Picking new old irons

[Ric0485]

It's been mentioned before but the srixon z785 are awesome, can't go wrong with those. Another set I wish I wouldn't have sold many moons ago are rac blades. Tough at times to play but boy were they a joy when the swing was on

[Payton1020]

On 7/22/2021 at 9:59 PM, Jeff58 said:

https://www.thehackersparadise.com/taylormade-r9-irons-review/
 

Wish I had mine back. Stupid to sell them. Stupid…

 

Only issue is that they’re *very* hard to find at this point.

 

JDM, no less.

 

[chipa]

I recently ordered a Titleist DCI lob wedge and was really surprised how well it felt. After that I did some research about the DCI irons and it appears the 962B's are what David Duval played and had a good following. I ended up going with 990B's because they got a lot of good reviews here on the forum plus I wanted very little offset with the weight closer to the hosel. I got the irons yesterday and it turns out that there really is no cavity but still has an MPF of 441 which I think is impressive. They look very good and from what I read they have been treated to be a softer than most casts, like 304. I feel like my hc will be dropping soon.

[deejaid]

Circa 2000 Maxfli Revolution black dots or Maxfli A10 Tour Limited.  Two incredible sets of irons that are cast nickel but feel as soft or softer than a forged club.  Super easy to bend too.  Nothing like them.  
 

Absolutely can hang with anything made today.

[EmperorPenguin]

I am your man.  I am an equipment junkie obsessed with irons from the last millennium.  I have twenty sets of golf clubs, and none of them are from the past two decades.  The lofts are all weaker, with the pitching wedge at 48 degrees.  Judging by your original post, and looking at my club rack, these are the clubs I highly recommend.

 

Daiwa DG-1 (very rare)

Golden Ram Tour Grind Vibration Matched

Hogan Apex 1973

Hogan EDGE GCD Tour Forged (rare)

King Cobra Norman Oversized

Maxfli Tour Ltd. Forged

Mizuno T-Zoid Pro II

Titleist 962

Titleist DCI-B (1994)

Titleist DCI Black

Titleist Tour Model (ca. 1996)

Yonex ADX Tour Forged

 

If you ask me to select only one of these sets for you, given your 2 handicap and you seek clubs that are as good as anything today and with the "cult following" and Tour verified, here is your winner: Titleist 962.  I was interested in the 962B model, but I decided against it because I already had the 962, which has no offset and a little easier to hit anyway.

 

Someone recommended the Maxfli Revolution and the Maxfli A10 Tour Limited, which I would also strongly recommend, but I do not have them in my club rack because they are not from the last millennium and their lofts are jacked up.

[rorykoepka]

35 minutes ago, EmperorPenguin said:

I am your man.  I am an equipment junkie obsessed with irons from the last millennium.  I have twenty sets of golf clubs, and none of them are from the past two decades.  The lofts are all weaker, with the pitching wedge at 48 degrees.  Judging by your original post, and looking at my club rack, these are the clubs I highly recommend.

 

Daiwa DG-1 (very rare)

Golden Ram Tour Grind Vibration Matched

Hogan Apex 1973

Hogan EDGE GCD Tour Forged (rare)

King Cobra Norman Oversized

Maxfli Tour Ltd. Forged

Mizuno T-Zoid Pro II

Titleist 962

Titleist DCI-B (1994)

Titleist DCI Black

Titleist Tour Model (ca. 1996)

Yonex ADX Tour Forged

 

If you ask me to select only one of these sets for you, given your 2 handicap and you seek clubs that are as good as anything today and with the "cult following" and Tour verified, here is your winner: Titleist 962.  I was interested in the 962B model, but I decided against it because I already had the 962, which has no offset and a little easier to hit anyway.

 

Someone recommended the Maxfli Revolution and the Maxfli A10 Tour Limited, which I would also strongly recommend, but I do not have them in my club rack because they are not from the last millennium and their lofts are jacked up.

