Can’t Hit My New Irons

[vinprun71]

There could be an adjustment period, but if your instructor didn't use any kind of tech to make his recommendations, then it doesn't sound like the right match gear wise. I'd continue to try getting used to them, but be okay with the fact that you may need to at least reshaft these.

[danielt823]

Looks like everyone is on the same page. It would be a little disheartening to hear especially with your nice shiny new irons and you can’t get used to them.

 

See if you can do a Titleist Thursday or try and get to a store that has a launch monitor and fitting cart, take your current 7i and compare. A mizuno fitting centre is a great start as you can take a few swings with the optimiser and it will give you your best three shaft matches for your current swing, rather than you having to match your swing to your shaft.

 

Failing that you can spend more time at the range trying to get used to them or go down the path of reshafting them. You will find a massive amount of info on this forum in regards to what shafts May suit you and how to go about it.

 

All the best with it and hopefully you are hitting them well again in the near future.

[maamold]

I'll start with this - Fitters hate me. I can feel the slightest difference between clubs even with the same shaft. I tried to get a fitting with Titleist 690CB and T100, I could not hit the T100 at all it felt different than the CB. I could tell the guy just thought I was being difficult and snobby like I wanted to only play Blades-Baby!

 

Something similar is probably happening the weight, flex point, grip...etc something doesn't work for you. You can go to him and work out the kinks, maybe they are just all wrong for you?

[Georgewang]

How does someone who is a low handicap that plays all the time, not get properly fitted. That's like a jet fighter pilot guessing what his new glasses prescription should be...

[Apd1992]

1) i wouldn't consider a 12 handicap low

2) at the time I got the clubs i was playing about once a month, hadn't gotten new equipment in about 15 years and probably didn't even know what a fitting was at the time

 

[platgof]

Good luck on your Odyssey. Sell them and get something more forgiving. I suspect the TM shafts had softened over time, so the new shafts probably felt rough. Put some tape on the face and see where your ball contact is. Got a feeling it is near the heel. I would never consider getting stiffer shafts(no jokes here) as I get older. The opposite would be true. I bet you would love Ping G400/425 irons with the "right" shafts.

[braincramp52]

> @Georgewang said:

> How does someone who is a low handicap that plays all the time, not get properly fitted. That's like a jet fighter pilot guessing what his new glasses prescription should be...

 

 

There are some reputable fitters around here that will still do fittings by watching ball flight without the use of a trackman or other simulators. There was a time when it was a art to fit clubs.

 

[Veners]

I had a similar issue this summer, I had been struggling for a while with my irons (past few seasons) after 2 different sets both fitted for stiff heavy ish shafts (kbs tour stiff and project x 6.0) I went for a new set of ping i500 and a full fitting..... But got fit into kbs tour stiff, hitting them lovely in the fitting and on the range I thought surely all these fitters can't be wrong, after a summer of playing still felt the same I wanted something easier / softer in my irons hit ebay and purchased an old mp59 6 iron with original DG R300 shaft, basically back to what I played many years ago as a teenager, got on so well I purchased a full used (£110) great experiment as I'm loving them, so much more confident and comfortable knowing it's a softer shaft, interestingly the R300 are not a light shaft but it is a constant weight. I now play an old set of Mp59s with R300 shafts, sure I'm a Clun shorter but that's due to the loft and design of the club head mp59 v ping i500. Could be worth trying a used 6 iron in a weaker flex just to play around with. My SS with a driver is 103 mph, regular may sound odd for that speed but with the original DG R300 shaft it's still stable enough esoecially for your irons where you need precision not power.

 

The issue I had with fittings (3 of them) would be I would be fit into a stiff 115 to 120 Gram range, however depending on what shaft was the default shaft for the club I was buying that would be the one I was given I. E and stiff shaft when in fact they all play very different, my advice from my experience is too heavy and too stiff causes more issues than too soft, in fact in a steel shaft it's hard to go too soft unless you get into some of these sub 100 Gram type shafts which I struggle to understand how they can even have stiff stamped on them apart from feeding egos.

[gvogel]

> @Davidv said:

> There is no adjusting period or getting used to them, you and those shafts are a poor match. You need to get a proper fitting and either have those irons re shafted or get rid of them.

 

Absolutely right. No PGA pro should recommend a change of shafts without having the player do a proper fitting. The OP, even though he hits his 7-iron 170, my have the tempo and loading to do better with a regular shaft.

 

Get the old irons back ASAP.

