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Miura CB-501 Irons: Editor Review

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EditorsChoice_13by Reid Ogata aka pitbull808

For those who have seen my forever rotating and updating WITB you probably noticed I like to try a little bit of everything. I doubt there’s been many brands since GolfWRX started that haven’t been in my bag at least once.  Probably not a putter either. I love trying new equipment.  I have had my favorites through the years and no matter what they come out with, it’ll be in my bag at least for a few rounds.

There has been one brand that I have played way before I ever came to GolfWRX and loved it so much that I told myself never to get another set.  Why?  Simply because I’d be an idiot to ever change from them again.  Part of my love of golf is the equipment that is made.  I love trying everything.  Going to this brand for me is like ending half of the fun of the game for me.  So why did I do it?  Due to my association with GolfWRX I get asked many times what I feel is the best club or brand. I’ve recommended this brand and their models so much, it was about time I took my own advice.

When Miura came out with the CB-501 it immediately caught my eye.  Like many of their other sets, the looks alone draw you to it. I fondled the head….yes..I said fondle.   The head was so pretty I had to try it.  Luckily for me, the shop that I hang out pretty much daily Aloha Golf Center is a dealer for Miura.  I asked to demo the CB-501 and the owner Joey Tadeo asked me, “Are you sure you want to do this?”.  Joey knows affliction with equipment.  He knew that my last current set was in my bag for quite a long time.  He knew that by handing me the demo club it would be like a drug to me.  Sure enough after the first hit, I was addicted.  Days would pass by and every time I’d drop by the shop I’d grab the CB-501 and hit a few balls in the net.  After a few months Joey told me, “You know you want them!” and give me an evil laugh at the same time!

IMG_7050

About a month ago, I walked into Aloha Golf Center and said, “Build me a set of CB-501’s”.  Joey shook his head at me and said, “It’s about time.  You practically wore out the demo club!” and then followed that up with an evil laugh again!

You may ask why I posted this review in the General Equipment Section instead of the JDM section. Miura now has dealers throughout the US and the world. Although still entirely made in their Himeiji forging house, Miura clubs are sold in the component form to approved dealers who can custom fit players to their clubs.  As a GolfWRX reader, you know how much a custom fit club can work for you over something bought off the shelf.  This factor alone is what I feel helps separate them from many other brands.

At Aloha Golf Center, the owner Joey has been a friend, instructor and golfing partner for years.  He probably knows my game better then anyone else. Sometimes I think he knows it better then me.  He had noticed that I have gotten shorter in my irons through the past years.  I’ve been playing Dynamic Gold X100’s for the longest time.  Joey recognized that although on the launch monitor my driver speed was still high enough for an X shaft, he hasn’t been tipping it as much as he used to. Joey put me on the launch monitor and had me swing a 6 iron.  Sure enough, my iron speed had dropped to a stiff shaft.  Sad as it may be to me, I’m getting old. I had already gone to stiff shafts in my fairway woods and hybrids. Joey said it was about time I go to a stiff shaft in my irons.  I hated this thought. I’m pretty vain and getting old is not something I enjoy admitting to.  Joey had me try several shafts from many brands.  After testing everything from NSPRO Modus 3, NSPRO 1050, KBS Tour, Tour 90, C Taper and Dynamic Gold, the feel I was used to and liked the best was the Dynamic Gold.  Joey suggested Tour Dynamic Gold S400 shafts to me.  He said he know’s how much I’d disdain S300’s and S400’s would still be soft like the S300 but a tad bit heavier to give me a slightly beefier feel that I liked in the X100 yet get me some yards that I was missing.

