TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC Review Thread

[ddec]

nice comparison g4l. I know you and I talked about comparing the 2 while I was down last weekend. I'm kind of surprised the distance gaps aren't more, I was kind of expecting 10+ yards for some reason. They really are 2 different types of irons, but I'm impressed with how the MCs stacked up against the S3s

 

[One-T]

Hey guys, I have really enjoyed these last few reviews. Glad to see you are getting used to the clubs as well as getting them dialed in.

 

[golf4life]

nice comparison g4l. I know you and I talked about comparing the 2 while I was down last weekend. I'm kind of surprised the distance gaps aren't more, I was kind of expecting 10+ yards for some reason. They really are 2 different types of irons, but I'm impressed with how the MCs stacked up against the S3s

Yeah, I think the gaps seemed longer because out on the course, I literally never try and hit the MCs 100%, so the gap between the MCs and Burner 2.0s we saw seemed enormous. On the range though, the gaps were pretty much equivalent to the loft differences. I think the S3s may have a little hotter face, specifically on the long irons where they actually use a different metal than on their short irons, but in reality it doesn't seem to effect distance very much.

 

[h2ojon]

G4L great info!! That is the type of review that keeps many of the users on this forum coming back for more. Keep it up!!

 

[9-Iron Man]

Wow g4l, I expected the S3's to be much longer than that compared to the MC's. Plus a bit more accurate too in the long irons? I'm all confused! Down is up. Up is white.

Good luck with the rest of your testing! Seems like you've got a little battle brewing....

 

[CharlieMoy]

GREAT read G4L. How did you feel about the differences in the leading edges?

 

[golf4life]

G4L great info!! That is the type of review that keeps many of the users on this forum coming back for more. Keep it up!!

Thanks, and I do plan to keep updating through the journey.

Wow g4l, I expected the S3's to be much longer than that compared to the MC's. Plus a bit more accurate too in the long irons? I'm all confused! Down is up. Up is white.

Good luck with the rest of your testing! Seems like you've got a little battle brewing....

Yeah 9 iron, I was expecting the difference in distance to be more significant as well. Really, distance difference is mostly seen when I miss hit the ball.

GREAT read G4L. How did you feel about the differences in the leading edges?

The leading edges on the MCs are MUCH sharper than on the S3s. There seems to be very little bounce on the MCs, which I find fantastic on good lies, specifically drier fairway lies. This sharp leading edge caused me a couple issues last week on the really wet fairways if I didn't catch it perfect. One divot almost struck oil I think. By comparison, the S3s have more bounce, a more rounded edge and a much wider sole. I think the S3s may be easier to hit from the really crappy lies. More incentive to find the fairways with the MCs! As many have stated, the turf interaction with the MCs on these types of smooth, short grass lies is phenomenal, helping you hit it very exacting distances and directions.

 

[TC]

Great write up G4L! That's some serious information to ponder. THe distance isn't all that overwhelming from the S3's but to be able to pick up an additional 5-10 yards, and have more accuracy is certainly a plus. However, playing golf is a joyful experience, and it's nice enjoying the contact/sound/looks of one iron over another. You have some serious stuff to ponder my friend, but I'm loving that you are sharing this journey with us.

Keep it up!

 

[coolbreeze]

Great write up G4L, that was interesting to read to say the least. When I started reading I was expecting the S3's to be a full club longer, but the fact is is really only closer to a half club is a testament to how good these irons are.

 

[kurtcobainrulzz]

when i get my mc's on friday with project x shafts ill have pics up.

 

[ddec]

when i get my mc's on friday with project x shafts ill have pics up.

looking forward to that. Very interested to see how they live up to your expectations.

 

[golf4life]

Great write up G4L! That's some serious information to ponder. THe distance isn't all that overwhelming from the S3's but to be able to pick up an additional 5-10 yards, and have more accuracy is certainly a plus. However, playing golf is a joyful experience, and it's nice enjoying the contact/sound/looks of one iron over another. You have some serious stuff to ponder my friend, but I'm loving that you are sharing this journey with us.

Keep it up!

Thanks TC. You are right, lots of pondering going on these days. Makes me all the more excited about demo day where I can hit different irons with some very precise criteria in mind. Will raw statistics prove out that a GI iron is always going to be best for my game long term? Will the MCs versatility make up for the lack of forgiveness? Will the joy to play the MCs outweigh the advantages of a good GI iron? Stay Tuned!

