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  • Iron technology - do we really need it?

(Plagiarized from KCHacker)

This is the kind of post that could get me thrown off a site like this, but.....

How much impact does iron technology have, and how much does it actually help a golfer, whether it be a pro or a weekend slapper?

There are a million irons out there with new ones coming out each year. Are irons clearly better now than they were 20 years ago?

I have ho'd, bought, sold, swapped, owned and gamed small forged blades and CB's all the way up to the fugliest shovels made. When my swing is on plane and my timing is good, I strike the ball well with any iron in my hand (caveat - I don't make enough clubhead speed now to launch a 3, 4 or 5 iron high enough). When my swing/timing is off, my worst impacts still result in pretty good shots with the shovels and disasters with the player's head. The new multi-metal, multi-piece construction has given us hotter faces in irons and new designs enable jacked lofts to still launch the ball high. The biggest gains in technology for my ability have been perimeter weighting, and hybrid-iron designs. Hot faced, jacked up loft irons seem to fly on a more boring trajectory for me and run out more - that is bad for my game, as I refer high-flying soft landing iron shots. I still play my best golf with irons from Adams and PING from the turn of the century. I seem to be stuck in the designs that came out 15 years ago, but I can play my best golf with older tech. I still take my Eye 2 irons out now and then and shoot under my handicap.

For me, newer isn't better - What say you?

The longer stick will definitely benefit from a more forgiving design.
I prefer a simple blade like design for short to mid irons for feel and control. the large head and sole design from the GI irons hinders the finesse shots.

"A" Game blades from DTG, w/steel shafts.
Infiniti KO cavity backs, w/graphite shafts.
Set of T/Made Firesole generic/clones from 10+ yrs. ago, w/steel shafts.

Shot between 76 and 81 every time I've been out this season; several different courses. Sr. tees. Men's tees.

'nuff said!

Yep. Clubs that you move quickly are going to benefit more from forgiveness, as speed generally begets inaccuracy.

I'm not a good golfer, but I personally can't hit large headed/big cavity irons. I tend to be very inconsistent with ballstriking. I do better with small classic irons that still have some forgiveness. I am gaming Macgregor 1025CMs, before that I was playing Spalding "Bird on Ball" Tour Edition blades, and also have a set of 1962 Wilson Staff Dynapower irons at my mom's house for vacations. I play about the same with any of them.

I have a mixed set of Acers (Reacts and XS Pros) and a set of original Golfsmith Tour Cavities. Yes, the Acers are a little more forgiving. And yes, the Golfsmiths are a little more versatile. But there isn't any difference in my score at the end of the day. Right now, I like the look of the Golfsmiths sitting behind the ball (that may have something to do with the acid treatment I gave them, so they are now black...) so that's what's in the bag.

Unless you can make contact with the middle of the face a high percentage of the time then every bit of forgiveness helps. I'm not a great ball striker, yet I'm constantly amazed at the results I get from what feels like a mishit. Nothing is fool proof and I hear the expression stupid easy to hit. That club has yet to be developed IMO.

It isn't the arrow it's the Indian.

I've played with all kinds of irons and except for not liking wide soles on firm turf or thin soles on grass like zoysia the rest is really a non factor.

I learned this as a kid caddying when I watched one of the adult caddies shoot one over using a set of baloney slicer hickory shafted irons and a at least 20 year old persimmon small headed driver which had a steel shaft. The driver was from the time when clubs were transitioning to steel but to make them look like hickory they had a coating on the shaft which made it look like wood.

I learned that day if you can play you can play and if you can't no amount of money spent on the latest design will make you a player. All that will happen is you will be a well equipped hacker.

    I play to a 12 hcp. I've played Adams, Callaway, Ping and Acer GI irons all to a 12. I also play to a 12 with my Wishon 555 and SMT 303 MB blades. As I've gotten older I've replaced 3, 4 and now 5 irons with hybrids but still view my 6-PW blades as "scoring irons" (170 yards in)

    Believe it or not the trouble I had with GI irons was distance control. When I pured one the ball travelled a good 20 yards past the target. If I miss with my blades I might come up 5 yards short. Most courses I play long over the green is dead or OB. A little short is never much of a problem and when it is I club up just in case.

    Seems pretty obvious to me that the 12 hcp is what happens inside my head and not influenced much by the design of my irons 🙁

      I can answer this one pretty good.

      I just got new irons this year. Previous to that I used ping eye2. This year I've hit more greens and have eliminated the big hook that would arise.

      Better ballflight too. Some of that comes from the fact that the old irons were made to perform with old balls. Just like today's irons and woods perform better with newer tech balls.

      This year I have not shot over par with them.

      I did a test...took my eye2 irons and hit both a pro v1 and an old Titleist Professional. The pro v1 went high and spun back off the green. The professional actually went a couple yards further, lower flight and pretty much stayed within a foot of its pitchmark.

      I think if u buy new irons every year...or 4 sets a year, u will not be able to see any improvement.

      WTF is wrong with everyone? I wanted to buy, or build, new irons this winter so I could get on the Champion's tour next spring.

      76-81 ain't gonna cut it, and now I find that new clubs won't help knock that down to 66-71.

      Asshats.

      ADMIN.....LOCK THIS DUMB THREAD!!

      wait a minute.....maybe single lengths...........everyone is talking about standard clubs here.

      newrider I play to a 12 hcp. I've played Adams, Callaway, Ping and Acer GI irons all to a 12. I also play to a 12 with my Wishon 555 and SMT 303 MB blades. As I've gotten older I've replaced 3, 4 and now 5 irons with hybrids but still view my 6-PW blades as "scoring irons" (170 yards in)

      This is also true for me to a point. If I use hybrid irons all the way thru the 7i, I have played with a muscle back or cavity back blade from 8i down (130 yds in) and score about the same.

        Iron technology helps to a degree with forgiveness. If I had an old 1960's blade and new SGI CB I am sure I would score better with the CB. Larger hitting surface, perimeter weighing and a larger sweet spot. Plus the SGI clubs hit the ball higher and land softer. Plus today you can use hybrids to fill the slot of the 3-6 irons. If you have a very bad swing not much can help you but if you have a decent repeating swing the new irons can help, although mostly with forgiveness. I find it strange that you are the one starting this thread Steve since you are one of the biggest iron ho's on this forum. :-)

          I need the added forgiveness. Don't swing as fast as I used to, so naturally I don't hit the ball nearly as high as I used to either. I need the higher launch, and I know I'm not gonna get it with a true player's iron.

          I love the looks of Mizuno irons, and the MP-25 line specifically... if I had the swing, that's what I'd have in my bag.

          Can't answer the question. G25 irons are fantastic. Been in my bag since they came out.

          It is apropos that you started this tread now. I am looking for a new set of irons for next year. The main reason is more forgiveness. Been looking at the PING G series and Callaway Steelhead XR series. Golf stores around here just don't as many different iron sets as they used to. Hard to demo a set if they don't carry it. I could get a demo 6 iron but that would be a lot of demo 6 irons if I went for what I am looking for. When I say next year that is really a misnomer as I play year round. So in truth I am looking for a set now for now. By the time I decide and then order them it will be close to Christmas. Merry Christmas Gus.

            I am playing Callaway Fusion pro irons from 2005 with factory installed original brushed Project X 5.5. For as little as I am able to play, I can hit these far more accurately further than I could my Titleist 681 blades with the same limited amount of practice.

            I would like to try a set of the Wishon single length "sterling" irons, as my irons are my Achilles' Heel of my game. Regardless of iron set, I can hit a 7 and 8 iron well, so I am intrigued by the single length.