Maltby TS2

[Cwebb]

10 minutes ago, Snowman9000 said:

Very interesting how the top line width affects the impression of the blade length.

 

 The length of the grooves does as well.  It's one of the methods they use to create optical illusion for blade length.  You'll notice that all of their "shorter" blade lengths have longer grooves and vice versa

[Popeye64]

A larger top line on a club with a large C dimension will mask the length of the blade. Your eye is drawn to the top line. Not the middle of bottom of the blade. A thin top line allows the eye to drift down the blade. So visual ques will make the Thicker topline head seem more compact than it is. Coloring or shading can also effect where the eye settles in on a design. I was fairly happy how the Ke4 Max looked at address. 

With myself if an iron is easy to play any visual ques go by the way side 4 or 5 swings in. 

So people will chose an iron based on top line or offset. If an iron works I quickly adapt to what ever look my eyes pick out. 

One thing I'm not a fan of is seeing the back side of an iron. If you look a few posts back at the Srixon ZX4.... that bulge would really bother me as that's where my eye goes. But again if it works I get over it. 

[bvmagic]

11 hours ago, Bryceslu said:

It looks like you are using different shafts…wondering what your thoughts are on comparing heads with different shafts. 
 

also I am curious to hear more of your experience performance wise with all the heads against each other. 

 

The TS2 and KE4 Max were loaned to me and have Xcaliber graphite shafts installed.  I purchased the TS1 / DBM myself and just put in the True temper Score shaft to test.  Obviously not a perfect setup to compare apples to apples, but I was also gathering these clubs to let my dad test out.  He is at a point in his game where he lost a lot of swing speed and will need some light graphite shafts in Senior flex based on his swing speed (75 mph driver).  

 

For me this whole experiment sprouted from the fact that I borrowed a set of Ping G15 irons from a friend and could not believe how easy they were to hit.  Easily hit an extra 2 greens my last round that had no business getting there cause I know my MP69's would have dug into the ground.  Used to play somewhere near 50+ rounds a year plus practice, now I am lucky to get 12 rounds a year with hardly any range time.  G15's just look way to big to me at address and wanted to find a middle ground, easy to hit with a good look at address.  KE4 Max I assumed would look huge at address based on the pictures, but in person they look great.     

 

Dad has the clubs for this week, so hoping to have more feedback later when I get them back.  He is the type that only focuses on his swing mechanics, never been an equipment guy.  So it will be interesting to hear his thoughts on the clubs without any background on them.  

[Klubster]

I am looking forward to more opinions on the KE4 Max.  I took a chance on the Pak with the Rapport shafts and absolutely love the set.  It took me a few rounds to get used to the lighter weight of graphite over steel shafts but feeling very confident now.  

[Popeye64]

I'm doing something today that I never do. I'm taking the set of KE4 Max straight to the golf course. It's a fairly elite golf course but the conditions will be very wet. Not knowing the course and being wet will be quite an acid test for these heads.

[boggyman]

4 hours ago, Popeye64 said:

I'm doing something today that I never do. I'm taking the set of KE4 Max straight to the golf course. It's a fairly elite golf course but the conditions will be very wet. Not knowing the course and being wet will be quite an acid test for these heads.

They are good looking irons!

[Klubster]

4 hours ago, Popeye64 said:

I'm doing something today that I never do. I'm taking the set of KE4 Max straight to the golf course. It's a fairly elite golf course but the conditions will be very wet. Not knowing the course and being wet will be quite an acid test for these heads.

Did that with my set.  Received the KE4 Max set on Friday and played my 18 hole league Sat AM.  Not only new clubs but first time playing graphite. Out of 18 holes, I hit about 2 good shots.  Fast forward 3 weeks and I am hitting everything I look at-even bad strikes hit a lot of greens.  You will have to pry them from my dead hands.  I sometimes feel like I am cheating.

[DrDon]

3 hours ago, Klubster said:

Did that with my set.  Received the KE4 Max set on Friday and played my 18 hole league Sat AM.  Not only new clubs but first time playing graphite. Out of 18 holes, I hit about 2 good shots.  Fast forward 3 weeks and I am hitting everything I look at-even bad strikes hit a lot of greens.  You will have to pry them from my dead hands.  I sometimes feel like I am cheating.

 

 

What graphite shaft, flex?   Your swing speed and other playing characteristics?   

