Advice on Irons for a returning golfer

TheDoc

Hi folks, long time no post.

I went out for a game with the old fella last night for the first time in two years and caught the bug big time

However the same old problem remains with my irons that I just don't enjoy hitting or feel comfy with. I have a set of Mizuno MP30's. They are in good shape but just anrt for me.

I've been out of the game nearly two years now, I used to play off 6, and I'm kinda lost coming back looking at all the new irons

Before my Miuznos I had a gorgous set of Taylor Made RAC's and I feel I need to get back to something similar, moving away from blades.

Any recommendations would be appreciated, whats Taylor Mades new types of irons, I've seen the "Burners" that look to be similar to my old RAC's.


Last time I bought a set of clubs was off ebay, always find golf stuff cheaper, is this still the case or has the rip off prices here come down a bit?

Tones69

You can get the 1.0 burners now for about 320 euro, i got a new set 2 months ago and love them, the latest ones are the 2.0 which you will get for about 420 euro. If you wanna go a bit fancier you can go for the tour preffered new mb or mc irons, theyre class. Go and try a few sets out then ul know where you stand, if you used to play off 6 im guessing it wont take u long to find ur groove again

http://www.onlinegolf.co.uk/Golf-Clubs/Sets-of-Irons/sc1500.aspx#&&/wEXAQUHZmlsdGVycwUhQ3wxNDU5LTM5My0xMjYyLFBHfDEtMC0wLFZNfDAtMC0wuNdhQMlnh4CDFbfVq9U2Z7K0XWo=

TheDoc

Tones69 wrote: »

You can get the 1.0 burners now for about 320 euro, i got a new set 2 months ago and love them, the latest ones are the 2.0 which you will get for about 420 euro. If you wanna go a bit fancier you can go for the tour preffered new mb or mc irons, theyre class. Go and try a few sets out then ul know where you stand, if you used to play off 6 im guessing it wont take u long to find ur groove again

http://www.onlinegolf.co.uk/Golf-Clubs/Sets-of-Irons/sc1500.aspx#&&/wEXAQUHZmlsdGVycwUhQ3wxNDU5LTM5My0xMjYyLFBHfDEtMC0wLFZNfDAtMC0wuNdhQMlnh4CDFbfVq9U2Z7K0XWo=

Cheers

The Mizunos I have are CB afaik, and I really dont like that style of club. I tend to have an open swing a bit and while I'm a good ball striker, CB and bladey style irons just dont suit, I loose way too much distance and my fade that comes with my swing style gets completely exaggerated.

A style more like the Burner sets there are something I'm after. Played the back nine with my Dads Callaway X20s and the difference as massive, all of a sudden I felt comfortable attacking pins and was a reasonable +4 on the back, not bad for my first game back

I'm popping out to Howth today with the misses so might make a detour into McGuirks to check out some stuff

Tones69

TheDoc wrote: »

Cheers

The Mizunos I have are CB afaik, and I really dont like that style of club. I tend to have an open swing a bit and while I'm a good ball striker, CB and bladey style irons just dont suit, I loose way too much distance and my fade that comes with my swing style gets completely exaggerated.

A style more like the Burner sets there are something I'm after. Played the back nine with my Dads Callaway X20s and the difference as massive, all of a sudden I felt comfortable attacking pins and was a reasonable +4 on the back, not bad for my first game back

I'm popping out to Howth today with the misses so might make a detour into McGuirks to check out some stuff

Ul be leaving with a new set of irons so ha, theyve loads in there, all the gear! Theyve loads aronud the 300-400 mark assuming thats roughly what ur gonna spend

Mossy9

I too recently returned to playing but as a high (24) handicapper.
Anyway, I bought a new set of Ping G15's about six months ago and, whilst I asked advice etc. before buying them I was quite happy until recently.
The reason is that I like the driver and the two fairway woods but can't really hit the medium irons very well. I was discussing this with a playing partner at the weekend and he pointed out the irons have stiff shafts.
Would this make much of a difference or is it just in my head ?

0161allin

Mossy9 wrote: »

I too recently returned to playing but as a high (24) handicapper.
Anyway, I bought a new set of Ping G15's about six months ago and, whilst I asked advice etc. before buying them I was quite happy until recently.
The reason is that I like the driver and the two fairway woods but can't really hit the medium irons very well. I was discussing this with a playing partner at the weekend and he pointed out the irons have stiff shafts.
Would this make much of a difference or is it just in my head ?

Its possible they do and its also possible its in your head now that your playing partner has said so it prob is stuck in your head.. i f you feel the shafts are to stiff why dont you get them custom fit with some one like foregolf they will change the shafts to suit you, have not had this done myself but heard its excellent... http://www.foregolf.ie/

The burner 2.0 are beautiful club have played with some and just about to by a set 4-sw 500e..cant wait..

Mossy9

0161allin wrote: »

Its possible they do and its also possible its in your head now that your playing partner has said so it prob is stuck in your head.. i f you feel the shafts are to stiff why dont you get them custom fit with some one like foregolf they will change the shafts to suit you, have not had this done myself but heard its excellent... http://www.foregolf.ie/

Thanks for that. You are correct that it may be in my head but on the other hand I might look into changing the shafts as I was not actually aware you could do this. I got my current clubs from McGuirks in Leopardstown so might check them out. I know they do custom fitting as well.

Adiaga 2

TheDoc wrote: »

Hi folks, long time no post.

I remember you posting here a lot a few years ago. From memory your game was improving at a good rate. Why did you give it up? (you waster! ;))

Re. the irons, you should try and get yourself to somewhere like Kinsealy Grange driving range. You can demo a load of clubs there. Mizuno has some nice new irons(e.g. JPX Pro) that would be a lot more forgiving than your MP30s.

monkeybutter

In fairness, 2 years and you were playing off 6?

