Game Improvement Irons

[TheCrest4]

Yes and no, LOL. I think that GI irons are harder to dial in distance control wise than a player's iron. At least personally. I've had plenty of GI irons (X22's, Burner 2.0's, the W/S Ci11's, and to a degree the R11's). The 2.0's were fun to hit b/c I could hit a PW 150 yards if I wanted to, but to be precise with them was a bit more difficult. If you're consistently hitting the ball first and you're consistently hitting the center of the club face then there's absolutely no reason why you couldn't get a player's iron if you wanted. You will hear that toe strikes will result in a massive loss of distance, and that's because there's just less mass behind the toe on those clubs. However, through a proper fitting, especially the lie angle, you should be able to all but eliminate toe strikes.

Thanks again for another great post. I have a lot to think about over the next couple of months and I definitely think that a fitting will be in order and also trying as many irons as I can.

 

[TC]

Hmm I think there is a players iron out right now that is getting rave reviews with regards to toe forgiveness

True that! And what's better is not hitting them out on the toe

In all honesty, I believe that the i20's are the complete package for an iron set. Sleek as hell looking, incredibly forgiving, fun to hit, not punishing, and the feel is phenomenal. Dare I say it chunky, but they may be some of the softest feeling irons I've hit.

 

[Doug the lefty]

True that! And what's better is not hitting them out on the toe

In all honesty, I believe that the i20's are the complete package for an iron set. Sleek as hell looking, incredibly forgiving, fun to hit, not punishing, and the feel is phenomenal. Dare I say it chunky, but they may be some of the softest feeling irons I've hit.

That's crazy talk right there...aren't they cast? J/K. With posts like these I can't get the I20's out of my head.

 

[sleuth]

At least personally. I've had plenty of GI irons (X22's, Burner 2.0's, the W/S Ci11's, and to a degree the R11's). The 2.0's were fun to hit b/c I could hit a PW 150 yards if I wanted to, but to be precise with them was a bit more difficult.

What's funny about this part is that I've seen it first hand at the big box stores. Some dude at Golf Galaxy knocking his 7 iron screaming with delight. I just added 10 yards! GI irons are usually 2-3* lower loft than players irons.

 

[BamBooBender]

Yes and no, LOL. I think that GI irons are harder to dial in distance control wise than a player's iron. At least personally. I've had plenty of GI irons (X22's, Burner 2.0's, the W/S Ci11's, and to a degree the R11's). The 2.0's were fun to hit b/c I could hit a PW 150 yards if I wanted to, but to be precise with them was a bit more difficult. If you're consistently hitting the ball first and you're consistently hitting the center of the club face then there's absolutely no reason why you couldn't get a player's iron if you wanted. You will hear that toe strikes will result in a massive loss of distance, and that's because there's just less mass behind the toe on those clubs. However, through a proper fitting, especially the lie angle, you should be able to all but eliminate toe strikes.

I think you may be exactly right about that. I have been seriously pondering going back to my old fg-17's lately because of that. My miss with the fg-17's was short and right, but a well struck shot with my old 7i would go ~150-155. My DI-11's allow me to get away with missing out towards the toe, but (what seems to be) a well struck shot with my 7i goes ~160-180.

 

[TC]

I think you may be exactly right about that. I have been seriously pondering going back to my old fg-17's lately because of that. My miss with the fg-17's was short and right, but a well struck shot with my old 7i would go ~150-155. My DI-11's allow me to get away with missing out towards the toe, but (what seems to be) a well struck shot with my 7i goes ~160-180.

Well, distance sells. That's pretty much what every OEM pushes.

 

[BamBooBender]

Well, distance sells. That's pretty much what every OEM pushes.

Yep, it was pretty cool at first, not just the distance but the forgiveness. I mean hitting one off the toe and still getting on the green is really nice. It's been a guessing game as far as club selection for a given distance. I probably won't go alll the way back to the fg's but maybe find a nice place in between.

 

[TC]

Yep, it was pretty cool at first, not just the distance but the forgiveness. I mean hitting one off the toe and still getting on the green is really nice. It's been a guessing game as far as club selection for a given distance. I probably won't go alll the way back to the fg's but maybe find a nice place in between.

Ci11's? I found them to be very consistent.

 

[BamBooBender]

Ci11's? I found them to be very consistent.

Those are at the top of my list atm. I live in the sticks though, and haven't yet got my hands on any to try out. I did pick up a Ci9 50* gap wedge to fill the gap created by my 46* "gap" wedge and I like it a lot.

 

[sleuth]

I think you may be exactly right about that. I have been seriously pondering going back to my old fg-17's lately because of that. My miss with the fg-17's was short and right, but a well struck shot with my old 7i would go ~150-155. My DI-11's allow me to get away with missing out towards the toe, but (what seems to be) a well struck shot with my 7i goes ~160-180.

