Hoping to make the investment in getting fitted for a new set of irons. I’ve been playing a set of Wilson’s that are quite old. Got them used in 2013/14 maybe? Used to play scores ~105 but would only play a handful times a year.
Got to consistent 91-96 scores last season when I started taking golf more seriously and I intend on keeping the progress into this year and have some good irons for the next 5+ years.
I hit good distance with my current shitty irons, so I’m not quite looking for distance irons. Looking for consistent carry and forgiveness in the set that I purchase.
I’ve done some looking into it and came across the Mizuno JPX923’s. Anyone have experience with them or any other suggestions from someone in a similar position/skill level?
Mizunos are solid. However, best advice I can give you as a single digit handicap is to get fitted and try out various sets of clubs. Brand doesn’t matter, only feel does at the end of the day.
And I don't even play a full 18 and just try to dominate TopGolf. OP, definitely just get fitted first, and care less about the specific brand later. Mizunos are solid though, I will agree.
Not a great golfer, and don't think clubs make the player BUT... I have taylormade M4's and they are like butter. Way better game after getting them. I swing hard so got a stiff shaft & they added half an inch for me with slightly wider grips. This is why you get fitted, those small details help. It's too pricey, I forget what I paid but it was like a few hundred to get my set fitted.
Definitely get fitted, and make sure you try a bunch of irons out. I went in looking for Mizuno's, but I kept hitting the Ping's better so I went for the Ping (you can't deny the numbers). Make sure you try a variety of irons, and then try the different shafts as well.
Appreciate the advice! I’ll definitely be spending a while at the shop testing out the different sets.
Taking the other side here- as someone who shoots in the 90s do NOT get fitted. With no offense intended your swing probably has some major flaws that an inexperienced club fitter could screw up. Example- would not be unusual to have a big over the top move and come in steep which if using the old lie angle board might suggest you need 5 degree upright iron which will look horrible at impact/promote a bad swing/result in huge hooks (almost no one needs 5 degrees up). If the fitter is good he will struggle bc will have to fit on where your expected swing could get to presuming you have plans to get better. Also, iron technology doesn't improve much over time- as long as grips arent worn, grooves arent worn then a regular lie angle/length, stiff shaft (unless super strong or weak) should be fine (ok to get fitted on grips if they feel too small). If you're tall or short guess what it really is your arms to body ratio that matters. Save your pennies, direct half towards lessons and come back for a fitting when you're shooting closer to low 80s/have a reliable non overly flawed swing. Of course if $ is no object or dont care at all about improvement (both things are ok) then disregard what I am saying. If interested on instruction thoughts reply and I will respond.
You didn't ask but putter can literally be 15 years old. Tech makes a difference on woods but just buy used for now until you improve and only if woods > 5 years old if not keep what you have. Wedges are worth improving if grooves worn out so get some used ones, unless 3 years or newer then keep what you have.
- Ex college golfer/State Jr winner/national amateur championship participant (got my butt kicked a lot so this is more to just establish background for advice)
Thanks for the advice! I am 100% aware of my swing having issues. Hoping to get a couple lessons this season to work out some issues that have been a problem in my game.
I’ll probably skip the fitting since most clubs are made for my height anyway. Will definitely spend a good amount of time at the shop working out different iron sets.
This is a fairly hot take IMO. A proper club fitting, especially irons, can likely resolve major swing mechanic issues. A golfers swing pattern will change based on the setup of the club at address without question. Irons pulled off the rack are a total toss up re: loft/lies being standard. Agreed spending money on instruction is likely better value but if you’re playing clubs not compatible for your swing and body type it will be way more difficult to change your swing pattern. And iron fittings at very legit fitters (TruSpec, Club Champion, etc.) are like $150 so not like it’s going to break the bank. And iron tech has changed tremendously in the last decade - maybe not irons commonly played by competitive golfers, but for player improvement sets no doubt.
Would love a friendly debate as you clearly can play. FWIW I have a very similar background and competitive playing career.
I actually don’t think we’re far apart as you agree money is better spent towards lessons and I think fittings are valuable (I’m merely advocating delaying a fitting by 12-18 months not against them) but in response;
- correct that a fitting is inexpensive at $150 but “updating clubs” in a couple years with a for “steady state” swing could cost $1000 plus if need new shafts/grifts etc (again this may be chump change to OP or it may not be but something I’d prefer to know up front in his shoes) so if you’re going to splurge the 3k plus it can be for a new set why not wait until you’re in a better spot
- of course a better fitting club can help improve a swing but for someone shooting 90-100 that is marginal compared to lessons unless a very weird body/strength/hickory shaft
- I proposed making sure he has something that is standard set up lie/loft so yes agree here, trying to calibrate for whether he is a stiff or regular shaft player and spending some money to put right correct fitting grips
- I had assumed iron technology had made a similar lack of progress across the board here so will concede that point
Again I’d say take a lesson from an honest /reputable pro and see if they opine whether your irons are dramatically holding you back. I’d also consider buying irons second hand from a place with someone who could put you into something decent- I’m just advocating strongly against something like doing a top to bottom custom fitting at a titleist performance center unless cost is no consideration
Addendum: had never thought of the concept of telling them you wanted to swing a 0 like the poster below for the fitting process- that is also a viable route I had not considered but again if the goal is to enjoy the game more and you like most people enjoy more when playing better then the marginal ROI of $1 on a lesson is far better.
