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  • 02-07-2008
    tommy_chunk
    newbie!
    Just want to start with saying hello to all. I just found this website and look forward to chatting with all of you.

    My question: I am a bogey golfer looking for new irons to improve my game. I have been looking on ebay and like the reviews of the older Cleveland sets (TA6, TA7, or Launcher) and the Nike (Slingshot). I am open to anything else if you have suggestions. I have never hit super improvement irons, so I wonder what my skill level requires.

    I have some older Dunlop irons right now and hit them pretty well, but I think I need the forgiveness of the newer technology to move forward in my game. I play 1-2 per week with not much more time than that to get out.
  • 02-07-2008
    Not a hacker
    Unfortunately for you Tommy, you will find it hard to get any serious replies to this type of post. Generally speaking, paranoia reigns on GR and any 'new' member who asks a question about the benefits of GI clubs is immediately viewed with suspicion as a reincarnation of one of the regular forum trolls here (JS, Kiwi) just trying to start a flame war.

    But being the big hearted guy I am I'll take you at face value and give you this advice. Man up and get some real clubs if you ever aspire to look like anything that remotely resembles a golfer on the course, you sissy, weak gutted jellyback. Nike Sling shots are strictly for faggs and should never be considered as a choice for irons.

    P.S. As a newbie I'm supposed to go easy on you so please don't take the second paragraph personally, just view it as a genral comment that could be applied to anyone who entertains the idea of getting gay as clubs.

    P.P.S. Welcome to GR Tommy, hope your stay here is enjoyable and informative.
  • 02-07-2008
    golfaholic
    [QUOTE=Not a hacker]. Generally speaking, paranoia reigns on GR and any 'new' member who asks a question about the benefits of GI clubs is immediately viewed with suspicion as a reincarnation of one of the regular forum trolls here (JS, Kiwi)

    [/QUOTE]

    HEY,

    I take offense to that..I hardly post on here anymore and when I do I don't troll.

    However, I am touched you are still thinking of me.

    Sincerely,


    JS
  • 02-07-2008
    Tommy, out of common decency we tried a moratorium on flame jobs for newbies-- but it seems decency hasn't logged in for a while.

    You're drinking from the firehose. :-)

    Brings back warm memories of my first day, and by warm memories I mean violent flashbacks, psychotic episodes and a lot of crying for my mommy.
  • 02-07-2008
    Kiwi Player
    [QUOTE=tommy_chunk]Just want to start with saying hello to all. I just found this website and look forward to chatting with all of you.

    My question: I am a bogey golfer looking for new irons to improve my game. I have been looking on ebay and like the reviews of the older Cleveland sets (TA6, TA7, or Launcher) and the Nike (Slingshot). I am open to anything else if you have suggestions. I have never hit super improvement irons, so I wonder what my skill level requires.

    I have some older Dunlop irons right now and hit them pretty well, but I think I need the forgiveness of the newer technology to move forward in my game. I play 1-2 per week with not much more time than that to get out.[/QUOTE]

    Hi Tommy

    Welcome to GR.

    Don't worry about Not a Hacker (NAH). He thinks I'm a troll just because I respond to his constant diatribe about game improvement clubs and hybrids being for gays, faggs, sissies etc etc etc. All the while he plays game improvement clubs himself!!! Arguing with logic and facts gets you nowhere so I respond on the same demented level as him and his cronies and for that he accuses me of being a troll!

    However I digress.

    Back on topic, I know very little about the Nike Slingshots but I have previously owned a set of Ta6's. They are good game improvement irons (a bit like the MX-20's NAH plays) and a bogey golfer like yourself wouldn't go far wrong with them. They are quite a forgiving iron, easy to hit. The Launchers are a really oversize iron (more of a super game improvement iron) a bit like Callaway Big Bertha's. They are probably better suited to a higher handicapper than yourself.

    The Ta7's are a very nice iron and would be my choice if I was a bogey golfer. I'm assuming you want to improve over the next year or two and the TA7's could be just the club to take you to that next level.

    Looking back if I had bought TA7's instead of Ta6's I think they would still be in the bag.

    That's just my 2 cents worth. Hope it helps.

    Good luck with your search. Let us know what you end up getting.

    Kiwi
  • 02-07-2008
    [QUOTE=Kiwi Player]Hi Tommy

    Welcome to GR.