[Popeye64]

So I brought to the course, Ke4 Max 5-8i. Rti 105s shafts. TSi 8-GW. I knew it's a long playing course and it would be a mid iron fest.

I wanted to keep my scoring irons as I have them dialed in. If I were to play this set, in my mind this would be the make up. 

So course over view. 6800+ yards with nearly every hole playing uphill so the course plays very long. Though rain had just stopped the course drained shockingly well. Aside from wet grass you would have never known it just rained. From the back tees shortest par 3 was 173. I hit mid irons all day long. Greens were like glass and I struggled with speed and line. Three putted all over the place. One double bogey and no birdies. Didn't realize I hit 14 of 18 greens. Shot a 78 but it should have been an easy 1 or 2 over at worst. A playing partner said I played like a tour pro except for the greens. When I told him I just finished gripping these this AM and have never even hit these before. Told him i just wasnt very sharp today. He gave me a sideways look and asked it i was joking. He was really impressed with iron play.  Said I should never play any other iron. 

So that back story tells of how easy it was to play with these heads. I didn't do anything crazy today. It was smooth playing. Yes I had 180yard shots ALL DAY LONG.. but I never felt stressed while playing. 

For the clubs themselves. These are no joke. Sure they are cast and low cost... but damn... Hit pure, it's Laser straight. Spin wise every ball hit and stuck on the green. Very little roll out. 

I did hit a very low ball today but it wasn't just the KE4s. The TSis were also all low. Product of a rusty swing after two weeks at sea. But even shots that were very low the spin was still ideal. Hit, skip and stop. 

On one par 3 that was 195y I thought the 5iron would be a little too much. Hit a beautiful baby cut to pin high. On another par 3 a 172y uphill I hit a 6i WAY out on the toe... didn't think it had a chance. On the green just below the hole. If I could have made any sort of putts it was an easy near par round on a difficult golf course. This is first time out!

For certain the entire set will make it out in the course tomorrow.

Ease of play. Good if not great feel. Solid repeatable distance. Low cost. Great looks. Weight adjustable. Laser straight flight these are irons I highly suggest taking a good look at. I'm a so called better player and could see myself without a doubt gaming these full time. 

Putting aside it was a very fun day. Normally playing a brand new to me course is a train wreck. It was an easy day. That right there speaks volumes.

[iamlowsound]

On 6/21/2022 at 8:24 PM, terry55 said:

If I didn't play TS-1, I would play KE4 Tour. I built a 4 iron KE4 and a 2 iron in KE4 Tour. They are so nice to hit. The KE4 line of clubs simply feel great to hit.

 

I don't need (at least I don't think I need) as much forgiveness as the KE4 delivers, but I would play them in a heartbeat.  I don't feel that way about the TS-2 for some reason. I can't tell you why, but for me the TS-1 is so much more fun than the TS-2. If I were to jump to a bigger top line, then I would jump to the KE4. 

 

Now when the TS-4 arrives.......

 

 

I'm already preparing for the TS4 with the Maltby graphite shafts. I just put one in my driving iron and I'm wishing I would have gotten them in my TS1 over the TT Score. I like the Score shaft but the Maltby shaft feels so smooth and I've always though TT shafts need an aggressive load (which I done have) and are a bit harsh feeling. 

[Klubster]

1 hour ago, DrDon said:

 

 

What graphite shaft, flex?   Your swing speed and other playing characteristics?   

Yep, that might help.  I bought the Pak with the Rapport shaft in regular flex.  To clarify, I will turn 76 in a couple months, have played since I was about 12 years old and have assembled Maltby clubs since the 90's so I understand the physics (and marketing BS) of the clubs.  My swing is very smooth and the last time on a monitor, my 7-iron swing speed was low to mid 70's mph with a ball speed right about 100 mph.  I debated going to A-flex as my speed is pretty much borderline, but when testing different irons, had trouble controlling the A-flex.  I find the new shafts to be as stable as the Reg flex Dynamic golds in my old Wilson Staff Pi5 irons.  Lofts are less than a club stronger than the old clubs and I seem to have to drop down about one club numerically.  They launch a little higher than the old clubs so the trajectory of the old and new 5-iron appear about the same, just a bit longer.  Feel is softer and off center hits are more forgiving.  My normal miss is toward the toe and there is much less distance loss on the new clubs.  For me, the biggest adjustment in going from steel graphite was the total weight of the club-it was about a 60 gram drop per club.  I did not feel the weight at the top and rushed my downswing.  Once I slowed things down, everything improved. Oh, and I think the ball spins more off these clubs as the ball does not seem to release and roll out as far.  

