Help in buying new irons

[sleepers]

Hey guys,

Couldn't find a sticky with specific forum rules, so if something is off here in regards to standardization let me know and/or delete the thread.

Just looking for some assistance in my new hunt for clubs. This is my first year playing, and I have never felt so passionate about anything as with golf. We have a short season here, so I started off in May and must have done +100 laps around our courses by now. Now at hcp 17, and I just sold off my Cobra F7 irons that I purchased when I first started (2017 model, new, but I am sure you all know).

From lurking this site for a couple of months I bet you can guess - I am primarily looking at Mizunos right now. I've been at the shop trying out several clubs, and in general I just like the look and feel of the non-blingbling, classic irons. I am also starting to feel like playing GI/SGI irons doesn't really help me advance in my swing or contact due to the fact that I don't get punished enough for playing a shot badly. Playing something more difficult might push me back up to 20' something, but I dont really mind. Neither am I especially interested in playing blades.. just want something in between - I think? Another lesson I've learned from trying out multiple brands and types is that a lighter shaft (like XP 95) suits me perfectly. Any heavier and I feel like I can't carry the club around me quick enough, and they end up being pushed. The cobras were at 107-something, which was too heavy.

I am not a millionaire so I can't keep spending money on new clubs, but all standard shafts seem to hang around 105-120g, which is too much for me.

So, two main questions (and then you can school me on whatever else I may be misinterpreting);

- How should I go about in chasing these new sticks - purchasing shafts and looking for heads, or is my only option to bite the bullet and do a custom fit and get brand new ones with the correct shafts from the start?

- As I am early in my golfing career, do I run a risk by buying lighter shafts already since my swing is not fully developed yet?

Edit: (Just a note. While swinging the standard shafts (around 110-115g) my swingspeed was around 74-75, when I tried the 95g all swings rose to about 87-88. Does that mean anything in particular in relation?

Edited September 25, 2017 by sleepers

[allenc]

Mizuno has a couple dozen shaft options at no upcharge.  You have to order them new from the factory.  Find an authorized online dealer and choose the shafts you want.  Of course if you can find a Mizuno fitter near you that would be ideal, and free if you buy the clubs.

[WUTiger]

4 hours ago, sleepers said:

I am not a millionaire so I can't keep spending money on new clubs, but all standard shafts seem to hang around 105-120g, which is too much for me. ...

Edit: (Just a note. While swinging the standard shafts (around 110-115g) my swingspeed was around 74-75, when I tried the 95g all swings rose to about 87-88. Does that mean anything in particular in relation?

Current wisdom among clubfitters says to use the lightest, most flexible shaft you can control. If a shaft is too light, you may not be able to feel it at the top of your swing, leading to inconsistency.

1 hour ago, allenc said:

 Of course if you can find a Mizuno fitter near you that would be ideal, and free if you buy the clubs.

We don't know the fitting situation in Stockholm, but allenc gives excellent advice if you can find a Mizuno fitter. Here are some Mizuno shaft upgrades available for no additional cost, several which weigh less than 100 grams.

Many major clubmakers now offer a variety of shafts at no additional costs.

[Ds29028]

Sleepers suggested after searching this site that mizunos is often recommended?  I am also looking at getting irons.  How long does mizuno take to ship?

Edited September 29, 2017 by Ds29028

[saevel25]

8 hours ago, Ds29028 said:

Sleepers suggested after searching this site that mizunos is often recommended?  I am also looking at getting irons.  How long does mizuno take to ship?

Depends on what you are buying. If you are buying golf clubs with a custom shaft then it will take about 1-3 weeks. Obviously if the golf store has a set in stock then there is no wait. Some golf stores keep a few sets on hand with the stock shafts. If you fit Mizuno MP 18 with the Dynamic Gold S300 golf shaft then they might have the set.

[Joeyvee]

Get fitted, maintain brand agnostic the entire time, and you will get the clubs that suit you best. 

[Lihu]

On 9/25/2017 at 3:53 PM, sleepers said:

So, two main questions (and then you can school me on whatever else I may be misinterpreting);

- How should I go about in chasing these new sticks - purchasing shafts and looking for heads, or is my only option to bite the bullet and do a custom fit and get brand new ones with the correct shafts from the start?

- As I am early in my golfing career, do I run a risk by buying lighter shafts already since my swing is not fully developed yet?

First of all Mizuno look really nice, and you probably won't really lose that many strokes with a well fit club even if it's a so called "players" club.

I went from Mizuno MP-52/3 to my Ping i20 clubs. This is because I like the high trajectory with the mid irons.

You might want to give the Cobras an extra season or two, then purchase the Mizuno after?

 

On 9/25/2017 at 3:53 PM, sleepers said:

Edit: (Just a note. While swinging the standard shafts (around 110-115g) my swingspeed was around 74-75, when I tried the 95g all swings rose to about 87-88. Does that mean anything in particular in relation?

That's a huge increase in swing speed for 20gm on an iron. Probably just the correct swing weight for your tempo.

You'd need to get fit properly, and spend time on it. Don't buy after just one fitting. Let everything simmer in. Or just keep your Cobras for another season or two.

