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Ping G20 irons – a Players SGI Editor Review

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In June Ping Golf hosted GolfWRX < << LINK TO THE ARTICLE >>> to tour their facilities and introduce the Ping Milled Anser putters and their G20 line of irons and woods. To be frank, I’ve never given the G15 irons more than a once over as they weren’t in the category of irons I typically prefer. But my curiosity was piqued by the (surprising to me) number of G15 sets showing up in professional tour bags, most notably K.J. Choi. Then a couple of our GolfWRX members posted their “Single Digit Handicap Super Game Improvement Irons Experiment” threads < << LINK TO THE ARTICLE >>> that caught my attention, as well. And the final nail in the coffin was the number of top amateur and professional employees we met at Ping who were gaming the G20s over what I expected to be the S56 irons. So, I decided to keep an open mind come initial testing of the G20s … and hide my disappointment of not trying the S56s.

Click here to see the original thread and discussion in the forums…http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/532085-ping-g20-irons-a-players-sgi/

A little about me & my game. I took up golf at 40 and quickly decided that better players had “better” clubs. So I spent about 4 years playing rounds and buying/trying/selling/buying what I learned on internet golf forums to be the best of the best golf equipment. I posted a lot of reviews – most having long since been lost/deleted off other forums – and I learned a lot about golf clubs in the process. But my handicap kind of stalled in the mid-teens even though I was playing 3/4 rounds a week. I was learning through experience that you can’t buy a better game.

A chance encounter on a golf forum led me to begin my education on the golf swing (vs. the equipment). The next 5 years were spent traveling and absorbing the smorgasbord golf swing theories of MORAD, TGM, “old school”, Stack & Tilt, and a few others — directly from the originators/top instructors who espoused each swing style. I bounced from Buffalo to Long Beach to Marietta to Los Angeles, as well as many different stops here in Southeast Texas. What I learned in that time was how to find my own golf swing. I changed irons twice in those 5 years: from Lehman Box Toes to the original AP2s: I was the anti-club-ho. My handicap dipped as low as 2, although it has settled back to 4/6. ( I’ve been off the course for the last 14 weeks due to a patella tendon injury, so I’m scoring worse than that today.) I’m average height/weight and typically carry my drives 240 yards down here.

My iron choices have all had one thing in common: little to no offset. The reason was simple and 100% attributable to a shortcoming of my own making: my inability to correctly align the blade to (or open to) the target at address. I have this maddening habit of aligning the toe of an iron to the hosel — that is what looks “at the target” to me. So the more offset an iron had the more left my iron face was/is pointed at address: irons with lots of offset equaled left of target results for me. Now, I’ve been made aware of this fault by many a swing coach, and told not to do it* by the best of the best. Unfortunately I still refer back to this, my critical alignment error. Hence, my preference for less offset.

At Ping’s factory test range I really raised an eyebrow at the offset G20 Lob wedge poking out of my test bag. Let’s just say my expectations were low. So, for fun, I started popping some high ones out towards the ~90 yard pin to warm up. I was better able to align this offset face because the last groove was painted white. Noticing a heavy shot still gave me a decent result, I began trying to hit it fatter and fatter. By the time I got to striking 4″ behind the ball and watching it still fly I was giggling. I couldn’t get any nasty results fatting the G20 Lob wedge off Ping’s firm, tight grass. This, along with my short time going through the G20 bag, opened my mind to further testing.

After production ramped Ping offered me a review set. My time to try the SGI Experiment had come. I chose a 23* bent to 22* G20 hybrid and the 4-PW G20 irons with Ping’s excellent ID8 cord grips in yellow color code (~= to NDMC mid-size). But then we added a twist…

My bag went from this…

To this…

To this…

To this:

I figured if I’m going to do an SGI test, why not take it all the way???

Ping G20 irons/wedges, 4 through Lob Wedge!

For shafts, I decided on the KBS C-Taper in Stiff. That choice was made for several reasons; 1) I’m familiar now with the shaft after testing them in other irons, 2) I prefer their heavier feel, 3) I felt the lower launch/lower spin would compliment the G20s for my swing, and 4) I have no real experience with the (very well reviewed) ZZ65 shafts that Ping’s new CFS are based on for comparison. The hybrid has the TFC 169H Tour version in it in stiff flex.

