Iron Help for a 15 Handicap

[stikky_p]

Hey Everyone..

I've been struggling with my golf game the past 2 years and have decided to quit all other sports and purchase a membership locally for the first time. We have been floating at many different courses but usually only 3-4 times per month. I also practice at home using my garage optishot system. This helps me keep my swing in check over our cold winters here in Canada. I started with JAZZ clubs then moved to a set of Wilson ci-7 irons. I loved those but got caught up in the Taylormade Rocketbladez hype and decided to purchase those. They felt really chunky and hard to hit so I sold them along with my Taylormade RBZ drivers/woods/hybrids. At the start of this year I purchased a set of Wilson ci11's and Nike Covert 2.0 drivers/woods/hybrids. The woods and hybrids have been amazing. I love the feel and hit them straight almost all the time. My issue is my irons. I always seem to be off target and hitting toe shots. I can feel my club wanting to turn at impact.

I recently went to a fitter and he said my current irons need to be bent 2 degree's upright because my toe of the club is connecting first with the ball/ground and causing some swing errors. He also mentioned that the 2 degrees out would cause accuracy problems by 5-10 years to the right I believe. I asked him to bend my clubs however he said that he tried and they cannot be bent because they are strong cast vs forged and sujjested I either purchase a new/used set that are forged or keep what I have and adjust for the issue.

Would you guys purchase new/used forged irons and have them bent properly for your swing? If so (I know this is a loaded question) but what club would be a great all around for a 15 handicap player? I love my wilsons due to the thin top line and the darker black head color but I'm open to options.. I've been thinking the ap1/ap2 lines, mizuno ez forged/kpx 800 pro's or possibly a ping G series of some sort..

Any help would be great.. And sorry for the long post.

Thanks in advance!!!!  

 

 

 

 

[boogielicious]

Welcome to the forum @stikky_p

Usually cast clubs can be bent a bit. Could he bend them 1 degree and get you closer? If not, you can't go wrong with any of the irons you mentioned. I have the AP2 and the JPX 850 forged and both a great irons.

[saevel25]

Hey Everyone..

Would you guys purchase new/used forged irons and have them bent properly for your swing? If so (I know this is a loaded question) but what club would be a great all around for a 15 handicap player? I love my wilsons due to the thin top line and the darker black head color but I'm open to options.. I've been thinking the ap1/ap2 lines, mizuno ez forged/kpx 800 pro's or possibly a ping G series of some sort..

Any help would be great.. And sorry for the long post.

Thanks in advance!!!!  

 

With new clubs typically they can adjust the lie angle for you. I am not sure they can go +2.5 degrees. Tileist only offers a -.75 to +1.5 degree lie angle change off their stock lie angle. You might be able to get +1.5 then bend it another degree. 

It is true that forged irons are easier to bend. You might be able to find a used set of forged irons and have them bent. 

 

[Golfingdad]

Hi @stikky_p, welcome to the site.  I have a couple of suggestions.  My economical and unbiased suggestion is that I am not a firm believer in lie angle really mattering all that much.  I have a set of off the rack irons and a set of fitted irons that are 1.5" long and 2-3 degrees upright and the difference between them is not much.  If you're hitting a lot of toe shots, it's more likely to do with a swing issue than a club issue.  I used to miss a lot on the toe with the old clubs and got new clubs and I can still miss on the toe very easily.  So just keep working on your swing (stand closer to the ball, experiment with other setup issues) and figure out the clubs you have.  But that's no fun. ;)

So that brings me to the biased (and uneconomical) part of my suggestion:  I got a chance to hit the G30s (side by side with the new i series irons - I play i20s currently) and loooooooved them.  As you know, Pings are cast, however, they have a fitting system that makes it very easy to get upright/flat or longer/shorter clubs.  You can go to your fitter, or even just do the static fitting from their website.  So they would come out of the factory already to spec, you wouldn't even need to have a fitter bend them for you. :)

Whatever you do, have fun with it and good luck. 

