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New set of irons

SuperStroke
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hole_in_one

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CONGU 14.1
Hi I am currently looking for a new set of irons that offer me workability and forgiveness. I am 18 handicap that is aiming to get down to about 10-12 by the end of the year and am a solid ball striker. The current sets I am looking at are Mizuno MP54s, Titleist AP2s and Callaway X Forged. Hopefully this should tell you the sort of clubs I am interested in and also my price range. Eventually I will hit some irons and see which ones I hit the best, but wondered if you guys have any other suggestions of clubs for me and/or the experience you have with the any of the irons I mentioned? Thanks.
 
All 3 of those are great irons and you can't go wrong with any of them.
 
I have zero experience with the irons you mentioned are on your radar, but it looks like you're going after some players irons. Are you dead set on the something that attracts you to those types of irons? There's tons of options out there with tremendous forgiveness. SpeedBlades/Rocketbladez, XHot, AP1, and Amp Cell are some of the more forgiving options of last year lines in my experiences that can be had pretty cheap. If you really want a players look packed with forgiveness to help the higher handicap in you, look at the J40 DPCs. A tremendous set of irons and tons of more options out there.
 
+1 for the J40 DPC

Also, the Mizuno JPX series cavity back forged sets have some forgiveness to them.
 
Sox Fan said:
+1 for the J40 DPC

Also, the Mizuno JPX series cavity back forged sets have some forgiveness to them.
Click to expand...

Those are both good choices you might also look at the SLDR an TM CB
 
2014 Taylormade CB's...amazing irons!!!
 
I'm not too familiar with the irons you listed, but if you are looking for workability and forgiveness, I would suggest looking at the Callaway Apex irons or like the others have said, Bridgestone J40 DPCs. On top of the workability and forgiveness they both provide, they look and feel great.
 
They are all good irons, as are the DPCs also mentioned in the thread. It isn't so much a matter of any one set being especially better than another, it is which one is best for you. I think you will have better luck determining that through a fitting / demo'ing the clubs than through feedback on a forum.
 
I'm going to +1 the suggestion you look at more Game Improvement type clubs rather than the Player's clubs for an 18 handicap that would like to see the 'cap go down rather than up in the next few months. "Workability" is a bit over rated (IMHO) where mid to higher handicappers are concerned, we're doing well if we can just make the ball go pretty much straight. And when it comes to golf clubs, "easy to work" sort of equates to "easy to mishit. Bending the flight of a ball is a function of intentionally altering the relationship of the club face angle with the swing plane angle and can be accomplished with any club, though the GI clubs resist a bit more.

I'd suggest taking a good look at the Titleist AP1s, Ping G25 and the Callaway Apex. Any of those would serve you well into the a mid to low single digit handicap. Golf is hard enough, even with clubs that are easier to hit. (Not easy, just easier... ;-)
 
Great choices but you should give the Adams XTD pro forged a shot or a set of CB3s. Both offer workability...more so withthe tungsten weighted XTD and you'll find forgiveness and a buttery feel upon impact out of both sets. I've also heard good things about Mizuno jpx pro forged in either the 800 or 825.
 
If you're an 18 handicap, I'm not sure that any of the irons you list would be a good fit for you. Of those three, I'd say the MP-54's would be the most forgiving, but even Mizuno recommends them for those with handicaps from 0 to 12. In the Mizuno line, I'd suggest you look at the JPX-825's or JPX-825 Pro's, and from Titleist and Callaway you might want to look at the AP1's and X2 Hot's, respectively. The new SLDR irons from TaylorMade look good, too.
 
Pendragon63 said:
If you're an 18 handicap, I'm not sure that any of the irons you list would be a good fit for you. Of those three, I'd say the MP-54's would be the most forgiving, but even Mizuno recommends them for those with handicaps from 0 to 12. In the Mizuno line, I'd suggest you look at the JPX-825's or JPX-825 Pro's, and from Titleist and Callaway you might want to look at the AP1's and X2 Hot's, respectively. The new SLDR irons from TaylorMade look good, too.
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I agree with this, although we all know how it is when you fall in love with a certain set of equipment. Even if it's not right, the heart wants what the heart wants!

