Combo TM TP MC/MB Iron set - Pics/Review

[marengo]

So I took the new irons out to the range on Friday and played 18 at my local course on Saturday. It took me a bit to get used to them. They are standard length which was a change because I normally play my irons about 3/4" short. The clubs work about as good as the swing you put on them. I changed from a set of burner 2.0s so the change in lofts was about 1 club short.

That being said, I shot my best round ever (85) which included three doubles and a 5 over on the second hole. Had my first eagle ever as well which definitely helped out my score. I had at least 9 shots at birdie too.

One thing I noticed about these irons is how consistent the distances are. I could actually count on the club going the same length with each swing. That was a major problem I had with the burner2.0s. One shot would go 150 and the next would go 165 with what felt like the same swing/contact. I was consistently dropping the 6i about 155. I had my share of mishits with these as well though. These irons dont punish you distance wise on off center hits as much as I thought they were going to. Maybe about 10 yard at the very most. They had a lower ball flight but still went straight. The smaller head was a plus for me. I think having a smaller club head on irons is a benefit. The bigger the face, the more area to miss. The size of the burners were so big that I had a tendency to overswing. The smaller face of the MC/MBs definitely made me swing within myself and focus on good contact. I used to miss everything right. Not a slice but more of a block. These irons actually helped me straighten out my shot. I actually have a small draw on my irons now with the same swing as I had before.

I think I made a mistake going with the DG XP shafts however. The ballflight was really high. I am normally a low ball hitter but these things just launch. I think the lighter shaft weight (105g vs 127g stock DG) may have led to a higher swing weight as well. The heads felt much heavier than the ones I tried out in the store. Not bad, just different. I am looking around right now for a lower launching shaft. I was interested in the C-tapers but they may be a little too low for me. If anyone has any ideas, I would love to hear them.

All in all, these clubs are definitely working for me. It didnt hurt that every other club was working this weekend as well. I need more time to dial in the distances and get used to the new length but they were really good for the first time out. Its also a bonus that these clubs just look sweet

[xxsoultonesxx]

Cool set. I wasn't aware these could be configured as a combo set. Put any thought in to adding a CB long iron or two?

[speterj]

I dont want to be a downer but if your handicap is 20 and your best round is 85 then you are playing the wrong clubs. The MB is a true players club that most people cant hit very well. I got the burner 2.0 6 iron for free as one of their promotions and I love that club. It flies high and straight and far.

[Gerald]

Quote:

I dont want to be a downer but if your handicap is 20 and your best round is 85 then you are playing the wrong clubs. The MB is a true players club that most people cant hit very well. I got the burner 2.0 6 iron for free as one of their promotions and I love that club. It flies high and straight and far.

Okay that is just your opinion ...... Have you ever tried such clubs or are you just repeating what anyone or every says about MB clubs ?

I feel (better I know) even a 36 can play MB or even true blades ...... out of the sweet spot only means loosing distance, but most likely it will be way better than loosing almost no distance and ending up in the woods or rough. Beside that the MB will let you feel where the ball met the face, while with the Burner 2.0 even a bal hit near the toe will go out fine, but almost without letting you feel you did something wrong.

[inthecup]

Originally Posted by Gerald

Quote:

Okay that is just your opinion ...... Have you ever tried such clubs or are you just repeating what anyone or every says about MB clubs ?

I feel (better I know) even a 36 can play MB or even true blades ...... out of the sweet spot only means loosing distance, but most likely it will be way better than loosing almost no distance and ending up in the woods or rough. Beside that the MB will let you feel where the ball met the face, while with the Burner 2.0 even a bal hit near the toe will go out fine, but almost without letting you feel you did something wrong.

While what you say is mostly true, it is untrue that a game improvement club gives no feedback.  I believe a more forgiving club also helps game enjoyment.  Yes the ball miss hit with a blade will likely be short and off line but why does the game improvement club go in the woods or rough?  Also short can be in the water, rough or trap.

I believe you are comparing your miss hit to a 20 handicap miss hit and they are very different animals.

[Gerald]

OKay I agree to a certain level, but if a 20 capper mishits a GI or SGI the way you suggest, the result with that club is also in the rough hazard or worse !

The outside the sweetspot hitted blade will loose distance (and it may well be 25%) but it will stay on track or in the fairway, but an outside the sweetspot hitted (S)GI will travel nearly the same distance as a good hit ....... so I would say you are better of with a 6i mishitted blade going only 120 yds and maybe still in the fairway, than with the 160 yds forgivving shot ending way to the right (mostly ..... 20 cappers mishits will go to the right).

