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Iron Reviews

The Big Review – Nike VR Pro Blades and VR Pro Combo Irons

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The Nike VR Pro Blades and VR Pro Combo sets are the conforming versions of two of Nike’s best iron sets. Aimed at the low and low-mid handicapper, these are enhancements to the respective lines rather than any revolution. The VR Pro Blades feature the same profile and grind as the previous generation which puts them in the most “bladey” of blades – small head, zero perimeter weighting, flat muscle back, minimal offset, traditional grind with minimal camber. The VR Pro Combo feature the same 8,9 and PW as the blades but have split cavity in the 5,6,7 and pocket cavity in the 3,4 irons.

Appearance

The VR Pro Blades are gorgeous irons. As far as classical blades go, the Nikes are right up there with their small heads and minimal offset. The muscleback portion of the blade has changed back to the original version with its straight top where the TW forged blades had a curved muscleback top. There is also the fact that the new versions lack the TW logo – make of that what you will.

Vr Pro Blades – 3,7,PW

The Pro Combos are also a very good package and share the same gleaming chrome finish. The only fly in the ointment would be that the sole of the Pro Combo 3 iron peeks out from the back at address but that is very minor.

Vr Pro Combo – 3,7,PW

Feel

From the very first forged blades, Nike’s have always been at the very top of the feel charts. In fact the great level of feel was one of the most obvious statements that this sports apparel company were not only serious about golf but they were going to demand the same levels of excellence in their golf clubs as they do in the rest of their line-up.

Like its predecessors, the 1025 forged carbon steel VR Pro blades offer a premier league level of feel. The sort of “sell your granny for the sensation of a flushed long iron” that is normally the preserve of the likes of Mizuno and Titleist. Miss-hits are fine in the short and mid irons but your hands do get punished with the long irons. Since the VR Pro Combo share the same irons, the feel is identical there, with similar feel in the mid irons but long irons feel very different. Even if you pure one, the Pro Combo’s feel has a hollowness that is (unsurprisingly) missing from the blades . Where the Pro Combos score highly is when you don’t flush it out of the middle – the sensation is an almost perfect mix of feedback that you made a mistake without the painful buzz present in the blades.

Performance

One of the most obvious differences between these irons and the previous generation is the new grooves. The X3X High-Frequency Grooves are designed to give a cleaner, more consistent ball flight and spin. The idea is that with more grooves closer together and deeper on the clubface, they ensure more control and consistency in all conditions. The manufacturing process involved in this also had the side-effect of improving the tolerances which should lead to greater consistency throughout the set.

With any blade set, distance control and accuracy are the primary performance metrics and the VR Pros do not disappoint. Short irons are unbelievably accurate an mid irons are exceptionally good too. Long irons are wonderful but the caveat is that you have to be a top class ball striker to get the most out of these. Given the compact head size and the flat back design the sweet spot is correspondingly tiny. Any miss-hit results in noticeable distance loss which can be agonising if you are just that bit off your game. It goes without saying that if you are on your game, these sticks are glorious.

For the VR Pro Combo, as mentioned previously, since they share the same short irons they have the same performance profile. The difference in design in the mid and long irons is very obvious since the performance is very difference than the blades; far more forgiving on miss-hits with more distance for your swing and a lot higher ball flight. The combination and balance of feel, accuracy and forgiveness of the VR Pro Combo means that they span a far wider range of handicaps then the blades and the fact that they have PGA Tour usage shows that there is not a problem for better players.

X3X grooves

The principle behind the X3X grooves seems sound enough; with the volume and shoulder radius of the groove reduced by the new rules, increasing the number of grooves contacting the ball should reclaim some of the spin that would otherwise be lost. You would really need a launch monitor to tell how much of a difference it makes but in playing testing there appeared to be minimal difference in spin levels between the X3X versions and the non-conforming versions and this appears to hold true both full and partial shots.

