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Hollow Body Irons

SuperStroke
JB said:
What are your thoughts on them? Have you tested any?
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I've hit the top end of the Vapor Speeds, Mizuno H5's, and Big Bertha's...not a fan personally. Especially with the Big Bertha's, the head of the club because of the design is just too big for my liking. Having a bigger top line/bigger head may provide confidence to some, but for me it almost does the opposite. The Vapor Speed's don't necessarily feel or sound hollow to me, but again, the heads a little big for my taste. If I don't like what I'm looking at behind the ball, I won't be able to hit it very well.
 
clayrhye said:
I really liked the berthas, but the offset was a killer for me too.
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I felt the same at first, but I have adapted to them and it does not bother me now
 
I've never played a hollow bodied iron. Ice taken a few swings with the new Big Bertha irons & will say the feel/sound was not bad. The offset is what stuck out to me more than the performance of the club.
 
I play the MP-H5 and love them. I dont know if I would play them in the shorter irons but I definitely think they have a place in some bags.
 
Haven't really tried any but if they perform I would use them!!
 
May I ask a dumb question from a design perspective?

Is there really more perimeter weighting on a hollow body design than a traditional iron? More importantly for the target market (SGI typically), is there more weight low and back with a hollow body than something like a K15, Maruman Shuttle, 2008 Big Bertha? The reason I ask is because there has to be some weight there to enclose the cavity, which seemingly would shift the CG up and forwards relative to leaving it open.

I ask this as someone that plays Altitudes. I love them personally and see no reason to switch, but I think they're forgiving in large part due to the huge face. I don't think they have more weight low and back than the K15s, Shuttles and 2008 Berthas I've had. I also think the first gen Niblicks I own gives you more weight low and back than any hollow body I've seen.

For me, the kicker with the Altitudes is that they get you all that forgiveness without a ton of offset. I find I'm straighter with them (alignment issues). That's what I really like.

I wonder though whether it wouldn't be even better if they were open. That would also seemingly fix the sound issues that many people have.
 
ryebread said:
May I ask a dumb question from a design perspective?

Is there really more perimeter weighting on a hollow body design than a traditional iron? More importantly for the target market (SGI typically), is there more weight low and back with a hollow body than something like a K15, Maruman Shuttle, 2008 Big Bertha? The reason I ask is because there has to be some weight there to enclose the cavity, which seemingly would shift the CG up and forwards relative to leaving it open.

I ask this as someone that plays Altitudes. I love them personally and see no reason to switch, but I think they're forgiving in large part due to the huge face. I don't think they have more weight low and back than the K15s, Shuttles and 2008 Berthas I've had. I also think the first gen Niblicks I own gives you more weight low and back than any hollow body I've seen.

For me, the kicker with the Altitudes is that they get you all that forgiveness without a ton of offset. I find I'm straighter with them (alignment issues). That's what I really like.

I wonder though whether it wouldn't be even better if they were open. That would also seemingly fix the sound issues that many people have.
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Do you think hybrids are more forgiving than the irons you mentioned?

Do you think one could move more weight back if they had the ability to eliminate a large percentage of it from the middle?
 
I've hit the MP H5s and found them...different. The launched a bit high for me and had a very different feel, which I'm sure I could get used to. Does the Bridgestone j15 Driving Forged count as well?
 
Hollowbody woods worked out pretty well I'd say. Definitely a different type of sound from wood. I'm sure feel and sound will get better and better as they gain more experience developing them.
 
The 6 and 7 irons in the Adams Idea '14 & '15 sets are hollow bodies I believe. From my limited testing those seemed really easy to hit.
 
JB said:
Do you think hybrids are more forgiving than the irons you mentioned?

Do you think one could move more weight back if they had the ability to eliminate a large percentage of it from the middle?
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JB: As always, I appreciate the discussion.

About a year ago, I simultaneously owned K15s, Shuttle i3000MX, Altitudes and Diablo Edges. Those are my favorite SGI designs by each of those OEMs. I thought the K15s were most forgiving on the thinned hit. The Altitudes were most forgiving on misses heel to toe (which I attributed to simply more face area). The Shuttles by had the "hottest" face and the best build quality. Sound and feel were by far the best (to me) on the Diablo Edges.

I know that one of the hollow body advantages is the thinner and hotter face, but it seems like many of the undercut designs in irons are offering that. Really, the Shuttles I had were seemingly the "hottest" iron I've played. I gauge this based on club's specs versus distance.

