Adams a12 OS Irons Review Thread - Forum Testing

Smallville said:

Nice pics, Spank! And KB, I bet that's the first take from the truck video we've had here!!

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Hahaha I was just about to post that. Pretty soon we will be having the making of the clubs video's. Great job KB!!

I will again use the format that I used yesterday on reporting on each type of club in the set.

Hybrids - I am really enjoying the hybrids, I used the 4h on a par 4 today and with a slight draw was 226 yards from the tee, the fairway was pretty dry and the ball probably ran 30 to 40 yards after landing, but it really felt sweet. I hit many solid shots with all of the hybrids today and am getting very close to putting the Bridgestone hybrids up for sale, they are that solid performing for me already. I certainly hope that Adams has the 3 hybrid for sale that matches this set.

Hybrid/Irons - As I said earlier, both of these are also easy to hit, and the top lines at address are not distracting in the least. Each of these seem to be one club longer than my previous set. They are easy to hit and the distances seem to be very consistent. My misses seem to almost always be left with these.

Irons - Again I enjoyed hitting them and these seem to be longer than my previous clubs, but not as much longer as the 7 & 8. These clubs are really making me bend over too much and I may become longer when these are adjusted to my specs.

Overall - These clubs are flat-out fun to hit. Another thing I have thought about is I usually use a midsize grip so I think that may contribute a little to the misses left. I plan to hit some on a lie board after getting the clubs extended to see if these clubs need to be bent, and if they do I will check with JB about doing that, he has already told me he doesn’t mind my extending these clubs.

DawgDaddy said:

I will again use the format that I used yesterday on reporting on each type of club in the set.

Hybrids - I am really enjoying the hybrids, I used the 4h on a par 4 today and with a slight draw was 226 yards from the tee, the fairway was pretty dry and the ball probably ran 30 to 40 yards after landing, but it really felt sweet. I hit many solid shots with all of the hybrids today and am getting very close to putting the Bridgestone hybrids up for sale, they are that solid performing for me already. I certainly hope that Adams has the 3 hybrid for sale that matches this set.

Hybrid/Irons - As I said earlier, both of these are also easy to hit, and the top lines at address are not distracting in the least. Each of these seem to be one club longer than my previous set. They are easy to hit and the distances seem to be very consistent. My misses seem to almost always be left with these.

Irons - Again I enjoyed hitting them and these seem to be longer than my previous clubs, but not as much longer as the 7 & 8. These clubs are really making me bend over too much and I may become longer when these are adjusted to my specs.

Overall - These clubs are flat-out fun to hit. Another thing I have thought about is I usually use a midsize grip so I think that may contribute a little to the misses left. I plan to hit some on a lie board after getting the clubs extended to see if these clubs need to be bent, and if they do I will check with JB about doing that, he has already told me he doesn’t mind my extending these clubs.

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I thought you hit these clubs really well today DD, especially that GW shot on #3! Wonder if we could swap grips since I got the midsize and really need standard?

Great job KB, DD and Spanks...can't wait to get mine tomorrow to add my thoughts to all this fun.

The hybrids make me ponder

ANother nice writeup DD.

Looking good guys! There will be more interest in buying the new clubs in no time! I good luck if you get your clubs bent a bit, DD. Keep us posted. I have been toying with some bending with my set, so it would be interesting to see what happens. Just want to keep the 5 degrees or less rule in mind.

DawgDaddy said:

I will again use the format that I used yesterday on reporting on each type of club in the set.

Hybrids - I am really enjoying the hybrids, I used the 4h on a par 4 today and with a slight draw was 226 yards from the tee, the fairway was pretty dry and the ball probably ran 30 to 40 yards after landing, but it really felt sweet. I hit many solid shots with all of the hybrids today and am getting very close to putting the Bridgestone hybrids up for sale, they are that solid performing for me already. I certainly hope that Adams has the 3 hybrid for sale that matches this set.

Hybrid/Irons - As I said earlier, both of these are also easy to hit, and the top lines at address are not distracting in the least. Each of these seem to be one club longer than my previous set. They are easy to hit and the distances seem to be very consistent. My misses seem to almost always be left with these.

Irons - Again I enjoyed hitting them and these seem to be longer than my previous clubs, but not as much longer as the 7 & 8. These clubs are really making me bend over too much and I may become longer when these are adjusted to my specs.

Overall - These clubs are flat-out fun to hit. Another thing I have thought about is I usually use a midsize grip so I think that may contribute a little to the misses left. I plan to hit some on a lie board after getting the clubs extended to see if these clubs need to be bent, and if they do I will check with JB about doing that, he has already told me he doesn’t mind my extending these clubs.

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DD great writeup again. good luck with getting the clubs fitted and I am shocked your already pondering selling the Bridgestones. These hybrids must be the real deal.

I'm enjoying all of the initial write ups and pictures from the testers. These things are awesome!

