Taking Your Medicine...player's irons

[Beantown Beancounter]

Ok so I would like to think that this has been encountered in some of your careers as you have evolved as a golfer over the years. I am recently experiencing an issue with my irons, and am starting to think that my game is not yet ready to tackle the challenge of playing with the player's irons that I have (cobra pro cb's). I had considered myself a decent ball striker, but lo and behold, my old GI irons were just masking the fact that I still have some swing flaws.

With that being said, anyone else experience the same issue? If so did you continue to struggle with your irons and work it out through the no pain no gain mantra? Or did you revert back to a more forgiving set to lessen the blow that was being dealt to your game, or lack thereof? I am starting to consider the latter to salvage the remainder of the season with baby no. 2 due any day now and the New England winter approaching (mind you I will play up through December until the courses are closed). Also, I traded-in my old set, so if I made a switch I would be getting a new set (main reason for the post).

Any thoughts? Thanks folks...

[Supermanwoot]

The pro that I worked with told me my swing is fine with my GI irons (slingshot 4ds) but to keep them until I get into the 70s for a bit and then maybe its time to move on to something that will get me more control.

But honestly I don't think changing irons would get me any strokes off my game at all. I need to hit fairways with my driver, hit accurate approach with wedges shots that land on the green closer to the pin and make putts. None of those things are problems with my iron game. In fact I'd say if I used a blade iron I would lose a lot of strokes by not making simple shots.

In some net time while being fitted and swing filmed, I struck 8 out of 10 balls in the center of the club face. One went left and one went right. With my irons I MIGHT just be saved from those 2 bad ones but with blades I would've probably hit 5 or 6 out of 10 on the sweetspot which could really kill a round.

That being said, a golf buddy of mine is a scratch golfer and said that when he switched to blades he lost distance and strokes at first but now hes under par WHEN HE GETS IN RANGE TIME. You have to really practice hitting them perfect every time or you get that nice buzz from mishits and the ball goes no where.

just my 0.02, just remember I'm a noob.

[2bGood]

The best thing I found was to practice with the players club, but still game your GI irons unitl you have everything worked out.

I was you I would tough it out and learn to hit what you have. You never like the ugly shovels anyhow, so why revert back to them

[txgolfer03]

I went through similar experience three weeks ago. Bought a set of custom-fit Titleist AP2's, spent a ton of $$$$ and could not get the ball in the air and hit the dreaded shank shot every other time. My advice is to stick it out. I too sold my older set and was contemplating buying back a similar set just to get through the end of the season.

I had a set of cavity-backed irons for the first 5 years I played this game and decided my scoring had hit a plateau. I found a new pro and he changed my grip. I had to go through 8 painful range sessions and now I am striking the ball hands down better than I ever had.

I would start by hitting half shots with a higher lofted iron or pw - just to get a feel for making solid contact. Ignore the distance and get the feel for a solid strike. I also hit a bucket of balls without my golf cleats bc I was too active with my lower body trying to compensate.

Get a lesson from a PGA professional, go to the range and hit a bucket a day. I do not suggest hitting anymore than this bc it can be counterproductive.

[leo3]

There are a couple of different ways you can see this. Any "pro" series club usually takes a darn near perfect strike to perform well, and living in Mass., with a short season, and your second kid on the way, just how much time can you actually devote to practice? Some of us never quite develop the hand-eye co-ordination to play certain clubs at an acceptable level. Don't buy into the tired old myth that you need players clubs to get to"the next level", there are tons of really good players who game forgiving clubs.

[Ovalevader]

I watched a local pro shape a ball about 100 yards outside a tree, and then inside another one, with a nice soft landing. It was about 160 yards with a 7 iron, a Taylormade R7 with True Temper shafts. Needless to say that same pro would of probably had the same result with a player iron or muscleback. But the point is you don't need blades to accurately work a ball, but I'm sure it helps.

[enis750]

I had a set of "players" clubs prior to my MP-57's (Nike Pro Forged Combos)
they were sweet clubs to say the least
but from 8-PW if i made a mistake, I knew it

I am a low single digit hcp now gaming the MP-57's
all the reviews said they were the most forgiving iron Mizuno has ever produced...they are
when i miss w them, I am rarely penalized in distance
i swallowed my pride, bought some cavity/muscle back irons and love them
YET, i still know when i "miss" a shot, the clubs let you feel it, but doesnt kick your a$$ as a result - which i love

one thing i noticed though, is that there is a lot more offset in the Mizzy's compared to the Nikes, which i am still getting used to
which you will also find in GI irons, compared to your Cobra's i am sure

[WUTiger]

I played with a former small-college golfer in a scramble. I was considering changing clubs, and the topic of player vs. game improvement irons came up.

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This assumes the Golf Digest categories of players, game improvement and super game improvement clubs.
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He said he was sticking with game improvement irons, because he didn't have time to keep his swing as well-tuned as when he was in college. He could still work the ball, but felt some degree of forgiveness helped his score more than super workability.

Also, if you're working on your game, get your swing stabilized to the point you can "max out" your current irons. Then, if your irons are holding you back from improvement, switch clubs. Right now, it appears you're still purifying your swing (as I am).

