GI irons question.

[Alohaed]

Might want to get new irons soon. IF I can find a job.  Anyways, read the reviews for the AP1 and G Series. I am a bit confused. The AP1 were said to have stronger lofts, due to their lower COG, made for higher ball flights, and will still launch and play as the number stamped on them. They are longer because of ball speed?  The writer said he is 2 clubs longer with the G Series, and it's not as the 7 iron is a 5 iron with a 7 stamped on it? Although I would need and like GI irons, I am not thrilled with delofting. My current MX200s, are delofted maybe a degree or two than normal(player?) irons. Which would make sense. Yet to deloft a club by 4 - 6 degrees? So, would the G Series, say 7 irons, still launch and play as a 7, not a 5, due to lower COG and a higher ball flight? I hope I am making sense.

[Marty2019]

Have you tried them out?  

I just bought a new set of G-series irons, but I haven't received them yet. 

I think of you have a pretty good understanding of the de-lofting, etc.   From what I have read and heard, using a thinner sheet of metal in the face allows the face to flex more, and getting the COG lower allows a higher launch.   The combination of the thinner face and lower COG and de-lofting gives more distance with the same trajectory.   I think since the clubs have been de-lofted, they have filled in with extra clubs.  PW, UW, SW, LW.  

Ping G series lofts

I just know they feel really good when I hit them and they seem to be very forgiving. 

[dave s]

I can attest that the Ping G-Series irons launch high and for the most part, go straight.  They launch higher than the TM Rocketbladez irons they replaced.

That said, I'm typically lower trajectory with irons.  A couple of playing partners hit my irons and they launched very high and came down soft.  They liked them as well.

Can't comment on the others, but pretty happy with the Ping G-Series iron purchase.  I play 6-iron through U-wedge in the ping iron set. 

dave

[WUTiger]

You have several impressions surrounding delofting. First of all, the original delofting was done by Ping back in the 1980s. The perimeter-weighted irons Ping developed definitely improved the launch of the golf ball, but caused a fall-off in distance. To counter this, Ping made the lofts about 2* stronger to avoid losing distance compared to competitors.

Unfortunately, golf's marketing guys heard about it, decided to create a 170-yd. 7i, and the distance arms race began.

9 hours ago, Alohaed said:

The writer said he is 2 clubs longer with the G Series, and it's not as the 7 iron is a 5 iron with a 7 stamped on it? Although I would need and like GI irons, I am not thrilled with delofting.

You talk about comparing G-Series irons to the Titleist AP1.  Well, the G-Series dates back more than decade, starting with the G2 in 2004. A Golf Digest Hot List item talks about the difference between the prior G## and the Ping 2016 G iron. Basically, the G model has greatly increased face flex, and is paired with the AWT shaft which is lighter for long irons and heavier for short irons. So, the G30 and before have a different head design that the latest G model.

Don't forget that the shaft model and flex you choose will have a major impact on ball flight.

The grid below shows the specs on the Ping G and the AP1 iron models. Note that lofts are only about a degree apart, until you get into wedges. Also, Ping G has slightly longer shafts in some clubs. I'm not sure what you mean by "delofting 4-6 degrees."

Ping	G	Series	Titleist	AP1	716
CLUB	LOFT	LENGTH	LOFT	LENGTH	LENGTH
3-iron	- -	- -	19°	39.00"	3i
4-Iron	21.00°	38.88"	22°	38.50"	4i
5-Iron	24.00°	38.25"	25°	38.00"	5i
6-Iron	27.00°	37.63"	28°	37.50"	6i
7-Iron	30.50°	37.00"	31°	37.00"	7i
8-Iron	35.00°	36.50"	35°	36.50"	8i
9-Iron	40.00°	36.00"	39°	36.00"	9i
PW	45.00°	35.50"	43°	35.75"	P
UW	50.00°	35.50"	47°	35.50"	W
SW	54.00°	35.25"	52°	35.50"	W2
LW	58.00°	35.00"	- -	- -	x x

But again, the shaft model will have a major impact on ball flight.

