new irons advice/opinions

hello all

im considering getting new irons and looking for peoples opinions on the following clubs:

ping g15's

mizuno jpx 800 (leaning towards these at the minute)

titleist ap1

callaway razr x

i'm looking for a forgiving club but also one i can progress with. everyone seems to suggest the g15's to me but im not too keen on the look of them at address and i dont think they'd inspire me for short shots around the green.

i know most of it comes down to personal preference and results but just curious if anyone has, has used, bought/returned or knows anyone with any strong views on them.

also i've had my clubs for about 10 years and was given them so buying irons is new to me - is there a best time to buy clubs? will clubs drop in price significantly around oct for instance?

oh and i understand the importance of getting custom fitted for them (it's one of the major reasons for the change)

sanders, as i said in my post, i'd like a forgiving club but one i can progress with. so im looking for a club that gives me feedback on my good and bad shots and further down the line will allow to learn how to shape shots and ball flight better. progress to me means better striking and lower scores.

if you have any suggestions for irons you think i should consider that would be appreciated? or if you used any of these clubs i'm happy to hear your opinion.

sanders i knew the question was close to impossible to answer but i asked it to try and show you how it feels to be asked obscure questions that serve little or no purpose. 

i asked people for opinions on specific clubs from their own personal experience in order to see if I could make a  decision using as much information as i could gather. I was hoping to get responses from people who own the clubs, recently tried the clubs, club pro's with experience with them or club fitters etc etc I caveated the whole thing by saying "i know most of it comes down to personal preference and results"

The sets of clubs i mentioned are widely regarded as some of the best in their price bracket. yes they are not blade/tour irons and so probably lean towards forgiveness rather than workability. I am fine with that as long as it does not completely mask/correct swing errors - hence the line "i'm looking for a forgiving club but also one i can progress with". also blade/tour iron i.e. less forgiving irons tend to be the most expensive another reason for my short list.

i was looking for personal experiences of the clubs i mentioned not a theoretical debate

last line "also blade/tour iron i.e. less forgiving irons tend to be the most expensive another reason for my short list." should read:

also blade/tour irons (less forgiving clubs) tend to be the most expensive irons which is another reason for the clubs in my short list.

sanders hopefully they do. hopefully they will draw the conclusion that I do not take kindly to being patronised or talked down to.

imagine my surpirse at your ability to recall and post the link to such a website.

Favourites "click"!!

matt

thanks for the reply. I dont know what is with the nike clubs but they dont appeal to me for whatever reason. i'll definitely try them when it comes to picking but just cant see me ending up with them. you never know though.

my irons i play with at the moment are probably close to 20 years more (maybe more) and even then were not top of the range. so a change is well overdue.

one of my major things for me is the custom fit bit. I'm not sure if, currently, im playing with the correct length, lie, offset or shaft of golf club. Well actually from a lesson i know the lie angle of my clubs is wrong.

budget is a problem for me too (have to keep this one hidden from the mrs me thinks). when buying second hand where you able to get any custom fit services? 

At your current handicap, John, the money would be better spent on lessons. One cannot buy a game with new clubs. You either�have a game or you don't and if you do, then you will be able to play with anything.

Many moons ago only blades were available and everyone learnt how to use them by suffering the pain shooting up the hands and arms when one was not hit flush. I might add that handicaps were no higher than 24 and you would need to be at least 18 handicap standard to get into a decent club.

There is no fitting system in the world that will give you the exact shaft and head to guarantee good golf.

john

totally agree that you cannot buy a game with new clubs.

I'm very pleased about how my swing/long game is progressing but it's always in the back of my mind if the clubs are actually detrimental to my game in some instances and therefore I might be making incorrect adjustments based on the feedback from them. The fact is I need new irons whether it's now or later. My thinking is that by getting them sooner rather than later is not only that i'll get used to their feel quicker but also i'll be able to dial in my distances better as i progress. Another important aspect for me is the feel of them for short shots around the green. short shots i think is whats really killing my scores at the moment.

As for lessons I intend to continue to do lessons even with purchasing the new clubs at a rate of around 1 a month.

Regards fitting it can only help. what worries me about fitting though is that as my swing is still in a bit of transistion i might be fitted for clubs at the wrong time of this transistion. on the other hand i suppose a players swing is always in some sort of transistion.

cheers

jd

matt i'll definitely give the nikes another chance so to speak and try to keep more of an open mind based on your post/experience

many thanks

jd

hi i would recomended jpx800pro

they are fantastic and i am only beginer but this iron give me around 10-15 YARDS more!!!

ps

try buy in usa my set 3-pw cost 450pound with fiting

A very impressive response indeed, Colin although I feel that you will have reallly confused the issue for the OP.

Why does everyone assume you are trying to buy a golf game by buying new clubs?! Could they not just be bought because you need them due to disrepair of old clubs or that you'd just like to buy new clubs in same way people like to buy new cars.

My irons that i play with at the moment are around 20 years old, were given to me, are rusted and have a lot of damage to the heads themselves. They are so old I can't even find them anywhere online (even 2nd hand) to show them here.

I have reasonably new driver, woods, wedges and a putter. So to complete my set i'd like new irons. I am only buying new irons for the record.

Colin you said "For anyone to base their decision to buy a specific set of clubs because what people recommend on here is up to you" where have i said i would be basing my decision on simply peoples opinions?! in my original post i say "i know most of it comes down to personal preference and results but just curious if anyone has, has used, bought/returned or knows anyone with any strong views on them." The rest of your posts come with the message "new clubs wont make you a better player" - as i said previously these are not being bought to "buy" a golf game, I will be continuing to practice my short and long game and intend also to continue with lessons. I simply want to replace my old rusty donated toys with new ones fitted for me personally.

Slawomir Kochaj<p>  slawomir Kochaj</p><p>  Thanks for the response. The Jpx 800 pro&#39;s look like a lovely club and will definitely be one thats tested when the time comes.</p><p>  You say about buying clubs from the US. I recently found a site called &quot;discount dans&quot; and they quoted me a price of $500 for a ping i15 set (just queried one set to gauge their prices). This price is including delivery which would work out at around &pound;312 sterling. I&#39;m just worried about when they come into the country will customs hold them and make me pay the VAT which would work out around &pound;60. So total cost would be in and around the &pound;375 mark. I&#39;ve had prices in shops here for the same set for just over &pound;400 so i think i&#39;d spend the extra &pound;25 just for ease of purchase/return etc.</p><p>  did you get your clubs shipped here? if so did you have to pay vat?<br />   &nbsp;</p>

Colin

I understand what your saying. I am reasonably sure on the areas of my game that needs improving. Namely driving consistency, pitching, putting and dialing in my distance. My iron play is probably the strongest part of my game and putting probably the weakest. My short game (inc putting) and driving equip is good and practice is what I need in that area. 

So that leaves the area of dialing in my distances. My current clubs, as already mentioned, are old and not bought by myself. Therefore I question if a)they're suited to my game b)the damage they've incurred is damaging my shots c)the lie angles/lofts may not be suited and may have actually changed thru wear d)they arent very good clubs to begin with e)better clubs could help me improve quicker f)they damage my game due to the reduced confidence in them.

As for asking peoples opinions regarding clubs. it was simply a case of gathering information to make a decision. Having never purchased a set of irons before I wasn't sure of the potential pitfalls that I could run into. By learning/being aware of others mistakes, issues and experiences it could help me make an informed choice about clubs that I want to get right. Because like you say the wrong clubs could actually hinder my game. I always intended to try different clubs but wanted to be armed with the correct information and know what to be considering during the pruchase.

Thanks