Small GI irons

[dwade247]

Are there any small (player sized) clubs that offer the advantages of GI clubs? I am thinking such as the AP2, JPX 825 Pro, JPX EZ forged.I am looking for forgiveness mostly but wouldn't mind some extra distance either.

Personally I think it is more/at least as difficult to hit the sweet spot with big shovels as it is with blade sized irons.

Basically I am looking for the largest sweet spot:club head ratio. Is there anyway to determine which clubs have the highest sweet spot:club head ratio?

Open to suggestions.

[Mark Schulz]

Check out the Mizuno MP-54's

[cipher]

Ping i20 and i25.

[dwade247]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have tried the MP-53s which were pretty good but I think manufacturers should be able to pack a little more into a small head. Is there anything major in the 54s that is different than the 53s?

As for the I series irons from ping...I'm not a big fan. I do not like that the sole of the club is quite large still. I do not like looking at the sole behind the club at address. But these have the right idea....just wish they could put some heavier metal in the sole rather than making it longer/deeper.

[WUTiger]

Personally I think it is more/at least as difficult to hit the sweet spot with big shovels as it is with blade sized irons.

As a 28 HDCP, this possibly has to do with swing flaws. A SGI or GI iron has a larger sweet spot than a Player's (some of which are blades), and should be easier to hit. The "big shovels" work better for those who lack a Player's quality swing, or the time to develop one.

Check out Mike Stachura's item from 2013: It says that 3/4 of tour players now use GI irons:

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-equipment/blogs/hotlist365/2013/03/game-improvement-irons-stix.html

Also, make sure you know the difference between a GI and an SGI club.

[dwade247]

As a 28 HDCP, this possibly has to do with swing flaws. A SGI or GI iron has a larger sweet spot than a Player's (some of which are blades), and should be easier to hit. The "big shovels" work better for those who lack a Player's quality swing, or the time to develop one.

Check out Mike Stachura's item from 2013: It says that 3/4 of tour players now use GI irons:

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-equipment/blogs/hotlist365/2013/03/game-improvement-irons-stix.html

Also, make sure you know the difference between a GI and an SGI club.

Yeah I am not necessarily good at this game and I hack with any iron I pick up on some days and other days I can hit any blade or SGI iron so this forum is only for my own interest. Although I am interested in this topic for myself I see this as a common thought on many forums and golf websites so I sort of just wanted to bring up the idea of blade sized clubs with the advantages of GI/SGI clubs such as hot faces, high launch, and good forgiveness on heel and toe strikes. It seems like a lot of people want the looks of a players club but definitely wouldn't complain if the club hit the ball straight every time and 10 yards farther than their current players clubs. (Although I know some would not want inconsistent distances that some say exist with hot faces.)

And what that article is saying is what I am thinking. But clubs still seem to be stopping at larger club head sizes. For instance...the rocketbladez irons are still larger than a players iron. Why can't they take that same design and just smash it into a bit smaller head. Just food for thought.

[dwade247]

Oh and some of my motivation for posting this thread is due to this little training club.

I hit this club at the golf show. And even though I was nervous about it I actually wound up striking it quite well. Granted it was just into a net. But it felt like I was hitting good shots. And the author of this article found it easier to hit than his game irons.

My point is...if the only part of the iron face is the sweet spot the it would be easier to find as long as you don't shank it or whiff completely. I think large iron heads make it harder to find the sweet spot.

[Hammer 4]

My point is...if the only part of the iron face is the sweet spot the it would be easier to find as long as you don't shank it or whiff completely. I think large iron heads make it harder to find the sweet spot.

Seriously..? I have the 735CM..CB/MB irons, which are pretty blade like. My Son plays the TM R7's, and I can hit his GI irons much more consistently than mine, being that his irons have a Larger sweet spot, which in my mind makes the GI irons easier to hit..Maybe I'm just weird..?

[dwade247]

Seriously..? I have the 735CM..CB/MB irons, which are pretty blade like. My Son plays the TM R7's, and I can hit his GI irons much more consistently than mine, being that his irons have a Larger sweet spot, which in my mind makes the GI irons easier to hit..Maybe I'm just weird..?

Larger sweet spot is easier to hit. But why does the iron head have to be larger in order to get technology? The irons you have are your typically players CB. Very little technology in those compared to the R7s. The only thing your irons have is perimeter weighting on the CB irons. The R7s have a thin and hotter face which helps increase the perimeter weighting and therefore the sweet spot. If larger sweet spot was the only concern, then why don't we all just hit 460cc clubs with different lofts from tee to green? (Exaggeration obviously).

