Did I buy the wrong irons for me?

[Cheap trip]

I replaced my 15 year old TM super steel irons with the TM Rocketbladez Tour. With me averaging about 83-87 in scoring I figured it would be a good choice. Problem turns out that the lofts and length are different. Where I could hit my old eight iron about 150-158 yards now my new Rbladez 8 iron only goes about 130-140. Now I launch the ball too high and lose too much distance. Now I find my self using a 6 iron to get 155-163 which I find it harder to hit maybe because the club length. Guess the question is would a .25 inch longer club and a 1 degree weaker loft affect my distance this much or is it all in my head?? By the way, I took them to the range today and verified, I am losing at least 15 yards.

[colin007]

Welcome to the SandTrap. With a smaller, harder to hit iron, a slightly off center hit will be shorter than expected if you're used to a more game improvement iron. Are you sure you're hitting it on center? And if you shoot mid 80s then you're not a 20.

[Dave2512]

I found those irons super easy to hit but probably not a good choice for a 20. Did you get fit? Doesn't sound like it.

[WUTiger]

An article last year in Golf Digest may help answer your question.

The story talked about new irons on the market, and the design guys said that the average player can hit a Super Game Improvement iron farther than a Game Improvement iron. One reason: the SGI has a lower vertical center of gravity than the GI. The lower VCOG gets the ball up higher, and this gives the average player more distance.

The TM Rocketbladz Tour irons are rated a Player's irons (for low-hdcp golfers). Besides the higher VCOG, Player's irons often have stiffer and heavier shafts, which would cut down on your clubhead speed. Lower CHS, less distance. So, these RB Tours may be tough for you - and me - to handle.

A golfer with a higher swing speed could balloon the ball (hit it too high) with iron heads of very low VCOG found in SGI irons.

The average golfer gets more distance with the lower VCOG heads, even though the SGI irons have slightly stronger lofts.

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In comparison, PING has launched its new i25 clubs. I got to test the i25 and the G25, hitting the 6i for both using the stock CFS R.flex shaft. (lofts almost the same i25 = 30*, G25 = 29.)

Both clubs felt good, but I got slightly higher loft and about 8 more yards distance with the G25, a GI iron. The i25 is rated as a Player's iron, although very user-friendly for that category.

[Fozcycle]

Hey Cheap Trip, Did you pay any attention to the shaft? Possibly you went too stiff on the new irons, yielding shorter distances.

[Cheap trip]

So would it be better to stick to game improvement irons? I realize they are smaller but even when I do catch it solid I'm only looking at about 150 max. I guess the height of the ball flight is what bothers me and when I try to lower my trajectory I wind up with miss hits. Just find it hard to believe that 1 degree makes that much of a difference. Since I'm stuck with them, I'll have to figure out new distances and play accordingly. Just going to have to get that into my head. My handicap that I put in was just a guess. I'll shoot in the mid 80s five times in a row and then blow up my next two rounds. My first and only 3 rounds with my new irons have been 102, 88 and 106. I haven't shot over 100 in over a year. It used to be my chipping and putting that was killing me now I need to worry about these irons. lol

[Fozcycle]

You may be able to trade them in on a different set. You may be a candidate for graphite shafts.

[Cheap trip]

I didn't get fitted and from some of the replies I chose the wrong club. These are stock clubs with the KBS stiff shaft. I may have to sell these and stick to my old irons. Hard part will be taking the loss and explaining it to my wife, lol. Maybe practicing may be an option but since I only play once a week, I can't find the time.

[gophinmedic]

TM irons are pretty notorious for high ball flight. My 2.0's are this way and a friend of mine plays the burner plus and has a crazy high flight. TM has done this to decrease the stopping distance on the green, higher flight, softer landing. However, IMHO, a higher ball flight shouldn't effect your distance, minus wind of course. If you count roll out for your total difference, its really the wrong way to go about it seeing as how different courses will cause less/more run out depending on conditions. Get some impact or masking tape and make sure your hitting it flush. With the Player irons, mishits wont be as forgiving as the GI irons.

[Cheap trip]

I will try to check where on the club face I'm making contact. I have to be mis-hitting the ball.

