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Time to move up from SGI to GI irons?


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Good morning all.

I am finally getting my game to work, and my confidence up, consistently well. I am playing:

Titleist 917 D2 driver
Taylormade R15 3HL, 5 HL
Taylormade M2 4hy, 5hy
Ping K15 6-PW
Cleveland Rwa RTX3.0 wedges 50, 54, 58
Cleveland 2135 6.5 putter

Hitting the driver about 250+, 3 wood about 220ish, 210ish on the 5 wood. The 4hy is about 190ish, 180ish for the 5hy...9i is about 135ish

So I am hitting my irons consistently straight, no real shaping going on, and what feels like they are doing ok. Hitting them in the center of the club head (all of the clubs) with an occasional miss hit. My question is, irons only, when do you move from SGI to GI irons?

What is the benefit of making that move? More distance? Shaping shots?

Thank you in advance for your insight on this.

Taylormade M4 10.5* (turned down to 8.5*)
Ping G410 LST 3 Wood
Ping G410 5 wood
Titleist F2 7 woods
Ping G graphite irons 5 - PW  Black Dot
Ping Gorged Glide Wedges - 50, 54, 58
Directed Force Reno 2.0 Putter
What an amazing game this is.

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Good morning @MrFreeze.  If everything is working for you, I would ask, why change it?

As far as moving from SGI to GI, I wouldn't think it's out of your capabilities (based on your index).  Maybe K15 to G30, or something like that.  I don't really think there would be much difference/player performance between the two.

Edited by Denny Bang Bang
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You say you hit to center of the club almost all the time. If that's the case you could easily move up to just about any iron you want. The GI stuff is for people who can't hit the center of the club consistently. 

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2 hours ago, parman said:

You say you hit to center of the club almost all the time. If that's the case you could easily move up to just about any iron you want. The GI stuff is for people who can't hit the center of the club consistently. 

That's part of it. Another aspect of GI irons is also for swing speed and achieving correct launch conditions. GIs and SGIs will help get the ball in the air because of how the CG is distributed. More playery irons tend to keep trajectories lower because the players hit the ball plenty high already.

 

On 1/22/2017 at 11:16 AM, MrFreeze said:

Good morning all.

I am finally getting my game to work, and my confidence up, consistently well. I am playing:

Titleist 917 D2 driver
Taylormade R15 3HL, 5 HL
Taylormade M2 4hy, 5hy
Ping K15 6-PW
Cleveland Rwa RTX3.0 wedges 50, 54, 58
Cleveland 2135 6.5 putter

Hitting the driver about 250+, 3 wood about 220ish, 210ish on the 5 wood. The 4hy is about 190ish, 180ish for the 5hy...9i is about 135ish

So I am hitting my irons consistently straight, no real shaping going on, and what feels like they are doing ok. Hitting them in the center of the club head (all of the clubs) with an occasional miss hit. My question is, irons only, when do you move from SGI to GI irons?

What is the benefit of making that move? More distance? Shaping shots?

Thank you in advance for your insight on this.

Get new irons once you feel these hold you back. Irons will be the last thing I upgrade in my set unless I find the offset is what's holding me back from not overdrawing the ball (spoiler: it's not). If you find you want to get tighter dispersion patterns (ie, not have shots that feel similar but go dramatically different distances), and want a somewhat lower trajectory, or just love the hell out of a more bladed iron, go for it. Otherwise, leave well enough alone.

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Callaway X-24 10.5° Driver, Callaway Big Bertha 15° wood, Callaway XR 19° hybrid, Callaway X-24 24° hybrid, Callaway X-24 5i-9i, PING Glide PW 47°/12°, Cleveland REG 588 52°/08°, Callaway Mack Daddy PM Grind 56°/13°, 60°/10°, Odyssey Versa Jailbird putter w/SuperStroke Slim 3.0 grip, Callaway Chev Stand Bag, Titleist Pro-V1x ball

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On 1/22/2017 at 9:16 AM, MrFreeze said:

Good morning all.

I am finally getting my game to work, and my confidence up, consistently well. I am playing:

Titleist 917 D2 driver
Taylormade R15 3HL, 5 HL
Taylormade M2 4hy, 5hy
Ping K15 6-PW
Cleveland Rwa RTX3.0 wedges 50, 54, 58
Cleveland 2135 6.5 putter

Hitting the driver about 250+, 3 wood about 220ish, 210ish on the 5 wood. The 4hy is about 190ish, 180ish for the 5hy...9i is about 135ish

So I am hitting my irons consistently straight, no real shaping going on, and what feels like they are doing ok. Hitting them in the center of the club head (all of the clubs) with an occasional miss hit. My question is, irons only, when do you move from SGI to GI irons?