And I know for sure that the joy of hitting a blade pure it superior to hitting a great (S)GI, at least for me it is ......

It is nothing personal, but when I see answers like ...... a 20 capper must be totally gone GaGa to play a muscleback or blade .... for me it is like a red flag to a bull .... and mostly these kind of opinions come from people not playing them theirselfs !

[marengo]

Originally Posted by speterj

I dont want to be a downer but if your handicap is 20 and your best round is 85 then you are playing the wrong clubs. The MB is a true players club that most people cant hit very well. I got the burner 2.0 6 iron for free as one of their promotions and I love that club. It flies high and straight and far.

I do understand what you are saying.  I was actually around a 20 when I first signed up.  I am now about a 15-16.  Plus, if someone is actually a 20 and hit an 85 with their first round of new clubs, I would say that they are a better fit than what they were playing previously.

I actually switched from the burner 2.0s to these clubs.  My set right now is a 6 and 7 in the MC's and 8-PW in the MB's.  I use a 4 and 5 hybrid.  I wouldnt even try to hit the 3/4/5.  I really wanted to like the burners but i was just to inconsistent with them.  I would hit the 7 about 155 and every once and a while it would blast out to about 165.  Same swing, same contact.  Just couldnt figure them out.  I notice with these clubs the smaller heads force me to focus on making good contact.  I would definitely over swing with the 2.0's.  I think it was due to the large heads on them.  Contrary to what some might think, I believe these irons are forcing me to stay within myself and become a better ballstriker.

I dont think people should be afraid of trying these just because they are labeled as "players" irons.  To me, these arent as unforgiving as I thought blades were supposed to be.  I actually started off playing an old set of ICW5's.  Now those were unforgiving.

[speterj]

I meant no disrespect to you or your club choice. I've only hit the 6 iron of the burner and sometimes I hit it 160 and other times190 so I believe you when you say that it has inconsistent yardage. I just believe that golf is the most fun when you can hit the ball high and straight and everyone should have the correct tools to do that. But good luck with your new clubs and I hope you start knockin' em close.

[speterj]

Originally Posted by Gerald

Quote:

Okay that is just your opinion ...... Have you ever tried such clubs or are you just repeating what anyone or every says about MB clubs ?

I feel (better I know) even a 36 can play MB or even true blades ...... out of the sweet spot only means loosing distance, but most likely it will be way better than loosing almost no distance and ending up in the woods or rough. Beside that the MB will let you feel where the ball met the face, while with the Burner 2.0 even a bal hit near the toe will go out fine, but almost without letting you feel you did something wrong.

I dont think many high handicapers know how to fix mishits on blades. I have played with blade irons and they dig a lot which is bad for a poor swing.  Larger club heads with a little more offset are supposed to inspire confidence which I think will help you put a better swing together. MB's of true blades are meant for pros and scratch, golfers anyone else just cant take advantage of what those clubs have to offer.

[Gioguy21]

Marengo, I've actually been looking into getting this exact combo. Which irons are MB and which are MC? I have tour burner blades right now and love em but i hear only great things about the new TP irons you have...

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by speterj

MB's of true blades are meant for pros and scratch, golfers anyone else just cant take advantage of what those clubs have to offer.

30 yrs ago you could chose between mb's and blades, and there was the about same mix of highcappers, midcappers and lowcappers as there is now.

The model of the iron you play has little to do with handicaps, maybe the average mid capper maybe will not be able to take full advantage of the possibillities offered in a mb or true blade, but the modern blades and mb's are way easier to hit than those of 25-30 yrs ago. So the punishments on poor swings is less large than about everyone or anyone want to let us believe.

But it is absolutely true ...... if one has a poor swing, and doesn't care to practice for a better swing, just wanting to play 10-20 recreational rounds per season ...... they are better of with any (S)GI iron ....... but the amateur wanting to improve, wanting to put some quality time in, can profit or take some advantages of playing mb's (true blades is another story, but there are almost no true blades anymore).

Playing mb's sure will mean that at a bad day (we all can have) you can play way above your hc, but it would also not have been a spendid day with a poor swing when hitting (S)GI's ......., but with mb's you will also experience shots of a lifetime..... now and then.

But golf is choices and comprimises, and luckely we make are own (mistakes).....

[inthecup]

Originally Posted by Gerald

OKay I agree to a certain level, but if a 20 capper mishits a GI or SGI the way you suggest, the result with that club is also in the rough hazard or worse !