 

The biggest downside is when you tell your buddies you got new clubs.  They ask and you say Maltby.  You get a blank stare.  Most never heard of them or Golfworks.  

[Nels55]

14 minutes ago, Klubster said:

The biggest downside is when you tell your buddies you got new clubs.  They ask and you say Maltby.  You get a blank stare.  Most never heard of them or Golfworks. 

Yep, and then "Oh yeah Roger Maltbie, I didn't know he had a line of clubs".

I get the Roger Maltbie bit all the time LOL.

Edited June 23, 2022 by Nels55
typo

[rbrdmkr]

Nice review, how would the forgiveness and playability compare to the PTM’ s your recent gamers, also could some one show a picture of  the top line difference between the PTM and KE4 Max l am partial to the PTM top line. I agree with the posters that the

 

top line on TS2 and maybe Max make the iron to appear short, and  for me it is too much of a distraction at address unless they are being played off the tee. I game a TS2 4 and 5 with Fujikura Pro shafts that are great for diriving irons , but I loose confidence using them off the deck.

[Popeye64]

1 hour ago, rbrdmkr said:

Nice review, how would the forgiveness and playability compare to the PTM’ s your recent gamers, also could some one show a picture of  the top line difference between the PTM and KE4 Max l am partial to the PTM top line. I agree with the posters that the

 

top line on TS2 and maybe Max make the iron to appear short, and  for me it is too much of a distraction at address unless they are being played off the tee. I game a TS2 4 and 5 with Fujikura Pro shafts that are great for diriving irons , but I loose confidence using them off the deck.

The PTM has always had that Players vibe to them. Sure they have good forgiveness, but with a racy attitude. The thinner topline really appeals to the eye. I'm not sure comparing the two is fair for either iron. Different build goals. 

The KE4 Max is a good bit more forgiving. Not very workable buy a straight as hell ball flight is pretty easy to work with. Ofcourse you can get the KE4 heads to move left and right but they seem really happy going straight. The PTMs had some decent workability. Had a bit of a fade bias for me. But I embraced the ball flight. 

I have the rest of the KE4 set ready to be put in play. I just dug out the PTM set as they will hit the market this week. I simply have too many sets. 

You can see how much nicer the PTM topline is. But as I said a few posts back... if an iron works I don't see ANY topline. In play today the KE4 Max irons seemed to have no short comings. I can see the only draw back for some people to be the topline. 

[rbrdmkr]

Thanks for the side bye side pictures I like my PTM’s but my miss is to the right as well good to hear I’m not the only one, mostly had a baby draw with my DBM and preferred that. Straight ball flight, forgiveness, feel, or look at set up I guess I’m still searching, but at the end of a round it’s all about fairways and greens. 

[Klubster]

I have never been a fan of a thick topline and large offset.  As your pictures show, it is not that apparent in the Max.  The offset is minimal and topline is well disguised.  After a couple rounds, I no longer see it.  They just do not scream GI at address.

[Popeye64]

I figured out what I don't like with this set. The GW for sure and probably the PW. Doing grreenside work I like to use a GW. This KE4 Max GW looks clunky laid down behind the ball. Being a forged club snob it just does not suit my eye. It worked very well in the small chips around the green. Quite well intact. But even though it worked well I couldn't get over the perceived size. On full shots I didn't love the feel and good God it went a long way. 

The PW... I just didn't love it either. It was a small sample size but I just couldn't embrace it. Again not the best feel and wasn't sure if it was pured or a miss. I'll carry my TS-1 GW, Pw and probably the 9i. Then go Ke4 9-5i. There is a 3.5° gap between 9s. 

I kind of expected this as I've always carried split sets. 

As for the rest of the set. The 5 iron is a missile. I don't see a need for me to carry the 4 iron. I'll just have a hybrid 4 and a 3wood. 

At my home course I shot a -2 today with 4 birdies. The mid and long irons are just fantastic. From disances where I normally might cringe a bit.. its easy to launch a ball right online. My low launch from yesterday is gone. Balls had a much nicer flight today. 

