Adams a12OS Iron/Hybrid Pre-Release Review

[tbowles411]

Thanks to the Wrx and Adams Golf

Before I get started, I want to thank GolfWrx and Adams Golf for the opportunity to not only review, but receive a set of the 2012 a12OS hybrids and irons to review and keep. I got them a couple of days ago, and owed it to them and everyone to get out and review a their new set of hybrids and irons before they are due to be released, if even by a few days. I hope I can help prospective buyers out with their purchase and answer any questions they may have. This is definitely an awesome site to be affiliated with and am very grateful they trust me and my opinions. I’ve used Adams irons in the past (most recently the V3 in front of the TMaG guys BTW), and know the brand pretty well. For the record, they were pretty impressed with the V3 hybrid as I was hitting shot after shot out of a divot on the range.



I chose graphite stiff irons. Having back issues I HAD to have graphite to prevent the shock of impact on the ground. They had Grafalloy ProLaunch Blue, 65g shafts in them.

LOOK
Honestly, at first I didn’t know what to think. I inspected them pretty closely. The more I looked at them, the more I liked them. As true in the OS line of previous years, these are for 20+ handicappers, beginners, for those who just like the SGI look and feel and for those weekend warriors who get out once a month or so and smack the little white ball around. You can definitely see the help. The cavities are deep, the weighting is very low and made and make almost any hit, good or bad, go virtually arrow straight (more on that in a minute). The offset isn’t massive. It’s there. But it’s not Ping massive. And let’s be honest, offset is getting a bum rap here on the Wrx. But if people didn’t need it to help them be successful, it wouldn’t be there. I’m one of those guys at a 24 handicap, I need offset, am and not ashamed to admit it, but it was good that it wasn’t huge, IMO.

The irons are big, but again, not so large where it looks like a boat paddle, and the soles are wide enough to help prevent the great majority of fat shots. Again, remember who these are geared to. The top line is THICK. The club screams, “I’m going to hit the poo out of the ball.”

As for the hybrids, these are classic Adams. They’re made to get the ball up and out. Not fancy, but these are made to work and they didn’t disappoint. For folks who worry about the Velocity slot, once you start hitting them, you don’t see it. For me at least, it disappeared. The size of the hybrids are pretty large in the 4 hybrid and get smaller when you get to the 5 and 6. This is for forgiveness no doubt. You’d also think there would be more offset in the hybrids. Not so much. Yes, there is some, but not quite as much as you might think.

FEEL/SOUND
The feel of the irons is solid. No, it’s not forged, so forget that, but they do have a solid feel, but not quite as soft as I might have hoped. But again, these aren’t forged, and aren’t trying to be. There’s a bit of weight to them, I’d prefer a little heavier, but that’s a personal preference. The hybrids are equally solid. Again, I’d prefer them to be a little heavier, but they’re both made for distance, I’m sure. Make them lighter, and a solid strike makes them go farther, I get it. The sound of these are also solid. Not loud or soft. Nothing special that would stand out in either way.

PLAYABILITY
This is where the rubber meets the road for me. I’ve played the V3 irons and hybrids, so that was in my head while playing with these on each shot.

The irons simply go straight. “Working the ball” should not be in your mind. The irons want to fly high and straight. I tried to cut the ball. No, it’s not going to do it very easily. It doesn’t want to so don’t ask it. Being Golfwrx I know many of you will want to lower the flight. There will be options to do that by changing shafts, but maintaining the forgiveness factor. But the stock graphite and I imagine the steel as well, these simply fly straight. And it was actually nice to see. As far as accuracy, these are point and shoot. There are better shafts out there for sure, but these are not bad. The irons make the ball land soft, with a little release, but for me, not much to speak of. A very solid effort, I must say.

The hybrids are another story altogether. I’ll start with the velocity slot. The slot works. The strikes were solid and the hype about the slots, is warranted. The ball comes off very quick, and high. I had never really used it extensively. I hit it before, but I didn’t appreciate it as much as I do now. The term “rocket ship” came to mind. I was impressed on how far it flew and how easy it was to hit. The 4 hybrid and I made friends very quickly. I had a 230 yard Par 3 that always eats my lunch. The thing just fired the ball high and with plenty of distance. I aimed for the center of the green and I put it 30 feet to the pin. Needless to say I was impressed…before I three putted! LOL Hey, I said I was a 24 handicap! :D But it was a better result than I usually have, with a little less club than I normally use.

