RAC vs Slingshots vs Big Bertha Irons

[lets_rahk]

I'm looking to buy new irons and love this game. Breaking 100 for me is a good day though. I've started getting lessons which have helped and I think it's time to get some new irons. The sets that have interested me are the the TM RAC OS2, Nike Slingshot, Slingshot OSS, Callaway Big Bertha 04 and 06. Thoughts on these and what might be better for me? I'm a high handicapper with a pretty slow 6 iron swing speed ~80. With my driver I can carry like 240-250 but my average is probably more 220 just because I'm so darn inconsistent.

[slicer365]

All very good choices. Let me add one, the PING G5.

 

Second pick would be the OS2.

[NikeProto]

Slingshots............

[hermes]

ditto the os2......but have you tried others like the nike nds, cally x18, and even the newest creation from taylormade, the r7 xd along with the r7 cgb maxx but that's a little spendy for now! just my .02

 

holla!

[abewley]

can't really go wrong with any of them..

 

the slingshots are the most forgiving... however, the TM rac OS2's will allow you to get better.

 

my neighbor playes them and he is a 2 hdcp. he was an eye2 player but won the OS's...

 

for that matter save the $$$ and get he old TM rac os's.

[hermes]

there's no difference in the os and the os2. if you can find the original os for a decent price new or used.....get them.......but if the original os new or used comes any closer to the price over at rockbottomgolf.com......i'd get the os2 for that price.......its a steal if you ask me. most places are offering them for about $150 and up!

 

holla and peace! me out!

[Pittman]

I've been playing Slingshots for a few months now and I absolutely love them. my scores have imporved dramatically. But hey, thats just my opinion, try them all out, they all seem to be good irons. Good look!

[Bigtee]

I also play the TM OS. very forgiving club. I got them used on ebay last year for a decent price. I also have some Tommy Armour 845's OS, they are a little heavier than TM's.

[Evil R1]

I'll Chime in on the Big Bertha 2004's. I've been using the Big Bertha's since late last year and absolutely love them. If you are interested you can read my review about them here: Big Bertha 2004 Review I really like them better than some of the other game improvement irons out there, but most of it is just personal preference.

 

Try as many as you can and purchase the ones that work best for you or you feel the most confident with. Good Luck.

 

Thanks,

[Nille]

I play the Big Bertha 02 and quite like them, they are very easy to hit.

My swing speed with a 6 iron was 80 mph and I play the regular stock graphite shaft and get on fine with it.

 

The only problem is that the ferrules on some irons got loose, but the heads never flew off. I sometimes push the ferrule back in with my finger.

 

The irons make a nice whizzing sound sometimes when the ball is struck very well.

 

The long irons play as easy as hybrids.

 

They launch the ball high and are very forgiving, but its hard to keep the ball low if wanted and not very good out of rough (well, big heads).

 

Best wishes

[RagingAardvark]

Buy the ones that you hit best, can't say that enough. When I got fitted I tried all the clubs that people suggested, and th eones that everyone said were the best I couldn't hit worth a damn (Pings, Callaways). quite a disappointment. the ones that suited me best were Adams, so that's what I went for. didn't make any sense to buy the others since I was so much more consistent with the Adams.

[cmarkmyers]

I am also a high handicapper and I personally didn't like the Taylormades. I just didn't hit them as well as less expensive Adams or even Orlimars. Now I am looking at the Adams A2 OS, which with their progressive hybrids looks like a good choics for newer players. You may want to add them to the list of what you are going to try out.

 

Whatever you demo/choose I hope you let us know, as I am in the same boat as you.

[fyrmng]

I had the RAC OS but did not like the feel or the thick topline. I was very inconsistant with all irons. I ended up with the Mizuno MX23's. For me they are the best looking at address and the feel is like butter. I have become a more consistant ball striker with my 5 - PW. I still struggle a bit with the 3 and 4 iron. I have met my goal of shooting a 90 several times and am looking to breaking into the 80's. While I haven't reached a level where I can draw / fade on command I have been told that these irons while forgiving will allow that as my game progresses. I feel confident that these irons will be in my bag for a long time.

