Jump to content
Check out the Spin Axis Podcast! ×
IGNORED

What handicap should use SGI or GI irons?


Note: This thread is 5862 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

Posted
What handicap level should use SGI or GI irons? At what handicap should you move up to players irons?


In my clicgear.gif 2.0 Push Cart and callaway.gifgolf bag are - 

 

 Z-Star driver 10.5  Mashie 3 and 7 metals  Mashie 4 hyrbird  Z-Star 4-PW Irons  cleveland.gifCG Black 48, 52, 56 degree wedges  GoLo putter  upro mx+ gps


Posted
I think this has been covered a few times. Any skill can play what ever iron they choose. I wouldnt recommend a higher handicapper to play blades, but I am pretty sure a scratch player could still shoot low with SGI irons. Its all about personal preference.

Kyle Paulhus

If you really want to get better, check out Evolvr

:callaway: Rogue ST 10.5* | :callaway: Epic Sub Zero 15* | :tmade: P790 3 Driving Iron |:titleist: 716 AP2 |  :edel: Wedges 50/54/68 | :edel: Deschutes 36"

Career Low Round: 67 (18 holes), 32 (9 holes)

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted
I play with a 2 handicap that uses SGI irons. There is no set handicap for a player to "graduate" from SGI irons to blades just as there is not a set distance that a player must hit a specific iron to. It's based on personal preference and what works for you.

Posted
There is a lot of talk about the whole so called "players irons." But you shouldnt change from cavities to blades just because of some calculated number. Ive played with a buddy that only played blades ever till 2 years ago and its taken him awhile to get used to it. Even some pros are switching to some more cavity backs on some of their irons mostly being their lower ones, but still.

_________________________________________
What Iâm Playing:
Driver: Titleist 983K 10.5* (with a cracked face) and TM r5 dual
Fairway woods: Cally Steelheads 3, 5
Hybrid: Snake Eyes 5 and Texan 2Irons: Cally X-12s (yes the original x-series) 5-PWWedge: Jack Nickalaus 56, TM Rac 60, Carbite 64Pu...


Posted
I think everyone should start with blades or players irons. Starting out with giant oversized clubs is just setting up to be mediocre and sloppy. Learn to make contact with the smallest and most unforgiving club face and then build off that.

I started with SGI irons because some knucklehead said so and I played horrible golf for 4 years. Well, not really horrible but I never broke 80 until I switched over to blades and actually started focusing on making good contact.

Playing blades for only 6 months, I now regularly shoot in the low 80's and occasionally shoot under 80. My GIR's are much better but my chipping and putting still leave a lot to be desired.

I have 2 sets of irons now. My primary is Titleist 690.mb blades and I sometimes play with Adams Tight Lies Tour Players cavity. I guess I am backwards, where most prefer a forgiving longer iron but I actually prefer a long blade. When I first got my blades, I spent many hours at the range just hitting the 3-5 irons and I got very good making contact with them.

It depends on the individual. Play what works for you and not what some yoyo says is the only way.

PS. If someone says you can't do something, do what I have always done, spit in their eye and prove them wrong. Being Irish, this has been the best motivation in my life.

Odyssey white Hot 2 ball cut down to 29"

Cobra ZL 9.5 driver
Adams Speedline 3W 13*
TourEdge Bazooka 20* hybrid
Powerbilt forged combo 3-PW
Ping Tour S 52 and 56 wedges


Posted
Some pro's still use GI irons.
Rocco Mediate uses a Diablo driver and X-22 irons.
Use whatever makes you play better.

My Clubs
Driver - LV4 10* R flex
Wood - sam snead persimmon 2 wood (for windy days)
Hybrid burner tour launch 20* stiff flex.
Irons - Tour Mode 3i,4i stiffIrons - FP's 5-PW R-flexWedge - spin milled 54.14Wedge - spin milled 60.07Putter - Victoria Lowest round 2010: 79 (par 70)Latest rounds at...


Posted
I went from a GI to a players cavity and didn't enjoy them at all. I don't really know what people are talking about being more focused with less forgiving irons?? You still have to make a good move to get good results, regardless of what clubs you have. I resently switched from my MP60s to what I have now. I really like them and enjoy the increased toe forgiveness and the confidence I have. I don't have to hit it perfect to hit a green.

Brian


Posted
When Brian Gay won a PGA Tour event by 10 strokes, he had 2 SGI irons in his bag.

Stacy Lewis recently signed with Mizuno and is playing MX-series irons.

Your handicap shouldn't decide the set of irons you play. Your preferences, your swing style, your play style, and what you aim to get out of a round of golf should determine it.

-- Michael | My swing! 

"You think you're Jim Furyk. That's why your phone is never charged." - message from my mother

Driver:  Titleist 915D2.  4-wood:  Titleist 917F2.  Titleist TS2 19 degree hybrid.  Another hybrid in here too.  Irons 5-U, Ping G400.  Wedges negotiable (currently 54 degree Cleveland, 58 degree Titleist) Edel putter. 

