Which Irons should I buy?

Ive got a set of Ryder iron which cost about £80 2 years ago and dont get e wround they done me proud. But now the time is right for me to invest in some nice new irons which can reduce my handicap and perform constantly as the sweetspot on the Ryder ones is the size of a pea. But which ones?

I struggle to get the ball really high and prefer a bigger head. Someone told me Ping clubs help with a greater ball flight but whenever I go into American golf etc I get pestered by the guy into looking at clubs I dont think are right and im not convinced his motives are pure.

 Ive got £300 and would like them to last a few years? Any suggestions folks?

I've had my Mizuno Comp EZ's now for around 6 years.  Love them.

I would almost wonder if it's not worth you just playing your current clubs until you are a bit better which would give you time to try out other clubs, get your swing right, etc. and not rush into a new set.  I would have been better off doing that myself. 

I concurr with Michael.  I justr spent 10 minutes saying so in a reply however our lousy IT system at work only allows 10 minute slots so when I pressed submit it dumped me out - aaaarrrggghhhhh.

The short version - I bought Mizuno MX19's this time last year when I felt my game was improving.  Game failed to continue getting better and probably got worse.  It is now showing some signs of improvement but because of some lessons and not cos  of the sticks.

I'd use the money to have some lessons or to play 10 weekends on the trot - that will be far better use of the money than buying the clubs.

That said, this is the same advice I was given on this site a year ago, and I still bought the clubs - there is some phsycological benefit in playing with some nice sticks.

Look at some of the old postings on this forum.  A few people have asked the same question in the past.

I replaced my irons a few months ago Lee and it took about six shots per round off my game (verified by my golfshake stats).  Some of it is confidence that new clubs give you but some of it is just getting a set that's right for you.  If you've got it in your head that your irons need changing, you'll be blaming that for every bad shot and it'll destroy your game.  Given your 'stature' (you're a big lad) an off the shelf set is unlikely to be right for you so whatever you get you need to have them fitted.  Fitting made a huge difference to me as I found a standard shaft and lie is wrong for me. 

Book a fitting session at the Belfry.  They let you try all sorts of clubs with different shaft combinations and make recommendations within your price range.  The session is about £50, but they knock that off the price of the clubs if you buy from them.  If you can't do that, I suggest the following as it's what I did and I feel it worked for me. 

1. As you've said, look at address is important so have a look round American Golf et al and pull a 6 iron out from each set in your price range and set up for address.  Strike off any that you don't like the look of.

2. When you've got some that you like to look at, hit three or four them in one session.  This needs to be done on a range if possible so you can see what the ball is doing, especially if you want a specific ball flight.  There will be some that you hate as soon as you hit them and some you love.  Repeat this with different sets until you have narrowed it down to about three sets you like. 

3. Take your favourite three sets out and hit the 6 and 9 iron from each, again on a range if possible.  By the end of the session you will know in your gut which ones you want. 

4. Make sure you get them fitted as I'd be surprised if a standard shaft length and grip is right for you.  Then part with the cash!

Lee

you could try this lot, one of their guys built my set.  Shouldn't be too far from you either.  At £385 for 4I to SW I reckon they were pretty good value, built specifically for me, you just don't get a flashy badge to go with them.

Edit: oops, missed the link http://www.designergolf.co.uk/

Hi lee,

Going for a custom fit is without the best option as they will defo point you in the right direction regarding lofts and shaft stifness. But for a general pointer check out:

www.learnaboutgolf.com/beginner/clubbasics.html

This is by no means the a 100% rule as your stance and swing will always be diffrent from another players but its gives basic info on club set up.

Cheers

Danny

Lee get fitted, you like me a quite tall. My Callaways are 3/4 inch longer. Didnt help at hh at the weekend though!!

Viper, I'll admit that I've not been on a club building course but from a purely engineering point of view it really can't be difficult.  The shafts as far as I've been able to ascertain are simply glued into the heads (anyone feel free to correct me on this) which means that with the correct surface preparation, atmospherics and adhesive it shouldn't be hard.  If I were to have a go I think I'd let the adhesive set in a vacuum when warm to eliminate air bubbles.  Fairly simple to acheive for a modest outlay.  Have got an idea about how to accurately measure the orientation of the flex of the shaft,  but will need a while to think it through.  Will run through ideas with my 'alternative engineering' buddy tomorrow night over a few beers to see what we can come up with.

Lee ,your height is not as relevant to the length of club you need, it's the measurement of your wrist to the floor.Can you tell me your measurement?

Richard, from what you have said your 5 iron is 38.25 and yor wrist to floor should be 36-37"

is this correct? and do you know the  swing weight of your clubs? curious.

Lee,

Try this link -> http://www.golfsmith.com/ps/oem_ocf.php

Select the "Smartfit" option and "Men" on the drop down.  Select "Irons" and pick something you like the look of from the drop down - the iron you pick at this point will make little or no difference to the outcome.  Then just follow it through putting in the measurements you are asked for.  At the end it will recommend the adjustments to be made to standard club and the shaft type for your swing speed.  It will at least give you an idea as to whether fitting will make a difference to your game. 

I filled this out before having a proper fit at Golfsmith in Los Angeles when getting my irons.  It was almost bang on to what they fitted me for via their measurements and the launch monitor. 

 David, to be honest i have no idea! I cant even remember all the measurements taken just that it did take a while getting swing used to new clubs from old ones!

 David, to be honest i have no idea! I cant even remember all the measurements taken just that it did take a while getting swing used to new clubs from old ones!

 David, to be honest i have no idea! I cant even remember all the measurements taken just that it did take a while getting swing used to new clubs from old ones!