What is the benefit of making that move? More distance? Shaping shots?

Thank you in advance for your insight on this.

The main thing about GI irons and SGI irons is that they are designed to get the ball up in the air.

If you're consistently making center strikes on the face of the irons the distances you quoted, I'm guessing it really doesn't matter what club you use?

Are you possibly thinking of moving to the "I" series or the I200? Those are probably okay.

:ping:  :tmade:  :callaway:   :gamegolf:  :titleist:

TM White Smoke Big Fontana; Pro-V1
TM Rac 60 TT WS, MD2 56
Ping i20 irons U-4, CFS300
Callaway XR16 9 degree Fujikura Speeder 565 S
Callaway XR16 3W 15 degree Fujikura Speeder 565 S, X2Hot Pro 20 degrees S

"I'm hitting the woods just great, but I'm having a terrible time getting out of them." ~Harry Toscano

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I am currently using Mizuno JPX 900 forged irons. They replaced MP-25s which most will say someone with a slower swing speed like me should go GI. I get this all the time but is not true. The MP-25s were a replacement for MP-59s. I would recommend a good fitting for a proper set of irons. 

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16 hours ago, dkolo said:

If you find you want to get tighter dispersion patterns (ie, not have shots that feel similar but go dramatically different distances), and want a somewhat lower trajectory ...

These would be reasons to go with a GI or a Player's iron. But remember, you really have to be a clean hitter on a player's iron, because they are on the low end of forgiveness.

A Golf Digest report from a couple of years ago had interviews with club designers on how different iron types function. For one club line, an SGI has range dispersion of (+ or -) 10 yards, the GI 7 yards, and the Player's 3 yards. But the tighter the range dispersion, the lesser the forgiveness.

If you get within 20 yards of the pin most of the time with the SGI, but with a Players your get within 5 yards two out of 10 and in never-never-land the other eight, Players would hurt more than help.

And don't forget about the shaft, whether GI or Players. Try different options - head and shaft -  and get fitted.

Focus, connect and follow through!

  • Completed KBS Education Seminar (online, 2015)
  • GolfWorks Clubmaking AcademyFitting, Assembly & Repair School (2012)

Driver:  :touredge: EXS 10.5°, weights neutral   ||  FWs:  :callaway: Rogue 4W + 7W
Hybrid:  :callaway: Big Bertha OS 4H at 22°  ||  Irons:  :callaway: Mavrik MAX 5i-PW
Wedges:  :callaway: MD3: 48°, 54°... MD4: 58° ||  Putter:image.png.b6c3447dddf0df25e482bf21abf775ae.pngInertial NM SL-583F, 34"  
Ball:  image.png.f0ca9194546a61407ba38502672e5ecf.png QStar Tour - Divide  ||  Bag: :sunmountain: Three 5 stand bag

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On 1/25/2017 at 2:27 PM, WUTiger said:

A Golf Digest report from a couple of years ago had interviews with club designers on how different iron types function. For one club line, an SGI has range dispersion of (+ or -) 10 yards, the GI 7 yards, and the Player's 3 yards. But the tighter the range dispersion, the lesser the forgiveness.

This is the reason I play more of a "player's" iron.  When I'm playing good, I can count on what the ball is going to do (distance, flight, etc.).  I actually played a more forgiving iron for about 2 months last season, and the results were not as consistent, so I switched back to something I could rely on to be more consistent.

When having a rough day, the scores definitely suffer a tad more due to the lack of forgiveness.  But a rough day, would typically be a rough day regardless of the club (more of a mechanical flaw).

So yea, there could be an advantage to moving from an SGI to a GI, but it would likely be small.

Edited by Denny Bang Bang
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Thank you all for your help.

 

I went out and tried some players irons, some GI irons, and some ancient blade irons. Hit em all about the same as my SGI irons. Straight.

Steel vs Graphite ... I am hitting graphite Sr flex's right now. Changes in that?

Taylormade M4 10.5* (turned down to 8.5*)
Ping G410 LST 3 Wood
Ping G410 5 wood
Titleist F2 7 woods
Ping G graphite irons 5 - PW  Black Dot
Ping Gorged Glide Wedges - 50, 54, 58
Directed Force Reno 2.0 Putter
What an amazing game this is.

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17 hours ago, MrFreeze said:

Thank you all for your help.

 

I went out and tried some players irons, some GI irons, and some ancient blade irons. Hit em all about the same as my SGI irons. Straight.

