What Iron Tech Works For You?

JB

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We were speaking with someone yesterday and their latest iron was filled with a lot of technology. It is not easy to tell a tech forward story with irons, especially online, so my question to THPers was what tech do you believe works for you? Do you even pay attention to it?
 
The V sole has been great for my game.
 
Cup face and the tech built into the 2019 Apex irons has been great for me.

Prior to that the VSole on the Srixon line was a game changer for me.
 
Ben Hogan V sole!
 
There are probably others, but the hollow body construction and v sole immediately come to mind.
 
What Iron Tech Works For You?

Another vote for the V Sole


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There are probably others, but the hollow body construction and v sole immediately come to mind.

Srixon’s V sole was a game changer for me, Hogan took it to the next level.
 
I think the technologies to improve ball speed across the face are absolutely something that works. I picked up a set of XForged to play with while I was waiting for the shafts to be fixed in my Apex. Had a ~150 yards into a pin with a pond in front of it. Hit it out on the toe, but still well on the grooves. Went straight at the hole, and landed 10 yards short and wet.The whole “max distance” story isn’t one that resonates with me, but ball speed retention absolutely does.
 
Cup face for sure; the sure out wedges work really well for flip shots and green side bunkers. I look for clubs with better feel and more forgiveness. Finally, as I am getting a little older, like vibration dampening heads and shafts to manage the golfers elbow.
 
Srixon V sole was amazing for me.
 
I like all the hollow body, polymer/foam/whatever filled, blade looking irons. It's a nicer look to my eye, but with more ball speed and forgiveness compared to a solid block of metal.
 
Anything that helps on low strikes (cup face, and L-shaped designs are noteworthy)

Managing weight so that the CG isn’t heel side. Need that toe side forgiveness

Not sure what particular tech helps, but anything that improves descent angle is a win for me. Ball speed gains are a plus here, especially if launch isn’t affected.


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+1 for Cup Face.
 
Srixon’s V sole was a game changer for me, Hogan took it to the next level.
I agree that Hogan's a little more effective. Played the Z545 set and liked them but the turf interaction of the PTx and PTx Pro is better for me.
 
I agree that Hogan's a little more effective. Played the Z545 set and liked them but the turf interaction of the PTx and PTx Pro is better for me.

What do you think makes it more effective? Genuine question, not pertaining so much to the group here, but golfers in general. Do you think people understand what makes the V Sole different?
 
Whatever tech Mizuno puts in their 919 HM irons works great for me!
 
The V sole on my Srixon irons. I love the turf interaction I'm getting even on mishits. My proximity to the hole these last 10 rounds has been better than it's been in over 20 years. Yesterday I hit 10 of my iron shots inside of 15 feet including three inside of 6 feet. Now if I could just figure out my putting!
 
Speedback in the F9 series has worked extremely well for me this year. The additional weight and mass has made my mishits straighter and longer, combine that with the OL setup and I'm playing much better golf with them.
 
What do you think makes it more effective? Genuine question, not pertaining so much to the group here, but golfers in general. Do you think people understand what makes the V Sole different?
I really don't know the technical differences between the 2. I don't take substantial digits with irons and the Srixon v-sole tended to bounce a little more for me whereas I am able to penetrate the turf more with the Hogans resulting in fewer thinned shots.
 
For me, I’d have to say the multi-material constructed heads. Thin faces married with various perimeter weighted bodies. Each manufacture has their own technique, yet produces similar results. I think for the average golfer, the days of single block forged construction is nearing it end. And this coming from a historically forged guy.


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hollowbody construction has worked for me. also cup face. basically anything to retain ball speed and distance on a mishit for a green in reg i don't deserve.
 
All sorts of buzzwords and such to describe the basic thing that (for me) makes recent vintage GI clubs slightly better performing than the ones from 6-8 years ago. It's the higher COR face that seems to get the ball up quicker then fly it flatter with less spin. I wouldn't say I'm a club longer with, for instance, a Ping G iron than I was with G20's (no spring face). But loft for loft I'm a couple, three or four yards longer with both a higher flight and noticeably less effect of wind.

Not really a game changer but enough of a difference that I'm not going to be non-hot-face irons any time soon. Not withstanding the fact that occasionally that lower spin costs me a ball not quite staying put when it lands. That only happens maybe once every few rounds whereas the advantages are on pretty much every shot with a 9/8/7/6 iron. A couple yards and a higher flight on 15-20 shots a round is no small thing for a low-speed, low-flight weak player like me.
 
I liked the tech on the 2014 Callaway Apex irons, the combination of tungsten weighting and mixed metal design in the face on a forged body was a great combination of feel and speed. While Callaway has since gone all the way with cup face design on a forged body, on a side to side comparison I think I'd still take the 2014 Apex for feel.

I think the tech that works in irons hasn't really changed that much. Tungsten weighting to optimize and lower CG, and perimeter weighting to help with forgiveness. I think the next biggest thing is how much diversity there is in shaft fitting to optimize spin and ball speed.
 
I think a lot of iron tech gets over looked because new tech is pushing weighting, speed, forgiveness, and launch. Along with the launch comes stronger lofts which many think are the overriding factor in all of it.
 
Quick answer I'm not sure. I've played irons with tech and irons without. Scores are about the same. I will say though that irons with more tech are definitely more forgiving and reward you when you don't deserve it on occasion and speedback tech in the Cobra F9 4i is legit
 
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