Ok, now I have to look at the 962 and 962B.  Do you think those irons can keep up with the irons today in the cavity back category? I considered the Titleist CB's in the last 10 years but never considered going back further

[EmperorPenguin]

6 minutes ago, rorykoepka said:

Ok, now I have to look at the 962 and 962B.  Do you think those irons can keep up with the irons today in the cavity back category? I considered the Titleist CB's in the last 10 years but never considered going back further

The 962B's are basically blades.  The cavity is much shallower and the heads are smaller.  You might as well consider musclebacks if you will look into the 962B's.  The 962's set up beautifully, with no offset and toplines a touch wider than true blades.  If you address the ball with a 962 2 iron and do a waggle you will get the idea immediately.  I think you will fall in love with those clubs and will never let them go.

[rorykoepka]

6 minutes ago, EmperorPenguin said:

The 962B's are basically blades.  The cavity is much shallower and the heads are smaller.  You might as well consider musclebacks if you will look into the 962B's.  The 962's set up beautifully, with no offset and toplines a touch wider than true blades.  If you address the ball with a 962 2 iron and do a waggle you will get the idea immediately.  I think you will fall in love with those clubs and will never let them go.

I was looking at the specs of both and the 962b with the less offset would likely fit my eye better but I'm not sure.  Wish there was a side by side pic of both irons

[DaveMc82]

Srixon ZTX2 - they’re that halfway house between Z7x5 and Z9x5 or Z forged. I still own two sets with 6.0 rifles in 4-PW. The visible tungsten plugs in the longer irons are a nice touch too. 
 

AP2 OG thru 714 - I’m using my 714s and nothing newer makes me want to change. 

[avguy]

Some Phil talk and his Callies but misses was he also played the Callaway Protos ca. 2010 and their close cousins the Razr-X MBs.

 

I sure miss my Razr X MBs which looked stunning and set up so fine at address.  I struck them well, but I unloaded them sadly with several other classics some time back due to steel shafts and not wanting to keep reshafting older sets into graphite - all I play due to age/injury concerns.

 

They were just a tad below GI level of MPF.  Still my favorite blade among a half dozen tried. 

 

When I only got out 1X/mo. early 2000's, my only set then was Titleist DCI 962 in a light graphite shaft - this to as mentioned is another easy but classy head!

[chipa]

7 hours ago, rorykoepka said:

I was looking at the specs of both and the 962b with the less offset would likely fit my eye better but I'm not sure.  Wish there was a side by side pic of both irons

 

There are plenty of pics on ebay but based on the specs and my 990B's which have just a little more offset I would say the 962B's would appear to have very little like a pros blades. In addition to the DCI 990B's, I bought a set of 962's and Blacks for my daughters. The 990B's and  962 have arrived and they look great. They are 17-4 steel that has been treated to be much softer, like 304 s.s. and not much harder than forged.  My daughters say the 962's feel lighter that their other more modern irons I bought them, its because the weight is closer to the hosel. They will lose more distance on mishits toward the toe but I find they are easier to get the club open early which helps with pitches and my hook. I have the 5-P which is really a 6-G and have another modern 5 iron with more weight on the toe.

[EmperorPenguin]

8 hours ago, rorykoepka said:

I was looking at the specs of both and the 962b with the less offset would likely fit my eye better but I'm not sure.  Wish there was a side by side pic of both irons

I don't have 962B's, but I did try them from a buddy's set.  They feel much more like blades than the standard 962's.  Here is the 1 iron at address.  You can see the minimal--or lack of, I would say--offset.  I say that the offset is negligible.  Grab a set and go hit a few with 'em!  You will not be disappointed.

[EmperorPenguin]

1 hour ago, chipa said:

 

There are plenty of pics on ebay but based on the specs and my 990B's which have just a little more offset I would say the 962B's would appear to have very little like a pros blades. In addition to the DCI 990B's, I bought a set of 962's and Blacks for my daughters. The 990B's and  962 have arrived and they look great. They are 17-4 steel that has been treated to be much softer, like 304 s.s. and not much harder than forged.  My daughters say the 962's feel lighter that their other more modern irons I bought them, its because the weight is closer to the hosel. They will lose more distance on mishits toward the toe but I find they are easier to get the club open early which helps with pitches and my hook. I have the 5-P which is really a 6-G and have another modern 5 iron with more weight on the toe.

