Am I ready for players's irons?

[BugDude]

All the talk of blades, forged, game improvement irons, etc. got me real curious.  So, today I got off early and headed to a little local course that is short, but tight with lots of trees, water, and doglegs.  I dug my old set of Ping Eye 2 irons out of the garage (haven't hit them in 12+ years) and took off for the course.  I took everything else out of the bag except the Ping 1 iron - SW and putter.  I was surprised at the results.  Teed off with the 1,2,and 3 irons on the longer holes very effectively.  Able to get the ball up and turn it over down the middle of the fairways.  Even hit a cut shot with the 1 iron on one par 4.  Hit the middle irons very well too, with the exception of the 7 on one par 3 that I hooked bad but I was able to hit the 7 off the ground straight.  Hit a crisp 4 iron onto a 200 yard par 3 over water.  The wedges felt like crap compared to my others.  Couldn't hit low chip shots, everything wanted to pop up on me.  In the end, I really enjoyed the iron only round with these old clubs from my past.  I ended up shooting a 2 under par for the round as my putter was red freaking hot!!!  Had 4 birdies on the back nine.  Anyway, I think I am going to experiment with keeping the long and middle Ping irons in the bag for a little while and keeping my blade 8 - pw.  If I turn back into a hookapotomus with them like I did before, then they'll go back in the garage.  Nice for a change though.

[colin007]

also, the term "players irons" these days is used for many sets that are in fact cavity backs.

and, for the last time, and specifically for Kctay :

FORGED =/= BLADES!!!!!!!

[The Tin Man]

I think "players" club is now a marketing term like "tour".

Secret Weapon V  - Hardly what most would call a "players" club. Forged and as far from a blade as you can get. A worthy successor to MacGregor Doctors in the ugly club department.  However, legend has it that the 1 and 2  existed and could be found in tour bags. (Maybe wishful thinking. I would love to find a 1 and 2.  I sometimes use the 3,4,5.)

The iron for those who don't like hybrids. (Wait a minute! It sure looks like a CB got a bit too intimate with a hybrid in the back of the club shed.)

[DaveyDigger]

Can someone please clarify if all GI irons have some degree of offset. I understand this may mean nothing and that my swing may be upside down; but I tend to hit the ball from right to left and the offset is pulling it further left... I am currently looking at buying a second hand set of Mizuno MP-52's but I havent taken them for spin yet..

Any ideas or advice would be very much appreciated..

[colin007]

you tend to see more offset in GI and SGI iron sets.

the thought behind offset is to give the clubface an extra split second to close.  this can be good or bad depending on your shot shape.

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by DaveyDigger

Can someone please clarify if all GI irons have some degree of offset. I understand this may mean nothing and that my swing may be upside down; but I tend to hit the ball from right to left and the offset is pulling it further left... I am currently looking at buying a second hand set of Mizuno MP-52's but I havent taken them for spin yet..

Any ideas or advice would be very much appreciated..

Typically GI irons have a certain amount of offset.

[Jazzfan]

Just buy what feels the best.  I have owned both kinds forged and cast in the last 6 months.  I have owned R9 tp (cast)..Mizuno MP 52 (forged muscle cavity)...Nike VR Pro Combo (forged combo of both blades and players cavity) Adams CB2's (forged) and now I own and love Ping i20's.  The way I look at it I want an iron in my hands that on a mishit I don't get punished so bad.  Cavity irons are still able to "work the ball".  I can work the i20's just the same as the forged sets.  The big difference is the forgiving nature of game improvement irons.  Do forged irons feel better on perfect hit balls the answer is yes.  But they feel like crap on a mishit.  I walk and carry my clubs, and the bag chatter destroys your forged irons.  And I tend to play out of native at times and there is nothing worse then playing a ball out of the crap and getting a big nick in your expensive nice looking forged irons from the hidden pebble or rock that you cannot see.  I play 4 times a week and my forged irons look 10 years old after a season.

Didn't Kj Choi almost win the master last year with Ping g20's?  Didn't Roco Mediate win playing some Callaway shovels a couple years ago?  And Mark Wilson has won this year playing i20's.  My advice coming from a guy who has spent a small fortune in the last 5 years on golf gear, buy what you fall in love with cast/forged or game improvement/blades or muscle backs cuz you are the one who has to play the irons.  I am not sure about the comment about a 17 handicap playing forged irons, who cares?

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by Jazzfan

Do forged irons feel better on perfect hit balls the answer is yes.  But they feel like crap on a mishit.  I walk and carry my clubs, and the bag chatter destroys your forged irons.  And I tend to play out of native at times and there is nothing worse then playing a ball out of the crap and getting a big nick in your expensive nice looking forged irons from the hidden pebble or rock that you cannot see.  I play 4 times a week and my forged irons look 10 years old after a season.

When are people going to stop with this utter, utter nonsense about forged feeling better.?????????????????????IT IS NOT TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As for clubs getting "destroyed"? What can you possibly mean? The metal is relatively soft. You get nicks in them. So what?

As for the last bit, no, they don't look 10 years old. They look one season old after a season. They are made of metal. They hit each other. It doesn't matter.

[inthehole]

Originally Posted by Shorty

They are made of metal. They hit each other. It doesn't matter.

agree - I played with a guy recently that had these little bootie head covers for EACH of his irons - it was just silly.    There comes a point where anything useful is going to show wear - albeit tools, musical instruments, high dollar fishing reels, whatever .... a golf club is a tool, wear equates to mojo IMHO (I'm not sanctioning abuse, but wear through honest use is ok).

[newtogolf]

I use head covers for storage and transporting but not when I'm on the course.  I agree they are tools but there's nothing wrong with taking care of them.  When I did deep see fishing I kept my Penn International reels covered until we started fishing, rinsed them off thoroughly after fishing and kept them properly lubricated.  I dust off my power tools and keep them in their protective cases, I was taught to care for and respect the tools I depend on.  Not criticizing you if you don't, I just don't see anything wrong wanting to keep your possessions in the best possible condition.

Originally Posted by inthehole

agree - I played with a guy recently that had these little bootie head covers for EACH of his irons - it was just silly.    There comes a point where anything useful is going to show wear - albeit tools, musical instruments, high dollar fishing reels, whatever .... a golf club is a tool, wear equates to mojo IMHO (I'm not sanctioning abuse, but wear through honest use is ok).

[Jazzfan]

Maybe the word destroyed was not the correct choice of words.  I meant the bag chatter gets annoying after dropping 1000 bucks on forged irons to show wear after just a few weeks is frustrating.  I am arguing the same point I don't see a huge difference from forged and cast.  Forged metal is softer then cast and they do show wear faster.  I am trying to tell the guy who started the thread to buy what ever he wants.  I am pointing out that forged does not work for me because I still like my clubs to look good at the end of the year not from the quality of the product but from how i use them.  I do not play out of the fairway as much as I would like.  The only reason I even posted on this topic is because the guy who said that a 17 handicap should not play forged irons that is the first time I have ever heard that one.

[saevel25]

I had casted clubs look as dinged up as normal clubs, well casted clubs usually get skuff marks rather than nicks. I like to see someone play as workable an iron they are comfortable with. For me thats more of a players iron, but i like to get something that still has some forgiveness for the occassional toe or miss hit. Just a bit of insurance. But i want to know i can feel my mishits and know i can work the ball left and right. I just don't get that with my current irons. They are to forgiving.