[Apd1992]

> @Veners said:

> I had a similar issue this summer, I had been struggling for a while with my irons (past few seasons) after 2 different sets both fitted for stiff heavy ish shafts (kbs tour stiff and project x 6.0) I went for a new set of ping i500 and a full fitting..... But got fit into kbs tour stiff, hitting them lovely in the fitting and on the range I thought surely all these fitters can't be wrong, after a summer of playing still felt the same I wanted something easier / softer in my irons hit ebay and purchased an old mp59 6 iron with original DG R300 shaft, basically back to what I played many years ago as a teenager, got on so well I purchased a full used (£110) great experiment as I'm loving them, so much more confident and comfortable knowing it's a softer shaft, interestingly the R300 are not a light shaft but it is a constant weight. I now play an old set of Mp59s with R300 shafts, sure I'm a Clun shorter but that's due to the loft and design of the club head mp59 v ping i500. Could be worth trying a used 6 iron in a weaker flex just to play around with. My SS with a driver is 103 mph, regular may sound odd for that speed but with the original DG R300 shaft it's still stable enough esoecially for your irons where you need precision not power.

>

> The issue I had with fittings (3 of them) would be I would be fit into a stiff 115 to 120 Gram range, however depending on what shaft was the default shaft for the club I was buying that would be the one I was given I. E and stiff shaft when in fact they all play very different, my advice from my experience is too heavy and too stiff causes more issues than too soft, in fact in a steel shaft it's hard to go too soft unless you get into some of these sub 100 Gram type shafts which I struggle to understand how they can even have stiff stamped on them apart from feeding egos.

 

Thanks for the advice. I can definitely relate to that experience so far with the stiff shafts. Hopefully find something that fits me better soon.

[dmeeksDC]

Love Project X Rifles, cannot get along with Project X LZ shafts. As posters above note, they share only the PX brand. I find Rifles to be an extremely stable, powerful shaft that some people play too stiff. Fitters put me in the 6.0 but I prefer the 5.5 or even 5.0. They can handle a lot. It could be you just don’t fit the LZ. Try a few shafts — Rifle 5.5, DG 120 or KBS C Taper Lite and see how you do. Or just go back to the same shaft you had. Lots of players who hit it long do just fine with regular shafts.

[Apd1992]

> @gvogel said:

> > @Davidv said:

> > There is no adjusting period or getting used to them, you and those shafts are a poor match. You need to get a proper fitting and either have those irons re shafted or get rid of them.

>

> Absolutely right. No PGA pro should recommend a change of shafts without having the player do a proper fitting. The OP, even though he hits his 7-iron 170, my have the tempo and loading to do better with a regular shaft.

>

> Get the old irons back ASAP.

 

I did think it was odd he didn't take me through a full fitting since he does offer them.

 

I've still got the old irons and hit them side by side with the AP2's and definitely notice how much more effortless and pure my strikes are with them.

[makaveli]

Check the lie angle and try a shaft like the KBS C-Taper Lite (R=105g S=110g) or Nippon Modus 105.

[rkelso184]

May sound dumb but how do they feel in the hands? Maybe try changing the grips to something familiar that you like so when you grab them they feel nice and give you the feeling of something old.

 

Then grab a bucket of balls. Grab plenty of water and just go and hit some irons. Have some fun with it and when you do hit a good shot think what was different. Shaft lean at address, quicker tempo, slower transition, different grip etc

 

I recently made a big change also and was so hard to adjust but I just gave them time and worked out what felt good and what didn't. Went to a new grip to match my old so in the hand they felt the same and yer just worked on finding the positives and taking notes.

 

You will be amazed what confidence will do for a swing. You need to grab them and say "I got this" then comitting!

 

Good luck and just remember it's your own game do what makes you happy!

[MuskieCy]

Do the right thing.

 

Any true WXR'er would know what to do,....

 

"BUY MORE IRONS!!!!!!!"_

[Chef23]

I am not a big fan of needing to adjust to clubs. If it takes you more than needing to learn new distances after a round or two I don't think they are a good fit. When I did my recent fitting if I didn't hit a shaft/head good after 3 swings we moved on to something else. Some shafts and heads I just hit well and others I didn't.

 

Hopefully you have your old clubs in the short term.

[Chip Duffer]

I agree with those who suggest that it’s primarily a shaft issue. While it is clear that this swing suggests it will benefit from a Stiff shaft, we don’t have enough information. Does he have an early release and smooth tempo, or does he have a very late release with a very forceful transition? Based on his prior shaft, he seemingly would benefit from a profile that may be less tip stiff.

