42 replies to this topic

[G.Review]

Adams Idea Pro Gold

Idea Pro Gold sets a new standard in hybrids designed for elite players, combining 5% more forgiveness on off-center hits with a 10% improvement in launch conditions while retaining the look, feel and workability that has made the Idea Pro hybrid the #1 hybrid played on tour.

[pjammer13]

very interested in reviews here guys, I loved my old Idea Pro as it stayed in bag for quite some time before it was replaced. Just seems to me that there has been little to no buzz about the Pro Gold considering how great the Idea Pro was.

CP

[Can]

No reviews and comparisons to the Idea Pro?!?  I'm shocked...
I'm looking to start using a hybrid to replace a 4 wood or 3 iron (or both...I'm a 2 handicap).  I've heard the Idea Pro was the best on the market but heard very little about the Pro Gold (maybe for a reason).
Anyone have any reviews or comparisons of the two?

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Can, on Oct 2 2008, 09:20 AM, said:

No reviews and comparisons to the Idea Pro?!? I'm shocked...
I'm looking to start using a hybrid to replace a 4 wood or 3 iron (or both...I'm a 2 handicap). I've heard the Idea Pro was the best on the market but heard very little about the Pro Gold (maybe for a reason).
Anyone have any reviews or comparisons of the two?

I currently play the Idea Pros See Sig. I have been demoing the Pro Golds with the Matrix shaft quite a bit lately. Here are my thoughts between the two

1: Looks I love the rounded shape of the Idea Pro vs the Pro gold I just cant get used to the boxer look

2: Ball flight The Pro Gold wins here with a more boring flight and imo slightly more workable

3: Distance: almost identical to me even though the pro gold is supposed to have a hotter face

4: My own personal thoughts is any of the positive gain I can tell between the two models is really in the matrix shaft. That shaft just feels solid compared to the stock javln shaft and the Vs Poto by you in the Idea Pro. While both are solid hybrids would I run out to upgrade to the pro golds at 239 a pop no, would I spend 150 a pop to have my Idea Pros reshafted in the Matrix Altus absolutley.

5: To each is own but if I were in the market to purchase a new players hybrid the Pro Gold would definatley be on the top of my list and it is definatley worth the extra 20 bucks to get the Matrix shaft combo vs the stock Javln shaft

Edited by mbateman81, 02 October 2008 - 11:46 AM.

[geeza_1]

mbateman81, on Oct 2 2008, 05:45 PM, said:

Can, on Oct 2 2008, 09:20 AM, said:

No reviews and comparisons to the Idea Pro?!? I'm shocked...
I'm looking to start using a hybrid to replace a 4 wood or 3 iron (or both...I'm a 2 handicap). I've heard the Idea Pro was the best on the market but heard very little about the Pro Gold (maybe for a reason).
Anyone have any reviews or comparisons of the two?

I currently play the Idea Pros See Sig. I have been demoing the Pro Golds with the Matrix shaft quite a bit lately. Here are my thoughts between the two

1: Looks I love the rounded shape of the Idea Pro vs the Pro gold I just cant get used to the boxer look

2: Ball flight The Pro Gold wins here with a more boring flight and imo slightly more workable

3: Distance: almost identical to me even though the pro gold is supposed to have a hotter face

4: My own personal thoughts is any of the positive gain I can tell between the two models is really in the matrix shaft. That shaft just feels solid compared to the stock javln shaft and the Vs Poto by you in the Idea Pro. While both are solid hybrids would I run out to upgrade to the pro golds at 239 a pop no, would I spend 150 a pop to have my Idea Pros reshafted in the Matrix Altus absolutley.

5: To each is own but if I were in the market to purchase a new players hybrid the Pro Gold would definatley be on the top of my list and it is definatley worth the extra 20 bucks to get the Matrix shaft combo vs the stock Javln shaft

Hi,

When you say the Gold has a more boring flight, would you say it launches higher or lower than the old pro.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

To my eye the initial launch was about the same, the difference was the gold with the matrix did not ballon as much mid flight on me like my Idea Pro and kept a nice smooth trajectory while still being able to land soft.

[Can]

Thanks a lot "mbateman81" for the post...very helpful!

Edited by Can, 03 October 2008 - 02:37 PM.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Can, on Oct 3 2008, 12:35 PM, said:

Thanks a lot "mbateman81" for the post...very helpful!

No problem, now if you could point me in the direction of the money tree as it seems I now need 300$ for 2 new Matrix Altus Hybrid Shafts .

On another note a few places have the Idea Pro's on closeout and I have seen them as low as $99.99 @ Pgasuperstore

[3puttJC]

just got a 20 and a 23 pro gold with the standard javln shaft in regular. very easy to hit. ball starts pretty high and goes forever...

had the sonartec hb-001 before! sonartec`s look better, sound better and i get the same distance but the adams are way more forgiving!

first hybrid i tried with no downside to me, will stick with it...

Edited by 3puttJC, 22 October 2008 - 03:38 PM.