    Don't worry about Not a Hacker (NAH). He thinks I'm a troll just because I respond to his constant diatribe about game improvement clubs and hybrids being for gays, faggs, sissies etc etc etc. All the while he plays game improvement clubs himself!!! Arguing with logic and facts gets you nowhere so I respond on the same demented level as him and his cronies and for that he accuses me of being a troll!

    However I digress.

    Back on topic, I know very little about the Nike Slingshots but I have previously owned a set of Ta6's. They are good game improvement irons (a bit like the MX-20's NAH plays) and a bogey golfer like yourself wouldn't go far wrong with them. They are quite a forgiving iron, easy to hit. The Launchers are a really oversize iron (more of a super game improvement iron) a bit like Callaway Big Bertha's. They are probably better suited to a higher handicapper than yourself.

    The Ta7's are a very nice iron and would be my choice if I was a bogey golfer. I'm assuming you want to improve over the next year or two and the TA7's could be just the club to take you to that next level.

    Looking back if I had bought TA7's instead of Ta6's I think they would still be in the bag.

    That's just my 2 cents worth. Hope it helps.

    Good luck with your search. Let us know what you end up getting.

    Kiwi[/QUOTE]

    The two that bang into my mind are the new Cleveland Gold irons, game improvement numbers but traditional sort of look, and Callaway x20.

    Most scratch golfers wouldn't complain too much about having to play those clubs, and they're very helpful to the bogey golfer as well....

    And so are, of course, the Pings, the G5 and the G10.

    fyi
  • 02-08-2008
    Not a hacker
    [QUOTE=daveperk]The two that bang into my mind are the new Cleveland Gold irons, game improvement numbers but traditional sort of look, and Callaway x20.

    Most scratch golfers wouldn't complain too much about having to play those clubs, and they're very helpful to the bogey golfer as well....

    And so are, of course, the Pings, the G5 and the G10.

    fyi[/QUOTE]

    I think most ditch diggers wouldn't complain too much about having those clubs in the back of their truck either. Especially the Pings.
  • 02-08-2008
    [QUOTE=Not a hacker]I think most ditch diggers wouldn't complain too much about having those clubs in the back of their truck either. Especially the Pings.[/QUOTE]

    And thus my point is again made, albeit less elegantly.

    Who did I see on TV the other day who was playing G5 irons? Someone who was at or near the lead, but can't remember which event... and Calc plays them I think, even though he wears the G10 hat... I think the hats are for the players of drivers and fairway woods..

    at any rate, not many on the tour are playing that i10 but there's lots of G players still out there...
  • 02-08-2008
    pingman360
    seriously tommy this place can get out of hand... but there are some of us who will anser you properly and give you the help you need don listen to hacker... as for what you should buy its hard to tell what you need but i would look into the launchers i were you...
  • 02-08-2008
    neverman
    Any of Golf Digest's recent clue test "gold" or better winners would be great choices which ultimately would come down to "your" preference for a particular name, style or feel.

    Shop a bit, hit a few in an "OPEN" range type local and see what wins out. No need to follow the herd!
  • 02-08-2008
    bjdrivers
    You sound like the typical weekend golfer Tommy, who has the ability to break 90. I think you'd be best off with a set of player's cavities. There are a ton of them out there, new & old. Stay away from anything PING or Callaway. Consider demo'ing some of these:

    TaylorMade r7 TP
    Cleveland CG2 or CG Red
    Any Titleist cavity back
    Nike Pro Combo
    Mizuno MP60

    Playing something game-improvement will not force you to get any better. A player's cavity will give you a little forgiveness until you hone your ball-striking and still give you plenty of workability and trajectory control if you desire. I personally suggest the CG2s which can be bought brand new for under $400 now. Very soft Carbon Metal Matrix material which feels a lot like a forged iron, but will wear a lot longer. They are a small, compact, excellent looking iron with all the workability you desire.

    [IMG]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/bjdrivers/stk_x_large.jpg[/IMG]
  • 02-08-2008
    fred3
    Get fitted and get clubs that fit. Just buying "game improvement" irons won't improve your game. You may drop a few strokes at first due to the " new to you " factor, but soon enough your old swing will compensate.

