PXG Iron Fitting

[Hardspoon]

I have been looking to replace my current irons (Mizuno JPX-800's) for a couple years now.  They are over 10 years old, and they were the first set of irons I ever purchased when I started golfing so they weren't fitted at all.

I thought about manufacturer-agnostic options like Club Champion, but decided to do a single manufacturer so they could really be more detailed about the actual products/options without overwhelming me.  Yesterday, I went up to Golf Evolution in Erie for a PXG iron fitting.

It was a great experience.  We started off just talking about my general needs.  As a 14-hcp, I was looking for something with forgiveness, and I also wanted to pick up some distance to help with gapping towards the top of my bag (my current 4i was about 180-yard carry, which left a pretty big jump of 20+ yards up to my 3h).

I started off by hitting my current 7-iron a few times.  The biggest takeaway was that my shafts were probably too light for my swing speed (around 85mph with the 7i), and that my misses were mostly out on the toe.  My ballflight was also perhaps a little high.

I hit a couple shots with the 0211DC, but the ballflight was even higher so it just didn't seem like a good choice.  Next up was the "players iron" head, but given the misses out on the toe they recommended I stick with the game-improvement option (0311XP).  That was different than I expected, and I certainly liked the look of the smaller topline and head, but I wasn't willing to give up forgiveness for looks.

Once we settled on the XP head, the rest of the time was spent tuning the lie angle and shaft.  I hit probably 3 or 4 different options, before settling on a KBS stiff shaft that gave me essentially the same launch angle but with more spin and carry distance, resulting in a higher landing angle and about 10 yards extra carry.

I also was fit into a 4-hybrid, which will fill the gap before my 3h as my "200-yard club".

Overall, it was a great experience, and I'm really thrilled I did it.  Can't wait to get the new clubs.

It also reinforced that I need to take another look at the shafts on my long clubs (3h, 4w, and driver).  My swing speed with the 3h is right around 99mph, which is apparently a bit too fast for the regular-flex shaft I have on it.  I didn't have my driver with me (didn't want to be tempted...haha) but I'm guessing that extends to the driver as well.

 

One last note: the fitting absolutely reinforced my belief that many people misunderstand "loft-jacking".  Iron manufacturers are NOT decreasing lofts just to make it seem like the ball goes further; it's a necessary result of the modern iron head.  My new 7-iron is going to be exactly the same shaft length as my old one.  My clubhead speed is the same.  The loft is 4 degrees (!) lower - 28 vs. 32.  Yet...the launch angle off the club was the same!  If my new 7-iron had the 28 degrees of loft, the ball would go way too high.  Given the same club length, which is the biggest factor in accurate ball-striking, I want the optimal launch conditions regardless of whether that means the loft is lower.

 

[saevel25]

Just now, Hardspoon said:

One last note: the fitting absolutely reinforced my belief that many people misunderstand "loft-jacking".  Iron manufacturers are NOT decreasing lofts just to make it seem like the ball goes further; it's a necessary result of the modern iron head.  My new 7-iron is going to be exactly the same shaft length as my old one.  My clubhead speed is the same.  The loft is 4 degrees (!) lower - 28 vs. 32.  Yet...the launch angle off the club was the same!  If my new 7-iron had the 28 degrees of loft, the ball would go way too high.  Given the same club length, which is the biggest factor in accurate ball-striking, I want the optimal launch conditions regardless of whether that means the loft is lower.

A golfer needs to have 7-9 irons to fill in a range of yardage. It doesn't matter what is printed on the club 😉

Glad you had a good experience. I am really enjoying my new PXG driver. 

[iacas]

The guys we work with at PXG are so good. Free fittings, and they give out a bunch of great information.

I'm glad — though not in the least bit surprised — that you had a great fitting.