Thin soled Iron with forgiveness for a Sweeper!

[shanx]

Been sweeping with a few older sets these past few seasons:

 

Mizuno Comp EZs - thin sole

Cally 07 XForged - thin sole, rounded leading edge

 

Just bagged a set of 13 Cally X forged - thin sole with some edge grind

[shaolingolfer]

10 hours ago, Chunkitgood said:

I sure thought modern GI irons with thick soles were designed to help people

like the OP (and the vast majority of golfers), the idea being to prevent his early contact from digging or at least being stopped or slowed down by the ground.

 

Maybe the thin soles bounce less on the mats people are fitted on.

 

 

 

Not really.  For us, thicker sole iron actually easier on mats, it is so soft, instead of bouncing, it just digged in.

[fixurpitch]

Picker/sweeper here. The narrower soles work better. I’ve tried several iron sets like the Ping G-series irons. The results have been consistently poor. And I know it’s all operator, not the club’s fault.  
 

Give me a narrow sole and results are better and more consistent. No doubt my swing isn’t tour quality. But it isn’t changing much at this point. 
 

Currently playing New Level PF irons with narrow soles and minimal offset. In modern offerings, they’re about as complementary as I’ve found. 
 

For comparison, an old set of MP-33 I have go through the turf better than anything else tried. I’m just not capable of playing those “effectively”. 

[Florida Gator]

On 5/4/2022 at 11:01 PM, Jmccas said:

Interesting observation. I’m playing MP4s and could use a touch more forgiveness. If you had to quantify, how much more forgiving would you say they are?

 

When I hit them, it just feels like more weight was moved lower to help get the ball airborne.  I have a high ball flight to begin with, so the shaft paired with this head would have to be a key factor.  If you take the MP-18 out of the picture, the Mizuno blades from the MP-4 to the 221 now have become more forgiving with each release.  For what its worth, the 221s are not on my list to get fitted for should I make a change this year.  The topline is a tad thicker than I like, ball flight is a touch higher than I like but that that can be corrected through fitting and the transition from the topline to the hosel just looks off which is something that I think Titleist nails.  I love the MP-5s so something new would really have to convince me to change but the Titleist MB has been flirting with me for a while now.

[brew4eagle]

Picker/sweeper that probably also adds dynamic loft (flipping).  Also much prefer thin soled irons.  I usually make decent contact and generally get along best with blades.  The first 'forgiving' irons I've had success with are the Maltby DBM Forged.  First time I broke par was my first round with the DBMs.

[NoHYBNoFW]

I am a sweeper as well and Mizuno irons worked best for me.

[tpar1]

Macgregor MT Pro M from 2008; nothing I ever played feels better. Still play them.

[T_Golf_23]

On 5/2/2022 at 3:04 PM, scooterhd2 said:

Sweeper here that gets along great with V sole. Srixon 785 or ZX7. 

Really?? I am a -1 to -2 AoA and I was catching those ZX7 thin all day long… 

[T_Golf_23]

On 5/6/2022 at 11:58 AM, fixurpitch said:

Picker/sweeper here. The narrower soles work better. I’ve tried several iron sets like the Ping G-series irons. The results have been consistently poor. And I know it’s all operator, not the club’s fault.  
 

Give me a narrow sole and results are better and more consistent. No doubt my swing isn’t tour quality. But it isn’t changing much at this point. 
 

Currently playing New Level PF irons with narrow soles and minimal offset. In modern offerings, they’re about as complementary as I’ve found. 
 

For comparison, an old set of MP-33 I have go through the turf better than anything else tried. I’m just not capable of playing those “effectively”. 

I play the new level PF1/PF2 combo and they work great for a more neutral swing type. I go back and forth with these and Wilson staff blades as my gamers. 
 

the newer 623 and 902 have noticeably thicker soles that didn’t work for me. 
 

Wilson Staff blades and staff CBs are great. 
 

I will agree with others on here, the MP 225 and 223 seem to work for a more neutral swing style. The beveling helps the sole play thinner than it really looks. 
 

also try the callaway X-Forged CB and TCB. Really thin soles on both of those. Surprising ball speed and forgiveness on the XFCB. 
 

 

[MikeW2]

Hi my name is Mike and I’m a sweeper.

 

Contrary to the popular opinion in this thread, I prefer the big fat soles of my G30’s which I can work and flight pretty easily. I’m probably also in the minority in that I like to look down and see a thicker top with offset that isn’t really found in thinner irons.

[JKJKJK]

Mizuno Pro 223! Very forgiving

[Soccerrick10]

One thing for certain - as a sweeper, I’ll never buy clubs being fitted on mats alone.  For me, its all about the turf interaction.

[m_w]

• Honma TR20V and P
• T100/S
• Ping i59
• Ping i525
• Callaway Apex & Apex Pro & CB & TCB
• Callaway Rogue ST Pro
• Miura TC201 & MC501
• Mizuno MP20 MMC (imo one of the best designs for sweepers that need some launch)
• Srixon Z-Forged & ZX7 (you have to hit both of real turf to see if they work, they won't work off mats for sweepers)

Plenty of choices at all price points...

Edited May 27, 2022 by m_w

[RedPanda]

Does anyone who is a sweeper know of any irons that is "Raw" or at close to raw (ie copper/black) thats good for a sweeper?

 

Prob only JDM when i comes to modern stuff (and without stripping the chrome method), but I dont know whats the best for sweepers .