You're making the same mistake I mentioned earlier.

I believe there's a 4* loft difference between the DI-11 and FG-17 (DI-11 playing stronger). Basically an entire club length.

 

[Chunkylover77]

True that! And what's better is not hitting them out on the toe

In all honesty, I believe that the i20's are the complete package for an iron set. Sleek as hell looking, incredibly forgiving, fun to hit, not punishing, and the feel is phenomenal. Dare I say it chunky, but they may be some of the softest feeling irons I've hit.

They really are. That dampening thingy works magic. It must be forged

 

[BamBooBender]

You're making the same mistake I mentioned earlier.

I believe there's a 4* loft difference between the DI-11 and FG-17 (DI-11 playing stronger). Basically an entire club length.

No, I understand the loft thing, and there's more going on with the DI's than just juiced loft. Very low CG, lighter shaft, torsional stability, and so on. I hit my fg 5i ~170-175 on a good hit, now I'm playing my 7i from that distance but the distance spread is around 20yds. Maybe the difference is just the lighter shaft? Unexpected extra distance off the driver is great, off irons not so much.

 

[clutchjones]

fitting is definitly the way to go, i've been to three different companies fittings.All pretty much the same process but man does it ever help your game

 

[Haggis]

I agree with a lot of what's being said here. 2 years ago I went away from my Adams A4 Tech irons (forged for buttery soft feelings--hehe) and bought the Burner 2.0s because I figured who couldn't use more forgiveness on those car-wreck swings that randomly come out. I didn't gain much distance over the Adams irons as their lofts were pretty much the same. The problem I ran into was a combo of turf interaction with the sole of the 2.0s and the lack of consistent distances. Even though I was fitted for the 2.0s I was also getting a lot of toe hits which also led to directional problems and which were driving me bonkers. Two weeks ago I dusted off the Adams irons and while I'm not gonna claim every hit has been pured, I can say that I'm hitting the center of the club much more consistently. And I've also noticed that my misses are no longer left or right. They go exactly where I'm aiming. If I fat them a little or even a bit out on the toe they still go exactly where I'm aimed. I can work with that as a miss. Long story short is golf would drive Spock crazy as it's completely illogical but I know my game has improved by going with more of a GE iron than the GI of the 2.0s. So go try different irons. Heck, if you can get to a "Grand Demo Day" outside somewhere where all the manufacturers will be there you can compare and contrast most stuff.

 

[sleuth]

No, I understand the loft thing, and there's more going on with the DI's than just juiced loft. Very low CG, lighter shaft, torsional stability, and so on. I hit my fg 5i ~170-175 on a good hit, now I'm playing my 7i from that distance but the distance spread is around 20yds. Maybe the difference is just the lighter shaft? Unexpected extra distance off the driver is great, off irons not so much.

If you're having that large of a dispersion it's likely the shaft and weight.

FWIW, I hate and cannot hit light shafts. I have no control over my shots and I can't hit them consistently. Light shafts are fine if you have a slower swing speed, as it doesn't require as much control.

 

[JonD]

I recently got into this great game and 2 years ago was playing enough to justify spending some money on an iron set. I went with game improvement irons, the Adams Insight XTD 4-SW.

I am thinking already about upgrading and wanted to know what the next step up would be from here? I guess my question is what are the differences between game improvement vs. non-game improvement irons. Also if I really like Adams clubs should I stick with them or really search around.

Thanks in advance for the help.

I know I'm late to the game here, but wanted to chime in since you're fairly close to me. Go get fitted if you can. You'll likely be surprised by how much it can help. If you're looking for a place that's nearby, I recommend the Fitting Studio at Westfields. Specifically with Larry Bleich. It's a little bit of a drive, but Larry absolutely knows his stuff and is great to work with. If you buy irons from them, they will waive the fitting fee too.

www.golffittingstudios.com

Another place that I've had good experiences is 1757 in Dulles/Ashburn. I only take lessons there, but hear their fitters are good as well. Don't know about their rates though.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or anything like that. Good luck in your search. Iron fitting (or any fitting) is one of the most fun things I've done since you get to hit so many different clubs. You learn a lot through the process.

 

[TMILLCV]

I'll second the Golf Tour Trailer at 1757 Golf Course at Dulles/Ashburn. The main fitter is Roger Hatcher. He did my fitting for my new Driver/FW (TM R11S)
and really spent alot of time with me, selecting and testing clubs, answering questions and even made a few teaching moments during my session. My
session was at 3pm, for an hour and I walked out of there at 5:45pm! If that is not customer service, I don't know what is!!!
His rate is $150 and it was worth every penny. I'm actually getting an iron fitting there this Thurs.