This set really drives home my desire for a true progressive set. 

Long iron that are stupid easy to hit. Mid irons that go a long way and stop. Short irons that you can be razer sharp with. All perfectly blended. No manufacturer has even come close to grabbing this market segment. 

There is hope that the coming TS3 is the be all, doo all set I've always hoped for. 

[Klubster]

I totally agree with you on the long irons.  My old 3-iron was 21* and generally stayed in my bag, but I can hit this 20* 4-iron with total confidence.  Have not used the P or G wedges around the greens and possibly not anywhere else.  The 8-iron has become my chipper and has worked out well.  It is that or the forged wedges around the greens.  

 

The closest I ever came to the set you want was a set of Nicklaus clubs in the 90's.  They had variable kick points in the shafts.  Low for long irons. mid for mid and high for short irons.  I just never liked the look at address, but they were nice to hit.

[Therty]

How are you liking the RT 105’s @Popeye64? Are you playing them in Stiff? How do they compare to the 95s?

[Popeye64]

3 hours ago, Therty said:

How are you liking the RT 105’s @Popeye64? Are you playing them in Stiff? How do they compare to the 95s?

I cant say enough about the 105 shafts. I play them as a standard S. They are fairly stout.  Stability, feel, distance. They are just a little better better than the 95 in every way. My only gripe is that the added weight wears me down at the end of a round. 

I have had the 105 R in testing and it can be played just as easily by anyone who has swung it. Most people actually seem to be able to control the R better in back to back swings with the S to the R. Frankly it has really surprised people. 

[Colej]

9 hours ago, Therty said:

How are you liking the RT 105’s @Popeye64? Are you playing them in Stiff? How do they compare to the 95s?

The 95 are a great shaft and for me, have a noticeable kick. Not sure if that lead to me not being able to time my shots? I just didn’t like them as much on partial shots. The 105 are more stout but definitely don’t feel like rebar. They’ve got a smooth feel but don’t have that hard kick of the 95. 
 

that’s my .02 cents lol

[dmeeksDC]

12 hours ago, Klubster said:

I totally agree with you on the long irons.  My old 3-iron was 21* and generally stayed in my bag, but I can hit this 20* 4-iron with total confidence.  Have not used the P or G wedges around the greens and possibly not anywhere else.  The 8-iron has become my chipper and has worked out well.  It is that or the forged wedges around the greens.  

 

The closest I ever came to the set you want was a set of Nicklaus clubs in the 90's.  They had variable kick points in the shafts.  Low for long irons. mid for mid and high for short irons.  I just never liked the look at address, but they were nice to hit.

I’m with you on the KE4 MAX 4 iron. As easy to hit as a hybrid but it’s more accurate than a hybrid. Win win. 

[Popeye64]

A few more comments on the KE4 Max As I've had time to think about it. On a miss they will talk back to you but the misses are not punishing in flight though it will sting a bit.   I have not seen this kind of long range accuracy with any of the current offerings STI 2, TS2 Or any other design I can readily think of.

 In my bag top to bottom I have a stealth plus In 9ﾟ with a prototype 48 g driver shaft.

 3 wood KE4TC FW. That has a pro TSL TS flex shaft in it. 

4 hybrid is a Cobra rail with the rapid taper 95S. 

 KE4 Max 5 through 9 iron 105S shafts. TS1 9 through gap wedge and 105S shafts. 

52 56  Max Milled wedges. 

 My putters I actually like to cycle through PTM1 or the PTM5.  They are all Built-in different ways different ways but my favorite is the PTM1 with a rapid taper 105 in it.

Carrying the 2 9 irons is going to give me a lot of options in the scoring zone to have a club for some fairly precise distances.  There is a 3 and a 1/2 degree gap between them.

 

I haven't completely given up on the pitching wedge and gap wedge from the KE4. But I have some tournaments this week and I want to go with what makes me the most comfortable. Sure the KE4 are brand new but I've come to trust their accuracy right out of the gate.  Plus the ease at which there is to hit them has really been a surprise. 

