Went to a demo day today in St. Louis. I tried out a few iron sets and a fairway wood before my hands started to hurt (forgot my glove). A little background - I am a mid-handicapper and a good ball striker. Figured I'd post a few brief reviews of clubs I tried.
Callaway X-Forged Irons
- Project X PXI 6.0 shaft
Very nice irons. Quite forgiving, in my opinion the most forgiving X-Forged irons Callaway has ever made. Easy to get the ball up in the air. Very nice looking sticks, very easy to hit sticks. They give you a little bit of help, but not too much help. I would consider them a solid choice for anyone looking for a forged game improvement club.
I give them a 9 out of 10.
Cleveland 588 Forged CB Irons
- Dynamic Gold S300 & X100 shafts
These were a pleasant surprise to me. I've never so much as swing a Cleveland iron in my life, so I figured today I'd give these a try. These are very attractive forged game improvement clubs, and are very, very easy to hit. A beginner could use this sticks. I got a trajectory a little higher than I'd like with the S300s, so I grabbed an X100 and that brought the trajectory down a little. Great feeling irons.
I give them a 9 out of 10.
Mizuno MP-H4 Irons
- Dynamic Gold S300 shaft
I don't understand these irons. I don't quite know what Mizuno was going for when they designed this set. I think they're trying to go for the "I want to say I play MP irons" corner of the market, but I could be wrong. These irons are over $1000 and get great reviews. I must have missed something. These irons are all hollow body but Grain Flow Forged. Where's the buttery smooth feeling? It wasn't there.
I give them a 2 out of 10.
Mizuno MP-64 Irons
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Dynamic Gold S300 & KBS Tour stiff shafts
Now we're back to buttery-smooth! These seemed very forgiving for a players' iron. They were a pleasure to hit. I spent the most time with these since I couldn't put them down. I tried them in S300 and KBS Tour, with KBS Tour giving me a slightly higher ball flight as I expected. Beautiful irons. I don't think I need to say more as these have been reviewed multiple times on this forum.
I give them a 10 out of 10.
Tour Edge Exotics XCG-6 3 Wood
- stock shaft (didn't get the model) - stiff flex
This thing is hot. Seriously. It's very easy to hit and produced a low, piercing ball flight with a slight draw. Great sound and great feeling at impact. If you have a couple extra hundred dollars laying around and want a new fairway wood, this would be a great option.
I give it a 9 out of 10.
Tour Edge Exotics XCG-6 Irons
- X-Lite 90 steel shaft - stiff flex
As you can probably tell my looking at my signature page, I am a big fan of Tour Edge products. However, these did not do it for me. I've hit every Exotics iron in the XCG series, and for whatever reason, with each new iteration they get a big more chunky and a bit more offset. Pronounced cavity visible at impact in the 6 iron, very reminiscent of Callaway SGI. Feel hot off the face and the ball just flies. They are very forgiving, but hard for me to look at.
I give them a 6 out of 10.
Tour Edge Exotics CU Irons
- Dynalite 90 shaft - stiff flex
Absolutely loved these! Very cool looking irons. Definitely a game improvement iron but thinner sole and less chunky than the XCG-6 irons. Very pleasing to the eyes at address and not loaded with offset. Also very easy to hit, and produced a mid-high trajectory for me as a naturally high ball hitter. Feeling is excellent, especially for a cast club! These actually felt better to me than the CB Forged (reviewed below). I wish they had different shafts to try out, but the Dynalite 90 worked fine for me.
I give them a 10 out of 10.
Tour Edge Exotics CB Forged Irons
- Dynamic Gold S300 shaft
I was a little disappointed in these. If you look at Tour Edge's website, you will see that Tour Edge says these are for low handicappers. I totally disagree. A beginner could use these without a problem. They may be forged, but they have a pretty wide sole and a low center of gravity. These really throw the ball up high, even with S300 shafts. Feeling was decent, but if you are used to buttery-smooth Mizuno or Titleist, you will be disappointed. For the money Tour Edge wants for these, you could get a set of Titleist or Mizuno forged.
I give them a 6 out of 10 stars.
Anyway, there you have a completely unscientific review of a few sticks by a mid-handicapper. Hope you enjoyed!