    See a professional teacher, get fit for clubs, practice when you can.
  • 02-08-2008
    poe4soul
    Neverman is spot on. Here is the link...
    [URL="http://www.golfdigest.com/equipment/ratings"]http://www.golfdigest.com/equipment/ratings[/URL]
  • 02-08-2008
    jambalaya
    Get as many hybrids as possible, the most generous cavity back clubs and a belly putter and you will fit in quite nicely.
  • 02-08-2008
    pingman360
    [QUOTE=daveperk]And thus my point is again made, albeit less elegantly.

    Who did I see on TV the other day who was playing G5 irons? Someone who was at or near the lead, but can't remember which event... and Calc plays them I think, even though he wears the G10 hat... I think the hats are for the players of drivers and fairway woods..

    at any rate, not many on the tour are playing that i10 but there's lots of G players still out there...[/QUOTE]

    not to take away from what you said about the G series clubs but im pretty sure calc uses either i10's or S58's
  • 02-08-2008
    edgey
    Hi

    Firstly, hi and welcome.

    I am fairly new here and have already incurred the wrath of Omens Cult

    I play off 8 and have used Callaway Big Bertha 2002 irons, with hybrids, a high lofted driver for years.

    For me the object is to get the ball in the hole in the least number of shots. No need to make the game harder than it is. For me, i think clubs should be easy to use and sod traditionalism

    The cult of Omen believe that to play a real game and improve you should use more traditional type clubs, and there is some merit in this argument.

    My advise is, if you are a high handicapper who is interested in improving take lessons and play clubs that make you feel confident you like the look of and enjoy using.

    End of common sense

    Over to you Omen, you fcuking closet queen

    Gaybrid
  • 02-08-2008
    The Purist
    Welcome to GR Tommy.

    I like your avatar. I am a huge Steelers fan myself.

    [QUOTE]I am a bogey golfer looking for new irons to improve my game.[/QUOTE]

    The best way to improve your game is to buy a set of irons that allows you to hit good shots when swung properly. Try to avoid clubs with offset and closed faces, because you have to make a bad swing just to make the ball go where you want (how is that improvement). Its also my opinion that oversized irons tend to add more power to your mishits (example: blocked shot may end up longer and out of bounds instead of shorter but still in the rough.)

    Definitely get fitted.

    Don't just go with what iron you hit longest, because one companies pw may be another companies 9i. Consistency is more important than distance with irons. If your 3 iron loft isn't low enough, you can always add a 2iron later.

    Good Luck......and btw, I have a preference for forged over cast.
  • 02-08-2008
    [QUOTE=pingman360]not to take away from what you said about the G series clubs but im pretty sure calc uses either i10's or S58's[/QUOTE]

    The last time Calc won, which was that Norman team thing I believe, I looked carefully when there was a closeup of him holding his iron.

    IT was a G iron, not the i one. And the insert thingie was blue, not orange, unless mine eyes deceive me.

    I believe Calc plays the G5 iron. I"ll check the WITB, but that's what I believe I saw him holding fairly recently.

    UPDATE ---

    I checked WITB and it says he plays the i5. So my eyes DID deceive me, but not on color, the insert was blue... but the clubs looked like G clubs to me...

    I haven't looked closely at i5 irons, only at the i10s. Maybe the i5 is a bit more shovel-like than the i10 and that's what fooled me.

    UPDATE UPDATE ---

    Yep, the i5 has more offset than the i10 and has a bit more flange too. IT looks more G-like than the i10, so that's why I thought it was a G5.

    [url]http://www.pinggolf.com/irons_i5.html[/url]
  • 02-08-2008
    Kiwi Player
    [QUOTE=tommy_chunk]Just want to start with saying hello to all. I just found this website and look forward to chatting with all of you.

    My question: I am a bogey golfer looking for new irons to improve my game. I have been looking on ebay and like the reviews of the older Cleveland sets (TA6, TA7, or Launcher) and the Nike (Slingshot). I am open to anything else if you have suggestions. I have never hit super improvement irons, so I wonder what my skill level requires.

    I have some older Dunlop irons right now and hit them pretty well, but I think I need the forgiveness of the newer technology to move forward in my game. I play 1-2 per week with not much more time than that to get out.[/QUOTE]

    Most guys have come through with some pretty good suggestions except that they are talking about more recent models which you may not be able to pick up as cheaply as the older Clevelands you mentioned. Re the Launchers, the original that Cleveland brought out was a really oversize chunky club but later they brought out the Launcher LP (Low Profile) which was pretty similar to the Ta6.

