New Level Appreciation Thread

[GHINandDiet]

On 6/24/2025 at 5:46 AM, JxMOx said:

Love the look of the new utility and can't wait to hear some feedback on this thread once people have had some time with it. Weirdly, right now when I try to mess with builds of the new utility the drop downs are not working for shaft type.

 

On 6/16/2025 at 5:31 PM, NMarko said:

Yeah, that new DI looks awesome. They have a great shaft selection too from what I’ve seen.

 

I had the opportunity to stop by NL HQ today and put the NLU V2 thru some testing -- it's hot! I definitely picked up a few MPH of ball speed over the older version with the new face material and it also looks like they took a touch of offset out of it too. The black finish is clean looking at address and sets up more like a wood/hybrid to my brain for some unknown reason. This one had a 95X KBS proto shaft but I liked the Accra TZ5/6 testers they had too. Happy to answer questions.

 

[Sam217]

1 hour ago, GHINandDiet said:

 

 

I had the opportunity to stop by NL HQ today and put the NLU V2 thru some testing -- it's hot! I definitely picked up a few MPH of ball speed over the older version with the new face material and it also looks like they took a touch of offset out of it too. The black finish is clean looking at address and sets up more like a wood/hybrid to my brain for some unknown reason. This one had a 95X KBS proto shaft but I liked the Accra TZ5/6 testers they had too. Happy to answer questions.

 

Holy carry batman

[GHINandDiet]

38 minutes ago, Sam217 said:

Holy carry batman

 

In the spirit of transparency, that one was absolutely nuked and probably the best one of the day. Average was more in the 240ish carry range when I wasn't trying to step on it. Spin rates and mishits weren't bad at all. It's pretty forgiving for an 18° missile launcher haha

[dmeeksDC]

18 hours ago, GHINandDiet said:

 

 

I had the opportunity to stop by NL HQ today and put the NLU V2 thru some testing -- it's hot! I definitely picked up a few MPH of ball speed over the older version with the new face material and it also looks like they took a touch of offset out of it too. The black finish is clean looking at address and sets up more like a wood/hybrid to my brain for some unknown reason. This one had a 95X KBS proto shaft but I liked the Accra TZ5/6 testers they had too. Happy to answer questions.

 

It looks nice. Are you getting one? How is the sole? As forgiving as a hybrid?

[GHINandDiet]

6 minutes ago, dmeeksDC said:

It looks nice. Are you getting one? How is the sole? As forgiving as a hybrid?

 

It's very clean looking in-person, the black finish makes it harder to see the little details like the milling on the website. The sole is very similar (or the same) as the previous NLU from what I could tell and felt smooth. I hit it off the mat and off a bottle cap tee and saw no issues with launch/spin alternating between those two. Easy to launch up in the air and you can flight it down to sting a little chaser easily too. 

 

I fiddled around with all 3 lofts (18°, 21°, and 24°) and ordered a 21° with Accra TZ5 to mess around with. I would say the club is VERY forgiving for a driving iron but not quite as forgiving as a hybrid. I have a 19° g430 PING hybrid that I love and the 18° NLU was hovering around the same numbers I see from that. The 24° is the same loft as my 702CB 4i and I like that club, so I don't really need a replacement there. Thus, the 21° NLU fits into the bag as kind of a fairway finder/stinger tee club for when I play tighter courses in the valley. Longer than my CB 4i but shorter than my PING hybrid and easier to flight down.

 

I've been tinkering with idea of ditching the 3w because I use it so infrequently. I just don't play many courses that I need to have a 270+ club in the fairway. I find myself only using 3w once or twice a month, so I'm tinkering a bit with the top-end of the bag. For $200ish it's a steal and well worth the experiment. I think NL has another winner. 

[3puttking14]

Although I’ve never owned them. I did hit them and they felt amazing and I’m a big fan of the look of the 702mb’s and cb’s. They’re a great club!

[JxMOx]

On 7/9/2025 at 11:11 AM, GHINandDiet said:

 

It's very clean looking in-person, the black finish makes it harder to see the little details like the milling on the website. The sole is very similar (or the same) as the previous NLU from what I could tell and felt smooth. I hit it off the mat and off a bottle cap tee and saw no issues with launch/spin alternating between those two. Easy to launch up in the air and you can flight it down to sting a little chaser easily too. 

 

I fiddled around with all 3 lofts (18°, 21°, and 24°) and ordered a 21° with Accra TZ5 to mess around with. I would say the club is VERY forgiving for a driving iron but not quite as forgiving as a hybrid. I have a 19° g430 PING hybrid that I love and the 18° NLU was hovering around the same numbers I see from that. The 24° is the same loft as my 702CB 4i and I like that club, so I don't really need a replacement there. Thus, the 21° NLU fits into the bag as kind of a fairway finder/stinger tee club for when I play tighter courses in the valley. Longer than my CB 4i but shorter than my PING hybrid and easier to flight down.

 

I've been tinkering with idea of ditching the 3w because I use it so infrequently. I just don't play many courses that I need to have a 270+ club in the fairway. I find myself only using 3w once or twice a month, so I'm tinkering a bit with the top-end of the bag. For $200ish it's a steal and well worth the experiment. I think NL has another winner. 

I am super excited to hear more once you get it and figure out where and when it can fit in the bag. I am in a similar situation with 3 wood but tend to lean driver or my NLU v1 when I want accuracy or less distance. Did you ever hit or play the NLU v1?

