New Level 623M Review

[ferrispgm]

After several months of debating I finally ordered a set of the 623M irons from New Level.  They were ordered 1/2" long, with Project X 6.5's and at a D5 swingweight.  I was debated between the PF1 and these but Eric said the 623M was closer to my current set of Srixon Z Forged just with a touch less offset which is what I wanted so that's what I chose.  Just a little background on me.....I am a +2 and have played mainly blades or something very close for a while as I can't stand anything clunky looking in the least.  My most consistent strengths are my iron play and short-game.  I never really hit it well on the range but on the course I don't typically have more than a couple mishits with irons.  I have used these for a range session and 1 round.  Now on to the review:

 

Looks:  Simply put, they look awesome.  Long and mid-irons (4-6) have a longer blade length which is something that I prefer in a blade.  If any of you are familiar with Srixon 945, 965, or the Z forged...the look is nearly if not identical.  Shorter irons (7-PW) are a touch more compact but not detrimentally so. The faces are a little higher by a fraction with a slightly shorter blade length at least by appearance...I'm assuming that has to do with helping in the accuracy department as Ping has done some research and shown that shorter blade lengths actually lead to higher accuracy though less forgiveness.  Toplines are thin but not crazy thin.  They remind me of the RAC Forged TP thickness or again the Srixon Z-Forged.  Thin but you don't look at them and worry about having to be perfect like with a Titleist MB or Mizuno MB.  

 

Forgiveness: I know Not allowed because of spam said they are the most forgiving players iron but I beg to differ.  They are more playable than the compact blades out there but they certainly aren't very forgiving either.  Slightly thin shots (a groove or 2 low) fly ok and you lose about 5 yards...not bad for a blade but again not great for a player's cavity either.  Toe shots probably lose closer to 10-15 yards...Again, not bad for a blade but not great for a player cavity.  If you said blades were a 1 and player cavities were a 10...I'd put there  pretty much right in the middle.  If you aren't already good with blades I wouldn't say these would get you there but If you are proficient with them these won't punish you as much as you would expect.  Pretty much on par with the Srixon Z-Forged again.

 

Feel:  They feel solid.  Soft but assertive or punchy.  Srixon or Mizuno always feel very soft which I like but these feel like there is a little extra in there so you get more of a solid feel mixed into the softness.  I'm not sure I'm describing that right but I can't think of a better way at the moment. If you only want a marshmallowy soft feel you wont like these, but if you like some thump mixed with softness these are awesome.  It's a bit of a new feel for me but I like it personally. 

 

Performance:  They are very accurate.  1st round and literally hit 5 or 6 shots within 6 feet....I normally have a few but this was quite a bit for my first round with new clubs...but it was literally point and shoot all day...even with long/mid irons.  The last hole is a par 5 with the approach all over water.  Had 172 to the hole....pulled my 175 club (7 iron) and hit it a groove or two low....landed at 168ish and ended up 4 feet on a ball that never left the flag.  Previously I'd probably play out to the right and go safe but I didn't feel that need with these.  They are easy to work both high/low and left/right.  I have read a lot about the high spin and that is certainly accurate.  They spin a lot and fly high as a result.  Because of this, I feel like I may have lost 5 yards or so but not totally sure as it's been cold lately and I had a lot of partial shots into holes.  I'm playing again Saturday and should get a better idea then.  On the bright side, balls hit and stop on a dime.  On the bad side, the flight is towering high...and for someone like me who prefers a more mid flight it's a little concerning.  Now some of that could be me as I am working on some things and it's possible that could be part of it but the spin is undeniable.  I figured in the worst case I can get them bent a degree stronger which will help lower it a bit.  I don't like C taper shafts at all so that isn't really an option.  

 

Overall: Very solid irons, especially for the price.  Again the launch/spin is a little high for my liking but I think a degree stronger loft may do the trick.  Some of the distance loss could also be due to the adjustment period of new irons.  It took me about 3 or 4 weeks to get things back to normal when I went from the 965 to the Z forged.  This weekend will be a better test.  

 

Sorry for the lengthy post but I wanted to post a thorough review as there aren't too many out there for these clubs.  If you have any questions, ask away.

[isaacbm]

Appreciate the review. I’m considering a set.  How can you compare the sole grind? 

[ferrispgm]

16 minutes ago, isaacbm said:

Appreciate the review. I’m considering a set.  How can you compare the sole grind? 

Vs the Z forged?  I'd say it's ok.  I personally think the Srixon sole grinds are the best out there...minimal digging and quick exit.  The wide sole on the 623 isn't bad by any stretch but it does dig a touch more than the Srixon but less than some other MB's.  I don't mind the wider sole in the long irons but if I'm going to be honest I'd like to see something a little narrower in the 7-pw.  Full disclosure...I may be trading these in for a combo PF2-PF1 set.  After a few weeks the ball flight is significantly higher than the Z Forged and spin is up there as well....a little too much.  But if you are a lower spin player these would probably be great.

[isaacbm]

Appreciate the replay! 
 

 

[MH2]

I agree with your assessment regarding the high launch/spin of these heads. It is one of the reasons i moved them at the end of last season. All in all they were good irons that were very playable