Maltby TS2

[AzSuperHack76]

Look forward to it.

[blarkin97]

Received my PTM head in the mail today. PTM is exactly what I thought it was going to be. Almost exactly the size of my i210 head but it is forged where the i210 is not

Can't wait to put the club together and try it out

[Popeye64]

Very underrated head. I'm sure you will like it.

[Popeye64]

The info on new Xcaliber shafts would almost need it's own thread. The new Rapid taper irons and going to make huge waves in the industry. They are that good. It may be mid to late summer before they show up to be available. The new driver shafts are stunning. They are refined and reworked models that are now ION plated. Hard to really capture how beautiful they are. Plus the Rapid Taper driver shafts are being developed but that's harder to make. Or I should say harder to make as good as the iron shafts are. So they are still in development.

I put some of the new Tour X 85s in play and damn near forgot how much I enjoy those shafts.

[Colej]

STI-2 is a very nice head that almost feels like a forged head. Nice mid sized head that would fit a lot of people. The Aldila NV 95 iron shaft is really nice as well. Swingweights at a much heavier weight than I thought it would. Not overly stiff and easy to load.

[ninjab]

Rapid Taper shafts expected to be available through golfworks, or fitters only?

[AzSuperHack76]

What current irons would you compare it to? A srizon z585? How does it perform?

[Colej]

Not sure how I’d compare it. I don’t hit anything of the big OEMs in irons.

[Popeye64]

Not getting into Golfworks right away but really hope things change this year once new product is on hand.

The debate is on with fitters only or not. I think it should be released to the masses immediately. The feel, distance and performance are eye opening and if you search there is a full review on them in another location.

I have a bunch of 75g coming to my house and will do a full set review rather than just long irons and hybrids.

The 95g I have will get a bunch more time in play and hopefully the sims open back up so I can get a grasp on numbers. Even my brief time with the 95 had me giddy.

[Birddog2]

Popeye,

Are the irons with Xcaliber shafts in the picture your PTM blacks?

Was recently fitted into Steelfibers and getting excited about these new shafts, great feedback. Thanks!

[Popeye64]

Those are my MMB blacks. They were a limited edition a few years back. It's just an iron that keeps finding it's way into the bag. Currently it's a blended bag with the TS-2s. I can carry the 5,6,7 TS-2 and then the blade like MMB. They all have that Tour X 85 shaft right now. When I played last week I hit some shots with the TS-2s that left the playing partners in awe. One was a soft draw 5 iron from 205 out, that bent around a tree and stuck at 8'

I have some more PTM (pearl color) heads coming for more testing that I have coming up this week. I built a set of PTM blacks late last year for a customer and he is obsessed with them.

It's kind of a shame the PTMs were released when they were because it's a great head that is just lost in the fancy TS series.

After all the Rapid Taper iron testing is done I can see myself ordering a set of the PTM blacks and installing my favorite Rapid Taper iron shaft. Which right now seems to be the 95g version.

[Birddog2]

Thanks for getting back, the black MMBs look sweet!

I've tried the DBMs and the PTMs and like the flight of the PTMs better but both were solid performers with steel shafts.

Will probably order the TS-2 with the Steelfiber 95 to give them a try, I like the compact size of the head and of course the forging. Thanks again, I enjoy reading your thought-provoking contributions to the thread and keeping it going; there is a lot of good in these iron heads and hope to learn enough to build a set that suits me. Stay well!

[AzSuperHack76]

Ok, how much bigger are they compared to the ts2 head? How did they perform for you? Thanks.

[blarkin97]

So I installed my PTM head onto what I thought were standard length Elevate shafts but the installed 8 iron is an inch shorter than my ping i210 8iron. I’m trying to figure out what could account for that inch difference? The hose on the pings are about 3/4 longer than the maltby. The bore depths for ping I believe are 1.5 whereas maltby is 1.25. So the shafts I bought must be 1/2 inch short? And a half inch extra hosel?

[Colej]

 

Right next to the TS2. Feel wise the TS2 is very good where I would say these are good. Performance wise the TS2 edges out the STI-2. For the money though that performance could be negligible

[AzSuperHack76]

Thanks for posting the pictures, I was worried they were going to be shovels, not even close, very similar to the Ts2. I follow up with a through review when mine get in and I get a chance to get them on the course.

[jurgie54]

The STi2 is actually smaller than the TS2 - 3.154" vs 3.226" blade length per the Golfworks website. It looks like they've made a fairly compact GI/SGI iron with a reasonably sized topline. If the performance is comparable to the STI2 at that price point it's going to be a steal.

[Popeye64]

I would assume they are similar in play and feel with the KE4 Tour+. Just minus the weights.

