TaylorMade Tour Preferred CB Review Thread

[TC]

I'll sacrafice distance over accuracy any day and it seems (with everyones reviews) that you may be losing a bit of distance but that is made up 10-fold in the accuracy that these clubs bring to the table. I'm really excited to try this set out sometime soon. It also helps that they are just a great classic looking club.

Look, I agree with you and with Hawk when it comes to weighing all the options for sure. My point with "distance" based irons is that when you have one companies 8iron, which for the sake of conversation carries 160 yards, and you have another companies 8iron which carries 145/150 yards, most amateurs will be better off putting the "distance" iron in their hand for a couple of reasons:

1. It's just longer in distance therefore when you can hit a shorter iron (8,9,PW) the lateral movement of the shot should be reduced, just due to the shorter shaft.

2. Based on the data I gathered yesterday, for some reason, an iron like the 2.0 just flat out performs. Low spin, high launch, furthest carry, even though the launch angle was almost identical to the others.

 

[JB]

I'll sacrafice distance over accuracy any day and it seems (with everyones reviews) that you may be losing a bit of distance but that is made up 10-fold in the accuracy that these clubs bring to the table. I'm really excited to try this set out sometime soon. It also helps that they are just a great classic looking club.

Im not sure they are mutually exclusive though. Many of the "distance" irons are extremely accurate due to forgiveness.

Took these out this morning for a bit, update coming shortly.

 

[Nate]

Look, I agree with you and with Hawk when it comes to weighing all the options for sure. My point with "distance" based irons is that when you have one companies 8iron, which for the sake of conversation carries 160 yards, and you have another companies 8iron which carries 145/150 yards, most amateurs will be better off putting the "distance" iron in their hand for a couple of reasons:

1. It's just longer in distance therefore when you can hit a shorter iron (8,9,PW) the lateral movement of the shot should be reduced, just due to the shorter shaft.

2. Based on the data I gathered yesterday, for some reason, an iron like the 2.0 just flat out performs. Low spin, high launch, furthest carry, even though the launch angle was almost identical to the others.

Hummmm, depends on if that 8 iron you (or any other golfer) hit 160yds is 15yds left/right of green and if the "other" club that is 1 club shorter is always on the green? Believe me, I'm ALL about distance and love to hit the ball far, but would gladly give up 10yds a club to hit more greens. But your theory is right, the lower the club, the more your odds go up in hitting the green. Now, can you control the 160 yrd 8 iron.......if so, no issues!

 

[Hawk]

Those are definitely very good points. The only real comparison I can give from experience is the S3's and I just don't hit them as well or with as much consistency. Im looking forward to seeing if the CG16's and Di-11's are different. I don't love longer shafts from my recent experiences, but I'm not ruling anything out.

Look, I agree with you and with Hawk when it comes to weighing all the options for sure. My point with "distance" based irons is that when you have one companies 8iron, which for the sake of conversation carries 160 yards, and you have another companies 8iron which carries 145/150 yards, most amateurs will be better off putting the "distance" iron in their hand for a couple of reasons:

1. It's just longer in distance therefore when you can hit a shorter iron (8,9,PW) the lateral movement of the shot should be reduced, just due to the shorter shaft.

2. Based on the data I gathered yesterday, for some reason, an iron like the 2.0 just flat out performs. Low spin, high launch, furthest carry, even though the launch angle was almost identical to the others.

Tapatalk keeps me sane.

 

[Redbird]

Look, I agree with you and with Hawk when it comes to weighing all the options for sure. My point with "distance" based irons is that when you have one companies 8iron, which for the sake of conversation carries 160 yards, and you have another companies 8iron which carries 145/150 yards, most amateurs will be better off putting the "distance" iron in their hand for a couple of reasons:

1. It's just longer in distance therefore when you can hit a shorter iron (8,9,PW) the lateral movement of the shot should be reduced, just due to the shorter shaft.

2. Based on the data I gathered yesterday, for some reason, an iron like the 2.0 just flat out performs. Low spin, high launch, furthest carry, even though the launch angle was almost identical to the others.

Cobra S3 Max 7 iron is 37.5" in length with a loft of 31*, Nike VR Pro combo 7 iron is 37" with a loft of 35*. Does your same theory apply? I think if your going to make a comparison between irons the first thing to do is consider comparing GI vs. GI. Not GI vs a players cavity. Apples to apples, not apples to dump trucks. Boils down to a players swing and ability. I think all the GI irons are fantastic and if you game warrants such an iron then there are a ton of great options. In my opinion, irons are not distance clubs, they are for accuracy. Hitting a 7 iron 200yds might make you feel manly, but if it's 20yds off line what good did it do?

