10 Handicap and Up...What irons do you use? Blades, CBs, GIs?

[forrester_fire]

JPX 850 Forged

[huyngo1986]

14: Currently playing the TM M4 Irons.

[Bucken77]

Starting the season with the PXG XP's. I am hoping my hoey ways will be squashed by the ridiculous price tag

[ChipNRun]

In rough fittings I generally chart out well in GI irons with lighter shafts (sub-100 grams steel).
For eight seasons I played Callaway X20 Tours. After four seasons I reshafted from PX 5.0 (Rifle flighted) to lighter NS Pro 8950GH - Regular. Heads were CB.
Now I have the CB Pro Tungsten irons in KBS Tour 90 Regular shafts (~100 grams). Heads are hollow.
A complicating factor: I need to switch to graphite shafts in irons. Lately I have found graphite iron shafts that feel solid, but are still lighter than current steel. The Recoil family, the Ping Alta CB and the Catalysts (stock in some Callaway iron models) have caught my eye.
And, I noticed the strange line from @agolf1: "Contrary to popular belief, most double digits HCs do not have a consistent swing (whether different clubs make a material difference in the shots is up for debate."
Not sure who shares this "popular belief", but consistency is a matter of degrees. It's pretty well known that single digits have a more consistent swing than those who struggle to break 90. Not sure what you're trying to say, but I don't buy the fallacy that "clubs don't make a difference."
If a person is a beginner with no real idea of how to swing a club, a detailed fitting won't help much. More than once I've been in a golf shop and heard the fitter tell the golfer to "get a lesson and come back another day. You're too inconsistent to fit."
But, a person who struggles to break 90 but has had some lessons and practices/plays occasionally can benefit from fittings. For example, a golfer says he has control problems. The fitter sees he has 92 MPH clubhead speed with driver, but has A-flex shafts. A heavier, firmer shaft will help his control. A-flex is wrong for his swing.
Further, consistent swing flaws can be helped with the proper club. For example, if a person can't quite square up the driver at impact, and offset head can help him do so. Hence the Ping SFT (straight flight technology) long clubs.
As for irons, to use effectively the iconic Players club - the blade - a person needs to have consistent ball-striking and decent clubhead speed. GI/SGI can help the average golfer manage mishits. Counter to the fallacy TaylorMade promoted in marketing the RSi iron series, GI and SGI won't salvage a shot from a really terrible swing. But GI/SGI can help get a less-than-perfect shot somewhere near the green.

[boggyman]

The 17s are a great set. Very little if any variation in my scores when I play mine vs the Rogue X.

[Jarlaxle]

I'm an 11.5, play a combo set of Titleist 718 AP3 (3-5) and AP2 (6-PW).

[Mikey5e]

Dynacraft Prophet Muscle Blade Iron Head https://www.monarkgolf.com/golf-components/shafts/graphite-golf-shafts/mcs-graphite/mcs-75-graphite-iron-blue.html

I made my own set of irons with the components attached above. To me, it is easy as pie and so much less expensive. Also, I make my irons to the exact specs I like. I think people get intimidated with the thought of making your own irons but it is really not that difficult.

[Colonel_Steelhead]

Doesn't matter. I just came to grips that I suck at golf and need to keep my day job. So I sold the expensive shit and went back to my original set from the 90s. Same misses, same good shots, same scores. Ended up with a nice rifle and a couple pistols from the sell-off.

[Davidv]

Ping G710 irons call them whatever you want but they work for me.

[kess13]

10: Had been playing MP54 but picked up a set of FG tour F5's looking for more forgiveness and they were dirt cheap in great shape. Well, I found the forgiveness and gave up no workability beyond what I'm capable of. Loving them.

[REJ]

FG Tour Forged cavity-back blades for my gamers and vintage Wilson Staff muscle-back blades when I'm just messing around.

[jjfcpa]

Around a 12 and playing Apex CF19's since last fall. I would not mind playing the Mavrik irons but unsure if I should play the Max or Standard.

[theothertwo]

need to check out Wilson products...

[JDMRN81]

13ish and play 210's right now but looking at getting a set of MMC or another set of iblades (played them some last year and loved them but sold, regrettably).

[braincramp52]

I'm a 10 and it depends which way the wind is blowing on what I'm playing. I played G410's last year all season and played very well with them. For a bigger iron they looked very nice behind the ball. This year I got fitted for a new set of Wilson Staff blades 6-PW. I haven't played longer irons for years. I can hit them but not with the consistency of hybrids. My short game suffers with large soled irons and yes I know it's a swing flaw. My game is just better from 100 yards in with a blade and since I play forward tee's many of my second shots are 150 or less on par 4's. Who knows what I'll be playing next year. I just play what I like.

