Game Improvement Irons

TheCrest4

#UrbanLumberJack
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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.
 
maybe a fitting would work for you, try as many different sets as you can until you fid whats best for you, no point in just looking at one brand as they all offer an assortment of GI irons
 
Thanks what about moving away from GI irons? What should I look for?

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Thanks what about moving away from GI irons? What should I look for?

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Do you have a local shop that allows you to hit a bunch of different irons?
 
Do you have a local shop that allows you to hit a bunch of different irons?

Hmm I am not sure I would have to look around a bit to check. It would be the first time I have done that not sure what too look for

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I am playing the xtd II's and they are not forgiving or long by any means. I have hit many different irons at local shops and I think any set you hit you will notice a difference.
 
I am playing the xtd II's and they are not forgiving or long by any means. I have hit many different irons at local shops and I think any set you hit you will notice a difference.

Yeah kinda what I am feeling also I am just hesitant to go somewhere and drop a lot of money for irons that I don't love. I guess I just need to do some real research and figure what works for me, sounds like I really need a fitting.

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Hmm I am not sure I would have to look around a bit to check. It would be the first time I have done that not sure what too look for

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I would check to see if you have a local store that has a lot of different OEM's to test out. Then just take a few weeks and hit everything you can. If you can afford it, I would look into getting a proper fitting. This will ensure that you are playing the best iron for your game. Some stores will include a decent fitting with purchase. Adams makes a very nice iron and I'm not trying to sway you away from them. I just know that there are a ton of great options out there and I wouldn't want to pigeonhole myself into one OEM
 
Is there a specific reason you want to move away from game improvement irons?
 
Like said above, there is no reason to move away from GI irons if they are working unless you have a solid game and want to work on different shots (draws, fades). Otherwise, stick with whats working for now!
 
Chunky led you straight, hit everything you can get your hands on with a quality setting to hit them. Just keep you mind open to what's best for your game and pocketbook at the same time. I hated the look of GI iron's, but ended up going from 4DX-Pro's to SGI Adams and dropped from 10 HC to a 7.5 rather quickly. Ego has no line on your scorecard, but hit a few good shots with the right clubs and confidence show's up on there.
 
Why would you want to move away from GI irons? There's no reason to, unless you're hitting everything flush and you want something prettier.

Players clubs will have a naturally higher CG and lower MOI. Thus they will be more difficult to hit than your GI irons. Furthermore, this will also cause you to lose forgiveness and distance.

The common misconception a lot of people have is that you can't shape shots with GI irons. That's false. GI irons are designed for off center shots in mind. You can still slice/fade, hook/draw just as easily.
 
Why would you want to move away from GI irons? There's no reason to, unless you're hitting everything flush and you want something prettier.

Players clubs will have a naturally higher CG and lower MOI. Thus they will be more difficult to hit than your GI irons. Furthermore, this will also cause you to lose forgiveness and distance.

The common misconception a lot of people have is that you can't shape shots with GI irons. That's false. GI irons are designed for off center shots in mind. You can still slice/fade, hook/draw just as easily.

My ball striking seemed to get more accurate and consistent with changing from a GI set to a set of blades for some reason :alien:
 
Thanks for all the good advice I appreciate it. I have no intention to move away from game improvement for now. I just wanted to know what else is out there that might be a step up from what I have now. There are so many companies and products out there it is extremely overwhelming and I just wanted to get and idea of where to start. The irons I have now are great and I am comfortable with them but I really would like to try some new ones out before next season.
 
Thanks for all the good advice I appreciate it. I have no intention to move away from game improvement for now. I just wanted to know what else is out there that might be a step up from what I have now. There are so many companies and products out there it is extremely overwhelming and I just wanted to get and idea of where to start. The irons I have now are great and I am comfortable with them but I really would like to try some new ones out before next season.

The best thing to do would be to find a golf course that carries all the "Big" company clubs and go there for a fitting. They will walk you through everything and won't let you leave until they know you are leaving with a set of irons made for you. If I were you I would look at the Golf Digest Hot List and look in the GI category and see what irons got good reviews then find a course that carries those irons for a fitting. From what everyone says on this forum Ping has the best fitting around, so you might want to look into them.
 
I just want to try to answer your question of what's the difference between a GI iron than a GE (game enhancement) or player's iron. The first thing you'll always notice is that the GI iron has more offset. A lot of people will tell you that's because it will help slicers not slice as bad, but that's just not true. You'll hear people who struggle with the draws/hooks say they won't play a lot of offset irons b/c it enhances that miss for them, but again that's not true. Offset is there for one reason and one reason only, to move weight back and lower to help the user get the ball up in the air. I don't know statistics but apparently a large % of amateurs struggle with getting the ball in the air high enough.

Another difference will be the size and the lines on the irons. GI irons are typically a little larger both on the sole and on the top line. Again, the sole is larger to accomodate all that mass that's been moved back and low. They're also a little longer from heel to toe than GE irons. That's to allow for a little more forgiveness across the face of the golf club.

As for what's best for you, well, I think it's best to ask yourself a couple of questions. First, do you need help getting the ball up in the air? Second, what's normally your miss with irons? Do you hit it thin, fat, or do you make center face contact a large amount of the time? Irons are out there to enhance each individual golfer's games. Finding the right style of iron that works best for you is important IMO. Most of all, have fun with the process.
 