Conclusion

As the 3rd generation of blades that Nike have made, the VR Pro Blades represent yet another progressive increase in an already spectacular set. Previous fans will be reassured by the new conforming versions that have lost none of the Nike magic. For more information, visit http://www.nike.com

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24 Comments

  1. Andre Thomas

    May 5, 2019 at 8:47 pm

    I benched my VrPro Combos for two years to play with my OSSs. I don’t strike the ball very cleanly so I find the OSSs quite forgiving. However, when there’s a little fluff in the fairways, my Vr Pro Combos are amazing. I can do away with my hybrids for better accuracy. I put them back in the bag for this season. I hope to shave a few point s of the handicap.

  2. jungho

    Sep 23, 2014 at 12:33 pm

    I just bought a set of new VR Pro blades for less than half retail off eBay! Can’t wait to try them out… Previous forged blades were Maruman Curtis Strange special editions and Mizuno MP-14…

  3. dave

    Jul 18, 2014 at 2:51 pm

    Are these clubs OK if you don’t play that often I’m not very good but want to play on a more regular basis I’m 6’3 doi just buy a set or dovtgey have to be a certain length

  4. Charlie

    May 6, 2014 at 9:09 pm

    Where is the best place to buy these in australia? Victory ?

  5. Anand

    Mar 12, 2014 at 4:33 pm

    I am a 15 handicap and used to play the TM Burners 2.0 they did nothing for my confidence or did not improve my scores. They only reinforced my bad habits. I got the Nike VR TW blades w/ S300’s end of last year and it there has been a huge difference to my game.

    My ball striking has improved tremendously and I know what a good shot feels like. I have bought another Nike VR Pro set with KBS shafts and I am hoping the shafts will help be a little smoother than the DG S300’s.

    Nike blades have the best feel of all the irons I have tried, hands down.

  6. michael sanders

    Dec 28, 2013 at 8:57 pm

    I just piked up the pro blades and played 2 rounds I am a medium handicap and I must say I am blown away by everything about these clubs the first time using them I set a new best round I am a huge fan of these clubs

    • John

      Dec 30, 2013 at 12:47 am

      Hi there, what is your handicap, in in a delema, ive got the titleist MB 710 with project x 6.0 shfrs, which can get a bit heavy for me, however im a 18 handicap at my best icould be 14 -15. I was wondering if it will be wiser for me to go to the combo set instead, im selling my titleist, what do you think

  7. Patrick

    Oct 13, 2013 at 11:20 am

    I am a high handicap and just picked up vr pro combos. Upgraded from nike vr pro cavity. I love the combos. Tied my best round ever first time out.

  8. Lloyd

    Aug 4, 2013 at 9:30 pm

    I sold my nike vr pro blades and I regret it they are very nice looking irons one of the best u can buy

  9. golfingryan

    Jul 18, 2013 at 3:17 am

    Just bought the combo irons trying them tomorrow!

  10. GolfBoy123

    Jun 12, 2013 at 3:16 pm

    when people say blades are too hard for beginners it rubbish, ive played for 6 months nows, i used to play the Rocketballz iron and just bought the vr pro blades 3-pw, i hit them amazing, high far and they seem quite forgiving to be honest, i even killed the 3 iron

  11. Robert

    Jun 11, 2013 at 2:48 pm

    Just recentl purchased a used set (pro combo) in like new condition. I like them so much I found another used set in the same condition and bought those. I’ve never been a Nike guy, but all of a sudden I am. Picked up the tour metal woods and I’m playing better than great with them. Only stuff not Nike is my bag, two Titleist wedges and Scotty golo putter and I’ve never been happier.

  12. Frank

    Jun 5, 2013 at 12:30 pm

    i play the s56 and they fell pretty good and thinking about getting these and im a 5 handicapper do u think i could hit theses???

  13. James

    May 25, 2013 at 10:50 pm

    I just picked up the Nike combo forged with 8-pw blades. Played several rounds and I love them. I upgraded from my 2002 Nike combo this set.
    You will lose some yardage if you’re a little off but when you strike them right — WOW!!
    By the way – I think Nike are going to discontinue them or do an overhaul. They are no longer making them. The only option you can get now from Nike is standard flex and no longer accept custom orders. I also bought the Nike Hybrid stand bag. Paid 650 for both no tax!!