From the fairway, these border on special. If you put a solid strike on these, you’re going to be a little awestruck, at least I was. You’ll be rewarded with high and arrow straight flight. If you put a less than solid strike, it will be a pretty decent result. Again, arrow straight, but this is where the velocity slot helps bail you out. You’ll not lose much distance because the ball is coming off quicker. You will lose SOME, but not as much. Speed = distance. I currently use TaylorMade SF 2.0 hybrids. I can hear them now: They’re worried and have every right to be. These are more forgiving and feel every bit as solid, if not more so. Period. If you want to lower the flight, get a different shaft, but out of the box, I was very, VERY impressed. Ball.Go.Far. Again, these do not want to be worked much, but I got a little cut action out of it. But these simply want to go straight.

SPECIALTY STUFF
I’m a bump and run guy. I learned years ago, get it on the ground as fast as possible and start it rolling like a putt, especially when you have a lot of ground to cover. I grabbed the irons and hybrids to try some different things around and on the greens, ala Todd Hamilton and such. You have to be a little careful with finesse shots with the irons. With the soles being wider, you’ll get forgiveness on a mishit, but you just need to make sure your technique is sound. After a couple of tries, it became old hat. I liked the fact I could pull off these shots in my game with something on the wider side. Chipping with a hybrid was easy too. Another benefit of the velocity slot gave me a bit more speed to the strike and allowed me to take a shorter back action with the club. If it gets away from you, it will fire past your target. However, these will definitely help the higher handicapper add those dimensions to their game. Also, sometimes when you’re in a bunker, a wedge is NOT the right play when you have to run it after hitting the green. I tried a shot that I had been using with these. I took an 8 iron out of the sand when I had to have enough loft to get out, but needed it to navigate the green. I pulled it off with “less” than great contact because the soles bailed me out. This shot can be accomplished with any iron, but I was impressed nonetheless. But you have to PRACTICE THESE!

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
For what the a12OS is, they are a very solid effort, definitely worthy of your attention and consideration. As far as hybrids, Adams rules the roost for a reason. They just perform. These do a job for that higher capper to have success and enjoy the game more. That’s what it’s all about. They’ll have success with these and hopefully a little less frustration. The irons are very solid as well with help that is evident to help the golfer get the ball up and out in the right direction. No, they’re not going to prevent a sh*** or fix a hook, but what they will do is allow you to get away with those mistakes more often. Not every shot is crisp and clean. You want to maximize your time on the course and get away with as much as possible when your game is not so nice to you. Stock shafts will work for most people, but I might suggest going heavier in them for more control, and not straight up distance. It’s not a slight, just a hacker’s recommendation. The stiff shafts I chose allowed me to keep control of the ball, but I know there are at least a half dozen choices of graphite shafts I would recommend in order to promote the feel and flight I like. And if you do, please do not charge a huge upcharge to do so. Even high handicappers want to hit a ball like Tom Watson or Bam Bam Lincicome sometimes.

I enjoyed hitting these, I really did. Will I keep these? I’m not sure yet, but I know my SF 2.0 hybrid will have a run for it’s money for sure with that a12OS 4 hybrid. Again, thanks to Golfwrx, and Adams Golf for the opportunity and for allowing me to play and review them.

Golfwrx…accept no subsititutes!

[clevelandlefty05]

Any Pictures?

[swbyps]

[u][b]tbowles[/b][/u] my man! how were you able to swing this gig? a set of irons to "review and keep". come on now..hook a brotha up. how can i be down!?! i want to "review and keep" those new cleveland 588 wedges. whos palms do i have to greazzze?

oh yea...and nice review!

[tbowles411]

[quote name='clevelandlefty05' timestamp='1316021118' post='3563957']
Any Pictures?
[/quote]
I didn't take any because I knew they were on the site. Here's the link:

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/510378-2012-adams-idea-a12-os-pics/page__p__3555645__hl__a12+os__fromsearch__1#entry3555645

[tbowles411]

[quote name='swbyps' timestamp='1316021587' post='3563976']
[u][b]tbowles[/b][/u] my man! how were you able to swing this gig? a set of irons to "review and keep". come on now..hook a brotha up. how can i be down!?! i want to "review and keep" those new cleveland 588 wedges. whos palms do i have to greazzze?

oh yea...and nice review!
[/quote]
One of the mods asked if I was interested to do a review on them. I thought about it for about a minute, and said, "Sure. It'll be nice to serve the community!" LOL

And thanks! It was time to finally use all those English classes!

[Sakman]

[quote name='swbyps' timestamp='1316021587' post='3563976']
[u][b]tbowles[/b][/u] my man! how were you able to swing this gig? a set of irons to "review and keep". come on now..hook a brotha up. how can i be down!?! [b]i want to "review and keep" those new cleveland 588 wedges.[/b] whos palms do i have to greazzze?

oh yea...and nice review!
[/quote]

Keep your eyes peeled for potentially something coming down the pipe.