Steel vs Graphite ... I am hitting graphite Sr flex's right now. Changes in that?

It depends on your swingspeed, you have to test different shafts and see for yourself.

Many Senior Flex players in my club has changed to Aerotech Steelfibre shafts but also some of the lighter steelshafts would be good.

Regarding irons, what about Titleist AP2, King Forged Tec or something in this category?

These irons will be good for all kind of different hcp, and because they are forged you will also have the perfect feedback :)

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On 1/26/2017 at 10:38 PM, Denny Bang Bang said:

This is the reason I play more of a "player's" iron.  When I'm playing good, I can count on what the ball is going to do (distance, flight, etc.).

Back in the previous century, most of us played blade-type irons - there wasn't much else unless you were an early Ping Eye adopter.

From 1974 to 1994, I used rather bladish MacGregor MTs with stiff shafts. (that's back when the 21* club was a 2i, not a 4i.) In summers when I played 6 times a month, I hit the irons fairly well and shot in the mid-to-upper 80s. But in summers when I played 2 times a month, I had iron problems and never broke 90.

If you're swinging players/blade irons, it takes extra work to keep your swing in shape.

Focus, connect and follow through!

  • Completed KBS Education Seminar (online, 2015)
  • GolfWorks Clubmaking AcademyFitting, Assembly & Repair School (2012)

Driver:  :touredge: EXS 10.5°, weights neutral   ||  FWs:  :callaway: Rogue 4W + 7W
Hybrid:  :callaway: Big Bertha OS 4H at 22°  ||  Irons:  :callaway: Mavrik MAX 5i-PW
Wedges:  :callaway: MD3: 48°, 54°... MD4: 58° ||  Putter:image.png.b6c3447dddf0df25e482bf21abf775ae.pngInertial NM SL-583F, 34"  
Ball:  image.png.f0ca9194546a61407ba38502672e5ecf.png QStar Tour - Divide  ||  Bag: :sunmountain: Three 5 stand bag

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On 1/28/2017 at 8:58 PM, MrFreeze said:

I went out and tried some players irons, some GI irons, and some ancient blade irons. Hit em all about the same as my SGI irons. Straight.

Straight is good. Did they go the same height and distances? Give the one that flies the highest and farthest some consideration.

 

On 1/28/2017 at 8:58 PM, MrFreeze said:

Steel vs Graphite ... I am hitting graphite Sr flex's right now. Changes in that?

250+ Driver implies 230 carry or roughly about a 94-98mph swing. So, I'm even thinking that an S flex is okay?

It's really a feel thing. If the shaft is too stiff, the ball will simply fly lower and shorter.

My son uses a DG-S300 even though his SS is fast enough for X100. He prefers the high flight and softer feel (to him) even using his Cleveland CG Tour blades. I'm on the other end of the DG-S300 spectrum, and still like the nice soft feel from these shafts. Note that prior to my developing my current swing, about three years ago I thought they felt "boardy" and harsh compared to the C-Taper in 6.5 on my other clubs.

So, I think it's a feel thing.

You can always try a R flex DG-R300, and also consider an R flex graphite shaft from to save your wrists from the harsher impact of steel.

Hit lots of balls at the store for several sessions until you really like something. When the salesmen are getting to the point when they don't think you are planning on making a purchase, that's probably just long enough to make that determination. A couple weeks of daily evaluation should do it. . . :ninja:

:ping:  :tmade:  :callaway:   :gamegolf:  :titleist:

TM White Smoke Big Fontana; Pro-V1
TM Rac 60 TT WS, MD2 56
Ping i20 irons U-4, CFS300
Callaway XR16 9 degree Fujikura Speeder 565 S
Callaway XR16 3W 15 degree Fujikura Speeder 565 S, X2Hot Pro 20 degrees S

"I'm hitting the woods just great, but I'm having a terrible time getting out of them." ~Harry Toscano

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On 1/29/2017 at 5:06 PM, WUTiger said:

Back in the previous century, most of us played blade-type irons - there wasn't much else unless you were an early Ping Eye adopter.

From 1974 to 1994, I used rather bladish MacGregor MTs with stiff shafts. (that's back when the 21* club was a 2i, not a 4i.) In summers when I played 6 times a month, I hit the irons fairly well and shot in the mid-to-upper 80s. But in summers when I played 2 times a month, I had iron problems and never broke 90.

If you're swinging players/blade irons, it takes extra work to keep your swing in shape.

Haha.   Yeah I am a product of that. And to this day I play blades and love them.  Yet I have never broken 80. Yikes! Do they police this sort of thing? Don't want to get arrested for having a good time. But I do understand the golf course is a scary place and no place for nonconformists. 