After weeks and weeks of not playing, it was somewhat comforting to have some SGIs in the bag as I started my first round. And the results were interesting. I laid up to 88 yards into #1’s front pin … perfect for the 58* Lob wedge, I thought. Down and through nicely, I expected a good result. The ball landed pin high and sucked back off the green 15 feet. As the round progressed, whenever I had full wedges into greens my playing partners and I were surprised at how much backspin I was getting. Misconception #1: For whatever reason I’ve always thought SGI or offset irons wouldn’t spin as much into the green as “player’s” irons — wrong! I’m getting at least as much spin as I do with AP2s/TM CMs on full shots.

We’ve been in a massive drought here in Southeast Texas — down over 24″ for the year — and there’s a lot of dusty hardpan around many greens. No problem, I think, for the Lob Wedge ….. it’ll just scoot it into the ball nicely with that meaty looking backside. I take a bit off the swing I’d use with my long trusted 60-M, and it goes right under the ball leaving it halfway to my target. Misconception #2: Making assumptions on performance by “eye-balling” bounce is misguided. Looking at the G20 Lob Wedge, I never would have figured it could go under a ball off dusty hard pan. I’ve tried this multiple times now with the same result. What is interesting, though, and seems somewhat contradictory: in deep rough around the greens either buried well under the top of the grass or teed up on a “whiffy” lie I’ve found it almost impossible to go under the ball! Even with a full on MORAD/Seve flop swing … go figure? Speaking of flop shots, let’s go ahead and dispel another misconception as the G20 Lob Wedge is among the easiest to flop wedges I’ve tried.


I think the “G” in G20 stands for grace, because you’re forgiven so many bad swings

The long and mid G20 irons demonstrate a level of forgiveness that I have not experienced before. I can’t count how many times I’ve hit a ball poorly, moaned/groaned/oh no’d as I finished my swing only to have my playing partners give me that “What’s wrong with that?” glare after seeing the results. Toe shots, heel shots, low groovers all, and most chunks give such undeservedly good results that you just kind of chuckle knowing what should have happened. Thin it and you’ll still be long, but just about every other miss is forgiven to what my first golf coach called a “good miss” — usually a little short. And for my rusty game I’m talking about 3, maybe 4 stroke-save opportunities per round. Tough up & downs become long two-putt par saves. You tell me what that is worth.

4-irons — G20/TM MC

4-irons — G20/TM MC

The extra offset adds launch and the combination of the KBS C-Taper shafts and the G20s gives a nice high penetrating ballflight. I’m very pleased with this shaft/head combination — each enhances the strengths and minimizes the weaknesses of the other. I have to admit after 6 rounds I’m still having left & right of target issues due to my inconsistent face (and body) alignment. But distance control is spot on. The G20 lofts are jacked a bit in comparison to my usual irons, so I’ve had to adjust to my caddie (read: me) pulling the wrong club every now and again. More importantly, though, I’m not getting any springy face fliers that have marred older springy-faced SGI irons — that’s huge for me, and would have been a deal killer. Feel at impact is solid with the C-Tapers … better than the G15s. I have no issue knowing where on the club face I missed the ball. The rare center hit feel doesn’t quite melt/disappear like a pure forging, but we’re talking nearly imperceptible differences nowadays. I don’t have a big enough sample size to give you solid feedback on the G20’s performance out of the rough — even the deeper fairway rough here is still pretty sparse. Most I can say at this time is my ball flight has been a bit lower & lefter than I expect, perhaps due to some hosel grab. I’ll update as conditions improve.

Prior to my May trip to Scotland I almost always pulled my 60-M when I was close to the green, flying the ball to the pin. But in Scotland, I re-adopted the “keep it close to the ground” chipping style that I first learned at MORAD and is a must for true links courses. The G20 wedges/irons really excel with these shots. As mentioned before, I was having trouble predicting spin off the Lob Wedge, so I started chipping low runners with the UW/PW or an 8-iron even up to a 6-iron. We’re talking TGM horizontal hinge/full roll feel using the Rule Of 12. Off the face feel on these chips with the G20s is pretty good, and my distance control has been excellent. Better players can still choose their shot style, but my results keeping it low have been so surprisingly good that I’ve committed to using what I (re)learned in Scotland.

One final misconception of mine that was quickly dispelled was the idea that more offset makes low recovery shots more difficult to keep down. My wayward drives have given me plenty of opportunities to hit punch out/punch to the green shots with surprisingly good results. Getting the ball up quickly is no issue at all. Recovery slices, though, elude me with the G20s. More a lack of talent problem.

