with Miura or buy an older classic set and see if that type of iron appeals to you and your game. The older Hogan, Wilson, MacGregor, RAM, and other makes blades are plentiful and cheap in the used club market on eBay.

I suggest buying Miura blades as your first set. I honestly believe you will get better quicker if that is your goal.

Punishment for a bad shot doesn't help someone hit a good shot the next time.

Depends on your goals and how athletic you are. If you are the type that will put the time in required to improve your ball striking, then go for it. Do you have a decent swing with decent ball striking already when it comes to your irons? If you've got a reasonable starting point, then I say go for it. Set your expectations and work towards the goal.

I went from playing some old cast Nike CCi irons to Srixon z585 to forged Miura TC-201. Not a blade, but still was a little intimidating for someone that routinely shoots in the low and mid 90s. I went from mild GI cavity back irons to an iron that is a players "tour cavity" back that requires some game. My biggest complaint with full GI irons is that you can't hold firm greens as well (due to lack of spin), and less feeling of control. Distance is always good with GI irons, but sometimes you want a little more feel and control and ability to shape a creative shot.

I have been playing tennis for about 5 years seriously, and I quickly advanced to the point where I needed a more players racquet with more "feel". You can only go so far with a 110 sq inch racquet if you advance beyond a certain point and want to start learning new skills. I think golf is that way. Life is short, play the irons you want and put in the work you need to gel with them. It's going to be frustrating at first, but expect it to possibly take years of work to game them to their full potential.

This is what I've done, recently, too. Learn on something forgiving/budget and build up enough skill to be seen in public with the quality clubs!

Have you looked at the Miura IC-601? I am going for a fitting soon and will try these plus a few others. Looks like a blade but it is advertised as a game improvement iron. Be aware it is cast, has a thick top line and plenty of offset. I saw it in person at my fitter but have not tried it yet.

I say don’t wait, if you want them go for it now so long as it fits your budget. If the question is when should I buy those teeny tiny super sweet looking Miura blades, that might be an aspirational ask.

As others have said, whenever you want. You could buy them and play them now but there are definitely folks out there who will be extremely judgmental if you’re chunking shots left and right. Most of those folks are on the internet, however.

I recently purchased a new set of Miura Y-grind cavity back heads on ebay and installed Nippon modus 105 shaft pulls that I also found on ebay. I have less than $800. total in 7 quality clubs. After adjusting lofts and lies to fit my swing I find that I hit these irons straighter and they hold more greens than my gamers . I don't get quite the distance with them however and I definitely pay the penalty for a mishit. Still, a fun project and I love the looks and feel of these beautiful irons.

Buy the most foregiving clubs you can stand looking at if you want to shoot your lowest scores. That is the mantra of every fitter and rep I have heard. I have played foregiving clubs and currently have mbs in the bag. I am not an elite ball striker, but I like the way they look and feel. From the 7 iron down I'd say you won't see much difference. Buy shiny nice toys and enjoy them. The good shots feel better, and mentally you feel confident looking at them.

The first time I heard about Miura golf clubs I knew I had to own a set. It's like owning a Rolex or Rolls Royce if that is your thing. In my mind it was the best built clubs with the tightest tolerances and once you own a set nothing else will ever be good enough. In 2012 I went for a club fitting and was quoted around $2500 for a set. Too steep for my pocket. 5 years later I stumbled on a set of CB-202 for a quarter of the price and bought them. If cost is not an issue, then by all means get yourself a set. If you think you need to be a single digit handicapper to play them, then I would say all manufacturers have different styles for different abilities.

On 8/2/2020 at 4:45 AM, Nessism said:

There is nothing wrong with owning more than one set. Use your full on GI set for everyday play/practice and get the Miura's to grow into and/or play just because. The type of iron one plays isn't super important so long as the clubs fit them physically in terms of length and overall weight.

The PP-9003 are my suggestion. They are midsized and offer some real help in terms of forgiveness but they are Miura's through and through with impeccable build quality and beauty. This model has been discontinued so now is the time to grab them. Find yourself a clubmaker when you are ready and have them built up to your liking. I've got a set and count it as one of my better purchases.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Miura-Golf-PP-9003-Straight-neck-Iron-heads-6-PW-6-GW-5-PW-or-5-GW-Cavity-back/164128340542

If you want a set of Moira’s Ddo yourself a favour and buy these irons off eBay. They are classic and more suited to newer golfers. 
Some would suggest it’s a fallacy that you are not good enough to get fit and that you should do this right away. In my mind you have two options. 
If you have concerns about your lack of golf skills and money is an issue buy some used iron shafts off eBay as well and get a local to assemble the set. You will probably be able to guess between stiff and regular based on reading this forum and assessing your athletic ability. 
If you are not concerned about money buy these irons off eBay and go to a fitter to asses your swing and assemble your set. 
In the end since you are new you will probably need to be refit in a couple seasons anyways. 

On 8/2/2020 at 6:45 AM, Nessism said:

There is nothing wrong with owning more than one set. Use your full on GI set for everyday play/practice and get the Miura's to grow into and/or play just because. The type of iron one plays isn't super important so long as the clubs fit them physically in terms of length and overall weight.