I want a club like the R7 packed into the head of a players CB. I don't simply want a larger sweet spot. I want the largest amount of the club head to be the sweet spot.

[dwade247]

Here is a poorly depicted example of what I want. I want the smaller club head size because I feel I can control them better. I want smaller soles because i think they cut through the grass better in both the fairway and rough. And I want more forgiveness because I just want to hit the ball straight and long.

So does anyone know of any clubs that look like the middle picture here? Or at least think this would be a nice club?

[Hammer 4]

Welp, lemme know if and when you find such a club, cuz I'll be looking for new irons in a few months..

[dwade247]

Welp, lemme know if and when you find such a club, cuz I'll be looking for new irons in a few months.

Will do! I'll tell everyone about them!

[David in FL]

Here is a poorly depicted example of what I want. I want the smaller club head size because I feel I can control them better. I want smaller soles because i think they cut through the grass better in both the fairway and rough. And I want more forgiveness because I just want to hit the ball straight and long.

So does anyone know of any clubs that look like the middle picture here? Or at least think this would be a nice club?

If only.....

As with everything in life, there are always compromises to be made.  The trick is to determine what's most important to your own game at the current time in it's development and buy that which best addresses that.  As a 28 hcp, I'd be surprised if a larger sweet spot and lower center of gravity didn't trump head size for you.  For what it's worth.....with a properly struck ball, you're not "cutting through" any grass in the fairway either because the club strikes the ball well before it ever touches the turf.

But, as @Hammer 4 said though, if you run into someone who has beaten the laws of physics, please let me know!

[WUTiger]

So does anyone know of any clubs that look like the middle picture here? Or at least think this would be a nice club?

Yes. These are the Game Improvement (GI) irons. And, as Stachura reported, 3/4 of all tour pros now use GI irons. You would be able to "feel" a GI club better than a SGI club, in part, because the GI has less metal in the head.

Also, your picture on the left overestimates the size of the Player's iron sweet spot, which is smaller than a dime.

[dwade247]

Yes. These are the Game Improvement (GI) irons. And, as Stachura reported, 3/4 of all tour pros now use GI irons. You would be able to "feel" a GI club better than a SGI club, in part, because the GI has less metal in the head.

Also, your picture on the left overestimates the size of the Player's iron sweet spot, which is smaller than a dime.

So the AP2 is a GI iron? That's cool but I am not really concerned about whether a club is labeled GI/SGI/player. I want a blade sized club that has the goal of launching the ball straight and long, not with the goal of increasing workability for shaping shots. I think the jpx ez forged is the closest to what I'm thinking. However I do not really care if the club head is forged or cast.

http://www.mizunousa.com/golf/products/mizuno-jpx-ez-forged-irons#.UxXgMk2YaM8

And for cutting through turf in the fairway I may not phrased my words appropriately. I feel like the large soles encourage me and probably some other high handicappers to try and sweep the ball off the fairway.

And I don't see why my ideal club is against the laws of physics. Let's say 30% of an SGI clubs hitting area is the sweet spot. Why can't they make 30% of a blade sized club the sweet spot? I know the overall size of the sweet spot is smaller but they would both be the same in relationship to the club head. A bit thicker topline doesn't bother me, I just don't want to see the sole behind the club face at address.

[JP golf]

Enjoyed reading the post as I had a similar issue when getting new clubs recently.  I played golf at a competitive level and used to line everything up off the toe with my irons but I hit the sweet spot consistently...  I quit playing for a couple years and when I came back I ended up getting larger game improvement clubs... Out of an old swing habit at address, I hit everything off the toe lol...  I know why, but I haven't adjusted my setup.  See the pic below in regards to club face size.  I think this might be a decent description of what you are referencing.  As you see the distance from the toe is the same... but you are far different in relation to the center of the sweet spot.

[JP golf]

As you can see from my wear pattern...  I think I need to change my ball position at address!  I consistently miss on the toe -  just recently had started making corrections.

[saturday]

I'd honestly try the G25's.. my good friend is a scratch player and still loves the feel and forgiveness of these and is also still able to easily shape shots.. If you find them a bit too bulky I'd go with the i20 or i25's