Great write up G4L, that was interesting to read to say the least. When I started reading I was expecting the S3's to be a full club longer, but the fact is is really only closer to a half club is a testament to how good these irons are.

Yeah, not as overwhelming a distance advantage as I was expecting either... EXCEPT on miss hits, then the difference became exaggerated.

 

[TC]

G4L, I think you are at a stage in your golfing career where you seriously have to weigh all of these options. I've been there before dude, and it's a fun process figuring out which "pro" outweighs which "con". I've certainly enjoyed following your thoughts and findings. You're in what I like to call a "good predicament". The best part is the simple fact that you are actually seeing tremendous value from either set of iron. It's like watching a drama unfold.

Keep up the good work bud.

 

[One-T]

Thanks TC. You are right, lots of pondering going on these days. Makes me all the more excited about demo day where I can hit different irons with some very precise criteria in mind. Will raw statistics prove out that a GI iron is always going to be best for my game long term? Will the MCs versatility make up for the lack of forgiveness? Will the joy to play the MCs outweigh the advantages of a good GI iron? Stay Tuned!


Yeah, not as overwhelming a distance advantage as I was expecting either... EXCEPT on miss hits, then the difference became exaggerated.

G4L, that is a good question. Earlier this year I was thinking I should try to game a true GE iron, I have quickly changed my mind because this season has started out a little bad as far as ball striking, I have learned I NEVER want to give up that forgiveness.

 

[Hanks]

I'm kinda with you.....on the days where my ball striking isn't good I really need forgiveness to help me out

G4L, that is a good question. Earlier this year I was thinking I should try to game a true GE iron, I have quickly changed my mind because this season has started out a little bad as far as ball striking, I have learned I NEVER want to give up that forgiveness.

 

[RxGus]

Hey Guys,
First off- allow me to apologize for the long delay in posting my results and thoughts about these irons. Without boring you with the details, just allow me to say that I have spent more time in my hospital the past week than I have out of it. However, I did have one very exciting experience I wanted to share with you... my first OUTDOOR round in Ohio.

This saturday I was able to sneak out for a quick 18 at my local Muni. It was wet and cold, and the course played brutally long... BUT I was outside golfing so I really didn't care.

Conditions: 38* at tee off. Wet/soggy course. Slow (unmowed) greens.
Course: 6900 yard, Par 71 (72.9/135). No driver roll (negative roll on many occasions) and tee boxes as far back as they could go made for a long day.

I will be honest here in that I didn't hit a ton of irons into Par 4's as I had to play a lot of hybrids to make up the distance. That said, I focused a lot of my testing on the PW. I have always been a believer in the "full shot is better than a partial shot" philosophy. I play my PW at 120, I play my Gap wedge at 90-110, SW <80. There have been discussions on other parts of this board about how we use our wedges and I decided that I would try to test both philosophies against each other, head to head.

Now, if you have followed this thread from its inception, you will know I LOVE the control I get with the PW. My previous attempts at using GE irons left me really wanting EXCEPT for the PW which I begrudgingly returned with the rest of the set. During my weekend round, I found myself between 90-120 on 5 different occasions. Each time I played 2 balls. One was my 52* TM xFT (spinner shaft) and the other I choked up and flighted a light PW. 4/5 Greens with the PW, average distance of 18 ft. 5/5 greens with the GW, average distance 25 ft.

I found it curious that I hit more greens with the GW but still ended up further from the hole on average. I think what was happening was that my distance control was much better on the full swing gap wedge than a partial PW, but that my dispersion was MUCH tighter with a slower swing. I missed one PW well short of the green because I was trying to be too "cute" with a shot. In contrast, when I played the PW a little more aggressive I had one shot inside of 5 ft, and another 2 inside of 15, leaving me makable birdie opportunities. The PW simple allowed me more options going into the green because of the ability to flight the ball in lower and play some roll but still left me an option to get under the ball and have a soft landing when I wanted it. The turf interaction here was wonderful, especially when I was really trying to "line" a ball in. My old PW would have bit hard making the shot difficult to play very rough on my wrists. The ground was really soft but I still wouldn't have attempted those shots with my old irons.

