GI vs Players clubs HELP!! (Long)

[bgulley]

Ok, here's my situation. I've finally decided to change irons after 8 years. I have decided on a set of Callaway BB2004's. I bit of a change from what I have now but I like them pretty well.

 

A little background. I play to about a 5 handicap, my iron play has always been my strongsuit. I just have always seemed to have confidence with my irons even when nothing else is working. I don't work the ball much, although I do play where it can be windy so I do find myself having to control trajectory at times. I have been fortunate enough to have a close friend who has a set of BB2004's and has let me borrow them for a couple of rounds. During those rounds my GIR has improved slightly, my putts per GIR has improved, and I just seem to feel like these irons are a good fit for me. I also didn't have any problem controlling the trajectory with these sticks. Basically everything that I am capable of doing with an iron I do well with these. Easy choice right? Well then I saw at a local golf shop that they had a demo of the new Mizuno MP-32 so against my better judgement I picked it up and headed out to the range.

 

All I can say is WHOA!! This is the smoothest most buttery feeling iron I have ever hit. More forgiving than I ever thought a "players" club could ever be. My mishits were definetly more pronouced with this club than the BB2004's but on the sweetspot....well, let's just say I was impressed.

 

So my problem is this. My brain tells me Callaway, but my heart says Mizuno. Could this be real??? Am I really having a hard time deciding between a shovel and a blade??? Is there even really that much of a difference? Is there anyone else out there who has ever had this situation? What did you do? Do you feel like you made the right choice? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[easyyy]

Been there and done that. Really. I thought you were taking about me. I did the same thing but with the X-Tours. No complaints over all. Great heads and wonderfull results. You sound like a good ball striker and you might have to go through this excersize to resolve your opinion.

 

I can only speak for what happened to me. I eventually had to go back to the traditional looking head. The sole of the X-tours had a lot of bounce that eventually worn me down during hard conditions. That as well as the lure of the "players cb". There seems to be a lure to play a club that gives a pronounced feedback to me. That and the trditional looks brought me back to heads that were more traditional.

 

What were the heads you played for so long?

[mizuno]

I would echo easyyy's comments almost verbatim. I too tried the X-Tours for a period of time and had a problem with the bounce on firm fairways. I also thought the ball came off the face a little too hot and didn't provide much feedback. I switched to the MP32s and have not looked back. True, mishits with the 32s suffer more in comparison to the X-Tours, but the feedback on pure shots more than make up for that in my opinion.

 

If you are playing to a 5 handicap you should be able to handle the Mizuno's without a problem. They won't let you get away with the mistakes that the BB will, but in the long run they will force you to be a better ball striker.

[wayneebaby]

bgulley,

You are the perfect candidate for a combo set! Why don't you just mix and match? I believe it was Bobby Jones that said he bought his clubs one at a time. I am a huge advocate of the combo set. See if you can get your hands on a set of the Bridgestone J33 combo or the new Nike ProCombos. Even the old Nike ProCombos are good. Or mix and match some Pings, go g2/i3... my $.02

[TM Boy]

Same thing with me but different result. I'm a 22 handicapper and wanted to learn on blades because it would make me a better ball striker in the end. I wanted a cut muscle like the MP-60. I currently use the RAC OS and was deciding what to do. I really hit the Mizuno's well but I think the RAC's will help me for a couple of years until I'm ready to make that step. I'll use blades when I shoot in the low 80's.

 

Go with whatever makes you happy.

[bgulley]

Wow, thanks for the great advice. I have considered a combo set actually. But never really pursued the idea. One thing I forgot to mention is my wife and I are expecting our first baby in a couple of months so playing time is going to be cut back immensely. Hence the attaction to the game improvement clubs. Oh, to answer eassy's question I currently play Snake Eyes TC-01 with a DG S300 sensicore. Nice clubs, set up nice, good feel. But it's just time for a change. Thanks for all your help!

[Nille]

I have kind of the opposite.

I have been playing most of my "golfing career" with the Big Bertha 04 with regular graphite shafts. I then tried other clubs (forged + stiff steel) and it felt really weird to me. I thought it felt harsh, but that might be because the steel shaft was too stiff for me and unusual. I only had problems hitting the 3 iron, but everything else was ok, not much harder to hit. The only problem is that I hit my Big Bertha far too high (but I have that even with my driver (Callaway regular graphite too)).

