I'll stick with my almost 10 year old irons

[jplroper]

Currently playing some Tommy Armour 845's and on occasion a set of Titleist 990's, I'm in no hurry to change.  I've tried a few sets of newer clubs , but wasn't like wow thats worth  x number of dollars, its so much better than what I have.

[Yacho]

2 hours ago, Flyers99 said:

There is something about having an iron that goes the distance you want and you have confidence in.

 

There is EVERYTHING about having an iron that goes the distance you want and you have confidence in.  And if that's something shiny and new, and you believe the new technology should get the credit for its success, excellent.  And if that's something that graced the cover of Golf Digest in 1992 and drops you on the pin from 160 every time, great.  Results are results. 

[Socrates]

4 hours ago, Roejye said:

I think that's a good idea. You see all these stories of "why did I sell these clubs?" 

I'm not entirely in the camp of the op, as I have irons from this year, but it's going to be probably a decade until I change them. Heck, if I hadn't won the contest here for a free full bag fitting and $1500 I'd probably still be playing with my old Cleveland 588 mts.

I think the only thing crazier is the guys who have sold their clubs and then are freaking out because the new clubs haven't arrived for an important tournament or golf trip.  Once and only once, I brought new irons on a vacation and I was on the practice tee for 15 minutes and I had a "holy crap" moment when I realized I had made a major error in never hitting those irons outdoors.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Socrates

[chinaski]

I try new irons all the time, but still love the z745 best. I can't find a single flaw with them.

[bodhi555]

Those who know me will not be the least bit surprised to hear my VR Pros from 2011 are going absolutely nowhere, as for what I'm looking for in an iron they are still pretty much perfect. Perfect look when over the ball, great feel and awesome when I get myself into trouble off the tee and need to "manufacture" something to get out again. They also go a long way for a blade in my experience. 

 

It probably helps that blade technology hasn't really done much since they were released. I may change them if I wear them out, but given they look to have plenty of life left in them I doubt that will be soon. 

 

I'll stick some new grips on them at the start of next season, and if I'm feeling flush maybe send them off for refinishing, but that's about it. 

[Whatnogarnish]

Can I play? How old are MP5s?

 

I have been fitted twice, built 3 sets, and they still end up back in play. Thank god I never sold them in between. 

[bigmashedpotato]

I started off with some hand me down irons that were 16 years old (2004 Big Berthas) and have recently switched over to Mizuno JPX921 Forge and would say I'm happy to go with newer clubs, but to each their own... As long as you're having fun out there, who cares lol

[Evanwill10]

Wish I had the self control to do this. Can’t help myself from refreshing the equipment every few years.

[cflo2382]

I need to circle back and read this thread every time I get the "itch". Which is a lot.

[mvhoffman]

40 minutes ago, cflo2382 said:

I need to circle back and read this thread every time I get the "itch". Which is a lot.

I started this thread and still get the itch.  Weirdly enough it's not for newer clubs.  I get the itch for the Nike Vapor sets... that's really about it

[naj959]

On 11/17/2022 at 8:07 PM, sociojeje said:

I am sticking with 2012 yamaha x v forged. Kinda want to change the shafts but it costs more than the set. One piece forged irons are about preference as tech can only do so much. To me it is a perfect combination of right loft, offset, and size.

 

I just got a set of 2011 Yammy Tourmodels for dirt cheap. They are some sweet looking sticks but man, if you miss the sweet spot the distance drop off is crazy. In that regard, I do think the new tech helps. I'm still gaming my Ptx Pros for any important matches. Makes me wonder if I would have been better off going with the standard V forged? 

 

On a side note, I have a set of Wilson Pi7s that are every bit as good as anything out there. Slender blade like appearance and are uber forgiving.

[NRJyzr]

4 hours ago, mvhoffman said:

I started this thread and still get the itch.  Weirdly enough it's not for newer clubs.  I get the itch for the Nike Vapor sets... that's really about it

 

Very little new product in the realm of iron sets is interesting to me.  Maybe it's due to how much time I've spent playing sets from the 80s and early 90s, maybe it's just a standard Personal Preference thing.  Either way, I'm happy with the assorted sets I've got.

 

Aside from a brief experiment with Pinhawk Vertex irons, the sets I used this year ranged from 14 to 39 years old (Purefit 1020 blades, MP37, and assorted Golden Rams from the early 80s or early 90s).

 

Was able to get my hdcp to a point not seen since the end of May, 2013 with the above.  <shrug>

 

Occasionally, I toy with picking up a set of MP-20s I see at 2nd Swing with Steelfiber shafts (as one example), then I realize I could spend less than half what they would cost by buying a set of Steelfibers, and reshafting my MS-11s or MP-37s.  Or, do the same with one of those, plus any one of a number of other sets that interest me more, and are currently in my possession, and still come out ahead in cost terms.

