Iron Upgrade Advice

[Buckeyelakesclub]

Hey Guys,

I'm new to the forums, but have been reading for years.  I really appreaciate all of the commentary and opinions on this site!

I've been playing golf my whole life, nothing competitive, but I'm a decent weekend hack!  (Currently a 6.7 index).  I've been playing a set of titlleist 690cb irons since I was fitted new in 2004.  They have the rifle 6.5 shafts which are really heavy.  When I strike them well, they still go where I want them and they feel like butter, but the miss hits are horrible!  For reference, my 8 iron goes 165 and my 5 iron is 200 yards. 

Is it time to upgrade? I'm not as strong as I once was, and my swing speed is slower as well.  Would i benefit from new technology and lighter shafts?  I really don't want to sacrifice distance, which I think comes from the rifle shafts, but I'm not sure..

Please help!

Steve

[onthehunt526]

8 hours ago, Buckeyelakesclub said:

Hey Guys,

I'm new to the forums, but have been reading for years.  I really appreaciate all of the commentary and opinions on this site!

I've been playing golf my whole life, nothing competitive, but I'm a decent weekend hack!  (Currently a 6.7 index).  I've been playing a set of titlleist 690cb irons since I was fitted new in 2004.  They have the rifle 6.5 shafts which are really heavy.  When I strike them well, they still go where I want them and they feel like butter, but the miss hits are horrible!  For reference, my 8 iron goes 165 and my 5 iron is 200 yards. 

Is it time to upgrade? I'm not as strong as I once was, and my swing speed is slower as well.  Would i benefit from new technology and lighter shafts?  I really don't want to sacrifice distance, which I think comes from the rifle shafts, but I'm not sure..

Please help!

Steve

Welcome to the site!

In a word, yes. There have been some leaps and bounds in shaft technology in the last 10-15 years. Especially in steel shafts. 

It used to be if you played steel shafts in your irons, you were stuck with shafts that weighed in at ~130g. Now some steel shafts are down around 85g! 

I wouldn't recommend a shaft that light with your clubhead speed. 

As for head type, I'd go with something with some more forgiveness, but you can stick with a forged head to achieve this. Clubs that fit this are:

Titleist AP2, Tour Edge Exotics CBX Forged (not the new blades), Mizuno JPX-900 Tour, MP-18 MMC, and SC models. There are more, but this is not an all inclusive list.

As for your lighter shaft query, I would pair one of the above heads, with the following shafts: KBS Tour 105 or C-Taper Lite, True Temper Dynamic Gold AMT or AMT Tour, or the Nippon GH series.

The nice thing about the AMT is the shafts help you launch higher in the longer irons (because they are lighter), and more controlled and lower with the shorter clubs.

I recommend seeing a fitter and get properly fit for the launch conditions and spin that you are looking for.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[Buckeyelakesclub]

That is great advice and exactly what I was looking for.  Thank you very much!

Do you have any experience with the Maltby clubs from Golfworks?

[onthehunt526]

34 minutes ago, Buckeyelakesclub said:

That is great advice and exactly what I was looking for.  Thank you very much!

Do you have any experience with the Maltby clubs from Golfworks?

Not personally, but I do know that Maltby makes a great product. I believe they have a forged cavity back in their line... That is pretty forgiving (higher Maltby Playability Factor)... Paired with correct shaft, they could be what you are looking for.

[MarvChamp]

22 hours ago, Buckeyelakesclub said:

For reference, my 8 iron goes 165 and my 5 iron is 200 yards. 

Good lord! Maybe you could come to Texas and hit my drives for me?  I have been impressed with what my pro club guy calls the consistency of Nippon shafts, and can recommend them. Also, I have had occasion to hit some Maltby irons. Felt great and I hit them pretty well! They were GI of course, but my buddy said the company did a good job by phone and email in helping him select the right components for his build and swing. -Marv