Getting New Irons

[TyCobb]

Okay, I'm getting some new irons, but would like some opinions from players have hit these clubs before. These are what I'm looking at:

Taylormade Tour Burner Irons
Taylormade Tour Preferred Irons
Taylormade rac MB TP Smoke Irons
Mizuno MP-32 Irons

I get each of those brand new under $400.00, so those are the ones I'm looking at. Any opinions on these clubs?

Thanks guys.

[becksfan2185]

If I tell you... you have to buy me a set for $400 and I'll send you a check. Nice deal!

Seriously though, it comes down to your swing. I'm happy with the Tour Burner irons; they're still a game improvement iron but are a "players iron" as well, so I can grow with them. A nice middle ground between blades and a big cavity back. The same can probably be said about the TPs. Both the RACs and MP-32s are pure blades... I don't hit it nearly as consistantly enough to use these. Obviously, they're top of the line clubs though. It comes down to your skill level and what you want out of them.

[TyCobb]

Well, I'm on my second round of six golf lessons and I'm improving so much. But the problem is, I'm hitting my 9 Iron about 175 yards... I want something more realistic. So I'm not worried about losing distance with blades, cause that's what I want, more controlled distances.

I bought my Taylormade Z Smoke 52* wedge, +1/2 inch longer and 2* upright... and I'm hitting it on the button everytime. I know it's alot easier to hit clubs 7-SW, but I'm wondering if I will struggle with the longer irons if I got blades. I love the look. I love how compact they are and most of all, I love that they are forged. I want a soft feeling iron.

I know Mizuno are some of the best forged clubs, but the 32 blades are the only ones I can get a super nice deal on. I get deals on TaylorMade, but their only forged club is the MB blade. I would love the TP B irons, but not available to me.

Kind of in a pickle.

[TyCobb]

PS My iron ballstriking is one of my best attributes. However, putting and the driver are not and the reason for my handicap. :) Working on those though.

[wesmcnew512]

I just hit the Taylormade Tour Preferred Irons this weeked. I realy liked them a lot. I am hitting the 2005 Rac TP Forged and love them but for Tour Preferreds not being forged they are awesome.. I worked the ball really well with then and the were pretty forgiving as well..

[Power_fade]

I would highly reccomend the tour burners over the other three unless you really want to work the ball and have a consistent trajectory, which a 21 handicap shouldn't be worried about. If you want more controlled distances, have your local pro tip the shafts .5" or so.

[TyCobb]

Actually, I can work the ball pretty good. Out of"

Taylormade Tour Preferred Irons
Taylormade rac MB TP Smoke Irons
Mizuno MP-32 Irons

Which are the most forgiving? I'm going to assume the Tour Preferred are, but are the 32's and Smoke's forgiving enough to get away with?

[TyCobb]

Well, got the Tour Preferred Irons, Sensicore S300, 1/2 inch longer, 2* upright. Excited!

First thing when I get them? Take that ugly yellow ring off.

[Ian]

id go with the mizunos but thats just me forged are great but as you said when you get into the long irons thats when it gets a bit difficult

i play ping I5's ( cavity backed) and hit my long irons nicely ive hit forged before and lost 10 yards or so and was less acurate. It may have been just because i hadnt hit forged before.

I would go with a cavity backed club if i were you, judging by your handicap forged is probably not a good play at the moment, and would take half a year to get used too before you started to see signifigant improvment (depending how often you play)

i myself im not venturing into forged untill i play off a 5 or under handicap

[907golfer12]

Well, I'm on my second round of six golf lessons and I'm improving so much. But the problem is, I'm hitting my 9 Iron about 175 yards... I want something more realistic. So I'm not worried about losing distance with blades, cause that's what I want, more controlled distances.

Okay, you've already gotten your irons, but a 175 yard 9 iron? Give me a break, you need to grab a GPS and get the real numbers. Plus you need to get on a hole where there is no wind, and also no elevation change at all.

