Advice on buying new set of irons

[vpoms]

Hello:


After about 15 years away from golf, I started playing again about 4 month ago.


Some background information on me: I started playing in my mid to late twenties, and played about once a week plus an hour at the range once or twice a week for about 12 years. By my late thirties and early forties I stopped playing completely due to a medical condition and growing children. Now, that my medical condition is resolved and my kids are a lot older, I returned to golf.


I started playing regularly and started taking lessons at GolfTec. I still use my clubs from 1994: Ping Zing 2, stiff graphite shafts, orange dots (2 degrees flat)


I decided that it is time for the new clubs and had a club fitting at Golftec today. After all the measurements, both static and measurements of my swing speed, ball striking and other measurments, GolfTec computer and my coach recommended several clubs, all clubs were recommended in standard length and lie, and regular shaft flex. The only deviation from regular clubs was recommendation to make my grips 1/32 thicker. I can almost just buy a set off the rack if I don't want to get slightly thicker grips.

I decided to try the clubs that were recommended: Ping G30 regular graphite shaft, Big Bertha regular graphite shafts and Mizuno JPX EZ irons with regular graphite shafts. Here is the testing data: (average of five good hits, mishits were eliminated

Club	Head Spead	Ball Speed	Total Distance	Carry Distance	Launch Angle	Back Spin
1994 Ping Zing 2 6 iron my original club	68.2​	99.0​	148​	132​	18.42​	5098​
2015 Big Bertha 7 iron	77.75​	106​	150​	141​	22.18​	6624​
2014 Mizuno JPX EZ 6 iron	80.75​	109​	159​	148​	20.18​	6069​
2014 Ping G30 6 iron	78.5​	109​	168​	158​	21.7​	5970​

Mizuno had a larger dispersion and I didn't like the feel of the club during the swing, That means that Ping G30 is the best club for me.


When we finished, my regular coach had a puzzled look on his face. He decided to have me hit one more club. He brought another club and had me hit it five times without telling me what the club was.


As you can see from the table below, I hit that club the best: most straight and very tight dispersion. This club was Big Bertha 7 iron with a stiff shaft. For the consistency, I hit Ping G30 6 iron with stiff shaft as well. The only difference is BB stiff shaft clubs have higher backspin and significantly straighter (offline measurement 2 vs. 11) Big Bertha Stiff had also significantly tighter dispersion than Ping G30 regular flex.

Club	Head Speed	Ball Speed	Total Distance	Carry Distance	Launch Angle	Back Spin
Big Bertha Stiff 7 iron	81.2​	110​	160​	150​	20.1​	6229​
Ping G30 Stiff 6 iron	78.0​	106​	161​	150​	22.9​	6069​

This data shows that Big Bertha Stiff flex is the most straight club for me, but I am giving away 10 yard of distance.
I think being straight with tight dispersion is more important than extra 8 to 10 yards.
Please let me know your opinions.


Thanks.

 

[fupresti]

I guess it depends on your goals. With some more lessons and practice you can get the dispersion down but distance is rarely something you can gain. Personally? I would take the distance now and work on my swing.

 

[rjb01camaross]

A good argument can be made either way but if it were me, I'd take the distance since its a full club difference.

 

[blugold]

Always take the distance. That's just my opinion.

 

[mcrobertsjmac32]

Where is the 10 yards loss of distance? In the 1st diagram there is 18yrds difference and in the 2nd one there is 1 yard of difference? Also the Bertha was a 7 iron vs all others which were 6irons? Are the berthas that stong lofted that their 7 irons are everyone elses 6?

 

[ForeOnFour]

Maybe I'm looking at that wrong but aren't you gaining a whole club by using the BBs?

 

[Scrap Iron]

I would take the distance and keep working on the lessons to get the dispersion.

 

[mski]

Are all the lofts the same? There maybe a 1-3 degree difference in 6 irons.
The 7 iron might be the same as another manufactures 6 iron.

All the clubs are getting stronger more for bragging rights I suppose. Example is pitching wedges used to be 48* now they are 46-45*.