 

I am planning to test some clubs. I will probably buy a custom-fitted set once I am below a hdcp 10 (16.2 atm)

 

Do you reckon thats a good idea?

 

My pro is still playing a set of Big Bertha irons. (an older less bulkier version, though).

 

In your case, I would probably buy a forged club, because what I like most about golf is the feeling when you hit a ball nicely, and when the Mizuno feels better to you, you might enjoy it even more. :tongue:

 

And since you are a 5 hdcp, you should be good enough to hit these clubs anyway. :help:

 

Best wishes

[theothertwo]

Ok, here's my situation.  I've finally decided to change irons after 8 years. I have decided on a set of Callaway BB2004's.  I bit of a change from what I have now but I like them pretty well. 

 

A little background.  I play to about a 5 handicap, my iron play has always been my strongsuit. I just have always seemed to have confidence with my irons even when nothing else is working.  I don't work the ball much, although I do play where it can be windy so I do find myself having to control trajectory at times.  I have been fortunate enough to have a close friend who has a set of BB2004's and has let me borrow them for a couple of rounds.  During those rounds my GIR has improved slightly, my putts per GIR has improved, and I just seem to feel like these irons are a good fit for me. I also didn't have any problem controlling the trajectory with these sticks. Basically everything that I am capable of doing with an iron I do well with these.  Easy choice right?  Well then I saw at a local golf shop that they had a demo of the new Mizuno MP-32 so against my better judgement I picked it up and headed out to the range.

 

All I can say is WHOA!!  This is the smoothest most buttery feeling iron I have ever hit.  More forgiving than I ever thought a "players" club could ever be.  My mishits were definetly more pronouced with this club than the BB2004's but on the sweetspot....well, let's just say I was impressed.

 

So my problem is this.  My brain tells me Callaway, but my heart says Mizuno.  Could this be real??? Am I really having a hard time deciding between a shovel and a blade???  Is there even really that much of a difference?  Is there anyone else out there who has ever had this situation?  What did you do? Do you feel like you made the right choice? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

68910[/snapback]

 

bgulley,

 

I completely understand but here's what happened to me. When the MP 32s first came out, I thought that's how an iron should look but without trying them, I decided they were too difficult to hit. I went with the MacGregor 1025CM combo, then to Srixon I-302, Titleist 704, Snake Eyes 600c, KZG Forged Cavity Back II and most recently the 2004 Taylor RAC LTs. These are all good forged cavity backs except for the LTs and are all very solid but I always wanted the MP 32s.

 

After reading about people's experiences on the MP 32s, particularly their sweet and solid feel and actual forgiveness, I went for it. Sold everything on Ebay and now have the MP 32s.

 

They are wonderful and will stay in my bag for awhile. I am an 8 hdcp and don't consider myself a really good iron player but the 32s suit me fine and I love the way they look, set up and the feel is just outstanding.

 

Hope this helps.

[bgulley]

Obviously there is a lot of love on this board for the MP-32's, and deservedly so. I just went out to the course again yesterday evening with my buddies Bertha's yesterday and had another decent round with them, so the normally dominant objective part of my brain is crying out for me to buy the BB2004's. The problem is I haven't taken the Mizuno demo back yet so every time I go to the range I hit almost a whole bucket with that one club.

I've lived my entire life without being a clubho, (I've been playing golf for more than twenty years and I'm currently on my second set of irons) but I can feel myself slipping and I actually wondered to myself if I bought both the Callaways and the Mizunos maybe the shopkeep could thrown in a new lobwedge or something! How pathetic is that! I'm sure I'm not alone though, it's good to have this board to discuss this with because when I tell my wife about my quandry she just looks for something heavy to throw at me!

[bogeyk]

You should take out your buddies BB04, and a couple of the 32s out on the course and hit each on the par 3s and tough approaches. If you have similar results with both go with your heart, if you end up closer with the BB both distance and direction go with your brain. I know it will be tough to let the brain win. I have a set of Hogan FTX in the corner and G2s in the bag.

[mrslate]

I believe Mizuno will let you custom order mix-n-match sets of whatever you want. MX-23 long irons with MP-32 or MP-60 6-PW sounds like a good combo set to me.