Help chossing between MX200, Cleveland CG7 Black Pearl and Taylormade R9 Irons!

I am not playing as much golf as I have been due to work and marriage commitments, so I have just sold my Mizuno Mp57 irons.

I want an iron set that doesnt look too massive and would be keen to hear peoples view points.

I dont want a super game improvement set but I am not good enough for my current clubs anymore.

I am particularly interested in what people think of the R9's.

Are they big/small easy/hard to hit?

You sold the 57s because you couldn't hit them or it was a financial decision? Maybe you need to hold off on the golf purchases for awhile (i.e. get the R9s).

I couldnt hit them (well) anymore

Not playing enough golf

Hi,

I liked the look of the R9's so i went and hit some at the local golf shop. WOW! They are amazing to hit. So soft and pure. They look clean at address, compared to my SGI irons atm. I tried the burner irons also but they were really clunky.

I would go and hit some first just to make sure you like them, then buy them of course!

I think the R9s are some of the best GI irons out right now. They are forgiving and feel great, not to mention they're long. They're damn good looking to, especially when compared to TMs other GI offerings (Burners). I haven't tried the MX200s but I hit the GC7s and they were nice irons as well, but the feel wasn't quite as nice as the R9s

Wow, I had the opposite reaction to the R9's.  I didn't like the way they felt at all and I didn't like the looks.  I liked the MX200's but I wasn't consistent enough with them for them to make my short list.  I hit the MX100's better.  When hit correctly, the 200's felt great.  I hit the GC7s and thought they were a good solid offering.  I ended up buying G15's and I couldn't be happier.

I joined this site to write this up, because I am was in the same situation my man!  I have MP30's, and me and them just weren't "clicking".  I started looking at the MX200's, and even the JPX line (not forged)....they just didn't have that same Mizzy feel, and why hit a forged club (they don't hit as far IMO) when your not in it for the feel?  I bought the R9's, and they literally made the game fun for me again, no joke.  I did change the shafts to FST Pro115 in X flex, and that made quite a differrence for me, brought the ball flight down, and less whippy obviously, and just more consistent.  The KBS are ok, but they aren't as stiff as the KBS Tour model.  Grant it, you won't know as easily where you hit it on the face feel wise, but you won't miss by much when you miss hit it either, and that's more important IMO anyway.  I held onto the Mizzy's, because the MP30's are the best irons ever, and I might switch back to them this summer, but the R9's are amazing, long, decently workable, and forgiving, did I mention long?  I hope this helps, because the other guys didn't give much.

I usually play blades or player's cavity backs.  But I wanted one set of GI irons, mostly for days when I'm having extra pain in my wrist and thumb.  I hit all kinds of irons and the MX-200 were the clear winner.  They're long, they feel great, forgiving but not oversized, and I shoot well with them.

First I would like to say to the OP that this is a very personal issue and as you probably are already aware you need to go hit all these clubs and find out for yourself which one works for you both from a visual and performance standpoint.

Now with that said I will address the clubs ypou mentioned and maybe suggest one more to consider as follows:

1) Mizuno MX 200 - I have never gamed these but I do not like the look of these visually (you know what I mean...when I set it down do I immediately feel like I can hit it)...NO...again this is a personal visual tyhing.

2) Cleveland CG7 Black Pearl - Last fall when considering changing irons I hit these for a while at the range (along with other irons) and they felt clicky to me...they just did not seem as solid as other clubs I was trying at the time...again this could be a personal feel thing?

3) TM R9 - I have owned these clubs twice...yes you read that correctly "twice" in that in the fall of 2009 I was playing Srixon i-701 tours and bascially these are blades with an apperance of a cavity back and since ball striking is the worst part of my game I decided to give some GI irons a try and man when I hit these at the golf shop and on the range I was killing them...anyway they did not stay in the bag.  I had shoulder surgery in Jan 2010 and for some reson (bored during long recovery) decided to change my entire bag.  Anyway my change did not work so I went back to the R9's AGAIN!  I was playing pretty well with them and then my coach had me hit these Cleveland CG1's (blades) and I loved them (honeymoon) and so I switched again...dang it

Since then I have switched coaches as this guy was always trying to get me to play blades or Player irons (maybe because I am an 8 handicap and he thinks I should be playing that type of club?) but ball striking is the worst part of my game meaning if I hit the ball well or even fairly decent during a round I break 80...but if not I struggle to break 90...weird.  So I have finally decided I am a GI type of guy and decided to look at all the GI clubs available on the market and did some serious testing.  Examples of clubs tested: Titleist AP1, TM R9, G15, Adams CB2, Diablo Edge, etc...

I went with the Titleist AP1 (upgraded with the KBS Tour stiff shafts)

Just an update for you guys.....

Didnt like the feedback from the CG7's everything felt muted

Mx200 looked too big from above

R9 looked like it was glued together and didnt like the grips (yes I know i can change them but is £50 I dont want to spend extra)

So I went for some Mx300's which I have played twice with and I think they are bloody amazing so far