 

A stiff shaft doesn’t have to have the tactile feedback and rigidity of an I-beam. I play my 34* 7 iron at 160, can hit it further, but love the consistency. I played a DG 105 S300 shaft this year on a club head I really like. I despise the profile of the shaft. It works for many, but for me is a shaft that makes my swing as rigid and stiff as the shaft itself. I have to alter my timing and tempo to match the shaft and during the round will feel more need to increase energy to the bottom of the swing.

 

Point being, the OP may well benefit from a shaft like the Wishon S2S Superlight, the Nippon NS950 or similar. The stiff shaft would still be swing speed appropriate with less harsh demands on his timing and tempo.

[Davidv]

 

> @lawsonman said:

> > @Georgewang said:

> > How does someone who is a low handicap that plays all the time, not get properly fitted. That's like a jet fighter pilot guessing what his new glasses prescription should be...

>

>

> There are some reputable fitters around here that will still do fittings by watching ball flight without the use of a trackman or other simulators. There was a time when it was a art to fit clubs.

>

 

Well for sure his instructor does not possess those so called artful skills.

[Mikey5e]

I made a comment earlier asking whether you tried them out before buying? Well, with confession being a good thing, I purchased a set of Callaway graphite irons with only a brief demo from Golf Galaxy. I have always had steel shafted irons so the change to graphite was significant. First time out I was pull hooking every shot, and was totally perplexed and felt like I would never get used to them. Through time I made some swing adjustments and settled in with them. With all this being said, it may take some time to adjust? I have since made two sets of irons from components and like them.

[braincramp52]

> @Davidv said:

>

> > @lawsonman said:

> > > @Georgewang said:

> > > How does someone who is a low handicap that plays all the time, not get properly fitted. That's like a jet fighter pilot guessing what his new glasses prescription should be...

> >

> >

> > There are some reputable fitters around here that will still do fittings by watching ball flight without the use of a trackman or other simulators. There was a time when it was a art to fit clubs.

> >

>

> Well for sure his instructor does not possess those so called artful skills.

 

Evidently not.

[kiwii]

In my experience teaching pros are poor club fitters. Most that I have met are phenomenal players and students of the golf swing but know nothing (also don’t care) about club science and technology. They fall under the category of being so skilled that they could play any club configuration. Most are imposing their own club preference on others which doesn’t always work.

 

A club fitter studies club technology and has seen cause and effect of different club configurations to different types of golfers. My advice would be to seek out a skilled club fitter to get a second opinion.

[Apd1992]

> @kiwii said:

> In my experience teaching pros are poor club fitters. Most that I have met are phenomenal players and students of the golf swing but know nothing (also don’t care) about club science and technology. They fall under the category of being so skilled that they could play any club configuration. Most are imposing their own club preference on others which doesn’t always work.

>

> A club fitter studies club technology and has seen cause and effect of different club configurations to different types of golfers. My advice would be to seek out a skilled club fitter to get a second opinion.

 

Yeah I think you’re spot on here. My instructor is a great player and coach but I definitely think he was really just recommending the clubs that he likes to play for me. And they’re a bad fit.

[Golfjack]

Yeah the LZ shafts are very different from other shafts I have tried. But for 500 bucks I guess you could just get them reshafted to something that works for you and still come out ahead selling the pulled LZ shafts.

[Valtiel]

I agree with a lot of the posts in this thread, but I think this should be simplified a bit more.

 

You added a significant amount of weight with these new irons, so it is almost definitely a weight issue. Don't start looking at trying different brands of shaft or thinking this is a bend profile problem or that there is anything wrong with the AP2s before you have more data. You altered a ton of variables when switching clubs and accounting for those variables and their significance is the key to diagnosing "this isn't working" sorts of problems.

 

I agree with the "get fit" concept, but only to a certain point. Without a certain amount of knowledge you'll be ill equipped to ask the right kinds of questions in a fitting. Couple that with how easy it is for many people to adjust to different clubs in a closed, risk free environment and you have a recipe for the classic "I was fit for these clubs and they suck" situations. Having your old irons with you in a proper fitting to account for their specs when upgrading is the best way to go.

 

If you wanted to start experimenting on your own, you can take your 6-iron and have the shaft pulled to try different shaft weights. It sounds like you simply got used to something that was on the much lighter side, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but needs to be taken into account when problems arise. There are many great steel shafts in the 105g range that might be good to try, and don't be afraid of Graphite either. Don't despair! Every problem like this has a solution, and usually a fairly simple one.

