New irons for quickly improving player

[Golf]

Short bio: I'm 18 years old and have gone from starting golf to shooting mid 80s in about 2 months of regular play (3-4 times a week). I hope to make my D1 college's team by the time I'm a senior (2 years). Team's not great, but not terrible, I think around 50th in the country. I know I have talent for the game and that I can accomplish this goal.

Now, to the question at hand. I've been thinking about getting newer irons for a while (I currently have a set of Cleveland TA5s that I got used as my first set). Though I've regularly played for a couple of months, I bought my set a couple of years ago when my dad wanted to get me into the game. Today, one of my irons snapped and my dad said it was cool if I got another set of used clubs. My budget is $400-$500.

Could you guys please recommend some irons that I should look into? I kind of want to get some player's irons because I feel they'll force me to work hard to improve my ball-striking (which is inconsistent, some days very good, others very poor, not really any middle ground). On the other hand, I keep hearing that game improvement irons are the way to go for newer players. Any suggestions would be helpful. I'm not really sure what kind my current set is.

I'm a lefty and my driver swing speed hovers between 105-110 i think to give you a sense of my physical build.

Thanks a lot.

P.S. I plan on practicing almost every day this summer for the next 3 months and have had a few lessons and now have a swing that I can repeat.

[JWL1957]

Your opening a can-o-worms with that question..... lol

Get what looks good to you while addressing the ball, and feels good when you hit the ball. Thats about it unless you need some specific fitting.

[nuck81]

Although a lot of guys will name a specific brand, it doesn't really matter. ALL the brands make great clubs for all levels of players, so it's really just finding the ones that work best for you.

You mentioned wanting players irons, but still wanting the benefits of GI. You may want to consider getting a mixed set. Cavity backs or a more forgiving style of club for your harder to hit long irons, and then get a "players" iron for your scoring clubs. You'll have a little more security in your longer irons when you just want a nice strong hit, but still retain some workability in your approach to the green.

Although there are plenty of GI clubs that have a large amount of workability in every club...

[leo3]

If you are a 20 hcp. as stated in your profile, you really don't need "players" clubs. You can work on improving your ball striking with game improvement clubs (practice, practice, practice), which will keep your poor days more under control. You can still feel mishits with GI irons, its just not as severe as with a more player type club,

[shinobi3]

Most importantly you need to find a club thats most comftorble for you looks and feels good off the face

[wolverine_man]

If you are a 20 hcp. as stated in your profile, you really don't need "players" clubs. You can work on improving your ball striking with game improvement clubs (practice, practice, practice), which will keep your poor days more under control. You can still feel mishits with GI irons, its just not as severe as with a more player type club,

I agree. Why restrict your scoring ability by using irons that are more difficult to hit? At a 20 handicap, you really shouldn't be concerned with working the ball too much, just hitting more fairways, hitting more GIRs (more birdie opps) and getting up and down (more pars).

I would urge you to spend a fair amount of time on your short game. If you have access to a driving range with a practice green, or even at your local course, work on your chipping and putting just as much and preferably more than your driving range shots. I remember in high school, I used to take a couple days each week and spend about 2 hour around the putting and chipping greens. I would also urge you to stay away from blades until you can consistently shoot a single digit handicap. I played MP-14s in high school, played the No. 1 slot on my team, but probably could have been an even better golfer if I would have stuck with cavity backs. Currently gaming some players cavity backs, and my handicap has dropped by about 4.

[Griffin]

Just going to jump in here and reccomend Mizuno MX-300's. Their a mix between players and GI. Usually around $600+ though. If you can swing it though I think they could be a good iron for you.

[ET-Taylor]

The ping G series because KJ Choi uses them and he is a great player

[Golf]

I looked up the Mizuno mx-300 and really liked what i saw but then found out that they are right-hand only. Any irons out there similar to the MX-300?

[Golfaway]

MX-200, they're cheaper and I think available in left hand.

[shades9323]

The ping G series because KJ Choi uses them and he is a great player

And because you can buy the G5's in 3-pw for $399 brand spanking new! The G15's certainly aren't $300 better than the 5's. They also come in left hand.

[cody west]

i hit tm r7's as my first set of adult clubs until i was a 4 hcp. they were pretty awesome but i love my titliests now

[cigarsmoke23]

I definitely suggest that you get forged split cavity back irons (i.e. Nike VR, etc.). They provide enough feedback and help you shape your shots, but they still help you get the ball in the air. Unless you are a player who hits the sweet spot 9/10 times, its best to avoid pure player irons like muscle back blades, etc. Why? a mishit leads to a 15 to 20 yrd loss even if its a decent shot. I would definitely suggest that you look on ebay for some really good deals. Definitely avoid paying premium prices at places like golfsmith unless you are super tall and need custom clubs.

[Felenah]

There are a ton of wonderful sets out there from callaways to pings. My suggestion would be to go to your local golf store that has used sets for sell and hit some irons, find what feels and sounds good. Then if your still undecided purchase a single iron and hit some balls. I could suggest a number of brands but it all comes down to what you like and what inspires you with confidence when your sitting over that shot.