[Johnny T]

Nice review! And bring them along so I can try them along with cdwmobile's R11's at Bristow.

[MrParr1Noid]

tbowles411

 

Nice review, and by the sound of things you had a good time doing it. .. Adams Golf does have some impressive equipment, and in the big league of today.

 

Congrats Man! ..Good job, well done...

[Eck42]

PICS ARE ON THE WAY!

First of all I want to thank Adams Golf and GolfWRX for the opportunity to test the new Adams A12 OS Iron / Hybrid set. I was excited and surprised when I was asked to participate in the test & then to receive the Adams set to keep was an even bigger surprise. It made me want to make sure I gave the set a thorough test! I tested them at the range (went through 2 large buckets and 1 small) compared to my current set of TM Burners and played a round with them. I am a 10 handicap.

LOOK:

Upon receiving the set, my first thought was “the top line and soles are not as thick as they appeared to be in the photos on GolfWRX.” However when comparing the irons to my Burners, a set of AP 1 and the latest Callaway Big Bertha irons, the Adams clubs were thick!. That does not bother me. The set includes a 4, 5, 6 “wood” like hybrid, 7 & 8 iron hybrid and a 9, PW, GW iron. Overall the irons / hybrids have a very nice look. The thick top line is no issue for me, for others it might matter. The slots in the hybrids were not an issue as far as looks. I barely noticed it when hitting the hybrids. I knew it was there, but not an issue. Compared to my current TM hybrids, there was not much of a difference in size and the TM 4 &5 were the same length as the Adams.

PERFORMANCE:

My first swing with the Adams set was a 95 yard shot to a green on the range. I used GW. Some may not believe this, but it felt like pure “butter.” It is the only way I can explain it. It felt like air, the club put the ball in the air so easy it was ridiculous (in a good way). The ball flight was just what I like and the ball landed near the hole. I switched between my Burners and the Adams taking about 3 shots with each and then switching back. The Burners had the familiar feel I am used to and I know just how far they will go. The Adams clubs continually had a soft, easy feel to them and went about 5-7 yards longer at times. The Adams set is so easy to get in the air it is almost like cheating! Don’t get me wrong, the Burners also perform, my point is the Adams irons felt very, very smooth and IMO seemed almost effortless to put them in the air and get good distance. Playing on the course I had a few shots where the ball dropped and stopped when hitting the green.

The 7 and 8 iron were impressive. Very easy to hit the ball 140-150 yards. Again a very smooth feel. In the round I played with them, I was confident any time I used either club.

The hybrids are nice. However, for me I like to have a 6 iron, instead of a hybrid. Too bad this set does not have the 6 iron like hybrid. The 6 hybrid is nice as are the 4 and 5 hybrids. Compared to my 09 TM I did not see much difference distance wise. The Adams hybrids are nice and a nice swing will put the ball in the air and straight as an arrow!


OVERALL:

This set is fantastic. I am putting them in my bag to replace the Burners. They are so easy to hit and get up in the air it is hard not to play them. No joke -they are effortless. I know for some the look might be an issue, but if you can get by that this set really is nice and IMO there are probably a lot of players who will benefit from this set. I admit that I would not have thought to check this set out in the store, but if you want easy clubs to hit these are it. Great job by Adams Golf.

<img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/5be564f855f6c466641ff497bae7ad55.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/178d44d5fab39f04cccf2b00a08ac465.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/188f7781dbdc7ac7cfa9f1723685e866.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/86af8a1f00087c1356f783ad39e2ad7d.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/d319ed988bd894882a36e6a0f27ce229.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/8de46000a6d571f48a4783dc5ac00332.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/e6836a398628719df548bcd6f247ecad.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/b772ad791c9e855950ae721b47cafafc.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/3a8046009cc0512ccba9809251931583.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/15f2587e6b6a205513663a8c7c39a3a1.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/88f33475a6269750329ab349b7371284.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/6a914ddeb1ee88082d8f970fa600cccd.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/eeebf370edde07dba2d37ef3e379f026.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/ac4be50a9ae2795e2b0cb935d630e95f.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/8d6d5c7457cebdb9b85912b08def31b4.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/4cd88c393a6af617015289276d8d4e3d.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/10016efe9d01ff4aa29d4e0614fd0bc2.JPG' /><img src='http://gwrxmedia.golfwrx.com/media/photos/28675810479263c024dbc99867db1211.JPG' />

[Dscvrr St Louis]

tbowles and Eck...great reviews...!! This is a great set for many different levels of players for different reasons...something Adams does better than anyone else out there.
Our Adams rep stopped in last night with the A12OS 6(hybrid ) and 9 iron, along with the A12 Hybrid and an MB2(rusted like crazy!) We took some time to hit the A12 hybrid...love the slot...does what it is supposed to do...but the A12OS is simply freakin' easy to hit!! He had me even close my eyes(no peeking) and hit one...SMOKED! Just plain great looks and easy to hit straight and high...! These are money and anyone who needs a hybrid or a A12OS set should check them out.

again, great reviews guys and enjoy your toys...just makin' the game easier down at Adams!