Sole grind image

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I reluctantly agreed to the S400 shafts.  Still I was afraid that I’d end up missing my X100’s immediately but I trusted Joey to know best as he’s fitted me a number of times. A static measurement was taken and to my happiness I didn’t shrink with old age YET and still needed clubs .5” longer.   For grips, Joey showed me the new Lamkin REL grip.  He explained the properties of the 3Gen material to me and told me that they would be a lot easier on my hands cutting down the vibration to my fingers.  He said I wouldn’t get all those stiff fingers after range sessions that I’ve been getting lately…alas again due to age.   Joey suggested I put on the grey REL’s. I asked why and he said, it’s the color that hasn’t been used yet and the one he thought looked the classiest. He said everyone’s been putting on the bright blue, green, purple grips and plain old black grips but he said like a nice grey suit, they would look classy on the ends of the Miura’s.  Since I always tease Joey about being Mr GQ, I figured as always, he knew best in what looked good and agreed with him.

Joey went to work immediately on my CB-501’s and promised to have them ready the next afternoon knowing that I’d be playing the day after.  The next day I was at the shop immediately after I finished work.  As soon as I flew in the door, Joey yelled out, “Sorry, ran out of epoxy! Your set’s not done!”.  I was like “What????????”. Joey giggled and pointed at the wall.  I could almost hear the angels singing ”Walllahhhhhhh”.   Leaning against the wall was my CB-501 set. The grey Lamkins looked really great on the clubs.  I thought they matched up with the frosty satin finish of the heads very well. The Tour Dynamic Gold shafts screens on the shafts were also really cool looking.  Lastly the CB-501 heads installed…just purely awesome looking.  I couldn’t see myself but I knew I was smiling from ear to ear.  I was like a kid at Christmas with a Red Ryder BB gun!

Looks at address with the 5 iron

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I asked if the set was ready to hit and Joey pointed towards the net and said the balls were ready for me. The first hit and I was in love. The shafts didn’t feel too soft, the grips felt super and the heads were silk. I couldn’t wait to get to the course the next day.

My first round out the next day with the Miura CB-501’s was super.  The shaft change was immediately noticeable. I was hitting the ball farther and my trajectory was better then when I had X100’s.  For the front 9 I kept having to adjust as it took awhile to get my yardages down with the CB-501’s. I shot +4 on the front.  On the back 9 I pretty much had dialed in my distances.  I can’t count the amount of times I looked at my cart partner and said “$%$# that was soft!”.  The sound at impact was dreamy.  A clean “thwackk!” and away the ball went.  I ended up shooting -4 on the back.  Walking off the 18 I looked at my cart partner and said, “I guess that was a darn good decision!”.  Again, smiling from ear to ear.

I’m sure my curiosity of trying new clubs hasn’t ended for me.  This time though, I think I’ll be sticking to just one brand…Miura.

Now for those that haven’t seen or hit the Miura CB-501….The Review…..

Review-

Pros-
Miura.  Really, is there anything else that can be said?  A name which has almost taken mythological forms in the golf world because of the heritage and purity of it’s forgings.  This is the brand that once you hit it, you’ll compare everything else to.

Cons-
The price point may deter a few but the realization that this may be the only set you actually need is enough to convince me.

Bottom Line-  Miura, the name is legendary to golf equipment aficionado’s.  They say the irons are forged from the hands of god.  The feel alone is something from the heavens.

 

Review-

Miura CB-501 irons
3-PW
Shaft- Tour Dynamic Gold S400
Lamkin REL Grips

Looks- 

I think it’s pretty obvious that Miura made their name with blades and in making the 501 they kept  the head very blade like yet added some forgiveness to it.  The 501 has a very thin topline, minimal offset and moderate soles, yet enough forgiveness in a cavity back to immediately inspire confidence.
A frosted satin finish that is done so well that you wonder why other companies can’t do it so cleanly.  In my opinion, the softer brushed silver color alone makes the head look softer.  You must see it in person and go ahead and compare it to the competition. The looks alone grab your eyes and scream perfection.

89081eed
Simple and classy stampings in the cavity and very limited use of paintfill.  After all, the Miura logo and name is all you need to know and see and it’s the only areas that have black paintfill.