The PP-9003 are my suggestion. They are midsized and offer some real help in terms of forgiveness but they are Miura's through and through with impeccable build quality and beauty. This model has been discontinued so now is the time to grab them. Find yourself a clubmaker when you are ready and have them built up to your liking. I've got a set and count it as one of my better purchases.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Miura-Golf-PP-9003-Straight-neck-Iron-heads-6-PW-6-GW-5-PW-or-5-GW-Cavity-back/164128340542

I think this is perfect advice.  Add on that the irons  are about the toughest to gauge skill level to own.  I bought a set and tried to grow into them, but I do switch back and forth.  The wedges and other clubs are easy to hit though

As a zebco boy, with his rebel lure, he’d land mighty bm bass. Many a splash was seen.

Am I ready to buy a Wagner or Nervos rod? 

On 8/2/2020 at 5:00 AM, Guest said:

As a fly fisherman, I have always enjoyed "classic" equipment.. bamboo rods, g&p reels, etc.

Due to the restrictions resulting from Covid-19, I have recently taken up golf, currently with a very much game-improvement focused set of clubs. But I think the goal - probably much more than a decent handicap - would be to play beautiful clubs I can enjoy.

So I am wondering... at what point does it even make sense for me to look at something like Miura irons, assuming that their more classic approach requires a certain skill-level to play them well? (Or well enough not to slow down the game or get frustrated...)

To be  honest with you there is no right and wrong answer. I bought my first set of clubs in 2001 and to be honest with I just wanted to learn how to golf.

Over the years I finally decided to go blades with my shorter irons(8-Pw) 4 years ago to improve my scoring and I went with Mizuno MP-18 (8-Pw) and Taylormade RS TP( 3-7). During the course of this experiment I heard about Miura and decided to get a 7 iron MB-001 just to experiment, and that started my madness into the world of Miura.

Last year year I decided to play a bag of blades as the Taylormades were replaced with Mb-001. Initially it was a struggle as I my scores shot back to the mid 90s but eventually settled into the low 80s and high 70s towards the end of the season. The Miuras demanded that I put in the time at the range to actually understand the fundamentals of the swing whichj has improved my game.

This year I completely switched everything to Miura MB-001 and my low scores are mid 70s and high scores low 80s, and now I am building a second set of Miuras that will be last clubs that I hope to own.

So in a nutshell, it is never too early or late to try them and purchase them.

On 8/2/2020 at 11:54 AM, ibradley said:

I suggest buying Miura blades as your first set. I honestly believe you will get better quicker if that is your goal.

With the experience that I have acquired in my journey, I absolutely agree with you 100%.

Miura now produces a wide variety of models. The 301 for example is pretty forgiving. 
Key is whether you start from and what you want to achieve.
If you have a halve decent swing and happy to throw in the extra training sessions in case required, why not.

I've owned the 501's and I can say that Miura makes a great club, but I would stay away if you are a mediocre ball striker and chasing more distance out of your irons. If you know your game well and like to shape the ball these or their blades are a good choice.

If you wanted to stay J-spec and user friendly I would opt for ONOFF Kuro, or the Seven MB's are probably the best thing out their at the moment.

If you want a great set without breaking the bank, a set of Tourstage z101's are amazing sticks... I see a few sets on eBay  for 200-300... they'll kick most sets out of any golf bag. 

non J-spec i would say Adams MB2 (the unicorns of the US golf world).

How would Seven irons compare to Miura? I understand that they are also “forged”, but then milled from a single block. Can the “feel” of the irons be compared?

And in this respect, are their models (eg the CB) more forgiving than Miuras?

On 8/2/2020 at 7:00 AM, Guest said:

As a fly fisherman, I have always enjoyed "classic" equipment.. bamboo rods, g&p reels, etc.

Due to the restrictions resulting from Covid-19, I have recently taken up golf, currently with a very much game-improvement focused set of clubs. But I think the goal - probably much more than a decent handicap - would be to play beautiful clubs I can enjoy.

So I am wondering... at what point does it even make sense for me to look at something like Miura irons, assuming that their more classic approach requires a certain skill-level to play them well? (Or well enough not to slow down the game or get frustrated...)

That’s pretty simple in my mind...when spending that kind of cash doesn’t bother you!  Skill level has never stopped many golfers from buying equipment beyond their ability...usually it’s lack of $$$s. 
Buy whatever makes you happy. 

On 8/2/2020 at 2:17 PM, Nessism said:

Punishment for a bad shot doesn't help someone hit a good shot the next time.

You have a curious way of presenting your opinions as facts. 

The best time to purchase Miuras is when you can afford them, lol.  If price is no object for you I would recommend getting a set.  They are some of the most beautifully crafted irons on the planet and feel like....you know, that quote from American Pie. 

I would say drop to about 15 handicap first before you consider Miura. If you have all the money in the world, buy them whenever you want.

I'd say any day.  But, today would be best!