[Jifmoli]

23hc: Srixon Z355. Though some reviewers call them sgi, most call them gi. Certainly thinner topline and a bit less forgiving than my previous sgi clubs.

[Kmac]

Last year and half Cobra Forged Tec Blacks. Recently sold those and bought some Callaway Apex 19 in Smoke finish.

[strug'-a-ling]

My last three sets...and you can see how infrequently I re-equip--have been Titleist Pro 100s. Titleist DCI 962s, and now Titleist T100s.

I still have them all.

All are cavity backs but not super GI.

I was still an 8 or 9 when I played the Pro 100s and (at first) the DCI 962s.

I can't play at that level anymore, partly because I'm older and partly because I just play and never practice.

But I haven't played blades since cavity backs became popular in the 70s.

It could just be in my head, though. I never took sides in the cavity vs. blade debates.

[spider1701]

I have never shot below 100. I use MP5's and definitely play better with that than any GI irons i have played. I do occasionally carry MPH5 long irons. I do have a full set of those, i just play better with the Mp 5's. It's probably a confidence thing.

[zebra2955]

Currently a 12.8, been playing some Cobra F6's for couple years. Hoeing days are behind me, rather spend the money golfing then buying clubs. Still buy way more golf balls then I need, helps with the fix. Since I settled on these my HC has gone from a 17-18 to what it is now.

 

[chasdr]

Playing off of 12 here and game a combo set of Z545/745's which have been hard to get out of the bag. Currently building up a set of T200's so we'll see how they compare very soon.

[theothertwo]

Ernie Els used the 745s to win last week. I have the Z545 driver, 4 wood and hybrid models and they are great. Never tried the irons but have heard great things about them.

[BeanFrog]

I just got fitted for a set of P790's. I play them in a TI S400 shaft. Not sure if I'm going to stay with them long term though.

[Ripken08]

Hover between 6 and 8 (usually 8) and played 919 Hot Metals (non-pro) last year. I have a set of i210s in the bag for this year that I haven't even swung yet.

[livigolfs]

a mix of hmbs, z785s, and MP20 SEL in scoring clubs. I’m probably making it too hard on myself

[akao1029]

12'ish handicap and playing 919 Tour's

[mwmgolfx]

I'm a bit unusual. Biggest issue for me is I can't swing very well due to oblique muscle issues so have lost tremendous amounts of distance. Depending upon the course and tees, I'm anywhere from a 8 to a 20 handicap. Was below 10 and usually near 4-5 when healthy before arthritis and oblique issues (to the point that I can't walk sometimes more than 5-15 feet at all and can't turn more than about 5 degrees if lucky). Try getting any swing speed with minimal turn.

That said, I am still playing a set of 2003 Miura Tour Blades. Changed from Mitsubishi shafts to aeroflex steel fiber 70s a few years back (regular flex). Took me more time to adjust to the Aeroflex shafts than it took me to adjust to the blades. My shafts still seem moderately stiff but the tips are very flexible. Rest of shaft feels very boardy.

I have thought about Ping G410 or the srixon 787s but just not sure. Would love more distance but not sure that any of these would provide the feel and smoothness of the Miuras. And remember due to right oblique issues I cannot turn at all (very very serious pain if I forget and do turn too much). People ask if I'm ok if i forget and turn too much. I've thought several times about getting fitted with some SGIs to see if that would help with distance issues but at my age (mid 70s), I'm not sure that without serious expense that I can get anything that would be much of an improvement. Have Taylor Made R7 customized with weights and shafts that I still hit as far as all the newer clubs. Haven't tried this years yet but thru last years, I was still hitting the r7 as far as anything I had tried and I tried everything i could get my hands on, including all TM, Titileist, Mizuno, Bridgestone and Callaway with nothing as good and definitely not better than the existing r7 customized. I've spent many hours testing drivers with such minimal distance that i'm just a bit hesitant about spending the same amount of time on irons for what good. And I still love my miura's.

 

[jjfcpa]

God bless you for hanging in with your golf game. It can't be easy for you, but you should be applauded for continuing to play and look for ways to improve your game. I'm 72 and have some arthritis in my right knee and right hip and a compressed disk in my back, but that hasn't stopped me yet. It's just too much fun. My only regret is that I didn't start playing till I was 67.

[Nessism]

Interesting to read that so many here that don't typically break 80 are using the same clubs as PGA tour pro's. Guess I'm just a grump but I don't view my game in the same light.

[Mikey5e]

10 Handicap and Up...