[craz-e]

28 minutes ago, RedPanda said:

Does anyone who is a sweeper know of any irons that is "Raw" or at close to raw (ie copper/black) thats good for a sweeper?

 

Prob only JDM when i comes to modern stuff (and without stripping the chrome method), but I dont know whats the best for sweepers .

 

 

I know Wilson Staff did offer the V6 in raw, Callaway have a few raw TCB's kicking around as well 

[Soccerrick10]

On 6/2/2022 at 12:09 AM, RedPanda said:

Does anyone who is a sweeper know of any irons that is "Raw" or at close to raw (ie copper/black) thats good for a sweeper?

 

Prob only JDM when i comes to modern stuff (and without stripping the chrome method), but I dont know whats the best for sweepers .

Here are the best I've ever found....

 

PXG 0211 ST irons sent to Oughton's Golf to be stripped, returned in raw, bead blasted state, tip weighted to make up for the plating removed (9-10g), shafted with BB&F ferrules and gripped.  Fantastic feel, easy to hit, customized for me with total cost of $125 / club.

 

Edited June 5, 2022 by Soccerrick10
Edited for cost ($155 —> $125) because I could have used the shafts that came with the clubs

[third-times-a-charm]

On 6/2/2022 at 12:09 AM, RedPanda said:

Does anyone who is a sweeper know of any irons that is "Raw" or at close to raw (ie copper/black) thats good for a sweeper?

 

Prob only JDM when i comes to modern stuff (and without stripping the chrome method), but I dont know whats the best for sweepers .

The 2019 Callaway Apex Pros....fantastic irons.

[IL2AZ]

07 Callaway X forged are the best thin soled iron for a sweeper ever made.  They have a vertical CG of like .600

[shanx]

1 hour ago, IL2AZ said:

07 Callaway X forged are the best thin soled iron for a sweeper ever made.  They have a vertical CG of like .600

 

Yes, I have a set of these that I use from time to time, usually in the dead of summer when everything is baked dry. 

[wam78]

Some great observations and ideas on types of irons in here!  Love it!

 

I totally agree on the x forged line.  And I’m not a Callaway fanboy in anyway shape or form. From ‘13 to ‘18 release and even the current one, they tend to get overlooked.  But some incredible irons that feel very soft, has excellent ball speed with a somewhat “forgiving” thinnish sole design with camber.  Easy to hit.  The ‘13 line was one of my favorite irons I’ve ever played.

 

If you like the look of a small, thin iron with forgiveness then the new t100/t100s might be the best looking iron on the market.

[AC in TX]

On 5/4/2022 at 8:00 AM, DHoch said:

Dipping back in to say that I bought the i525s yesterday over the Apex Pros, 225s, and the new Cobra Forged Tec. I really feel like they gave me the most consistent distances among the bunch. Great looks down at the ball, and because it's a Ping it's basically made out of depleted uranium and so will look great for years.

Depleted uranium ... haven't heard that since I served on warships with Close In Weapons Systems (aka R2D2) ... Nice!

[T_Golf_23]

15 hours ago, wam78 said:

Some great observations and ideas on types of irons in here!  Love it!

 

I totally agree on the x forged line.  And I’m not a Callaway fanboy in anyway shape or form. From ‘13 to ‘18 release and even the current one, they tend to get overlooked.  But some incredible irons that feel very soft, has excellent ball speed with a somewhat “forgiving” thinnish sole design with camber.  Easy to hit.  The ‘13 line was one of my favorite irons I’ve ever played.

 

If you like the look of a small, thin iron with forgiveness then the new t100/t100s might be the best looking iron on the market.

The feel between the XForged and T100 line is night and day…. The t100 feel so much more firm, vs buttery soft x forged. 
 

even the Apex Pros were clicky vs the X-forged line. 
 

 

[T_Golf_23]

On 5/27/2022 at 9:54 AM, m_w said:

• Honma TR20V and P
• T100/S
• Ping i59
• Ping i525
• Callaway Apex & Apex Pro & CB & TCB
• Callaway Rogue ST Pro
• Miura TC201 & MC501
• Mizuno MP20 MMC (imo one of the best designs for sweepers that need some launch)
• Srixon Z-Forged & ZX7 (you have to hit both of real turf to see if they work, they won't work off mats for sweepers)

Plenty of choices at all price points...

Be real careful with the ZX7….. you really do have to hit off real turf. I am a  -1 to -2 AoA and caught those thin all day long.  The guys from TXG recommend an AoA of at least -4 to benefit from the V-Sole. When I tee’d them up just the slightest bit on a par 3, they were awesome…. But to thin off the turf. 
 

I asked for advice before I tried them on here…. Everyone told me the same thing… they were all spot on. 

Edited June 4, 2022 by T_Golf_23

[T_Golf_23]

4 minutes ago, T_Golf_23 said:

 

Edited June 4, 2022 by T_Golf_23

[solarbear88]

Cleveland cbx has a very rounded front edge.  Would likely just bounce merrily along.

[brutusflash]

Haywood CB’s have been working well for me.

Flash

[Red4282]

Sole width is overrated as a factor for sweepers unless you have a swing fault like flipping….but often wide soles also has a high bounce which is a nightmare for sweepers, especially on firm turf. For a sweeper, you will want a low cog design and a low bounce design. 

[JDIL]

Does anyone compile or publish bounce numbers of all the clubs? I know they all measure them differently but a general idea is nice to narrow it down. 
 

I just think a thinner sole usually means a lower bounce just by correlation. Not an absolute truth but a high correlation maybe?