Performance/Playability- 

Coming from a set of cb’s with a wider sole, I did have some initial trepidations about the forgiveness of the CB-501’s. After playing my first round and then range sessions and more rounds, I shouldn’t have wasted the energy worrying.  The forgiveness built into the CB-501 was very surprising. Although at first glance the  design of the head does not appear to have magnificent properties of forgiveness built in like undercut  channels, huge perimeter weighting, adjustable weights, a large face heel to toe and gaudy badges and colored stickers claiming great yardage gains, the simplistic design of the 501 promotes much forgiveness. The grind on the sole worked very well for me out of the box as well. Although I saw Richard/easyyy had some sole work done on his set, which truthfully, I’m totally jealous of :D,

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I’ve had absolutely no problem with digging or anything on my set.  Of course I’m not one to take huge divots to begin with but when I’ve had to keep the ball lower and do punch shots and knock downs, the sole grinds have worked well and the heads  performed exactly how I wanted them to do.
The heads are easily workable in all directions but yet still have much forgiveness.  The CB-501 is everything one would want in a muscleback with forgiveness of a cavity back thrown in.

Feel- 

Feel is such a personal thing.  I know golfers that actually like a clicky feel to their irons because to them it’s a more solid feel. That same brand I’ll test,  and not want to hit it again.  I’ve always been a fan of forged irons having grown up learning with forged blades but just because a club is forged does not make them all equal. There are a number of forged clubs that I’ve hit that I do not like at all.  There are also brands that have developed a feel in their heads that has been consistent for years and no matter what model comes out, you practically know how it’s going to feel before you hit it.  Miura is one of those brands.

Miura’s fourteen step forging and finishing process produces an iron head like none other.  There may be other brands that I’ve used that I’ve liked and have commented as being soft and a great forging, but there is no other brand US or JDM as soft to me as Miura. I’m sure some will think that’s a very bold statement but to any Miura user, I think I’ll have a lot of people agreeing with me.
The weight placed behind the sweet spot gives a very solid feel to shots.  It’s a feel that is tough to describe but more like the solid feel you get from a muscleback with all yet you still have the forgiveness of a cavity back.  The sound at impact is distinct and really unlike other brands.  It’s all what you may have felt on your best hit shot with other brands but add “clean” to it. I’ve read elsewhere people saying “buttery” is the feel but that seems too limited in what I feel is a Miura.   It’s really an indescribable feel that you must experience for yourself that I’m willing to bet after your first shot you’ll lift the club up, stare at the head and say “Wow”.   I’ve told my friends, I know it’s a solid shot when I practically felt like I was hitting a feather.  I’m sure there are guys who would like a more harder feel at impact but for me a solid shot with the CB-501’s seem to absorb the ball into the face and then shoot it off with no vibration returning to your hands and all you feel is the earth brushing against the sole.

Overall bottom line- 

It’s been about 10 years since I played my last set of Miura’s.  I had told many and myself many times, if I go back to them, what would I play next?  I’m a self admitted club “ho”.  Part of the enjoyment of the game for me is trying new things constantly.  Every time I looked at Miura clubs in the golf shops, I’d tell anyone within earshot, “that’s the best set here”.  Some people would ask what I’m playing and I’d give them the brand for the month.  It seemed that it was time I took my own advice and played what I though was the best brand in the shop.

The Miura CB-501 has the looks, feel playability and lasting nature that I know can last a long time in my bag. Sure, I won’t have the enjoyment of testing new irons every month, but really, I can’t see another brand made that will feel better then what I have in my bag.  The Miura CB-501 is the best investment you can put in your bag.

Click to read what members are saying in the forums.

 

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Reid's been an avid golfer for more than 40 years. During that time, he's amassed quite a putter collection and has become one of GolfWRX's leading equipment nuts. Reid tries all the latest equipment in hopes of finding the latest and greatest of them all to add to his bag. He was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii where the courses are green and the golf is great!

