ANYONE PLAYING WITH THESE IRONS?

[Golfbum]

Hey is anyone on Shot Talk playing TaylorMade RAC MB irons? (See picture) I am looking at a set of these irons at the local golf store. They are a demo set, look like new. Rifle 6.0 shafts.
Any thoughts would be welcomed.

Thanks
GB

[Slingblade61]

What are they? Gold?

They look sweet. I guess if youare a club Ho you might as well have pimped out clubs.

I remember years ago that a big deal was mad about the fact that Flip Wilson and President Ford were presented with a set of gold plated golf clubs...I forget the occasion.

[Golfbum]

Well I think that picture is that colour due to the glare off the flash. The ones I looked at today are chromed. Another picture posted, this is what I looked at today.

I read some reviews on these irons and guys who shoot in the 80's and 70's all had great things to say about these irons.

So maybe I will go make a deal on them, see if I can get them for less than what the store is asking as they are demos. But they look like new and the shafts are the exact shafts I would have TaylorMade put in if I was ordering a new set of their irons. Rifle flighted shafts.

I am sure not a Club HO, I only own one set of TM 200 irons, a couple of putters,one driver and a couple of 3 woods, one which is in my bag all the time. I can't afford to have 6 sets of irons sitting in my basement! You can only play with one set at a time, might as well play with the same set every round so you know what your irons can do.

This would be my first set of forged irons so it should be fun getting used to the feel, ball flight and sound of the ball leaving the face.

[Slingblade61]

I forget what the brand was but I recently saw a prototype set in black chrome....SWWWEEEETT!

[Golfbum]

There is a set of black RAC MB's listed on eBay, price starts at $810 US for that set of irons. They look ok, but I still prefer the chromed ones. There is a black RAC wedge on the market too, but I have never seen the balck RAC irons before. I enclosed a picture of the ones on ebay.

[Rockford35]

The black RACS are limited production and retail at something stupid like 1800. They look nice tho.

I hit a set of the chromes like you posted first this November for an extended period while a friend demo'd just about everything in the store one night. We stayed about an hour past close and hit balls like crazy.

I was in my "gotta get some blades, but which ones" phase and hit those. I liked them alot, but I sorta have a mental block against TM and Titleist products, but that's cuz i'm nuts.

They felt pretty nice, typical muscleback design. The ones I hit were made up with DG S300's, not the Rifles, but I have read that either shaft makes them perform well, and they've become the choice of many over the last few years.

If they seem like a good deal and your prepared to allow some time to get used to them, I would say pick them up. You'd be the second gent to get rid of his 200's from this site, if i'm not mistaken, for a set of blades.

Let us know what shakes out of this.

R35

[Golfbum]

Well don't get me wrong, I love those TM 200 irons. I have played them for 3 years and have played some great golf. I was fit for these irons which I think made a huge difference. 400 rounds later I still hit them well.
I just want to try something different. Now I like TaylorMade quality but I have nothing against other club manufacturers. I have looked at Pings, Titleist and the new Wilsons as well as the TaylorMades.
I will keep my 200 series irons due to the fact I was told not be play forged irons when it is cold. Since I play golf in late Nov. and early December there would be days I won't play forged irons.
If it warms up before those irons are sold (Demo set at $750) I will try them out. If they are sold then I will wait til spring and see what is around. Plus the golf shop I deal with is having a huge sale in another month so I might come across a set of irons there.
Thanks for your input, it is always nice to hear what others think and have experienced.

[Silver]

Why not play forged in the cold? What happens to the clubs?

[Golfbum]

According to the owner of the golf shop I deal with forged irons can take a beating in cold weather because of the soft metal. All I know is they told me if there is a day when it is +3 or 4 C to come out and try them. That was not yesterday as it was -9C when I was out there!
This makes sense to me, since forged irons are softer than cast irons.
Anyone on here play with forged when it is cold, and I am not talking 50F, that isn't cold

[Silver]

Oh, yeah okay, I don't play when it's that cold. Usually around +4 or 5 is where I'll start getting out there.

