Maltby Iron Suggestions

[mgoblue83]

Being that tall you should look at lighter shafts if you are going over +1/2in OR ask Golf Works if they will drill out weight from each hosel to give you a lighter set of heads.

[Therty]

My suggestion would be go to the iron fitting with an open mind, hit a bunch of iron heads and find out what works. Once we know from hitting some OEM irons what worked well and what didn't, it will be easy to point you at a Maltby option which is going to produce a nice ballflight for your swing.

[BigTerp1524]

17 hours ago, mgoblue83 said:

Being that tall you should look at lighter shafts if you are going over +1/2in OR ask Golf Works if they will drill out weight from each hosel to give you a lighter set of heads.

Good ideas. Thanks!!

[BigTerp1524]

17 hours ago, Therty said:

My suggestion would be go to the iron fitting with an open mind, hit a bunch of iron heads and find out what works. Once we know from hitting some OEM irons what worked well and what didn't, it will be easy to point you at a Maltby option which is going to produce a nice ballflight for your swing.

Thanks!! This would be really appreciated.

[Eric49er]

You will be happy with Maltby, and you won't sink thousands into it...and I am 6'4 (not quite 6'8) and just went through what you are asking about

 

I was ready to buy a new set of irons so I did a ton of research and testing (3 or 4 demo days, and a TrueSpec fitting), got my specs, and ordered DBMs with graphite shafts, 6 iron to PW - I did not need them bent to a +3.  I spent about two months doing research and trying things out, and kept coming back to Maltby due to reputation and the ability to cusomize them at the price point and delivery speed i wanted.  I am super happy with them, and went back and ordered a lob wedge and a 56 degree MG wedge.  I wanted to get custom clubs that were an inch longer, wanted a specific flex, wanted a specific lie angle, and wanted a specific grip. I figure I saved over $900 over a comparable set of TaylorMade/Callaway/Titleist, and I got quality components fit for me in less than a week. 

[BigTerp1524]

20 hours ago, Eric49er said:

You will be happy with Maltby, and you won't sink thousands into it...and I am 6'4 (not quite 6'8) and just went through what you are asking about

 

I was ready to buy a new set of irons so I did a ton of research and testing (3 or 4 demo days, and a TrueSpec fitting), got my specs, and ordered DBMs with graphite shafts, 6 iron to PW - I did not need them bent to a +3.  I spent about two months doing research and trying things out, and kept coming back to Maltby due to reputation and the ability to cusomize them at the price point and delivery speed i wanted.  I am super happy with them, and went back and ordered a lob wedge and a 56 degree MG wedge.  I wanted to get custom clubs that were an inch longer, wanted a specific flex, wanted a specific lie angle, and wanted a specific grip. I figure I saved over $900 over a comparable set of TaylorMade/Callaway/Titleist, and I got quality components fit for me in less than a week. 

 

Thanks for the response!! 

 

Did you end up going +1" across the whole set? I've yet to get fitted (March 6th) so not sure what I'll end up needing length wise, lie wise, etc. But am wondering if I'd be better off not going as long in the long irons as I would in the shorter irons. Say I need +2", I'm thinking that could get unwieldly and end up in some pretty heavy swing weights in a 4i compared to an 8i. So am wondering if I'd be better off going something like +1" in the long irons and progressing my way to +2" in the shorter irons. But that also makes me wonder if I'd have to consider different lie angles across the set as well.  Lots to think about!! 

[Eric49er]

BigTerp1524 - I did end up going +1" for every iron that i bought, with every one have a plus lie angle (not sure if i eventually went with 1 or 2)

 

I did post in the Maltby forums to get recommendations from their staff - I did not call to talk to them about, just made a decision based on their recommendations and went with it.

[BigTerp1524]

4 hours ago, BigTerp1524 said:

My fitting on Saturday was pretty much a disaster. I could not hit anything well at all. I was struggling so much, my fitting basically turned into a lesson. I was either topping the ball into the bottom of the screen or hitting it with such an open club face that it was an awful slice/push slice. It was almost embarrassing how bad I was hitting!!

