forged irons and dings

[Bump-n-MI]

This thread is one of the three that come up all the time which there is NEVER a true right or wrong answer...but everyone has a DEFINITE opinion:

My opinion only but:

1) no 2) forged 3) Jack 4) Neither, I'll take Mrs. Howell

[M2daRizzle]

I have simply used a towel interwoven between the irons to reduce the clang and resultant dings, but, at some point you must accept they are simply tools to play a game and clubs with substantial clatter and wear still play like they are new. One thing you can do is take a new set and hit balls off a cartpath with each iron a few times, so your never worry but appearances again just performance. Not kidding here, lots of truth to this.

This is what I do, I buy used clubs, although not abused at all, just with normal chatter. I dont worry about chatter marks because my clubs already come that way.

[RocketSauce]

Oh, by the way, just in case anyone is wondering. Forged Mizuno MX-23 irons WILL scratch the sole if your father in law takes a practice swing over concrete and makes contact... No one tried to duplicate the test on a cast iron.

ouch!!!

[Ian]

Last I heard Buick was driven by the No.1 player in the world. I do wear socks with sandals sometimes to keep my feet from fryin

Oh god THE HORROR! Socks+sandals=blindness.

.Also banged up sh*tty lookin irons = less resale value and you can take THAT to the bank.

Assuming the bank will even let you in to cash your cheque, they will most likely take one look at your sock and sandal combo and run for the hills.

[Wannabe Paper Tiger]

you guys are hilarious... a couple of things

1. I bought the mp-67s last year and played in the rain 4x with headcovers and i didn't properly dry them each time.

2. Cleaning my clubs i left them in a bucket of water and had to take a call for like an hour (some girl i was dating)

both of these lead to my clubs developing (3 of the irons) some rust which i have not gotten out (any suggestions) for fear of scratching the heads badly.

now i just keep in head covers then take them during the round.. securing them with two towels during the round (if i am on a cart) and put them back on after. just a suggestion

[JOSEPHLB]

irons are tools.. which are meant to be used

[mjgraniero]

you guys are hilarious... a couple of things

I had the same problem with my T-Zoid Pros back in the 1990's. Once I found out it was the iron covers I ditched them and decided to use towels to protect them. For my AP2's I didn't even consider iron covers, I bought a clip-lok bag which does a good job of limiting the amount of abuse they take from riding in a cart.

[Big_M]

You could always buy iron covers...

that's funny, but no thanks.

God no. Please don't do

100% agree

Whatever

why would I sell my beloved irons... they will be retired some day, but not really looking to cash in on that extra $50 for mint v. good condition.

Can't agree with not wanting to protect your irons. There's nothing wrong with iron covers except that they trap moisture and will cause your irons to prematurely rust. It happened to my first set of forged irons (Mizuno T-Zoid Pros). Fortunately Miz replaced all the heads for me. Now I use the Clip-Lok bag instead. It keeps the clubs from banging around and still shows off the set.

Just like those stupid tarps people put on the front of their hoods of thier cars back in the late 80's and 90's. Protects from one problem causes another.

dings / scratches = character

indeed!

And while the dings give the irons some character over the first few years, in 5-6 years they'll look like some kid used them to hit rocks in a quarry if not given some reasonable care.

maybe a bit of an overstatement.

Wanna use headcovers or not is the own person's prerogative.

you're right, it is.

I noticed that most people who don't use overs are usually lazy.. rarely walk a round....and not cost conscious.

I walked today and do more often than not... pretty hilly area here too. Not lazy one bit and I'm offended by the insinuation.

I laugh when I see people say beat up irons adds character... when you date were you looking to get some strokes in with a hot looking female or one who was all dinged up and showed character? LOL

clubs are not women... yes I do occaisionally get aroused by them, but that's between my psychologist (swing coach) and I.

Not only do I use head covers...but I also put a roof on my house for protection...wax my vehicles for protection, when out in the sun I wear hat and sunglasses for protection as well as a UV protection..I also exercise, eat nutritious meals and whatever else is necessary to protect my body.

Not really seeing a connection... my irons will still work great in 10 years... I clean and care for them regularly, they just may have a few dings. Not eating right or having a good roof would screw up your body or house to the point that it won't fulfill it's purpose... completely UNLIKE a golf club.

But as I said, the convincing argument for me is I try to be respectful of fellow players...and that means when I am walking, without headcovers the clacking of irons against eachother is a distraction and simply rude to fellow golfers.

just stop walking while others are hitting, and/or use a push cart.

exactly... I agree.