13 Comments

13 Comments

  1. Pingback: Miura Golf Digest | Discounts For Golf

  2. Tiger Wu

    Dec 18, 2013 at 5:37 am

    Just got a set to replace Mizuno MP 59. Heavenly feeling!!! Superb! Worth every penny. So happy that I make the switch. Hope to lower the score with one of the best weapon in the world! Finger cross…

  3. Tiger Wu

    Dec 10, 2013 at 11:35 pm

    Just bought a set and can’t wait for them to arrive!!! Sold my Mizuno MP 59 to fund the purchase. Eagerly awaiting:-)

  4. Scott Lawler

    Oct 5, 2013 at 5:54 pm

    Just ordered a set and agree with all here. I never thought I could or would hit an iron that felt this good. I can’t wait to get them then have lie adjusted just right. For years I’ve been spending thousands on Scotty putters and finally decided it was time to put some real money in the others weapons of the trade.

  5. Ken Boucher

    Oct 1, 2013 at 8:20 am

    Nothing compares to the Miura’s. For those not quite as accomplished on the course the 9003 passing point irons. They have the same great feel and oh so sweet, not golf clubs tools.

  6. ANDRESAM

    May 8, 2013 at 1:09 pm

    Have Scott and Kelvin soft stepped the KBS C-Taper? Would this influence the trajectory?

  7. stephenf

    Jan 15, 2013 at 8:14 pm

    Out of all the photos, only one POV shot at address? Come on, dudes.

  8. Trevor

    Jul 15, 2012 at 7:46 pm

    thinking about getting these! Love the gray grips!

  9. bruno

    Jul 15, 2012 at 2:11 pm

    what’s the difference with the CB-202 ?

  10. zstar77

    Jul 14, 2012 at 10:52 pm

    look same as my cb 1003 whats the difference?

  11. Keivn

    Jul 13, 2012 at 8:35 pm

    I just got fit yesterday for a set of 501’s. I cannot wait. I got 3-PW (-1 deg on each iron as i have a high ball flight) with the KBS Tour C Taper s+ shafts (the ones with the satin finish that look almost like graphite and no KBS sticker on the shaft). I also got them customized so they are one of a kind with the Miura logo on the back in Orange, the word Miura in blue, blue ferrules and orange iomic grips. I love they no one else in the world have the color combo. I hit them during my fitting and they were the best feeling club I have ever hit. But I still cannot wait to play a round with them. Thanks for the awesome review and confirming how much I am going to love these clubs for the rest of my life!!!!

    • Scott

      May 2, 2013 at 4:20 pm

      I also have c-taper shafts with Red IO grips… I play two degree upright and 1 inch longer. I love the look feel and sound… nothing butter…. 🙂

  12. Adrian

    Jul 13, 2012 at 7:35 am

    Being that I’m a lefty I only had one choice in either blade or cavity back but I had hit probably 30 or so different irons before I hit a Miura club. I immediately knew that they were the club that I was goin to play for a long time. The finish does look soft and even feels soft to the touch brushing across the face of the clubs. They are also incredibly durable.

    You will NEVER forget the feel of impact with a Miura iron. The best irons that I’ve ever hit….In all my other trials the ONLY irons that were close and yet still a very distant second was the Mizuno MP59 and the KZG tour evolution (Lefty not available but I tried them out right handed)

    Awesome awesome clubs.

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Club Junkie

Club Junkie Review: Cobra’s new King Tour irons

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The Cobra King Tour irons have been proven on the PGA Tour already and will be in bags of better amateur players this year. The previous King Tour MIM irons were very underrated and offered great precision with a solid shape that many players liked. Cobra went away from the Metal Injection Molded construction and went with a five-step forging process for soft and solid feel.

Make sure to check out the full podcast review at the links below and search GolfWRX Radio on every podcast platform.

I was a big fan of the previous Tour MIM irons and played them in rotation throughout the last two years. Out of the box, I was impressed with the more simple and clean look of the badging on the new King Tour. Badging is mostly silver with just small black accents that should appeal to even the pickiest golfers. I didn’t notice the shorter blade length in the new irons but did notice that the leading edge is just slightly more rounded. Topline is thin, but not razor thin, but still has enough there to give you the confidence that you don’t have to hit it on the dead center every shot.

Feel is solid and soft with just a slight click to the thud on well struck shots while mishits are met with a little more sound and vibration to the hands.

