Ever hear the saying ‘don’t judge a book by it’s cover?’ Well that saying more than applies itself in the world of golf equipment. There are some companies out there in the golf universe that make very nice golf equipment yet because they do not spend the same amount of money on advertising as other companies do and therefore never have a chance to be considered for a spot in your golf bag. Because you may not know of a company like this, you may not have the chance to demo or test their equipment. Case in point, Boccieri Golf. Boccieri Golf is the company that first brought you the Heavy Putter followed by the Heavy Wedge. Now Boccieri Golf is back with the Heavy Irons and I bet you didn’t know they made irons did you? Well now that you do, THP was fortunate enough to have these at the 2011 THP Demo Day and also subject the Heavy Irons to a formal review. So how do these irons perform? Check it out.
Did You Know?
The Heavy Irons were developed after last year’s introduction of the Heavy Wedge.
From the Company
• Designed to improve the player’s overall consistency by providing better tempo and a more consistent plane back to the ball improving sweet spot contact
• Polished Mirror Finish
• 17-4 Stainless Steel Head
• True Temper GS-95 Steel Shaft is standard
• Parallel Hosel Bore
Look
Let’s face it, we are attracted to attractive things. The more pleasing the look of the object is the more readily we will accept it. When you first spy the Heavy Irons you’re going to notice a basic yet functional appearance that to some will seem plain and to others simply beautiful. Personally they are not the most appealing irons I’ve ever seen but they are far from ugly. After some time they grew on me and now I think that they’re very good looking irons in their own right. Everything from the polished mirror finish of 17-4 steel to the workmanlike aspect of the irons pulls together nicely. One thing should be noted here, regardless of the name, these irons look anything but heavy. They are packaged in a nice modern yet traditional look which should appeal to golfers of all ages and skill levels.
Technology
In a period of time in the golfing world where everything is getting longer, lighter, and faster the Heavy Irons are anything but. In a good way. As mentioned earlier in the ‘From the Company’ section, the Heavy Irons are designed to improve the player’s overall consistency by providing better tempo and a more consistent plane back to the ball improving sweet spot contact. This is done by increasing the weight in the club head by 8 grams more than conventional clubs. This is achieved by installing a 50 gram weight in the butt end of the shaft which raises the balance point about 3 inches. Next, each club is shortened 1/4” which brings the clubs back to the original length which all club manufacturers used to conform to. How is this important to you the golfer? With a higher balance point a golfer can have better control of their swing including better tempo, smoother transition, and more control. This will all result in better sweet spot contact which should yield some better consistency. All of this technology of the Heavy irons blends seamlessly with each club to present a clean and functional tool of the golfing trade.
Specs
Boccieri Heavy Irons are available in 3-PW, 4-PW or 5-PW and come standard with True Temper GS-95 steel shafts available in R and S flexes. Other shaft options include True Temper Dynamic Gold R-300 and S-300 steel shafts as well as Aldila NV Graphite shafts that are available in A, R, and S flexes. If you order graphite shafts in these irons be aware that the shaft lengths are 1/4” longer than their steel cousins. One more thing, the Heavy Irons are available in RH only which I think is a serious omission. If a company is looking to introduce new product into an already crowded marketplace, why eliminate 10% of the population to start?
Testing
This was the first set of irons I’ve tested that I was a little apprehensive about. Golf is such a mental game filled with individual quirks, thoughts, and stigmas and I’m going to be hitting something called ‘Heavy Irons?’ Just my own thoughts here but I think these irons could attract more attention from the consumer if Boccieri were to drop ‘Heavy’ from the overall product name. If they were called just ‘Boccieri’ that would give it a more boutique sounding name which would fit these irons perfectly.
That being said, I began hitting these irons at the range a few times before actually taking them to the course, and I was glad I did. The feeling these irons have during the swing, impact, and follow through is unlike any iron I’ve ever hit. I really liked the initial feeling of the extra weight which made me focus more on form and tempo vs the swing itself. The extra weighting really gives you an added sense of power to your shots without sacrificing control. When you strike the ball the weight of these irons carry you through the impact zone, almost making you release the club and follow through. These irons darn near swing themselves once you get used to them. Once at impact, the feeling of a well struck shot feels very solid (no, not heavy) and you hear a nice ‘crack’ of the ball coming off the club face. The ball wants to get up in the air quickly and on target as well. I found the ball flight to be mid-high to high, not overly long but boy are these accurate. For instance, I was getting a consistent 125 yards with the 9 iron and I couldn’t miss the 125 yard pin at the range with it. Maybe there’s something to the shorter shafts and higher balance point? Either way, they were very impressive! All of this took a little getting used to but once I did it was time to get a few rounds in with these unique sticks.
On the course is where clubs earn their keep. All clubs can look and feel like all-stars on a constant flat lie but how do they perform from various lies, the rough, etc. is where the story is told. These performed well in all of those conditions. Where these irons shine the most, albeit unexpectedly, is in the rough. For those of you who find yourself in the rough as often as I do, the added weight in the club head and the shaft really help drive the club through the rough. Granted it’s not like a hybrid but when was the last time you could get away with a 6 or 7 iron from the rough that felt like you were able to get all of the shot with minimal club head twist. Yeah I can’t remember either.
