Current Game Improvement Iron Player Looking Something with More Control

[JJarvie49]

When I started playing golf 7 years ago, I bought a new set of Taylormade M2 irons. Coming from a competitive Baseball background, I have a fast swing speed and distance was never an issue, but I needed the forgiveness.

 

Fast forward to today, I'm currently a 16 Handicap and continually dropping. I've struggled off the tee in the past, and that's improved significantly this year.

 

My iron game has been better where I certainly don't need the distance, and can spare some forgiveness for feel and control, but I don't want to lose it too much as I'm not a scratch golfer. My current set has little spin and I don't have as much control as I'd like. What are some good options for next set that aren't a game improvement, but also not to far into the players iron category. 

 

Also, what shafts are good for someone with a faster swing speed? Any support would be appreciated, as I'm new to the club fitting game.

[HGLucky13]

Take a look at the Ping I230's. I went from Ping G425's to the I230's and couldn't be happier. I do not feel like I lose any "forgiveness" on my mishits compared to the G425's, but I got a smaller head, and better control. 

[jfrank]

I come from a similar background and have had similar results.  Heavier shafts really helped me with the consistency on my Taylormade SIM irons - I put in FST 125 shafts in a S+ trim.  I prefer a heavier shaft in about everything.  I would recommend getting on GolfWorks and ordering a TS1-IM 7 iron and a 125g+ S+ shaft to try out on different types of turf against your M2 7 iron.  Additionally, I have found that you want to avoid a low-spin golf ball with the GI irons.  PV1X will go far, but it'll be hard to stop with the longer irons.  The ball makes a much bigger difference than I thought.

[DiscoStu35]

I agree with the i230 from the comment above. I hit them a ton during three different fittings and they fit a lot of what you want, that being added spin and control. It came down to i230 and the Cobra King Tour(bought those) but the Ping had the best dispersion of all 10 irons I hit, it was really impressive.

Two things I'll mention quickly:

 

Feel is very personal and I've seen every opinion out there on the i230s so I would definitely hit them yourself. For me they felt fine. Not amazing and not horrible, I could have played them.

 

Turf interaction seems to favor a more steep player due to sole design and where the sweet spot actually is on the face (high), so take that in to consideration. I am a sweeper and the i230 did well on mats but I never hit them on grass. This was one of many things I considered when I eventually ended up with the Cobra's but it doesn't mean they won't work just fine for you. 

You can find hours of reading on iron options for you on these forums so best of luck!

[vietnameeh]

if its not pricey to ship.... Maltby irons are never looked at ... 

[ChipNRun]

21 hours ago, JJarvie49 said:

My current set has little spin and I don't have as much control as I'd like.

 

What is the loft range of  your current set of irons? Higher lofts can lead to higher spin and more control. You say that distance is not a factor... Find a {head + shaft} combo that will give you more spin and more control... Plus clubs that launch higher will have a steeper descent angle, which also helps stopping power.

 

Also, what kind of ball are you playing? This also influences spin rates and control.

 

21 hours ago, JJarvie49 said:

Also, what shafts are good for someone with a faster swing speed? Any support would be appreciated, as I'm new to the club fitting game

 One consideration for shaft flex is one's swing tempo. Players with a quicker transition at top generally benefit from stiffer shafts.

 

The Mizuno shaft optimizer is a tool that can measure tempo and four other swing characteristics to get you a short list of likely beneficial shafts.

 

 

 

A good fitter can help you decipher the spin rates and launch angles to find the best iron solution (and golf ball) in your case.

[JxMOx]

Similar to you I am wanting more control but coming from zx5s. I am not a high spin player either even though I have some speed. I haven't committed to what I want to do yet but have been eyeing the New Level 480-DB demo 7 iron to try. I would also love to try out the i230 as others have said here.

[POKeefe]

Maltby TS1-IM would be my recommendation. Mizuno Pro 245, Ping i230, and Titleist T150's are others to consider.

[JxMOx]

On 6/25/2024 at 5:39 PM, POKeefe said:

Maltby TS1-IM would be my recommendation. Mizuno Pro 245, Ping i230, and Titleist T150's are others to consider.

Would this be due to there cog?

[blades_are_life]

Disregard anything that isn't solid body, then select for looks and feel. JPX923 Tour and Ping Blueprint are very good starting points.

[POKeefe]

3 hours ago, JxMOx said:

Would this be due to there cog?

All are PD irons that lean to the players side and aren’t known for flyers. I have a set of Rogue ST Pro’s and a set of Srixon Z785’s. While the Srixon’s feel a lot better, the ST Pro’s are much easier to hit and handle the thin miss. Arccos suggests I score better with the ST Pro’s.

[spring70]

i230's 

[Louis_Posture]

Mizuno JPX 923Tour