The outside the sweetspot hitted blade will loose distance (and it may well be 25%) but it will stay on track or in the fairway, but an outside the sweetspot hitted (S)GI will travel nearly the same distance as a good hit ....... so I would say you are better of with a 6i mishitted blade going only 120 yds and maybe still in the fairway, than with the 160 yds forgivving shot ending way to the right (mostly ..... 20 cappers mishits will go to the right).

And I know for sure that the joy of hitting a blade pure it superior to hitting a great (S)GI, at least for me it is ......

It is nothing personal, but when I see answers like ...... a 20 capper must be totally gone GaGa to play a muscleback or blade .... for me it is like a red flag to a bull .... and mostly these kind of opinions come from people not playing them theirselfs !

My comments are not directed at the OP, nice clubs enjoy them.

My perspective is one of a little experience.  I changed my swing over the winter using video and I am hitting it better then ever.  My handicap is dropping and probably more like 16 right now and continuing to drop.  I want to get new irons and I have been demoing lots of irons.  I currently hit Callaway X-18's.  I have tried lots of clubs from Titleist AP2's, Mizuno 800 and 800 pro through Ping i15's and I always come back to my clubs.  I want to get fitted for clubs, mine are off the rack.  Money is not an issue but I can not find anything that is definitely better then what I have.

What I struggle with is that I can not come to terms with getting a less forgiving club.  I feel miss hits, I know what I did wrong.  A miss hit will usually go close to where I intended it.

Why would I want to come up short?  My miss hits are not usually way off line.  Not right either, I'll tug one if I miss.  A pure strike from my x-18 is pleasing, you know you nailed it.

I want the AP2's but demoing them I put way more x-18's on target, my miss with the AP2 was short.  I also tended to hook the AP2's which perplexed me.  I wish I grabbed a club and said wow this is the one but it is not happening.

Anyhow to each his own.  I appreciate your comments Gerald, I enjoy your posts.

[marengo]

Originally Posted by Gioguy21

Marengo, I've actually been looking into getting this exact combo. Which irons are MB and which are MC? I have tour burner blades right now and love em but i hear only great things about the new TP irons you have...

Right now I have the 6 and 7 in MC and 8-PW in MB.  I think I am probably going to pick up the 5MC soon as well.  I would highly recommend giving these a try.  If I had to do it again, I would probably go with the stock DG shafts rather than the DG XP ones.  I am going to stick with these shafts for a while to see if I can get used to them.

Also, to everyone else talking about if blades/MB's are appropriate for high handicappers, I think it is definitely a personal preference.  I was a 20-25 because my putting and chipping absolutely sucked. Eight 3 putts a round will really mess with your overall handicap.  I was also trying to work through a wicked duck hook with my driver.   I say go with what feels good.  If you are a beginner looking for new irons, try them out.  It couldnt hurt to swing them a few times.  You might end up with a set of SGI/GI irons but at least you can rule out these irons based on personal experience and not on what people said you should/shouldn't play.

Personally, I would recommend everyone at least giving these irons a try.  You may not like them but I would give you all the credit in the world for trying them.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by inthecup

I want the AP2's but demoing them I put way more x-18's on target, my miss with the AP2 was short.  I also tended to hook the AP2's which perplexed me.  I wish I grabbed a club and said wow this is the one but it is not happening.

Anyhow to each his own.  I appreciate your comments Gerald, I enjoy your posts.

That is what a forum is for, sharing some thoughts and also debating some .......

As for the AP2's ..... I have been playing them for two months and discovered they are less forgiving than you would expect them to be, and at the same time I found the short irons a bit "dead".... the long irons were great, easy to hit, enough feel, a little high launching, but again the short irons lacked the feel of the Miz MP-57 I used before.

Now I am playing the Wilson Staff Ci9 (YESSS GI for sure) ..... and they lack the feel, but they go-go-go-go-go and don'r even have to think on hitting them nicely, just put an easy swing to them (even at the strong 4i) and you get results, but from 145 yds in I prefer my Miz MP-67's........

[Suge206]

I'm about a 20 or so and play Mizuno Mp-33.  I started with Burner Plus irons.  The blades immediately felt great and after a round or two I was hitting down on the ball and just loving that pure shot feeling.  I even love the long irons.  My putting is a work in progress and the biggest hinderance to my HC, my driving can be a little erratic day over day as well.

Worry about which clubs you can hit and stop telling other what they should be playing.