Iron Fitting Experience - MPs, JPXs, APs, Pings, Oh My

[Clambake]

After a year of playing a set of Mizuno MP62s, I decided it was time for something different.   I like the 62s - they're very workable and one of the loveliest irons built - but felt I needed something a little more forgiving.    Ego versus reality, and reality finally was winning.

I set out with a plan to find a great fitter and approach it with an open mind, taking their thoughts and advice and try to shelve my preconceptions about different clubs (at least most of them).    I selected Carlsbad Golf Center here in the San Diego area, as they a very good reputation, have been nationally recognized by golf magazines and the PGA for their clubfitting and retail expertise, they carry the full lines of anything I might try, and they have an outdoor range in addition to launch monitors, so scheduled a Saturday fitting a couple weeks ago.

At the start, I told my clubfitter that my only real prejudices are that I don't care for Callaway (a personal thing) and I don't care for the new TaylorMade irons (an esthetic thing).   My fitter felt the best approach was to see how I hit the MP62s, and then try to find out "how much club I can handle" with the goal of giving me enough of a player's club where I'd still feel satisfied with workability, combined with just enough forgiveness that my game wouldn't suffer too much if I was off.

Without going into all the nitty gritty details, we tried various Mizuno (MP63, 53, 59, JPX800, JPX800 Pro), Titleist (AP1, AP2, CB712), Ping i20, G20), and Nike (VR S Forged and VR Pro).    Very quickly, we narrowed down to the MP59, JPX800 Pro, AP2, and i20.      The ones that didn't make the cut just didn't feel right for me, or were very close in feel to a club that I liked the look at address a bit better (like the MP53 versus MP59).

With that short list, we then started to play around with shafts.    After some time, we narrowed down to the MP59 with KBS Tour or with DG XP,  AP2 with DG XP or KBS Tour, or the i20 with KBS C Taper.    These combos gave a pretty consistent ball flight across the different sets.    There were some surprises, such as finding that the C-Tapers just didn't match up well with the MP59 for me - the ball flight was just too low - while they worked OK with the i20s.

With these optimized versions in hand, I played around trying different shot shapes, deliberately hitting balls thin and on the toe - just tried to see which one was going to be the most consistent when my swing is off and which felt the best.     The Ping i20 dropped out fast - they hit well but just felt "mushy" to me, without much feedback.     The AP2s were next to go - they also hit well, but they felt "muted" to me.      We were now down to the MP59 - the feedback was clear but not at all harsh, and mishits seemed almost as good as when I'd pure one.

Going back and forth between shafts, the KBS Tour emerged as the clear winner for me.    Both it and the DG XP had about the same ball flight and distance, but dispersion was clearly less with the KBS.   The KBS also felt silky smooth no matter how hard I swung, while the DG felt a little squirrely if I really jumped on one.     We were done: Mizuno MP59 in 4-PW with KBS Tour, +1/4" long and 1 degree upright.    Time to get out the credit card!   The fitting was on a Saturday, and the following Wednesday the new clubs were in.   Great service by Mizuno!

Now for the playing review.    There was no "break in period" needed.   Right from the first swing the clubs felt great, and I didn't need to get used to them at all.    Divots were nice and crisp and square shaped (a good hint that we got the lie and length right).   They're probably about a full club longer than my MP62s were, so I just approached the course with that in mind.   Right from the start my play was improved considerably, and I've played 5 rounds with them now.     One round this weekend I had 12 birdie putts of less than 15 feet on a tough course, and although I only converted 3 of them I have never had so many opportunities before in one round (in fact I've never had more than 2 birdies in a round, so making 3 was a new record for me).     A second round yesterday wasn't quite as good, but it was my driving that left me a bit challenged, but this time the new MP59s showed their workability letting work the ball out of trouble several times.

I'm sold and fully in love, and I don't think it's just a honeymoon period.   These irons are fantastic, the shafts really match my swing perfectly, and knowing that they are the perfect specs for me gives a lot of confidence with each swing.    They weren't cheap, but were truly worth every penny!

[tristanhilton85]

Nice post... glad to hear about the good experience getting fit for your new clubs.

[Beachcomber]

NICE! I have the exact same irons and shafts and had a smile from ear to ear as I read about your fitting. :-D

[goose34]

What a great review.  I enjoyed reading your post as i am facing the same equipment change you did.  My son plays college golf and unfortunately i have been getting his hand me downs for the last 10 years.  My clubs were stolen last fall which was not a horrible thing but it immediately took me to the garage barrell for his Mizuno MP57s, some Titleist Vokey wedges, a Ping G5 Driver and 3 wood.

