New Level 1126

[Timastyle]

Looking for some help on these irons. Currently play the '17 B'Stone X-CBP irons with MCI Black 100s in them. I love the irons but not been getting along with the progressive weights of the shafts. Play to a 13 handicap and looking for something without even more jacked up lofts as the PW on the CBP is 46* as it is. 

 

I've been considering the 1126 but not much info on them. Anyone out there who have gamed or are gaming them?  Would love to hear your thoughts. 

 

Thanks in advance!

[Lobber]

Call New Level

and speak with the owner.  He will

take all the time you need to get it right.  Quality product with excellent service 

[Timastyle]

25 minutes ago, Lobber said:

I

26 minutes ago, Lobber said:

Call New Level

and speak with the owner.  He will

take all the time you need to get it right.  Quality product with excellent service 

 

 

I've messaged with him a bit. He's been very patient with answering my questions. I wanted to demo them out but, understandably, the demo program isn't available right now due to COVID.

 

I'm interested in hearing about user experiences that may help me make a decision. 

[Lobber]

I owned and games the 902s and wedges. First rate feel, looks,etc.  very soft forgings.  Loved them but needed a bit more forgiveness and sold them. 

[Timastyle]

Out of curiosity, what did you get to replace the 902s?

[dmeeksDC]

Have not held an 1126 but I just put the 902s in the bag. They’re excellent. Very comparable size wise to Ben Hogan PTX Pro, the OG TM 770, AP2, Bridgestone J15CB (902 has slightly shorter blade length), Srixon 785. Compact but not too much so. Not as compact as a Wilson V6 or Adams CMB. The milled cavities give the head nice balance. 

 

They’re players irons with some pop. Nice feel. Two rounds in, I’m really enjoying them. Hit a number of greens to 15 feet and in. The 50 degree Tri-Weight wedge is excellent too. 
 

I like the look of the 1126. Up to you whether it’s a good match but I can also vouch for the quality of the clubs and the service at New Level. 

[Timastyle]

@dmeeksDC thanks for all the info!  How do the 902s compare to the Srixon 785s (I have experience with the 765) in terms of offset and forgiveness?

 

I was all set to get the 1126 and talked to Eric about it. Then I got some comparison pics of the 1126 next to the J40 DPC irons (used to have these). There's a lot of offset in them that will only likely help accentuate my pull hook miss. 

 

Then I took my old Precept Tour Premium CB irons (8i and 6i) with Black Gold shafts in stiff to the range with me. I was hitting these much straighter and tighter dispersion than the X-CBP (I couldn't even hit these straight). I'm sure the heavier shafts play a big role in this but the lesser offset also helps. 

 

I'm completely confused on what to do now. 

[jamgam]

I have both the 902s and z785s.  I really like both sets of irons a lot.  I'll take some side by side pics for you today.  I like the shape of the 902s a little better and have them in the bag but the Srixons are awesome clubs also.  The 902s feel more "solid" to me but they're not "clicky" or "hard" by any means.  

[Timastyle]

Thanks @jamgam!  How does the forgiveness compare between the two?

[dmeeksDC]

It only comes down to preference. Having hit and played both, I give a slight edge on feel to the 902 and I’d give it more of a forgiveness edge simply due to more milling/pockets on the back to move weight to the perimeter. They’re both top irons (I do prefer the 745 over the 785 but that is a different comparison).

 

I am a little more comfortable with the 902, it reminds me of a blend of the J15CB and J40DPC in shape, offset and weighting. I didn’t detect any major difference in feel. Both entirely forged and high quality. I like how the 902 feels at impact. I also have it in my specs and that helps. I play my irons at the old Mizuno standard length (37.75 5 iron) even though my fittings say standard because I get more consistent centered contact. 
 

The 785 has the V-sole. Might help if you hit heavy a lot. I don’t care for the v-sole on thin strikes so I like the 902 sole. 

