What irons should I get?

[nolanfan34]

I'm thinking about looking for a new set of irons in the near future. I currently have a set of Titleist DCI's, circa 1997 or so. The ones before the 962's.

I'm about a 12 handicap. I like my irons, but they're a little too shot-correcting for me now - very hard to work a fade or draw when needed. Especially a draw.

So, which brand should I be looking at? I want something with a cavity back still, but is a little more workable. I don't hit the ball tremendously high, so something with a lower center of gravity might be nice.

Thoughts?

[Q8offsuit]

Hello! I am the one that voted "Ping" in the poll above. Going by your description of your game, I would recommend the i3 blade design as opposed to the oversize. However, if you are a serious golfer (at 12 I think you are) and really want a blade-like club you can work easily, I would take a look at some vintage sets of pings. The Karsten III irons with the rail are very, very good clubs. So too with the Eye irons. I currently play Eye 2+ irons, and I share many of the same concerns as you (however, I hit the ball really high.)
I want to switch to a more workable iron as well. I would suggest the Eyes.

In my unqualified opinion, Pings are the best irons ever made. period.

just my two cents though. I am very very happy playing vintage pings but if you want a brand-new set, the i3 blades should be OK.

Great to see some kind of golf-related discussion here! /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Nepa]

A few tips on working on a draw. First off at the range the club to work on a draw with is the 7 iron. You should also be able to fade pretty easy with this club as well. You can also work on hitting the ball really high or really low with this club.

If you want to work on a power fade, you might think this sounds crazy, swing a broom about 10 to 15 times a day for a week.

P.S. It's not the arrow it's the indian!

[HDPM]

I got pings a coupla years ago, and don't know if I'd get them again. I don't think they're real workable. I don't mind, because I don't think the new balls are real workable and I hit it terrible anymore. I too am a 12 now, which drives me nuts. I am not working hard enough on my game tho, so I guess I can't complain. I hit the pings OK for me tho. One weakness is the wedges. They might be one reason my short game is worse than ever. Might be my lack of practice tho. But I don't think the wedges are so hot. I might look at the clevelands. Or new hogan cavity back forged irons. I'd think about getting clevelands 1- LW and getting them fit. In fact, I'd get fit whatever I got. I got fit for the pings and that made a difference over the old hogans I had. I prefer forged in that I play terrible anyway, so I might as well have something decent to look at right before I hit a pull hook or a blade over the green. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif I just picked up a cleveland 3 wood and like it. Good quality, good feel, and the ball jumops off it at my pathetic swing speed. I like the looks of their irons and wedges, but have not hit them.

[CCass]

Will you sell your DCI's when you get a new set? If so, I might be interested.

[Diplomat]

Awsome -- I had the exact same clubs (DCI's from around 1997) until this year. I traded them in (ok, threw them in a corner to collect dust) for a set of Callaway X-16's, which are awsome.

-Diplomat

[jagoff]

The best irons I have ever owned are the Callaway X14's! Hands down! I hit a high draw and these things have given me the exact results that I have looked for! I know that they don't make these clubs anymore but callawaypreowned.com has some awesome deals on their clubs. They will even do work on them if you need the lie and angle changed.

Also the new ERC driver is the NUTS!!

[BeerMoney]

If you want to learn to be a player, I think you should go with the Wilson Staff Tour Blades. You can pick a set up on Ebay for about 75 cents. Nothing feels worse when you miss the ball, or better when you hit it sweet.

[Gamblor]

Good taste in law schools, good taste in clubs.

I finally settled on X-16s. I demoed the Taylor Made R7 yesterday and fell in love, but I'm nowhere near replacing my Big Bertha Steelheads, as obselete as they are.

I use a Nike blue chip putter after ripping up the putting green, deciding on that over an Odyssey

[Q8offsuit]

I hit the pings OK for me tho. One weakness is the wedges. They might be one reason my short game is worse than ever. Might be my lack of practice tho. But I don't think the wedges are so hot. '

This, sadly, is true. The major weakness in Pings are in the highest wedges.
I play Ping Eye 2+ through the PW and then carry a more rounded, traditionally shaped SW and LW (Taylor Made Burner Bubble Oversize if anyone cares). These have treated me very well!

I do admit, the Ping SW and LW (Eye 2 and after) look very strange and are very hard to hit. It's really a pity.

[scotnt73]

i have a question. i needed a set of clubs for an event with some coworkers(i hadnt played in a few years and i was a novice at best back then) so i found a guy that could make a fake of anything i wanted at the local shop for a fraction of the price. they played fine but i suck so my question is-is there a huge difference between a set that LOOKS just like the real thing and the real things ON A NON PRO LEVEL?...thanks.

[HDPM]

I came very close to getting a set of FG-17's this year on e bay. 1-sw refinished etc... I figured as bad as I hit it I might as well have good looking sticks. Didn't do it tho. They cost 83 cents tho I think. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[BeerMoney]

The Ping Craz-E is a sick putter. The thing is nasty. IF you're picking up a putter, choose this one.