[Midpack]

If you're buying new clubs, I can't think of any reason not to take advantage of having them fit to you. From what I've read there's at least a 50% chance standard off the rack irons won't be exactly right, could be a little off, could be a lot.

I am buying new irons, if not a whole new set this winter. I read and read, and compared specs to narrow the list. Took some suggestions from others here. Went and hit several makes and models and my irons short list is down to 2 brands, 2 models. I'll be narrowing it down to one brand/model in the next week or two, and expect to be fit sometime thereafter.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Midpack

[Ds29028]

hi.  thanks for the response.  i only play 5-10 times a year and don't think its worth it to get fitted.  I am an ATP touring tennis player and only play in the off season (now).  I can hit the ball pretty far (drive up to 300) w some nice looking shots.  But mostly its craziness.  I don't keep score but if I did it would probably be like 120+.  But I also have pars sometimes.

 

I looked at mizunos but I'm not sure if I want to spend that much.  Any other ideas for me?8

---

 

[Lihu]

1 hour ago, Ds29028 said:

hi.  thanks for the response.  i only play 5-10 times a year and don't think its worth it to get fitted.  I am an ATP touring tennis player and only play in the off season (now).  I can hit the ball pretty far (drive up to 300) w some nice looking shots.  But mostly its craziness.  I don't keep score but if I did it would probably be like 120+.  But I also have pars sometimes.

 

I looked at mizunos but I'm not sure if I want to spend that much.  Any other ideas for me?8

---

 

Used Mizunos?

[Ds29028]

ok thanks. But i want to get clubs this weekend (used ones are online, yes?). Any other ideas?  I am going to be playing at stanford university course for many times in october. (Famous for tiger woods?)  There are so many brands. I have no idea and internet reviews is not helping much.  I dont trust sales person and my golfing partner is also not knowing much.

[sleepers]

On 2017-09-26 at 4:11 AM, allenc said:

Mizuno has a couple dozen shaft options at no upcharge.  You have to order them new from the factory.  Find an authorized online dealer and choose the shafts you want.  Of course if you can find a Mizuno fitter near you that would be ideal, and free if you buy the clubs.

 

 

On 2017-09-26 at 5:30 AM, WUTiger said:

Current wisdom among clubfitters says to use the lightest, most flexible shaft you can control. If a shaft is too light, you may not be able to feel it at the top of your swing, leading to inconsistency.

We don't know the fitting situation in Stockholm, but allenc gives excellent advice if you can find a Mizuno fitter. Here are some Mizuno shaft upgrades available for no additional cost, several which weigh less than 100 grams.

Many major clubmakers now offer a variety of shafts at no additional costs.

 

11 hours ago, Joeyvee said:

Get fitted, maintain brand agnostic the entire time, and you will get the clubs that suit you best. 

I heard about that - and I know there's a Mizuno fitter/retailer within 30 minutes of driving distance. Just contemplating if the money spent on buying brand new clubs is really worth it. I've heard so many great things about jpx 850 forged, jpx 825 pro etc. I don't feel like buying into the hype of purchasing new clubs when there's very little to no difference in going to 'older' clubs. Then again, I can't get fitted with old clubs I guess?

When I bought my Cobras I got "fitted" as well, but by then I knew nothing about golf and thought I would get some help with finding the correct clubs. In hindsight I was just tricked into buying something, or that's my feeling afterwards. The "fitter" just looked at me and said "yeah you're pretty much standard length" and then I hit 4-5 shots with one club, 4-5 shots with another and the ones that performed the best there and then (Cobras) was recommended. Didn't know anything by then as I said so I just went with his advice. That's why I am a bit hesitant when it comes to actually doing a fitting session again..

 

Edit: Additionally.. when I hit the ball the fitter complained about me setting my clubface square on the ground - he said that it doesn't matter if the face is a bit up right (just heel on the ground) since that will correct itself on the downswing. I hit a few balls that way and it kind of worked actually but I just hate the feeling of not setting it square from the start. Any recommendations here?

 

10 hours ago, Lihu said:

First of all Mizuno look really nice, and you probably won't really lose that many strokes with a well fit club even if it's a so called "players" club.

I went from Mizuno MP-52/3 to my Ping i20 clubs. This is because I like the high trajectory with the mid irons.

You might want to give the Cobras an extra season or two, then purchase the Mizuno after?

 

That's a huge increase in swing speed for 20gm on an iron. Probably just the correct swing weight for your tempo.

You'd need to get fit properly, and spend time on it. Don't buy after just one fitting. Let everything simmer in. Or just keep your Cobras for another season or two.

Thanks, I am a bit wary on doing another fitting.. heard a lot of people playing to scratch by just buying something off the rack. I understand its not optimal but if it does the job.

Already sold off the Cobras. I only played them for 4-5 months but I never liked them.. not even from the beginning. Looks, probably.

Regarding swing weight.. yes, the lighter shaft feels great, but since it's a bit lighter than my previous clubs (obviously) I feel like I am losing some control in the downswing. Maybe it's just an illusion or something I need to work past to keep my new increased swing speed?

