New Level 902 irons more opinions?

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

Hi there,

 

there‘s a couple reviews about these, but I‘d love to read more first hand opinions. They look great, the customization options are nice, and I‘d love to support a smaller company. Anyone gaming them still? Long-term reviews?

[endy]

They are really great. Smaller, compact, square look with tons of forgiveness for its profile. Sole grind is very nice as well, subtle little beveled leading edge that cuts thru easily. I’d still be playing mine but Srixon has always had my heart. Really can’t go wrong , and I could easily play either and not notice a difference in my scores. They feel fantastic and their attention to detail is insane. If you ask for custom specs they will be dialed in right down to the swingweight. 

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

Thanks @endy! How is sound and feel in your eyes (and ears)? I’m a Mizuno fanboy and love me a soft feeling iron. 
Talking forgiveness, which irons you think are comparable? I’m not expecting P790 or G710 help, but my MP-15 long irons are not the easiest to hit and I’m looking for something for those weeks when my swing is not quite there. 

Edited September 6, 2020 by LukeDonaldsTiger

[anthony007]

Imo the have a great feel and forgiveness. A little more offset to my eyes than a mp 20

[dmeeksDC]

Playing the 902s for about a month now. They’re excellent. Mine are 5-PW plus Tri-Weight gap wedge (more versatile than the M-Type) shafted with DG 120s and it is an excellent combo. Have tried a ton of forged players irons — 770s, CMBs, Hogan PTX Pro, Epons, Apex Pro, Bridgestones, OnOff Kuros. I like good stuff and I place a premium on feel. The New Levels meet the standard. They feel and perform as well as any of them and look great too. Offset is mid and blends well (I do not want zero offset; looks strange to me.) 

 

I like the head shape a lot. I would say they are very comparable to a Bridgestone J15CB but the 902 has a slightly shorter blade length, which is an improvement IMO. I also like the milled backside and milled pocket cavities a la the J40 DPC. My build was perfect. Very accurate, consistent irons, I’ve been sticking these close to flags. Sneaky long too. 902s look great in the bag, very competitive pricing direct to consumer, customer service excellent. They’ve called me since to ask me how I am liking them. Nothing but good things to say about these irons. 

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

Thanks. The gapping is interesting on paper, 5 degrees between 9i and PW is a lot. Seems to work. 
Funny enough, I’m eyeing J15 CBs as well, so that comparison is very interesting to me!

The soles look thinner on the 902s, too. 

[RolandofGilead]

4 hours ago, LukeDonaldsTiger said:

Thanks. The gapping is interesting on paper, 5 degrees between 9i and PW is a lot. Seems to work. 
Funny enough, I’m eyeing J15 CBs as well, so that comparison is very interesting to me!

The soles look thinner on the 902s, too. 

I had New Level make my lofts slightly weaker than their stock values and my distances and gapping are perfect. I have PW = 46, 7i = 34, 4i = 24. That makes the set 1 degree stronger than my old set and I am one half club longer throughout the bag (also switched from Dynamic Gold S300 to S400 TI). 

 

I have also had my set for about a month and I could not be happier. I upgraded from a 15 year old set of Titleist 735.CM irons and wanted the same classic forged feel with more forgiveness in the short irons. I demo'd head to head against other direct-to-consumer models in the category, Ben Hogan PTx Pro and Sub70 639CB, and the New Level 902 was the clear gold medalist (Sub 70 was clear silver - also worth checking out). The head design is very forgiving across the face, both in terms of ball flight and distance. I actually do not like the look of the thick soles in the bag, but the performance is well worth it. The sole is not visible at address, even in the longest iron. Good contact is rewarded with the feel you would expect from a single-piece forged iron.

 

Keep an eye on 2ndswing.com - I was able to buy and return a 7 iron as a "demo" club.