sonartec MD...

[bucco09]

anyone playing it...

I'm looking to add a 2 iron hybrid and am waiting(very patiently like many of you) for the new Titleist's to come out, but wanted to see how the sonartec is going over? setup, launch etc. thanks for the help ya'll...

Josh

[PING*]

Solid. Get's a lot of use across all of the tours. I play the 21* as a replacement for my 3 iron and it's perfect. Doesn't hit a towering trajectory like some of the other hybrids which is exactly what I wanted. I wanted to be able to hit that lower stinger like my 3 iron but with more foregiveness. Still holds the green from 200 yards out also...

[forrre]

best club in my bag. I hit the ball sooooooo hi its sick. With my 19* md, I have a lower flight with a slight draw. I can't say enough about this club. I love it!!!!!!!

[Sander]

Fantastic club! Good ballflight and nice sound!

 

Maybe I should buy the new 2006 edition in copper colour... :)

[joey3108]

Here is some of the detail info on this club.

 

Hope this help your decision!

 

Joe

 

877.237.1190 | www.sonartec.com

 

MD Hybrid Transition Club

 

Features and Benefits

 

The Md is a long-iron replacement which boasts a unique combination of extreme

forgiveness and overwhelming distance, creating the ultimate scoring club for golfers

 

of all skill levels. Some of the features and benefits offered by the Md include:

• Ideal for golfers of varying skill levels.

• Driving Cavity™ for deep, penetrating ball flight.

• Promotes mid/high launch, low-spin trajectory.

• Longer and more forgiving than other hybrids.

• Bendable hosel allows for precise custom fitting.

 

Tour Success

 

Beginning with the Buick Invitational in February, the Md collected four #1 club counts

in 2005. More than 110 PGA Tour professionals put 410 Md’s in play without

compensation in 2005; making it the second most-played hybrid on the PGA Tour.

 

Some of the Md’s more notable accomplishments on the PGA Tour:

• Major Victories – 2004 British Open Championship

• 2005 PGA Tour Victories – Cialis Western Open, Buick Championship

• 9 Worldwide Wins (2004-2005)

• #1 Hybrid Counts (2005) – Buick Invitational, The Player’s Championship,

BellSouth Classic, The Colonial

 

Specifications:

 

Club Loft Lie Angle Volume Shaft Length

 

0i/3w 15° 59.5° 120cc 41.25”

1i/4w* 17° 60° 118cc 40.75”

2i/5w* 19° 60.50 114cc 40.25”

3i/7w* 21° 61° 113cc 39.75”

4i/9w 23° 61.5° 112cc 39.25”

5i/11w 25° 62° 112cc 38.75”

 

*Available in left handed models. Stock UST iRoD shaft (L, A, R, S, X).

[PING*]

Fantastic club! Good ballflight and nice sound!

 

Maybe I should buy the new 2006 edition in copper colour... :)

 

Hey, I noticed that the other day. What's the difference? Just color? Noticed the Copper shaft and Copper paint on the sole of the club. What's the store on the change?

[Noonan]

It depends on what your looking for from a hybrid. I've found the Sonartec to be solid, but with a lower ballflight compared to other hybrids, such as the new Adams or Nickent hybrid. The lower ballflight of the Sonartec goes against what I'm looking for in a hybrid club.

[primo]

I had a tour Sonartec MD in my bag for about 2 months. I REALLY TRIED to like it, I even tried a couple of different shafts in it, it came with NVS, I switched to DG x100, Nippon, NV, and a fuji Bonzai (at my dad's recommendation) none of them really worked out. I had a 19 degree and found it really hard to get off the ground. It was great off the tee, and great for punch shots, but that's about it. I've had a lot more success with the Tour adam's hybrid. Now I'm testing out a prototype Scratch Hybrid that is absolutely ridiculously easy to hit. I didn't like the look of it at first, but now I am really starting to like it. Kinda like the SQ, the look throws you off until you actually hit a ball. Then the look actually gives you a lot more confidence.

[jokerusn]

I play one in 19* with an Tour IROD Stiff in 110g. This thing is an amazing replacement for a 2 iron. It hits about the same distance, with much higher trajectory, but not a balloon, for me (I always hit 2 iron quite low). It's easier to take a little off of it, and it hits well from the rough.

 

I used the same setup but I switched to a Nickent with tour 100 Irod. The MD hit too low for me to use effectively from the deck. Off the tee, it was DAMN LONG.