 

[Mercer85]

Anyone know what kind of price these might be on TMAG Connection?

I am getting a Connection membership through my employer in the coming days and I was kind of wondering what kind of price I can get on these. I am getting new irons and though I want to try out many brands, I don't think I will pay $800 or more for a set when I can get the CBs or 2.0's at such a great price.

Let me know if you have any information.

Thanks

btw....I am new. What is taptalk? or I tapped that... I see tap used everywhere..

 

[Redbird]

Anyone know what kind of price these might be on TMAG Connection?

I am getting a Connection membership through my employer in the coming days and I was kind of wondering what kind of price I can get on these. I am getting new irons and though I want to try out many brands, I don't think I will pay $800 or more for a set when I can get the CBs or 2.0's at such a great price.

Let me know if you have any information.

Thanks

btw....I am new. What is taptalk? or I tapped that... I see tap used everywhere..

http://www.thehackersparadise.com/forum/showthread.php?8547-THP-On-Your-Mobile-Phone

 

[JB]

Cobra S3 Max 7 iron is 37.5" in length with a loft of 31*, Nike VR Pro combo 7 iron is 37" with a loft of 35*. Does your same theory apply? I think if your going to make a comparison between irons the first thing to do is consider comparing GI vs. GI. Not GI vs a players cavity. Apples to apples, not apples to dump trucks. Boils down to a players swing and ability. I think all the GI irons are fantastic and if you game warrants such an iron then there are a ton of great options. In my opinion, irons are not distance clubs, they are for accuracy. Hitting a 7 iron 200yds might make you feel manly, but if it's 20yds off line what good did it do?

All clubs are distance clubs to a degree. The goal is to hit the ball a correct distance regardless of what club you have in your hand. You said "GI irons are fantastic if your game warrants such an iron". What does that mean? Is forgiveness bad? If so, why have forgiveness in any clubs at any level? Why have any perimeter weighting in your lower irons? GI is a moniker, just like GE that is outdated now because most companies are putting out more iron sets that are blended between forgiveness and performance.

 

[CharlieMoy]

most companies are putting out more iron sets that are blended between forgiveness and performance.

And the CBs are the ones that have mastered that blend IMO. (from what I've hit)



From the iPhone.

 

[ddec]

And the CBs are the ones that have mastered that blend IMO. (from what I've hit)

from the few swings that I took on the range with Hanks I agree with you. There are clubs out there with more forgiveness and more distance...just look at the 2.0s within the same company. The only thing that I wasn't crazy about with these irons was how high I was hitting the ball. I'm sure the ball flight could be taken down by a shaft change. Other than that I really liked them and if I get picked to be sponsored by TM for the Morgan Cup they will be an option for me(if allowed).

 

[Redbird]

All clubs are distance clubs to a degree. The goal is to hit the ball a correct distance regardless of what club you have in your hand. You said "GI irons are fantastic if your game warrants such an iron". What does that mean? Is forgiveness bad? If so, why have forgiveness in any clubs at any level? Why have any perimeter weighting in your lower irons? GI is a moniker, just like GE that is outdated now because most companies are putting out more iron sets that are blended between forgiveness and performance.

Well clearly you need some distance out of every club, but that's not the point. Are there alot of GI or SGI irons with little to no offset? Is the amount of offset a factor in forgiveness? Do the TM MB's have the same amount of offset as a K15? You talk about forgiveness like weighting is the only factor in it. It's not. Weighting is there in order to increase the MOI, get the ball up in the air, and in certain clubs to lessen the dispersion on off center hits. Club head size, sole width, offset, yes weighting, all play a role in how well a given player may hit a ball and where it ends up.

 

[Hanks]

and thereby potentially adding more distance witht he same kind of forgiveness....this is an option I would love to see if it would work for me or not.

from the few swings that I took on the range with Hanks I agree with you. There are clubs out there with more forgiveness and more distance...just look at the 2.0s within the same company. The only thing that I wasn't crazy about with these irons was how high I was hitting the ball. I'm sure the ball flight could be taken down by a shaft change. Other than that I really liked them and if I get picked to be sponsored by TM for the Morgan Cup they will be an option for me(if allowed).