The game of golf hasn't change a whole pile since 2009

TheDoc

monkeybutter wrote: »

In fairness, 2 years and you were playing off 6?

The game of golf hasn't change a whole pile since 2009

The game hasnt but I did

As Adiaga was saying there I shot down rapidly, I remember posting over about a year here with my progress, starting of the year at 15 and getting myself down to six.

The following year I came back and something was wrong, I just wasnt playing the same golf. I only took a short two month break but when I returned there was a big change and I just wasnt comfortable with my swing, my shortgame deserted me and I started pulling .1 back every game.

By Autumn I was back out to 11 , I got 5 shots back in that year and I got very disillusioned with the game. I wasnt enjoying myself and the mroe I practiced the worse I got.

So I decided to take a break and unfortunately couldnt get back with new work commitments that are pretty hefty. I'm looking to hopefully move job in the coming months so next year can take back my membership and get back into the swing of things.

Have to say that the same problems were there on Wednesday until the backnine where things changed. I'm not nieve enough to think it was JUST because I started playing with my Dads irons but it did feel better and I felt more confident.

Step 1 is buying a new set of irons
Step 2 is Getting a better job with no weekends
Step 3 is getting my membership back
Step 4 is a annual goal of getting cut

Its gas I met loads of my old golfing buddies ( juniors back in the day ) on Wednesday in the clubhouse after the game, all of them playing of low figures like 2 or 3, made me regret leaving the game but moreso the 30 minutes of histerical banter I had made me want to come back

So monkey while the game hasnt changed, holy **** mine did. There is a picture of me in the golf club with " The next Duval?" underneath, in 2007 as a Junior I won the Clubs Capatains, Presidents and Club Championship prize, I won all three adult medals in summer and came second in the Club Championship for adults, so it was a big haul year, and then to simply lose it all...alot changed

TheDoc

Mossy9 wrote: »

I too recently returned to playing but as a high (24) handicapper.
Anyway, I bought a new set of Ping G15's about six months ago and, whilst I asked advice etc. before buying them I was quite happy until recently.
The reason is that I like the driver and the two fairway woods but can't really hit the medium irons very well. I was discussing this with a playing partner at the weekend and he pointed out the irons have stiff shafts.
Would this make much of a difference or is it just in my head ?

The one thing I'd say about custom fitting is that it may be a bit early for that. As a high handicapper your swing is typically changing all the time, without you even realising. You rarely have the same swing consistent per every shot.

And as a high handicapper you want to get better and lower, which will probably mean changing some swing dynamics.

Getting clubs custom fitted at a high handicap, means if you do start to come down, your clubs have been fitted to a swing you might not use anymore and have changed. Believe it or not but this can be a big change and difference and require another fitting.

Stiff shafts are typical in irons. Granted we dont know your swing, and we dont know your age and physical ability, stiff shafts should be the norm until you reach your 50's and 60's. At this point your swing slows down and softer shafts make up for the reduction in swing speed.

When you say medium irons which ones specifically?
Describe what sort of issues and results you get from your irons? (hook, shanks, slices etc)
Would you consider yourself to have a fast swing and be of a decent physical condition?

What you could definitly benefit from, probably over asking here, is a trip to a pro shop in your local club or somewhere else. A pro could very quickly identify what the problem is, be it swing related, or club related.

Mossy9

Yes Doc you are 100% correct.
When I got my current clubs a while ago I had not had any lessons for years. They were custom fitted but since then I have had six lessons and feel (:D:D) I'm getting better hence I think I maybe put the cart before the horse as my swing has definitely changed. I'm in my late 50's so maybe I should consider graphite shafts.It's generally the 4/5/6 that I don't hit well. No problem really with fairway wood or short irons.
Anyway, I spoke to McGuirk's this morning and they said to come in to see them and they would have another look at my swing now that it has obviously changed and then maybe recommend a different shaft.
I can't do that before 12 August as I work in Tunisia but I'll be home (in Wicklow) for two weeks so will make a point of dropping in to them.

TheDoc

I'd be careful about getting shafts custom fitted. Whilst its regarded as the bees knees, it really only benefits low handicappers.

If McGuirks are talking about maybe cutting the length of your shafts, or changing the steel to graphite.

Getting things like club head lie, shaft kick and stuff messed about can be pretty damaging if your i nthe stages of getting better, or changing your swing.

If your in good physical condition and you have a relatively smooth and powerful ( probably wrong word) swing graphite might not be advised, but a fitter can easily point that out to you.

Graphite shafts are a bit whippier to help kick the clubface into the ball, to make up for the lack of swing speed as a player gets older or isnt in a physical condition to strike the ball well.

But having graphite shafts put into a club when the player has a decent swing speed and strike is a disaster, the club head lags behind and your into your turn out with the clubface still trailing behind, causing slices, shanks and massive fades.

I'd just be weary if all of a sudden your being told about changing club loft, angle, lie angle and all that stuff. I feel retailers that provide fitting have copped on that its a "buzz" word and offer it to people who A) dont need it or dont understand it

If its a reasonably fixed price then by all means take advantage, but if its a incrementing price as the sales guy tells you they can do this that the other, just stick to your guns on what YOU want looked at and changed.

Friend of mine got his clubs fitted for €90 and about 6 months later was getting them refit cause his swing changed and the old setup wasnt suited, so in a year he spent €180 , the second €90 was to put the clubs back the way they were bought : /

Mossy9

Thanks for that advice Doc.
As I said, I am, in my late 50's and not exactly fit :rolleyes: so will listen to what McGuirks have to say after they have analysed my new swing but I will stick to my guns if I feel I'm getting a "hard sell".
I don't believe in getting too technical!
Simple is good for me.