If you are playing from the regular tee's go with the straighter club. Fairways and greens, fairways and greens.
If you're playing from back tee's and you need distance go with the longer clubs.

 

[mcrobertsjmac32]

Maybe I'm looking at that wrong but aren't you gaining a whole club by using the BBs?

My thoughts exactly. Im confused

 

[vpoms]

Thank you everybody for your opinions. During the firs set of test shots I used regular flex Big Bertha 7 iron and regular flex Ping G30 6 iron. Supposedly, computer took into account the difference in irons and averaged it out, recommending G30 as my best choice.

During the second set I hit Big Bertha 7 iron stiff and Ping G30 stiff. Computer did not normalize the data.

I will go back and hit G30 and BB again before making my final decision. I did like the feel and look of Big Bertha a lot more than Ping G30.

 

[Scrap Iron]

Thank you everybody for your opinions. During the firs set of test shots I used regular flex Big Bertha 7 iron and regular flex Ping G30 6 iron. Supposedly, computer took into account the difference in irons and averaged it out, recommending G30 as my best choice.

During the second set I hit Big Bertha 7 iron stiff and Ping G30 stiff. Computer did not normalize the data.

I will go back and hit G30 and BB again before making my final decision. I did like the feel and look of Big Bertha a lot more than Ping G30.

What did the Big Bertha 6 iron give you?

 

[VegasMav]

I tried the Ping G30 and it was not to my liking. If it feels good then the choice would be easy. Good luck with your decision.

 

[vpoms]

They only had Big Bertha 7 iron available.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

Thank you everybody for your opinions. During the firs set of test shots I used regular flex Big Bertha 7 iron and regular flex Ping G30 6 iron. Supposedly, computer took into account the difference in irons and averaged it out, recommending G30 as my best choice.

During the second set I hit Big Bertha 7 iron stiff and Ping G30 stiff. Computer did not normalize the data.

I will go back and hit G30 and BB again before making my final decision. I did like the feel and look of Big Bertha a lot more than Ping G30.

If you like the looks and it works for you, go for it. Only you will know if it the right choice.

 

[RNG]

Most coaches will you, when teaching kids to let them swing as hard as they want and worry how to control it later. I think this applies here. Just like in basketball... you can't teach 7 ft 2"!!!! Lots of good advice in this thread IMO!

 

[Dave Alvarado]

If you like the looks and it works for you, go for it. Only you will know if it the right choice.

This is my take on it too.

I typically will choose accuracy over distance--the statement that you can't teach distance simply isn't true unless you're already playing at the professional level. You'll notice that no pro golfer is built like Arnold Schwarzenegger--distance comes from technique, not strength. But regardless, the most important thing is that you're starting with gear that you feel good and confident hitting for whatever reason--feel, sound, brand name, whatever. All golf gear is good, so go with what you like.

 

[flaMtneer]

I guess I'm in the minority, but I would choose better dispersion - especially if it's a lot better. What's the purpose of hitting if farther? Shorter irons into the green. If you're spraying them then it kinda defeats the purpose. I'm playing a flex that's probably 1/2 flex too stiff...When I was fitted the recommendation was PX 5.5. I hit 6.0 and it was fine, but the fitter leaned toward 5.5. I ended up with 6.0 just because I got a killer deal and 2 weeks to try them with 100% refund if I didn't like them. On my first range session I noticed that my dispersion was great...which was really nice. It doesn't matter to me what the number is on the bottom of the iron and it's nice to know then when I flush one it's going where it want it to go.

 

[BMiles]

Hello:


After about 15 years away from golf, I started playing again about 4 month ago.


Some background information on me: I started playing in my mid to late twenties, and played about once a week plus an hour at the range once or twice a week for about 12 years. By my late thirties and early forties I stopped playing completely due to a medical condition and growing children. Now, that my medical condition is resolved and my kids are a lot older, I returned to golf.


I started playing regularly and started taking lessons at GolfTec. I still use my clubs from 1994: Ping Zing 2, stiff graphite shafts, orange dots (2 degrees flat)


I decided that it is time for the new clubs and had a club fitting at Golftec today. After all the measurements, both static and measurements of my swing speed, ball striking and other measurments, GolfTec computer and my coach recommended several clubs, all clubs were recommended in standard length and lie, and regular shaft flex. The only deviation from regular clubs was recommendation to make my grips 1/32 thicker. I can almost just buy a set off the rack if I don't want to get slightly thicker grips.