[ramsey_steve]

[b] Equipment Reviewed: [/b]Adams A12 OS combo irons set - 4, 5, 6 hybrids, 7iron through Gap Wedge, Stock graphite shafts in regular flex. - Many thanks to Adams Golf for the opportunity to test these out!

[b]My golfing background:[/b]
Ok, I admit it, I had a tough time earlier this year switching from my MX-200's to Ping G15, or should I say, my ego had a tough time. But the truth is that over the last 5 or 6 years my game has gone a bit south as my age has gone north, now hitting an all time handicap high of 18 at age 55. Deteriorating fitness, lost flexibility and lack of playing time have contributed to my declining game, so fair to say, I'm more in Adams' target market for the A12 OS' than I care to admit. When I'm playing well I have a natural draw and can manufacture a fade, but when I'm struggling, my swing plane gets slightly flatter and I tend to lay the club off at the top, causing me to get a little 'flippy' through impact. Despite their offset, i've been playing the G15 irons and hybrids since earlier this summer, and I'm hitting them pretty straight and on a noticeably higher trajectory than the MX-200's.

I'm the first to admit to having limited prior knowledge of Adams' SGI offerings, but these appear to me to be an update to the A7 OS line. I don't have access to a demo set of those, so for the purposes of pictures and performance comments I'm comparing them to my Ping G15 irons (G15 20 and 23 degree hybrids, 5 through Gap wedge AWT shafts regular flex). Maybe this isn't such a bad thing as Ping's G line is a natural competitor for Adams' SGI offerings, and I've been very happy so far with the G15 irons. My experience with the G15 hybrids has been 'mixed', which is less a reflection of the clubs than my problems hitting hybrids in general. Like others I've found my miss with the G15 hybrids to be "left to left" .. Fair to say, I approached testing this set with a particular interest in the hybrids!
[b]
Physical appearance:[/b]
Well, I guess that in the world of SGI big is good, and the irons in this set are pretty big, almost as big as my G15's! Definitely confidence inspiring. Viewed side by side to my G15's the A12 OS' look terrific. More attractively shaped than my G15's, noticeably less offset, and beautifully finished. The top line is similarly thick to the Pings, but having played the G15's for 3 months I'm not bothered by it. No doubt some purists will be offended by it, but I suspect if you're in Adams' target audience you'll be fine with it. The 7 and 8 irons have a lot of technology helping out on mishits, and are in reality more like hollow headed hybrids masquerading as irons, while the 8 through Gap wedge are similarly shaped but without the hollow construction - Actually very reminiscent of my old Mizuno MX-900's, and like the MX-900's the A12 OS' have a wide, well cambered sole profiles. My experience with the MX-900's was that one lost a certain amount of feel and touch on chip shots and bump and run shots with the hollow headed irons. It will be interesting to compare them in that area.


[b]Some photos:[/b]

The gap wedge beside my G15 U wedge:

[attachment=862376:A12 Gap vs G15 U.jpg]

Now the 9 iron..

[attachment=862379:A12 9 vs G15.jpg]

The 7 'hybrid iron' ..

[attachment=862381:A12 7 HYbrid vs G15.jpg]


And the 7 iron's sole camber

[attachment=862382:A12 7 hybrid sole camber.jpg]

and finally the 4 hybrid beside my G15 23 degree hybrid

[attachment=862383:A12 4 Hybrid vs G15 23.jpg]



