Do some clubs just not work for you?

[TheGolfingRealtor]

I have been a long time PING player then I stray, then I come back, then I stray, then I come back (remind me to kill a vicious cycle!)... I don't know what attracts me to PING b/c I really don't like their irons but they work. I'm not really a fan of their metals or wedges but again they work!

I really want to play a Titleist bag of clubs but can't seem to like any of their irons either. In fact, I always struggle with finding the "right" irons. I hit a 718 AP2 6 iron with AMT White during my last round and the club just went nowhere. Into the wind it was terrible and when compared side by side with my PING 6 iron, the PING smoked it. I don't consider myself a bad ball striker at a 2.1 index and I didn't think the AP2's were totally unforgiving so what gives? I played 9 holes with MP 20's and shot -2, I would have thought the AP2's would be more forgiving?

I watched the TXG video last night comparing the T100 & T100s and it has me thinking about the T100s weakened 1*, I have an appointment at a Titleist Thursday this coming Thursday so we will see where that goes.

I have no problems with TS metals, Vokey SM8's or the Cameron Special Select. I kinda want an iron set to go with them.

Where do you draw the line when it comes to performance vs. aesthetics? Would you play a certain iron if it was 20 yards shorter but fit your eye better, sounded better and felt better? In fairness the AMT white might not be the right shaft for me or had the right lie angle etc.

[NoTalentLefty]

What kind of Pings do you play current? I went from pings G30s to AP1 716 and increased my yardage. Now play 718s and and they keep up well with the 410s .

I would love to have a set of the G710s though.

[Trevorr]

I played a ping zing wedge at a pitch and putt many years ago, and I just couldn't get accustomed to the offset, combined with the weird angle of the hozel and topline.

[NoTalentLefty]

As far as your questions: I’ve played almost every brand , because of the looks of the irons current lineups of Callaway and Taylormade , wouldn’t play them. Flat out ugly. Titleist and Ping love both looks even if they are polar opposites.

BUT all of these clubs I can hit fine.

probably hit the Taylormade and Callaway further but it’s a look thing

[gvogel]

Are you going to give the T200's a chance?

[TheGolfingRealtor]

i210’s

[TheGolfingRealtor]

I can’t get past the size or the screw in the back. I know you can’t see the screw at address or anything but I know it’s there.

[aquapig]

You shot -2 on 9 holes with your MP20s and you're wondering what irons to play?

[TheGolfingRealtor]

They just didn’t do it for me.

[HappyGilmore22]

AP2s both 716 and 718 were spin machines and I never had the right shafts in them so I struggled a bit with distance for what I thought I should be getting with my swing speed. Could still carry a 7 iron 170 yards but they were super high and got back spin with mid irons. Bought T100 and have them 1 deg strong with new shafts PX 6.5s and I'm getting about 180-182 yards on average with a more penetrating high ball flight and still spinning 6500-7000. Loving T100 right now they are the perfect iron and so much better than AP2 for me. They should be able to get you a good fit with T100 or s during your fitting.

[wcgolfer]

The old no hosel Callaway driver. The visual of those just messed with my mind. No way could I hit those.

[MattyO1984]

It’s not something that I found too much of late. I am a Titleist fan boy, there is no getting away from it but I like to and try to hit everything at least once just to see what it is like. These days, I find it hard not to find something that it just a flat out no but in the past it seemed an awful lot easier. I remember back in the earlier 00’s breaking my Titleist 975J-VS and it having to be sent back to Titleist for repair. Our Club Pro let me use a few different clubs whilst I was waiting to get mine back and I can remember some horrific rounds using a Callaway GBBII and a Taylor Made R540. I just could not get on with them at all.

[Sean2]

Hybrids have never worked for me.

[HateTheHighDraw]

If you can’t find the center of the clubface it doesn’t matter how pretty the club is, it’s gotta go. Conversely, if you can find the center of the clubface, it doesn’t matter how ugly the club is, keep it.

[WristySwing]

Yes it is possible, that is why the fitting industry exists. I would suggest going in with an open mind and playing what works best for you and not shoehorning your bag together and hurting your handicap and enjoyment of the game simply because a set of T100s and set of TS headcovers would look good in the bag. Ever seen a pros bag up close? Bag chatter, paint chips, usually an old ugly reliable that looks worse than a WWI soldiers uniform after 6 months on the front...but it works. I suggest you take that mentality. If you want new clubs, go for it and play and buy what works for you based on a brand agnostic fitting. Takes the guess work out of it and you know each club in your bag is designed to work for you.

[aquapig]

So you're more concerned with looks than performance??

Then why are you asking? Just buy whatever suits your eye regardless of performance.

The stuff I read in here is good for a chuckle or two.

[sandtrap]

The thrill is in the hunt. Keep looking

[Myherobobhope]

For me, it’s more shafts I don’t get along with... though I am partial to different heads...

I think I’d have more success with a generic head I hate and shaft I love ca a head I love and shaft I hate... but maybe not?

[Catty]

Fairway woods. Can't hit them thus have none in my bag. Driver and 3/4 iron. I have a 3 hybrid but its rarely taken out of the bag. Just cant stand big bulky heads on clubs. Play AP2's when not playing well and titleist tour mbs when hitting it well. Got to be slim or I'll hit it fat.