[Timastyle]

@dmeeksDC this is very helpful!  I had a set of J40 DPC that I loved. Only reason I parted ways was because one of the heads broke off the shaft at the range and never to be found again. These do remind me a lot of those although I imagine the heel/toe length is shorter on the 902s. 

 

I don't hit fat shots normally so the V sole is not something that I particularly need/want. I just remember the 765 being more demanding of irons.  I don't recall them terribly punishing and had decent forgiveness, but not finding the sweet spot often enough was a little demoralizing for me and why I made the switch to the B'Stone X-CBP irons. 

 

I really love the X-CBP, but the cost of replacing the shafts will put me at a new or gently used set (along with the sale of the X-CBP) so that's why I'm exploring other options. 

 

Also, the Black Gold shafts are fairly heavy, so I don't know if something in between the MCI Blacks 100s would be good enough or if I need to go in the 130g weight range on my next shaft. I know...a fitting would be best. 

[dmeeksDC]

49 minutes ago, Timastyle said:

@dmeeksDC this is very helpful!  I had a set of J40 DPC that I loved. Only reason I parted ways was because one of the heads broke off the shaft at the range and never to be found again. These do remind me a lot of those although I imagine the heel/toe length is shorter on the 902s. 

 

I don't hit fat shots normally so the V sole is not something that I particularly need/want. I just remember the 765 being more demanding of irons.  I don't recall them terribly punishing and had decent forgiveness, but not finding the sweet spot often enough was a little demoralizing for me and why I made the switch to the B'Stone X-CBP irons. 

 

I really love the X-CBP, but the cost of replacing the shafts will put me at a new or gently used set (along with the sale of the X-CBP) so that's why I'm exploring other options. 

 

Also, the Black Gold shafts are fairly heavy, so I don't know if something in between the MCI Blacks 100s would be good enough or if I need to go in the 130g weight range on my next shaft. I know...a fitting would be best. 

902 is definitely shorter heel to toe vs J40 DPC. Shorter than the J15CB by a touch, too. Offset very similar to J15CB. I like a little offset. Not too much — I don’t want to notice it — but also don’t want none. Clubs with really low offset look strange at address to me. I like a little framing of the ball. Offset has no impact on left/right dispersion that I can tell. Does help launch. 
 

I actually played one round with the Tour B X-CBP and liked them. The 902 is not quite as chunky and feels better to me. The CBP is more akin to a Mizuno Hot Metal feel IMO. 
 

The shaft matters as much as the club to me. Black Golds are quality shafts. I’ve only hit them in Adams heads. Heavier and stouter than most, similar feel to Project X Rifles. There are a ton of shafts between those and the MCI 100s! If you like the Black Golds you may want to try Rifles in lighter weights without making too drastic a weight change. The 5.5 is 115g. The old Rifle Flighted shafts are also faves of mne. I can play 5.5 or 6.0 in that one. 
 

Also, C Taper Reg plus is 115g. I usually play stiff shafts but I go Reg plus in C Tapers and Rifles due to stiffness. I also like the Dynamic Gold 120 lineup. The s300 is 117g and another good one. That is what I have in my 902s. I ignore flex and hit the shafts. Ball flight and spin will tell you. You just never know how they’ll fit you and the head until you try. 

[RolandofGilead]

On 8/28/2020 at 8:53 PM, Timastyle said:

Looking for some help on these irons. Currently play the '17 B'Stone X-CBP irons with MCI Black 100s in them. I love the irons but not been getting along with the progressive weights of the shafts. Play to a 13 handicap and looking for something without even more jacked up lofts as the PW on the CBP is 46* as it is. 

 

I've been considering the 1126 but not much info on them. Anyone out there who have gamed or are gaming them?  Would love to hear your thoughts. 

 

Thanks in advance!