I use headcovers on my woods and hybrids since they have graphite shafts and might actually suffer wear that could effect playability. My irons will be fine without them, and for me they are easier to care for in this manner. My clubs look great, play great, and will continue to do so long into the future without any pain in the ass covers.

[LBlack14]

Oh god THE HORROR! Socks+sandals=blindness.

You Sonny are Hilarious!

[beachbreak]

My MacGregor 6 iron has little rock indentions on the soleplate from the shot I took in a waste bunker. Every time I see those marks it reminds me of the great shot I pulled off. Markings on forged clubs show character, like the lines on the face of a wise old man.

[lumpuckeroo]

I'm with beachbreak, shows character. I've played forged for many years and never found any of the dings or scratches to ever effect the play.

[mjgraniero]

Originally Posted by mjgraniero

Not an overstatement at all.. It depends on how well cared for the clubs are. I've seen some forged irons that had so many dings that they looked like a little hammer was taken to them, repeatedly, for years. And I'm talking about the entire clubhead, not the face. I've never had that problem because I've always taken care of my clubs. For those that don't, forged irons will get beat up pretty bad. That's why I said "...if not given some reasonable care."

[Big_M]

Not an overstatement at all.. It depends on how well cared for the clubs are. I've seen some forged irons that had so many dings that they looked like a little hammer was taken to them, repeatedly, for years. And I'm talking about the entire clubhead, not the face. I've never had that problem because I've always taken care of my clubs. For those that don't, forged irons will get beat up pretty bad. That's why I said "...if not given some reasonable care."

If by reasonable care you mean that they need to use iron covers or bag clips... then I say it is an overstatement... I doubt (know) that it is very possible for a 5 year old set of forged irons to look just fine without iron covers or bag clips, even if 50-60 rounds a year are put on them.

[mjgraniero]

If by reasonable care you mean that they need to use iron covers or bag clips... then I say it is an overstatement... I doubt (know) that it is very possible for a 5 year old set of forged irons to look just fine without iron covers or bag clips, even if 50-60 rounds a year are put on them.

Not covers. I was referring to the irons being fine without covers if given reasonable care. The worst damage comes from clubs banging around on the back of a riding cart. Walking and pull carts aren't as harsh on clubs in my opinion. Unfortunately, due to a knee surgery and a partial achilles tear I am unable to walk a full round. Before I bought the clip lok bag I would just slide a towel in and around some of the irons. It worked fine.

[Big_M]

Not covers. I was referring to the irons being fine without covers if given reasonable care. The worst damage comes from clubs banging around on the back of a riding cart. Walking and pull carts aren't as harsh on clubs in my opinion. Unfortunately, due to a knee surgery and a partial achilles tear I am unable to walk a full round. Before I bought the clip lok bag I would just slide a towel in and around some of the irons. It worked fine.

fair enough... reasonable care just means not abusing them or being careless.

[mmcgee13]

The point of forged irons is to have better feel if you hit it in the sweet-spot. To do this they make the club softer. Therefore, they get beaten up easier.

This is what my pro told me

[Zeph]

iron covers are just plain wrong, now if you drive a Buick and where socks with your sandals then by all means use those head covers. They slow down play get lost and show that you are way too anal for your own good.

Iron covers never slowed down my play, so I don't agree there. Why use headcovers for other clubs? Don't they trap moisture and slow down play too?

Many people care too much what others do with their equipment.

[Damien45]

I have always used head covers on my irons. It was a result of my first set having them. It was my uncle who made the set and taught me how to play golf. I basically just thought that was how people who cared about their equipment did things.

That said...

Basically I use the covers to transport and store my clubs. I use a pull cart on the course, so they don't clink together that much. Yes I do try to limit the clatter as much as possible because I feel it is considerate. After I have cleaned my clubs I cover them.

Clubs show wear after a while, it happens. I just choose to limit the wear to use as opposed to unneccessary dings.

Just my two cents on that.

But to get on topic a bit....

Forged irons are generally considered something "better players use". While I don't agree with that statement completely, I do feel that people who care about quality also care about maintenance. How often have you seen someone driving a luxury vehicle with bad paint, dirty, and dents? If you spend the money for the item, spend the time to care for it. I personally feel head covers help, but not neccessary. Forged iron will scar a lot easier than cast because they are softer. That's why hitting a forged iron is such a rewarding feeling, and hitting cast feels like hammering a rock.