Gents, looking at getting a new set of irons this year. Probably within the next week or so. Played with hand me downs the entire time I've played. All from my grandfather. Time to upgrade. I played with both his steel and graphite, and tend to prefer the steel. The 2 that I am looking at are the Taylormade Burner Plus, and the Nike SQ Machspeed. Leaning towards the Burners. I know they are older models, but I can still get them new for a great deal. Not looking to spend over 3 bills, as I am a very amateur golfer, but just looking to start improving my game a bit. Great reviews for both, but even more/better for the burners. Any thoughts? I can get them both for about the same price and same club configuration.
New Irons....thoughts??
- Thread starter JLB
- Start date
ChefBoyRG54
BoM Sept '14 & BoY 2014
This^^
The burners are really good irons. I've got a set though I've not been playing them lately.
Whenever I'm not playing a lot (last 2-3 years) I always go back to blue dot ping eye 2s. Still the best irons ever made- I found a set 4-5 years ago that were brand new never hit from 30+ years ago. Bent them in 1 degree and reshafted. Best irons I've ever hit by a good margin still.
But to your point the burners are good. They give me 7-8 more yards than the pings I'm hitting for sure. I've just always found better control/action on the greens with ping.
Whenever I'm not playing a lot (last 2-3 years) I always go back to blue dot ping eye 2s. Still the best irons ever made- I found a set 4-5 years ago that were brand new never hit from 30+ years ago. Bent them in 1 degree and reshafted. Best irons I've ever hit by a good margin still.
But to your point the burners are good. They give me 7-8 more yards than the pings I'm hitting for sure. I've just always found better control/action on the greens with ping.
Also, depending on how "very amateur" you are, look into game improvement irons before you pull the trigger. Taylormade, as a whole, hits more like playing blades than any other brand IMO, so they're not necessarily for the more amateur players. Most nikes are for the more amateur player in my experience. So definitely hit both before deciding.
Getting fit is essential. It only takes a week or two more to get your clubs but worth it, as for irons, try the Titlest Ap1 714 and the taylormade Speedblades, I tried the taylormades and love them. But I want to try them on a course, so I bought just a 5 iron to see how they work for me, so far, I got more distance and playing it well.
I have the Nike Sq mach speed irons...I got them when they came out and still use them now....never let me down....I have also played with the burner plus which are nice sticks...I would just go somewhere spend some time with each set and see what gives you a better feel.... for the price these sets are going at, I doubt you be upset with either purchase...good luck brother
I hit the taylormade Burners and Ping G-15s. Both were considered game improvement irons. I love the weighty feel of the ping over the more light weight feel of the burners. That being said a friend has the Burner 2.0s and loves them. I would head to your nearest dicks or golf outlet and try both out.
My goal is to play a lot more golf this year and I am interested in new irons as well. We are lucky enough to have one of the two Taylor Made Kingdoms near by where they do head to toe fitting & club construction. I went just to explore last year and people there suggested getting out and playing a lot and then coming in to see them versus taking a long lay off before club fitting & selection. FWIW.
dscl
BoM October '14
Truth is everyone is making good clubs, but they all have different feel and look at address. That's why you have to hit them all.
Once you decide on a set you really need the fitting for length and lie. Ideally you would get fitted for shafts too, but if cash is tight that may not be an option for you unless you go with a gently used set.
Also don't pay to much attention to distance as a determining factor. Every year clubs get longer and that has a lot to do with the clubs being lofted stronger. Today's 7-iron is the 5-iron of years past. This is all fine and well until you get into pitching wedge distances and you find out you're actually hitting TOO long!
Lastly take a look too see if you have any independent certified builders in your area. You never want to forget about component clubs like Wishon or Maltby (there are many others). It's crazy stupid how nice the Wishon stuff is. Tom is a pioneer, been around forever and all his tech ends up being replicated by the "big guys".
Once you decide on a set you really need the fitting for length and lie. Ideally you would get fitted for shafts too, but if cash is tight that may not be an option for you unless you go with a gently used set.
Also don't pay to much attention to distance as a determining factor. Every year clubs get longer and that has a lot to do with the clubs being lofted stronger. Today's 7-iron is the 5-iron of years past. This is all fine and well until you get into pitching wedge distances and you find out you're actually hitting TOO long!
Lastly take a look too see if you have any independent certified builders in your area. You never want to forget about component clubs like Wishon or Maltby (there are many others). It's crazy stupid how nice the Wishon stuff is. Tom is a pioneer, been around forever and all his tech ends up being replicated by the "big guys".
Trying the clubs I've mentioned probably won't be possible. They're older models, and the only places around here are golf galaxy and dicks. Can the clubs be bought, and fitted after? My thought is, the clubs that were given to me have sufficed. I suck either way hahaha. There was no fitting involved. I just hit them. And learned to hit them to my strength. Fitting would be ideal, but I know me, and that would get hairy and get over my budget. I'm just going by reviews online. I'm a sucker for that. For almost everything. I realize that everyone is going to hit different and that I'm no exception. Dscl, you make a good point in that everyone is making good clubs now. I can dig that. Anything has to be better than the Spalding piles of shit I have now. Haha. And from what I'm reading, the burner plus are more of a super game improvement iron. Whatever that means.
dscl
BoM October '14
You certainly can get fit after making the set purchase so no worries there. Really what you're doing is measuring the clubs for length so that they fit your posture at address and then hitting off of a lie board to make sure the lie angle is correct and adjusting that on a bend machine. The lie angle can be done anytime easily. The length is a different matter. If the club is to short you need to pull the shat, buy a new one, re-shaft and re-grip (with a new grip). If the club is too long you have to pull and re-shaft. Re-gripping will depend on if they can cut from the butt or the tip, but that's a much longer topic.
Golf Galaxy should have a launch monitor. They will put tape on the clubs so you can hit them, in-store, before you buy. I would recommend hitting the two you have mentioned at least before deciding. You may prefer the feel or look at address of one over the other.
Game Improvement clubs, typically, one or more of these features to varying degrees
Golf Galaxy should have a launch monitor. They will put tape on the clubs so you can hit them, in-store, before you buy. I would recommend hitting the two you have mentioned at least before deciding. You may prefer the feel or look at address of one over the other.
Game Improvement clubs, typically, one or more of these features to varying degrees
- Cavity Back Head - This creates perimeter weighting which increases MOI
- Lower COG - Effectively increases launch angle
- Clubface offset - moving the clubface ahead of the shaft, helps close the face preventing slicing
- Oversized head - Extra surface area increases MOI
- Thicker topline - Another attempt MOI increase and helps square up when addressing the ball
Yes you can have them fitted after you buy them. I'm a noob to golf but happen to work at a ski and golf shop so to advantage of hitting a ton of clubs. I started with the burner thinking it was going to be the one only to find out Cobra S3 and Ping G-15 worked much better. Like dscl said go get fitted and don't pay attention to distance. You may even find burners still in the hitting demo I know we have them.
To piggyback dcsl, I'm a firm believer in reshafting, or upgrading the shafts, of your clubs. Regardless of talent level, a surprising amount of torque and control can be achieved by a good shaft. The single best thing I've ever done for my game was to get custom fitted for shafts. This CAN be relatively cheap, or super expensive as well. But all golfers should explore that at some point.
Alright. Dscl basically just told me those clubs are for people who will have nothing left to blame their score on, other than their game. Sounds like they're in my wheelhouse! Thank you! I'll try to hit up golf galaxy on sunday. Thanks for the info men!!
dscl
BoM October '14
This +100