I am a new, high handicap golfer. i am determined to get better and will be playing and practicing a lot.

I am taking lessons and improving at a good pace.

I have recently been fitted by a PGA pro. I respect his advice and opinion but am of course doing as much research as i can to come up with the best set of irons for me.

I was at a store yesterday and tried titelist ap1, taylormade rocketbladez, ping, and callaway.

i have eliminated ping and callaway (i don't remember the models for these but they were game improvement irons)

i am going back out today to re-hit the titelist and taylormade to hopefully pick one so i can get the clubs ordered.

are there any other i should try and hit?

what are y'alls thoughts between the ap1's and rocketbladez?

anything else i should consider?

Thanks!

Cobra s9

If you have eliminated the Pings and Callaways, I think you are down to the final 2 options in terms of forgiveness. Cleveland makes a good set of forgiving irons, but really you have to go on personal taste. Which ones look the best to you? Which ones feel the best when you swing?

There are a number of other great iron brands out there like Mizuno, Adams and Cobra. Not sure if you have been able to attend a demo day but I hit every brand possible before settling on the Ping I20's. After hitting them 3 different occasions, figuring out the lie, shafts and grips I knew I had the right set of clubs. Golfsmith had a great fitting process that lasted over an hour and it was definitely worth hitting a number of balls with tape. I realized afterward that I had never been properly fit which has since been confirmed by playing 1/2 of a season with these irons.

Gut tells me to lean toward the Titleist irons. If you indeed practice, take some lessons and improve you should be happier long-term as there is a huge difference between the Titleist AP1 and some of the other most forgiving/game improvement irons. However, I have heard from a few friends who really like the TM RocketBladez.

I was fit not too long ago, and hit the Rocketbladez very very well. Never hit the Titleist, but hit the Callaway X Hots even better than the Rocketbladez, so that is what I went with.

Oh, and +1 to Golfsmith fitting. I don't think their screens are quite accurate distance-wise though, because I was hitting their 8 iron Callaway 180 yards there.

If you have a chance try the wilson staff ci11 irons. I hit them much straighter than the rocketbladez and they've been great for me in the course. I've actually been able to hit greens from 100-150 out for the first time ever (I'm also a high handicapper). Only real downside to them is less brand recognition than others and the strong lofts mean you almost have to buy 2 wedges between pitching and sand.

Two things don't make sense to me.

New High Handicap Golfer
Not choosing game improvement irons.

That being said to me golf is about looks and feel. If I can't look down at every club in a set and think wverythig looks okay I will be I trouble. There are certain shoes I can't wear golfing because it messes with what I need to see looking at a ball.

If they look good and feel good buy them. But I would not spend high dollar or get fitted until you are good with your golf swing. As lessons progress your ham position will change, your spine alignment will change and your swing plane will change. All of those factors will be used in fitting you for clubs.

The last thing you want to do is have to get refitted in a year. Just my opinion.

quote:
What about the woods? Looking for a new set and I stink


My $0.02 coming from a self declared Titliest snob is to go w/ the new 913's from Titliest. I recently went and bought a new 3W and hit the 913F, the new Taylormade (stage 2), and the new Ping G25.

I hated the TM. Didn't have any feel to it whatsoever and didn't like the way the ball took off from the face. The Ping and the Titliest both were about even, I just managed to hit the Titliest about 20 yards further. I was VERY impressed w/ the Ping though. Very easy to get the ball in the air, even off the deck.

As far as the choices of irons that you listed I'd go with the AP1's, but that might just be my bias talking. One of my buddies got some new Adams irons not too long ago. I can't think of what the set is called, but they are cavity backed and he really likes them.

Best thing that you are doing is having your clubs custom fit. That is a very underrated advantage that not enough everyday golfers do.

My post from the thread on Varsity.

Thanks for all the replies so far.

quote:

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Two things don't make sense to me.

New High Handicap Golfer
Not choosing game improvement irons.

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It's my understanding that all the irons I have tried are game improvement irons.

Curious about your comment.

Only1,

I don't consider those Titleist Irons game improvement. I guess it also depends on te Pings, but I would not consider the i20 a game improvement iron either.

Sounds like we are on different pages. I also realized that comment looks a little rude and I did not mean for it to come off that way.

These are not oversized game-improvement irons in the traditional sense. While these clubs offer a bit of forgiveness, you are able to work the ball with any of them.

While they may not be blade/professional style irons, they are largely not targeting beginning golfers either. If you are not yet satisfied with your swing, I would also wait to get fitted. I have been playing for 9 years and just got custom fitted after ditching the set I started playing with.

For example: Pretty much all "game improvement irons" in the past looked like the big berthas on the left in this picture. Wide base with a huge cavity. These new clubs like the rocketbladez are almost a hybrid between blades and the wide soled game improvement irons of old.



[This message has been edited by Lorenz_0016 (edited 7/21/2013 3:45p).]

Db, no worries man, I was just curious, didnt take it as rude.

I'm not sure what pings I hit yesterday, but the pro said they were game improvement but perhaps not as I didn't hit them near as well as I did the taylormade and titelist.

I would be wiling to bet you hit the G25's as this is Ping's mainline game improvement iron. It has the widest sole and is the most forgiving, but also less workable.

I have played both Titlelist and Ping and in my opinion, most Titlelist irons are players irons. As you improve and learn to work draws and fades, control trajectory and understand your distances (with consistency) I think you will enjoy the players irons.

Saw you posted that you are pretty tall. This is even MORE reason to make sure you are fitted exactly right. I am 6'3" and this is why I posted earlier that fitting is so important. I had never been fitted upright enough until this last session. This led me to put extensions in my wedges and I can't believe the difference it has made.

I'm curious about where you are in terms of learning to really hit your irons purely. Are you compressing the ball and taking the divot in front of where the ball sits? The best I have ever seen at doing this is Tiger Woods - love watching slow motion video of his iron play at impact. The reason I bring this up is you will get very different feel and feedback from the AP1 (or similar other brand) vs a game improvement iron such as the Big Bertha or Ping G25.

Interesting no one has posted recommending Nike irons. I am not a fan of Nike golf equipment but figured someone might have a good experience.

Look at any mizunos?

The AP1s and 825-Pros are two of the best looking irons in similar categories, I'd put the Rocketbladez in that same category too, but I like the look less. My only problem with the Rocketbladez is the super-strong loft they use to sell you their spiel of "the longest irons you've ever hit." Yea duh, they're the longest because your 7 iron is every other brands' 6 iron, so they don't compare. Not a knock on the clubs, just tricky marketing.

I've hit a lot of the clubs mentioned in this thread in various stores, which is a great way to judge feel and look. If you've narrowed it down to those two, it seems like you'll be fine with either one, just pick the ones you like best! I'm still in the deciding phase myself as to my next set of irons...it really is something to agonize over!