Trying to find the right irons - How come I can’t find much difference in irons or the right irons?

[LowAndLeft32]

I’m trying to figure out what type of irons to game. Currently I hit my Nike Vr pro blades as good as my T100 irons. Based on theory the blades should be harder to hit and less forgiving. I haven’t found that to be the case. The most noticeable difference between the two irons are the Nikes have better turf interaction and the t100 irons might go further when I catch one really good. Otherwise no noticeable difference between the two sets. Both sets have s300 shafts. 
 

This isn’t meant to be a blade vs GI debate. Im just wanna to find a set of irons that a really like that will last for more than one season. Over the last 5 years I played: 

 

Mizuno MP4

Mizuno JPX 900

Srixon 785s

Ping I500

Nike Vr pro blades

Titleist T100

 

I have demo’ed a lot of other clubs but the list above won out during the fittings. 
 

Maybe the fittings are just really overrated? Maybe I just chose the club that I happen to be hitting the best on that particular day? Note I’ve been fitted by a top 100 fitter, at club champion and Edwin Watts. 
 

Maybe there is no one perfect iron or magic club. But I would sure like to find something that I really like. In the meantime I will keep trying new things in hopes I strike gold. Once a club hoe always a ........

Cheers 

Edited May 3, 2021 by LowAndLeft32

[lefthack]

There is no magic club. You find one that fits your eye, fits your swing, fits your budget.

 

Meeting with a fitter will sort out length and lie. Might give suggestions based on swing. But there is so much personal preference to irons.

 

I feel lucky in that I went from good, to great, to fantastic. But I learned what I like (look, sound and feel). 

 

I wouldn't call the T100 a GI iron, but I could be wrong. Play what you like and what works for you.

[North Butte]

Are you expecting to find one set of irons that improve your scores by more than a stroke or two compared to another set? That isn’t going to happen unless you were using a set terribly un-suited to your swing or your physical abilities. 
 

I have probably played nearly 20 different sets of irons over the past 25 years. A few of them just plain old did not work for me. But most of them worked more or less equally well in terms of scoring. 
 

I own a set of 718 AP2 irons that I really, really like even though they are pretty unforgiving for a double-digit handicapper like me. Sometimes I use them anyway. Other times I play a SGI set that seem to save me a stroke or two on rounds when I am hitting it badly. 
 

But in the end I am something like a 14hcp with one set and a 15hcp with the other. It isn’t like which model irons I use are going to make me shoot in the 70’s instead of 80’s!

[mgoblue83]

Forged mb or cb irons haven't changed in 20 (50?) years. Just pick a set of heads that you like the look and feel of and see a good fitter to dial in the shaft, length, lie, lofts, and weighting. Then stick with it for 5+ years or until your swing drastically changes.

 

Stay away from SGI/GI/hollow body crap with jacked lofts if you are a decent ball striker. They are launch monitor queens but make it really hard to control the golf ball and score well.

[naval2006]

I think there's a point when you know what works for you and you search within a certain range of clubs. In the end they all perform similarly even though you always wish you found the magic wand. 

[platgof]

You talked about heads, but nothing about shafts! What shafts were the fitters recommending??

[mantan]

It feels like a golden era of equipment. Most companies make REALLY good stuff.

[jvincent]

5 minutes ago, platgof said:

You talked about heads, but nothing about shafts! What shafts were the fitters recommending??

Seconding this.

 

Total weight and shaft profile will have a lot more to do with how well an iron plays for you than the head. Notwithstanding the contribution of the headweight to the total weight equation.

[North Butte]

6 minutes ago, mantan said:

It feels like a golden era of equipment. Most companies make REALLY good stuff.

This is true.

 

In either the "players irons" or the "game improvement" categories, you could pick a brand at random and buy a model from Titleist, Ping, Callaway, Taylormade and several other companies that is much improved over anything you could buy in the same categories 25 yards ago. 

 

Not a lot has changed in "blades" maybe. A muscleback with a thin sole is a muscleback with a thin sole, nobody wants it to change. But irons where weight distribution, face thickness and sole shape and width matter have really gotten dialed in. Not to mention you can find almost any flex distribution and feel you like in a range of shafts weight from 130g right on down to ultralight.