 

Full steam ahead

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by NRJyzr

[achappy]

I picked up a set of RBZ Tour “F” heads (circa 2013) at the start of COVID and have played some great golf with them the past years.  Basically no offset, great setup and perform well.  The other thing is they have a 47* PW and I have a great setup with a 52/58 wedge compliment.  

 

They go the distance I expect, extremely accurate and feel great for a cast head.  And even after probably 50 rounds on them they still look great.  I just don’t see any modern iron giving me anything more.

[Jim53]

On 11/17/2022 at 11:29 AM, Jim53 said:

I went backwards, had the Callaway Rogue ST pro since release and got the chance to buy a set of EPON personal 3 irons which I always wanted but choked on the price back in 2016. Well they are everything I could want looks wise at address and perform better for me overall. Just finished soft stepping them as they came with 105x shafts and while they played ok, they were a bit much by the end of the round. Not expecting a big difference of course but a bit of help is nice.

Just a quick update, Soft stepped the 105x and it is an ever so slight difference. Honestly if I had not done it myself I would have questioned it ever happened, the difference on well struck shots seemed to be a higher flight and a few yards more carry.

But of course it could be just a well struck shot acting correctly, after 18 this morning the fatigue seemed less so that is a big plus.

 

These EPON's put the Rogue Pros to shame feel wise.

[14max]

The irons I play from oldest to newest:

 

Eye2 (patent pending) 1983 - 39 years old

Eye2 (patent pending) 1984 - 38 years old

ISI-S 1998 (1/2 set) - 24 years old

ISI-S 1999 - 23 years old

ie1 2016 - 6 years old

 

I'm with you, brother.  The ie1s are an anomaly in a cluster of iron types & styles from that year and going forward that have spring faces and are definitely distance-oriented.  I'll stick with these.

Edited November 24, 2022 by 14max

[mp33er]

Back to Mizuno MP-33's of 2002.

At least, got a new set and re-shafted them w/ modern shafts.

[mvhoffman]

On 11/23/2022 at 6:20 PM, achappy said:

I picked up a set of RBZ Tour “F” heads (circa 2013) at the start of COVID and have played some great golf with them the past years.  Basically no offset, great setup and perform well.  The other thing is they have a 47* PW and I have a great setup with a 52/58 wedge compliment.  

 

They go the distance I expect, extremely accurate and feel great for a cast head.  And even after probably 50 rounds on them they still look great.  I just don’t see any modern iron giving me anything more.

I would love to see a picture of those irons

 

[mvhoffman]

On 11/23/2022 at 5:10 PM, NRJyzr said:

 

Very little new product in the realm of iron sets is interesting to me.  Maybe it's due to how much time I've spent playing sets from the 80s and early 90s, maybe it's just a standard Personal Preference thing.  Either way, I'm happy with the assorted sets I've got.

 

Aside from a brief experiment with Pinhawk Vertex irons, the sets I used this year ranged from 14 to 39 years old (Purefit 1020 blades, MP37, and assorted Golden Rams from the early 80s or early 90s).

 

Was able to get my hdcp to a point not seen since the end of May, 2013 with the above.  <shrug>

 

Occasionally, I toy with picking up a set of MP-20s I see at 2nd Swing with Steelfiber shafts (as one example), then I realize I could spend less than half what they would cost by buying a set of Steelfibers, and reshafting my MS-11s or MP-37s.  Or, do the same with one of those, plus any one of a number of other sets that interest me more, and are currently in my possession, and still come out ahead in cost terms.

 

Full steam ahead

 

So that has been the only major change I made actually was going to graphite.  I like these irons enough that I bored the heads to .370 to install the shafts.  Saved a ton of money purchasing a set of 10 dead stock Matrix Ozik Program shafts off ebay.  i loved my old program shaft in my one adams hybrid years ago and the specs were about the same.  Put them in in place of my AWT2.0X shafts and didn't even have to have any clubs adjusted.  It was a hopeful experiment that worked out so nice.

[North Butte]

10 years ago would have been late 2012, that was a few months after I bought my Ping G20 irons (if my memory is correct). I've had a lot of fun club ho'ing through a 7-8 different sets since then. And I do like my current Titleist irons a lot.

 

But if I had played only the G20 for all 1,500 or so rounds since 2012 it wouldn't make any difference in my game and really it would only make a marginal difference in my actual on-course enjoyment. All I'd have missed is the fun of shopping for and buying new stuff every year or so. 

 

I'll be those G20's would look pretty ugly by now, though. It's not the years it's the miles, as they say.

[bodhi555]

On 11/23/2022 at 5:11 PM, cflo2382 said:

I need to circle back and read this thread every time I get the "itch". Which is a lot.

 

Pretty sure you can get a cream for that these days 🙂

[achappy]

11 hours ago, mvhoffman said:

I would love to see a picture of those irons

 

Here you go:

 

 

[BallerNate]

Awesome thread! Great reminder that the newest and shiniest isn’t always the best.

