Best irons for mid-handicaper

[stuway]

I'm about a 5-15 handicap depending on the day. I need a set of irons to love. I played AP 1's most of the year last year and hit them pretty well. I found them short and boring and hit them progressively worse as the year wore onward. I picked up a set of Mizuno MX-200's they are nice but in my opinion way to heavy.

 

Any suggestions on irons that are light, forgiving and long. New or old I'll take any suggestions, I need a set to stick with for a while. Thanks

[Bangarang]

LOL 5-15 handicapper? pretty sure there's a huge difference in performance between those scores.

[Jay845]

I am going to guess that the original poster shots 5 to 15 shots over par, depending on the day. Original poster, if this is so, please be aware this isn't your handicap.

[stuway]

I, the original poster did mean I shoot anywhere from 5 to 15 over on a regular basis. I appreciate your suggestions on the question. There are some really helpful, good people on this website, some others, eh not so much. They get more of a kick out of making fun of people who are'nt as experienced or savy about golf and golf products. That speaks volumes of what kind of life some people have.

[alan802]

I would suggest staying with the mizunos, maybe the mp 52. They will most likely be my next set of irons and your scores sound close to mine.

[CallawaySFH]

Depending on the quality of ball striker you are, I really like the Tour Burner irons from TM. They are super forgiving, but offer a sleaker look. I have found that fitting mid handicappers that they often prefer a MP 52, or AP2 but just can't get the long irons to crest high enough. Definitly soemthing to check out, plus they only have 105 gram shafts (stock). Hopefully that helps.

[Desert Golf]

I'm a 13 handicap and the Mizuno MX-25's are perfect for me.

The stock shafts are the Dynalite SL and they are a bit lighter than the stock shafts in the MX-200's and you can find great deals on the 25's now.

[stuway]

Thanks for those who are trying to answer my question. I don't know if I'm ready for the MP-52's, I need a little more forgiveness. I have been getting interested in the TM Burner tours, from all accounts they are pretty forgiving. Anyone have any love for the x-20's or x-22's? I want to like them,but am not a Callaway guy. Mizuno, Titleist and TM have my love presently. Anyone else think the MX-200 are heavy?

[Schilly]

See if you can get your hands on a set of the MacGregor MT's. Not the Mids, and not the pros. The ones with a forged cup face and cast perimeter weighting. I got to try the 7 iron through the promotion and they felt great.

[Robert Brown]

Sorry about the folks that are not helpful... If you can do as well as 5 over and on other days be 15 over, I would suggest an iron that is more forgiving than what you have been using. On your good days, such irons will not hurt you... on your not so good days, they will be of great help. I have played Ping for 30+ years and that is what I know best. I would suggest the G5 irons... the G10s might be too much of a good thing. Hope you find what you need for your game... Bob 6 hdcp

[bradski]

why not go and mess with the ap1's you already have? get them fitted and maybe reshafted. I personally dont think that there are going to be much more forgiving heads out there.

[neverlayup]

I myself am a 17.5 I started playing in may. After trying many iron I found Wilson staff Ci7's and absolutely love them. Just give them a try you will enjoy great weight, excellent set up!

[golfguru604]

I myself am a 17.5 I started playing in may. After trying many iron I found Wilson staff Ci7's and absolutely love them. Just give them a try you will enjoy great weight, excellent set up!

 

 

Great suggestion ... very nice clubs. Cally X-20 or X-18 may do the trick too. Try out the Nike Cci's too. Not bad and you can get them rather cheaply lately. I'll likely get crucified for this but don't disregard the Nicklaus Polarity MTR or Polarity HCT irons. I just got those and have added at least 7-10 yards per club over my old set of Orlimars.

 

Since handicaps were mentioned .. I play to a 7.4 .

[Schilly]

My personal instinct would say that if you are having consistency issues with the irons then often a heavier club (from experience) can help keep your swing more consistently than a Lighter club at least within reason. Helps with the whole muscle memory thing. Is it just the weight that you don't like in the Mizunos?

