Which Players Distance Irons are Best for a Picker?

[bazinky]

Which Players Distance Irons are best for a picker?  I'm about to go through the fitting and selection process for a new set of irons this spring and need to try and narrow my choices down to a manageable list. Iron play is generally one of my strengths, but could use some help with distance and elevation in the 4 and 5 iron slot as my body continues to decay due to age and my current fitness regime of too much beer and too little exercise. 

 

The Mizuno 223/225, T100s, and Ping i525 are my current top candidates. Would love to hear the impressions of these irons from other pickers, or any other suggestions that have worked well.    

[Fairway14]

2 minutes ago, bazinky said:

Which Players Distance Irons are best for a picker?  I'm about to go through the fitting and selection process for a new set of irons this spring and need to try and narrow my choices down to a manageable list. Iron play is generally one of my strengths, but could use some help with distance and elevation in the 4 and 5 iron slot as my body continues to decay due to age and my current fitness regime of too much beer and too little exercise. 

 

The Mizuno 223/225, T100s, and Ping i525 are my current top candidates. Would love to hear the impressions of these irons from other pickers, or any other suggestions that have worked well.    

 

Ping Blueprint.

[Jeff58]

Since you’re not hitting down and through the ball optimally, you have a higher launch angle, since you’re not delofting the club. Also a greater tendency to hit the ball fat or thin, since your vertical error window is reduced.

 

The better iron choices are then Goldilocks. The typical non-optimal choices are wide sole GI/SGI sets, where you’re attempting to get as much mass under the ball as possible, but end up bouncing the club off the ground, or a player’s iron, where you gain a useful sole configuration but that lacks the appropriate launch conditions.

 

The optimal club has a player’s-like sole (smaller/narrower/moderate effective bounce), but still launch like a GI or player’s distance club. Two that do that well IMO are the T-200 and the standard Apex, either the 19 or 21 version.

[sofla]

I found the original T200 to be phenomenal for  picker like me (of course I sold them because that's what we do) and currently have the i525 on order. Hit them on launch monitor and numbers were great.

[ChaosTheory]

3 hours ago, bazinky said:

Which Players Distance Irons are best for a picker?  I'm about to go through the fitting and selection process for a new set of irons this spring and need to try and narrow my choices down to a manageable list. Iron play is generally one of my strengths, but could use some help with distance and elevation in the 4 and 5 iron slot as my body continues to decay due to age and my current fitness regime of too much beer and too little exercise. 

 

The Mizuno 223/225, T100s, and Ping i525 are my current top candidates. Would love to hear the impressions of these irons from other pickers, or any other suggestions that have worked well.    

Im a sweeper/picker.  I like to look at the lower CG models, it really helps.  (Found in MPF sections at Ralphmaltby.com). The T100 looks good on that measure.  Pings are usually very high CG.  For what it’s worth, I just tested the 6 iron of the Maltby TS2, and I love it.  My set arrives tomorrow.  You might look at their TS1.

Edited March 9, 2022 by Snowman9000

[rwillis978]

I second the Maltby suggestion. I currently play the 2019 T200s, but ordered a Maltby DBM 7 iron last year to give it a shot based on seeing recommendations about them. It was sweet, looked great at address, and found myself hitting it well. On the flip side, I did notice a 4-5 yard loss of yardage relative to my T200 7 iron (I had pulled the T200 7 iron shaft to test with the Maltby for consistency purposes). I am not the longest hitter to begin with, so I ended up not ordering a full set. Definitely worth a shot though! 

 

In terms of players distance irons, I recently hit the 225s. As a sweeper myself, thin shots to tend to happen more frequently - and I found that there was much less loss of distance on those hits.

[Baitkiller]

*

Edited March 9, 2022 by Baitkiller

[dmeeksDC]

Mizuno Pro 225. Soles are thinner than others in its class. Also has nice camber. Strong lofts which will help since you likely add loft. Low bounce in long irons to mid bounce in short irons. 

[theboyslater]

I had an iron fitting earlier this week where my AoA was between 2 degrees up (!) to 2 degrees down. I tried my Srixon 585s versus ZX5, T100, Apex pro and Mizuno 223.

What I will echo is that the margin for error when you are a picker is small and I hit bad (fat, thin) shots with all the clubs and different shafts. My best shots with all heads were when I hit down on the ball and generated more ball speed and more spin (went from 4300ish RPM to 4800-5000 RPM with 6 iron).

So I think improving my technique is probably the faster way to better scores, and Matt Blois is doing some interesting things on Youtube with getting onto your lead side that helps with hitting down.

That being said, I found the Apex pro and 223s to  produce the most consistent results for me, and both have thin soles. Apex pro a bit too clicky in sound for me, so the winner was the 223s.