[DavidFehertysBike]

They're are plenty off good intermediate clubs out there now that still have the players style medium sized head and minimal offset for shot control, but are yet still forgiving enough for play. Mizuno mp 52, callway tour x18, x20 x22, titliest 2009 AP1 and 2. You can learn better ballstriking with clubs like these, and still be able play reasonable with the swing in progress. Cobra players irons are hard to hit, ive even found difficulties hitting them.

[Chief Broom]

I recently purchased my irons (Ping i10's). They are considered to be a players iron but that still retains cavity back forgiveness. I had been playing a set of Wilson Staff Di7's, which are considered super game improvement irons. When I bought my Pings I considered the G10's also but I was hitting the i10's better and more consistantly during my fitting. Ironically enough what I've found is that the i10's feel just as forgiving as the Di7's and on miss hits the i10's are much less harsh feeling. A toe hit with the Di7 felt like I hit a spike drove in the ground whereas with the i10's I still know it was a toe hit but the feeling is much less harsh. Perhaps it's the shafts (my Pings have the steel stiff shafts, the Wilsons were UST V2 graphite uniflex shafts), I don't know? But I do know that I haven't suffered one bit going from the Wilsons to the Ping player irons.

[WUTiger]

Chief Broom,

Ping I10 falls on the line between Player's and GI. 2008 Golf Digest ranks it as a player's club, but Ralph Maltby rates it as a Game Improvement iron (MPF = 560, low end of GI category).

It's definitely closer to Player than G10, which really balloons the ball.

[Leftygolfer]

I am in the same situation. My HI went from an 8 to 11 and it is frustrating.

I am going to go to something between what I have now and had.

I am realizing I am not good enough. Another thing is play. If you do not play 3 times a week or had the chance to play in HS and get a very groved swing, hitting it flush every time is very difficult. You just can't miss, and when you do, 20 yards gone.

It is frustrating but I believe I will be better served with an iron that fits my life style.

[sean_miller]

Chief Broom,

I looked up the MPFs for my favourite irons. They were all <300. The MPF for my MacGregor MTs from 1950s was a negative number. I guess for me the Ralph Maltby Playability Factor is useless.

[cody west]

i had the opposite problem
i had tm r7s, which arent really GI but there not players, i couldnt hit my long irons at all. i recently baught my titleist zb's and now im so consistent and accurate with every club, last round i 7/9 gir (on the second hole i landed a 4 iron on from what i stepped off to be 253) and the round before that i had 8/9 gir, i generally 3 putt alteast 2 hole a round and make about 2 birdies, sometimes more. but the players irons are definantly easier to hit because they are more ballanced.

[Dub]

I went from a set of "players" cavity back irons to my current gi irons for the very reason you mentioned...to mask my swing faults.

The design of the clubheads and the lower shaft kickpoint aids me tremendously. I'll take all the help I can get, too.

My hcp dropped 3 strokes as a result of that and playing a better suited ball for my short game.

Were I to go back to a "players" club in a couple of years....it'd be something along the lines of the PING I15 or I 25 or whatever PING is making at the time. Can't help it....I'm hooked on PING. I'll definitely give them the first look.

[Where's the Cart Girl?]

I switched earlier this year to "player's irons" (maybe the worst phrase in the game IMO). I put in a few range sessions before hitting the links with them, but nothing extreme, and in my experience I did start shooting 3-5 strokes higher for a bit. But when I was 'on' I was 3-5 strokes better than before so I took that as a sign that if I spent the time I could get that to be the norm (and my handicap went down anyway having my good rounds better than before).

My advice would be not to give up on them for the wrong reason. It's really a matter of - you get out what you put in. The downside to more demanding clubs is having to put in more time. That said, I was in a position where I knew I could play/practice golf more regularly coming out of school and actually having $$$ in my pocket. You seem to be in an opposing spot. If you don't think you'll be on the course/range more than a 10-15 times a season for a while, don't waste those times being pissed off because you missed the sweetspot by 1/4" and hit a fairy-tale fade that didn't come within 30 yd of the green, play clubs that will allow you to score well.

I'd tough it out for the rest of the year and re-eval early on next year. You'll have a better idea then of what kind of time you'll be able to devote to correcting swing flaws.

[Beantown Beancounter]

thanks for all of the insight everyone. I am planning on getting some time in this weekend to work on the swing with clubs (baby pending). So we will see how things go...

[Leftygolfer]

It is a really humbling thing when you realize I don't hit the ball well enough to play a "players" club. I consider myself a decent golfer. I thought offset was making me draw my irons too much. I bought mine because of the deal I got. I have had them for almost 1 year exactly and I am no better today than I was a year ago. I talked with a custom club fitter and was talking about my GHIN number rising and he agreed that was definitely a sign that my irons are not good for me. IMO I recommend buying irons that fit the player and not who the player wants to be. I would love to be a brilliant ball striker but I am not. I can hit it decent, get up and down, hit it close with my wedges. But when I am 175 out I have no confidence I can hit the green. I hit maybe 1 out of 4 greens from 150-180. I can't wait to sell my irons while they are still worth something. I need some forgiveness.

I am glad I am not the only one.