[John Cole]

I had a Wilson Dyna-Power sand wedge, circa 1957, that I could hit from sand, rough, tight lies, and pitch and chip with. Some bastard stole it, though, along with my Ping Anser 2 putter. My handicap doubled after that.

But I'd never try hitting even a Wilson pitching wedge. How the hell anybody can hit those things is beyond me.

[Diplomat]

I agree! Too bad you will not be in K-Town this coming year, it would have been fun. I'll just have to drive to TO on the weekends to watch you muck winning hands at showdown... /images/graemlins/wink.gif

I don't really have an opinion about the steelheads...I could always hit them pretty good, but never liked how they felt.

I have no comment on the putter.

-Diplomat

[Diplomat]

My favourate putter for a long time was the Anser, but I had a falling out with it one sunny afternoon and sold it to a guy in my 4-some for three sleeves of Titleist Professionals and twenty bucks. I was on tilt. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

-Diplomat

[Ray Zee]

if you are a 12 spend the 1000 bucks on lessons first and practice balls. then you will be a seven and can make a good decision. sounds harsh but think about it.
then get forged irons in a complete fitted set if you are standard size.

[Q8offsuit]

is there a huge difference between a set that LOOKS just like the real thing and the real things ON A NON PRO LEVEL?..

Yes, Yes, a thousand times yes. There is a big difference. The knockoffs simply suck. The balancing, swingweight, shafts, etc. are all very important and these knockoffs are made primarily in China from much shoddier material.

If you are on a budget, you can get a very nice set of used irons on eBay (like Pings /images/graemlins/grin.gif) for well under $200.

Like most other products, you get what you pay for.

[HDPM]

Only buy a car you can afford. Don't get into consumer debt. Spend more money on lessons than equipmnet. What do you know anyway mr. killjoy? /images/graemlins/tongue.gif


P.S. How's the balabushka and rambow? You coulda had a willie hoppe and bought IBM. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Sundevils21]

[ QUOTE ]
if you are a 12 spend the 1000 bucks on lessons first and practice balls. then you will be a seven and can make a good decision. sounds harsh but think about it.
then get forged irons in a complete fitted set if you are standard size.

[/ QUOTE ]

great advice.
but if you don't have a ton of bank to spend on golf, then consider some of the "Hogan" irons. They have a hybrid between forged blades and cavity back irons. The SW, PW, and 9I are almost complete blades. 8I-5I are in between. 4I and 3I are mostly cavity backs. Makes the longer clubs easier to hit and the shorter ones you can work and spin the hell out of the ball.
I love the 975F Titleist 3-Wood. /images/graemlins/grin.gif
Gotta go with Cleveland wedges. I love the 588(older version) because it has 0 bounce- great out of sand and for other flop shots.
I love milled putters. I have a Cleveland putter as well.

[Zeno]

What you need to get is a real flat iron. Or a flatiron. Check out the following links:

How to build a flatiron (http://users.commkey.net/daniel/flata.htm)


How to build another type of flatiron (http://www.gibson.com/products/flatiron/1996/gallery.html)


How to climb a flatiron (http://www.summitpost.org/show/mountain_link.pl/mountain_id/1082)


How to cook and eat a flatiron (http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/flatironsteak.htm)


What's all this drivel about handicaps? And what’s all this babble about pings and X-14’s and Z-33’s and R-7’s and Callways and XKE-69’s and forged-iron Dyna-poopers and wedgees and mashie-nubliks and other whatnots? Why is Ray Zee in this thread? He doesn't know anything and he dribbles too much. That’s his real handicap.


Next think, yawl be tawkin bout Woodys or spouten off bout paul-la-tics and other such balderdash.

Go Fishing.

By the way, Ray; were can I get the best price on bead-headed nymphs. /images/graemlins/grin.gif /images/graemlins/smirk.gif /images/graemlins/wink.gif

-Zeno

[Ray Zee]

have ed i go to the sportmans surplus for you in missoula. they have decent ones for 79 cents. since he is a postman maybe he can mail them for free haha.

[nolanfan34]

Thanks for all of the responses. My first set I started with about 8 years ago was a set of Wilson Staff blades, so I remember what those feel like when you hit them.

To answer Ray's response, lessons are part of my golf spending as well, don't worry. Lessons brought me from a 19 down to a 12, and I didn't even have to spend $1,000 for it. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[SossMan]

I'm about a 10 and I bought the Nike Pro-Combo irons. I love them. The neat thing about them is that the 8,9,PW are blades, the 5,6,7 are mussle back, and the 2,3,4 are cavity back. Such a simple, yet genious idea. Forgiveness on the long irons, workability on the short irons, and a combination for the middle irons.
Good luck...i hope you spend more time on golf and less on the 2+2 Fantasy Football league!!

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
Good luck...i hope you spend more time on golf and less on the 2+2 Fantasy Football league!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Heh heh...I won't need much time to whoop up on you fools! /images/graemlins/tongue.gif