[Mahamilto]

Could the old irons have had a flat lie angle? If the new ones are a few degrees upright vs the old, that could explain the lefts.

 

We’re you in the center of the face consistently before? The new irons are certainly more “player” and if the strikes are really inconsistent, you may get penalized more. That said, the AP2s are pretty forgiving and the old ones aren’t that forgiving given the change in tech over time.

 

But the blade length is much smaller and if you are all over the face, plus a change in shaft feel, it could really make you be off.

[WristySwing]

> @Apd1992 said:

> > @kiwii said:

> > In my experience teaching pros are poor club fitters. Most that I have met are phenomenal players and students of the golf swing but know nothing (also don’t care) about club science and technology. They fall under the category of being so skilled that they could play any club configuration. Most are imposing their own club preference on others which doesn’t always work.

> >

> > A club fitter studies club technology and has seen cause and effect of different club configurations to different types of golfers. My advice would be to seek out a skilled club fitter to get a second opinion.

>

> Yeah I think you’re spot on here. My instructor is a great player and coach but I definitely think he was really just recommending the clubs that he likes to play for me. And they’re a bad fit.

 

I'm surprised that so many are jumping on that the shafts and the weight of the clubs are the culprit, rather than the heads. Yes, shafts are timing devices to help improve strike point and face direction...but the head is what hits the ball, not the shaft. The facts are the AP2 is a significant departure in head size, offset, centre of gravity, and face tech from the RAC OS. Yes, technology has advanced in the past decade or so to make AP2s more forgiving but the fact remains that they are still a demanding golf club that someone who shoots 84+ on average per round is going to struggle with which is why they are still seen on tour a fair amount. My bet is you didn't see any RAC OS on tour.

 

Here's what I would do. Do not invest any more money in these clubs...you have 40 rounds on them + range and lesson time. They clearly aren't working. Maybe give them a quick once over for loft and lie just to be 100% certain but if that doesn't work (it would be pretty immediate change) then cut your losses. Look at something that you are comfortable playing, especially this day and age where a large amount of clubs have various shafts they can get for free. I'm a bit biased but take a look at the Mizuno Hot Metal or Hot Metal Pro with the Nippon Modus 120 Stiff. It's light enough (114 uncut) and has a lower balance point so you can feel where the head is more effectively. The Hot Metal irons have been the best selling game improvement iron in my shop for 2 seasons running because they are softish feeling, are scary long due to high ball speeds, and are quite forgiving. I've given them to players who are brand new and watch them pick up lots of height, ball speed, and accuracy along with players who just want to make the game easier on themselves with the same results.

 

Try your AP2s after you get your irons adjusted for lie by the pro (for free I hope after this misery) and hope for the best. But if not, look at something more forgiving and just go in knowing that even as you get better these clubs aren't going to hurt you, only help, as this is a head style you are comfortable with.

[swing thoughts]

Here's a thought:

 

You should play some super old TaylorMade RaC OS irons with regular shafts. See if that helps.

[Yuck]

I wonder what good players did back in the day when 95% played DG x100, S300, R300. How did they ever break par with just a few prehistoric options?

[yunabomber8]

I’m surprised nobody has questioned your 170 yard distance. Is that carry or total yards? Maybe your “super old” RAC iron faces are worn out and no longer imparting any spin and getting extra distance. Maybe only hitting it 150 yards and rolling 20 additional yards. If that’s the case then you actually have average or even slower swing speed and the AP2 are probably too much club for you. Don’t really know without additional info or getting on launch monitor. Definitely don’t spend extra money reshafting until you get more definitive answers

[MJBGolf]

Pity you bought a new set of irons just on recommendation out of someone who’s been helping you with your swing. I guess

they wanted to get rid of an iron set collecting dust on their shelf. I now work as a Pro Caddie, but used to work as a “Fitting

Technician” for Titleist. Speaking out of experience: Sadly you picked a new set of irons out of a lottery and it turned out to

be a miss match, as it’s almost is 100% of the times when you try to short cut yourself. Too many variables to explain here that comes in

to a proper fitting. So I suggest you either return them or bring them to a qualified “Fitter” to get them sorted, or dispatch them for

something that suits you, your swing and your “Swing DNA” better! By using advices from here in the forum, you are still highly

running the risk of making the same mistake twice. Good luck with your new irons. :-)