Time to decide: AP2, ZB, or 67?

[scooterguitar]

High hdcp, but slowly working it down. Love my 57's and am actually wanting another great set.
I have hit the AP2's and really liked them. Hit the 67's and loved them, have yet to hit the ZB set. I know the 67's are likely the hardest to play of these, so if I go that route will likely go 67's in the shorts and 57's in longs.
But thinking the ZB set might be just what I need?
Would the ZB set be similar in forgiveness to my 57's, more or less?

[bogeyhitter25]

Dude you're around me handicap wise. I wouldn't spend a sh*t-load of money on "amazing" irons. Just go with some Pings. Preferably used on eBay for like half the price of the irons you listed. Plus they'll help you better.

[bm303]

Not a great answer to your question, but you should definitely stick with the 57's. I wouldn't make the move to a less forgiving club if you are a 19 handicap. I don't see the point, especially since the 57's are not cavity backs, it's not like your switching from cavity backs to pure blades. Really not necessary to switch at this point, and I'd stick with your 57's until you're ready for a pure blade(IMO +0).

[winders]

...especially since the 57's are not cavity backs...

Really? You better let Mizuno know about this.......

From the Mizuno USA web site describing ther MP-57 irons: First ever Full Cavity MP iron... S-

[rebby]

I'm actually pretty interested in this thread. I'm debating between ZB's, ZM's & AP2's (in that order actually). My take on the three:

AP2 - Despite what I've read/heard from a lot of other people, I didn't really like the AP2. It felt somewhat large and clunky to me with a very wide sole. It didn't really play like that though. It felt crisp and pure and did swing well too. The top line was also somewhat distracting too and seemed a bit large. I'll swing the AP2's a bit more but I've all but crossed them off of my list.

ZM - I love the way that these feel and they way that they setup. I may be wrong but the head looked very similar in size to my i3's if not a tad larger. I have yet to compare them side by side though. Traditional blade look too. The feel was awesome, true blade iron. I've only hit these in simulators but even there the ball was responsive and easy to work. Right, left, high and low; they were great. Ball was a lot easier to work with these than my i3's too (which is one reason I'm looking at blades). Overall I really liked the ZM's.

ZB - Ditto on everything about the ZM but add in a bit more forgiveness and the availability of a 2 iron! These are currently my front runners. I like the little additional forgiveness, especially since I'm switch from i3 blades (which are really a cavity back design), and I really want to keep a set matched 2 iron in my bag as well.

I'll keep hitting these clubs before I make a final decision. I also need to decide on shafts. I hit X shafts now but have been considering switching to either the S300 or Project X 5.5 or 6.0. I'm going to spend more time in a swing analyzer before making that decision though. It took me over 3 weeks of testing head/shaft combos to get a new driver, I'm sure the irons are going to take a lot longer.

I can't really comment on the 67's, or any modern Mizuno for that matter, since I haven't swung any them.

Good luck w/your search!

[anchorgolf]

The new Mizuno MP-52's are even nicer then the Mizuno MP-57's..

[bm303]

Really? You better let Mizuno know about this.......

Yes I understand, but from physical appearance they seem to be less of a cavity then some of the "true" cavity back clubs such as the Cobra and Ping irons. Not saying they are not cavity back's, just not as full as some of the others.

[winders]

The new Mizuno MP-52's are even nicer then the Mizuno MP-57's..

These are two different irons intended for different levels of players. The MP-52 is a more forgiving iron with a higher ball flight and is intended for a less accomplished player than the MP-57. The MP-57 offers more ability to work the ball and control the trajectory.

Neither is inherently better than the other. S-

[scooterguitar]

Rebby, excellent insight!

I have no intentions of getting rid of the 57's, as I have a need for two sets (one for my weekend getaway place and one for home). I hit them well for my abilities. When I demoed the 67's, believe it or not I thought they were easier to hit! Odd I know, and I posted on that awhile back.

Reason I don't want another full set of 57's is basic redundancy. I'd like to switch it up and try something a little different on occasion I think. I have the set of Nike blades, but other than the 7-pw, I just can't hit them, thus the need for something a little more forgiving than straight blades.

As I have worked on my game, it really isn't my irons that are hurting my game as much as those stupid reoccuring old habits and the mandatory horrible hole per each 9:>) That being said, my regular course I have been shooting low low 80's on a regular basis, just don't keep current on my hdcp, not saying I'm good, but my hdcp really isn;t going to have any sort of affect on my iron decision. I know GI irons would actually shave a few strokes, but I simply won't go that route anymore.

So, anyone in the know...would the ZB set be similar in forgiveness to the 57's, less/more, that sort of thing? If not, then I'd likley steer my decision to the 67/57 (maybe even the 52 in long irons) combo or AP2.

