Need help with IRON decision

linkstur

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So here it's early June and not 6 rounds into the season and I'm pretty much ready to pull the trigger on changing my iron set. Backstory is that I've been using Callaway irons for years now (x14 to x18 to x22 to my current set of FT's) I purchased the FT set at the end of the 2010 season for two reasons primarily - the price was ridiculously good and I reasoned that with less offset, it would help eliminate my big iron miss which is LEFT OF THE PLANET. My handicap has bounced around between 13-18 for about the last 5 years with varying trouble spots in my game. My irons have typically been the least of my trouble spots and I like to think that they are most often my consistent positive.

When I purchased the set, there was also a sense that I had hit that "aha" moment and was ready to move toward getting to a single digit handicap. With less time to play and even less to practice this year, I'm thinking that my jump has cost me more frustration and set me back in the last two season than moved me closer toward my goals. Said plainly, I think I'm just not quite good enough to swing the FT irons and would be better off with my former "game improvement" category irons like the X-22's. I hit less greens, flush fewer shots and don't well with confidence when standing over even a 6 or 7 iron as I had in the past. I also have come to realize that, even though the offset hosel found in most GI irons are setup to promote a draw (right has never been my miss), if I come over the top of any iron in any category, I'm going to miss pretty badly left - i.e. you can't fix a bad fundamental with any equipment.

So my question is, have you ever looked back and said "why the hell did I change that when it was working pretty darn well?" Did you make the change and head back, or look at something new instead? Have you gone from GI class to more of a players iron successfully?

On the equipment front, my first instinct is to find a used set of X22's and hit the range hard. But then I read a review of some of the new offerings from Callaway, TM, etc... and think maybe I should go through the demo process of the new stuff. I'm a little worried about the new stronger lofts and conforming grooves (after all, in the teens golfer here - I hit a lot of approaches from the rough). Do you think the technology from the X22's compared to the Razr or X hot's are worth a look, or even the Rocketblades for that matter?

Thank you for reading and any advice you can give is appreciated... I feel like I've tried to fit into a pair of shoes that aren't quite right and they've been slowing me down for the past two seasons... it's past time to get things right.
 
So here it's early June and not 6 rounds into the season and I'm pretty much ready to pull the trigger on changing my iron set. Backstory is that I've been using Callaway irons for years now (x14 to x18 to x22 to my current set of FT's) I purchased the FT set at the end of the 2010 season for two reasons primarily - the price was ridiculously good and I reasoned that with less offset, it would help eliminate my big iron miss which is LEFT OF THE PLANET. My handicap has bounced around between 13-18 for about the last 5 years with varying trouble spots in my game. My irons have typically been the least of my trouble spots and I like to think that they are most often my consistent positive.

When I purchased the set, there was also a sense that I had hit that "aha" moment and was ready to move toward getting to a single digit handicap. With less time to play and even less to practice this year, I'm thinking that my jump has cost me more frustration and set me back in the last two season than moved me closer toward my goals. Said plainly, I think I'm just not quite good enough to swing the FT irons and would be better off with my former "game improvement" category irons like the X-22's. I hit less greens, flush fewer shots and don't well with confidence when standing over even a 6 or 7 iron as I had in the past. I also have come to realize that, even though the offset hosel found in most GI irons are setup to promote a draw (right has never been my miss), if I come over the top of any iron in any category, I'm going to miss pretty badly left - i.e. you can't fix a bad fundamental with any equipment.

So my question is, have you ever looked back and said "why the hell did I change that when it was working pretty darn well?" Did you make the change and head back, or look at something new instead? Have you gone from GI class to more of a players iron successfully?

On the equipment front, my first instinct is to find a used set of X22's and hit the range hard. But then I read a review of some of the new offerings from Callaway, TM, etc... and think maybe I should go through the demo process of the new stuff. I'm a little worried about the new stronger lofts and conforming grooves (after all, in the teens golfer here - I hit a lot of approaches from the rough). Do you think the technology from the X22's compared to the Razr or X hot's are worth a look, or even the Rocketblades for that matter?

Thank you for reading and any advice you can give is appreciated... I feel like I've tried to fit into a pair of shoes that aren't quite right and they've been slowing me down for the past two seasons... it's past time to get things right.

