Strange day indeed.

[Eracer]

I shot a 45/47 with 40 putts (8 putts over my average...). So I should be happy, right? If I had putted to my average I would have shot 84, and right now I'm very happy breaking 90.

The problem is I feel like I played terribly. I don't know why. I drove the ball exceptionally well, made a couple of great sand shots, and chipped OK.

So what's the problem? Well, I demoed a set of Titleist 775.CB's which - on paper at least - should be the perfect irons for me. They're touted as being "a stainless steel, forged, game-improvement iron for the aspirational mid-handicap player who wants to hit the ball straight, high, and far". And they were stocked with Nippon NS100 shafts in my preferred R-flex. The NS100's are listed as a 109g steel shaft with a stiff butt section and an active tip. I have NS Pro 950's in my hybrids, and I absolutely love those shafts. These shafts were not the same. Felt almost exactly like DGS300's to me.

So what about results?

The ball went very straight, except for an annoying habit of going straight left. This is the number one criticism of these clubs in the online reviews I read, and I certainly found that to be the case. The 775.CB is designed with powerful anti-slice features. And therein lies the problem. Most "aspirational mid-handicap players" (like me) don't stuggle with slices - at least not with the 6-PW that I carry. I found it very difficult to keep the ball from hitting the far left edge of the green when aiming at the right side. I suppose I could aim way right and "play for the pull", but why would I want to?

Another interesting result was that the shorter the iron, the longer the ball went, relative to what was expected. I'll explain. I hit the 7-iron a bunch of times, and consistently hit it only about 145 yards. This is a full 10 yards shorter than my current gamers. So I would expect the following yardages:

7-iron: 145
8-iron: 135
9-iron: 125
PW: 115

What I found was that the PW went 135 yards. I can't explain this, but it has been noted in other online reviews. The long clubs are short, and the short clubs are long.

The clubs also felt pretty harsh to me, even on good hits. Nowhere near as sweet feeling as my Armours.

I wanted to like these clubs, I really did. But they are a strange combination of things. Game improvement clubs that don't have consistent yardage gaps (no doubt due to the strong lofts in the shorter clubs). Forged clubs with a pretty harsh feel. And worst of all, anti-slice technology in a club promoted for players who don't struggle with slices.

In short, the irons didn't "move me". At all. And maybe that's why a decent day felt bad to me.

[ezra76]

Sure, blame it on the irons, you weren't putting with an iron, were you? Maybe you should have.

It's not easy to switch things up, you know that. I went out last year and played those TM 300 forged with the Rifle 6.0's. They went nowhere, easy club shorter than my irons. They seemed more forgiving though. I thought you had Srixon irons?

[chemboy2]

40 putts is a tough one, sorry to hear that. Were you hitting more greens than usual? This certainly could have skewed your putting total without ballooning the score too much.

As for the 775.cb irons, they were the finalists with the i5 last year when I was iron shopping. I liked them for the most part; mainly cosmetic (I really like the looks of them, even the red bar). Oddly enough though, I thought the PINGS felt softer and actually provided better overall feedback.

If you're looking at switching up irons then I'd seriously take a hard look at the new Srixon offerings or MacGregors. Both have forged sets that are aimed at the same player as the 775.cb.

[VtDivot]

Stick with the armours, you hit those things pretty darn good.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by ezra76

Sure, blame it on the irons, you weren't putting with an iron, were you? Maybe you should have.

It's not easy to switch things up, you know that. I went out last year and played those TM 300 forged with the Rifle 6.0's. They went nowhere, easy club shorter than my irons. They seemed more forgiving though. I thought you had Srixon irons?

I'm playing Tommy Armour 845 V-25 irons. I had some i506's but sold them a year ago. As for putting I've been trying a Heavy Putter. I'm finding that I either putt really good, or really bad with that thing. It requires a very particular kind of stroke. I didn't have it. You're right about about it being the change. The 775's seemed very odd to me. That's the best way to describe it. I'm sure I could get used to them. I'm glad I don't have to.

As for "putting with an iron", If I didn't like my hybrids so much I would have snapped the 3H over my knee and putted out with it. Thing is, I putted really well on the last three holes, once I got back to the stroke that makes the Heavy Putter work.

Originally Posted by chemboy2

40 putts is a tough one, sorry to hear that. Were you hitting more greens than usual? This certainly could have skewed your putting total without ballooning the score too much.

As for the 775.cb irons, they were the finalists with the i5 last year when I was iron shopping. I liked them for the most part; mainly cosmetic (I really like the looks of them, even the red bar). Oddly enough though, I thought the PINGS felt softer and actually provided better overall feedback.

If you're looking at switching up irons then I'd seriously take a hard look at the new Srixon offerings or MacGregors. Both have forged sets that are aimed at the same player as the 775.cb.

I had a set of i506's and They were good clubs, but not as good as my Armours (for me). I sold them to Scotty. I'll take a look at your suggestions. Thanks.

Originally Posted by VtDivot

Stick with the armours, you hit those things pretty darn good.

I know you're right, but a ho's work is never done. I keep thinking I need just a bit more forgiveness, when what I really need is a bit better swing.

[chemboy2]

Originally Posted by Eracer

I'm playing Tommy Armour 845 V-25 irons. I had some i506's but sold them a year ago. As for putting I've been trying a Heavy Putter. I'm finding that I either putt really good, or really bad with that thing. It requires a very particular kind of stroke. I didn't have it. You're right about about it being the change. The 775's seemed very odd to me. That's the best way to describe it. I'm sure I could get used to them. I'm glad I don't have to.