Is the argument that the rear of the hollow body braces the frame around the top and thus allows for the thinner face? If so, would a supporting beam(s) not do the same thing?

Not trying to be a jerk. I'm genuinely curious.
 
It's definitely a different demographic or target of cconsumer. For some of us I've noticed in the comments that both size and offset play a huge role in deciding which irons to bag. Some of you think hybrids are more forgiving than long irons. More forgiving for who?? I love longer irons and never had an issue getting them into play. Never swung from my behind either just swung my normal swing. I do have a hy rid in the bag but it's more for gapping. It definitely isn't nearly as accurate or easier to hit for me than a 4 iron.
 
So I will slightly change my thoughts on this, but I think they are fine for 2/3/4 irons at the top of your bag, as that is what a lot of the new driving irons are, but I don't want anything hollow 5 down. I'm actually going to try out a cleveland MT 4 iron as a driving iron for my set, so we'll see how I like it actually out on the course.
 
I've played them. Some I've liked and others I haven't as much.

Some do bring some sound/feel issues into the equation, but there have been others that have seemed very iron-like to me in that regard, so it's not universal obviously.
 
I have not hit any hollow body irons that I know of. From my understanding and a blanket statement is that they are very forgiving and typically longer from what I play. I think there is a huge market of players who should buy them but the ones I have seen just aren't my thing.
 
I've only tried one, the Cleveland 588MT - I hated the feel (i.e. sound), just didn't jive with me. I think with better tuning inside the clubhead that can be resolved though. The technology is there as far as added ballspeed and forgiveness.
 
My thoughts are if it helps me I will use them. I have hit the Vapor speeds and I WILL be buying a set, love them. I have no problem with them, easy to hit and I was getting good distance and consistency.
 
I played these here for awhile & I think the muscle area was hollow.

MacGregor_V-Foil_M565_463978_i0.jpg


I wish I still had them, but I loaned them to a friend & he trashed them pretty hard.
 
IDK if the Bridgestone DFs are considered hollow body but that's the only thing close that I've hit and do I like them? YES, they are already ordered!
 
I love hollow irons! Best thing for my game. I've hit the Altitudes, MT's, and Vapor Speed's. Have the MT's in the bag currently and love them.
 
tahoebum said:
Love hollow bodied long irons for a little added forgiveness and being able to control the trajectory. My Taylomade Tour Preferred 2, 3, and 4 irons that were in my bag from 1980 to 1999 were hollow bodied. Since then all my hybrids have really been hollow bodied irons: Mizuno Fli-Hi's, Titleist 503h, and currently Adams Dhy Pro's are all hollow bodied. That basically means that nearly all the shots I've hit from 205 - 235 yards in the last 35 years have been with a hollow bodied iron. I've tried dozens of conventional hybrids but they never make it into my bag for more than a round or two.


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503h_large.jpg
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Other than me being the short knocker of the family, I'm thinking we might be related.:act-up:


JB said:
What are your thoughts on them? Have you tested any?
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Short answer, I like them and I think that they could help most golfers if they were given a chance. That being said the only "traditional" hollow mid irons I've ever hit were the MT's and the Altitudes. I normally play fairly compact/low offset irons during the summer and the added thickness and offset of the MT's and 'Tudes didn't bother me at all.

Where added size and offset messes with my mind is with hybrids. I seem to be the most comfortable with the hollow style long iron replacements (FliHi cut muscle, 503h and super DHy) in the 2i-4i range. Which is one of the reasons I plan on hitting the T.E.E. PROh combo irons during our local demo weekend this spring.
 
Hollow irons definitely aren't a new concept they've been around for decades but with social media and advertising they might catch on with a limited demographic.
 
Hollow Body Irons

Shakey said:
I played these here for awhile & I think the muscle area was hollow.

MacGregor_V-Foil_M565_463978_i0.jpg


I wish I still had them, but I loaned them to a friend & he trashed them pretty hard.
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I came very close to picking up a set of those when they were out.
 
DufferToo said:
the added thickness and offset of the MT's and 'Tudes didn't bother me at all.
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Did you actually see any difference in offset with the Tudes? If you look at the specs, there's virtually none. Short of a player's blade, I'm not sure that you'll find much of anything with less offset. The MTs actually have more.
 
I've hit the Adams A12OS hollow irons. I thought they were OK but poor dispersion. The Adams new A4 forged were another story. They were tight and straight. Felt solid, I liked them. I would love to give the Altitudes a whirl though.

Mark Shuman
 
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