 

[JB]

Well clearly you need some distance out of every club, but that's not the point. Are there alot of GI or SGI irons with little to no offset? Is the amount of offset a factor in forgiveness? Do the TM MB's have the same amount of offset as a K15? You talk about forgiveness like weighting is the only factor in it. It's not. Weighting is there in order to increase the MOI, get the ball up in the air, and in certain clubs to lessen the dispersion on off center hits. Club head size, sole width, offset, yes weighting, all play a role in how well a given player may hit a ball and where it ends up.

Where did I say that weighting is the only difference? However it is the largest difference when discussing iron forgiveness. In fact a famous club maker on THP Radio said this "perimeter weighting is the single greatest movement in club heads the golf world has ever seen". He went on to discuss why perimeter weighted irons have become so popular at the highest levels and why many amateur golfers still do not use them. This coming from a guy that has made 3 of the top 5 irons of all time (longevity sales) and made both blades and perimeter weighted clubs for the largest companies in the world.

Offset CAN play a factor in forgiveness, but in reality it has as much to do with forgiveness as onset does. Tons of "players" clubs that are not forgiving clubs feature onset, and both of them offer a crutch of equal value.

 

[Redbird]

Where did I say that weighting is the only difference? However it is the largest difference when discussing iron forgiveness. In fact a famous club maker on THP Radio said this "perimeter weighting is the single greatest movement in club heads the golf world has ever seen". He went on to discuss why perimeter weighted irons have become so popular at the highest levels and why many amateur golfers still do not use them. This coming from a guy that has made 3 of the top 5 irons of all time (longevity sales) and made both blades and perimeter weighted clubs for the largest companies in the world.

Offset CAN play a factor in forgiveness, but in reality it has as much to do with forgiveness as onset does. Tons of "players" clubs that are not forgiving clubs feature onset, and both of them offer a crutch of equal value.

And I'm not saying perimeter weighting isn't a huge advantage, but it isn't the only thing that goes into a clubs forgiveness. I'm looking at the whole picture of iron, not just one facet. You pointed out perimeter weighting, I pointed out it isn't the only thing. If you hand some players a perimeter weighted club with a ton of offset, they will likely hook the living daylights out of it (I know I would). Perimeter weighting is great as it relates to where the ball is struck on the club face in relation to the center, but if the player has a difficult time getting that face back to square, that's where the offset comes into play. Tell me something, do you see a lot of GI or SGI irons with onset? What's a typical golfers miss? The average guy, hook or slice? There's a reason why you see very specific trends in certain clubs that are geared towards certain players. Hence my comment that you decided to jump all over about how GI irons are fantastic if thats what your game warrants. It's not a knock. I surely don't think everyones goal in golf is to get themselves good enough to play blades, but people play certain irons for certain reasons (Hopefully it's because it's whats right for their level of play).

 

[JB]

And I'm not saying perimeter weighting isn't a huge advantage, but it isn't the only thing that goes into a clubs forgiveness. I'm looking at the whole picture of iron, not just one facet. You pointed out perimeter weighting, I pointed out it isn't the only thing. If you hand some players with a perimeter weighted club with a ton of offset, they will likely hook the living daylights out of it (I know I would). Perimeter weighting is great as it relates to where the ball is struck on the club face in relation to the center, but if the player has a difficult time getting that face back to square, that's where the offset comes into play. Tell me something, do you see a lot of GI or SGI irons with onset? What's a typical golfers miss? The average guy, hook or slice? There's a reason why you see very specific trends in certain clubs that are geared towards certain players. Hence my comment that you decided to jump all over about how GI irons are fantastic if thats what your game warrants. It's not a knock. I surely don't think everyones goal in golf is to get themselves good enough to play blades, but people play certain irons for certain reasons (Hopefully it's because it's whats right for their level of play).

Get themselves "good enough to play blades" and "right for their level of play". I guess good players should not play certain types of iron....That is interesting. I give up. You are way off base with a ton of info in there, but I wont get into that. Onset and Offset are the exact same thing just opposite directions. Why one is considered bad and one good in the world of golf comes from message boards and social credit in my opinion (and only my opinion). We can start and end it with that. That is not what this thread is about.

This thread needs and WILL turn back to the irons being reviewed here that the company was kind enough to send to forum members for their honest feedback.