I had a set of the 990B's, but I sold them because to me they were not as sexy as my 962's, nor were my shots better than from the 962's.  The 962 was simply a superior club.

[chipa]

23 minutes ago, EmperorPenguin said:

I had a set of the 990B's, but I sold them because to me they were not as sexy as my 962's, nor were my shots better than from the 962's.  The 962 was simply a superior club.

 

I have hit my daughters 962's at the range and they certainly look good and set up well. I've hit foam balls at my house with the 990B's and they are definitely much more like a blade with less offset but that's what I need more than anything to control my hook. Besides, I'm only playing the 28 degree on up and don't try to hit my irons too far, I think I can hit it 181 with an 85% swing.

Edited July 26, 2021 by chipa

[chipa]

deleted

Edited July 26, 2021 by chipa

[NRJyzr]

16 hours ago, EmperorPenguin said:

Someone recommended the Maxfli Revolution and the Maxfli A10 Tour Limited, which I would also strongly recommend, but I do not have them in my club rack because they are not from the last millennium and their lofts are jacked up.

 

The Maxfli Revolution irons are from the late 90s.  They have a 21* 3 iron and 48* PW.

 

There's a midsize version of these, which have a red dot; they are from the 21st Century.

 

You can feel safe with the black dot versions...

 

[nitram]

Check out the Tourstage Z101. Endo forged and the best feeling iron I've ever hit in over 4 decades of golf.

 

Bridgestone J33 MB. Same Endo forgings as above and one of the best ever made.

 

Hogan '99 APEX. Also Endo forged and is as pretty to look at as it is fun to hit.

 

All three are consideed "cultish" in one fashion or another and can be found pretty easily.

[rorykoepka]

Update: I picked up a set of Titleist DCI 962 3-5 iron and 962b 6-PW in great condition.  Only problem is I didn't like the S200 Sensicore shafts that came stock and just spent $650 on re-shafting them with Dynamic Gold X100 Tour issues...cringe.  They better be worth it!

[JungleJimbo]

1 hour ago, rorykoepka said:

Update: I picked up a set of Titleist DCI 962 3-5 iron and 962b 6-PW in great condition.  Only problem is I didn't like the S200 Sensicore shafts that came stock and just spent $650 on re-shafting them with Dynamic Gold X100 Tour issues...cringe.  They better be worth it!

@rorykoepka what didn’t you like about the sensicores?
 

I’ve always been curious to try sensicores (or Cushin/pro soft inserts, etc), for the vibration reduction (but didn’t want to add the inserts aftermarket)... maybe your explanation will temper/reduce my itch!
 

Edited August 4, 2021 by JungleJimbo

[rorykoepka]

1 minute ago, JungleJimbo said:

@rorykoepka what didn’t you like about the sensicores?
 

I’ve always been curious to try sensicores (or Cushin/pro soft inserts, etc), for the vibration reduction (but didn’t want to add the inserts aftermarket)... maybe your explanation will temper/reduce my itch!
 

I actually really liked the sensicore feel! I just hated the S200 profile. I swing 6 iron about 94 mph and it just felt overly soft. Tbh if I could get my hands on an X100 sensicore I would do it in a heartbeat cause the sensicore did feel smooth. Much better than the stock S200 without sensicore

[EmperorPenguin]

On 8/3/2021 at 5:10 PM, rorykoepka said:

Update: I picked up a set of Titleist DCI 962 3-5 iron and 962b 6-PW in great condition.  Only problem is I didn't like the S200 Sensicore shafts that came stock and just spent $650 on re-shafting them with Dynamic Gold X100 Tour issues...cringe.  They better be worth it!

962 3-5 and the 962B 6-PW?  That's the best of both worlds.  Add in a Mizuno Fli-Hi 18-degree 2 iron and you'll nicely blend in your irons to your woods.  Something worthy of consideration.

 

So you can see that the difference in offset between the 962 and the 962B is negligible.  The 962 alone has nearly no offset, maybe 1 mm?  I don't need to split my 962 set with the 962B's because I am happy with the full 962 set.