Before my thoughts, here are some things about myself and my game that could play a pertinent role in testing. I'm coming from a set of Razr X Tour irons 5i-PW with Rifle 6.0's. Hybrids, I have a Mashie 4h 23 degree with the 83g shaft and a Burner 2.0 3h 18 degree with a PX 6.0 shaft. I also use a TM XFT 50 degree gap wedge. The set makeup I was given to test is 4h, 5h, 6h, 7i-GW standard loft, lie, length. 4-6h have Prolaunch blue graphite shafts 65 in stiff. The irons have True Temper Performance 85 shafts in stiff. Iron swing speed is roughly around 85 with a quick transition. I normally have a high ball flight with a fade as a preferred shot shape. This will be the first time I have ever tried a set of OS irons as well as 5h and 6h hybrids. I have been fit previously with my current gamers with standard loft, length and bent 3 degrees flat.

OK got to play 9 with these irons on Saturday so here are my thoughts. I don't have exact details so I'll just go through my general thoughts on what trends I was seeing with certain shots. At this point I was real tired after playing 18 already so the switch to the lighter shafts was a welcome change. Saying that my swing still stays pretty aggressive even when I'm tired. We were on the South course of the lovely Grand Cypress Resort. To say that testing these irons, when tired on this course is real hard is an understatement. Good thing is the course pretty much allows you to use every club in the bag.

Right off the bat on hole 1 the forgiveness on these irons are surprising (a good surprising). Hit a toed 7i right to the shrubs but a good distance away. Took a PW through some high grass just hoping to get it on the green (I was about 30 yds out) hit it way too well and way too clean through the straw and the ball proceeded to skate through the green. Believe me when I say that from where I was, I would take that shot any day of the week.

Hole 2 was probably the my best hole of the 9 for me. Hit a good drive and I wanted to lay up well short of the water. Normally I aim left to allow for my fade to bring the ball back right. Took my 8i and the ball launched off hot left but straightened out. Not an issue since missing left is still ok. Next shot about 87 yards so I eased up on a choked GW from light rough and knock it to 10 ft to the pin. Straight shot and checked nicely. Definitely happy about that.

Hole 3 Par 3 hit the 7i aimed left to the pin and my shot straightened out again with some pull. Ball flight off the tee still had my left to right spin but definitely straighter. Still seeing high ball flight.

Hole 4 was just death for me but I did pull off a decent shot with the 6h (my first time). Topped it a bit but the ball just kept going which is a good sign.

Hole 5 hit a good 3W to the middle of the FW so I was about 95 out so GW again and this time I didn't get all of it so I left it short. I tend to chip and pitch with the GW especially when I have a lot of green to work with so out it came again. Something I have to keep in mind is that I'm going from a blade wedge to this one that has a larger sole. I proceeded to chunk it way short and I'll chalk that one to user error.

Hole 6 Par 5 I like to dub as the "volcano hole" since it has a raised green, water all the way down the left on your approach so staying right is more the play. I hit the drive way left and short on a hill and the 2nd shot to layup was on this ridiculous lie with the ball way beneath my feet. Needless to say I just wanted to get it out to safety so I just grabbed my 9i to get to around 150 which I did. Ball off felt crisp and got to my target. Next shot I took the 6h since the green is raised and I'd rather miss long than short. Well I ended up smoking the ball but waaaay left into the water (straight pull). Dropped to 110 so I hit PW up and on. Ball felt great off the face from the rough had some rollout which I was expecting.

Hole 7 long Par 4 I did have a shot off a wayward drive left with a 5h hit it real nice off the face. Sound has a nice pop and my swing was off but it got the ball to the side of the green which is playable.

Hole 8 Par 3 with sand all the way down the left side. I took the 6h and proceeded to cream the ball way left (straight pull) and was in the crap pretty much the whole time. I also got to hit the GW off the sand and even if I chunked it, it got through the sand pretty well and put some decent flight on the ball.

I didn't get to use any of the clubs on #9 so that I'll skip.

Here are my thoughts overall... There is definitely going to be an adjustment period on these clubs more so because of the shafts than the club head itself. They are extremely forgiving as evidenced by some toe shots I hit. The hybrids are definitely a work in progress as well. I like the way the ball just launches off the hybrids, I like the turf interaction as well. I think this velocity slot tech is something to keep an eye on as my interaction with the ball off the hybrids felt great. Most of my misses were dead pulls which I'm attributing to myself adjusting to a lighter shaft (it felt like I was coming around the outside of the ball real quick) and perhaps the lie angle. Definitely have to adjust to the 5 & 6h's from a looks standpoint. I do like the looks of the irons themselves as other than the size, it doesn't scream super GI for those traditionalists out there.

I'll hopefully have some time during the week for some range time so I can get some more thoughts on them and perhaps some video. I should also have some more photos after some time with them just to show some dirt, wear, and such. I know it was a long read so thanks for taking the time to give it a look through. More to come...

That's a very helpful review Spank, as it looks like we are close to the same yardages. (You may be a club longer maybe)

Awesome writeup Spanks!

Smallville said:

That's a very helpful review Spank, as it looks like we are close to the same yardages. (You may be a club longer maybe)

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Yeah, I'm not an internet golfer by any stretch of the imagination. I think I am definitely going to be longer with these clubs since they are much more forgiving than my current set. The ball just flies off the face of these things which I'm liking.