As you have read, I’ve heavily relied on my trusted 60-M for years. I pull it for almost all of my bunker shots. My results out of the sand with the G20 Lob Wedge, though, have been mixed. I’m having trouble getting the ball up in the air and landing softly. Everything is coming out low and rolling out, which is fine as long as you’re not short-sided or landing on a down-slope. I can’t tell if the face is closing down into the sand or what. So I’ll be visiting a friend here who has played on the big tour in the near future and getting a lesson on what’s happening with that. He has an incredible short game and loves a challenge. But as far as an “easy out” wedge, this one fits the bill. I’ve found that aligning only just left and barely opening the face gives the better results. If you leave the ball in the bunker too often, try the G20 Lob Wedge. It takes some getting used to, but it works for getting out. For longer bunker shots, the G20 Sand Wedge has given me and my playing partners some stellar results.

I ordered the G20 hybrid close to the 4-iron loft to compare the two. Let me say up front that I’ve never really gotten along with hybrids — my results are too often left. But the G20 impressed me enough at Ping that I opted to replace the 3-iron with the hybrid. On the practice range I’ve found excellent high long results with no left in them — exactly what we look for in a hybrid. But my 4/5 on course results have been inconsistent. I love the feel, love the no left … I just need a bigger sample size and a little more confidence to draw useable conclusions. I’ll play a number of rounds where I pull the G20 hybrid for every 200+ yard shot, get at least 40/50 strikes with it, and return to update my impressions in the thread. I must add, though, that everyone who has tried my G20 Hybrid gushes about it. Sound & feel is top notch. Well struck, it flat flies. It’s also proven a nice option for short of the green uphill putts.

Speaking of ” try & buy”, I’d say I’ve sold over 15 sets of G20s in these past few weeks. I let anyone who asks hit them, and we’re in “hit & giggle” season down here — fundraising scrambles. Now most of my competitive amateur friends won’t touch them, but the results speak for themselves for high single-digit and up players. Sound and feel is good, ball flight is high, distances are longer — the consensus response is, I think I’m working harder than I need or want to with the [irons in my bag] compared to these.

That’s the point of the G20 irons — they make golf a little easier. I’ve had more “good misses” in just a handful of weeks with them in the bag than the balance of the year with “players” irons. In casual rounds those extra chances make the game funner — in tournament golf those chances can add up to making cuts, taller trophies, and bigger paychecks. And while I may put a more traditional 60* back in the bag, there will definitely be some shots I’ll wish I had the G20 Lob Wedge for. I have no doubt most golfers will score better with the full G20 wedge compliment. As for the SGI Irons/Single-Digit Handicap Experiment: I have to say that I could play a set of SGIs … and probably score better with them. If I did, my inner club ho ego would surely choose a set that has a professional tour presence — and that means Ping. If I had to characterize the G20s today, I’d best describe them as a Players SGI … if you catch my drift. And in that category, I’m not seeing anyone who’s doing them better.

More to come…

Click here to see the original thread and discussion in the forums… http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/532085-ping-g20-irons-a-players-sgi/

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  11. Nick

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    Thank you so much for this post! I have been researching irons for my first new set since 2002 and this may have put the G20s over the top (vs the X-hot and others).

    Thanks again!

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  24. Chris

    Nov 7, 2012 at 7:00 pm

    I’ve seen many comments from people who are torn between i20s and G20s. Here is my advice: if you can afford them and are patient with a full set purchase, get your own demo clubs.
    Last month, I went to a Mizuno demo day, primarily to get on their Shaft Optimizer. I ended up getting the recommended head / shaft / grip combination in a 6-iron, if nothing else, so I wouldn’t feel bad about what I was going to do. A few weeks later, since I play Ping irons (i3+), I purchased i20 and G20 6-irons, each with the recommended shaft. I have been hitting them (range and on the course) and will make a final decision later. Note – I was having trouble hitting the clubs left, especially the G20. So I moved the ball an inch or so back in my stance. Magic! I can now boom the G20s, but I hit the Mizuno and the i20 (with their smaller offset) a bit thin. I will try moving the ball back only a 1/2″ with those clubs and see what happens.
    Your own demo clubs are worth a try. Good luck

  25. murraywest

    Oct 2, 2012 at 2:37 am

    I’m an 11 handicap, and play twice a week. In April I bought a set of Ping i20?s. I was so excited to have the clubs I pined for. The first thing I noticed is that I started hitting a trap draw, with side spin. I hit some of the best shots of my life. More, and more I noticed that I was leaving the ball right side, and when I started to aim mid green, the trap draw would occur more often than not. Here I was… trapped as a 11 handicap without knowing what was going to happen on any given shot. One day I played with a 4 handicap who had a set of G20?s. He was obviously better than me, and I asked him why he played the G20?s over the i20?s. He said the G20?s are more consistent and that he likes a vertical spin ball rather than a side spin ball. Well, he planted an evil seed in my mind, and every shot I mist hit, I could see where he was coming from. So, I saved my cash, and hid it from my wife, and bought a set of G20?s for myself. So… the advice you about to hear is from a avid golfer who has BOTH sets of clubs.