    As mentioned previously the Ta 7's would be my choice.
  • 02-08-2008
    so, er, um, I mean... what happened to Tommy?

    Rhetorical question. :-)
  • 02-08-2008
    Not a hacker
    Memo to Dave and Pingman: Who cares what Calc plays. He's a fat, broken down slob who is about to hit the cart tour. I'm just surprised he doesn't play Adams.
  • 02-08-2008
    collegegolfer
    Just remember there are TA7's and TA7 Tours. I have a set of Tours sitting in the garage and they are substantially different from the TA7's. Much smaller head, MUCH less offset.
  • 02-09-2008
    [QUOTE=Not a hacker]Memo to Dave and Pingman: Who cares what Calc plays. He's a fat, broken down slob who is about to hit the cart tour. I'm just surprised he doesn't play Adams.[/QUOTE]

    Speaking as someone who has already revealed here more than once my affinity for Calc on the basis of shared traits (47, fat, broken down, slob, prefers carts) and as an Adams paddler myself, I might just have to sit on you until you squeak.

    Calc makes a darn good living out there, eats steak and plays golf every day, multimillionaire on cruise control, and he just won with Woody Austin in the Greg Norman team thingie a couple of months ago... he might be a fat slob but he's far from done. I would bet the senior tour, with its shorter three day events and groups of old men in Winnebagoes looking for good restaurants which serve dinner early, will stimulate Calc and awaken him to future victories.

    He just has to stagger home on the regular tour these last couple of years. :-)
  • 02-09-2008
    pingman360
    [QUOTE=daveperk]The last time Calc won, which was that Norman team thing I believe, I looked carefully when there was a closeup of him holding his iron.

    IT was a G iron, not the i one. And the insert thingie was blue, not orange, unless mine eyes deceive me.

    I believe Calc plays the G5 iron. I"ll check the WITB, but that's what I believe I saw him holding fairly recently.

    UPDATE ---

    I checked WITB and it says he plays the i5. So my eyes DID deceive me, but not on color, the insert was blue... but the clubs looked like G clubs to me...

    I haven't looked closely at i5 irons, only at the i10s. Maybe the i5 is a bit more shovel-like than the i10 and that's what fooled me.

    UPDATE UPDATE ---

    Yep, the i5 has more offset than the i10 and has a bit more flange too. IT looks more G-like than the i10, so that's why I thought it was a G5.

    [url]http://www.pinggolf.com/irons_i5.html[/url][/QUOTE]

    yep you are right i also checked BSG and WRX fir there tourney pic's calc clearly uses i5's
  • 02-09-2008
    tommy_chunk
    Thanks for the "advice". I am still here. I went to a golf shop and hit some balls on the driving range. I liked the Cleveland clubs the best. I think the Launchers seem to have the best reviews, so I have a bid on some from Ebay. I seemed to hit the graphite regular shafts the best. I also hit a Hibore XL and I really liked it. I ended up bringing one home. I play with several guys that have Callaways and they are not doing any better than I do with my "garage sale" Dunlops.
  • 02-09-2008
    pingman360
    [QUOTE=tommy_chunk]Thanks for the "advice". I am still here. I went to a golf shop and hit some balls on the driving range. I liked the Cleveland clubs the best. I think the Launchers seem to have the best reviews, so I have a bid on some from Ebay. I seemed to hit the graphite regular shafts the best. I also hit a Hibore XL and I really liked it. I ended up bringing one home. I play with several guys that have Callaways and they are not doing any better than I do with my "garage sale" Dunlops.[/QUOTE]

    well let us know what you do...
  • 02-09-2008
    MTibbo
    there is a 99% chance that those clubs you bid on are fake...ebay is a no no


    PINGMAN
  • 02-09-2008
    tommy_chunk
    fake clubs
    I bought the irons from 3ballsgolf that is advertised at Golf Review. I would hope a sponsor is legitimate.

    I guess I don't care if they are fake as long as I play well and they don't break.:thumbsup:
  • 02-09-2008
    pingman360
    [QUOTE=tommy_chunk]I bought the irons from 3ballsgolf that is advertised at Golf Review. I would hope a sponsor is legitimate.

    I guess I don't care if they are fake as long as I play well and they don't break.:thumbsup:[/QUOTE]

    they are...