When to change from GI irons to player's irons?

[Sunster]

I've been playing Srixon 545s for the past 2 years but the Ho has me looking at 765s or P770s for a bit of a change. I'm now down to a 12 index.

 

Just wondering how good a player people here were before they made the change to player's irons?

[farmer]

1,256,375 threads on this topic. Do it when you want to. Do not expect that players irons are going to magically make you a player.

[TexasCarlos]

Depends on ballstriking ability, handicaps come in all shapes and sizes as to the part of the game that sets you back. If you hit the middle more often than not and order control and accuracy over distance and height then players CB or blade may be for you.

[Graymulligan]

1,256,375 threads on this topic. Do it when you want to. Do not expect that players irons are going to magically make you a player.

 

/thread. This has been discussed to death, and a casual search comes up with dozens of threads on the topic.

[Sunster]

1,256,375 threads on this topic. Do it when you want to. Do not expect that players irons are going to magically make you a player.

Wasnt kidding myself into thinking it would but just to have a nicer looking smaller clubs. At the same time I don't want to make this hard game harder either

[GWfool]

I've been playing Srixon 545s for the past 2 years but the Ho has me looking at 765s or P770s for a bit of a change. I'm now down to a 12 index.

 

Just wondering how good a player people here were before they made the change to player's irons?

 

Just go to a fitter to get fit, they will give you options and what is optimized for you. The aesthetics of the club can be a factor, though the Srixons are very thin for a GI iron.

[Pawtucket]

If you have dropped to a 12 with the 545s - then keep them. Your handicap will likely go up again with blades, and then you'll have to lower it all over again.

If you are seeing positive results with the 545s (which are player's clubs) I would slow down and think do you 'need' new ones, or 'want' new ones.

 

Also - hit them first. A lot. Make sure you like the feel on grass.

[moadhia]

I am in the same position as you.. dropped HI to 12 this year and play z545s. I think these clubs are really good so no need to upgrade , they do everything that my skill set allows me to do.

 

The question you need to ask is, what would a players iron do that this club won't ?

 

Golf is tough , why make it harder on yourself :)

[swing thoughts]

I think it's more of a preference thing than an ability thing. If you're a 12, you are at least a decent ball striker, so if you've got the urge to switch, just do it. That's what I did a couple of years ago and can't imagine going back to GI clubs. If you go to a blade like I did, expect to lose a club or two in distance. If you go to the 765's, you won't notice much, maybe half a club or so. Don't know much about the 770's but I'm sure they're great.

[puttingmatt]

GI and SGI irons weren't around when I learned to play, so I think

golfers have many more options

today, but to the OP's question, find what you like and go play.

Lots of solid offerings, it really up to you,

[dbbowen2]

I started with blades and players cavity because they were free, and i am broke. I got along pretty well. The first 4 months or so was agony, but I slowly figured it out.

[hd.softail]

Best advice I've heard with regard to fitting: (1) play the softest shaft you can still control, (2) play the easiest, biggest and most forgiving iron you like to look at that still fits your game.

 

My guess is there are plenty of scratch golfers out there who play the z545 irons with no intention to switch or desire to make the game any harder than it has to be. Agree with the above, the z545 are more players distance irons than GI to me.

 

That said, I get it. You're on this board so you want something else to play with. Now that you're at a 12 hdcp I would say you can reasonably play any iron you want without a huge impact to your game. If you go more blade-like you might find better distance control/accuracy when you're striking the ball well and when you're not, your misses will be greater. If you were to go the other way and get super GI irons, my guess is you'd score better on your off days but when you're on, you may struggle to really go flag hunting.

 

Bottom line is at 12 hdcp there's a give and take with what irons you select. The good news is at 12, go play whatever you want, it isn't going to make a huge difference given you have the correct shaft.

[dlygrisse]

What are the advantages and disadvanteges of both irons? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Do these sync up?

 

I played players clubs for many years, with a handicap around a 7. I switched to SGI clubs a few years back mainly because I need more help elevating the ball than I used to and I can't practice as much as I used to. With SGI I have found them to be more forgiving, easier to hit high. While finding them harder to work and harder to hit low punches with. I also think that they don't cut through thick rough as easily.

 

My advice is to demo a set or find one demo club on ebay to test. Often playing the middle and short irons, with an extra hybrid or 2 is a good route to go.

[Double Dutch]

Change when your GI irons go too straight, too high and the results on mishits are too much like a good strike.

[MtlJeff]

When you're good enough that it doesn't matter, you'll know.

 

The test i always gave myself before buying a set of irons was "if i'm playing in a tournament and have a 190yd par 3 all carry over water....am i confident hitting this set's 5 iron?"

 

For me it's always been a surprisingly good test. I'm a legit scratch right now and i would say the answer still isn't yes for everything.

 

But don't get too wrapped up in marketing. I've been a scratch with G15's and with Apex Pros in the bag, 6 years apart. It doesn't always matter

[Lagavulin62]

Pretty much the purpose for GI clubs. You now have supposedly outgrown them. Meaning that was the plan all along.

[Lagavulin62]

I started with blades and players cavity because they were free, and i am broke. I got along pretty well. The first 4 months or so was agony, but I slowly figured it out.

 

 

Did you require therapy as a result of the mental anguish?

