Any other high-cappers out there HATE wide soled clubs?

I'm on the same boat as you. When I was still about an 18' handicap, I saw the type of GI or SGI irons that was recommended at that handicap (Callway X24, Ping G10, etc.) and it looks like I was swinging a brick. I can hit it well, but my goal was always to get better. So why get a club fit for my current handicap at the time when I had ambitions of getting better and working hard to do it? 

 

I ignored most of those recommendations and went with the first gen Titleist AP2s. It looked good at address and didn't look intimidating at all. It took a couple of range sessions to get used to, but I started striking the ball better and even got an additional 12-15 yard increase. 

I hate my X-22's... when I hit single digit they're getting replaced by X-22 tours...

I am just in the process of trying to develop a decent game and to that end bought myself a set of G20's for Christmas.  It took me a week or so to get the feel for them as they felt different from my old sticks.  They ain't pretty, but I at least can't see the wide sole at address, and before long I stopped noticing the wide topline.  I think it is funny that there is general concensus that whopper sized woods inspire great confidence in players and yet here we are discussing the merits of smaller irons. 

 

Now, some of my improvement over the last couple of months is certainly tracable to the fact that I have been hitting the range regularly enough that they know what I want when I walk into the pro shop.  But I really like my G20s and my iron play is really coming together, though my handicap isn't dropping that much yet.  Still have to get the short game a bit more under control. 

 

I think being happy with your clubs can certainly affect your game.  But for a high handicapper who isn't hitting 'em all flush in the sweet spot most all the time, the more forgiving the club the more consistant the shots will be.  All I want from any club in my bag at this point in my development is a straight shot and a fairly consistant distance!  When I've about halved my current handicap I MAY consider different irons. 

I started with Nike Slingshot OSS irons - way too fat for me to ever get comfortable hitting.

 

They lasted about 3 months before I bought the original AP1s (which are still in my bag)

I don't give my G15s a second thought regards their size. I hit them well and that is all that counts for me.

I can't abide by GI irons. Sometimes when I am at Dicks I pull a few of these contraptions off the wall and set them at address and I throw up a little. I could never relate to the utilitatarian view that irons are just tools and that looks don't count. Your house is just a shelter and looks don't count, right? Your car is just a device that moves you from one place to another and looks don't count, right? Your clothes are just...alright I'll stop...

First of all, dak4n, the Ping G and Callaway X20/X22 and Big Berthas were SGI (using the Golf Digest Hotlist categories).

 

 

EJ... Have you actually hit any irons from the Callaway X-series family? From your silly remarks, I doubt that you have.

 

The X20 had a fairly thick sole. I played it for about two years, then switched to X20 Tour to get a smaller clubhead, minimal offset and better feel.

 

The X.Forged (circa 2009) was a player's cavity. I tried to hit a couple of different versions with 5.5 and S300 shafts, and just couldn't get the ball airborne. So, it has a thin topline, but a player's cavity head design.

 

In 2012, Callaway served up 7 different RazrX iron models to choose from.

 

dak4n and EJ, I want to tell you this "in family" before you hear it from the cruel kids out on the street. You both suffer from topline neurosis, a mild miscognition which makes you think you are a purer golfer and eventually better golfer if you play muscleback irons.

 

For your info, Ernie Els won a tournament playing Big Bertha irons (though not with stock shafts), and Rocco Mediate won a tournament playing X22s. These are very high in SGI category.

I'm a high single digit that loves his G15s. Sure blades or others look cool in the bag but in the end I'm about performance. I don't work the ball so why on earth do I want a less forgiving club? I golf like I bowl.....straight down the middle.

Plus, I prefer to focus on my drives and my short game. If I keep the drive in the fairway my iron isn't that big a deal to me. If I pull my g15 a few yard God forbid what I might do with a blade. Then I rely on my wedge play for an up and down. And for that I don't use the G15 but my Vokeys.

We all have our likes and dislikes and since this game is 90% mental I'm going with my confidence club. I could care less about looks if it performs.

Looks don't mean a lot to me either....nor does the latest technology in the bag and less money in the bank...that is why I continue to shoot with my Callaway BB golds. Not the prettiest clubs but they feel as good as a hybrid on contact. 

what a bizarre affectation. OOOOHHH I don't like the shape of that Iron. What a wank.

How are you making the jump from liking the aesthetics of a thin top line to my thinking I am a purer golfer with blades? Please do not tell me what is going on in my head. I simply like the looks and feel of blades. And, I don't care what Ernie or Rocco use to win. Really does not influence me in the least. And, BTW, I hit my irons quite well thank you - typically only a couple mishits per round, which would still be mishits with GIs or SGIs or SDGIs (super-duper).

 

 

Really? You want to turn this into a name-calling contest? Just say the word buddy and we'll both get banned, no skin off my nose...

Are you kidding me?!

The look of ANY club is important to most golfers. The right club, whether iron or wood, inspires confidence and a whole host of positive thoughts and emotions that can translate to better play and more enjoyment in the game. The converse can be true for a club that doesn't "fit" the individual player's eye. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which is one reason there are so many different looks and styles of irons, drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, and putters......good God, do we need to talk about the PUTTERS?!......out there.

Your post reflects a lack of understanding of how critical a player's psychological mindset can be in determining how well or poorly they play on any given day.....

......either that or you were just trying to be insulting. If so, you succeeded nicely.

Hey logtool, here is a host of other people (all wanks to be sure) who have preferences about how their clubs look:

 

http://thesandtrap.com/t/64697/club-cosmetics

 

DiF - well stated btw...