 

About the same years the 962's were out, Titleist released their Titleist High Performance Triple Grind Sole wedges.  They have the same sole design as the 962.  I have those as well.  They match the 962 heads perfectly.  This is something to consider if you just want to match soles for the sake of matching; if you get the ball closer with, say, your Clevelands, keep them in the bag!

 

The 962's were a one-of-a-kind design.  In 1995, Titleist released their new version of the DCI Black, which is identical in design to your 962's.  The next year they simply stamped 962 on the heads.  If you see a set of 962's without the 962 stamp, they are the '95 DCI Blacks, which are 962's.

 

I am quite sure you will fall in love with your clubs, as I am still in love with my 962's.  Just remember that they have the weaker lofts.  Here are the specs for both your 962's and 962B's.

https://www.titleist.com/golf-clubs/irons/dci-962

https://www.titleist.com/golf-clubs/irons/dci-962b

 

Keep us posted on how you like them.

[chipa]

31 minutes ago, EmperorPenguin said:

962 3-5 and the 962B 6-PW?  That's the best of both worlds.  Add in a Mizuno Fli-Hi 18-degree 2 iron and you'll nicely blend in your irons to your woods.  Something worthy of consideration.

 

So you can see that the difference in offset between the 962 and the 962B is negligible.  The 962 alone has nearly no offset, maybe 1 mm?  I don't need to split my 962 set with the 962B's because I am happy with the full 962 set.

 

About the same years the 962's were out, Titleist released their Titleist High Performance Triple Grind Sole wedges.  They have the same sole design as the 962.  I have those as well.  They match the 962 heads perfectly.  This is something to consider if you just want to match soles for the sake of matching; if you get the ball closer with, say, your Clevelands, keep them in the bag!

 

The 962's were a one-of-a-kind design.  In 1995, Titleist released their new version of the DCI Black, which is identical in design to your 962's.  The next year they simply stamped 962 on the heads.  If you see a set of 962's without the 962 stamp, they are the '95 DCI Blacks, which are 962's.

 

I am quite sure you will fall in love with your clubs, as I am still in love with my 962's.  Just remember that they have the weaker lofts.  Here are the specs for both your 962's and 962B's.

https://www.titleist.com/golf-clubs/irons/dci-962

https://www.titleist.com/golf-clubs/irons/dci-962b

 

Keep us posted on how you like them.

 

I have the 990B 5-P  and ordered a 962 4 iron. I think the less offset of the 990B's will help me control my draw and hit the ball higher but a little more offset in the 4 iron is fine, plus I'll put a graphite shaft in it 1/2" longer.

[Golly]

Maxfli revolution black dots. Probably the best cavity back iron I have gamed. Super simple proven design that works. Later designs like the 718 Titleist ap2, ping i210 don't come close to offering the feedback the black dots offer. Personally I think a lot the tech in club these days dumb down the feel somewhat, just my opinion.

Mizuno do offer some great classic options in the mp33 & mp5. I would personally dismiss the 32 because I feel the cut muscle is gimmicky and don't really offer anything over the 2 I have just mentioned. 

Going back to Titleist I would strongly suggest the 690 or .690, thus depends you want the older flat spec or the dot version with slightly raised lie angles and longer spec shaft. These are probably most friendly Titleist blades you'll ever get to hit and they very popular with the pros back in the day, and great feedback as with the Mizzys. 

[rorykoepka]

11 hours ago, Golly said:

Maxfli revolution black dots. Probably the best cavity back iron I have gamed. Super simple proven design that works. Later designs like the 718 Titleist ap2, ping i210 don't come close to offering the feedback the black dots offer. Personally I think a lot the tech in club these days dumb down the feel somewhat, just my opinion.

Mizuno do offer some great classic options in the mp33 & mp5. I would personally dismiss the 32 because I feel the cut muscle is gimmicky and don't really offer anything over the 2 I have just mentioned. 

Going back to Titleist I would strongly suggest the 690 or .690, thus depends you want the older flat spec or the dot version with slightly raised lie angles and longer spec shaft. These are probably most friendly Titleist blades you'll ever get to hit and they very popular with the pros back in the day, and great feedback as with the Mizzys. 

I may have to check these out since it’s been mentioned a few times…in the meantime