First thing I would do is go to a location where you can get a fitting done. Get some numbers. Hit a bunch of stuff and see what not only gives you the best numbers, but feels best for you.
 
If you have a big hook you have a swing issue that you may want to deal with first. Maybe spend the money on lessons instead of irons.

next, jukes advice is solid.

Last, to answer this question

Do you think the technology from the X22's compared to the Razr or X hot's are worth a look, or even the Rocketblades for that matter?

No, I do not believe the X22s are going to be comparable to the RocketBladez. I can't speak to the other ones but the Bladez are really great GI clubs. Maybe I am biased but I think they are special clubs (and the distance is not due to jacked up lofts...see the thread for an explanation). More recently others have been raving about the Altitudes, though I haven't hit them myself. If not lessons, either of these two options might help you.
 
Fitting. Fitting. Fitting.

The advancements in GI irons is staggering when you really look at them. There are a ton of options that all behave differently. A fitting is necessary.
 
Are your current irons fitted?

If not go get them fitted, and maybe take a lesson or two. This will be far cheaper than new sticks.
 
When you initially bought your current irons, were you hitting them well at that time or having the same issues as now? If you were hitting them well to start with, there may have been some sort of swing issue that developed and needs to be worked out. If you never hit them particularly well, then I'd definitely recommend getting them fitted, or if you don't think you'll be able to be confident in them no matter what, then start demoing and fitting for a new set. I've hit the X-Hots and really liked them (like the Pro even more than the standard) and the RBZ Stage II is really good as well. I have last year's RBZ irons and they are very nice as well.
 
I would echo what others have already said. Go get a fitting. I did this for the first time this year and love my xhot pro irons. Just knowing that the time was taken to get me in the right club, lie angle and shaft gives me the confidence to hit more shots. I may have been able to play as well with my old irons but having the fitting has, at the very least, improved my confidence. But seriously, yhe xhot pro's I have now are 10x better than my old X tours. A fitting is the way to go. If you dont want to shell out a bunch of cash on new irons then get fitted to your current irons like has been previously mentioned. The only newer GI iron I have hit is the x hot and it is a sweet club. Just FYI I think the "offset promotes a draw" way of thinking is a myth. From what I have read the offset promotes getting the ball up, not hitting it left.
 
Are your current irons fitted?

If not go get them fitted, and maybe take a lesson or two. This will be far cheaper than new sticks.



To answer your question, I was not fitted for the FT's however, I paid for a fitting session from a Callaway fitter a few years back (I think for the X18's) and everything indicated standard length's, loft's, lie's, regular graphite shafts, etc... which I've transferred to the two sets since. Now I was only trying out Callaway's so there was that. I'm not discounting the importance of fitting, but the two or three times I've gone to hit the board or get stats from a launch monitor, I've come away with off the shelf standard, nothing custom. Even my adjustable R11 and 3 wood are set to stock after fittings.

As far as the lessons go, I do see a pro from time to time. But please don't misunderstand, I don't have a big hook in my iron shots. I generally play a draw with my irons but my miss is a big over the top hook. I know the reason, I can feel it when I do it, I adjust to avoid it, but sometimes it happens. My reason for the post, is my overall iron inconsistency since switching from the X22's. Too much, too little, left, right, etc... My thought is that these particular irons are for a player who is able to find the sweet spot more often than I can.

And thank you for the responses so far. I'm not discounting anything at this point!!!!
 
Need help with IRON decision

To answer your question, I was not fitted for the FT's however, I paid for a fitting session from a Callaway fitter a few years back (I think for the X18's) and everything indicated standard length's, loft's, lie's, regular graphite shafts, etc... which I've transferred to the two sets since. Now I was only trying out Callaway's so there was that. I'm not discounting the importance of fitting, but the two or three times I've gone to hit the board or get stats from a launch monitor, I've come away with off the shelf standard, nothing custom. Even my adjustable R11 and 3 wood are set to stock after fittings.