I just want to try to answer your question of what's the difference between a GI iron than a GE (game enhancement) or player's iron. The first thing you'll always notice is that the GI iron has more offset. A lot of people will tell you that's because it will help slicers not slice as bad, but that's just not true. You'll hear people who struggle with the draws/hooks say they won't play a lot of offset irons b/c it enhances that miss for them, but again that's not true. Offset is there for one reason and one reason only, to move weight back and lower to help the user get the ball up in the air. I don't know statistics but apparently a large % of amateurs struggle with getting the ball in the air high enough.

Another difference will be the size and the lines on the irons. GI irons are typically a little larger both on the sole and on the top line. Again, the sole is larger to accomodate all that mass that's been moved back and low. They're also a little longer from heel to toe than GE irons. That's to allow for a little more forgiveness across the face of the golf club.

As for what's best for you, well, I think it's best to ask yourself a couple of questions. First, do you need help getting the ball up in the air? Second, what's normally your miss with irons? Do you hit it thin, fat, or do you make center face contact a large amount of the time? Irons are out there to enhance each individual golfer's games. Finding the right style of iron that works best for you is important IMO. Most of all, have fun with the process.

This is great advice.
 
I just want to try to answer your question of what's the difference between a GI iron than a GE (game enhancement) or player's iron. The first thing you'll always notice is that the GI iron has more offset. A lot of people will tell you that's because it will help slicers not slice as bad, but that's just not true. You'll hear people who struggle with the draws/hooks say they won't play a lot of offset irons b/c it enhances that miss for them, but again that's not true. Offset is there for one reason and one reason only, to move weight back and lower to help the user get the ball up in the air. I don't know statistics but apparently a large % of amateurs struggle with getting the ball in the air high enough.

Another difference will be the size and the lines on the irons. GI irons are typically a little larger both on the sole and on the top line. Again, the sole is larger to accomodate all that mass that's been moved back and low. They're also a little longer from heel to toe than GE irons. That's to allow for a little more forgiveness across the face of the golf club.

As for what's best for you, well, I think it's best to ask yourself a couple of questions. First, do you need help getting the ball up in the air? Second, what's normally your miss with irons? Do you hit it thin, fat, or do you make center face contact a large amount of the time? Irons are out there to enhance each individual golfer's games. Finding the right style of iron that works best for you is important IMO. Most of all, have fun with the process.

Great frakken post!
 
TC with the post of the year.


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That was a great post TC!
 
Thanks dudes. IMO, what set of irons works best for the individual should not be based on one's handicap. I believe that through a proper fitting, a GE iron or GI iron can be most beneficial for the user.
 
I just want to try to answer your question of what's the difference between a GI iron than a GE (game enhancement) or player's iron. The first thing you'll always notice is that the GI iron has more offset. A lot of people will tell you that's because it will help slicers not slice as bad, but that's just not true. You'll hear people who struggle with the draws/hooks say they won't play a lot of offset irons b/c it enhances that miss for them, but again that's not true. Offset is there for one reason and one reason only, to move weight back and lower to help the user get the ball up in the air. I don't know statistics but apparently a large % of amateurs struggle with getting the ball in the air high enough.

Another difference will be the size and the lines on the irons. GI irons are typically a little larger both on the sole and on the top line. Again, the sole is larger to accomodate all that mass that's been moved back and low. They're also a little longer from heel to toe than GE irons. That's to allow for a little more forgiveness across the face of the golf club.

As for what's best for you, well, I think it's best to ask yourself a couple of questions. First, do you need help getting the ball up in the air? Second, what's normally your miss with irons? Do you hit it thin, fat, or do you make center face contact a large amount of the time? Irons are out there to enhance each individual golfer's games. Finding the right style of iron that works best for you is important IMO. Most of all, have fun with the process.

Thanks for the great post. I appreciate it. Exactly what I was looking for as far as comparing GI to what else is out there. When I bought the GI irons I was having trouble with getting the ball in the air but now I am some much more consistent and 80% of the time I am hitting center face shots that get in the air. After I accomplished that I know that I really need to work on aiming more consistently because now I am selecting the right club for the distance but it doesn't go where I think it will. I often find myself saying " right club and distance but in the wrong spot". I was wondering if the issue was the irons but it is clearly me and my alignment and aiming.
 
Thanks for the great post. I appreciate it. Exactly what I was looking for as far as comparing GI to what else is out there. When I bought the GI irons I was having trouble with getting the ball in the air but now I am some much more consistent and 80% of the time I am hitting center face shots that get in the air. After I accomplished that I know that I really need to work on aiming more consistently because now I am selecting the right club for the distance but it doesn't go where I think it will. I often find myself saying " right club and distance but in the wrong spot". I was wondering if the issue was the irons but it is clearly me and my alignment and aiming.

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.
 
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.

Hmm I think there is a players iron out right now that is getting rave reviews with regards to toe forgiveness
 
Don't think it's been mentioned but check around at your local courses for dates when they have demo days....You can try all types of clubs, especially if they have more than one company there....
 
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