Makes sense, thanks.

[Youngun5]

I've been playing at about 35-40 degrees F. with my TA1's now since rock thinks these of not "true forgings" then i don't know if my statement counts, but i can tell you blades do suck when its cold, they do a little bit better though, b/c if the ground is frozen the thin leading edge just barely skims the top for good contact,
just curious, who's the other guy that switched from 200's, ?

if you play in mostly cold weather i would say keep your 200's or get some more advanced cavity's like RAC lt's or maybe the CB's or a CB/MB combo, but there are tons of things around, i think, ping doesn't forge, but uses softer metal to cast, maybe that's what you might be looking for,
look at me, promoting ping, ahhh

[nsherman2006]

i'm the guy who just switched from 200s to Mizuno forgings. I was debating which set to play in a winter tournament, but it ended up being a balmy 40 degrees or more so the decision was a no-brainer. However, had it been below freezing and the ground been rock solid, i may have gone with the less valuable cast 200s. However, if you are considering going forged, i would look for a set of used mizunos or snake eyes, very good bang for your buck. JMO. Neal

[grazo]

Golfbum

I play these irons. I normally shoot in the 80s and have posted a 79 with these clubs off the back tees at a resort course, which I was real happy with...

Having said that if you're not swinging well you'll know about it, and there are days when I feel like an absolute hacker carrying these clubs around.

I have them with the DGS-300 which I think is a great shaft. My old irons had Rifles in them but I prefer these. Shafts are a personal thing though aren't they?

Being that I am not a single-digit handicapper, and I can blowout into the 90s on a bad day, do I regret buying these clubs? Yes and no. When you're hitting the ball well there is nothing better than a forged blade. When you're struggling, it can be very frustrating and disheartening.

If I had my time again I would probably aim for the combo set with the 3, 4 and 5 iron in the cavity, because they're just a little bit more forgiving.

At the end of the day, I think blades reflect the ability of the person using them - they do not hide or mask swing flaws, like some clubs might. I guess you have to decide if this is a good or a bad thing...

Just as an aside, whatever you decide to go with, I can recommend the TM RAC wedges - they have a fantastic feel and spin and help you to build confidence in your short game. I had never used specialty wedges before and my advice to anyone is if you don't have specialty wedges (Cleveland, Titleist) then go out and get them

[Golfbum]

Thanks for the info on the RAC MB's. I have looked at the MB/CB set but right now there are none in stock at my local golf store. Not to say they can't order them. But the MB's I looked at are priced at $750 Canadian which is a fairly good price for a set of forged irons.
I play to an index anywhere between 5.5 to 7. Might not have the picture perfect swing but I can usually get the clubface back to the ball on line. So I should be ok playing these irons. Reason I would like to try the Rifle shafts is to get my ball flight down. I hit the ball fairly high with my TM200's which have DGS300 shafts in them. I play a windy course constantly and getting the ball flight down would be a blessing out there on certain days.
As everyone has said, playing a non cavity back iron should help you in the long run with your ball striking. But I ain't getting any younger so maybe a different set of irons would suit me better.
I have tried the TM RAC wedges for one round late in the season, my pro has them. He switched to Nike irons and wedges so he wants to sell them this spring. Shafts were the Rifle Spinner shafts I think, nice feel and ball flight.
Again Thanks for your input.

[Loop]

Golfbum, If you're turning your thumbs for the winter season, do like me and make your own custom clubs. I already assembled a killer driver, and in the process of making two new ones. Since you're in automech, I'm pretty sure you'll like the clubmaking idea.
Anyways, if you're looking for a lower ball flight, check for shafts with higher bend point. I don't see why a rifle shaft would make the stay down though.
Also, having a clubhead with a higher CG will help the ball stay low.