[MchSt805]

I have to give credit to the Mizuno MX-25's. I think they're a great in between set. Actually, they can be played by some very good players as well. Nice forged clubs, but a bit more forgiving than the blade categories. If you can shoot 5 over par sometimes, I don't think you'd have any complications. Heck I really think if you can hover right around that 9-10 over you'd be a perfect fit as well. You need an iron that will make you improve, as well as allow you to improve if that makes sense. Something that won't be to harsh on you, but allow you to get better as well. I think the 25's are able to do that quite well.

 

I can't really speak for the AP-1s you currently have. I personally couldn't stand to look at them. But that is not any reason for me to discredit them for someone else. Wouldn't be fair.

 

Good luck

 

EDIT: Oh, but I would like to add that buying a different set of irons may just end up being a huge waste of money on your part. You have an excellent set of clubs currently. It may make more sense right now to work on your game a little more first. Maybe try to get into a fitting and see what a Pro has to say about your current setup (shafts, lie, length, etc.). If it comes down to being more of an arrow and not the indian situation, then you can proceed. I'd just double check all other possible variables first.

[golfguru604]

Sorry for my blindness if I missed it but ... what's you average swing speed let's say between your driver and your 5-iron. (example: I'm 109 mph and 86 mph)? Do you fade the ball or draw it usually? Finally, would you rather a Powerbar or beer on the course?

[stuway]

Thanks again guy's this input is making me think. In regards to the mx-200 I love the feel but the heaviness is my issue with them, I swing fairly steep. To the other question my driver swing speed is about 105-110 depending on how I go after it and my 5 iron speed is around 80. I swing alot harder with the driver and try to smooth it out alot more with my irons. Would reshafting the mizzy's and regripping provide a noticeable difference in club weight. I'm not sure what shafts are in them, they're the TT stock shafts they came with.

[Johann]

Stuway,

 

if you get your MX200 reshafted, a decent clubfitter can ajust swingweight to whatever you want!

 

A new shaft won't add forgiveness, but it may help you to get what you are looking for in your irons. I play MX25s and reshafted them twice (from TFR 5.5 - Nippon NSPRO950 stiff - PX5.0) and I am really happy now. Ballflight is stiff high but I can control where I want the irons to go.

PX shafts are perfect for me and the Mizunos MX25 or MX200 are a great set of forged irons!

 

Get a clubfitter or pro to look at your swing and tell him what you are looking for in your irons. He should be able to help!

:rolleyes:

[billybaroo]

Any suggestions on irons that are light, forgiving and long.

 

 

The TM irons seem to fit that description, they use longer shafts and jacked up lofts to give their irons more distance than the same number iron from other manufacturers.

 

My opinion is that you have the skills to play well and might be better suited to having your existing clubs fitted and worked a bit couple with a lesson or two to help with the consistency versus spending for a whole new set of irons. If you just want new stuff then I'd look at TM irons, used stuff from last season should available for a song as TM puts out new gear so quickly the previous week's gear is highly discounted.

[Swing_King]

I don't think there's much better out there than the MX20 - still, IMHO, the best feeling of the Mizuno cavity backs. Try and get them in DG SL's though.

[Cally4life]

My suggestion would be the X20 Tours. They are forgiving, for when your having those 15 stroke days. And when your having a 5 stroke day they are yet workable enough. The x22 tour irons are for the more skilled player striving to find more workability with some forgivness

[SpeedyPro]

Depending on the quality of ball striker you are, I really like the Tour Burner irons from TM. They are super forgiving, but offer a sleaker look. I have found that fitting mid handicappers that they often prefer a MP 52, or AP2 but just can't get the long irons to crest high enough. Definitly soemthing to check out, plus they only have 105 gram shafts (stock). Hopefully that helps.

 

 

+1 for TM Tour Burner.

My handycap is also 5-15, to be exact it's 9.9 now, and I cannot be happier with Tour Burner. I have graphite shaft so I sometimes think of getting steel shaft, but so far so good.