As for money spent on a club pak... it's like buying a high end wedge. How could you go wrong?

[Taylormadegack]

Speaking of Wedges @Popeye64 got the new Maltby wedges last week and love them. Instantly kicked my Mizuno S18s out of the bag.

[DarthFader17]

tell me more....So curious to hear about these wedges (have another thread on them actually)...

 

thanks!

[theboypinoy]

would love to hear more feedback on those wedges ?

[Taylormadegack]

I am coming from Mizuno S18s and Vokeys before these. I have the 54 and 58 degree wedges to go along with TS2’s and a TS1 gap wedge. They seem a little bit bigger than the S18s, more forgiving leading edge and feel is right up there. Spin seems great but they are new so we will see how they wear. I sold my S18s but it seemed like the Maltbys have more groves, I could be wrong on that. The Maltbys do not have the milling in between the groves like the S18’s. Full shots seem good but I am loving these on 1/4 or so finesse pitches/chips. I prolly won’t get these on a launch monitor to give spin results but they seem right on point with other mfgs from what I can tell. Let me know if you have any specific questions.

[Colej]

Sounds like a winner. I’ve got the FGT and not in love with the larger size. I don’t like a real sharp leading edge and like the heel and toe relief.

[AzSuperHack76]

The STi2's were supposed to be delivered today, FedEx is behind schedule. Will have to wait until next week to give them a go.

[Tommyj]

BBTG on the PTM is 0.937", so your finished club length without grip will be that number added to the length of the shaft. Pulls which are advertised as standard will differ in length depending what brand of iron they were pulled from. Did you measure the Elevate shaft before installing it?

[blarkin97]

I did not but was my first time doing and was just excited to put it together. I believe they were advertised as standard but are 1/2 short

[Colej]

Can you soft step them One time and get your length right?

[blarkin97]

I bought some butt extensions with the rest of the heads and I’m just going to add 1/4 to 1/2 inch

[Tommyj]

Absolutely, I've done that before when shafting with pulls that were a bit short. I'd rather do that and buy an extra shaft if required than adding shaft extensions.

[kleydejong]

I'm going to dump a lot of thoughts here. For context I posted in this thread back in 2018 about building a single test club of an iron model I was interested in. Now I'm one click away from having 13 Maltby clubs in the bag (all bug putter). I've definitely dove all the way down the rabbit hole.

Regarding Maltby in general and in comparison to OEM clubs I have become a huge Maltby fanboi. I find the performance to be 100% on par. My last two OEM iron sets were from Ping and Mizuno. I also have tested a friend's TaylorMade P790's a lot. The Maltby's have performed just as well, if not better in most cases. I've also been playing different Maltby wedges after playing Vokeys for years. Same story, the performance is just as high. I've also gotten two of my friends into playing DBM irons. They performed markedly better for those two guys compared to their OEM clubs.

The biggest reasons I've really found myself smitten with Maltby are the following. I love to tinker. I have a pretty strong DIY inclination and enjoy building all sorts of things. I find that building clubs creates a bit more of an attachment to them. They're 'mine' in a unique way. I also love being able to tinker with my set. I have a wondering curiosity and really enjoy trying things for myself. I love that I can order individual components. I've tested probably 10 different grips and grip sizes. I probably own 12 different iron heads from Maltby and OEM in my garage right now. You just can't beat trying something and seeing how it performs. Not just in a hitting bay during a fit, but actually at your home course over the course of a seasons. Next I will say Maltby has incredible value. I get off on value for money. Feeling like I'm getting similar performance while spending 1/4 the money thrills me. Probably more than it should. My first Maltby purchase was a M Series wedge. I replaced that head on my worn out Vokey and when the performance delivered I was floored that I can spend $35 per wedge. This also means I can probably get new wedges every year and have perpetually fresh grooves.

I'll try to be honest about negatives. First I think with some exceptions, Maltby clubs are a step behind OEM's in terms of aesthetics. Things like club shaping, fonts, color schemes. The TS-1 and DBM irons are major exceptions as I think they look amazing. But some of the others just aren't as attractive. Next I would say that they're only as good as you build them. My skills and attention to detail haven't always been so excellent - so yeah, that's on me. But that's part of the deal. You build them. It also interacts with the value piece. Time is money for some. I find the building part enjoyable and a bit of entertainment in and of itself. But for others it can be a hidden cost. You also have to factor the miscellaneous tools and equipment. Little things like epoxy or solvent add up over time. I have acquired tools like an air compressor or some tools to measure loft / lie / swingweight or finish ferrules.

Thanks a lot to all that have posted their experience. I have very much enjoyed my adventure into making my own clubs!