 

But, I do feel like it was well worth it. My fitter was super accommodating and it was refreshing to have someone watch my swing live and give feedback. What he determined is that I was sliding way to much forward on my downswing, and releasing the club way too late (baseball type swing). He had me line up the ball off my front foot like I would with a driver. I immediately starting hitting solid shots this way. He explained how this was just a band aid, but it highlighted my late release and forward slide in that I was able to cleanly hit the ball with it so far forward. He also explained how my slide forward blocked my hip rotation coming into impact which further exacerbated the late release and open club face at impact. He also had me reduce my wrist hinge at the top of my backswing and focus on a "casting motion" coming back down to help facilitate the release. Very similar to cast A in the NTC. This was also helpful.

 

A few drills he had me do was some swings with my feet together to get a feel for how the hips and body need to rotate through the swing, especially coming back down and at impact. This helped me feel how off the rotation is in my swing. For club release he place a large piece of painters tape on the turf and had me work on picking it clean. This seemed to help force me to release the club a bit better.

 

I was pretty frustrated after my fitting. But quickly realized I'm not completely rebuilding my swing in 2 months, and that I've got a LONG ways to go if I want to sick with it. The feedback about my swing I received will help moving forward.

 

We did come up with some club options that best fit me. First, was a 1-1/2" shaft length increase over standard. We tried everything up to 2" over standard and settled on 1-1/2". I found the Golf Pride Plus 4 Midsize the best feeling grip. WAY more comfortable than the standard size I've always played. For shaft he liked the TruTemper Dymanic Gold X100. He felt I needed the extra stiff do to my fast club head speed, extra length and how hard I rip my hands back down in the downswing. He did say I may want to step down to a stiff shaft once I work out my swing issues and stop ripping the club down so forcefully. Trying different heads was pretty pointless due to how awful I was swinging. We stuck with the Malby TS2 for everything. We didn't discuss lie angle. I honestly forgot to even mention this. But I think I was so inconsistent, he wasn't able to get a good gauge on what I needed here. In the build sheet he worked up, he did have the lie angles at +1/2 degree across the whole set. Not sure if that was what he came up with, or what Maltby defaults to with the TS2 in a +1-1/2" shaft. Something I should get in touch with him to clarify. In general, the combination of the 120g shaft, Plus 4 Midsize grip and the TS2 heads did feel really good, especially compared to what I have been swinging.

 

Overall I think the 1-1/2" shaft length increase, the 120ish gram shaft weight and the stiff/extra stiff flex will get me in the right direction. My plan is to have Maltby build me a set with a budget shaft (probably an FST). I just need to research which shaft is a good alternative to the X100 and decide on a head. I also need to figure out what I need/want in regards to lie angle. I'm far away from needing to be really particular with components, as evidenced by my inconsistently during my fitting. But I do believe the shaft length increase, more appropriate flex and a comfortable grip will only help as I continue to work on my swing.

 

Above is what I posted in my swing rebuild thread regarding my fitting I had over the weekend. As you can see, it didn't go quite as planned. 

 

I'm set on the grip I like and the 120g X100 at 1-1/2" over standard in a 7i did feel good. I'm looking at FST shafts since I'm doing all of this on a budget, and thinking the Pro or standard 115 or 125 might be comparable to the X100? They are labeled combo s/x and I'm sure Maltby could tip/trim them to get them comparable to the X100. 

 

Beyond the above I'm at a loss on what head I should go with. Also still scratching my head on what I should do in regards to lie angle. Any suggestions here?  