As far as the lessons go, I do see a pro from time to time. But please don't misunderstand, I don't have a big hook in my iron shots. I generally play a draw with my irons but my miss is a big over the top hook. I know the reason, I can feel it when I do it, I adjust to avoid it, but sometimes it happens. My reason for the post, is my overall iron inconsistency since switching from the X22's. Too much, too little, left, right, etc... My thought is that these particular irons are for a player who is able to find the sweet spot more often than I can.

And thank you for the responses so far. I'm not discounting anything at this point!!!!

I hear what you saying on the fitting and transferring it to the new set. In theory that makes perfect sense.

I don't have the specs on each set you've played since the x-18's. But the FT's may have a different lie angle club for club than the 18's or 22's.

Have you ever been fitted for length? The FT's could be longer as well.

I hear ya on the feeling your game/swing isn't good/consistent enough to game them FT's. I have my doubts about that but it could be the case.
 
If you aren't happy with the equipment you're using, then it might be time for a change, as long as you can afford it. After all, buying new stuff is half the fun of this game.
 
your describing my last journey....

bought a set of off the shelf set of new Nike irons 9 years ago....was about a 18-19 Hcp....they served me well down to about 14 Hcp...then upgraded to Taylormade Burner 2.0's had them fitted and measured...they served me well down to a 6.7 Hcp....

I recently switched to some Ping I20 fully fitted, (lie, loft, shaft, grip, etc.) and even after that, I had developed a few swing flaws as a result of the clubs...but they also set up a minor swing change taht allows me to really feel the loading of the shaft, and the shafts that I was fitted for (CFS Stiff) were way too "board" feeling for me...

So, went in, had further fitting done, which included the Mizuno Shaft optimizer (My Swing "DNA" is 87-4,2,4,4)...we went on to testing various shafts, and low and behold, the shaft taht let me "feel" the loading of the shaft was the Project X 5.5 shaft...it was NIGHT/Day difference for me...it also dramatically impacted shot dispersion, and I could via loading manage the distances incredibly well...need a little more, load it more...need a few yards shorter, unload it... but like I said, it was shocking to feel the differences in the shafts...

I am now a VERY happy camper, and hoping to drop well below a 5 Hcp...and am confident I can get there...
 
I paid for a fitting session from a Callaway fitter a few years back (I think for the X18's) and everything indicated standard length's, loft's, lie's, regular graphite shafts

A good fitting will get you into the right shaft. There is a very broad spectrum of regular flex graphite shafts and graphite has progressed dramatically these last few years. In fact, my fitter put me in a stiff shaft driver and "stiffer" regular flex irons, even though I always just thought I should go with regular flex on anything I played. So simply being told regular graphite for those clubs doesn't necessarily hold true for all of them.

Get fitted and make sure you get shafts that work for you. It will likely make a big difference.
 
Yes it is.


If you aren't happy with the equipment you're using, then it might be time for a change, as long as you can afford it. After all, buying new stuff is half the fun of this game.
 
MtDream- If you don't mind me asking, what did you end up paying for the 2nd fitting and the shaft change?
 
MtDream- If you don't mind me asking, what did you end up paying for the 2nd fitting and the shaft change?

I did not pay for either fitting, they are art of the service at our shop here...I did pay for the change out in shafts though...significant price difference....and it could have been cheaper if they sent the clubs back to Ping, but that would have taken 4-6 weeks a cording to the ping custom shop...and it was not worth the wait for me....
 
To answer your question, I was not fitted for the FT's however, I paid for a fitting session from a Callaway fitter a few years back (I think for the X18's) and everything indicated standard length's, loft's, lie's, regular graphite shafts, etc... which I've transferred to the two sets since. Now I was only trying out Callaway's so there was that. I'm not discounting the importance of fitting, but the two or three times I've gone to hit the board or get stats from a launch monitor, I've come away with off the shelf standard, nothing custom. Even my adjustable R11 and 3 wood are set to stock after fittings.

Certainly, lessons will always be helpful. Speaking to equipment specifically though...

Even if you didn't mention an OEM specific fitter, I would've guessed so based on how you describe your experience. There's just such a huge variance in quality with OEM fitters. I've heard enough stories (including some of my own) about how an OEM "fitter" just put someone in standard everything in some flex and then called it a day. For example, I'm at least 1" short and a few degrees flat. I've had a few OEM guys just put me in standard everything and then sort of casually ask me if I choke up or not. Are you freaking kidding me? Haven't you been watching?