 

10 hours ago, Midpack said:

If you're buying new clubs, I can't think of any reason not to take advantage of having them fit to you. From what I've read there's at least a 50% chance standard off the rack irons won't be exactly right, could be a little off, could be a lot.

I am buying new irons, if not a whole new set this winter. I read and read, and compared specs to narrow the list. Took some suggestions from others here. Went and hit several makes and models and my irons short list is down to 2 brands, 2 models. I'll be narrowing it down to one brand/model in the next week or two, and expect to be fit sometime thereafter.

Yep, OK. I have been narrowing down on my list, too.. I really like the Mizuno look (clean, classic), I dont want the crutches of super game improvement any more, but still some help. I am looking at the 900/850/825 jpx forged clubs as of now. It's a hard game and MP wont help enough :)

 

Edited September 30, 2017 by sleepers

[Lihu]

7 hours ago, sleepers said:

Thanks, I am a bit wary on doing another fitting.. heard a lot of people playing to scratch by just buying something off the rack. I understand its not optimal but if it does the job.

Sure, but a scratch can pretty much swing anything and shoot well.

 

7 hours ago, sleepers said:

Already sold off the Cobras. I only played them for 4-5 months but I never liked them.. not even from the beginning. Looks, probably.

I don't really blame you. The Cobra color scheme is a little too bright for me as well.

 

7 hours ago, sleepers said:

Regarding swing weight.. yes, the lighter shaft feels great, but since it's a bit lighter than my previous clubs (obviously) I feel like I am losing some control in the downswing. Maybe it's just an illusion or something I need to work past to keep my new increased swing speed?

That's not an illusion, you could very well be losing some control with the wrong weight or swing weight. That's why many bogey golfers benefit from a decent fitting.

Many scratch golfers I know are so strong that the club feels like nothing to them. They get fit to get the last few optimizations they need for that 0.1 of a stroke improvement, and not really for loss of control. . .

[WUTiger]

9 hours ago, sleepers said:

I don't feel like buying into the hype of purchasing new clubs when there's very little to no difference in going to 'older' clubs. Then again, I can't get fitted with old clubs I guess?

It depends on the golf shop. The shops get clubs in trade-in, and want to resell them to get their money back. A quality shop would let you test-hit the clubs on a launch monitor. If you liked them, and the clubs only needed minor tweaks to fit you, the clubfitter could make the adjustments.

In the USA, the shop often will charge you for a fitting if you are getting used clubs. Still, the cost of the fitting plus the cost of the used irons often is quite a bit less than buying new irons (which usually come with a free fitting).

9 hours ago, sleepers said:

I hit a few balls that way (heel on ground) and it kind of worked actually but I just hate the feeling of not setting it square from the start. Any recommendations here?

I had two different teaching pros suggest heel up at address in the pre-2000 years. But, I haven't heard or read it as a recommendation these days.

One problem with having your club (heel or whole sole) in contact with the ground at takeaway: If there's a rough spot behind the ball, you are more likely to catch it and alter your clubface alignment. If you hover the clubhead at address, you should get a smoother takeaway and often a more fluid swing.

[sleepers]

2 hours ago, WUTiger said:

It depends on the golf shop. The shops get clubs in trade-in, and want to resell them to get their money back. A quality shop would let you test-hit the clubs on a launch monitor. If you liked them, and the clubs only needed minor tweaks to fit you, the clubfitter could make the adjustments.

In the USA, the shop often will charge you for a fitting if you are getting used clubs. Still, the cost of the fitting plus the cost of the used irons often is quite a bit less than buying new irons (which usually come with a free fitting).

I had two different teaching pros suggest heel up at address in the pre-2000 years. But, I haven't heard or read it as a recommendation these days.

One problem with having your club (heel or whole sole) in contact with the ground at takeaway: If there's a rough spot behind the ball, you are more likely to catch it and alter your clubface alignment. If you hover the clubhead at address, you should get a smoother takeaway and often a more fluid swing.

Hmm, that sounds like solid advice and makes perfect sense. Maybe that's why everything is working great on the range when I have a completely flat spot to work with in my takeaways, and then I fumble on grass.. as courses don't look like giant tee's. I'll try that on the range tomorrow and see what it does!

 

[Joeyvee]

On 9/30/2017 at 2:33 AM, sleepers said:

 

 

 

When I bought my Cobras I got "fitted" as well, but by then I knew nothing about golf and thought I would get some help with finding the correct clubs. In hindsight I was just tricked into buying something, or that's my feeling afterwards. The "fitter" just looked at me and said "yeah you're pretty much standard length" and then I hit 4-5 shots with one club, 4-5 shots with another and the ones that performed the best there and then (Cobras) was recommended. Didn't know anything by then as I said so I just went with his advice. That's why I am a bit hesitant when it comes to actually doing a fitting session again..

 

Sounds like a bad fitter. Find a better one. Mizuno is obviously a great club, and I almost ended up with them at my last fitting, but another brand won out, but you need to be brand agnostic if you're really looking at what clubs work best for you. 

Edited October 2, 2017 by Joeyvee