I just upgraded to the 902s as well, and they are fantastic. The default lofts are strong so I had mine adjusted 1-2 degrees (PW = 46, 7i = 34, 4i = 24), and distances are right where I expected them to be. Feel is exceptional, striking a balance between smooth and solid. The forgiveness of these irons is great - thin strikes are helped by the big mass behind the bottom of the face, and heavy strikes are helped by the wide sole. I have been very pleasantly surprised by lack of lost distance on these mis-hits. I will say that they are high launching (even with heavy S400 shafts), but I don’t mind that and it could be unique to my swing. Combo‘ing the 902 with 1126 may also be a good option for you if offset in the scoring clubs is a concern.

[Timastyle]

5 hours ago, dmeeksDC said:

902 is definitely shorter heel to toe vs J40 DPC. Shorter than the J15CB by a touch, too. Offset very similar to J15CB. I like a little offset. Not too much — I don’t want to notice it — but also don’t want none. Clubs with really low offset look strange at address to me. I like a little framing of the ball. Offset has no impact on left/right dispersion that I can tell. Does help launch. 
 

I actually played one round with the Tour B X-CBP and liked them. The 902 is not quite as chunky and feels better to me. The CBP is more akin to a Mizuno Hot Metal feel IMO. 
 

The shaft matters as much as the club to me. Black Golds are quality shafts. I’ve only hit them in Adams heads. Heavier and stouter than most, similar feel to Project X Rifles. There are a ton of shafts between those and the MCI 100s! If you like the Black Golds you may want to try Rifles in lighter weights without making too drastic a weight change. The 5.5 is 115g. The old Rifle Flighted shafts are also faves of mne. I can play 5.5 or 6.0 in that one. 
 

Also, C Taper Reg plus is 115g. I usually play stiff shafts but I go Reg plus in C Tapers and Rifles due to stiffness. I also like the Dynamic Gold 120 lineup. The s300 is 117g and another good one. That is what I have in my 902s. I ignore flex and hit the shafts. Ball flight and spin will tell you. You just never know how they’ll fit you and the head until you try. 

 

I'm When I did a Trackman fitting for the Srixon 765/565 combo irons at my local range (Srixon promo/fitting day), I got put into DG S300 (believe it's 130g according to their website) as it gave me the best launch/spin out of all the shafts they had, which was a bit limited to begin with.  Taking the new combo out on the course, I quickly started having elbow/joint pains, so I started looking into and playing graphite (SF i95cw in the Srixons, then the MCI Black 100s in X-CBP).  Pain has gone away and after 3 years of playing with the X-CBP and some exercising of late, I feel that the longer irons especially are too light.  I want to stick with graphite, but depending on the head style I end up with and the harshness of them (shaft combo included) on off-center hits, I could be open to steel still.  I just worry that the pain will come back.  

 

As it is, I've been going to the range a lot more of late (almost daily) and they only have mats.  My hands (wrists mainly and left thumb joint) has started hurting pretty bad.  Assuming this is from overuse and bad form (mainly trying to overpower with my right arm and straining my left thumb/wrist in doing so).  That's where I think the heavier shafts have helped keep me from overpowering from my right side and letting myself swing (easier to change equipment than my swing - ? ).  Issue is that the heavier shafts in graphite are harder to find and fewer and further between.  I also believe my Precepts are D3/D4 SW, so not sure how much that affects things vs. the D0/D1 of the X-CBP.  I've never been one to pay too much attention to SW, so not sure if that is going to affect things enough to matter.

 

I'm getting more and more tempted by the 902s.  Was also looking at the B'Stone 201CB that has the added slot in the 4i and 5i for more forgiveness.  Love the way they look.  Assuming not as forgiving as the 902s or some of the other ones mentioned.

 

2 hours ago, RolandofGilead said:

I just upgraded to the 902s as well, and they are fantastic. The default lofts are strong so I had mine adjusted 1-2 degrees (PW = 46, 7i = 34, 4i = 24), and distances are right where I expected them to be. Feel is exceptional, striking a balance between smooth and solid. The forgiveness of these irons is great - thin strikes are helped by the big mass behind the bottom of the face, and heavy strikes are helped by the wide sole. I have been very pleasantly surprised by lack of lost distance on these mis-hits. I will say that they are high launching (even with heavy S400 shafts), but I don’t mind that and it could be unique to my swing. Combo‘ing the 902 with 1126 may also be a good option for you if offset in the scoring clubs is a concern.