All you need is a 3 hybrid, 54 degree, and a putter. Nothing else matters
But what if I want to carry it 280 down the middle of the fairway in front of the cart girl?
Username checks out
I would not recommend spending money on a fitting. Best scenario is to find a real grass range having a demo weekend. The reps get you setup and then pretty much leave you alone as they try to close guys deeper in the session. Pick whichever irons you feel you're hitting best. The new paradym irons are crazy forgiving as are the stealth irons.
I've had my eyes on the T100 irons for soooo long but just can't get myself to pull the trigger because I don't play enough and I still shoot ~84 no matter my clubs, no matter which ball, no matter the conditions, etc. etc....It's crazy ha
I used to be a near-scratch golfer. You should consider trying out different clubs and seeing the feel on them, every players find their own preferences.
Do not get fitted until you think your swing will never change again. I play anywhere from a 7-15 depending on time of season (can't golf year round where I live, so takes me a few rounds / range sessions to get dialed) but have never gotten a fitting. I did however, get new irons last year: Titleist T200s, and they helped a lot. The guy at the store insisted I get the T100s if I really want to improve (less forgiving, higher performance ceiling irons essentially) but decided to go with the more forgiving T200s as I like to enjoy a few - 12 cold ones plus a joint when I'm playing so the forgiveness comes in handy later in the round lol. In any case, I would recommend focusing on the clubs themselves prior to getting a fitting. Technology has really advanced in golf equipment the last 5-10 years so you can really feel the difference. Get custom grips too. Most above average golf stores have club testing sims, so give yourself a nice window of time to spend trying out some of the models you're interested in, pick one you like that works, then get them gripped (unless the irons have grips you really like already, but 90% of the time custom grips are better.)
Hit 'em straight.
Thanks for the advice! Decided against fitting after reading some comments above and understanding the work I need to do on my swing.
Planning on trying out a few different sets with my most used irons (usually 5/8/9). I’m not sure on getting custom grips based on cost/benefit of it right now. I feel like literally anything I get will be a significant grip improvement as my clubs were bought used 9-10 years ago.
Probably right on the grips. Honestly most new sets will have decent - above decent grips anyways, especially fresh out of the box.
Good luck out there, and remember in the end it's about having fun with the boys while being able to get away from significant others for a glorious 5 hours. Talk about 2 birds!
Was in your position in need of irons. Decided to play golf regularly last summer (range and play), and then followed a variation of the approach below during the winter.
1) For three weeks, went to the driving range at least 1x/week and hit balls
2) In the fourth week, had a lesson setup, then after that appointment hit balls that same week
3) Repeat steps 1 and 2, your lesson being a lesson & checkup with same.
For 1-3 above, I took a lesson with someone who has a trackman / tech setup. It was helpful (and honestly fun) to have both verbal and technology feedback. It also helped in the follow ups in that progress could be tracked, any new bad habits understood, etc.. I let him know I'm also preparing to purchase clubs and that my goal was to swing a "zero", i.e. work toward creating a swing that wouldn't need fitted adjustments for ball striking (or as reasonably close I could get).
From here you can either repeat steps 1-3 another time, or you can setup a fitting.
For the fitting, I did one at a shop. Before doing so, I went a couple times before and hit different types of demo clubs they have to get a feel of each brand. I had an idea of which felt good, let the guy know I need to start there and then wanted branch out to different brands and shafts. I also told him my goal is to swing a "zero", no head adjustments, even though i ended up with a one, 1-degree change that felt close enough at the end of it all.
When you have an idea during the fitting of which brands you like, be sure you go back to them and start testing shafts during the fitting. There was a lot of back and forth discussion and we settled on two to return and hit more in a face-off.
To answer your question - Needed irons and ended up buying 5-P of Srixon's ZX5. Probably could've done a mixed bag in the higher irons, but love feel, performance, look and price. They were the irons I let the fitter know I wanted to start with based on testing feels of different brands in the couple weeks before and ironically enough were the best for me. If the Paradyms were cheaper, it would've been a closer decision. After playing several rounds, I have zero "what ifs" and felt it was a thorough enough process for the stage of my game.
Love this, very thoughtful way to approach a fitting while improving your swing
I'd say though the saying is "there's no pictures on the scorecard", I'd go against it and look at how you're shooting in the 90s.
- Are you around the green in 2/3 shots most times? Do you make decent swings (not topping or shanking shots)? If yes, I'd look into fitting, then also work on putting. If its the opposite, I'd practice/take lessons first to get the swing more consistent.