I played like a dog while getting used to his clubs last fall.  Finally i am to the point where i like them....he discarded them because they were worn down on the clubface...i agree.    I am a 12-14 handicapper.  Now it is spring and i am ready to pull the trigger on new equipment.  my instructor informs me that clubs with offset are not my friends as i tend to miss to the left.  His initial take was that even though i am a mid handicapper i might be best served with AP2s.   This surprised me as i wasnt sure if they would have the forgiveness that i require.  My son thought i must have misunderstood what he told me.

My shortlist of irons is the Taylormade R11, Ping i20, Mizuno JPX800 Pros and then i guess i should try some AP2s to see what they are all about.  My favorite looking club is the Mizuno MP59.  I just dont know if they are too advanced for me.  Anyone with thoughts on that would be appreciated.  I will definitely go through a fitting process to determine which shaft is best for me.  The guy last year said Xstiff....I am 50....i know i swing too hard and am trying to tame things down.  Easier said than done for me.

Last night i tried an i20 7 iron out of our pro shop....it surprised me.....Ping was not on my list but i did like the club.  Nothing too sexy but very functional.

I will enjoy the process and look forward to any input.  Then its off to search for a driver and 3 wood!

[dsc123]

Great read, thanks!

[MiniBlueDragon]

Nice overview and great choice for irons. Enjoy! :)

[Jasonbolt]

Where did you go?  I'm from the SD area as well and want to test out some clubs.

[showtime583]

What a fantastic post! I've been playing the same set of Titleist DCI oversize black irons since 1998....think it's about time for an upgrade.

Can you give some insight as to the cost involved in the club-fitting session?

I've found that local stores like Golfsmith and GolfGalaxy are fine, but don't give you their undivided attention and obviously lack the outdoor range...which is crucial in my opinion.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by showtime583

What a fantastic post! I've been playing the same set of Titleist DCI oversize black irons since 1998....think it's about time for an upgrade.

Can you give some insight as to the cost involved in the club-fitting session?

I've found that local stores like Golfsmith and GolfGalaxy are fine, but don't give you their undivided attention and obviously lack the outdoor range...which is crucial in my opinion.

Sweet ... same here.  Well, not oversize black, but DCI 981's that I got in 1998!  I too have recently come to the conclusion that I need new, custom fitted clubs.

He went to the Carlsbad Golf Center, and I checked their website, and it looks like it was $50 for him.  I agree about golfsmith ... I got my driver/3 wood/hybrid there recently and the fitting was fine, just a little quick and I didn't have 100% of the guys attention.

I don't know where you are, but there is a course near me (Oak Creek, Irvine, CA) with a fitting center on their range called coolclubs.com.  They have a few locations around the US and are a bit more pricey ($175 for irons) but its an outdoor range and I gotta assume that they are more thorough and attentive than the big chains.

[showtime583]

Very cool....I love my DCI's, but feel like I need to at least see what else is out there and how that compares to my current set. I live in Chicago - so not a ton of options for fittings with a range. I did find this place called Club Champion Golf that looks promising - the only drawback is that everything is done inside on a simulator, launch monitor and mats. A good start I guess - and it looks like they have TONS of options in terms of clubheads, shafts, etc. Oh, and it's $150 for a 90 minute iron fitting session....think I'll keep looking!

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Sweet ... same here.  Well, not oversize black, but DCI 981's that I got in 1998!  I too have recently come to the conclusion that I need new, custom fitted clubs.

He went to the Carlsbad Golf Center, and I checked their website, and it looks like it was $50 for him.  I agree about golfsmith ... I got my driver/3 wood/hybrid there recently and the fitting was fine, just a little quick and I didn't have 100% of the guys attention.

I don't know where you are, but there is a course near me (Oak Creek, Irvine, CA) with a fitting center on their range called coolclubs.com.  They have a few locations around the US and are a bit more pricey ($175 for irons) but its an outdoor range and I gotta assume that they are more thorough and attentive than the big chains.

[Fozcycle]

I have been a 17-21 Hcapper for the last 12 years.....ever since I shattered my left wrist and had to put aninch of my hip to get it back to the right length.