[Jodastra]

I don't know..but i am going to chime in anyhoo..KBS tours? they are great moderate(launch/spin) shafts, they can launch high especially if you were using old type True Temper shafts, due to your swing, from using TT's . I am amazed at the distance differences especially with the eight iron. My KBS carry using the tour stiff on an 8 iron is in the 140 range +/- 5 yards. and I suck at golf. And if you were hitting old True Temper stiffs from 15 years ago, alot has changed. Digital design on shaft design can narrow down a kickpoint to a millimeter or less. So you have gone from a shovel handle flexibility to a Broom handle flex...that is how things are now..in 15 years. In the day your old clubs were made there were maybe 12 choices in steel shafts. Today there are over 80

Try adjusting your stance over the ball a little forward, that should help

"Melba that dog is trying to hump the footstool again!"

Picture that in your mind next time you putt...

[Cheap trip]

Jodastra, it's amazing how high I launch the ball with these irons. I was thinking I would be hitting at the same trajectory and everything would be fine. I should have looked at club specs before I bought these. Looks like I should have bought the Rocketbladez instead of the tours. All my friends buy clubs every 3-5 years I figured it was time to upgrade. Should have done my homework.

[jmanbooyaa]

Any reason you can't return them for store credit. A few places have a satisfaction guarantee and will take back the clubs at full or 90% value.

[Robi1026]

Are you up for a trade?

I have a full set of RocketBallz - 4 thru LW / Stiff Shafts

Message me if so ...

Rob

[Cheap trip]

Well I went and video taped myself hitting the ball, and check where I was hitting on the club face.  I was all over the place and my distance was still short.  Found my self catching too much ground by shifting my body too far in front of the ball and trying to compensate for it.  I started making better contact and after an hour of hitting nothing but my 8 iron, I started hitting about 148 to 155 yards.  Accuracy is still an issue but I can work on it.  I am now hitting the way I expected to hit before.  PW is at 130 to 135 yards and 8 iron about 150 yards.  I can live with that as long as I can keep it up.  May have to start practicing some to maintain solid contact with these smaller clubs.

Rob, I will keep it in mind especially after I see how I do on the course.  I still don't like the launch angle but I can live with it if it helps me stop the ball on the green.

BTW, after watching myself hit the ball on the video, I realize I have an ugly swing but it gets the job done.

[Valleygolfer]

  Cheap trip said:

Well I went and video taped myself hitting the ball, and check where I was hitting on the club face.  I was all over the place and my distance was still short.  Found my self catching too much ground by shifting my body too far in front of the ball and trying to compensate for it.  I started making better contact and after an hour of hitting nothing but my 8 iron, I started hitting about 148 to 155 yards.  Accuracy is still an issue but I can work on it.  I am now hitting the way I expected to hit before.  PW is at 130 to 135 yards and 8 iron about 150 yards.  I can live with that as long as I can keep it up.  May have to start practicing some to maintain solid contact with these smaller clubs.

Rob, I will keep it in mind especially after I see how I do on the course.  I still don't like the launch angle but I can live with it if it helps me stop the ball on the green.

BTW, after watching myself hit the ball on the video, I realize I have an ugly swing but it gets the job done.

Rarely do you come out of the box and hit new irons well (or woods for that matter). I would play them for a a while and settle down. Work on proper shot mechanics and post your videos here so we can see what needs changed in your swing. Maybe you can get back on track with a few changes.

[Fozcycle]

  Valleygolfer said:

Rarely do you come out of the box and hit new irons well (or woods for that matter). I would play them for a a while and settle down. Work on proper shot mechanics and post your videos here so we can see what needs changed in your swing. Maybe you can get back on track with a few changes.

Today was one of those rare days, I played the new Cobra Bio Cell irons w/ Dynalite 85 s shafts.....set to 1.5 * Flat. I shot an 88 at the same course that I had been shooting mid 90's. I started on #17(shotgun start) my drive was down the middle of the Par 5. Instead of pulling my 3 wood, I decided to pull the Cobra Bio Cell 4 iron. I butted a sweet shot to just inside the 150 down the middle of the fairway. The real interesting point is the shafts are Stiff. I normally hit Regular shafts. I had no idea I could hit stiff shafts this good.

[Valleygolfer]

@Fozcycle Technically you should be able to hit most clubs as well as your current set if they aren't a move from super game improvements to players irons. Mentally we often effect our normal swing initially with new club. Obviously not everyone has the same issues.