[Eric49er]

If you are at a loss as to what head to go with, get the one that you like the best! (just my opinion, i am sure that others who do club fitting would have a more scientific recommendation based on the fitting results and specs).  Maybe you could consider a different head based on desired ball flight, angle of attack, desired loft, etc.   Also, you could have them make you a club or two, so you can try them out against each other if you are unsure.  Since you are looking for longer than normal shafts in a certain flex, I doubt you will be able to find a sample club.  I would call them and ask, though.  It looks like you could order a club for about $70 to see if you like before you invest in the full set.  A small price to pay instead of the $1200 or more you would pay for a full set of TaylorMade irons

[BigTerp1524]

9 minutes ago, Eric49er said:

If you are at a loss as to what head to go with, get the one that you like the best! (just my opinion, i am sure that others who do club fitting would have a more scientific recommendation based on the fitting results and specs).  Maybe you could consider a different head based on desired ball flight, angle of attack, desired loft, etc.   Also, you could have them make you a club or two, so you can try them out against each other if you are unsure.  Since you are looking for longer than normal shafts in a certain flex, I doubt you will be able to find a sample club.  I would call them and ask, though.  It looks like you could order a club for about $70 to see if you like before you invest in the full set.  A small price to pay instead of the $1200 or more you would pay for a full set of TaylorMade irons

 

Thanks!! And agreed on the price versus big name clubs. Part of the reason I'm going with Maltby. 

 

I've considered having just a club or two built to test out. But not really sure I'd even be able to tell what I like or dislike about a particular club to make it worthwhile. At this point, I think a set with the 1-1/2" length increase, s/xs shafts and the grips I'm comfortable with will help me the most. Down the line when I get my swing sorted out and get fairly consistent with it, I may be able to be more particular. But for now it seems like it would similar to chasing my tail. 

[Jae783]

On 3/8/2021 at 12:49 PM, BigTerp1524 said:

 

Thanks!! And agreed on the price versus big name clubs. Part of the reason I'm going with Maltby. 

 

I've considered having just a club or two built to test out. But not really sure I'd even be able to tell what I like or dislike about a particular club to make it worthwhile. At this point, I think a set with the 1-1/2" length increase, s/xs shafts and the grips I'm comfortable with will help me the most. Down the line when I get my swing sorted out and get fairly consistent with it, I may be able to be more particular. But for now it seems like it would similar to chasing my tail. 

I've been a lurker on this site for many years and created an account (not approved yet) just to help with some of your questions.

Background: ~11 handicap, on the taller side (not as tall as you but have shorter arms for my height) my irons are fit at 2* up, 1-1.25in over depending on the brand. I've played everything from blades to SGI clubs and just got my first Maltby irons (TS2s) and love them. I got the TS2s in 6-GW (my bag is set up for traditional lofts and I only play up to 5 iron with irons). I got them 1in over with the FST PRO 125 XStiff. FYI on the FST PROs they tend to play one level softer. The FST pro 125 xstiff feel about the same as my KBS tour 120g in stiff I have in another set of irons (feels like the kick point is different but very playable). I’m actually shocked how good these shafts are for the cost. I've played lighter shafts (105g-125g) and I went back to the 125 gram shaft due to my swing issues. The heavier shafts keeps me from pulling my shots left. It doesnt happen everytime but I have a tendency to yank left. I have no idea what your physical abilities/athleticism is like but I have a few friends that had to play longer clubs too and none of us counterbalance our irons. I dont know if its our physical size or what it is but the extra feeling of the head helps us know where the head is during our swing. I dont know if that makes sense. Maybe because we played so long like this, it became normal for us. I also play my hybrids/woods/driver in standard length but 2* upright. The standard length hybrids play well into transitioning from irons and then into woods. My suggestion is to try these irons out without counterbalance and then add them later. The TS2s kicked my 714 ap2s (I've played them since release) out of the bag and are great irons. Good luck

[BigTerp1524]

8 hours ago, Jae783 said:

I've been a lurker on this site for many years and created an account (not approved yet) just to help with some of your questions.