- If you're still looking for a fitting, I know Club champion usually runs a deal for ~$100 for the full bag. They normally charge $400 so just wait for the sale. I did it last year, was good not great, I've had other fittings that where a lot more thorough. I'd also say, they test you on the latest and greatest, so you can also get last years model for a fraction of the price. For example, they fitted me for Cobra's 2022 line, but I got a steal on ebay for the same irons from their 2018 line for a 1/4 of the price.
Finally, if you do a fitting, make sure you get to see some of the specs. For example, most current iron sets are set up "4 iron - GW" vs older sets that are " 3 iron - PW". Really all the did was just jack the lofts, or move each club up a loft; so the 4 iron in the first set and the 3 iron in the second set are both 21 degrees of loft, yet people think because it says 4 iron they gained yards.
Mizuno’s solid I play 921s. Most top OEMs similar. What matters is shaft and offset. And if you like look/brand. If driver club head speed >95mph go w stiff, if >105mph try extra stiff. If you are over 6’1” tall prob add 0.5” to length. Under 5’8” Vice versa. As general rule of thumb, If you struggle w over fading / slicing - you want more offset. If you struggle w over drawing / hooking - you want less offset. Offset places Club head slightly back giving you incremental milliseconds to close/square it at impact. The mizunos have less offset than the TaylorMade and Ping irons I looked at. At end of day, doesn’t matter a ton and your swing will likely adjust to whatever set you buy. I think you should get fitted even if you are low 90s golfer and don’t have time to do this research yourself. Also when you get fitted you should focus more on degrees loft than “iron number”. Eg I think the mizuno 7 iron in my set has a similar loft to most TaylorMade 6 irons. So you’re not hitting further. So don’t fool yourself into making purchasing decision based on that. Just ask fitter/store to pull up spec sheet for the iron set.
Bit extra: As you get better you will realize you will want higher launch rather than distance w irons. Bc you can play a draw or fade and stick greens w a high launch easier. If you are lower launch you will need fade spin probably to stick greens w lower lofted irons and if that’s not your natural shot shape it is tricky. And greens in regulation is most important thing for scoring regardless of what anyone tells you.
Very helpful point on loft/offset! I’ll have to bring my existing clubs and see what kind they are as I’m not sure how they compare
I love my PXGs. They're a few years old now and still feel like butter. Granted, I don't play as much as I'd like to and mostly just hit on a simulator in my building.
There are a LOT of game improvement irons (many mentioned above) that all feel good. Just go and get fitted. Honestly its a great deal, you get to test drive everything, see the stats of your gameplay and where your swing issues are, and custom pick a head / shaft combination that you like. If you don't pull the trigger you've burned $100-200 on a fitting and come out with names of combinations you like, if you decide to buy, most places apply the fitting costs as a credit on your purchase. Really can't lose IMO, especially when making a purchase that could be a few thousand dollars.
Get fitted! If you've been golfing for a while like you mentioned, your swing won't change much unless you go get a swing trainer etc. Getting fitted helps fit the club to your swing and will send you in the right direction in terms of style of club and what clubs to carry in the bag. If you're shooting around the 90-95 mark and are looking for forgiveness, cavity backed irons may be the way to go. The JPX923's are a great iron btw. All in all, try everything out, clubs are all about personal preference. Best of luck!
I just got fitted last month at Golf Galaxy and shoot similar scores to you (90-95). I went with the Taylormade Stealth irons after trying 6 different brands. I increased my distance on my 7 iron by 18 yards and feel much better over the ball after using a starter set prior due to my old clubs being stolen (they were so short for me I was basically leaning so far over). I think it helps a ton. Lastly, if you go to golf galaxy you can get a free retro fitting any time in the 12 months after purchase. Basically meaning you can go back in and get re-fitted if your swing changes or you find you don't like the clubs as much. Definitely recommend!
I think Titliest clubs are for more advanced people in general (and I hear the most mixed reviews about this brand). Srixons are just weird and a much smaller brand so I wouldn't risk it, Mizunos are good and Callaways are pretty good. When I played in the NCAA they gave us Taylor Made everything and I absolutely loved those clubs I think they are the best all in all (drivers for sure, very good irons, decent wedges / putters).
You defintely want a generous cavity in the back of the club for forgiveness but also a reasonable amount of distance since, when you hit a higher club (e.g. 7 iron vs 6) it is just easier to strike = hence more consistent. For that reason especially you should buy decent clubs as long as you play a reasonable amount rather than just buying a newer pair of shitty clubs.
But don't spend a crazy amount of money - maybe even figure out which type of Mizuno / Taylor Made irons are for 20-30 handicap golfers, then you could even just go on Ebay and buy a 3 year old pair for hundreds less (depends how much you play).
Also don't buy a scotty cameron some people love them but I think they're not worth $400. And don't buy pro-v / expensive balls they're not worth it unless you're <7 handicap.
I have the JPX923 Hot Metal Pros and they are fantastic (similar hcp to you as well)
Ultimately landed on the hot metals today when I tried them out
Anything Taylor made - I need lessons so bad (I’m still young). I think when I have children I will just get the newest release of Taylor made irons and drivers every year.
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