I decided to try the clubs that were recommended: Ping G30 regular graphite shaft, Big Bertha regular graphite shafts and Mizuno JPX EZ irons with regular graphite shafts. Here is the testing data: (average of five good hits, mishits were eliminated

Club	Head Spead	Ball Speed	Total Distance	Carry Distance	Launch Angle	Back Spin
1994 Ping Zing 2 6 iron my original club	68.2​	99.0​	148​	132​	18.42​	5098​
2015 Big Bertha 7 iron	77.75​	106​	150​	141​	22.18​	6624​
2014 Mizuno JPX EZ 6 iron	80.75​	109​	159​	148​	20.18​	6069​
2014 Ping G30 6 iron	78.5​	109​	168​	158​	21.7​	5970​

Mizuno had a larger dispersion and I didn't like the feel of the club during the swing, That means that Ping G30 is the best club for me.


When we finished, my regular coach had a puzzled look on his face. He decided to have me hit one more club. He brought another club and had me hit it five times without telling me what the club was.


As you can see from the table below, I hit that club the best: most straight and very tight dispersion. This club was Big Bertha 7 iron with a stiff shaft. For the consistency, I hit Ping G30 6 iron with stiff shaft as well. The only difference is BB stiff shaft clubs have higher backspin and significantly straighter (offline measurement 2 vs. 11) Big Bertha Stiff had also significantly tighter dispersion than Ping G30 regular flex.

Club	Head Speed	Ball Speed	Total Distance	Carry Distance	Launch Angle	Back Spin
Big Bertha Stiff 7 iron	81.2​	110​	160​	150​	20.1​	6229​
Ping G30 Stiff 6 iron	78.0​	106​	161​	150​	22.9​	6069​

This data shows that Big Bertha Stiff flex is the most straight club for me, but I am giving away 10 yard of distance.
I think being straight with tight dispersion is more important than extra 8 to 10 yards.
Please let me know your opinions.


Thanks.

Wow, a lot going on there. First, the loft/length difference between the BB 7 iron and the Ping G30 is significant. The G30 6 iron is 3* stronger and almost 1/2" longer, meaning it should be about 10 yards longer. If the dispersion is that much better from with the BB, I see no downside. What is suggested by this data is that the BB stiff shaft is the best fit for you among the shafts. If you are committed to improving your swing, chances are your shaft loading will only increase. This would overstress those regular flex shafts even more.

 

[vpoms]

BMiles,

Thanks for the input.

What you saying is that I should go with BB Stiff, as I take more lessons, my swing speed will go higher and Regular shafts will be overstressed? Am I correct?

I feel that BB with Stiff is the most accurate, Same stiff shaft in G30 was not as accurate.

After all the advice above, I am leaning toward BB Stiff. I will go back an re-hit BB stiff and G30 in both flexes and see if the results I get are consistent with the testing results. I am in no hurry to buy new irons today. I want to make sure that I will choose wisely.

VP

 

[BMiles]

BMiles,

Thanks for the input.

What you saying is that I should go with BB Stiff, as I take more lessons, my swing speed will go higher and Regular shafts will be overstressed? Am I correct?

I feel that BB with Stiff is the most accurate, Same stiff shaft in G30 was not as accurate.

After all the advice above, I am leaning toward BB Stiff. I will go back an re-hit BB stiff and G30 in both flexes and see if the results I get are consistent with the testing results. I am in no hurry to buy new irons today. I want to make sure that I will choose wisely.

VP

If your lessons go well, you would expect your swingspeed to increase and your release to be later. Both of these factors usually point to a stiffer shaft so yes, your summation was exactly my point. I should have asked about shaft feel. Did you like any one of the shaft types or flexes more than another when it comes to feel?

 

[emart2173]

imo its all personal choice...comes down to look, feel, results, etc. having 1 less club into a green is a good thing as the shorter the club the easier they are to hit. if you are taking lessons then your dispersion should be reduced as you get better. its hard to pass up distance.