Background: ~11 handicap, on the taller side (not as tall as you but have shorter arms for my height) my irons are fit at 2* up, 1-1.25in over depending on the brand. I've played everything from blades to SGI clubs and just got my first Maltby irons (TS2s) and love them. I got the TS2s in 6-GW (my bag is set up for traditional lofts and I only play up to 5 iron with irons). I got them 1in over with the FST PRO 125 XStiff. FYI on the FST PROs they tend to play one level softer. The FST pro 125 xstiff feel about the same as my KBS tour 120g in stiff I have in another set of irons (feels like the kick point is different but very playable). I’m actually shocked how good these shafts are for the cost. I've played lighter shafts (105g-125g) and I went back to the 125 gram shaft due to my swing issues. The heavier shafts keeps me from pulling my shots left. It doesnt happen everytime but I have a tendency to yank left. I have no idea what your physical abilities/athleticism is like but I have a few friends that had to play longer clubs too and none of us counterbalance our irons. I dont know if its our physical size or what it is but the extra feeling of the head helps us know where the head is during our swing. I dont know if that makes sense. Maybe because we played so long like this, it became normal for us. I also play my hybrids/woods/driver in standard length but 2* upright. The standard length hybrids play well into transitioning from irons and then into woods. My suggestion is to try these irons out without counterbalance and then add them later. The TS2s kicked my 714 ap2s (I've played them since release) out of the bag and are great irons. Good luck

Thanks @Jae783 I'd been strongly considering the FST Pro 125 over the DG 120 in X100 flex for a few reasons. Cost being one. The FST would save me around $20 per club. A savings that adds up pretty quick when your pretty much building an entire bag. Also my fitter suggested that I may want to step down to a stiff flex once my swing improves and I stop ripping my hands/club down from the top so aggressively. I've found myself doing this some already as I've slowed my tempo down quite a bit. The FST Pro 125 tipped to XStiff being more towards the stiff flex might fit just right for me in that regard.

 

You say the FST has a different kick point. Could you elaborate? Also, do you have any experience with the DG 120 in X100 flex to compare to the FST? I started a separate thread on this exact topic and all suggested I stick with the DG 120. Some of the responses to the FST's say they were extremely soft, ballooned the ball, etc.

 

I have not enough experience to really "feel" the differences between shafts, minus the weight differences. As far as kick point, bend point, torque, etc., etc., I cannot really feel the differences. So just trying to get a good idea of what to expect between the different shafts I'm considering based on others experiences. 

[Jae783]

12 hours ago, BigTerp1524 said:

Thanks @Jae783 I'd been strongly considering the FST Pro 125 over the DG 120 in X100 flex for a few reasons. Cost being one. The FST would save me around $20 per club. A savings that adds up pretty quick when your pretty much building an entire bag. Also my fitter suggested that I may want to step down to a stiff flex once my swing improves and I stop ripping my hands/club down from the top so aggressively. I've found myself doing this some already as I've slowed my tempo down quite a bit. The FST Pro 125 tipped to XStiff being more towards the stiff flex might fit just right for me in that regard.

 

You say the FST has a different kick point. Could you elaborate? Also, do you have any experience with the DG 120 in X100 flex to compare to the FST? I started a separate thread on this exact topic and all suggested I stick with the DG 120. Some of the responses to the FST's say they were extremely soft, ballooned the ball, etc.

 

I have not enough experience to really "feel" the differences between shafts, minus the weight differences. As far as kick point, bend point, torque, etc., etc., I cannot really feel the differences. So just trying to get a good idea of what to expect between the different shafts I'm considering based on others experiences. 