  14. Big Chrisso

    May 12, 2013 at 10:28 pm

    Just played two rounds over the weekend with my new pro combo’s. First think I noticed is these things are long, like super long. Getting an extra 10 meters per club compared to my MP 52’s. The middle irons are sensational and the blades (8-PW) are great but do let you know when you haven’t found the middle of the club. The feel is very good, although in feel terms it’s a notch below the mizuno forged offerings.
    Daniel – you say the 3 & 4 irons are hard to hit, can’t say I found them any harder to hit than the 3 and 4 irons from my outgoing MP 52’s.

    Conclusion: These are very good golf clubs that offer good feel and outstanding performance. Worth a demo if you have a solid swing and consider yourself a decent ball striker.

  15. Daniel

    Apr 17, 2013 at 4:10 pm

    I’ve had these irons for a little over a year now. I had the VR irons 2011 model prior to these. These irons are outstanding. They give incredible feedback. You know immediately whether or not you hit the ball well, or not – without even looking at the trajectory of the ball – just the feel of the club.

    You are penalized if you don’t strike the ball well, but if you have good hand-eye coordination, you can’t go wrong with these.

    I will say, the 3i/4i are very difficult to hit, but other than that…money.

  16. Mark

    Apr 16, 2013 at 4:59 pm

    I’m trading in my set of pro combos for Ping i20’s. I love the look of these irons but mishits are punishing. Shots slightly on the toe seem to lose 10-15% of the distance. On a well manicured course, I love them. If I’m on a firm and inconsistent course, anything less than a perfect strike is penalized.

  17. Eoghan

    Mar 10, 2013 at 12:57 pm

    I am thinking of purchasing… Are blades difficult to strike or what are they like?

    • Everest

      Apr 10, 2013 at 8:02 am

      I judt bought them and it was a lott of ugly misses and semi good shots. It took me one month of playing twice a week and now I’m longer, straighter, more confident. I don’t even bother worrying about high trajectory shots into cross wind. These irons are magic. Course record tomorrow

    • Greg

      Apr 14, 2013 at 2:25 am

      Eoghan I’m a 3 Hdc and i didn’t buy a set of blades until i was a 9 so without saying if you strike the ball above okay but shoot in the mid 80’s your wasting your money because you won’t get the most out of them. Blades are hard to hit in the 3-5 irons, everything else their pretty easy to hit but remember ball flight plays a big part in the game so read up on the new pro combo’s if your a weekend guy otherwise good luck.

      • Denis

        Dec 3, 2013 at 12:37 pm

        Greg,

        I disagree. I am a high handicap (2 years of golf), and these blades work for me great. I absolutely love them. Of course, I mishit 4 and especially 3 often enough but I still do keep hitting them and often have great shots, too. This is unlike my previous game improvement clubs. With those 3 and 4 were always a sad and discouraging disaster.

        I tried these clubs at a fair last winter and it is like a bulb went on in my head – I had to buy them.

        I think the most helpful feature of these blades for me is their minimal offset. I cant stand the ugly offsets of some other clubs – makes no sense to me how people hit with those.

  18. vnorris

    Sep 12, 2012 at 12:12 am

    I’m a 20 handicap. I just purchased the pro blade irons. Say what you want and think what you will, they are wonderful. Talk about posing after hitting the sweet spot. Not only that but the walk is not as far after a mis hit. I just played 9 holes with our club pro. I’m leaving the nineties enroute to the eighties

  19. smithers89

    Aug 24, 2012 at 9:52 pm

    I play the vr pro blade irons there feel is sensational and you can really play the ball with a draw or fade depending on your preference. I would only recomend buying these clubs if play 80 and under.

  20. english

    Dec 31, 2011 at 12:50 am

    Good review,
    I just bought a set of these irons after trying as many different sets as i could and found these suited me best. Sublime irons can’t wait to get dialed in on them.

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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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