[boogielicious]

Another option would be Ping irons. You can get them with the correct lie angle.

[stikky_p]

Thanks for the input guys, I was steering towards possible purchasing a set of used forged irons and getting them adjusted. Just didn't know if there was one specific "go to" iron or if i'm over thinking that.. Plus could I be possible over thinking this lie issue and spending money on clubs that I don't necessarily need? I'm new to the fitting thing so the combination of me hitting the ball off the toe and my lie may just fix things..

[DrvFrShow]

Cobra also makes some nice irons either cast or forged, and will make sets +/- 2 degrees upright or flat. Don't overlook them. The Fly-Z+ is forged. The Fly Z is cast. And the Fly Z Pros are Ricky's.

[stikky_p]

In all fairness what type of iron should I be playing? I think sometimes I get ahead of myself and could potentially use more of a GI club or something with more forgiveness instead of a forged iron that tends to be more of a players iron. Lets be honest.. Im a bogey golfer with some birdies and pars here or there. I'm hoping to purchase a set that will help/fit me next year so I can concentrate on my swing to get better. That's why my head is stuck on this lie angle.

Everything that I read or see on youtube stresses the fact to go to a fitter and keep an open mind. That's where I got my lie adjustment of 2" upright. My length was perfect and my swing was good. A little outside to inside but nothing major. He advised that I look at a forged set to adjust the lie and practice practice practice. My ci11's could not be bent so that's why I'm hunting. It's a shame there isn't a go to club but then again... It's not a shame.. I love this game!!!!

[stikky_p]

I recently found a set of used Nike Covert 2.0 forged irons that seem to review out well. Has anyone used these irons or have any input on the iron? Looks like its a forged set with good forgiveness and loads of ball speed.. What do you guys think of this set?

[DrvFrShow]

You're going to be living with this set for a long time. My suggestion is to get fit for the set. Prices right now have dropped waiting for next years models to hit the shelves.

Get on a machine (Trackman, Flightscope, or a Foresight Launch Monitor - GC2 or something like that). Have the fitter set up like six different irons. Examples: Mizuno JPX 850 cast & forged, JPX EZ forged, JPX EZ, Cobra Fly-Z, Ping G30, Callaway XR, Callaway Apex (last years) - get a dynamic fitting to see what lie angle you'll need (they have the club heads in different lie angles). You'll probably have to pay for the fitting, but it'll be applied to the purchase price of the clubs. Hit a few balls with each club (usually a 6 or 7i) and see which one gives you the best numbers. Coincidentally, it will also have the best feel.

That's the set you should get.

Leave your ego at the door. I recently saw a guy who's been playing forged blades for about 40 years with a low HC get a set of JPX 850 Cast 2 degree upright because he got the best Trackman numbers with them out of the six Mizuno iron sets he tried.

For us bogey golfers, I'd suggest getting the set through LW so there's no change in feel and you can space your club distances better. Specialty wedges are for the low handicappers who really know what they're doing.

[vangator]

If I were to buy a conventional set of irons it would be the Ping G30's (or even the G25 if they're significantly cheaper).  However, I play Single Length irons and won't go back to the dark side.

[WUTiger]

In all fairness what type of iron should I be playing? I think sometimes I get ahead of myself and could potentially use more of a GI club or something with more forgiveness instead of a forged iron that tends to be more of a players iron. ...

As for forged, in past they tended to be more a player's iron, because they cost more and were not as likely to be bought by the average golfer. But some newer forged irons are quite forgiving such as the Nike VR_S Forged of circa 2012. It got the ball up quite well with its cavity head, even though the head was not overly large. 

Lie angle? If you will need a significant lie angle adjustment, consider Ping irons. Ping offers twelve color-coded lie angle zones, from Maroon (4.5° upright) to Golf (3.75° flat). If you want a very friendly GI model, consider their G25 or G30 irons. I strongly considered the G25s about 18 months ago.