[rockstar571]

i love my md 21* at first i found it to be really hard to get off the ground as well but after putting a spare tour concept shaft in it no problems at all

[kiwidave]

I've got one and i love it. I've the 17' and it's great. Yeah sure it doesn't launch as high as most other hybrids. But it's very versatile and a damn sight easier to hit than a 1 or 2 iron...for me anyway

[leftysviewuk]

Why not look here for more input.......... :)

MD reviews

[pocoloko1]

Just added the new Sonartec MD 19 with a Fujikura Speeder 904 HB shaft and this thing is amazing. It's a cannon off the tee....unbelievably almost as long as my 3 wood (now I need a new 3 wood!) and actually a bit straighter for me. I love this thing on tight par 4's. Can hit it high and soft or a low missile with this club and it's easy to hit off the deck or from moderate rough. Really like the new chrome and copper paint scheme (headcover is brown and black now)....especially complements the Fujikura shaft pattern well. Definitely recommend trying this one out if you have a chance.

[Geo]

Fantastic club! Good ballflight and nice sound!

 

Maybe I should buy the new 2006 edition in copper colour... ;)

 

Hey, I noticed that the other day. What's the difference? Just color? Noticed the Copper shaft and Copper paint on the sole of the club. What's the store on the change?

 

Color change is cosmetic . . . no need to mess w/ a good thing.

Cover looks like it's been improved a good bit though, less likely to come off and whatnot.

 

 

[vincenti]

Solid club, but frankly too heavy. I rarely use it, it's better using an iron than a hybrid. Hybrid is only a hype.

[six00imola]

i didnt like the look at address, but the performance is exceptional

 

great club

 

no reason not to pick it up if u like it

[trossignol]

Josh,

 

Just do it!

[geeza_1]

The Sonartec MD is a quirky beast. The first thing you notice is how upright the standard setup is, at least 2 or 3 degrees more upright than standard I found.

 

Secondly, you can take or leave the looks. Personally I found the boxy square look quite confidence inspiring.

 

Then you hit it and you notice another atpyical hybrid feature. This thing is simply not designed to hit the ball high! Off the tee it is absolutely amazingly long and easy to hit, yet off the deck I never got good height on the ball.

 

I think the 2 major problems were the upright lie angle and the crappy UST shaft. I am not sure how or why so many pros use this shaft. I found it absolutely awful! All whippy and no control, even in X. Maybe a Fuji Banzai would have helped.

 

Anyway, if you wanna try one, I would recommend going at least 2 degrees up in loft (use the 23 or 25 model as a 3 iron), as it goes plenty far and that way you will get a more realistic 3 iron trajectory and distance gap to your 4 iron.

 

If you want an easy to hit long iron replacement that goes high, you may be better off with one like the Cleveland Halo or Wilson DH6, both of which are actually great fun clubs, even for the better player.

[leftysviewuk]

Solid club, but frankly too heavy. I rarely use it, it's better using an iron than a hybrid. Hybrid is only a hype.

 

Personally I do not find the club heavy, in fact I would asy that it is actually quite light to swing and you should definatly try one on a demo day. Took me some time to adjust to the light feel.

 

The Sonartec MD is a quirky beast. The first thing you notice is how upright the standard setup is, at least 2 or 3 degrees more upright than standard I found.

 

Secondly, you can take or leave the looks. Personally I found the boxy square look quite confidence inspiring.

 

Then you hit it and you notice another atpyical hybrid feature. This thing is simply not designed to hit the ball high! Off the tee it is absolutely amazingly long and easy to hit, yet off the deck I never got good height on the ball.

 

I think the 2 major problems were the upright lie angle and the crappy UST shaft. I am not sure how or why so many pros use this shaft. I found it absolutely awful! All whippy and no control, even in X. Maybe a Fuji Banzai would have helped.

 

Anyway, if you wanna try one, I would recommend going at least 2 degrees up in loft (use the 23 or 25 model as a 3 iron), as it goes plenty far and that way you will get a more realistic 3 iron trajectory and distance gap to your 4 iron.

 

If you want an easy to hit long iron replacement that goes high, you may be better off with one like the Cleveland Halo or Wilson DH6, both of which are actually great fun clubs, even for the better player.

 

I have to disagree slightly with the comments above.

 

Firstly, regarding lack of height when hit from the fairway and not the tee. Simply speaking I would suggest.

Ball position.

I have no problems hitting the ball high or low with the so called "crappy" UST shaft. Experimentation and practice at the range will clarify this.

 

I have used my MD now for 10 months and it is a full keeper in the bag. For anyone who tries one, please play the club like an iron as it is designed and you will see the full benefits..... ;) jmho....

[geeza_1]

Solid club, but frankly too heavy. I rarely use it, it's better using an iron than a hybrid. Hybrid is only a hype.

 

Personally I do not find the club heavy, in fact I would asy that it is actually quite light to swing and you should definatly try one on a demo day. Took me some time to adjust to the light feel.