[JSC924]

I personally like the mp32s much better than the mp67. I'm not really big on whether the club is a muscle or cavity back but rather on how much offset and forgiveness a club has. It just so happens that the clubs with minimal offset happen to be muscle backs.

I don't like the feel of the Titleist ZB compared to Mizunos. I never tested the AP2s so I can't really comment on how they play, but they're fun to look at.

I would really recommend you go with the mp32 since it's basically the same as the mp67 but more forgiving. You should probably try out the mp62s. They look like quality clubs.

[goblue107501]

I had the same dilemma recently between these three sets. I finally pulled the trigger on the ZB forged just a couple of weeks ago. This is what I thought of each:

AP2 - A very nice club. I don't know what it was about it, it just didn't feel as good as the others when I hit the ball. The looks didn't bother me at all, and I made solid contact, but in the end I just didn't like it as much as the others. This is just me talking here, I am sure many people will tell you they are the best clubs they ever hit. For me, for my swing, they just weren't the right fit.

MP-67 - One of the best I have ever hit. When you hit in the center of the clubface they feel incredible. I am a fairly good ball striker with the mid and short irons so in my limited time with the demo club I can't say too much about the forgiveness. It is hard for me to tell if one is more forgiving than another. If I mishit a ball I tend to be on the toe a little. Sure the ball goes a little shorter, but for me then tend to stay straight. I was real close to getting a set of these. However I was going to get a combo set of 67 for the 6-W and the 57 for the 4 and 5. (Keep in mind that the standard loft on the 67 is one degree weaker than the 57 so each club will be a little shorter)

ZB forged - the best of both worlds. The short irons are true blades and the long irons are cavity. I spent a lot of time with the Titleist fitting cart with this and the AP2. I hit countless balls with each and tried four different shafts. The best way for me to describe the ZB is that they are very crisp. They have an incredible feel and great sound. When I hit them I think 'that is how a golf shot should sound, that is how a golf shot should fly.' (I know, I'm weird) I think this club gets lost in the shuffle sometimes and more people should give it a try. Even for being blades the short irons are fairly easy to hit. I have only been able to hit them at the range once and I played nine holes with them. I even hit a 5-iron a little thin but did not notice anything more than a slight reduction in the distance on the shot. I still hit the green, but it was short of the flag. So there is forgiveness in the cavity back. I am not disappointed one bit.

My buying decision came to price. Initially, I could get the Mizuno for about $150 less than the Titleist. Even though I really wanted the Titleist, I just wasn't going to be able to afford them. The local pro who had been letting me use the fitting cart at no charge was really nice and helped me shaft selections and ball flight, not to mention the 5-6 buckets he gave me at no charge. When I finally had enough money I asked him about price and he gave me a price that was not too far from the Mizuno so I got the Titleist from him.

Bottom line for me: the ZB forged fit my game, swing, and budget. However, you can't go wrong with any of them.

[iacas]

High hdcp, but slowly working it down. Love my 57's and am actually wanting another great set.

Seems to me the money might be better spent on lessons or something, no?

If I were you, the MP-57s are fine for now and for about 12 more handicap strokes.

[JYB]

if you have the money to spend, treat yourself and get whatever you want.

[ScottRempel]

Seems to me the money might be better spent on lessons or something, no?

I have no intentions of getting rid of the 57's, as I have a need for two sets

As the OP mentioned, he needs another set.

I have the AP2s and really like them but I haven't hit the other clubs...I figured I should stick with a forgiving player's iron for now. Maybe after next year I'll try some blades out. As someone else said, if you can afford it buy whatever feels the best to you. I wish I could buy a new club every week...I just love trying different equipment!

[atrapasuenos]

I think you should stick with your 57's. When I was searching for my new clubs I was considering the 57's, AP2's, ZB's and ZM's. After hitting the four of them I ended up deciding between the 57's and AP2's. I finally pick the AP2's because I think they were a bit more forgiving. But at least I pass one hour hitting one and another to decide.

Before I hit the AP2's and 57's, I wanted the ZB's because of they are blended, but I felt much better the feel with the 57's and AP2's.

Good luck with your desicion!

Regards!

[hamletsdead]

I am a 19 handicapper as well and just bought a set of MP-57s last week, and I agree with you that they are great clubs. I almost got the MP-67s instead, but was hesitant to do so since they are pure blades and I questioned whether I could hit them consistently, even though my ballstriking is fairly solid. If I had the option of getting another set immediately (without my wife finding out) I think I would pull the trigger on the 67s. I took out a 7 iron to the range and it was really sweet. One of my friends who grew up playing with blades claims that my ballstriking will improve with blades since I will be forced to correct any flaws in order to play well with them. Not sure if that is true or not, but it sounds good in theory. I think with 67s I'd end up practicing one more day during the week just to raise my comfort level, which undoubtedly would be good for my game.