You may be curious as to whether these are forgiving or not. I think they are to an extent but if you’re looking for an iron set to cover up a lot of your mistakes these won’t do that. When you have a mis-hit these irons will definitely let you know about it. Yes the added weight adds a level of forgiveness but I think these irons are built more for control and accuracy than distance. Remember, these irons want you to slow your tempo down and swing more in control. Personally I think I’d like to see a little less weight in the shaft and a little more in the club head which could promote a little more forgiveness while giving you a bit more distance without sacrificing the accuracy. The accuracy is already there and the distance will come later as your find the sweet spot with the Heavy Irons.
One thing I did notice was that if you’re one to become fatigued at the end of your round these irons may present a problem for you. On a couple of occasions where I found myself tired on the range or on the course these irons felt that much heavier in my hands. I really noticed that I was dragging the club head through impact rather than squaring it which resulted in a lot of poor shots. Not completely the fault of the irons themselves but I think they contributed to this a bit because of the extra weight they carry.
Overall
At the end of the day I really like the Heavy Irons, their concept, and what they offer. Are they the irons for me and my game? I’m not sure. Don’t let the name ‘Heavy Irons’ dissuade you from checking these out before you decide on your next iron purchase. Remember the whole ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ adage? Don’t fall victim to that. You’re too smart as a consumer to let that adage apply to you and your golf game. Check out the Boccieri Heavy Irons. These irons could almost be your swing coach on the range or even on the course by keeping you in tempo and a smoother transition back to the ball while carrying you through impact to a balanced finish. Sounds good right? Depending on what set configuration you go with, these irons will retail anywhere from as much as $849 (3-PW), $749 (4-PW) to as little as $649 (5-PW). Remember, regardless of the name, there’s a method to the madness that is Heavy in the Heavy Irons. Make it work for you and you may become a better golfer faster than you think. Now that’s Heavy, man.
T. Hanks
One of my favorite sets of irons from the THP Demo Day. I do hope they come out with an iron that is a bit more in the GI/Distance realm one day. Thanks Todd!
Good review Todd! Was wondering how these would fare after I followed the driver reviews. Thanks for the insight.
Great review! There seems to be a theme in the Boccieri Golf line from all of these reviews…consistency.
Great review Todd! These irons definitely have more interest and even more so after your review. Thanks again!
Great review Hanks! I was skeptic of these before I even hit them down at the outing. Boy am I glad I did. I thought these were a very easy iron to hit they performed well on the range that day.
Excelent review of the clups. I love the fact that these clubs help with tempo and consistancy, because I have issues with that areas in my game. I hope i get the chance to try these clubs and if they work well for me invest in a set
Good review. I’m still trying to find the irons that will replace my present set. These will be on my demo list.
Nice review, I loved these irons at demo day and I have contemplated a set since!
Great review T, I know I was victim of that judging a book by it’s cover thing before I had a chance to hit these at THP Demo Days. They’re a real solid performer and like you mention I think if they were just called Boccieri Irons they might get a few more looks from possible skeptics.
Excellent review Todd. Excellent.
The entire ‘Heavy’ concept is so misunderstood by many, you guys have done a great job explaining what it really entails in this review and the hybrid review.
So much so that you got me to buy a hybrid.
Excellent work.
Great review Hanks! I was one of the few people at the outing that didn’t love these irons but up and down the range everyone else was raving about them.
Well done and thorough job Todd!
Very good review Hanks. These are the irons I most wanted to hit at the demo day in may.
Great review Todd, love the idea of the club helping me keep good tempo
Great review there and very informative. Quite the eye opener as well.
Very nice Todd. Enjoyed the read.
These are some good looking irons. I thought they hit great at the demo day.
I honestly did not think these would work as well for you as they did. The extra weight seems like it wouldn’t work as well to me, and you touched on the fatigue factor. Are you going to continue to play these for a while to see if they might find a permanent spot in your bag Todd?
Nice review Todd on an iron set that wasn’t even on my radar screen, but is now! How much higher up the shaft is the balance point versus say your normal irons? Would love to hear your thoughts after gaming these for more rounds.
Smalls- I’m still playing with them but at times I find myself not pulling through shots later in my round due to the heavier nature of the club
Hongman- According to boccierigolf.com, the balance point is 3″ higher than traditional irons
I have played on the tour for 13 years and hopefully know a little about the performance of golf clubs. I was at the show and got some of the secret grips. I have a set of Ping irons, Titleist and Callaway that I have been been stuggling with to find the right shaft and feel. They all felt bad. I tested a 6 iron in all three sets with the secret grip and they feel awesome. The most solid I have ever hit a shot. The feel in your hands is like no other I have ever experienced. The driver is incredbile. I was taught to always swing the grip. Now I can, with feel. I hit more solid and consistant shots than I have in years. I am sold and can’t wait to get Boccieri full set of clubs.