A bad decision?

[Keithf]

I had played recreational golf for a long time with a set of Callaway X14 irons. This year I thought I would try to improve my game. I took some lessons, hit more balls.... I decided to try some different irons, and was really wanting to try forged. I knew I didn't have a game for muscle backs, and decided to try the more forgiving Taylormade Tour Preffered CB. I hit them like the man at the driving range, and more like I've never played before at the course. About 25% of the time, my swing is good enough for these clubs. I kind of think it's the thin soles on them that hurts me. If I hit it fat, I try to adjust, and hit it thin. Rarely just right. I do however just love the way the club looks and feels, and I do hit them pretty straight.

So what do you think? Should I get clubs with a bit bigger soles, or stick with it? Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[moparman426]

Personally, I would stick with it.  The greatest improvement leap for me was when I switched from ultra game improvement irons to a set of Titleist 755 cavity backs.  The smaller heads required me to be more focused, but also allowed me to feel when I had poor contact on the face of the club.  With the UGI irons, every shot felt the same.  After 2 seasons with the CBs, I moved to the 695MBs I have now.  The 695MB was and probably still is the most forgiving muscle backed iron ever made, from what I have read/researched on them before picking them up.  I will say that iron play is my strong point, and I attribute that to learning to work with something that was just outside my skill level.

[Greg15]

If you're saying that only 25% of your shots with these irons are successful, I personally think you should either trade them in or sell them, or buy another set until you improve. From my limited knowledge there are game improvement irons which still give you a little more control than most. But most importantly the game is supposed to be fun, and only hitting 25% of your iron shots sounds far from fun.

[Datsyuk]

I had played recreational golf for a long time with a set of Callaway X14 irons. This year I thought I would try to improve my game. I took some lessons, hit more balls.... I decided to try some different irons, and was really wanting to try forged. I knew I didn't have a game for muscle backs, and decided to try the more forgiving Taylormade Tour Preffered CB. I hit them like the man at the driving range, and more like I've never played before at the course. About 25% of the time, my swing is good enough for these clubs. I kind of think it's the thin soles on them that hurts me. If I hit it fat, I try to adjust, and hit it thin. Rarely just right. I do however just love the way the club looks and feels, and I do hit them pretty straight. So what do you think? Should I get clubs with a [U]bit[/U] bigger soles, or stick with it? Any suggestions?   Thanks!

Thins and fatsies do tend to go straight. Thin to win!

[dak4n6]

Thinning and fatting is a symptom of moving and perhaps wrong weight distribution. No GI iron is going to make a thin shot un-thin, and those big wide cambered GI soles only improve a shallow just slightly fatted shot, not a true chunker an inch or more behind the ball.

Get some forged MB blades, and become a student of the game - read up on what good iron striking is all about, learn about S&T, take some lessons, keep your weight forward and your head absolutely still, etc, etc (sort of kidding about the MB blades...)

[Datsyuk]

Originally Posted by dak4n6

Thinning and fatting is a symptom of moving and perhaps wrong weight distribution. No GI iron is going to make a thin shot un-thin, and those big wide cambered GI soles only improve a shallow just slightly fatted shot, not a true chunker an inch or more behind the ball.

Get some forged MB blades, and become a student of the game - read up on what good iron striking is all about, learn about S&T, take some lessons, keep your weight forward and your head absolutely still, etc, etc (sort of kidding about the MB blades...)

Nothing wrong with the 710 or the 712.

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by Keithf

I had played recreational golf for a long time with a set of Callaway X14 irons. This year I thought I would try to improve my game. I took some lessons, hit more balls.... I decided to try some different irons, and was really wanting to try forged. I knew I didn't have a game for muscle backs, and decided to try the more forgiving Taylormade Tour Preffered CB. I hit them like the man at the driving range, and more like I've never played before at the course. About 25% of the time, my swing is good enough for these clubs. I kind of think it's the thin soles on them that hurts me. If I hit it fat, I try to adjust, and hit it thin. Rarely just right. I do however just love the way the club looks and feels, and I do hit them pretty straight.

So what do you think? Should I get clubs with a bit bigger soles, or stick with it? Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Did you keep your old irons?

Guess I'd work on the 5 Keys to stop hitting fat if you have the time to practice. You can search the 5 Keys on the site.

But I find a medium sole a nice way to help with your issue as I work on eliminating the fats. Of course, you've got to have a decent lie. I play most of the time on thin or nonexistent lies - nothing helps in those conditions except good contact with the ball.