Looking for suggestions on players CB irons to try

[TreqJosh]

For OP, something a little left field - Takomo 301 combo https://takomogolf.com/iron-301-combo/

[haakzilla]

J15 CB = 🐐

[mc2]

What is heel relief for in an iron design?

Just learning, thanks.

[Tar_Heel_93]

On 10/22/2022 at 6:21 AM, mc2 said:

What is heel relief for in an iron design?

Just learning, thanks.

I like it for several reasons. It lets me open up the club to add loft and take out distance or play a cut. I have a flat swing and clubs with a thick heal will dig or catch. 

[bigdawg]

On 10/18/2022 at 9:36 PM, Tar_Heel_93 said:

Bridgestone J40 DPC 4-PW just arrived today. Got these off the BST. They are one of my unicorn irons. Endo forged irons with thin soles and very forgiving. Can’t wait to reshaft with Projext X 6.0 shafts and put them in play. 

 

I would love to hear your feedback on these as regards distance, forgiveness, turf interaction, feel etc

 

Played J40 CB's for a while and Tourstage Z101s for the most part. Curious to hear what these are like 

[Tar_Heel_93]

3 hours ago, bigdawg said:

 

I would love to hear your feedback on these as regards distance, forgiveness, turf interaction, feel etc

 

Played J40 CB's for a while and Tourstage Z101s for the most part. Curious to hear what these are like 

I only have 2 rounds and some sim time with them but I can give some initial impressions. Feel is very nice soft endo forged feel. Very similar to my Bridgestone J33 cb irons. Turf interaction is good, distance control is good, they are about 5 yards longer than my Apex MB irons which have the same lofts. Where they really shine is the forgiveness. Miss hits loose much less distance than my Apex MBs and Wilson Staff CBs. For forgiveness J40 DPC>J33CB=Wilson staff cb>Apex MB

[dmeeksDC]

On 9/22/2022 at 10:11 AM, Tar_Heel_93 said:

Hi All,

 

As the season winds down I am thinking about what CB irons I can try for next year. I currently play a mixed set of Wilson Staff CB irons 4-6 and 2018 Apex MB irons 7-GW. Apex MBs have been in the bag for 3 seasons. My back up irons are Bridgestone J33 CBs as well as the Apex MB irons up to 3 iron.
 

I want a 34 to 35 degree 7 iron, forged construction, not a fan of floating faces and soft feel like the Apex 18 MB, Wilson, Bridgestone or Mizuno. A thin sole with some heel relief is a must.  I’m fine with tungsten weights. Titleist CBs are just about perfect except I don’t like the way they feel, too hard for me. Yes even out of the middle😀.
 

My current list to try includes: Mizuno MP 18 SC, MP 20 MMC, MP 63 or 64, JPX tour 919 or 921, Wilson Staff V6, Taylormade P7-MC and Bridgestone J38 CB or DPC and J40 DPC irons, Cobra King forged CB/MB. Am I missing anything?

 

What I have tried already, Titleist 716 CB (loved every thing but the feel), Titleist 716 AP2, Callaway 16 Apex Pro, 21 X forged, New Level PF2 and 623 CB, MacGregor MT pro c/m combo, Miura 1957 CB/MB001 combo set. The Miura set was really nice and I kind of regret selling them. 
 

Thanks in advance for your suggestions 

The new Wishon 585PC (progressive cavity) has a lot of what you’re looking for. Thin soles and top line, 34 degree 7 iron, compact heads and feel great. Gorgeous milling and finish. Cavity back forgiveness but definitely a low handicappers club. I’d rate them a level easier than the ‘18 Callaway Apex MBs I played. 

[MelloYello]

On 10/6/2022 at 1:41 PM, capifico22 said:

I'm so confused how you saved a club, please explain 

 

 

There are a variety of options on the market that deliver traditional player's clubs with more progressive loft combinations. These all make use of stronger lofts somewhere in the set.

 

Ping is offering their "power spec" loft fitting. Titleist is doing the T100 "S" variety which is 2^o stronger than the normal T100 irons. Callaway Apex Pro blades are also now 2^o strong. And Srixon has their own take which I explain below. 

 

So the first thing to understand is that this is a new phenomena many companies & players are experimenting with and it's working, even in the bags of really good players. It's not unique but it does require some adjustment. It can have some upsides. 

 

 

 

Compare the Srixon lofts to traditional lofts from say, Titleist MB / CB irons:

 

Titleist Pw - 47^o

Srixon Pw - 46^o

 

Pretty much the same, right?

 

And for context, this is not abnormal. A Titleist T100 Pw is 46^o and a Callaway Apex Pro 21 blade is 45^o! 

 

And if I told you a Srixon 3i was 20^o and a Titleist 3i was 21^o you'd say, 'alright, so the Srixon set is simply 1-degree stronger. No big deal.'

 

But it's slightly more complicated. Srixon has cleverly done a bit more to massage the set. While the Pw lofts were nearly identical, take a look at where the sets are mid-way through:

 

Titleist 6i - 31^o

Srixon 6i - 29^o

 

You can see how Srixon gets about 1/2 club ahead. Some interpret this as simply being "stronger" in the lofts but again, we started at approximately the same place so we've gained some ground which may equate to 5- or 6-yds. 

 

Some people panic thinking they'll lose much needed spin and hit the Srixon mid irons too low. That's not nearly the case at all. It ends up working out just fine because (1) the Srixons are definitely way bigger and easier to hit and (2) most people have gotten away from the heavy and low-launching shafts of yesteryear.

 

Recall the traditional default for irons has always been the Dynamic Gold. Today, we have Project X, KBS and Nippon making great options that launch the ball higher most of which offer compelling options in the 105-120g range as opposed to the default 130g of the DG line. That more than makes up for a slight decrease in loft. 

 

 

For the super-nerdy, here are the actual gaps (which you can see are not so unique at all): 

 

Traditional:
Pw-9i - 4^o

9i-8i - 4^o

8i-7i - 4^o

7i-6i - 4^o

6i-5i - 4^o

5i-4i - 3^o

4i-3i - 3^o

 

 

Srixon:
Pw-9i - 5^o  (Pw starts 1^o strong & 9i ends up 2^o strong)

9i-8i - 4^o

8i-7i - 4^o

7i-6i - 4^o

6i-5i - 3^o    (All clubs are 2^o strong to this point where the long irons are relaxed back by 1^o)

5i-4i - 3^o

4i-3i - 3^o

 

 

Edited October 28, 2022 by MelloYello

[capifico22]

Oh, you just took out the 3i, which everyone at your speed already has in lieu of a hybrid or wood, got it lol

[outnumbered]

ZX7s are a great option. The v sole grind plays like a wider sole GI club but still looks like a players iron at address. 7 iron is 32 deg so a bit stronger than what you are looking for, but when I’ve hit them they didn’t seem to fit the Jack Loft profile. 

[Drewhill44]

Looking forward to see and try the new Cobra King Tours and CB’s when they come out. Could replace my J15 CB’s.