[jonesc03]

Well, I'm on my second round of six golf lessons and I'm improving so much. But the problem is, I'm hitting my 9 Iron about 175 yards... I want something more realistic. So I'm not worried about losing distance with blades, cause that's what I want, more controlled distances.

I know you have already bought the TP irons, good choice. I think the TP will be a better iron for your game than the MBs, which I have owned. They will be a bit more forgiving when you need it, and still allow you to shape your shots. If you get too eratic with the long irons, add a couple hybrids for awhile. You can always put the long irons back in your bag at some point.

As for a 175-yard 9 iron...if that is actual yardage, consistently, good for you. But I would urge you to go out to the range, now that you have new clubs with factory lofts, and figure out what your consistent yardage is at 95% power. Tape that yardage to your shaft just under your grip and keep it there for a year. Once you know your distances for all your clubs with a swing you can repeat under control, you'll get more consistent on the course.

[TyCobb]

Hey, that's a good idea about taping the distances just under the grip. I'll try that out!

As for the 9 iron thing, that was done and measured with the assistant pro at my home course during a lesson with him at the driving range, flat, with no wind. The irons were Tommy Armour 855 combo set, the kind you buy at Sports Authority. I don't know how jacked up their lofts are. It was right there when he told me if I wanted to take my game to the next level to get some new irons.

[jonesc03]

Hey, that's a good idea about taping the distances just under the grip. I'll try that out!

I hope you did not think I was questioning the distance. It is what it is. But knowing why it is what it is, is what is most important. (That was a lot of "is"s).

Anyway, in this game, consistency is everything, and you have to do anything you can to remove the "inconsistent". Finding your ranges, whatever they turn out to be, will be a big step. It wont matter if you hit your new 9 iron 150 yards or 180 yards. What will matter most is that you know what you will consistently hit it over an average of conditions and tape it to your shaft for awhile. You will be amazed at how much it will improve your game. Make sure you do this for all of your wedges as well at both 50% and 95%. When you know exactly how far you hit a club, you will take the guesswork out of your shot. Then you can concentrate on the thing that matters most...executing it. Hope it helps...let me know how it works out!

[907golfer12]

Hey, that's a good idea about taping the distances just under the grip. I'll try that out!

What is you SS with your driver and your 6 iron?

175 for a 9 iron is above Tour pros average, and they play X shafts, you got S300s. If you really hit your 9 iron 175 then you went with the completely wrong shaft for your swing.

[TyCobb]

110ish with the Driver, 85 with a 6 iron. Back when I was getting fitted for Mizuno's a couple months ago, I hit the MP-52 6 iron 205 average.

I tried to find the lofts on the Tommy Armours I had, but their website sucks. I won't be surprised if my distances drop with more traditional lofts on the Tour Preferred's. But distance is the last thing I care about--don't need any extra help.

[907golfer12]

110ish with the Driver, 85 with a 6 iron. Back when I was getting fitted for Mizuno's a couple months ago, I hit the MP-52 6 iron 205 average.

Something isn't adding up here, with those numbers a 175 9 iron just doesn't make sense, and you don't live in like Utah where the air is super thing and you hit the ball farther.

[TyCobb]

I carry my driver 280. Does my driver swing speed add up?

And like I said, I don't know the lofts on the TA's. For all I know, they can be stamped 9, but with a regular 7 iron's loft.

[907golfer12]

I carry my driver 280. Does my driver swing speed add up?

Not quite, with 110 MPH swing speed you can expect a MAX carry, that's perfect swing, perfect launch, perfect spin, perfect contact, perfect everything, is 275 yards. Granted that's on level ground, but you get what I'm saying.

And on the iron loft thing, no set of clubs has 8* of difference between another set. the reason some sets of irons have stronger lofts is because they launch the ball higher so the loft keeps everyone from majorly ballooning the ball. Even then it's only a degree or two difference, with the extremes being 3 degrees difference, but that's rare.