[TheGolfingRealtor]

I guess I am not explaining myself very well? When I look at my bag full of PING's, I don't get that warm and fuzzy feeling like I would with a bag full of players clubs. I don't like the sound and feel of cast clubs. I'm just trying to figure out what is best for me. Do I just suck it up and take performance over what I want?

[aquapig]

You shot -2 on 9 holes with some of the best looking and feeling clubs made. And then you said they just didnt do it for you.

I've got nothing

[NailedIt]

For me it’s any iron with a lot of offset and super thick top line. I like a real clean looking iron too. No ugly badges or bright colors for this guy.

I would recommend the Srixon 785 and Z forged. Clean, low offset, great feeling and forgiving for a players iron.

Im currently in the Honma 747v and I can honestly say they are everything I want in an iron and I’m considering picking up another set just to have in case these wear out.

[the bishop]

To be fair I don't think it helps to focus on the score - he probably shouldn't have mentioned it. He did say he's a 2.1 index so -2 on any 9 is certainly in his realm as a player. And we shouldn't extrapolate that to mean he'll do that every time. I played basically an even par round tee-to-green a couple months back with a new set of irons in the bag (but three 3 putt bogeys) and immediately traded the in. Why? They had 105 gram shafts and I just didn't get along with them despite the good score and knew I would struggle with them from a consistency basis going forward. So they had to go.

[aquapig]

So you didn't like the shaft.

The OP said he played well with what is a great looking and feeling iron. He didn't mention shaft issues, turf interaction..just said "they didn't do it for me".

Based on that, I'm not sure how to help other than to respond with a similarly vague answer..find something that does it for you.

[RacineBoxer]

 

Exactly the same for me. Last year I bought a Cobra F9 3 wood. I've always liked the Cobra brand, the F9's were getting rave reviews and I've got along just fine (I thought) with off the shelf stiff shafts. It had the Atmos tour spec blue shaft and it just felt too boardy for me. I was always trying to manipulate it and change my swing. After a few weeks I went to Golf Galaxy, had a bay to myself, and fit myself to a 3 wood over about 45-60 minutes. My 2nd choice over Cobra was the Ping G410 and just couldn't get along with it either. Kept hitting them thin and just not solid. I tried TM and Titleist and by far the club that was easier for me to just find the center was the Callaway Epic Flash with the stock Evenflow 6.0 shaft. I could feel the head, I could feel the load, it just worked with my tempo or timing... I'll never underestimate the importance of shaft again.

[The Mad Bomber]

"Where do you draw the line when it comes to performance vs. aesthetics? Would you play a certain iron if it was 20 yards shorter but fit your eye better, sounded better and felt better? In fairness the AMT white might not be the right shaft for me or had the right lie angle etc."

 

There's a point where distance really starts to matter, and that point is up to you. My advice, for what it's worth, it to play irons that fly at the target. If you have to give up a little bit of distance to get that, then so be it. If you find something that gives you a little more and flies where you want them to - bonus. How much you're willing to give up is personal and nobody can really give you that number. I play 5 year old irons because they're point and shoot. There are longer irons on the market, and that's a fact, but I can't be bothered because I love what I'm gaming and I've never played better than I am now.

Think of it this way; If a company gave you a $5M contract to play their clubs, could you get over whatever preconceived notions you had and make them work? I bet you'd tinker and try until you got the set-up right. On the complete opposite side of your predicament, I've never gotten along with anything PING, other than their putters. But if they came along with a big fat contract, I'd sure as hell go through the line and find something that works with a fitter and a TrackMan.

 

The bottom line, in my opinion, is that if you want to play Titleist, you're only one really good fitting away from finding a bag that'll work perfectly for you. As a side note, those MP-20's you're referring to when you shot your 2 under round are going to go down in history as one of the top 3 blades Mizuno has ever made and you can quote me on that. They're just unreal.

[forrester_fire]

Right now, irons don't work for me.

[MtlJeff]

i'm very finicky with drivers. I've had some that i just won't use because i don't have confidence with them. I remember the Ping I15 i literally couldn't keep on the planet despite hitting driver well at that time.

As much as i wanted to love the Callaway Epic, and i hit some bombs with it, i never once used it in a competitive round in 3 years. Just no trust in it at the end of the day. Always would swap in my Ping G driver the night before an important round LOL

The past 3 years i have used only Cobras and Pings in competitive rounds . Either Ping G or Cobra F8 or F9

[dubbelbogey]

Fundamentally, I'm club insensitive. I can and have made very different things work as long as the set has a reasonably normal makeup: a driver made in the last 15 years, a couple of good hybrids, pretty much any irons, plus a few decent wedges. As long as length, lie (probably the fitting characteristic I'm most sensitive to) and flex are in reasonable range, I'm happy.

I've rented, borrowed and tinkered with enough of the spectrum to come to this conclusion. Sure, I have preferences for certain aesthetic things, but if handed a set that fit decently and was told - this is all you get, I'd pretty much score the same.

Note, this is fundamentally different from telling me that I have to hit a 2-iron instead of my 19-degree hybrid. Those aren't comparable

[trilerian]

Cleveland 588 Rotex 2.0. All I do is shank them, and I mean straight off the hosel. I have a 52 and a 56, had major issues with them when I got them, upgraded from the cg16's. Went with Vokey's the next year and stopped shanking my pitch shots. Put the 588s back in my bag the other day to try the 56, and shanked it 4 times that round before I remembered I shanked them to start with. Back to my Vokey's and no issues.