game improvement or super game improvement irons

[Johnniz13]

Hi.

This season I have played more golf than the last 2 years combined and my game has improved quite a bit. Sometimes I play like a 20 hcp and other times I play like 37 hcp. I guess everyone has these days. I have been playing the same old Wilson entry level golf set since 2008 and I feel its time for something better. I have no problem with being in the game improvement or super/max game improvement category, but I don`t know what to choose. Since I have only played with my clubs, I don`t know what to look for. I know I want a higher launching and easy hitting for those who don`t hit the center of the club each time. I looked at a review of the Cobra Baffler XL with Mark Crossfield, and they seem like something I would like, but they are a bit harder to come by since they are from 2014 (I believe).

Any tips on easy to hit, high launching irons?

Thanks! 

[newtogolf]

The TaylorMade M2, Callaway Big Bertha, Cobra Max are high launch, distance irons.  The shaft plays a critical part in the trajectory, so it's best you test the irons before you buy them.  

[dave s]

You don't have a location listed in your personal info, but if you are anywhere near a golf galaxy or golfsmith, you can make a fitting appointment and hit irons from several manufacturers and see what fits your game.  They'll show you results on a launch monitor like ball flight tendencies, shot height, dispersion from middle, etc.  When you see side-by-side results of iron shots, it's easier to make an educated decision.

Couple more upside items to going the route of a club fitting:  1) you don't have to be 'brand conscious.'  The launch monitor should prove which clubs work best for you; 2) You can buy only the irons that fit your game, and maybe add hybrid clubs on the longer end where the longer irons don't make the best sense; 3) You can change out shaft flex and material, (steel or graphite, regular flex or otherwise) while you test out the irons. The shaft is another component to maximize the effectiveness of your irons.

Last comments:  Don't just order up a full set of irons without benefit of a fitting.  Plunking down $300-600 or more on a set of irons isn't a buying mistake we can afford.  For example, the iron set I chose came with a 4-utility wedge as the 'normal set configuration.'  After the fitting, I went with a 6-iron through UW and hybrids on the longer side.  I also didn't have to buy a 4- and 5-iron that didn't make sense for my swing, either.

dave

[Johnniz13]

2 minutes ago, dave s said:

 

Yeah, I live in Norway, and we do have places that offer club fitting here. I guess I never thought about it because I associated it with being expensive, but it definitely makes a lot of sense what you are saying.

[dave s]

Maybe a country club?  In US, if you purchase clubs from the place where a fitting takes place, the cost of fitting is waived or free.

And sorry, so many of us US guys think there are golf shops in every corner of the rest of the world. 

dave

[Johnniz13]

18 minutes ago, dave s said:

Maybe a country club?  In US, if you purchase clubs from the place where a fitting takes place, the cost of fitting is waived or free.

And sorry, so many of us US guys think there are golf shops in every corner of the rest of the world. 

dave

No worries :) I guess I thought I could get away with just a standard set, but If I want to take my game to the next lvl, a club fitting would`t be the worst place to start. I will definitely look into it. Any brand recommendations? Just so I don`t get pushed to purchase whatever they make the most money on :)

[newtogolf]

4 minutes ago, Johnniz13 said:

No worries :) I guess I thought I could get away with just a standard set, but If I want to take my game to the next lvl, a club fitting would`t be the worst place to start. I will definitely look into it. Any brand recommendations? Just so I don`t get pushed to purchase whatever they make the most money on :)

Just about every manufacturer has SGI/GI offerings.  In the US, you can typically get better deals on TaylorMade, Callaway and Cobra than Mizuno, Titleist and Ping but if you stick with major brands you should be okay.  

[Lihu]

14 minutes ago, Johnniz13 said:

No worries :) I guess I thought I could get away with just a standard set, but If I want to take my game to the next lvl, a club fitting would`t be the worst place to start. I will definitely look into it. Any brand recommendations? Just so I don`t get pushed to purchase whatever they make the most money on :)

Depends upon your game. If you have decent ball striking but have "fists of stone" around the green, then a higher end club is fine. You'd need to give us a little more information about your game for us to really have a decent answer.

The type of club didn't really matter to me because I was working on my swing and didn't really care about score. I still don't, actually. To do that, you can get the prettiest and most difficult to hit club you like.

If you care about your scores then get something optimized for your current swing, but expect to have several fittings as you get better.

[DrvFrShow]

Unless you're 12 where you still have a chance of being a good golfer, or you plan to quit your day job and practice 4 to 6 hrs a day, get the clubs that will make this game as easy as possible. Those are the SGI irons. Seriously Cobra, Mizuno (JPX-EZ), Callaway (XR) make some very nice SGIs and GIs. Cobra has probably the best bang for the buck. They're very underrated, and usually get their first markdown in July. I've been gaming my set for two years and don't look to replace them any time soon. I seem to hit them the best.