If you want to remove all doubt, you really should look for an independent fitter. It could cost up to a few hundred dollars, but it really can be worthwhile. I can't speak to all the fitters, but Golf Digest has a top 100 fitters list. I used a local one from that list and had a great experience. The good ones will have a ridiculous number of shaft and club head options. the bad news is that they could be pricey, as a lot of shaft options are aftermarket.
 
Thanks everyone for the comments and advice. I'm obviously chomping at the bit and want it fixed now but realize that may not be the best course of action. I did stop at the golf shop last night to hit what they suggested as GI irons. He did a few measurements and put me on the LM but it was standard/stock of course. Liked the setup of the Ping G25's, the Rocketblades didn't feel great to me. The X Hot's , just wow... I didn't expect what I got. After warming up with my FT 8 iron and a half dozen swings with my 6 iron and my normal 165-168 range, my first swing with the X was 192 with a nice draw. WOW. Went round a few times with all four and kept getting dazzled by the X hot's. They were in the 185 range just about every time.
I think I'm going to slow down though and try to find a good non-oem fitter. I don't mind paying a few hundred bucks to get it right. I'm tempted to just hit the Golfsmith website for an order but your advice is prudent enough... why start off bad with a new set if I can eliminate the frustration from the beginning. I do think I'm going to give up on the FT's though. I've just never quite warmed to them and if I have to put money into reshafting/bending, I'd just as soon do it to something new.

So not to sound cheap or anything but,,, I really don't want to pay proshop prices for a set of irons... Don't these fitters want you to buy from their shop? I'd go to Golfsmith or GG but I don't think I'll get the level of fitting expertise that you are all referring to. Am I going to offend them by asking for my setup and saying thanks, but I'm going to pick them up down the road? Or is that expected as long as they get their fitting fee?

Thanks again

BTW... I'm in the Philly area if someone has a good fitter they would recommend.
 
Link

If you go to golfsmith many have a golftec in them. I don't believe they care if you buy the irons from them, they got their fee for the fitting.

If you can find a better price on your special order than do so. I know my fitter will take the cost of the fitting off your order, so that's something to consider as well.
 
BTW... I'm in the Philly area if someone has a good fitter they would recommend.[/QUOTE]

Where near Philly? There is a Golfdom in KoP that has an excellent fitter.
 
Golfdom, club champion and izzett are the fitters I'd suggest in the Philly area


Taps away
 
Go for a real fitting... In my exp 90% of "fittings" are B.S. (i.e. the ones you get from some 16 year old salesperson looking at some chart)

A real fitting looks at everything from the grip, angle, shaft stiffness, shaft length, ect... for each club (someone who gives you one fitting for an entire bag is b.s.)

Trust me, if you find somewhere that does a real fitting your club will oooze confidence when you hold it...

While my handicap is nothing special it dropped like a rock after I was fitted. For years I used off the shelf stuff then I spent a couple of weeks getting fitted, everything was adjusted. No B.S., in January before my fitting I was shooting in the the 90's... Since then I took 5 lessons on my short game and had my entire bag fitted, this last weekend I shot the first 79 of my entire life... I am a 100% believer in getting fit and spending the majority of your practice time on your short game.

For example:

- My Driver now uses a slightly shorter (1/2 inch) shaft and an oversized grip...

- My fairway woods all got oversized grips.

- My irons were given a slightly longer and stiffer shaft (1/2 inch) this was due to my compact iron swing that was putting too much torque on my regular shafts... While my club head speed isnt high, I generate a lot of torque due to coming down fast from a 3/4 swing possition.

- The lie angle on my wedges was increased due to my short iron / wedge swing style.

- A 2 inch extension and oversize grip was put on my putter which has helped my putting game quiet a bit.

Trust me, every pro gets fitted for every club in their bag and they often get refitted once a year or so...

Go get a "pro" level fitting, they will match your clubs to your swing and your score will drop!

It costs $$$ but in my opinion its well worth it.
 
this last weekend I shot the first 79 of my entire life

Congrats! That is an awesome milestone! I was just over in your area for a couple of rounds this weekend. I envy you getting to live in paradise!
 
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