These King Tour irons are built to be cannons and place more emphasis on consistent and precise shots. I also felt like the new irons launch easily and maybe a touch higher than some irons in the same category.

My launch monitor showed my 7 iron with an average launch angle of 22 degrees and spin right around 5,800 with a Project X LZ 6.0 stock shaft. Ball speed isn’t the ultimate focus of this iron but it did well with an average around 108mph and the iron was able to keep the speed up well when you didn’t strike the center. You will still see a drop off in speed and distance when you miss the center, but you don’t have to be Navy SEAL sniper accurate on the face to achieve a good shot. Dispersion was very tight, and while there are bigger irons with more forgiveness, this players cavity still allows good playability when you aren’t bringing your A-plus game to the course.

Cobra lists the King Tour as an iron for a Tour level player up to a 7 handicap and I think this iron could see the bags of more golfers than that. I am a 9.4 handicap, and I felt more than comfortable playing this iron even on less than perfect days.

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Iron Reviews

Review: Honma TW737-Vs Forged Irons

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Equipment

GolfWRX Member Reviews: TaylorMade 2017 M1 and M2 Irons

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One of the many benefits of being a GolfWRX Forum Member is exclusive access to Giveaways and Testing Threads. For Giveaways — we give away everything from golf clubs to golf balls to GPS units — all it takes is a forum name. Enter any Giveaway, and we select winners randomly. You’re then free to enjoy your prize as you wish.

For Testing Threads, the process a bit more involved. GolfWRX Forum Members sign up to test the latest and greatest products in golf, and then they provide in-depth reviews on the equipment. Being the intelligent golf-equipment users they are, GoflWRX Members are able to provide the most-informed and unbiased reviews on the Internet.

df5745825623a9697f92315cd9d8f1d7

In this Testing Thread, we selected 75 members to test a TaylorMade M1 2017 7-iron and TaylorMade M2 7-iron. Each of the clubs were built with the stock lofts and shafts — M2 2017 (28.5 degrees) with a TaylorMade Reax shaft, and M1 2017 (30.5 degrees) with a True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 shaft — and the testers were instructed to post their review of the clubs here.

Below, we’ve selected what we’ve deemed the most in-depth and educated reviews out of the 75 testers. We have edited each of the posts for brevity, clarity and grammar.

Thanks to all of those involved in the testing!

Brock9007

To be honest, looking down on the TaylorMade M1 and M2 irons at address, there is really not much difference. I would have to pick one up to see which is which.

The first 10 balls I hit were with M1 and 6/10 felt great, while the other 4 were toe hits, which I felt and the distance reflected that. Kinda what I expected with a club design for lower-handicap players. Distance was about 1/2 longer than my Srixon iron and dispersion was close, as well. I will say they did not feel as good as the Srixon on center hits.

Next 10 (ok, 15) balls were with the M2. Wow, can you say “up, up and away? The ball really popped of the club face, but wasn’t a ballon flight. Waited for the ball to come down and WTH, with the roll out it was 5-8 yards longer than balls hit with M1, and that is with a few toe shots. I did some smooth swings and then very aggressive swings and was a little amazed at this iron. Just like the M1, it does not have the forged feeling and does have a clicky sound (which I hate).

Bottom line: M2 is the longest iron I have ever hit. I love my 545s, but I could see myself playing M2 very easily. Matter of fact, I will be taking this M2 7 iron in my bag and play it more head-to-head against my Srixon 545 on the course.

deathbymuffin

These are both beautiful clubs. What surprised me the most is how much alike the two clubs look at address. I was expecting a chunky topline and significant offset in the M2, but it’s footprint looked almost exactly the same as the M1, outside of the chrome finish on the M2 versus the frosted finish of the M1. The M2 could almost pass as a player’s iron to my eye at address. These clubs both get A’s from me in the looks department.