 

The Sonartec MD is a quirky beast. The first thing you notice is how upright the standard setup is, at least 2 or 3 degrees more upright than standard I found.

 

Secondly, you can take or leave the looks. Personally I found the boxy square look quite confidence inspiring.

 

Then you hit it and you notice another atpyical hybrid feature. This thing is simply not designed to hit the ball high! Off the tee it is absolutely amazingly long and easy to hit, yet off the deck I never got good height on the ball.

 

I think the 2 major problems were the upright lie angle and the crappy UST shaft. I am not sure how or why so many pros use this shaft. I found it absolutely awful! All whippy and no control, even in X. Maybe a Fuji Banzai would have helped.

 

Anyway, if you wanna try one, I would recommend going at least 2 degrees up in loft (use the 23 or 25 model as a 3 iron), as it goes plenty far and that way you will get a more realistic 3 iron trajectory and distance gap to your 4 iron.

 

If you want an easy to hit long iron replacement that goes high, you may be better off with one like the Cleveland Halo or Wilson DH6, both of which are actually great fun clubs, even for the better player.

 

I have to disagree slightly with the comments above.

 

Firstly, regarding lack of height when hit from the fairway and not the tee. Simply speaking I would suggest.

Ball position.

I have no problems hitting the ball high or low with the so called "crappy" UST shaft. Experimentation and practice at the range will clarify this.

 

I have used my MD now for 10 months and it is a full keeper in the bag. For anyone who tries one, please play the club like an iron as it is designed and you will see the full benefits..... jmho....

 

 

Ok, I can see your point about the shaft. Maybe "crappy" was a little unfair. I just thought it felt loose and inaccurate - a shame when there are so many good hybrid shafts out there today. As for the ball flight, I have been playing for around 15 years, and have never hit a club with such low flight. And yes, I have been to the website and watched the tutorial about ball positioning etc.

 

I think my main problem was the lie angle, as I never felt really comfortable with the toe so high in the air at address. As you can see from my WITB, I am huge Sonartec fan, I just found I couldn't really hit anything but worm burners with this club.

 

The fact that I like to pick the ball rather than take a big divot could also be part of the problem. I am sure that a steep swing would generate more spin, offering a higher flight. However, I just wanted to point out to the majority of the readers here what they should expect if they buy one, which is low flight. If that fits your swing, then great, but all the guys who hit it at my course (including 3 pros) said the same as me. Too low!

[leftysviewuk]

Ok, I can see your point about the shaft. Maybe "crappy" was a little unfair. I just thought it felt loose and inaccurate - a shame when there are so many good hybrid shafts out there today. As for the ball flight, I have been playing for around 15 years, and have never hit a club with such low flight. And yes, I have been to the website and watched the tutorial about ball positioning etc.

 

I think my main problem was the lie angle, as I never felt really comfortable with the toe so high in the air at address. As you can see from my WITB, I am huge Sonartec fan, I just found I couldn't really hit anything but worm burners with this club.

 

The fact that I like to pick the ball rather than take a big divot could also be part of the problem. I am sure that a steep swing would generate more spin, offering a higher flight. However, I just wanted to point out to the majority of the readers here what they should expect if they buy one, which is low flight. If that fits your swing, then great, but all the guys who hit it at my course (including 3 pros) said the same as me. Too low!

 

Interesting comments you make above. And yes I agree it does depend on how to a certain degree the club and shaft..... fits your swing.

 

From my experience with the club, when hit from the deck, I've noticed as a general rule.

1) With a draw shape the height is much lower

2) With a gentle fade, the flight is way higher with a guaranteed soft landing.

 

Anyone else seen similiar results...

[Ultimate]

The Md is definitely a low hitter. Tour players and better players often like that.

 

As for the IRod shaft, I personally think its great and is a good combination with that head. Shafts are always personal choices. What is good for one might not be good for another.

 

The observation about the Md being vey upight is interesting. What are the factory lie specs?

 

To me, the club is great off the tee and off good lies. It isn't great out of bad lies. To me, the Rescue Mid, the Hogan hybrid, are all like that. Not very good from deep lies, but better from good lies.

[Ultimate]

I just noticed, on the Sonartec website, that there is a new factory-spec shaft in the Md. It is a copper-colored UST shaft, a special Sonartec paint job, and I am guessing that it is the same old IRod with a new paint job.

Does anybody know for sure?

[PCGS / Graphite Design]

The new UST Irod shaft is a color change only.

 

If you tend to hit the Sonartec MD low I would consider a different shaft with a softer tip.

 

geeza_1 if you don't mind me asking what loft were you hitting in the Sonartec MD to produce such a low ball flight.

 

Thank You,

 

Erik

[geeza_1]

The new UST Irod shaft is a color change only.