[Subsonic]

A couple more that you may want to look at are the Cobra 3100 and Mizuno MX17. They are both great irons. I have hit all of the irons that you mentioned and they are all great. It really gets down to a matter of what/which you like best. My favorites are the Cobra 3100, MX-17, BB 2006, and Taylormade OS.

[lets_rahk]

I haven't decided yet but I've pretty much narrowed it down into these sets. I still got time before it warms up where I live. Right now I think the RAC OS/OS2 are at the bottom of my list.

 

I like the Nike Slingshots. I haven't hit the OSS version yet but I do wonder if they are just too big. Heck, I wonder if they would even fit in the bag since they are so bulky. Anyone ever have that problem with these newer hybrid like irons? In terms of price though, a local shop where I live has them for $629, which is a decent deal.

 

I love the look of the BB 06, especially over the 04's. I also sort of like the idea of a uniflex shaft. I have a friend who's a low handicapper and he raves about rifles and more specific flexes, but I'm not that consistent. I've had my swing speeds on a monitor before and they vary over a range of 10-15mph sometimes. Part of that really is just making poor vs better swing, but the other part is also adrenaline, frustation and things that affect it. The decisions...

[xjustice09x]

The slingshots are very forgiving. I know it can be hard to get past the looks, but if performance is more important you will get used to it. The BB 06's are also really forgiving.

 

Some other irons yu could look at are the Macgreggor M455's and the Mizuno MX-900's. All 4 of those sets should help you hit the ball high and straight.

 

I don't really know what flex the uniflex shafts really are. Are they regular,stiffer or weaker? If you can load them fine and they work for you then use them. Rifles have a unique feel. Some people love them and others prefer the feel of other shafts like true temper dynamic gold. I prefer specific flex's myself, but I have a pretty high swing speed.

[lets_rahk]

Has anyone actually hit the OSS and the original slingshots? They make the slingshots look small. I'd almost think that the weight being so far back at some point would stop being a factor?

[pingman1]

another vote for the G5's

[stevepoz]

I haven't tried old vs. the OSS, but have tried the OSS vs. the other version of the slingshot. To me, they both look ugly. The OSS seemed to be more suited to my swing and have a better ball flight. The OSS seemed almost automatic.

 

I play X-16's now and am thinking of switching. If only I could get over the look of the OSS's at address....

[lets_rahk]

Even if you could get over the look of the OSS, I'm not all that convinced you could fit a set of them in your typical golf bag.

[mbradley]

I dropped a set of Ping G5s for Nike OSSs. The OSSs were more accurate and definitely more forgivng as well as longer. There was nothing wrong with the Pings, but the OSSs, to me, were just superior technology. The graphite shafts are much stronger than the Pings or Callaways.

[lets_rahk]

All kidding aside, does all that bulk actually fit in your bag?

[joesgonegolfing]

In a year of fitting high handicap golfers the Big Bertha was a hands down winner. Swing those things standing on your head and they still go somewhere.

 

The best thing about them is a side benift, when you grow out of them the hold their value really well and you will get something for them. Nike and TM products hold very little value.

Joe

[stevepoz]

How would you define high handicap?

 

Resale is one reason I am leaning toward the BB06 (that and the look of the OSS). I did demo the G5 and that had a good feel and had a lot of foregiveness.

[joesgonegolfing]

How would you define high handicap?

 

Resale is one reason I am leaning toward the BB06 (that and the look of the OSS). I did demo the G5 and that had a good feel and had a lot of foregiveness.

 

 

From a handicap level 12 and up. I know that sounds a little harsh but I see way too many players who who don't break 90 on a regular basis struggle with equipment that just does not suit them. Not to mention guys that don't break 100 playing drivers and irons just not suited to help them.

 

I was a high handicap golfer when I started playing in 1997 ( I am 41 and play to scratch) and can remember guys in my group laughing at me because I carried a hybrid style of club from 3 iron to 6, no driver, no woods and 6-PW

.