    The G20?s are tons easier to hit. The ball flights 20% higher. The longer irons are sooo much better that it’s weird. To be honest, the 9, W, U of the i20?s are better, but they are not much better than the G20?s. The 4,5,6,7,8 of the G20?s are light years better than the i20?s. I have the luxury of having the clubs of choice in my bag, but if I had to have only one set, I’d go with the G20?s – by far. The vertical spin of the G20?s makes the ball spin backwards, and the balls stop better on the green. In summation – Now I aim at the pin, and the ball mostly flies at the pin. I had 3 birdies the first round I played with them, all because I was nearer the pin.

  26. Slu

    Aug 9, 2012 at 12:15 pm

    How do the G20’s comparable to the K15’s? I am getting fitted this weekend – thanks

  27. rmmick

    Jun 18, 2012 at 2:14 pm

    I am recovering from a total hip replacement in dec 2011 and not getting any younger, 47. earlier in life i was a 5 handicap, but now with too much to do i have dropped to an 11. with my hip issues i had developed a very shallow follow-thru and have been cutting the ball for quite a while. on a whim i stopped by golfsmith here and asked to be fitted for a new set of irons. when asked if i had any “loyalties” to a specific manufacturer i said I will go with whatever the analysis determines the best for me and my swing. My last set of iron were Cleveland TA-7’s which I have had new since 2004. Due to my hip issues I have a difficult time hitting the lower irons and prefer the hybrid over say a 4 iron, so once i convinced the staff member working with me that i needed to hit a 7 iron not a 5 iron or 6 iron to keep apples to apples they did infact accommodate me and took clubs right off the racks to do so.

    I hit the usual “big boys”, Calloway, Taylor Made, Titleist, along with Mizuno and a couple others. When I was asked about Ping I said I had never thought about them before, everyone I knew that had them years ago said they lost at least a club distance with them, but I said I would openly swing them and see what happens…..WOW…my goal was to increase my launch angle and get the ball higher …these clubs did it right from the start, my launch angles, spin, and acuracy all increased. I have always been a player who can get up and down from anywhere within 50 yards of the green, and having tried the “U” wedge that came with my 4-PW set, I have decided to stick with what works and leave that one out of the bag for now and keep my existing wedges – 52/56/60

    I have played 5 rounds with the clubs and am now “dialing” into them and my alignment, the “offset” takes a few rounds and buckets of balls to get accustomed to, but now they are working perfectly in my opinion. My ball flight is higher than ever, where i want it, i am hitting them as long or even a bit longer than my old clubs and my “mishits” are still playable, not OB or in real trouble, if anything, they stay on-line, but come up a bit short.

    As I get “older” and hopefully “slower” in my swing, i also felt that this club would work for me for some time to come. I have the steel?stiff shafts currently, but could always switch out to a graphite when that time comes, not to mention that this club cuts through the rough like a butter knife through butter. I have even started to hit the “4” iron in the bag again and am consistanly hitting it 200 yds…the same as my 4hybrid did.

    I recommend these clubs to ANYONE! they were not anywhere on my “radarscreen” originally, but they will be forever now..

  28. JLo

    May 29, 2012 at 10:30 am

    Follow-up to my Feb 3, 2012 comment:

    I’ve now played 20+ rounds with my G20 irons (yellow dot/ std length/ std grip/ regular flex stock steel shaft). PING delivered the 4-UW set in less than a week. I’m a +- bogie player. My formal instruction is limited to Clive Scarff’s Hit Down Damnit and a couple of lessons from a Pro. I highly recommend the G20s. My natural shot is now a draw. I can work my 4-7 irons right-to-left with increasing accuracy. Initially I was concerned that the G20s’ trajectory was too high. I played in the wind early on and couldn’t find a green. My problem, however, was a steep swing plane rather than any bias of the G20s. With a more appropriate swing plane, the ball’s trajectory is lower (still towering), a draw is the result and wind has become less daunting. A well struck 8-iron goes long: 150+ yards (4-iron: 200+ yards). They’re very forgiving. Mishits are much less penalizing. What’s not to like?! My only advice is to opt for the 3-PW. I swapped my 50 degree UW for a Vokey 52/08. The Vokey is more useful. And given how well I can hit my 4-iron off the tee, I’ll be adding the G20 3-iron soon. 🙂 Hope this helps.