 

If you tend to hit the Sonartec MD low I would consider a different shaft with a softer tip.

 

geeza_1 if you don't mind me asking what loft were you hitting in the Sonartec MD to produce such a low ball flight.

 

Thank You,

 

Erik

 

Hi Erik,

 

I had the 19 degree model with Irod stiff. I actually liked the feel and sound at impact, but struggled from the fairway and rough, kind of where you would like to use a hybrid. Like I said, all clubs are basically easy to hit off the tee, but with this kind of club I'd really like to hit it high of clean lies. With hindsight I probably should have ordered the 23 degree model with the banzai shaft and 2 degrees flat.

 

Maybe you could tell me why some Sonartec's clubs are more upright than many other manufacturers (I noticed the ss series is flatter than the NP99 and the MD)?

[PCGS / Graphite Design]

geeza_1 the great thing about the Sonartec MD is that it has bendable hosel. If you look at other manufactures lie angles the Sonartec MD is pretty much a standard 19* lie angle. If you feel your Sonartec MD is too upright please have your lie angle adjusted by your local professional club builder.

 

Have you looked at other manufacturers lie angles? Sonartec seems to have very similar lie angles to other manufactuers. You might want to consider the SS-07 that has a bendable hosel as well.

 

Good Luck,

 

Erik

[Ultimate]

The new UST Irod shaft is a color change only.

 

If you tend to hit the Sonartec MD low I would consider a different shaft with a softer tip.

 

geeza_1 if you don't mind me asking what loft were you hitting in the Sonartec MD to produce such a low ball flight.

 

Thank You,

 

Erik

 

Erik, thanks for your reply, but now I am confused because right after you posted I got a response from Sonartec Customer Service and here is what they said:

 

 

*******************************************

Sent: Wed, 31 May 2006 09:33:33 -0700

Subject: RE: Sonartec - Contact Submission

 

Thank you for your interest in Sonartec. The new copper shaft in the Md is slightly different then the original Blue iRoD, which was the UST iRoD Hybrid Long Iron.

Please compare the two different specs:

Stock Shaft Flex Weight Torque Kickpoint

UST iROD

Hybrid Long Iron L 65g 2.7° Low

A 76g 2.3° Low

R 78g 2.3° Low

S 81g 2.3° Low

X 82g 2.1° Low

 

Stock Shaft Flex Weight Torque Kickpoint

UST 2006 Copper iROD

L 65g 4.0° Mid-Low

A 75g 4.0° Mid-Low

R 78g 4.0° Mid-Low

S 80g 4.0° Mid-Low

X 83g 3.9° Mid-Low

 

 

The new copper shaft has a little more torque and is slightly softer in the tip section. This helps in producing an effective ball flight in the longer irons.

 

Please let me know if you have anymore questions.

Thanks,

[Mxxx]

 

Customer Service Dept

Sonartec Golf

#1 Fairway Wood, #1 Hybrid Club--PubLinks Golfer Magazine

Tester's Top Pick--Golf Magazine Club Test 2005

#3 Fairway Wood Brand, #2 Hybrid Club Brand --PGA Tour

[njlam]

Now that the Sonartec md has been discountinued, I want to complete my set before they are all gone.

 

I currently have the md in 17, 19, 21 and 25, all with the blue IROD shaft in regular. I have seen a 15 degree at a local shop with a copper colored IROD shaft in regular and want to know if there is any difference between the copper IROD and the blue IROD.

 

Earlier in this thread there is some conflicting statements by Sonartec on this subject. Can someone please let me know the truth? Honestly, as it is a 15 degree I am contemplating, I wouldn't mind if the copper shaft had a higher trajectory.

 

On a separate matter, I also just bought the HB-001 in a 17 degree with the OnIn2 shaft ® and do not like it as much as my 17 degree md. I think it could be a shaft thing (I love the IROD), but I don't think they have a superior club in the HB-001. Is it true Sonartec US is no longer working with their Japanese counterpart (Royal Collection)? It would explain the different design and lack of graphics on the HB-001.

 

The GS Tour looks like a Royal Collection collaboration. What is the story with this?

[Guest]

The simple explanation for the crazy lie angle is the clubhead shape and physics. Due to the shape and weight distribution on these heads they induce more toe droop than a normal metal wood or iron. Your divots should be the indicator if your lie angle is close to right. If it's off a little in the lower lofts it's not as big a deal as if it's off a little in the wedges. Hope this helps

[Guest]

The simple explanation for the crazy lie angle is the clubhead shape and physics. Due to the shape and weight distribution on these heads they induce more toe droop than a normal metal wood or iron. Your divots should be the indicator if your lie angle is close to right. If it's off a little in the lower lofts it's not as big a deal as if it's off a little in the wedges. Hope this helps