 

That's encouraging to hear.  I'm good with high launching as I'm generally a lower ball hitter.  From the sounds of it, the mishits are not as harsh as some and provide good enough forgiveness.  Definitely strongly considering them.  

[dmeeksDC]

8 hours ago, Timastyle said:

 

I'm When I did a Trackman fitting for the Srixon 765/565 combo irons at my local range (Srixon promo/fitting day), I got put into DG S300 (believe it's 130g according to their website) as it gave me the best launch/spin out of all the shafts they had, which was a bit limited to begin with.  Taking the new combo out on the course, I quickly started having elbow/joint pains, so I started looking into and playing graphite (SF i95cw in the Srixons, then the MCI Black 100s in X-CBP).  Pain has gone away and after 3 years of playing with the X-CBP and some exercising of late, I feel that the longer irons especially are too light.  I want to stick with graphite, but depending on the head style I end up with and the harshness of them (shaft combo included) on off-center hits, I could be open to steel still.  I just worry that the pain will come back.  

 

As it is, I've been going to the range a lot more of late (almost daily) and they only have mats.  My hands (wrists mainly and left thumb joint) has started hurting pretty bad.  Assuming this is from overuse and bad form (mainly trying to overpower with my right arm and straining my left thumb/wrist in doing so).  That's where I think the heavier shafts have helped keep me from overpowering from my right side and letting myself swing (easier to change equipment than my swing - ? ).  Issue is that the heavier shafts in graphite are harder to find and fewer and further between.  I also believe my Precepts are D3/D4 SW, so not sure how much that affects things vs. the D0/D1 of the X-CBP.  I've never been one to pay too much attention to SW, so not sure if that is going to affect things enough to matter.

 

I'm getting more and more tempted by the 902s.  Was also looking at the B'Stone 201CB that has the added slot in the 4i and 5i for more forgiveness.  Love the way they look.  Assuming not as forgiving as the 902s or some of the other ones mentioned.

 

 

That's encouraging to hear.  I'm good with high launching as I'm generally a lower ball hitter.  From the sounds of it, the mishits are not as harsh as some and provide good enough forgiveness.  Definitely strongly considering them.  

Really important to test if you are seeking heavy graphite shafts. Sometimes they can feel stiffer than their steel counterparts at the same weight. I also tend to like graphite at the 95-100g weights. I have hit some at 115g that felt very stout. There’s a wide range out there. If you try some you will find one. I hear the Steelfiber 110 Flight Control feels great, better than the standard 110.
 

Another excellent graphite that I really like is the Fuji Tour Spec 115 stiff. It has same stiffness profile as the 95g version, just heavier. I have a set of the 95 gram and am trying to decide what to put them in. 

 

You also could try lighter steel like Nippon 120 stiff or KBS $ Taper Lite as just two examples. 

[Timastyle]

The MCI Blacks are progressive weights ranging from close to 115g in PW down to 94 (***EDIT - Checked specs) and one doesn't feel more stiff than the other for me, but I get what you mean on trying them out first. 

 

I've had the Modus 120 in X flex in both a set of Precepts and the the J40DPC. I like the softness of it at impact, but it's also hard to tell where you hit it on the face for the same reason. Modus 130 in stiff felt 10x as stiff as the 120s in X. I have read that the Modus 125s are similar in profile so maybe with the softer feel of Nippon may help me if steel is the route. No experience with the $ taper (lite or regular) so not sure how they would be. I know I wasn't a huge fan of the KBS Tour shafts years ago when I tried them. 

Edited September 2, 2020 by Timastyle
Updated with correct specs on shaft

[dlovage]

Anybody know whether the 1126 was .355 or .370?