It was not long before I could hit my DynaCraft Hypersteel hybrid 13 farther than they hit drivers.....and into many more fairways. I was a little stubborn at first in my irons as I loved the way blades looked. 6-PW most guys can hit a blade, but not nearly as well as they can hit a cavity back like the BB's.

 

Good luck!

Joe

[mbradley]

If you are buying clubs for resale, buy the Callaways. If you are buying the best technology and performance buy the Slingshots OSSs. I did not mention this before, but when I purchsed the G5s, the Callaway BB04s fell short in comparision. The Callaways are nice irons, but that basic iron has been around for some time now. No real magic there.

[lets_rahk]

Is there really that big of a technology difference though? Sure the slingshots have in the short irons have a higher slingback that raises center of gravity but the BB's have less notching and weight at the bottom on their short irons which raises the center of gravity as well. I think it's just not as visually obvious.

 

Now in terms of the OSS, the weight is definitely further back because the slingback is so far back. When I look at those sets though, it just looks like an entire set of hybrids.

 

Looking at the BB04 vs the BB06 the weight is definitely further back in the 06 than the 04's, which is similar to the change of the OSS to the original slingshots.

 

I think I'm can say I'm almost definitely going to get one of those sets. The TM's are out of the running for me at this point. The uniflex shaft of the BB I think may be useful for the high handicapper like me.

 

Resale Value I guess is good if I do achieve my goals and get better and need a better players set at some point.

[mbradley]

Is there really that big of a technology difference though? Sure the slingshots have in the short irons have a higher slingback that raises center of gravity but the BB's have less notching and weight at the bottom on their short irons which raises the center of gravity as well. I think it's just not as visually obvious.

 

Now in terms of the OSS, the weight is definitely further back because the slingback is so far back. When I look at those sets though, it just looks like an entire set of hybrids.

 

Looking at the BB04 vs the BB06 the weight is definitely further back in the 06 than the 04's, which is similar to the change of the OSS to the original slingshots.

 

I think I'm can say I'm almost definitely going to get one of those sets. The TM's are out of the running for me at this point. The uniflex shaft of the BB I think may be useful for the high handicapper like me.

 

Resale Value I guess is good if I do achieve my goals and get better and need a better players set at some point.

 

It really is that big of a difference. It is very difficult now to say when a club stops being an iron and becomes a hybrid. The lines are getting blurred. The weight is much farther back than with the Big Berthas. This has a marked effect on the forgiveness and launch capability of the club. The OSSs are more fairway wood like in their feel and demeanor, but they have killer accuracy and the faces are very consistent like you need an iron to be. The sweet spot on these are bigger. I could tell it right away when I hit the 5 iron from the fairway. Just stupid straight with pronounced kick. The heads on the OSSs have more in reserve if you need it. The 5 iron was like hitting a 8 iron in terms of difficulty.

 

I thought that there would be a problem with the sand wedge from the fairway and when chipping because it was so wide, but Nike has beveled the soles on these so that they play well from tight lies. My acid test is hitting chips off of hardpan with the sand wedge. The OSS sand wedge passed the test easily.

 

The more hybrid-like technology that Nike uses has a profound effect on forgiveness. The Big Bertha technology makes for a very, very forgiving iron , but the OSSs just have more of it as well as superior accuracy. I encourage you to demo. You don't know me, I could be full of it. Hit the irons and you will see for yourself. Again, the Callaways are a safe buy.

[lets_rahk]

Well from a scientific standpoint I would have to say the OSS do have weight further back which should make it easier to get the ball up. The thing I wouldn't be to sure about is accuracy. Clubs that hit the ball further sometimes have further dispersion between a good hit and a bad hit even if the high MOI keeps it straight.

 

In terms of that maybe you're full of it, unless you're on Nike's payroll, I don't really see why you would be. I would assume at least in your case they work better for you.

[mbradley]

I imagine accuracy will be determined upon a demo. I found the G5s had better accuracy than the BB04s. I found the OSSs to be superior to both.

 

I probably should be on Nike's payroll. 6 months ago, my whole bag was Ping. Now I carry a SQ driver and 3 wood as well as the Slingshot irons. I'm seriously looking at the Slingshot hybrids and the T-130 putter.