T[b]est Session 1: [/b]
Driving Range at Spook Rock Golf Course - Ropey range balls, medium/soft mats. Mats and low quality balls aside, Spook Rock is an excellent range as it sets up slightly downhill with well defined targets and a backdrop of tall trees that make it easy to know where your shots are going and how they're getting there. This was a day that my swing was definitely slightly 'off', probably as a result of a long day at work prior to the session. Going back and forth between my G15's and the A12's probably wasn't the best idea - I'm just not a good enough ball striker to make solid contact consistently switching back and forth between clubs with graphite and steel shafts. But I hit a lot of good shots with the A12's once I acclimatized to their slightly lighter weight . At this stage I'd say that the A12's irons (7-gap) are really solid, with a similar high trajectory to the equivalent G15's, and possibly slightly longer. This wouldn't be huge surprise, given the A12's excellent graphite shafts. While I say the A12's are really solid, they're no more solid than my G15's. My G15's aren't going anywhere just yet. The 4, 5 and 6 hybrids were terrific! I was definitely a little uneasy hitting hybrids with as much loft and short shafts as the 5 and 6, but in use they proved to be super easy to hit. The slot on the crown may bother some (like the irons' thick top lines), but I totally forgot they were there. The next test session on the actual course will be fascinating. Thin hits flew predictably low, but went a good distance, and solid hits were long and high. Again, though, they served to highlight how good the G15 hybrids are, as for the most part they merely matched the G15's performance.

[b]Test Session 2:
[/b]On course play at my home course. Hitting at the range is all well and good, but the course is where the rubber meets the road. How would they perform in the real world? Would I feel confident with them? Well, one change I made prior to taking them out on the course was I put the irons on the lie/loft machine and flattened the lie angles to the 3 degs flat that my irons are normally set at, and also checked out the lofts.. All were spot on, albeit very strong, 1-2 degrees stronger per club than my already strong G15's. No problem adjusting the irons, but with the 4 through 6 irons covered by hybrids one's somewhat stuck with their more upright lie angles. Would this be an issue? I snuck out onto the course at 5 pm on Saturday when everyone had pretty much gone home , allowing me to experiment hitting them from a variety of places. Firstly I hit some shots with the four hybrid and the six hybrid, and was pleasantly surprised by how easy both clubs were to hit, and how well some less than solid strikes flew. Every shot I hit with the hybrids had a draw.. Maybe it's their somewhat upright lie angles, or maybe they're draw biased, but good swings produced high draws, poorer swings produced lower shots that had good distance but generally left of the intended target. Overall I really, really like these hybrids, and may well replace my Ping G15 hybrids with these - If only they'd included a 3 hybrid in the set..
Adjusting the lie angles proves the importance of correctly fitted irons. Whereas at the range the irons had performed well, now they felt more solid and their turf interaction was very impressive. I next spent some time hitting some low running chips with the PW and Gap wedge, and this was the area that I would need to work on some more before becoming totally comfortable with them. Chipping from just off the green (trying to fly the ball around 5 yards) was inconsistent. I don't think there's anything wrong with the clubs, but their weight and balance is a little different from my steel shafted G15's, causing me to catch the ball ever-so-slightly thin at times when chipping. Some shots landed with a slight backspin check then ran out, others had less backspin and ran too far.


[b]Strengths: [/b]
Great looks
Super forgiving with only moderate offset
Excellent distance progression from hybrids through semi hybrids to irons.

[b]
Weaknesses: [/b]
Working the ball.. Not really a weakness in the SGI market where straight is great, but for me at least, it was hard to move then ball from left to right.
The hybrids' lie angles are set up a little too upright for shorter players and their short hosels may preclude them from adjustment.

[b]Conclusion:
[/b]Good looks in a super easy to hit package.. An excellent option for the higher handicap player.


Hope these comments help!


Steve.

[TJS098]

These type of posts go to show that no matter what your playing with it is just plain fun to hit a golf ball high and straight.

Good reviews, thank guys!

[swbyps]

[quote name='Sakman' timestamp='1316031188' post='3564344']
[quote name='swbyps' timestamp='1316021587' post='3563976']
[u][b]tbowles[/b][/u] my man! how were you able to swing this gig? a set of irons to "review and keep". come on now..hook a brotha up. how can i be down!?! [b]i want to "review and keep" those new cleveland 588 wedges.[/b] whos palms do i have to greazzze?

oh yea...and nice review!
[/quote]

Keep your eyes peeled for potentially something coming down the pipe.
[/quote]

Consider them peeled!

[gppgolf]

[The GreekGrind]

Excellent review tbowles! Concise, informative, educational, entertaining. I've been looking at the Idea Pro A12 (not OS though) myself after just realizing Adams makes some fine irons, hitting the CB2s a month ago (really liked those alot). I have a comfort level with certain Callaway irons, and I'm sure that won't change unless they change their designs, so those will always be my favorite irons.

But I like looking at other irons as well to compare from year to year, and have played some various Pings, and TaylorMade's mostly to compare to my Callaways. I confess though Adams has never before really been on my radar, but I'm definitely looking either to check out the older CB2s, or preferably the A12s, which have everything in compact design shape (particularly in the mid to short irons) that appeals to me in an iron.

Again great job man! Well done!