[Ger21]

If you are a decent ballstriker, VR Pro blades are not hard to hit, imo. Before the VR Pro's, I played golfsmith Pro Forged blades for about 10 years, and the VR Pro's are much easier to hit.

I play weekly with a guy with i500's, and he hits my VR Pro blades better than the i500's.

[TwistedSister]

1 hour ago, LowAndLeft32 said:

I’m trying to figure out what type of irons to game. Currently I hit my Nike Vr pro blades as good as my T100 irons. Based on theory the blades should be harder to hit and less forgiving. I haven’t found that to be the case. The most noticeable difference between the two irons are the Nikes have better turf interaction and the t100 irons might go further when I catch one really good. Otherwise no noticeable difference between the two sets. 
 

This isn’t meant to be a blade vs GI debate. Im just wanna to find a set of irons that a really like that will last for more than one season. Over the last 5 years I played: 

 

Mizuno MP4

Mizuno JPX 900

Srixon 785s

Ping I500

Nike Vr pro blades

Titleist T100

 

I have demo’ed a lot of other clubs but the list above won out during the fittings. 
 

Maybe the fittings are just really overrated? Maybe I just chose the club that I happen to be hitting the best on that particular day? Note I’ve been fitted by a top 100 fitter, at club champion and Edwin Watts. 
 

Maybe there is no one perfect iron or magic club. But I would sure like to find something that I really like. In the meantime I will keep trying new things in hopes I strike gold. Once a club hoe always a ........

Cheers 

Why do they only last one year? 

[dubbelbogey]

I recently made a comment in another thread about irons being the golf equipment equivalent to different brands of bottled water. 

 

Sometimes you want one from the Kirkland 24-pack, sometimes San Pellegrino, other times you fill your bottle from the tap. Functionally, they all work fine.

[RacineBoxer]

10 minutes ago, dubbelbogey said:

I recently made a comment in another thread about irons being the golf equipment equivalent to different brands of bottled water. 

 

Sometimes you want one from the Kirkland 24-pack, sometimes San Pellegrino, other times you fill your bottle from the tap. Functionally, they all work fine.

 

Not sure I really disagree. Within reason of course. 

Get something that reasonably fits you and then it's all strike. 

[puttingmatt]

Equipment accounts  for only a small percentage of your game,  hence, Equipment doesn't make the player.

[BogeyParBogey]

I've found that when I change equipment too often my game goes to hell.  I can totally relate to wanting to find the solution that results in a huge difference, but IMHO it ultimately is a search for something that isn't there. 

 

The best advice is probably to choose a club head/shaft combination you like the looks/feel of and that produces good results and then stick with it until your swing changes.  I haven't followed my own advice though.  I plan to do a sell off soon and get down to one set -- then I can't make any further changes.

 

Dave

[nostatic]

Getting fitted for irons hitting off mats?

 

Just say no...

[CDM]

ZX7....   fitted of course.... should end your search.

[LUXOR54]

Breaking News: piece of metal on stick is not all that different from other piece of metal on stick!

 

All jokes aside, I feel the same way. Once you get down to solid, one piece forged heads, aside from the leading edge and offset, there isn't that much in it. I still love all of my shiny pieces of metal on sticks, Blades or CB's

[bird_4_3]

1 hour ago, nostatic said:

Getting fitted for irons hitting off mats?

 

Just say no...

This is simple and solid advice.  Another person said to stay away from SGI irons, I think that is bad advice.  SGI have a place in the game and there are very few irons that have the hot spots of the past.  In the end get fitted outside to see turf interaction and actual ball flight.  The shaft is more important that the head, always has been.  Find the right shaft.

[llewol007]

PLAY WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. Yes you heard it right. Dont get caught up in what this player, that player, this pro, that pro. Try out several clubs and you have to find out what performs but also, sounds good when you make contact, looks good when you address the ball, feels a certain way when you hit it, and most importantly, has the right shaft in it for you. 

Edited May 3, 2021 by llewol007

[iNeedMoreGolf]

Was thinkin the same thing earlier today after a round. I play mp 5 blades and mp 20 mmc... the mmc and blade do the same thing. Ive had gi irons and they felt different but again same thing maybe  small minor differences that to my game almost dont matter. I will say gi irons balloon on me a bit more then players irons in the short clubs.