I have some experience with DG s300 and s400 shafts but overall DG doesnt really suit me except in wedges. I've primarily preferred some sort of KBS shafts (made by FST) as it feels smoother to me with my swing. I've also gamed a KBS shaft for the majority of the past 13 years so it might be that my swing has aged around that shaft profile as well. FST pro 125 xstiff vs KBS tour 120g stiff feel similar in stiffness but the FST pro 125 feels a bit more whippy towards the tip than the KBS. Its not a terrible amount but swinging them back to back I can notice it. I tend to hit my irons decently high and I like playing like that as my ball tends to stop better on greens. I think that the people that say that the FST pros are extremely soft probably didnt go one level stiffer. If you call golfworks they will suggest going one stiffer and it works out really well. I havent had an issue with ballooning but its also how people want to play their irons. I'm used to hitting my ap2s a bit high and having the ball stop on the green pretty close to my pitch mark up to 7 iron. The TS2 8iron (same loft as my 7i ap2) with the FSTs are stopping about 5-6 feet after my pitch mark. I havent had a chance to go to a launch monitor with all the covid stuff going on but it feels like the TS2 spins a tad less so hitting it a bit higher isnt a bad thing. I wouldnt want them to go any lower even if I picked up yardage as I dont like my irons performing that way. I would definitely play and recommend the FST pro. For the money they are amazing. I am going to replace the FST pro in the near future with ozik 120g graphite shafts mainly to help with shock/impact (I'm getting a little older now and want to prevent injury) but plan to use the FST pros in a backup set.  

Edited March 24, 2021 by Jae783

[BogeyParBogey]

I think its important for you to build a test club.  See that it works then build the rest.

 

Dave

[BigTerp1524]

1 hour ago, Jae783 said:

I have some experience with DG s300 and s400 shafts but overall DG doesnt really suit me except in wedges. I've primarily preferred some sort of KBS shafts (made by FST) as it feels smoother to me with my swing. I've also gamed a KBS shaft for the majority of the past 13 years so it might be that my swing has aged around that shaft profile as well. FST pro 125 xstiff vs KBS tour 120g stiff feel similar in stiffness but the FST pro 125 feels a bit more whippy towards the tip than the KBS. Its not a terrible amount but swinging them back to back I can notice it. I tend to hit my irons decently high and I like playing like that as my ball tends to stop better on greens. I think that the people that say that the FST pros are extremely soft probably didnt go one level stiffer. If you call golfworks they will suggest going one stiffer and it works out really well. I havent had an issue with ballooning but its also how people want to play their irons. I'm used to hitting my ap2s a bit high and having the ball stop on the green pretty close to my pitch mark up to 7 iron. The TS2 8iron (same loft as my 7i ap2) with the FSTs are stopping about 5-6 feet after my pitch mark. I havent had a chance to go to a launch monitor with all the covid stuff going on but it feels like the TS2 spins a tad less so hitting it a bit higher isnt a bad thing. I wouldnt want them to go any lower even if I picked up yardage as I dont like my irons performing that way. I would definitely play and recommend the FST pro. For the money they are amazing. I am going to replace the FST pro in the near future with ozik 120g graphite shafts mainly to help with shock/impact (I'm getting a little older now and want to prevent injury) but plan to use the FST pros in a backup set.  

Thanks for the well thought out response. Much appreciated!!

Edited March 24, 2021 by BigTerp1524

[BigTerp1524]

27 minutes ago, BogeyParBogey said:

I think its important for you to build a test club.  See that it works then build the rest.

 

Dave

Yeah, you're right. I already know how the DG 120 feels, for the most part. Building a 7i at plus 1-1/2" with one of the FST's would give me a good comparison and be the best way for me to make an informed decision. Thanks!

[BigTerp1524]

Last week I ordered a DMB in 7i with the FST Pro 125 in X-stiff at 38-1/2". Matched it with a Golf Pride MCC Plus 4 Midsize. Both the grip and shaft are currently on backorder, so I'll have to wait a week or two to get my hands on it. It's been suggested several times by many on here that I should get a test club before ordering a full set. That was really solid advice. Looking forward to trying this club out and then making a decision so I can get a full set and continue working on my swing. 

[kjbuckeye]

Been playing Maltby TS1 for about a year now. It has been great. Nothing but good things to say about Maltby club heads.