You definitely gotta try this.

[DrSchteeve]

Ping I5's (as most Ping's) tend to light side, so that may suit that desire of yours. Ping I5's and TM Tour Burner's are almost identical as far as size of the head (very slightly oversized), topline (medium), sole width (medium, with the I5's slightly wider), and bounce (I5's, again as with most Ping's, have a bit more).

 

I think choosing between the I5's and the Tour Burner's is mostly a matter of OEM preference and/or look (some think the Tour Burner's look too "busy" even though you can't see that from address). Either would be a great choice for an intermediate handicapper.

[Watch]

Good topic, Stuway. Those Mizuno MX 200s look like excellent clubs, especially if, as you say, your swing is "kind of steep." That would make the offsets more correct than not for your swing.

 

The shaft has a lot to do with the feel of your ball striking, with the softer shafts leading to a more "solid" feel on off-center strikes. Something that really helped me also was MOI matching my current set of irons through progressive swingweighting. I dialed in the 7 iron at D2 after several trials, and it was perfect. I went down and up from there in .5 increments, respectively, throughout the set. So while my 3 iron swingweight is a D0, my PW is D3.5.

 

Couple this approach -- of finding the correct swingweight for a middle iron you like -- with the selection of the right overall shaft weight and flex profile for your personal feel, and those MX 200s should perform like hot rods. If you can't do the work, find a clubfitter, talk to him, take him the club you choose, and you should be a satisfied client. I would also strongly advise being ""dynamically" fitted for loft and lie adjustments as well.

[h_baden]

why not go and mess with the ap1's you already have? get them fitted and maybe reshafted. I personally dont think that there are going to be much more forgiving heads out there.

 

+1

 

For me, the AP1s are about the best iron that I have hit in the last 10 years.

I find them very accurate, forgiving, and very long.

 

I would get fitted to determine why you don't hit them well.

Of course, if you simply want to get new/different irons, we understand...

 

The TM Tour Burners may be a good start.

[touch]

I suggest the Adams A4 TECH forged irons just released.

They have length, forgiveness, technology, and are forged.

Great irons and I have hit them all.

 

I got custom fitted and man I am hiting greens like I should.

Remeber they run 1/2 inch longer that other OEM stock iron lenghts as their 5 iron is 38.5 inches, and makes them a 3/4 inch longer than Pings and Mizuno's in length.

Thus I ordered my set -1/2 inch 1* upright and got the 4 iron instead of the hybrid. Makig my 5 iron 38 inches long. The industry standard. I am 5 foot 11 with average lenght arms.

The 4 iron is long and straight. I am not a hybrid lover, so the ability to get a 4-PW was perfect for me.

Long live fairway woods ( I bag a 3,5,7)...&

Long live Adams new irons A4 TECH for mid handicappers

[dd4p12]

well i gots the Mizuno Mx 200s and i love them so far. I would just say to stick with them and just practice till ya love them.. I went from Cleveland ta7 graphite shafts to Mizuno Mx 200 stiff stell so i definitely can feel a difference but it dosent bother me to much

[Breaker999]

X18s or Tour Burners

-easier to hit than Mizunos/Titleists. Mid-sized, modest offset, and forgiving. They don't look very classy, but for the mid-handicapper these clubs can make your game more enjoyable.

 

I was set on buying the MX200, so sweet and appear perfect on paper. But after I demoed them, I realized they weren't for my swing. I agree with the previous poster, you need a steep swing to hit the MX200s. The X20s, I've owned and traded in-- very forgiving but too big for my taste. I've also owned the G5 and Rapture irons-- Ping irons in general are head-heavy and clunky. I would also recommend the Fusions or FT irons-- compact heads, modest offset, and thinnish soles.

[Jay845]

Lots of good choices out there. I play Ping g5's and my current handicap is 6.9.

[CosmosMpower]

Nickent 3dx pro with nippons