 As I have Become entrenched in the golf industry I continue to develop contacts. It's always been my desire to design what I feel would be the ideal iron set.  A true progressive set said that totally morphed each iron head. Split sets have become very popular with OEMs.  But they don't really address our needs for each given distance. I'm close to having the right contacts to do just that. It's A-blast working with the composite companies to get graphite shafts just right. Designing an iron set would be a major leap but it's truly one of my goals

 

[Popeye64]

Wow.. my PTM Blacks sold in 30 minutes. Must not have asked enough. Someone is getting a great set of irons. 

[Gdashoff]

So I just completed my split TS2/TS1 set a few weeks ago and now I already want to throw the TS2s away for KE4 Max's.  This thread is terrible.

[bvmagic]

21 hours ago, Popeye64 said:

A few more comments on the KE4 Max As I've had time to think about it. On a miss they will talk back to you but the misses are not punishing in flight though it will sting a bit.   I have not seen this kind of long range accuracy with any of the current offerings STI 2, TS2 Or any other design I can readily think of.

 In my bag top to bottom I have a stealth plus In 9ﾟ with a prototype 48 g driver shaft.

 3 wood KE4TC FW. That has a pro TSL TS flex shaft in it. 

4 hybrid is a Cobra rail with the rapid taper 95S. 

 KE4 Max 5 through 9 iron 105S shafts. TS1 9 through gap wedge and 105S shafts. 

52 56  Max Milled wedges. 

 My putters I actually like to cycle through PTM1 or the PTM5.  They are all Built-in different ways different ways but my favorite is the PTM1 with a rapid taper 105 in it.

Carrying the 2 9 irons is going to give me a lot of options in the scoring zone to have a club for some fairly precise distances.  There is a 3 and a 1/2 degree gap between them.

 

I haven't completely given up on the pitching wedge and gap wedge from the KE4. But I have some tournaments this week and I want to go with what makes me the most comfortable. Sure the KE4 are brand new but I've come to trust their accuracy right out of the gate.  Plus the ease at which there is to hit them has really been a surprise. 

 As I have Become entrenched in the golf industry I continue to develop contacts. It's always been my desire to design what I feel would be the ideal iron set.  A true progressive set said that totally morphed each iron head. Split sets have become very popular with OEMs.  But they don't really address our needs for each given distance. I'm close to having the right contacts to do just that. It's A-blast working with the composite companies to get graphite shafts just right. Designing an iron set would be a major leap but it's truly one of my goals

 

 

 

Interesting, never crossed my mind for some reason to do a split set.  My mind is almost made up on the KE4 Max for a full set, but my only hesitation was just yardage gaps on the shorter irons.  

[Cwebb]

25 minutes ago, bvmagic said:

 

 

Interesting, never crossed my mind for some reason to do a split set.  My mind is almost made up on the KE4 Max for a full set, but my only hesitation was just yardage gaps on the shorter irons.  

The Max would combo well with the KE4 Tour+, which are cast from 431 steel (softer), so they are more adjustable for loft/lie.  Top-lines are about the same and offsets are proportional.  Blade lengths and COG's are as well.

 

You could easily have the Pw loft on them set to 46* for example... and work your lofts up from there

Edited June 26, 2022 by Cwebb

[Cwebb]

On 6/24/2022 at 3:10 PM, Popeye64 said:

I figured out what I don't like with this set. The GW for sure and probably the PW. Doing grreenside work I like to use a GW. This KE4 Max GW looks clunky laid down behind the ball. Being a forged club snob it just does not suit my eye. It worked very well in the small chips around the green. Quite well intact. But even though it worked well I couldn't get over the perceived size. On full shots I didn't love the feel and good God it went a long way. 

The PW... I just didn't love it either. It was a small sample size but I just couldn't embrace it. Again not the best feel and wasn't sure if it was pured or a miss. I'll carry my TS-1 GW, Pw and probably the 9i. Then go Ke4 9-5i. There is a 3.5° gap between 9s. 

I kind of expected this as I've always carried split sets. 

 

Did you consider the TS-2 for the GW and PW?   Would be a closer match to the KE4's for size and blade length.  Or were they too large for preference as well?

[Popeye64]

6 minutes ago, Cwebb said:

Did you consider the TS-2 for the GW and PW?   Would be a closer match to the KE4's for size and blade length.  Or were they too large for preference as well?

 The TS2 might be marginally better but still the footprint is pretty close

[rbrdmkr]

I’m going to wait for the TS3 lofts will be the same as my gamer PTM’s