[toastinato]

Yes like some others have said, you should really go look at the chart on maltby. Look for lower vcog. Higher vcog means sweet spot tends to be a bit higher up rather than low vcog being lower on the face. 
 

https://www.golfworks.com/iron-head-mpf-ratings/a/870/

[Feelingofgreatness]

Check out the New Level 902-os

[iNeedMoreGolf]

Sounds like a t100s to me.

[95124hacker]

Fellow picker here. PXG 0311P is my recommendation.

[bazinky]

Appreciate the suggestions. I'm 52 with a busy job and family commitments, so I'm not about to make a swing change. Just looking to narrow down the best candidates to match to the swing I've got. 

[wings02]

Two years ago I picked up a used set of Titleist C-16 irons in like new condition. They were made by Tru-Spec golf and had a Mitsubishi regular flex graphite shaft. I recently re-shafted my 7 iron with a KBS TGI 70 graphite shaft, and will probably re-shaft the entire set. I compare them in feel to a set of PXG Gen 2 0311P irons I recently sold, although the C-16's felt slightly better and were a half to one  club longer due to the stronger lofts. I have never hit a better feeling iron than the C-16. I have two golf buddies that bought a set after hitting mine. I describe them as a forgiving iron for mediocre to better players. If you are not familiar with this model, Google them. 

[SwingMan]

I take a shallow divot and attack angle right now is about 2 deg down, and have been using 225/223, the i59 is not bad - it is narrow but does have some bounce. I have a new swing pattern with more lag so I will see when I go on Trackman tomorrow.

[DLong72]

I’m a picker and for me the key is a pre worn leading edge. I haven’t been able to find anything that can beat my TaylorMade P760s. I also did well with the Titleist 718 AP2s because they had it too. Not many of the newer iron models have it though, so something narrow sole/ strong loft like the T100S would be what I went with if I had to get new irons today. 

[Taz-tries]

As an ageing "bottom groover" I've found the t100s with steelfibers to be both consistent and (reasonably) forgiving.  I'm a decent ball striker but don't have a ton of clubhead speed, and having grown up using blades/small cavity backs, struggle with bigger, chunky, offset heads.  The t100s ticks the box in the looks department (for me at least) and with my usual miss being low on the face, this combination of head and shaft is one of the most forgiving I've owned, low/thinnish will hold it's line well, without a huge loss of distance and the graphite is much kinder on wrists and elbows.  After being sceptical about switching from steel, I decided to trust my pros suggestion and I'll never go back now.

[Peebz]

I’m surprised no one had mentioned Taylormade P790s. Are they bad for sweepers? Seem to be in the same category as the other irons listed 

[DoughBack18]

Don’t sleep on the P790’s. Got a set a month or 2 ago... I’ve found them to be about a club longer from 7 iron up, and they launch about a club higher (4 iron at 5 iron trajectory) thru the 7 iron. 8, 9, and PW have played more like my previous forged cb’s but with a little extra pop and forgiveness. My miss has always been thin and these have made a noticeable difference in the trajectory on those low on the face strikes. 

[forrester_fire]

On 3/9/2022 at 10:10 AM, Fairway14 said:

 

Ping Blueprint.

 

Blueprint classifies as a players distance iron nowadays?  Interesting...

[Billfitz]

I stopped using longer than a 5 iron in favor of hybrids. Now I'm a picker and a grinner. 😆

[toddba11]

Wilson Staff blades, good distance for a picker, minimal bounce and thin soles.

[JDennis]

I have to second the PXG 0311P. I am a picker. I have been through quite a bit of irons the past couple years. 919's, HMB, 790, 770, Zx5, T100s, 699 pro.

 

 To me, the PXG 0311P and the 699 pro have been the best and the 2 iron sets I still play. The P790/P770 were a close 2nd. The Zx5 sadly were one of my favorite irons and good shots were really good. The bad ended really bad with the v sole. 

Edited March 11, 2022 by JDennis

[benrd5420]

15 hours ago, Peebz said:

I’m surprised no one had mentioned Taylormade P790s. Are they bad for sweepers? Seem to be in the same category as the other irons listed 

I am a picker and struggled with the Gen2 P790's, particularly in the short irons.  I have gone to P770 in the 7-P, but kept the 790s in 5/6 as they do help get the ball up a bit more for me in the longer irons.

[KCEE]

Not sure what is the best, but I demoed a fair amount last year before getting the P770 irons.  I'm a hacker, but I've never gotten along with the large SGI irons.  

[Wardonation]

MIM King forged tour irons, I play them and they have been great. I NEVER take a divot ever...

[SteelyDan]

This is interesting. What if you are a picker but more in the 17ish handicap range with a moderate swing speed? Still preferring clean looks. Thanks!

[hammergolf]

Of the choices you listed it would be the 100s.

[shaolingolfer]

I am picker/shallow and don't like offset, I should have order the 0311 T instead of the P.... anyway.

 

I have hit the Apex Pro, P770 and 0211 ST.  I think I am leaning 0211ST and they are such much cheaper!