[KR619JC]

Awesome hybrids. Been in the bag since August and replaced the Idea Pro which was actually the club that had been in my bag the longest amount of time. These are more forgiving, yet retain the ease to work the ball. Another solid hybrid from adams!

[antoine]

    I'm very interested by the Adam idea pro that a lot of pros use on the PGA tour but I would like to know if it would be better to buy the new Pro Gold with a Matrix.
Has the Pro Gold the same "NO OFFSET" as the Idea Pro has ?

Thanks for your answer.

[tagermo]

There is no offset on the Pro Gold and as everyone has indicated the matrix shaft is awesome in this club.

I have the 20 degree and it is so long it has knocked my Exotics 18 degree XCG out of the bag. I am now looking at buying the 16 degree for long par threes and to tee off on tight par fours.

Great club i dont know why we dont see more of them in bags, also very workable club.

[tagermo]

After years of trying every hybrid: Rescue, Baffler, Halo, Bobby Jones I finally have found a hybrid that plays to my liking more like an iron and less like a fairway metal. The Pro Gold with the Matrix Ozik shaft is awesome. Good boring trajectory not too high like many of the other hybrids. It is soo long that the 20 degree I have is longer than my Exotics XCG 18 degree 5 wood. I am now considering the 18 or 16 degree Pro Gold for the distance gap between my 3 wood and the 20 degree Pro Gold. If you enjoy hitting long irons but are looking for more forgiveness give this a try. Also great on those holes where you want a placement shot off the tee. Works best if you tee it low and play it middle or slightly back in stance.

[NevinW]

I bought an Adams IDEA Pro Gold Hybrid 20 degree hybrid with a the  Javln stiff shaft.  I have  played with it a number of times and it performs nicely with little of  the tendency to go left like my TM mid-rescue. I like the way it looks  and performance but it feels dull and lifeless to me. It always feels  like it doesn't have sweet spot. I feel that I have missed the shot and  then I look up and the ball is going straight and where I want it to  go. At least the TM felt good when you hit a good shot. Part of it may  be the dull sound. Any thoughts? Would a different shaft help? Part of  the fun of golf is the feel when you hit a good shot and this club just  doesn't deliver. I would appreciate what everyone thinks about this.  Is it just me or have others complained of this?   - Nevin

[tagermo]

May be the shaft because i get really good feedback and can tell where on the face i hit the ball. Also find that a great shot in the middle of the sweet spot feels like the ball explodes off the face. I could not be more pleased with mine especially the ability to work the ball which with other hybrids i have found is almost impossible. Try the Ozik shaft.

[NuckandCup]

Then you should play the MP Fli Hi

Great long iron replacement, the specs are identical to the irons they are replacing.

[Cal]

This is a cheat stick- very straight and nice and long. It feels so solid it's scary. It's been in the bag for less than a week and it is the "go to" club already.

[jinst3r]

I use standard lies on all my clubs, but this 18* hybrid seems too upright for me.. I wonder why. Is it possible to bend these post-purchase? I know you can out of the factory.

[bjdrivers]

simply put, this hybrid rules from the tee, hardpan, fairway, rough, doesn't matter!

[arkstorm]

I played the orignal Idea Pros for a couple of seasons and have played a few rounds with the Idea Pro Golds(3h and 4h) thus I feel qualified to make a comparative review.  Its natural to want to compare the two because Adams is such a leader in this category, but I found some pretty distinct differences apart from shape:    

Shape/Address:
Compared to the rounded Idea Pro, the boxer shape looks very clean but appears distinctively larger at address.  The square head is very easy to align toward the target.

Sound/Feel:
I noticed that the sound and feel vary greatly depending on where on the face you catch the ball.  A good shot will produce a slightly muted sound.  Strangely enough, if you hear a metallic clicking sound, although you may feel like you just bounced it straight off the sweet spot, it probably means you should expect a less than stellar result.

Distance:
Distance is long and very consistent, similar to the Idea Pro.  Keep in mind that these are made to work seamlessly with your irons, so its really more about control than distance but the Pro Gold excels in both departments.  

Ball Flight/Spin:
Ball flight and spin are lower compared to the Idea Pro.  I think this has more to do with the shaft than anything else and I will discuss the shaft in greater detail below.  

Forgiveness:
All in all these are a little more punishing on mishits then they need to be - far less forginving than their predecessors.  The Pro Golds are a little better from the rough than the Idea Pros, but a step in the wrong direction from the tee and from the short grass.  

Shaft:
The shaft is the engine of the club.  If you don't believe this just compare this club with its predecessor.  The JAVLNFX shaft is an absolute dream...from a range mat.  Take it to real grass though and be prepared for a whole other story.  I find that either the VS Proto shaft that came in my Idea Pros was simply the perfect shaft for me, or that the JAVLNFX leaves much to be desired.  You can opt for the Matrix shaft which I also tried in its 90g. version but it was too stout for me.  All in all, I was sorely disappointed when I took the JAVLNFX from the range to the course.  Its  not smooth, doesn't feel stable, has almost no feel, and loads very inconsistently.  Not a good shaft at all IMO and is quite disappointing from Adams who tend to offer some of the best stock shafts of any major OEM.