As for "putting with an iron", If I didn't like my hybrids so much I would have snapped the 3H over my knee and putted out with it. Thing is, I putted really well on the last three holes, once I got back to the stroke that makes the Heavy Putter work.

I had a set of i506's and They were good clubs, but not as good as my Armours (for me). I sold them to Scotty. I'll take a look at your suggestions. Thanks.

I know you're right, but a ho's work is never done. I keep thinking I need just a bit more forgiveness, when what I really need is a bit better swing.

Two great sentences right there. At least you're not in denial. Good luck with the search!

[DaGris]

I'm a big guy but I dont hit my irons as far as the little guys in my normal group. I play the ball alittle more up in my stance then most, and hit them real high
6 iron 150
7 iron 140
8 iron 130
9 iron 120
pw 110
*add alittle yardage when it warm outside*

but thats ok,....I play my game.....If I'm hitting a 7, my buddies are hitting a 8 or even a 9. Playing the ball in the back of my stance feels weird to me, I cant do it.

Maybe the new clubs loft is just alittle different than your others,...different material???,...different shafts?....who knows?

as far as you hitting your pw far...........golf is a crazy game! there's no explanation!

[Clugnut]

Did you have the lie angle fitted to you? Some of the "built-in anti-slice technology" may be simply a very upright lie angle. It might explain straight left.

I also hit clubs that just go left on me. That was my problem with the FT-i.

[Sandpiper3]

Eracer, you say you'd be happy breaking 90, and you'd have shot 84 if you could putt normally...?

On even my worse days I can skull or poke irons up near the green. I literally play a skull punch cut thingy that looks awful when im playing poorly, but you poke it off the tee, poke it up near the green, chip and putt and its still a par right?

You just plainly have to make the putts my friend! Now go hit that practise green and make me 50 3ft'ers, and 50 6ft'ers (for you we'll allow up to 10misses, but if u go over 10 start over again, i dont allow myself any misses), then you can go back home.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by Sandpiper3

Eracer, you say you'd be happy breaking 90, and you'd have shot 84 if you could putt normally...?

On even my worse days I can skull or poke irons up near the green. I literally play a skull punch cut thingy that looks awful when im playing poorly, but you poke it off the tee, poke it up near the green, chip and putt and its still a par right?

You just plainly have to make the putts my friend! Now go hit that practise green and make me 50 3ft'ers, and 50 6ft'ers (for you we'll allow up to 10misses, but if u go over 10 start over again, i dont allow myself any misses), then you can go back home.

I don't think 32 ppr (my average) is too bad for an 18 handicapper like me. My scoring problems are the result of a mediocre iron game and horrendous shots around the green. So a good drive is followed by an 8-iron that ends up 10 yards from the green, usually either long, left, or right. That is generally followed by two or three "skull, chunk, whiffs", and two putts, leading to a double-bogey or worse.

Not to say I shouldn't practice putting. I'd like to get to 30 ppr. But putting's not really my big problem, although I'm beginning to think my infatuation with the Heavy Putter was a mistake.

And the "could've been an 84" is why I'm so puzzled my how I felt about the round with the 755.CB's. I was hitting greens with them. Why didn't I like them? Because everything was left, and the yardages gaps were bizarre. If I could marry the feel and distance control of my Armours, with the straightness of the 755's (minus the left, left, lefts...) I will have found the perfect irons.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by Clugnut

Did you have the lie angle fitted to you? Some of the "built-in anti-slice technology" may be simply a very upright lie angle. It might explain straight left.

I also hit clubs that just go left on me. That was my problem with the FT-i.

Good point. No, I didn't. These were a used set that they let me take for a round. It could very well be a lie angle issue. But like I said, the reviews I read all seemed to say the same thing: "The clubs are hard for a non-slicer to keep from going left". One of the reviewers mention that Titleist heavily weight-biased the iron towards the heel, which would tend to close the face early.

Good thought though - and maybe true. But I didn't like the feel of the clubs, so I'm moving on.

[chemboy2]

In an earlier post you mentioned that you just started aiming more right to play for the pull. While that adjustment may have worked, I would contend that it just made the problem worse. You pre-set your mind and alignment for a pull and, thus, you got a pull. You see this a lot with peopld that slice the ball (not folks who play a fade but slicers), when they aim farther left they get a more severe slice. I would suggest pre-setting your mind and alignment more towards the target (or even just to the left of the target) and put a straight-fade swing thought in your mind's eye.

[MCDavis]

Originally Posted by Eracer

Good thought though - and maybe true. But I didn't like the feel of the clubs, so I'm moving on.

So, what are you gonna ho next?

[Sandpiper3]

Eracer, like you said, even with the 755s, coulda been a 84 IF YOU PUTTED WELL (or normally in this case).

So that stands to reason, back to the old irons, save maybe 1-3 more shots.

Get back to normal putting, that SAVES YOU THE 8 SHOTS!!! DUHHHHHH.

Yes, 32ppr is great for an 18 hdcp, but when u stroke 40 putts.... obv guna hurt your score more than changing irons.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by chemboy2

In an earlier post you mentioned that you just started aiming more right to play for the pull. While that adjustment may have worked, I would contend that it just made the problem worse. You pre-set your mind and alignment for a pull and, thus, you got a pull. You see this a lot with peopld that slice the ball (not folks who play a fade but slicers), when they aim farther left they get a more severe slice. I would suggest pre-setting your mind and alignment more towards the target (or even just to the left of the target) and put a straight-fade swing thought in your mind's eye.

Yes, in this particular round, you are correct. But I don't do that with my Armours.

I pick an intermediate target.
I step in and set the clubhead.
Then I set up as square as possible.

With my gamers I don't hit left, left left. But there was something very "left-oriented" about the 755's. That's all I'm saying.