 

Personally I don’t lean towards Older or New…all I care about is what performs best for my game, and what looks good to my eye.

 

The best 2 irons I’ve played so far have been my current 714 AP2’s, and a combo set of ‘14 TM Tour Preferred MC/MB…and that includes many 2020-22 irons that I’ve owned and tested.

 

If I come across a 2022-23 set of irons that I believe will beat out my AP2’s, I’ll happily pick them up…but I haven’t seen any yet that would clearly be a better fit.

Edited November 26, 2022 by BallerNate

[nitram]

A few weeks ago I was lamenting the newer irons to another WRX'er and he asked, why not build you a set of what you really like? So I took some Hogan '99 Apex 7-PW and Tourstage Z101 3-6, inserted MMT-125TX, and some Neumann wraps I'd been saving for some "special" occasion.

 

I took them out for a small range session yesterday (despite 40*F & North wind 15-30 mph) and was happier than a 4-year old at Toys-r-us.

[joostin]

I'll most likely hit 10 years in 2025 with my MP-54s.  No real itch because they do everything I want, still look good, feel good, no problem hitting, forgiving in my mind for an MP with their progressive cavities and low CG.  I feel like if I were to have a 2nd set it would have to be a significant change like a set of SGIs.  I already mix 2 of those as my long irons, so all good.

 

If the time comes to replace, I'd probably be as likely to find something "legendary" like Legacy Black Stenson's as I would a used set of something like the 223s.

 

If I ever get an itch to replace any club, sometimes I'll go find old reviews raving about it, and it helps justify sticking with what already works perfectly fine. That said.... I just bought a new-for-me driver from CPO that will contend with an old trusty that was also picked up in 2015 😉

[DixieD]

19 hours ago, BallerNate said:

Awesome thread! Great reminder that the newest and shiniest isn’t always the best.

 

Personally I don’t lean towards Older or New…all I care about is what performs best for my game, and what looks good to my eye.

 

The best 2 irons I’ve played so far have been my current 714 AP2’s, and a combo set of ‘14 TM Tour Preferred MC/MB…and that includes many 2020-22 irons that I’ve owned and tested.

 

If I come across a 2022-23 set of irons that I believe will beat out my AP2’s, I’ll happily pick them up…but I haven’t seen any yet that would clearly be a better fit.

2 great sets, them 14 MC's still sneak in my bag regularly. So forgiving for their size, look and feel great.

[BallerNate]

4 minutes ago, DixieD said:

2 great sets, them 14 MC's still sneak in my bag regularly. So forgiving for their size, look and feel great.

Yeah, they’re really good. Next time I come across a clean set of MC’s I’ll probably pick them up to put them head-to-head vs the AP2’s…that’d be a really fun matchup!

[Lobby]

I sense that a major improvement in golf clubs has been shafts. 

 

Heads, not so much. 

[BallerNate]

55 minutes ago, Lobby said:

I sense that a major improvement in golf clubs has been shafts. 

 

Heads, not so much. 

Not saying I disagree…BUT with that being said, how many Tour Pros all over the World still play Project X Rifle shafts, and Dynamic Gold is still a top seller though right?

And how much have those changed over the years really?

[North Butte]

What has improved, I guess that's the right word, is the large variety of steel shafts in just about any weight range you're likely to want. You can pretty much mix and match stiffness profiles with any weight you like from just over 80g to 130g and everything in between. And they are generally good consistency and quality (talking about major brands, not generic Asian white label stuff). 

 

If the iron shafts you're using are too heavy or too light or feel whippy or boardy or you want a stiffer tip, there's no excuse nowadays. Just do some research, a little testing and what you need is out there. No compromises on shaft required. 

[mvhoffman]

On 11/26/2022 at 8:06 PM, North Butte said:

What has improved, I guess that's the right word, is the large variety of steel shafts in just about any weight range you're likely to want. You can pretty much mix and match stiffness profiles with any weight you like from just over 80g to 130g and everything in between. And they are generally good consistency and quality (talking about major brands, not generic Asian white label stuff). 

 

If the iron shafts you're using are too heavy or too light or feel whippy or boardy or you want a stiffer tip, there's no excuse nowadays. Just do some research, a little testing and what you need is out there. No compromises on shaft required. 

absolutely agree with everything said.  My steel to graphite journey proves exactly what you said...

Going from AWT2.0 X flex shaft to 85 S flex graphite and not noticing a difference (except for weight) has been a huge improvement to my game and health(tendinitis in elbow and arthritic fingers middle and ring on right/bottom hand) are gone!

 

it took some digging and searching but with enough "research" and willingness to search, you can find exactly what you are looking for.  Down to the point where I didn't even need lie angles adjusted because the shafts were so similarly matched in performance and tolerances