[WooPig]

I thought I was good enough for players cb when I got to single digits, my handicap continued to drop for the next 2 year. 5.7 now and my buddy has recently talked me into getting a set of used blades and to be honest, I have not seen a difference in forgiveness between the two. Good shots are still good and bad one are still bad, the point being, I’m not sure GI irons help as much as I once believed. However, I do think that it’s critical that you believe you can play with whatever iron you choose.

[DaRiz]

Sounds like you want an objective answer to a subjective question, but I can give you my experience which is probably about as objective as you can get

 

I was playing H4s with a blade MP4 PW when I broke into single digits, and I told myself that every stroke I drop on my handicap, I would add another blade. I added the 9 immediately, got to an 8 HC and added the 8 iron. I prematurely added the 7 iron by a few rounds, but reached 7 slightly after adding it. I feel super confident with all of my irons and I am currently sitting at a 6.1 HC index and I still have not swapped out the 6 yet. I have an MP 64 6 iron ready to go, but the swingweight is off, and I am just so much more comfortable with my H4 6 iron. So for the time being I am set.

 

Obviously everyone is different but for me I felt like I needed to "earn" the blades, and I honestly think they have made me more accurate in the short irons. The long irons keep me very consistent from 175-200, and I think for my skill level that is perfect.

[naval2006]

A reasonable answer would be when you fall in love with a set of blades at the pro shop or the internet and you no longer care about good scores lol.

[BrianMcG]

Me personally, I don't think anyone should play GI or SGI irons. It's all BS.

[Nessism]

Me personally, I don't think anyone should play GI or SGI irons. It's all BS.

 

To me it's opposite (to a point). Really good ball strikers that hit the center of the face and typically score in the mid-low 70's are the guys that have the game for small players irons. Most everyone else should be using GI irons.

[SwingMan]

I've been playing Srixon 545s for the past 2 years but the Ho has me looking at 765s or P770s for a bit of a change. I'm now down to a 12 index.

 

Just wondering how good a player people here were before they made the change to player's irons?

 

Play the clubs that allow you to score on a bad day.

 

I'm facing the same dilemma. PXG XF irons - big and wide sole - but I need heavier graphite shafts. The big irons are not great in the rough (too much metal) and when you have firm, tight lies one might want a narrower sole.

 

I look at it this way - I'm at the end of retooling the swing after 1.5 yrs - still working on making it instinctive, but I'm hitting the SG irons in the center of the club - a big improvement from my toe hitting days and big in to out path. But I've still got work to do.

 

So I looked at the smaller clubheads that still offer forgiveness and some tech.

 

Will play the SGI until things are a bit more instinctive. Will do lie angle testing/adjusting and test/adjust swingweight until I'm comfortable with the new irons, and then head out to the course... It's a process.

[nsxguy]

Me personally, I don't think anyone should play GI or SGI irons. It's all BS.

 

And the beauty of it all is you can make your choice and everybody else can make theirs.

 

"It's a Wonderful Life" :)

[extrastiff]

Change when your GI irons go too straight, too high and the results on mishits are too much like a good strike.

 

This. I switched when my GI mis-hits only lost %10 and were still pretty straight. My contact was solid pretty much every-time, and I felt i was getting the proper length backswing for each club. My clubhead speed was fairly consistent, much higher then when I started, so i could pick the right shaft.

 

When I switched, my mis hits were much easier to diagnose/feel and I could work on my game based on that info.

 

I think I could have waited till my swing path got straighter so I could have truly measured my gapping (my dispersion/distances are far more consistent now with a proper swing path). It definitely would help to have contact/accuracy where you want it if want to get as-close-to-perfect fitting as possible.

 

YMMV, but if you a 12, I say go for it, you obviously like the game enough to improve and work you way into nicer clubs even if cannot maximize yet.

 

Equation,for me at least: Players iron+proper shaft and such + good technique= solid, shape-able shot.

GI club + proper shaft stiffness+ good technique= solid, usually shape-able shot.

Players Iron+ improper shaft + good technique= solid, but inconsistent control.

GI+ improper shaft+good technique= solid, but probably could be much better shot

any club+poor technique= inconsistent, usually bad shot. Can only get worse with less forgiving clubs

 

 

The p770's are awesome (sharp clean lines, mid head size, clicky-flush contact feel) , as are most of the $1200 msrp clubs i have hit.

[sdandrea]

My handicap varies from to 9 to 11 BECAUSE I play GI irons. Handicap improvement doesn't necessarily mean you should buy irons that may not fit your game. A former club champion at my club was close to scratch and he plays '96 Callaway Big Bertha irons. Be careful not to let ego drive your bag.

[Hit em good]

As a 12, you should be able to play a players CB. Blades would probably end up frustrating you. Grab a used demo of a CB you think you might like and give it a try. You'll be fine.

 

Hit em good

[moadhia]

As a 12, you should be able to play a players CB. Blades would probably end up frustrating you. Grab a used demo of a CB you think you might like and give it a try. You'll be fine.

 

Hit em good

 

What would you classify as players CB ? He already plays z545s that are not SGI.

[HackerD]

z545 are player’s CB.

[Hit em good]

As a 12, you should be able to play a players CB. Blades would probably end up frustrating you. Grab a used demo of a CB you think you might like and give it a try. You'll be fine.

 

Hit em good

 

What would you classify as players CB ? He already plays z545s that are not SGI.

 

OP's post indicates z545's are not players irons. (I have no idea if that is true or not, I don't follow Szrixon stuff)

There are a bunch of clubs considered to be players CB's, and not GI/SGI. I don't classify them.

 

Hit em good