[Alohaed]

Thanks all, especially WU, for clearing this up. As for the my comment on the "4-6 degrees", I was assuming, comparing to the reviewer hitting longer by 2 clubs, and comparing lofts to players irons. And you know what happens when you assume, according to Felix Unger.

[rehmwa]

Another to look at - Mizuno JPX EZ

I've had 4 friends move to these in the last year (one is a +1 handicap even another a minus 'lots' - essentially the worst and best players I know hit the same irons and the other two are very decent players, like a -8 to 12 or so).  They are are very happy.  I like to hit them and other than a bit fatter look at address than my MP-15s they are so easy to hit and feel great

Lofts and distances are comparable to my irons.

[shanksalot]

For the G series and other new Gi and SGI irons that have come out lately. It seems while the lofts are jacked up they have made changes to the face so that the ball speed is increased by 3 to 4 MPH. The ball also is launched higher than the number shown and with less spin that say a 7 iron, but due to the innovations and the stronger lofts a 7 iron goes farther than your current 7 iron by a club length or more. What you really have is a 6 iron with the 7 printed on the head. It launches higher but does not balloon due to less spin. The result is you get more distance and I would expect a little more forgiveness. However as a caveat, you may not get the stopping power you normally get from these clubs due the lower spin on the shot. Just depends on your swing. If really interested I would suggest go to a place that has a launch monitor and see how the new clubs work for you.

[WUTiger]

3 hours ago, shanksalot said:

However as a caveat, you may not get the stopping power you normally get from these clubs due the lower spin on the shot. Just depends on your swing. If really interested I would suggest go to a place that has a launch monitor and see how the new clubs work for you.

Good point, shanks.

Shaftmakers recently have been highlighting two elements of stopping power. One is spin, the other is descent angle.

In 2014, I took my X20 Tours with PX 5.0 Rifle-Flighted shafts, and refitted them with NS Pro 8950GH in R-flex. This NS Pro variant is a high-launch, low spin shaft. I picked up about a full club in distance, in part because they were 17 grams lighter and a half-flex softer than the PX.

The high descent angle helped the stopping power: ball comes in steep, and then releases a few feet to the left or right. (The low spin also seemed more stable into the wind than the PXs.)

When comparing shafts, the launch monitor definitely helps you thin out the forest. Then, go with the finalist which feels best.

[shanksalot]

On 12/16/2016 at 8:49 AM, rehmwa said:

Another to look at - Mizuno JPX EZ

I've had 4 friends move to these in the last year (one is a +1 handicap even another a minus 'lots' - essentially the worst and best players I know hit the same irons and the other two are very decent players, like a -8 to 12 or so).  They are are very happy.  I like to hit them and other than a bit fatter look at address than my MP-15s they are so easy to hit and feel great

Lofts and distances are comparable to my irons.

Pardon my ignorance, but you list you hdcp as -8. I am under the impression that you must mean either +8 or just plain 8, correct? Thanks. 

[iacas]

3 hours ago, shanksalot said:

Pardon my ignorance, but you list you hdcp as -8. I am under the impression that you must mean either +8 or just plain 8, correct? Thanks. 

It's a tilde. Bigger, he has his handicap listed as "~8". Meaning "around" or "about" an 8.

[shanksalot]

Thanks for the heads up on it. I swear it looked like a minus, but now that I look at it it is a tilde. Had three surgeries on my right eye and I guess I still can't see straight. Never seen a handicap shown that way. thanks again.

[rehmwa]

On 12/18/2016 at 11:25 AM, shanksalot said:

Pardon my ignorance, but you list you hdcp as -8. I am under the impression that you must mean either +8 or just plain 8, correct? Thanks. 

Oh, you mean my personal guess/claim there?

Just around a plain old 8 as you and I understand it, that's a squiggle as Erik notes.  I just guess, I have a tracking software and it gives me a handicap, but it's not official - I move about in the high single digits, lately lower, but it's winter now so I'm sure spring comes and it'll skyrocket again.  I'm sure I stink when it's on the line too.

What is the normal vernacular for a hacker like me?  I just assume that when someone exceptional is a "+", then rest of us are "-".....

Not true?  implied?  or officially just leave it blank.  inquiring minds want to know.