 

I think some blades have actually progressed. I think they are much more playable and forgiving then most people think. I dont think they arent like they used to be.

 

Yes fittings seem to be a touch over-rated. I think you need to land on the perfect fitter who actually cares about what you want and need instead of just charging you for a quick hr and saying  you fit in blah blah now be on your way... theirs more to it then that.  Seems like unless your on the pga tour no1 is going to sit there with you and really help you narrow it down to best performace and feel in both clubhead, grip, and shaft. Yeah... hitting off a matt is absolutely nothing like real golf ground interactions.

 

Ive also come to find their is one more category we overlook when choosing clubs.. and i truly think this is where our club hoeyness comes from... its fun factor... honestly you can shoot a 72 with a set that is ok or a 74 with a set thats really fun to play with... i think i would choose the funner set everytime. I have to say... even though im over bigger gi irons now... sometimes it was really fun to just get over the ball with a fat headed iron and just smack it lol something about the less stress a gi iron offers even though i feel the players irons are super forgiving as well.

 

[LowAndLeft32]

12 hours ago, platgof said:

You talked about heads, but nothing about shafts! What shafts were the fitters recommending??

Good point. My Nikes pro blades and T100 both have S300 shafts. Fitters have recommended the s300 and Modus 105s shafts. 

[LowAndLeft32]

11 hours ago, dhacker56 said:

Why do they only last one year? 

Good question. Honest answer which isnt the right answer. But, Usually Im not hitting the ball that good, then get reading about new tech and start demoing new stuff. During the demo I hit new irons better on that day and then the switch is made. 

[LowAndLeft32]

11 hours ago, nostatic said:

Getting fitted for irons hitting off mats?

 

Just say no...

Interesting comment. I was just thinking the same thing. I think that mats could be an issue and turf interaction plays a bigger role than many realize. 

[LowAndLeft32]

10 hours ago, CDM said:

ZX7....   fitted of course.... should end your search.

I seen alot of good things about the 7x7. Why do think it will end the search? thanks. 

[BobbyFray]

There's just so much good stuff out there.  Almost too many good options, if that's a thing?

[Itsjustagame]

There really isn't anything about the design and manufacturing of iron heads that isn't widely known in the industry. Find a head design that appeals to you and all the big manufacturers will have something close - just personal preference from there.

[tomc262]

This is something I deal with on the regular.  I have a set of Mizzy 919 HMPs that launch the ball really well and only go straight...but keep gravitating back to my Eye2's or FG17's.  I am certainly a club weaker with those older sets but I love looking down at them. The FG17's have DG300's in them and on a good day I am only a shot or two different than with the power bats.  No clue why...I definitely don't pure every shot.  But when you hit one flush it is pure gold.  Didn't remotely answer your question but had to share my weekly schizophrenia when it comes to equipment. 🙂

[North Butte]

1 hour ago, BobbyFray said:

There's just so much good stuff out there.  Almost too many good options, if that's a thing?

If you're into novelty and "change for the sake of change" like a lot of us, it's a thing and in fact it's a good thing. You could literally try a different set of irons every few months for the rest of your life and (by shopping with a bit of care and self-knowledge) never be using a set that you can't play reasonable well with. 

 

And if you just want to find a set of irons that work then play them until the grooves wear out, it's still a good thing. It means once you try a few sets and know what works you can rest assured that you're not missing out on a magic iron set somewhere that's going to knock five strokes off your handicap. 

 

The whole fitting thing IMO has two purposes. One is if you're unable or unwilling to just trial and error a few sets to figure out what works. The other is if you want to make "finding the perfect irons" it's own hobby and try to whittle down every last 1% of optimization.

 

Especially if you're a healthy male golfer who doesn't have unusual physical characteristics (super tall, really short, orthopedic limitations, etc.) it's not that hard to find clubs that work close to ideally without spending a fortune on high-tech fitting(s). 

[TwistedSister]

5 hours ago, LowAndLeft32 said:

Good question. Honest answer which isnt the right answer. But, Usually Im not hitting the ball that good, then get reading about new tech and start demoing new stuff. During the demo I hit new irons better on that day and then the switch is made. 

Tech won't help if it is your swing.