My New Irons - with Pics

[MGP]

My New Irons - with Pics - Updated

Ok, so I've been hitting forged irons all my golfing life. This past year I started having some tendonitis problems in my left elbow and some occasional back problems too. These have taken a toll on my swing and I guess are a sign I'm getting old(er)... :shocked:

I decided I was going to get some new irons, maybe even with graphite shafts to take some of the wear and tear off my joints. After looking around, everything I liked was pushing $1000 and that wasn't going to fly. So I decided to build some clubs myself. I've built putters and wedges before, done the occasional shaft ho so I figured I could handle it. I also wanted to get some irons fit to my height as I'm 6'2" and all my previous irons have been a bit short.

I looked around at all the online component suppliers and settled in on Golfsmith's D2 heads. I also fell in love with the P2 heads (see ualtim's PGA show pics and you'll see why) but that's another story and probably another set of clubs in the future. I built a 7 iron and hit it a bunch to make sure I liked the clubs. I'd never had "game improvement" irons and they felt very smooth to me. I also liked the looks, the top line isn't as massive as a lot of clubs like some of the Callaways and even Mizunos I looked at. They do have a wide sole but I seem to get down and through the ball OK with them.

I finally got to play a round with them yesterday and I love them. It took a small bucket of range balls and about 4 or 5 holes to get used to them but after that I was hitting them very well. I think they are gonna be keepers and would recommend them to someone who wants a nice set of clubs for not too much $$$. These heads, teamed up with Dynamic Gold shafts would be dynamite and not cost you your first born child.

On to the pics:

Since I took these pics I also removed the paint from the bottom grooves, I like the naked look a lot better.

I'm not sure if these clubs qualify me as a full fledged ho, but I am feeling a lot more ho-ish now. :laugh:

 

[BigJim13]

Nice looking set of clubs. I just reshafted my irons with DG's and love them. I am 6'3" and went 3/4" over standard and LOVE the feel. Its amazing how easy it really is to put a set together and get a HIGH quality set for a fraction of the cost. Nice sticks...

 

[JEFF4i]

Good looking clubs, good that you like them no less.

 

[Hangfire]

Great looking set of irons! I like the thin top line, you never see the bottom at address;-):idhitit:

 

[chemboy2]

Those are some pretty darn nice looking irons. Good for you for building your own set! I know I get a lot of pride out of doing all my own grips, I imagine I'd walk around with a puffed chest if I was playing clubs that I put together myself; maybe one day...

Enjoy your new set!!

 

[SilverUberXeno]

Your irons give me a woody

 

[Sandy]

Please post some updates in the future as you get settled in to playing with them! Those heads jumped out at me in the Golfsmith catalogue as being not only really good looking, but just about perfect for my next set of irons, so I'm really interested in how they go for you.

 

[LyleG]

Very nice job on the irons. It looks like you have done one hell of a job. Those heads, from what I have heard, are wonderful. I expect you will be very pleased.

 

[MGP]

Well, I've had a chance to play three rounds with these irons since my first post. My tendonitis is finally cooling down and I'm able to put a decent swing on the ball now.

Yesterday I played an "old school" short muni that has really tricky greens. You know, those small crowned fast ones that there isn't such a thing as a flat putt? I played this course 3-4 times a week 20 yrs. ago when I was in college and they've reversed the 9's a few years back so it took a little mental adjustment. I stuck several approachs closer than I expected. These irons can generate some serious backspin. I spin the crap outta anything from a 7i down which took a little getting used to.

Overall, I hit them a bit lower than my old clubs which I was planning for. Distance is about the same and they are a lot more forgiving on mishits. The Golfsmith Carbon Stick graphite shafts in Stiff flex are turning out to be a good fit for my swing -- moderately fast, but smooth. They definitely make contact with the ball soft but they are stiff enough and the torque is low enough on them I haven't had any accuracy problems. I don't think they'd be a real good shaft for someone with a fast, hard swing though. Then again, if I had that kind of swing I wouldn't have picked these shafts either... All in all a nice shaft, especially for the money.

I definitely think that these clubheads matched with a high performance steel shaft of your choice would make a damn fine set of clubs for almost anyone wanting a forgiving set of "player improvement" irons. The cost would be in the ballpark that almost anyone could afford them too.

I'm keeping them in my bag for a while now. I may still whip up a set of Golfsmith P2's with DG shafts if I want to go back to a more traditional muscleback set of irons.

 

[ualtim]

Nice work, MGP. They look great!

Glad to see that your enjoying them. GS makes quality stuff and I am sure that you will be happy with them for some time to come (until your inner Ho kicks in .)

Of course, once you make one set, you start itching to make another.:laugh: Its an addicting hobby all the way around.

Great work on the clubs.

ualtim