The M1 felt a tad thicker than most player’s irons I’m used to, but it seemed to come with a bit of added forgiveness too. Well-struck shots felt good, with a nice mid-trajectory and with the workability that I’ve come to expect from a player’s iron. But true to TaylorMade’s claims, the M1 seemed more forgiving than a traditional player’s iron. Had a nice soft feel at impact, mishits didn’t sting and left you with a more playable result. A really nice combination of the better attributes of both player’s and game improvement irons. I’ve been playing with an old set of Tommy Armour blades, but I’ve been recently wanting more forgiveness for when I’m stuck with my B or C swing. Based on the early returns, I could definitely see myself bagging these.

I’m not sure if it’s the shaft, the design of the clubhead, or a combination of both, but the M2 is definitely a different animal than the M1 at impact. This club launches the ball high, arguably ridiculously so. I was hitting Jason Day moonbombs with this bad boy. Didn’t seem to matter what kind of swing I put on it, the ball launched high, flat and dead straight. The club was super forgiving and if not for the insanely high ball flight, I would love to have a set of these for when my swing is out of sorts. I didn’t really try to flight it at all, so I’m not sure what it’s capable of at this point. One other note was that the M2 had a clicky feel at impact. It didn’t bother me since it still felt so sweet… so strange as it sounds, clicky, but smooth and sweet at the same time. I think these clubs will be big winners with the mid-to-high handicap set.

The M1 is a fine iron, but doesn’t really stand out in any way from other irons of its class.

The M2, on the other hand, is an iron on steroids. I’m really starting to love this thing. It’s super forgiving and just goes and goes. According to my laser, flush shots were going 195 yards (my usual blade 5 iron distance) and very high. I can’t help but think golf would be a whole lot easier, particularly longer courses with long par 3s, with a full set of these in my bag.

poppyhillsguy

M1 feels softer than the M2 and I felt the ball flight was more consistent and what I want in an iron. The M1 did have a harsher feeling in my hands than I typically like, but I’m going to credit a lot of that to the range balls.

M2 flies very high. It was a windy afternoon and about 100 degrees. I love the high ball flight on the range, but I have a concern what that ball flight would be like on the course. I like to hit the ball different heights for different shots and I don’t think I could do that confidently with the M2, but I could with the M1. I don’t like the sound of the M2. It sounded “clicky” to me.

Fourpar18

Initially on the range I was scared because the M1 had a regular flex in it, so I took it easy for my initial 10-15 swings with it. Ball SHOT off the face, loud crack (didn’t care for it, but not too bad) and ball just kept rising and rising but didn’t balloon. I thought, “whoa,” that’s not what I expected…did it again…another CRACK and the ball just flew. I set another down and I paid attention to how it looked behind the ball, not much offset for a game improvement and I thought…”I could actually play this club!”  The 5-7 were EASY swings, aimed at a target of 170 yards away (my normal 7 iron distance) and with a EASY swing I was flying it by 20 yards or so. The next 5-10 I really went after it, same CRACK and ball just flew but to my surprise it was a nice draw, harder draw than the first but it was a nice 10-yard draw. This time the balls were landing just short of the 200 yard marker. Damn, 200 yards with a 7 iron! I know they are jacked lofts but it feels good to say “my 7 irons just few 190-200 yards!”

P.S. LOVE the Lamkin UTX grip!

Now, this was interesting, the M2 was quieter then the M1… weird!  Now, there is more carbon fiber added to this one and there is a “Geocoustic” label on the back. I am sure that it has something to do with all that carbon fiber but it does have a better sound. Other than the sound, it played exactly like the M1: long and straight. The REAX shaft felt a little weaker than the True Temper shaft and it flew a little higher but nothing else I could pick up.

noahdavis_7

Finally got out to the range after getting these bad boys in on Friday. My first impression of them is that they look really sharp. The graphics and design really stand out and really give these clubs a cool, modern look.

They were both a little to big IMO, as I am currently bagging Mizuno MP-68s. The M2 isa definite “game improvement iron”, while the M1 was similar in size and shape to my previous irons, Titleist AP1s.