 

[Hanks]

Good idea....I for one haven't noticed whether there's a ton of offset or not because you're instantly drawn to to a sleek head priofile, medium thin topline, and jsut a sexy stick that begs to be hit. Are they the most forgiving iron I've ever hit? Nope. Are they the longest? Nope. But I think that anyone who doesn't have trouble getting the ball into the air would be short-changing themselves by not hitting these before making a decision on new irons. I would like to see TM have some more marketing around these like how they did with the 2.0's though. Maybe they have but I just haven't seen it like the buzz that surrounded the 2.0 release.

This thread needs and WILL turn back to the irons being reviewed here that the company was kind enough to send to forum members for their honest feedback.

 

[ddec]

Good idea....I for one haven't noticed whether there's a ton of offset or not because you're instantly drawn to to a sleek head priofile, medium thin topline, and jsut a sexy stick that begs to be hit. Are they the most forgiving iron I've ever hit? Nope. Are they the longest? Nope. But I think that anyone who doesn't have trouble getting the ball into the air would be short-changing themselves by not hitting these before making a decision on new irons. I would like to see TM have some more marketing around these like how they did with the 2.0's though. Maybe they have but I just haven't seen it like the buzz that surrounded the 2.0 release.

I wish I took a picture of the CB and MC 7 irons back to back when I was at the course with you.

 

[JB]

Spent about an hour this morning with these at a local course on just one hole from 125 yards out hitting different shots at the pin. On a nice dry day on the grass, the sole glides through the turf quite well and offers the complete absence of sound for me. It gives off this incredible "feel" and something that few irons have done for me in the last year. I worked on once hitting hitting fade, draw, high, and low at the pin with the PW and all gave no issues whatsoever (and yet the straight ball was once again the best option for me).

One thing I found was that due to the sharper leading edge and thinner sole compared to the CG16s, I did hit 3 balls (hit 45 shots) heavy and left them short. Nothing too alarming, but it did occur.

The ball flight off my normal shot is high bordering on mid to high, nothing absurdly ballooning by any means, but it is higher than I think a few expect with this iron. One other thing to consider is glare. The chrome did get me once or twice.

Overall another good session and these are warming up to me rather well. Have I mentioned that I like the looks? hehe

 

[Hanks]

that means you need to come back down then for another weekend of golf man....

THe CB's will be here and they love to have all sorts of hands on them

I wish I took a picture of the CB and MC 7 irons back to back when I was at the course with you.

 

[Mercer85]

I am getting so excited to hit these irons. I've always wanted to own a player's iron, but always thought I wasn't good enough, but from the sound of things these still have some decent forgiveness. I am still looking at the 2.0s and though too. If I get this TMAG membership then I would be foolish to not go with a TM iron. 2.0 or CBs... the $ savings can go to something else in my bag.

I love the 2.0s, but secretly, I hope I fall in love with the CBs too. I think I hit the 2.0s a little too high so I would need a lot of work done on them I think. Possibly different shafts, but if not I would still have to shorten them 1/2 or inch to fit me. Short guy at 5'7".

 

[Redbird]

Get themselves "good enough to play blades" and "right for their level of play". I guess good players should not play certain types of iron....That is interesting. I give up. You are way off base with a ton of info in there, but I wont get into that. Onset and Offset are the exact same thing just opposite directions. Why one is considered bad and one good in the world of golf comes from message boards and social credit in my opinion (and only my opinion). We can start and end it with that. That is not what this thread is about.

This thread needs and WILL turn back to the irons being reviewed here that the company was kind enough to send to forum members for their honest feedback.

Seriously, you're going to take my words out of context? Who's throwing words in who's mouth now?


But your right, get the thread back on topic and I'll keep my opinion to myself, you're the boss.

 

[JB]

 

[Redbird]

You and me both buddy. Not gonna argue with someone who can't acknowledge other valid point outside of their own. I have a wife for that. Carry on with the review and the unbiased opinions.

 

[JB]

You and me both buddy. Not gonna argue with someone who can't acknowledge other valid point outside of their own. I have a wife for that. Carry on with the review and the unbiased opinions.

I have asked 3 times in this thread for this to end. You clearly dont know me or anything about THP if you feel that is what this place is about. I will NOT ask again for this to stay on topic!

 

[Nate]

Soooooo.......

Can anyone confirm that Golfsmith is due a shipment of these clubs in anyday now??? I guess I could call here in Dallas but was wondering if these clubs have appeared yet to anyone's knowledge?