Should I get "tour irons"??

[jaysquared]

I've been golfing for a year now and never really played golf until last year.. When I first started I was probably shooting up to the 140+ mulligans and stuff.. Now I'm shooting high 80s- low 90s.. I've had a lot of people impressed by how much my game has improved in 9 months(3 months off for winter).. I've never taken lessons but my goal is to get to scratch in the next 2 years.. I know its easier said than done.. I currently game with TM r7xds irons 6-LW 3-4 callaway razr x hl hybrids and a 5 tommy armour hybrids.. I'm looking into upgrading my irons.. Question is should I go with cavity backs irons or a "tour" irons.. The tour iron I'm looking at is the callaway razr x tour irons.. I know my handicap isn't where it should be to use these tour irons but once I get to single digit handicaps I'm going to end up wanting tour/blade irons right? Why not just invest in one now?? Thoughts...

[Mordan]

Originally Posted by jaysquared

I've been golfing for a year now and never really played golf until last year.. When I first started I was probably shooting up to the 140+ mulligans and stuff.. Now I'm shooting high 80s- low 90s.. I've had a lot of people impressed by how much my game has improved in 9 months(3 months off for winter).. I've never taken lessons but my goal is to get to scratch in the next 2 years.. I know its easier said than done.. I currently game with TM r7xds irons 6-LW 3-4 callaway razr x hl hybrids and a 5 tommy armour hybrids.. I'm looking into upgrading my irons.. Question is should I go with cavity backs irons or a "tour" irons.. The tour iron I'm looking at is the callaway razr x tour irons.. I know my handicap isn't where it should be to use these tour irons but once I get to single digit handicaps I'm going to end up wanting tour/blade irons right? Why not just invest in one now?? Thoughts...

Have a look at what's played on tour. By no means do all the pros use blades and quite a few use clubs with sizeable cavities, so there's no particular reason that as you approach scratch golf that you'll necessarily be best suited by blades.

[tefunk]

Depends on your definition of a tour iron. There are a lot of scratch golfers and pro's out there that don't play blades. A lot of guys take advantage, pro and amateur alike, take advantage of cavity irons. Blades are tough to play, had a set of MP-33s for a year. Improved my ball striking, but not my scores. IMO, play what works best for you. Only way to know that is to hit the demo days, and try out all the irons at your local pro shops. I currently play Mizuno MP-52s. Good workability, with some forgiveness. There people who say I shouldn't play them, but don't really care. I like them, and they work for me. Play what works for you. Good luck

[jaysquared]

http://m.rockbottomgolf.com/callaway-golf-razr-x-tour-irons-6-pc.html?catargetid=1783372521&gclid;=CLaM_OGaqLcCFeZFMgodDVQAEw These are the irons I'm looking into getting.. I don't think they're "blades" but are a lot skinnier than game improvement irons.. I just want the ability to be able to "work" my irons if needed.. I'm not in that level yet but hopefully will be in the next few years.. My choice is that callaway or the TM burner 2.0 irons..

[BostonBrew]

In all honesty, if you know what you're doing, you can "work" the ball with cavity backs also. It's not like that is a blade-only option. I would advise against buying clubs online, unless you've hit that exact model, shaft included, already. If you like the slimmer looking clubs like a blade or player's club, and you can strike it well, go for it. If you aren't a very good ball striker, try something that tends to be a little more forgiving. But first and foremost, get fitted and demo multiple clubs before buying a set.

[indyvai]

Cavity back all the way... can't hurt.

[Ernest Jones]

Those clubs are definitely not blades and I highly doubt anyone on tour plays them. You should be fine, you might want to try them out at a big box store before buying online though.

[jaysquared]

Thanks guys.. I think I'm gonna just go with TM burner 2.0.. For about the same price I get a 4 iron and a gap wedge..

[clutchshot]

The TM 2.0s are good clubs. I ended up buying the RBZ set that came out last year, love every second of them.

[bjwestner]

OP, I am in a similar situation to you.  I hit my first golf ball on June 2 of 2012.  I've been hooked ever since.  When I first started playing golf I was terrible but over time I went to the range a lot and also played as much as I could.  I'm now down to a 13.5 handicap in less than a year.  Last year I bought Taylormade Burner Plus irons.  Over the winter I wanted to upgrade as my skill level was getting better.  I tried many different sets of irons with different shafts.  I ended up going with Taylormade R11 irons.  They are still a cavity back but you can still work the ball with a cavity back.

You can always get blades in the future if you get really good.  A lot of PGA players play cavity backs as the technology is so much better now than it was a few years ago when almost every tour player had to play a muscleback because CB's could not be worked.  This is not the case anymore and I would suggest going with CB.   You can always upgrade later on but you do not want to be stuck with a set of irons that your skills do not match yet.

[rowlf]

I say go for it.

The tour irons (depending on the brand) has no offset and the club face are less closed. In theory, this should help you to shape the ball better if your swing mechanics are sound. You force yourself to work on your swing as everything about the club is so neutral.

It was hard getting used to it at first but persevere and you are unlikely that you will come back to cavity or off-set clubs after getting the hang of playing tour irons.