Conclusion:
What I look for in a hybrid is a compact head, high ball flight and green sticking capability.  Despite how much I wanted to like them (they were essentially a freebee with the 5-PW) the Pro Golds fall short.  I think the problems start with the less than stellar shaft and continue from there but I see no reason to reshaft and tinker when my original Idea Pros work so well for me.  I think, for the time being, the Idea Pros are back in the bag and the Pro Gold will have to ride the pine.

Edited by arkstorm, 12 May 2009 - 05:18 PM.

[esar]

Very straight but very low for me.Matrix Ozik shaft and 18 degree head are awesome off the tee and good lies.
If i have to dig one out the flight is very low for me.Maybe i should have gone Mitsi shaft.
I got use to the square look very quick and the club feels great.Very straight flight.Not a hook machine like every other hybrid i have hit.

Adams have done it again!

[mr.paintmaker]

I have 4 of them and I really like them.
I am an iron player and to see my 2, then 3, then kinda my 4 iron go into the corner of the garage for retirement, was sad.
I had gotten Ping G5's to replacement long irons but they have some draw bias and for me that sometimes created a quick snap hook.
I wanted all the forgiving properties of the hybrid, i.e. low c.g., pull face, longer shaft .... more distance.
But also the playability/workability of and iron.
Adams has done that. I tried the Adams A1 or their first hybrid several years ago and decided on a Baffler because it came with a Aldila NV shaft. I never tried the Pro so I cannot compare the two. What I can say is that I have never hit a 2,3,4 or 5 iron like I hit the Pro Gold. I had the thought that 5 iron hybrid was a bad idea or something for grandpa or my wife. NO way, for the most part its a 7 iron swing and 3 wood distance. They play well off the tee, fairway, rough, deeper stuff, hard pan, sand, ... worth a try if your looking.
I have and am trying to find the perfect shaft combo.
I can say the following:
Mitsubishi Rayon Javln FX M8, S flex - fine shaft very soft tip
Mitsubishi Rayon Javln FX MH9, X flex - very low launch
MATRIX OZIK ALTUS HYBRID, S -flex - great but too soft, should have tried strong or x flex
Aldila VS Proto By You Hybrid 80 X, - one of the best still in my 4
Aldila VS Proto By You 80 X, .350, - trimmed and shimmed wood shaft to improve launch
Aldila VS Proto By You Hybrid 95 X, - very much like a steel shaft, low boring flight
Currently trying Aldila Voodoo hybrid

I can answer the adjustment question too. I think Adams goal was to make the Pro Gold much more like an iron that could be fit to the player. I have had my adjusted by Golf Smith, loft, lie, and face angle.

[BoomBoomLarry]

What handicap or skill level would you recommend for the Idea Pro Gold Hybrid I am a 17 and like the feel hit it great in the store? but I read that it is a " players club.

THanks

[pt_golfer]

hey guys
i want to buy a adams hybrid but what should i choose a4 or speedline? (im 31 hcp)

[arkstorm]

pt_golfer, on Jul 20 2009, 08:47 PM, said:

hey guys
i want to buy a adams hybrid but what should i choose a4 or speedline? (im 31 hcp)

Probably the A4 since there is no such thing as a Speedline hybrid from Adams.

And BTW, why would you post this question here and not on the A4 thread?

Edited by arkstorm, 20 July 2009 - 09:14 PM.

[pt_golfer]

arkstorm, on Jul 21 2009, 01:09 AM, said:

pt_golfer, on Jul 20 2009, 08:47 PM, said:

hey guys
i want to buy a adams hybrid but what should i choose a4 or speedline? (im 31 hcp)

Probably the A4 since there is no such thing as a Speedline hybrid from Adams.

And BTW, why would you post this question here and not on the A4 thread?

speedline hy fw wood

[arkstorm]

pt_golfer, on Jul 21 2009, 12:08 AM, said:

arkstorm, on Jul 21 2009, 01:09 AM, said:

pt_golfer, on Jul 20 2009, 08:47 PM, said:

hey guys
i want to buy a adams hybrid but what should i choose a4 or speedline? (im 31 hcp)

Probably the A4 since there is no such thing as a Speedline hybrid from Adams.

And BTW, why would you post this question here and not on the A4 thread?

speedline hy fw wood

That is considered more of a fairway wood than a hybrid.  The question is what club(s) are you looking to replace?  A long iron? Or a fairway wood?

Edited by arkstorm, 21 July 2009 - 06:53 AM.

[pt_golfer]

Long iron. Thanks for the speedline info anyway really thought it was a hybrid.

[pt_golfer]

Is it good to a guy who is 31 hcp

[trickyx]

The Pro Gold feels great I'm not sure if I like the matrix shaft I'm putting a Hybrex Helix Tour on it to try and experiment. Is the Matrix a stock or is it an aftermarket?