TexasHacker34 said:

Awesome writeup Spanks!

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Thanks, man! Hopefully I didn't lull you to sleep by "Hole 1". Hehe.

Nice write up Spanks. Good to see you are getting good forgiveness on topped and toe'ed shots, they can be really frustrating in my game personally. And its cool you are liking the slot technology in the hybrids, did you find yourself getting the bottom slot filled with dirt at all?

Spank818 said:

Yeah, I'm not an internet golfer by any stretch of the imagination. I think I am definitely going to be longer with these clubs since they are much more forgiving than my current set. The ball just flies off the face of these things which I'm liking.



Thanks, man! Hopefully I didn't lull you to sleep by "Hole 1". Hehe.

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absolutely not. I love the long reviews. The hole by hole breakdown is very helpful

RedlyneTheory said:

Nice write up Spanks. Good to see you are getting good forgiveness on topped and toe'ed shots, they can be really frustrating in my game personally. And its cool you are liking the slot technology in the hybrids, did you find yourself getting the bottom slot filled with dirt at all?

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Thanks Redlyne! No dirt whatsoever. Those pics I took were taken yesterday afternoon with no cleanup post round on Saturday. Granted I was playing on a well manicured course. We'll see after I beat some balls on a local range how it fares.

I noticed that a lot of folks are talking about getting dirt in the slot. Is this something that y'all have heard from the other clubs that have this (F11's drivers and 3w's)? I could see where there would be more dirt on the sole sticking because I noticed that there are a lot of grooves and writing on the sole of the hybrids. Not to the point where it would affect the swing but more so just to be more annoying at wipedown/cleanup.

KellyBo said:

Look what I got this evening!

I'm very excited about these clubs. I will definitely get out and try them tomorrow. I like the way they look and enjoyed hitting Dawgdaddy's hybrids today. Here's a video clip of me hitting the 5 hybrid on our #3 hole which is a downhill par 3. I hit two balls since we were just trying the clubs out. I obviously aimed left on the first one and missed left as a result. Dawgdaddy is the narrator with a friendly hello from Ole Gray. Much more to come! It's been a long day.



About me: I'm 53 years old, work PT at a golf course since retiring at age 50, and have taken lessons from a PGA Teaching Pro at least once/twice a month for the last year. My handicap was 24 last year and is hovering around 12-13 this summer. My goal is to get down to a single digit handicap one day. I have already entered about 80 rounds of golf on GHIN this year. My poor body fights me when I'm hitting the ball but I just keep fighting back. I love this game!

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Great update KellyBo! Does the sound of the hybrid hold up in person to what we hear on the video? I really like the tonal quality of it.

Wow lots of great info to catch up on with the post, pics and videos posted today. All the tested who have received their clubs and posted are doing a wonderful job talking about these clubs and answering any possible questions I might have about them. Looking at the pics of these clubs reminds me of my set of A20S Adams clubs I used when I first got back into golf a few years ago. I like the sound of the hybrids when hit well and like the appearance of the set as a whole. I look foward to hearing and seeing more great posts to this thread from all the testers.

just spent the past hour catching up on this thread, I must say all the testers have done a wonderful job thus far reviewing these irons. Its cool that so many people seem to be curious about the hybrid set (5h,6h etc...) it really proves that Adams has hit the nail on the head with these. Looking forward to hearing more reports on these!

Wow.... y'all have been really busy squeezing in some playing and range time with your shiny new Adams Stiks...!! Great writeups by all the testers so far, and I really like the video's as well. fwiw.. I love fried chicken too!!

I was wondering if anyone has tried hitting some punch or knockdown type shots, and how did the clubs work out for those types of shots? Also, has anyone tried chipping with the hybrids?

Looking forward to hearing more of your expeirences with these new clubs, and keep up the good work!

Some positive comments coming through about these clubs - keep them coming lads, really keen to see how you get on with these clubs long term as they are on my shortlist for my next set of irons.

d_in_la said:

Great update KellyBo! Does the sound of the hybrid hold up in person to what we hear on the video? I really like the tonal quality of it.

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Thank you! Yes, the hybrid has a great sound to it and the sound you hear in the video is what you hear in person.

hongman said:

I was wondering if anyone has tried hitting some punch or knockdown type shots, and how did the clubs work out for those types of shots? Also, has anyone tried chipping with the hybrids?

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I will add this to my list of things to test for you!

TexasHacker34 said:

DD great writeup again. good luck with getting the clubs fitted and I am shocked your already pondering selling the Bridgestones. These hybrids must be the real deal.

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I am surprised myself, I love those J36 hybrids, but the a12OS are out performing them pretty handily right now. I know this may be a honeymoon period, but OG & KB were seeing a difference in my hybrid play. Early indications are it will be happening.

DawgDaddy said:

I am surprised myself, I love those J36 hybrids, but the a12OS are out performing them pretty handily right now. I know this may be a honeymoon period, but OG & KB were seeing a difference in my hybrid play. Early indications are it will be happening.

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Yea I saw him smash a 226 yd 4 hybrid down our #2 fairway yesterday. Heck he could order the 3 hybrid and throw his 3 - wood away too.