Each time out I fall more for these irons. If I thought there was any value in my old set I would have already sold them (there isn't, unless TM wants them to put them in a museum). My swing is hitting mid season form and ball striking has officially passed my driving as the the strength of my (admittedly weak) game. Like many of the testers I am finding some difficulty predicting what my 5i is going to do if I don't catch it clean. I have never been a good long iron player and as the season progresses I will certainly consider adding a 6i/5i CB and doing a combo set. I will wait until after the outing (when I have hit the CBs in person) before making that change. With a few more weeks of progress like I have had this month I may not need them at all.

Sorry again for the delay. It's nice to see some new faces in here all excited for the MCs to come out! Trust me, they are worth giving a shot- even if you are on the fence about GE irons. They are not for everyone, but they continue to prove to me each time out that they aren't just for the "serious" golfer and offer things that even mid-handicaps will be interested in.

 

[golf4life]

Rx, glad to see you finally got to put them in play. I'm with you in that I love hitting these irons. The feedback and flight control make it a lot of fun for me. I think I'm seeing some similar trends to you too... the shorter the club, the more effective it is for me with these irons. I think the short irons make a great transition to the SW and LW I play, much more smoothly than from my former irons.

 

[Mark]

Hi folks,
If I have time today, I am going to get fitted for these bad boys. I am pumped and look forward to joining this review process. My intial thoughts from demo days are that these clubs will be in my bag for a loooong time. They are so crisp! I will be looking at the 4-AW set, with the stock TT shafts as they seemed to work just fine for me (fitting may tell another story). The grips will be swapped for ND-MC's as I am not overly excited about TM's stock grips, I have large hands. Exciting

 

[ddec]

Hi folks,
If I have time today, I am going to get fitted for these bad boys. I am pumped and look forward to joining this review process. My intial thoughts from demo days are that these clubs will be in my bag for a loooong time. They are so crisp! I will be looking at the 4-AW set, with the stock TT shafts as they seemed to work just fine for me (fitting may tell another story). The grips will be swapped for ND-MC's as I am not overly excited about TM's stock grips, I have large hands. Exciting

awesome stuff mark! Can't wait to hear your thoughts once they come in.

 

[SethO]

Hi folks,
If I have time today, I am going to get fitted for these bad boys. I am pumped and look forward to joining this review process. My intial thoughts from demo days are that these clubs will be in my bag for a loooong time. They are so crisp! I will be looking at the 4-AW set, with the stock TT shafts as they seemed to work just fine for me (fitting may tell another story). The grips will be swapped for ND-MC's as I am not overly excited about TM's stock grips, I have large hands. Exciting

Glad that you are enjoying these clubs so much! The stock grips on these are Golf Pride Tour Velvets, but they are not the Multi Compounds that you like. I also don't think that TM makes an AW in the MC's. I could be wrong of course, but I think that the highest lofted club available is a PW which is 47º which means that you would want a GW of 51º or 52º.

 

[Mark]

Glad that you are enjoying these clubs so much! The stock grips on these are Golf Pride Tour Velvets, but they are not the Multi Compounds that you like. I also don't think that TM makes an AW in the MC's. I could be wrong of course, but I think that the highest lofted club available is a PW which is 47º which means that you would want a GW of 51º or 52º.

I am just going off what golfgalaxy website says they have to offer. I hope they are right as TM's site does not indicate any AW offerings. If not oh well. Means I get to work my other wedges. Thanks for the input. Goin now!!!

 

[Puttin4Bird]

Hey Guys,
First off- allow me to apologize for the long delay in posting my results and thoughts about these irons. Without boring you with the details, just allow me to say that I have spent more time in my hospital the past week than I have out of it. However, I did have one very exciting experience I wanted to share with you... my first OUTDOOR round in Ohio.

This saturday I was able to sneak out for a quick 18 at my local Muni. It was wet and cold, and the course played brutally long... BUT I was outside golfing so I really didn't care.

Conditions: 38* at tee off. Wet/soggy course. Slow (unmowed) greens.
Course: 6900 yard, Par 71 (72.9/135). No driver roll (negative roll on many occasions) and tee boxes as far back as they could go made for a long day.

I will be honest here in that I didn't hit a ton of irons into Par 4's as I had to play a lot of hybrids to make up the distance. That said, I focused a lot of my testing on the PW. I have always been a believer in the "full shot is better than a partial shot" philosophy. I play my PW at 120, I play my Gap wedge at 90-110, SW <80. There have been discussions on other parts of this board about how we use our wedges and I decided that I would try to test both philosophies against each other, head to head.