They both really launch it, high and far. Ridiculous for 7 irons. I don’t have access to a launch monitor, but it was about a 20-yard difference between my gamer 7 iron and these (stronger lofts, as well).

The M1 definitely was more suited for my eye, and produced more consistent ball flights. It felt much more smooth and solid as the M2 had a clicky, cheap feel.

The M2 just isn’t for me. I felt like it was launching too high and ballooning, which could be due to the shaft (the M1 had the S300, while the M2 just had a stock “Reax” shaft). The feel off the face of the M2 just turned me off, to be honest.

While I don’t think I’ll be putting either model in play, I can definitely see the appeal for mid-to-high handicaps. Both irons were super forgiving, and they should be a dream to the average weekend golfer who has trouble with ball striking consistently.

golfnut5438

Looks: As expected, I preferred the M1 with less offset, slightly smaller sole and a smoother finish. Less glare looking down on the iron. I must say the M2 did not look as bulky, or have as much offset as I thought it might have.

Feel: This was a close race, probably due to the shafts as much as the heads. The M1 was just a slight bit smoother feeling on solid shots. But the M2 was not bad at all, just not quite as smooth.

Distance and performance: Our range has a slight incline up the length of the range, so specific yardage gains or losses were difficult to measure. Both irons had a higher trajectory than my gamer 7 iron. Neither sole dug onto the turf either. The lofts for both irons are a degree or two stronger than mine, so I would think they probably flew a little further than my gamers. Neither iron flew “too” high, however. Might be a little harder to hit knock down shots, though.

Final thoughts: I had hit both the M1 and M2 irons last year during a fitting day, but did not like either. This year’s model were both better in my eyes. I asked a fellow member at our club to hit both and he felt the M1 was his preferred model, and he is a 20-index player. So coming from both a single digit, and a high double-digit, the M1 won this battle of wills. I will try and see if I can locate both a 5 iron and 9 iron to see if a full set might be a winner for me.

DblEgl

I was surprised that the M2 was the winner in this brief session. It felt better, flew higher, easier to hit and about 1/2 club longer that my gamer Apex CF16. The feel/sound was better than I thought it might be, but really not up to the CF16. I could, however, easily game the M2’s.

Bstein74

Feel: I hit the M2 first, and found it to be very solid when hit on the screws. There was almost no feel off the club face at all. When I mishit it, you knew it was, but it wasn’t harsh at all. Hit the M1 next, and same type of feel when hit solid. Much more harsh when mishit though, but I knew that was coming.

Distance and performance: This is was where I was curious to see how they would play. The M2 went out high in the air, and just kept going forever. Now granted my eyesight isn’t that great anymore, but it looked like I got about 10-15 yards more from the M2 compared to my Wilson D300. The only thing I didn’t like about the M2 was how much I was able to turn it over. Got a lot more hook compared to my D300. Don’t know if that was from the REAX shaft, but would love to find a less spinning shaft to correct that.

The M1 wasn’t a great performer for me. Same height as the M2, but much straighter off the club face. Didn’t get any great distance advantage as compared to my D300. Can’t game a player’s iron anymore, and testing this one just reaffirmed that.

Final thoughts: Was very happy with the distance I gained with the M2 compared to my current gamer. Very good-performing iron for me, and something I would definitely consider changing them out if I could reduce the spin off the face. If you’re looking for more distance, you need to try these out. The M1 just wasn’t for me, but as a player’s iron, I can see it as a great option.

Bobcat271

Like the other testers, I found the M2 to launch the ball much higher and is 10-to-15 yards longer than my Adams XTD forged 7 iron. Of the two 7 irons I prefer the M1. I like the design of the M1 and its visual appearance at address. I feel more confident in trying to work the ball with the M1. The M1 gave me more feedback as to where the club head was in relation to my swing plane. If I had my druthers I would put the M1 in the bag as it stands now. Will continue to test, what a treat to compare the two irons.

myurick2

Once I started making solid contact with a decent shoulder turn, the M2 really came alive in my hands. Towering flat height, for me, and very long. No more clacky hollow feel, just a very mild pleasant sensation… then zoom. Once I started making better swings, back to the M1, which was a very nice iron. Shorter than the M2 (though not short) and a little lower ball flight. Felt nice and substantial without being heavy. Very forgiving on slight mishits.