 

[vpoms]

I could not tell the difference between regular and stiff shafts on BB, both felt equally good to me. The G30 irons felt "head heavy" with either shaft if that makes sense.

My hesitation is due to the fact that my old iron set, Ping Zing 2, is stiff flex that was recommended to me by my coach in 1994. I never felt comfortable with them. I guess the shaft technology and feel today is way different than they were in 1994. The distance is hard to pass up, but I understand how being in the fairway or on the green is a lot better than being 10 yards longer but in the rough or in the bunker by the green.

 

[BMiles]

I could not tell the difference between regular and stiff shafts on BB, both felt equally good to me. The G30 irons felt "head heavy" with either shaft if that makes sense.

My hesitation is due to the fact that my old iron set, Ping Zing 2, is stiff flex that was recommended to me by my coach in 1994. I never felt comfortable with them. I guess the shaft technology and feel today is way different than they were in 1994. The distance is hard to pass up, but I understand how being in the fairway or on the green is a lot better than being 10 yards longer but in the rough or in the bunker by the green.

Your numbers would suggest that whatever shaft is in the Zing 2s is a poor match to your swing - both the launch and the spin were way too low. The JZ shafts were standard in those and, while heavy, were not particularly stiffed-tipped. Now if you have something like the ZZ-65 in there, that is one stiff tipped shaft and really takes a heavy load to make it work well. There is no standardization regarding shaft flexes - that BB stiff shaft may very well be comparable to a Ping regular flex.

 

[bigskyirish]

It seems like a no brainer to me. You say that the dispersion with the BB stiff was better and it looks to me like the BB 7 iron is only 8 yards shorter than the G30 6 iron (which makes me think that the BB 6 iron would almost certainly be longer). I'd go with the BB if I were you.

 

[vpoms]

Good Evening,

2/6/2015 Update.


I went to Roger Dunn today to test the clubs again: Ping G30 6 iron regular, Big Bertha 6 Iron regular, G30 7 iron stiff shaft, BB 7 iron stiff shaft. They only had 7 irons with stiff shafts. I should've used 7 iron in regular flex as well,but by the time I found out that they only have 7i in stiff, I didn't have enough time left to hit with two more clubs. I took 6 shots with each club.
Here are the results:

Club	Head Speed	Ball Speed	Total distance	Carry Distance	Launch Angle	Back Spin
G30R 6 iron	80.3​	109.2​	161​	150​	23.5​	5445​
BBR 6 iron	79.5​	108.2​	157​	147​	21.5​	5776​
G30S 7 iron	78.6​	106.9​	153​	144​	24.1​	6202​
BBS 7 iron	76.2​	103.6​	151​	140​	28.1​	5065​

Too bad I could compare 6i to 6i in both stiff and regular. To me it looks like I should be able to hit stiff shafts better than regular ones. Looking at this data, I should be able to hit 6 iron with stiff shafts further than 6 irons with regular shafts. I hit G30 slightly better than BB, but, I like BB looks better.


To make this more complicated, I then stopped by Goldsmith and hit both BB and G30 in 7 iron with stiff shafts. This time I took 12 shots and eliminated the best and the worst hits. Here are the average results of ten "average" hits with each club:

Club	Head Speed	Ball Speed	Total distance	Carry Distance	Launch Angle	Back Spin
BBS 7 iron	75.9​	103.2​	154​	142​	23.3​	4897​
G30S 7 iron	75.3​	102.4​	152​	141​	24.6​	5144​
% difference	0.8​	0.77​	1.29​	0.7​	5.28​	4.82​

The results I got from Golfsmith hitting 7 irons with stiff shafts are consistent with the results I got from Roger Dunn. There is no significant difference between BB stiff and G30 Stiff, I hit both about the same.


The Bottom Line: I should get either G30 or BB with stiff shafts. I personally prefer BB, I like the way they feel on the downswing better. I also like Callaway brand better than Ping, even though I used Ping for the last twenty years.

Please let me know if I am interpreting my data correctly.

Thanks,

VP