I have bounced around through the following irons:

Jazz Fat Cat

Nicklaus CGX

Adams A2OS

Callaway Fusion

Callaway FT Ibrids

Powerbilt Air Foil (nitrogen charged)

Callaway X24 Hots

Of these, I played best with the Powerbilts, but wanted to keep looking.  While trying out various clubs, I came across the Project X graphite shaft....Wow! I was really impressed with the ball flight. I tried them on Mizuno JPX800's.  I tried their stock Exsar graphite shaft and it was nowhere near the same....that decided, i started looking around and found a used set of MP-53's with the Project X 4.5 (regular) shaft. I pulled the trigger and traded the X24 Hots + $100 for the 5-PW + MP T11 GW.

First round netted me $87 in my regular Saturday game. The next week got me $68 at a course where I used to play (I was still on their books for points). The 3rd week i scored a closest to the pin and got $10.....This past week I scored a skin on the #2 Handicap hole for $76 and tied for 4rth for $39.  All total, that is a $280 return for my $100 investment.

I really love the accurate flight and the buttery feel when I center the ball.  I am 61 yrs old with an 87-90 mph driver swing speed. I wanted to see if I could game a set of good irons as the game improvement irons were not getting me anything. My Handicapp has dropped to 15 and the season is just starting.......Mizuno and Project X shafts are a terrific combo!

[Clambake]

Originally Posted by Jasonbolt

Where did you go?  I'm from the SD area as well and want to test out some clubs

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

He went to the Carlsbad Golf Center, and I checked their website, and it looks like it was $50 for him.  I agree about golfsmith ... I got my driver/3 wood/hybrid there recently and the fitting was fine, just a little quick and I didn't have 100% of the guys attention.

Correct, I went to Carlsbad and the cost was $50.    Sorry to hear Golfingdad didn't feel he had the full attention of his fitter, as my experience was just the opposite for both the iron fitting and a driver fitting I did a few weeks later.     On my driver fitting I had Susan (the owner) doing the fitting along with one of the guys, so I had both of them fully focused with me for almost an hour working out the perfect driver combo.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Clambake

Correct, I went to Carlsbad and the cost was $50.    Sorry to hear Golfingdad didn't feel he had the full attention of his fitter, as my experience was just the opposite for both the iron fitting and a driver fitting I did a few weeks later.     On my driver fitting I had Susan (the owner) doing the fitting along with one of the guys, so I had both of them fully focused with me for almost an hour working out the perfect driver combo.

Sorry, didn't mean to confuse.  I did NOT go to Carlsbad ... my driver/3 wood fitting was from golfsmith ... I was just trying to show the possible contrast and agree with your original sentiment about golfsmith/golf galaxy type places.

Hey, does carlsbad still have the synthetic putting green?  I used to go there all the time when I lived down there 98-02 and somewhere in there they replaced their grass putting green with synthetic.  I always thought it was kind of odd.

[Clambake]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Sorry, didn't mean to confuse.  I did NOT go to Carlsbad ... my driver/3 wood fitting was from golfsmith ... I was just trying to show the possible contrast and agree with your original sentiment about golfsmith/golf galaxy type places.

Hey, does carlsbad still have the synthetic putting green?  I used to go there all the time when I lived down there 98-02 and somewhere in there they replaced their grass putting green with synthetic.  I always thought it was kind of odd.

My bad - you did say your inattentive fitter was Golfsmith - I just read it wrong.

Carlsbad's putting green is grass now.    I'd guess when the current ownership bought it awhile back they changed back to grass.

[Clambake]

Just thought I'd add a follow up to my iron fitting experience post.   As I previously indicated, I was delighted with my new Mizuno MP59s and had good success the first few rounds.   But as we all know, there is usually a honeymoon period with new clubs where everything seems wonderful, and then they suddenly turn on you and make your life miserable.     Well, I'm happy to report that I've had no such set back - the Mizzies are still delightful to hit, and if anything I find they actually feel better every time I play.      And the results are also shown in my steady decline in handicap; here is my handicap history from the most recent revision:

As you can see, I'm about 2 strokes better since getting the new irons, and I'm getting a lot more good looks at birdie now.    I attribute all of that to having less dispersion in my shots, better distance control, and being to work the ball a little better into tighter pin placements.    I still love these irons!

[Golfingdad]

Thanks for the update!  Those results are better than any review you can read.  I will definitely look at those clubs whenever I manage to get the dough for some new ones.