But the M2 was the star for me. High trajectory and very long. Club felt lively and fun. Frankly, unless a player wanted a lower trajectory, or likes to hit a lot of knock downs or feel shots, I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t choose the M2. They are very attractive and a very fun iron. I think folks who say that the M2 feels and/or sounds clicky, clacky or hollow may be mishitting the iron toward the toe. I am not judging — I mishit a lot of shots at first. I agree on toe mishits the iron did not feel great. It almost felt like plastic. The ball still flew pretty well, but it wasn’t a very enjoyable experience. Not painful, just felt very dead. But when hit nearer the center, the iron felt fantastic. Light, springy and very lively. 

hammergolf

They are both good-looking clubs. Not too long heel to toe and toplines were not that distracting. M1 is more what I like to see shape wise, but M2 was not bad at all. Personally, not a fan of seeing the face slots. But I could see how some people may like how they frame the ball. 

Ace2000

M1 

– Has a very odd sound on contact, almost sounds a tad like a fairway wood “ting. Not a fan
– Looks very good at address with the brushed finish
– Most shots I hit with it seemed to fall out of the sky (very likely a lack of spin). Ball flight was much lower than I would have expected (not super low, just not much different than my 7 iron)
– Inconsistent misses. Next to no distance gains vs RocketBladez Tour 7 iron

M2

– Doesn’t look as good at address as the M1. Chrome finish at address is not an issue in even direct sunlight for me
– Feels and sounds quite nice to my ears at impact. Not a classic sound but very good considering what type of club it is
– Ball flight is very strong (comes off hot). Ball stays high in the air for awhile. Very high and lands soft
– 10-12 yards longer on average vs my 7 iron, it even had the horsepower to hang with my 6 iron
– VERY forgiving on thin strikes. Couldn’t believe how a near-top still traveled to nearly the front edge in the air and still went as far as the M1 did on a good strike
– Shaft is too light

Even though I’m a 2-handicap and don’t fit the M2 “mold,” I could see myself playing this club from 4-6 iron (although gapping would be a major issue mixing these with almost anything else) if it had a heavier shaft in it (I can only imagine how far this 4 iron must go… yikes)

M1 = 2.5/5 stars
M2 = 4.5/5 stars

tpeterson

Visual first impressions: The M1 7-iron is visually appealing to me as far as the finish and overall look. Even though it is classified as a player’s iron, it doesn’t seem so tiny that it would be tough to hit. I am not a huge fan of the bright-yellow badging, but I probably could get over it. The iron inspires confidence with its topline and a little bit of offset. The “rubber” piece on the hosel is a little bit funky to me.

I thought the M2 7-iron would look clunkier than it really is. Besides the finish being a little bit different, the difference between the M1 and M2 is actually pretty small. The M2’s topline and sole are a touch wider, but not by much. Not a huge fan of the fluted hosel since it can be seen at address. The M1’s fluting is only on the rear of the club.

I did notice that the sole’s finish did scratch pretty easily. Overall, I thought the M1 and M2 are pretty good looking, but I would definitely give the edge to the M1. I also preferred the stock Lamkin grip on the M1 vs. the ribbed M2 grip.

On course action: They both feel solid. I tried hitting both irons in all different types of on-course situations over a two week period. Both clubs launch the ball high but I would not say they balloon. For me, the M2 was about 10 yards longer and higher than the M1. Compared to my Cleveland irons, they are 1 to 1.5 clubs longer.

M1 loft = 30.5
M2 loft = 28.5
Cleveland TA7 loft = 33.5

I know this accounts for the distance gain but the ball definitely comes off hot compared to my set. I was hoping I would hit the M1 better since I like the appearance better, but that was not the case. The M2 definitely felt better for me and I felt more confident with it in my hands.

Discussion: Read all 75 reviews and the responses in our Testing Thread

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