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted
Some pro's still use GI irons.

Isn't that the guy who lost a US Open playoff to a guy gaming blades? Maybe if he'd moved up to a player's cavity he'd have pulled it off?

Mizuno MP600 driver, Cleveland '09 Launcher 3-wood, Callaway FTiz 18 degree hybrid, Cleveland TA1 3-9, Scratch SS8620 47, 53, 58, Cleveland Classic 2 mid-mallet, Bridgestone B330S, Sun Mountain four5.


Posted
Ahh, thread ruined because of the second question asked of the OP. OP should have just asked the first question.

That said, I know a 15 handicap that plays SGI irons. Looks like every one of his clubs is a hybrid without the cavity filled in. HUGE soles, dunno what brand they are exactly, hence the horrible description on my part. I personally play GI irons. I just can't stand the look of SGI irons at address and that does me no good when I go to make a swing.

So like people said, use whatever irons inspires the most confidence in you. If you wana spend some cash, go get fitted.

Grom stand bag
SQ 5900 - 9.5*
Burner 15* and 18*
MT 20* Hybrid
CG Gold 4-PW CG14 52.10 SM 56.14 IC 20-10a 34" Putter SDF balls (was on sale)


Posted
Isn't that the guy who lost a US Open playoff to a guy gaming blades? Maybe if he'd moved up to a player's cavity he'd have pulled it off?

Lack of blades not his problem. Rather, Rocco couldn't hit a fade to save his life. The #19 hole in the playoff (Torrey Pines No. 7) was a dogleg

right . Rocco drove into the left fairway bunker, and ended up with a bogey. For the future, he should learn to hit a fade with his driver and/or 3W. He could continue to emphasize his preferred draw for most shots. Back to SGI vs. Players Clubs: Companies have been splitting the difference on this for several years. When the Ping I3 series came out, several competitive golfers from my old course got the OSize for 3 through 6 iron, and the smaller Blade head for 7 on up. In the new Ping I15, the long irons have larger and wider heads, and the short irons have smaller heads. Titleist also did this. The 775.CB heads got smaller as the irons got shorter. Also, the 735.CM (Cavity to Muscle) model had noticeably different heads for long, medium and short irons. See 2005 review: http://thesandtrap.com/clubs/titleis...es_735cm_irons

Focus, connect and follow through!

  • Completed KBS Education Seminar (online, 2015)
  • GolfWorks Clubmaking AcademyFitting, Assembly & Repair School (2012)

Driver:  :touredge: EXS 10.5°, weights neutral   ||  FWs:  :callaway: Rogue 4W + 7W
Hybrid:  :callaway: Big Bertha OS 4H at 22°  ||  Irons:  :callaway: Mavrik MAX 5i-PW
Wedges:  :callaway: MD3: 48°, 54°... MD4: 58° ||  Putter:image.png.b6c3447dddf0df25e482bf21abf775ae.pngInertial NM SL-583F, 34"  
Ball:  image.png.f0ca9194546a61407ba38502672e5ecf.png QStar Tour - Divide  ||  Bag: :sunmountain: Three 5 stand bag

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Note: This thread is 5862 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    PlayBetter
    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FitForGolf
    FlightScope Mevo
    Direct: Mevo, Mevo+, and Pro Package.

    Coupon Codes (save 10-20%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack/FitForGolf, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope. 15% off TourStriker (no code).
  • Posts

    • Day 9: 2026.01.11 Hit some balls at the range, concentrating on weight distribution at address, got some on film.
    • Day 468 - 2026-01-11 Loooooong day. Did some work in the patio door (as a mirror) when I got home.
    • I caught a video on this driver; the face tech seems crazy. Looking at the heat map for ball speed, hitting it basically anywhere on the face only loses a few percent ball speed. The surprising and counter intuitive part to me was that for flat faced clubs, ball speed loss is directly proportional to distance loss. For clubs with bulge and roll this is apparently not true. The surprising part of that story being that the max distance potential looks to be a tiny pee sized area for this driver, and I feel in general for drivers. The counter intuitive part being (the myth?) that blade irons have a pee sized sweet spot and missing that tiny spot causes dramatic losses. And that modern drivers, maybe 2017 on, have massive sweet spots and are ultra forgiving. Where in reality, if this heat map data is valid and reliable, it might be a bit of the opposite. This insane tech driver appears to have a pea sized "sweet spot" while Mizuno Pro 241 irons are 28% more forgiving compared to the average of all clubs measured. Not compared to other players irons, compared to all clubs from all categories, players to SGI! The Pro 241 being essentially just a solid chunk of metal with no "tech" at all. Which for me devolves into a whole mess of what is forgiveness really? And in measurable and quantifiable results how many yards, or feet, does that translate into?  
    • Wordle 1,667 3/6 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
    • Wordle 1,667 3/6 ⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ ⬜🟨🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.