[bukifvr]

Jaysquared and bjwestner, congratulations on your vast improvement of your golf game.  When it comes to iron selection, I wouldn't worry about whether its a blade or cavity back.  The most important thing is that you like the look, and feel of the club, and of course its performance in your hands.  If you select a club that is ill suited for your game, you might struggle, get frustrated, and your game might suffer.  Take your time, hit lots of different clubs, and get fitted for the irons you select.  Good luck

[carrx]

I've been playing golf for about 11 years now.  As my game improved, I too made the switch from more forgiving clubs to the "players irons" that you're describing.  My only warning is to make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew.  In my experience, I always liked the look of clubs with the thin topline, narrow sole and minimal offset, but i couldn't always hit them consistently.

I recall several years ago playing golf in Cabo San Lucas on a President's Club trip.  I was about a 15 handicap at that point (wasn't keeping an index), and I was playing a beautiful set of Hogan Apex Plus irons.  My boss was a 2, and was swinging some Callaway X-12s.  They were chunky as hell, and offset, and I remember wondering why a player like him would play something so...forgiving.  I asked him why he didn't get something more like my clubs, and after I thinned a wedge shot over the green into a hazard, he just pointed to me and said, "That's why."

I loved those Hogan irons, but my scores would have likely been much better if I had stayed in the "game improvement" category.

Still the Razr X Tour irons aren't exactly tough to hit.  If you're a good ball striker (as has been previously mentioned), you should be fine.

[dbuck]

First off, you should get clubs that fit your build and swing and that you are comfortable with. Looks are important to some, so that can be a factor in confidence, but less important than fit. As others have said many "players" or "pros" play something other than blades. That said, I think everyone who is interested should own a set of blades, if for no other reason than to keep in touch with the old ways. You can pick up a usable set of used blades for around $100 without too much trouble. Hogan Apex, Wilson Staff Tour Blades or FG-17's, Mizuno MP-14's will give you a good idea if blades are for you. Invest in new grips for about $50-60 or so and have fun. If you don't like them, you should be able to get at least your $100 back relatively easily.

[rustyredcab]

Blades? I say not yet. I play JPX 800 Pros most of the year. When I get in mid-season ball striking form, I play MP53's. Last year I never was striking the ball consistantly enough to game the MP 53's. And they are not blades. They claim to offer forgiveness.

TM 2.0's sound like great irons and a real upgrade. As other have said, get a fitting for lie and length. Any clubs that fit are better than the best clubs that do not fit your body.

Here's a great review that answers the question, "who should play the TM 2.0's?"

One more thought: consider 5-GW instead of 4-PW. You may find keeping a hybrid (or getting a new one) is better than carrying a 4-iron.

[jaysquared]

Thanks for the replies guys.. Think ill stick with the cavity backs for now... It's probably my male ego that thinks I should get tour irons or blades... [quote name="bjwestner" url="/t/67162/should-i-get-tour-irons#post_846490"]OP, I am in a similar situation to you.  I hit my first golf ball on June 2 of 2012.  I've been hooked ever since.  When I first started playing golf I was terrible but over time I went to the range a lot and also played as much as I could.  I'm now down to a 13.5 handicap in less than a year.  Last year I bought Taylormade Burner Plus irons.  Over the winter I wanted to upgrade as my skill level was getting better.  I tried many different sets of irons with different shafts.  I ended up going with Taylormade R11 irons.  They are still a cavity back but you can still work the ball with a cavity back.  You can always get blades in the future if you get really good.  A lot of PGA players play cavity backs as the technology is so much better now than it was a few years ago when almost every tour player had to play a muscleback because CB's could not be worked.  This is not the case anymore and I would suggest going with CB.   You can always upgrade later on but you do not want to be stuck with a set of irons that your skills do not match yet. [/quote] Great job! I'm hoping by the end of this season I'll be at your level..

[jaysquared]

So I ended up purchasing the razr tours.. Rbg had then for $247 now for 5-PW.. I have 3-5 hybrids so don't really need the 4 iron.. I just like hot it's slimmer on the top unlike most CB.. We'll see how it goes.. Also ordered a callaway hat.. Should be expecting my endorsement checks soon! Lol... One can only wish!

[WUTiger]

Golf Digest rated the RazrX Tour irons as Player's. But, they're cavity-back and not blades. RXTs basically have smaller heads, less offset, and the heads launch slightly lower than the SGI clubs. Also, most of your RXTs (last year's model) have stiff shafts.

GD also rated the RazrX Forged and RazrX MB (muscle back) as Player's irons. So, RXT's are really on line between Player's and GI. A couple of models ago, GD rated Callaway's X20 Tour as a GI club.

As with any iron, make sure you get the right shaft for you. I found some X20 Tours shafted in PX 5.0, which works OK for me, although I may get them softstepped to get a little edge in clubhead speed. I had hit this same model irons shafted in 5.5 and 6.0, and could barely get the shots airborne because of too-stiff shafts.

Ask if the shop will let you hit the RXTs on a launch monitor, and see if the shafts work for you.