  29. JLo

    Feb 3, 2012 at 9:50 pm

    In the market for a new set of irons, scouring the web for something more than a regurgitated press release (it’s astounding to me how crappy Google search is in such circumstances) … finally: a thoughtful hands on review. Thanks! I got fitted today for a set of G20s at a local pro shop. DO NOT underestimate the value of custom fitting. After the basic measurements were taken, I was able to demo a 7-iron with three different lie angles OUTSIDE on the range. Had I relied upon PING.COM’s web-fitting app (and the prevalence of clubs available on eBay) I would have gone with the standard black dot. But after a bucket of balls and then a “lie board” test (not to mention a helpful tip from the pro) it was apparent that yellow dot suited my swing. Yes, I am guilty of more than a little bit of manic untested expectation here, but my ball striking at the range was very encouraging. I will follow-up with a more informed opinion once I’ve played a round. Thanks, again, for the review.

  30. Patrick

    Jan 26, 2012 at 10:34 pm

    I just ordered my G20’s. Can’t wait for them to come in and try them in playing conditions. I too tried a number of “Players” clubs but could never get my hcp below 12. I know it’s the Indian not the arrows. All good clubs I was using but they all rendered the same results for me. I thought I was better than GI irons untill I tried the G20’s. They felt great and on miss hits the loss in result was minimal. I do have to mention this is the very first time I was actually fitted for clubs as well. While going through the fitting process I tried all the normal clubs I played. With the G 20’s I picked up swing speed, ball speed, better launch angle, and distance. What a difference. I look forward to lowering that hcp. Advice – Lose the ego, get fitted and play the right irons that fit your game. I suggest you start with the G20’s. 🙂

  31. Mat

    Jan 12, 2012 at 10:40 pm

    I was a “get ’em all” guy too. I did go all the way to a LW, and then had to go to a Tour-S after finding I couldn’t get the club low enough. Too many ‘skulls’.

    That LW is great in fairway, rough… but when you get to a place where you need to open the face, you’re going to want a customary wedge. 🙂

  32. bart

    Jan 12, 2012 at 9:18 pm

    I just bought a set of G20’s and I am madly in love with them! When I went into my local golf shop (Dukes in Annapolis, MD) I wanted to buy the Titleist 712 AP1. In addition I tried irons from Callaway, and TM. At the driving range I could not find one that stood out from another. I brought back the R11’s and Burner 2 because they just did nothing for me. They weren’t bad, they weren’t great they were just fehh. On a whim I decided to take out the G20 7 iron. I went back to the range and hit the Callaway razr and razr xf, and the AP1. Still none stood out from the other. Some shots were great, some were suprisingly long and then there was everything else. Then I tried the G20…a much higher launch and perfectly straight. I swung again, and again, and again. Same results.. awesome. I figured I was warmed up and in a groove so I tried the other clubs again and the magic disappeared. Back to the G20 and the magic was back! I bought 4-Utility wedge (their term for Gap) and I have played 4 rounds with them under adverse conditions, so I am still adjusting to them. I have had to drop down 1 and sometimes 2 clubs because I am hitting them farther. I want to give you an example of the difference these clubs are making in my game. I played today iand it got up to 60 degrees (go global warming) but it rained all last night and into the morning so the course was drenched. I actually had 1 putt hydroplane. On an uphill par 5 I never do well on, I had a ok drive (absolutely no carry today), hit a beautiful 4 iron straight down the fairway, then a 7 iron onto the green. All this while I had 4 golfers watching me as we played thru. I never do well in those situations because I try to speed up to get out of their way. But as I approached each iron shot I was calm and confident because I knew if I just took a normal swing good things would happen. Thank you PING!!

  33. azgolfguy

    Jan 3, 2012 at 5:02 pm

    Great post. I was getting my 20 year old Eye2’s re-shafted when the fitter suggested the G20. I cant imagine switching but they seemed very forgiving. My biggest fear is the large bounce from tight lies. You addressed it here and really found no problem? After playing now for a while do you have any new thoughts on these?

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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.

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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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