Now, if you have followed this thread from its inception, you will know I LOVE the control I get with the PW. My previous attempts at using GE irons left me really wanting EXCEPT for the PW which I begrudgingly returned with the rest of the set. During my weekend round, I found myself between 90-120 on 5 different occasions. Each time I played 2 balls. One was my 52* TM xFT (spinner shaft) and the other I choked up and flighted a light PW. 4/5 Greens with the PW, average distance of 18 ft. 5/5 greens with the GW, average distance 25 ft.

I found it curious that I hit more greens with the GW but still ended up further from the hole on average. I think what was happening was that my distance control was much better on the full swing gap wedge than a partial PW, but that my dispersion was MUCH tighter with a slower swing. I missed one PW well short of the green because I was trying to be too "cute" with a shot. In contrast, when I played the PW a little more aggressive I had one shot inside of 5 ft, and another 2 inside of 15, leaving me makable birdie opportunities. The PW simple allowed me more options going into the green because of the ability to flight the ball in lower and play some roll but still left me an option to get under the ball and have a soft landing when I wanted it. The turf interaction here was wonderful, especially when I was really trying to "line" a ball in. My old PW would have bit hard making the shot difficult to play very rough on my wrists. The ground was really soft but I still wouldn't have attempted those shots with my old irons.

Each time out I fall more for these irons. If I thought there was any value in my old set I would have already sold them (there isn't, unless TM wants them to put them in a museum). My swing is hitting mid season form and ball striking has officially passed my driving as the the strength of my (admittedly weak) game. Like many of the testers I am finding some difficulty predicting what my 5i is going to do if I don't catch it clean. I have never been a good long iron player and as the season progresses I will certainly consider adding a 6i/5i CB and doing a combo set. I will wait until after the outing (when I have hit the CBs in person) before making that change. With a few more weeks of progress like I have had this month I may not need them at all.

Sorry again for the delay. It's nice to see some new faces in here all excited for the MCs to come out! Trust me, they are worth giving a shot- even if you are on the fence about GE irons. They are not for everyone, but they continue to prove to me each time out that they aren't just for the "serious" golfer and offer things that even mid-handicaps will be interested in.

Thanks for the write up Gus, excellent work my friend. I hear what you're saying about the PW and I really love that about the MB PW I'm testing. Keep up the good work and I can't wait to hear how things go when the warmer weather comes and conditions improve for all of us!

 

[SethO]

I am just going off what golfgalaxy website says they have to offer. I hope they are right as TM's site does not indicate any AW offerings. If not oh well. Means I get to work my other wedges. Thanks for the input. Goin now!!!

Good luck man and I am glad that you are so excite about these! Let us know what you think and what setup you end up going with.

 

[RxGus]

Thanks for the write up Gus, excellent work my friend. I hear what you're saying about the PW and I really love that about the MB PW I'm testing. Keep up the good work and I can't wait to hear how things go when the warmer weather comes and conditions improve for all of us!

You are the whole reason I have a PW fetish (and forged fetish) in the first place! I blame you!

If, for whatever reason, I were to go back to GI irons- this PW is staying in the bag... It is too versatile to replace.


Tapatalk- USGA non-conforming

 

[RxGus]

GREAT read G4L. How did you feel about the differences in the leading edges?

The leading edges on the MCs are MUCH sharper than on the S3s. There seems to be very little bounce on the MCs, which I find fantastic on good lies, specifically drier fairway lies. This sharp leading edge caused me a couple issues last week on the really wet fairways if I didn't catch it perfect. One divot almost struck oil I think. By comparison, the S3s have more bounce, a more rounded edge and a much wider sole. I think the S3s may be easier to hit from the really crappy lies. More incentive to find the fairways with the MCs! As many have stated, the turf interaction with the MCs on these types of smooth, short grass lies is phenomenal, helping you hit it very exacting distances and directions.

I agree with G4L on pretty much everything in his post. I played on wet fairways this weekend and didn't have any real problems making good contact. Where I notice a difference is that these seem to do well out of thick rough, more-so than a SGI iron. I fell like I am making better ball contact getting down and into the burried lies. I haven't had a ton of them though, nor have I had beastly bermuda rough like we will face in WPB... but at least up here I felt more confident standing over a ball in the rough.