I would second the idea of looking at the Adams XTD. I hit these for the first time last week when the Apex set I was trying was clearly defective . The XTDs were truly a pleasure to hit.

Tapataptapa on my Samsung S5
 
I have gamed the irons you listed and they are all solid. Mp54 is probably the most forgiving of the three. The xforged has probably the best feel on solid struck shots but will be the most penal when missed. I am a huge fan of gaming what you want. Really depends on what your typical miss is. Ap2 will be the most toe forgiving imo. I always recommend a fitting and running with what gives you the best numbers and consistency
 
I think the sum of much of this feedback is that there are options basically in the same class as those you mention but which offer a little more forgiveness. One of the site's equipment testers (Jman) says the Apex irons are the best on the market. Many of us absolutely swear by the DPCs. The Adams and i25s are also solid. You have options.
 
I play the MP-54...came from MP-53 and MP-32. If your iron play is not your strength as an 18, I think these irons are not forgiving enough for you. You give up too much on off center hits.

I think that AP1 or JPX might be better options in the Titleist or Mizuno lines.


There are a ton of great options in the game improvement lines and can't really make a a bad decision.


Whatever you do, get fit to get the right shafts. Having the right shafts is what makes any club work for your game.


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I would definitely suggest hitting them all and even getting a professional fitting if possible.

I switched from game improvement irons to AP2's based on a fitters and instructs suggestions. They are pretty forgiving but smaller over all the GI irons. So there was definitely a learning curve for me and I took a step back in iron striking for 4-6 weeks.

That was near the end of last year and I love the irons now. I'm not 100% sold on the shafts, TT DG S300's, but only because I want to try more options. My handicap has gradually gone down from a 36 to 15 in a years time. I do take weekly lessons with a pro that I'm really happy with though. The lessons definitely help more than equipment, but equipment isn't a problem if you can put the time/effort in to getting comfortable with them.
 
Maybe give the TM R11 irons a try. I found them very accurate and a mix between forgiveness and feel. I also got more backspin than my current GI irons. Can be found at a good price now also.
 
Ping G20s have a good price right now...great for game improvement / forgiveness

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TheHeez said:
A good middle ground set of irons in the players/GI realm is the Ping i25.
Click to expand...

I wanted to like the i25's or even the G25's having played Ping clubs for years. However, a side-by-side comparison to my i15's presented not enough improvement in performance to make an upgrade feasible. I ended up with the Callaway X2 Hot irons. My "loyalty" to Ping made the decision to pull the trigger on the Callaways that much more difficult but having played a couple of rounds with them I am glad I did.
 
PirateJim said:
I'm going to +1 the suggestion you look at more Game Improvement type clubs rather than the Player's clubs for an 18 handicap that would like to see the 'cap go down rather than up in the next few months. "Workability" is a bit over rated (IMHO) where mid to higher handicappers are concerned, we're doing well if we can just make the ball go pretty much straight. And when it comes to golf clubs, "easy to work" sort of equates to "easy to mishit. Bending the flight of a ball is a function of intentionally altering the relationship of the club face angle with the swing plane angle and can be accomplished with any club, though the GI clubs resist a bit more.

I'd suggest taking a good look at the Titleist AP1s, Ping G25 and the Callaway Apex. Any of those would serve you well into the a mid to low single digit handicap. Golf is hard enough, even with clubs that are easier to hit. (Not easy, just easier... ;-)
Click to expand...

I have to agree!
 
Loved the Cally X Forged. They felt really great swinging, mostly bc of the shafts. PXi's are fantastic.
 
The R11's were a good set, but haven't been made in a couple of years. You still might be able to find a set somewhere, but I'm inclined to think you're better off with the latest technology even if it costs a couple hundred more. Just my opinion...
 
Something I think a lot of people are overlooking is the fact that the OP said he's a solid striker of the ball. There are many different ways to become a 18 handicap, it doesn't all stem from hitting the ball poorly.

To the OP, I personally love my Callaway X-Forged irons. They offer great feel and pretty good compensation when I hit one off-center. With all the clubs you listed, I would personally try to find a way to hit all of them and see which one works out the best for you.
 
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