But just remember, just because you have a few games in the low 80s doesn't mean you need new clubs. There are teaching pros who play with SGIs.

[Groucho Valentine]

Id take of the money you where planning to spend on new clubs and get some instruction intead. Even if its only focused on fundamental stuff like grip, alignment and posture. You can swing a club a million different ways, but if you can get fundamental stuff correct then the game becomes much easier. Even if you only plan to play a few times a year, you still have those fundamentals to lean on. 

[WUTiger]

On 6/13/2016 at 10:14 AM, newtogolf said:

The TaylorMade M2, Callaway Big Bertha, Cobra Max are high launch, distance irons.  The shaft plays a critical part in the trajectory, so it's best you test the irons before you buy them.  

When considering SGI irons, shaft testing is really critical. In 2009 I switched out my irons for the first time in a decade. I tried the Ping G10s, and the Callaway (first wave) Big Berthas and the X20s. The G10s and Berthas high-launch heads and high-launch shafts, and popped up the short irons too high.

The X20s, however, had a mid-launch Uniflex shaft, and got me decent but not too much height.

As for all irons, the head is only half the club. The head and shaft both affect the launch height of the club. (Ball type influences this too).

[ASUslacker14]

If your priority is just to get a set to help you get the ball in the air, I think this set should help.

Adams V4

I think they are the best bang for the buck and this is the same set I got my friend to buy as he is just starting to play. I don't know how much you want to spend but that should leave some room in the budget to get fitted, lessons, balls . . . 

[Mr. Desmond]

Some golfers insist they have better scores with seemingly more difficult irons. I don't know the answer. 

Hit various irons, look at the numbers, and see what gives you confidence - a lot of golf is mental. For example, I was hitting a Callaway PM 64 -- a big clubhead against a tight lie when playing the course. On the range, no issues. When playing, though, I did not have the confidence. I prefer a more traditional design. That's golf.

[WUTiger]

Don't buy the Adams V4 set until you try out the hybrids.

I tried the 4H (single club purchase) as a hybrid for 1.5 years, and had trouble sometimes with left misses. The clubhead has a slight draw bias. Make sure you can control the hybrids.

[Buckeyebowman]

On 6/13/2016 at 11:21 AM, Johnniz13 said:

Yeah, I live in Norway, and we do have places that offer club fitting here. I guess I never thought about it because I associated it with being expensive, but it definitely makes a lot of sense what you are saying.

Golf equipment is expensive no matter how you look at it. It can get really expensive when you buy clubs that don't work for you, and you have to buy another set.

I do like the suggestion to maybe take some lessons first to work on fundamentals, and see how well you get your current set to work for you. If you still don't like them, definitely get a fitting before laying down the money for a new set.

I once read an article in which the author wondered why more guys like us, average chops, don't take advantage of fitting, especially now, when it's easier than it ever has been. The tour pros and top amateurs get fit for clubs because they know how important it is for their clubs to fit them, even though they have the talent and the swing to make an "off the rack" set perform quite well. We're the people who need the most help!

[CR McDivot]

Kinda funny how every golfer 30 years ago learned to hit a muscleback, but now GI or SGI is required for newbies to make contact.

Sells shovels, but a mishit on a SGI MIGHT give one a 5% advantage over a mishit with a well made muscleback. KEYWORD = MIGHT

Developing a good swing requires a dedicated long term commitment. There are NO SHORTCUTS.

[boogielicious]

6 hours ago, CR McDivot said:

Kinda funny how every golfer 30 years ago learned to hit a muscleback, but now GI or SGI is required for newbies to make contact.

Sells shovels, but a mishit on a SGI MIGHT give one a 5% advantage over a mishit with a well made muscleback. KEYWORD = MIGHT

Developing a good swing requires a dedicated long term commitment. There are NO SHORTCUTS.

However, if the GI irons help the newbie get the ball in the air, then they will enjoy the game more. Blades are designed for faster swing speeds and require more accuracy. GI irons are designed for average swing speeds and are more forgiving and launch the ball higher.

I've played with blades, cavity backs, AP2 and AP1. I would not go back to blades again. Blades will not improve your swing. Correct practice and instruction will improve your swing. Might as well have fun while you're improving!

[Rainmaker]

Ironically, the better my swing gets, the more I appreciate my SGI irons.  True - they don't help much on a truly bad swing.  But if my contact is off a bit . .which it frequently is . .they help a lot.  At least one or 2 times a round I'll hit a "Game Improvement Shot" . .like hit it off the toe pretty badly but still have it fly way better than would be expected.  And the GI aspects probably come into play, more subtly, on almost all my shots . .making my distances more consistent, giving me more distance.  I don't need, so much, the higher ball flight but it's certainly not a problem.