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23 hours ago, Lagavulin62 said:

... And to this day I play blades and love them. ...

It depends on what works. Case in point is a Tom Wishon video on custom club-fitting. It showed a 20 HDCP guy in his early 60s who was getting fitted for irons. He had a smooth swing with decent lag, and his final irons solution was some blades with high-launch, R-flex shafts.

From testing various Callaway stock, I tried hitting the 2008 X Forged irons w/S300 shafts. It wasn't pretty... for the 7i (it has some loft...) most of the shots got about 6 feet off the ground, and went nowhere.

In 2013, the XHot series hit the market. When trying the newer XForged irons with the PX 95 5.5 shaft, I found I could actually get the shots airborne with good shape. Main drawback: the XHot went 20 yards farther.

The point of all this: I'm sure there's a few 20 HDCP players out there who can handle blades, given the proper shafts. But, a lot more 20 HDCP do better with SGI and GI irons.

Focus, connect and follow through!

  • Completed KBS Education Seminar (online, 2015)
  • GolfWorks Clubmaking AcademyFitting, Assembly & Repair School (2012)

Driver:  :touredge: EXS 10.5°, weights neutral   ||  FWs:  :callaway: Rogue 4W + 7W
Hybrid:  :callaway: Big Bertha OS 4H at 22°  ||  Irons:  :callaway: Mavrik MAX 5i-PW
Wedges:  :callaway: MD3: 48°, 54°... MD4: 58° ||  Putter:image.png.b6c3447dddf0df25e482bf21abf775ae.pngInertial NM SL-583F, 34"  
Ball:  image.png.f0ca9194546a61407ba38502672e5ecf.png QStar Tour - Divide  ||  Bag: :sunmountain: Three 5 stand bag

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12 hours ago, WUTiger said:

It depends on what works. 

The point of all this: I'm sure there's a few 20 HDCP players out there who can handle blades, given the proper shafts. But, a lot more 20 HDCP do better with SGI and GI irons.

All good points but we have to remember, there are more potential golfers who don't care what we discuss in here. What works for them is not necesarrily what works for us. Scores to them are a source for jokes. They play and enjoy it. They care about their golf ability less than I care about my bowling. Yet they are perfectly content to hack their way around the best courses in town every Saturday they get a chance. It took me most of my life to understand it but at some point in the early 90's I finally got it. If I were to send any of these guys to a fitter I would never hear the end of it. But I can live with it because I would never ask a friend to do something I wouldn't do myself. I think if we ever want to make this sport acceptable to the mainstream these are the kinds we need to attract. And to be frank, I would rather spend my Saturday hacking with these guys than your typical club scratch pro wannabee.  

 

 

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i started to play back in 2000 and was 18 and i started out on the ping i3, i only played for a couple seasons and gave it up. i got back into golf in 2013 and went back to hit my ping i3 and hated them so much so i went and bought the nike vrx cb irons chunky of course and played them for bout a season. after that i was hitting my irons really great and stuff and wanted to play some mb irons because my brother bought some and i hit them for the first time and loved them. so i ended up in 2013 buying some nike vr pro II irons and loved them ever since. i did loose a lil bit of distance with my MB but man i rather have control over anything. i was shot in the high 80s with my CB and since i switched I'm now in the high 70s and best round I've ever shot with my MB was 3 over par. switching to a small irons made me be more consistent with my swing and finding the center. now i could never go back to a chunky iron again, just looking down at address hitting a chunky iron just doesn't feel right. if your hitting center of the club 8 out 10 hits or 10 out 10 i would give it a try. you will be able to spin the ball a whole lot better and be able to work on shape the ball and it s fun when your out with your friends and able to call the shots you wanna hit. actually it will make you a better player. 

 

good luck and enjoy

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Vokey - 46º F Grind
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Scotty Cameron - Newport M1  - 4.5º
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I went out and hit the following...

Ping i200, Callaway APEX, Taylormade M2, Mizuno JPX850, and a couple of others...

Really liked the i200 and the APEX.

Not ready to pull the trigger yet, but I am learning so much from all of you. Thank you.

Taylormade M4 10.5* (turned down to 8.5*)
Ping G410 LST 3 Wood
Ping G410 5 wood
Titleist F2 7 woods
Ping G graphite irons 5 - PW  Black Dot
Ping Gorged Glide Wedges - 50, 54, 58
Directed Force Reno 2.0 Putter
What an amazing game this is.

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Note: This thread is 2522 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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