[GHINandDiet]

5 hours ago, JxMOx said:

I am super excited to hear more once you get it and figure out where and when it can fit in the bag. I am in a similar situation with 3 wood but tend to lean driver or my NLU v1 when I want accuracy or less distance. Did you ever hit or play the NLU v1?

 

I hit/tried all the original NLUs but never found a place in my bag for them. This version is definitely faster but I haven't got it out on the course yet. I've been traveling a bit and not golfing but I'm playing this weekend. I will report back. 

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

On 7/8/2025 at 10:09 PM, GHINandDiet said:

 

 

I had the opportunity to stop by NL HQ today and put the NLU V2 thru some testing -- it's hot! I definitely picked up a few MPH of ball speed over the older version with the new face material and it also looks like they took a touch of offset out of it too. The black finish is clean looking at address and sets up more like a wood/hybrid to my brain for some unknown reason. This one had a 95X KBS proto shaft but I liked the Accra TZ5/6 testers they had too. Happy to answer questions.

 

I received my 21° and 24° yesterday. They’re supposed to replace the 23° 4H and 25° 5H which have been giving me terrible hooks and inconsistent distances lately. 
Put in a range session and 9 holes yesterday evening. These will work! Great looks, soft feel, powerful sound, piercing ballflight, and I can hit a fade again. Thin strikes are punished but I had some heel strikes and hit a couple high on the face and they still went roughly the same distance. 
Also, even with the lower ballflight, I get plenty of spin. I‘m a high spin player, have Steelfiber i95 S in the irons, and got the NLU-V2 with KBS Tour Prototype 85 S, as per recommendation from New Level support. The shafts fit well, I‘m very happy!

Here‘s some pics. 
 

 

Edited July 18 by LukeDonaldsTiger

[Spinozist]

That tour prototype is such a great shaft

[dmeeksDC]

6 hours ago, LukeDonaldsTiger said:

I received my 21° and 24° yesterday. They’re supposed to replace the 23° 4H and 25° 5H which have been giving me terrible hooks and inconsistent distances lately. 
Put in a range session and 9 holes yesterday evening. These will work! Great looks, soft feel, powerful sound, piercing ballflight, and I can hit a fade again. Thin strikes are punished but I had some heel strikes and hit a couple high on the face and they still went roughly the same distance. 
Also, even with the lower ballflight, I get plenty of spin. I‘m a high spin player, have Steelfiber i95 S in the irons, and got the NLU-V2 with KBS Tour Prototype 85 S, as per recommendation from New Level support. The shafts fit well, I‘m very happy!

Here‘s some pics. 
 

 

That’s a great report. They look really good. When you say thins are punished, how bad is it?

 

PS: We’ve been in the process of moving so I had not played in about 3 weeks until Monday. I was sporadic off the tee, but kept it in play with some challenging approaches. Well, the 702CB+ irons shined as I continually nailed greens from all over. I wasn’t sharp at all. They offer surprising help. Guys with me liked the look of the New Levels. 

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

3 hours ago, dmeeksDC said:

That’s a great report. They look really good. When you say thins are punished, how bad is it?

Thanks!

It‘s just as bad as with other irons- I was comparing it to thin strikes with a hybrid, where there’s still some explosiveness off the face. That’s not happening here, obviously, but it’s not especially bad. 
 

Had another range session today and these are so easy to hit. Satisfying sound and feel, too. The face is not too springy, these feel like forged irons with loads of forgiveness, and are just the right amount of hot.
The sole works great for me, slightly fat shots didn’t dig too much.

Again, high on the face shots go almost the same distance, it’s astonishing. 
The shaft is a great fit, I‘ll have to thank the person at New Level for the recommendation. Seamless transition from the Steelfibers. 
 

I took a closer look at them in comparison and wish I had taken pictures next to the 902 PD and OS, but these definitely are bigger heads, which is nicely masked by the black finish. 
You can see the weight and some of the backside at address too, so don’t expect them to be sleek and slim. The offset is fine, I‘m not that sensitive about that, and they don’t look like ugly shovels at all. The overall look is great. 

 

Very happy at the moment. Another round tomorrow, looking forward to it!

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

Played 18 today, and if I hadn’t s****ed a short approach in the water on 16, I would’ve finally broken 80. Had a great round, and a couple very satisfying shots with the NLU‘s. It’s very liberating to be able to aim where the shot needs to go, not where a hook would still be alive. These go high, straight and spin just right. I’m sold. 

[Sam217]

24 minutes ago, LukeDonaldsTiger said:

Played 18 today, and if I hadn’t s****ed a short approach in the water on 16, I would’ve finally broken 80. Had a great round, and a couple very satisfying shots with the NLU‘s. It’s very liberating to be able to aim where the shot needs to go, not where a hook would still be alive. These go high, straight and spin just right. I’m sold. 

Full set of irons or just the NLU?

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

I have a combo set of

21°/24° NLU-V2 which are new

6i 902 OS

7i-PW 902 PD

 

The NLU‘s slot in perfectly as 4i/5i replacements. 

[GHINandDiet]

On 7/17/2025 at 2:02 PM, GHINandDiet said:

 

I hit/tried all the original NLUs but never found a place in my bag for them. This version is definitely faster but I haven't got it out on the course yet. I've been traveling a bit and not golfing but I'm playing this weekend. I will report back. 

 

Ok, reporting back after playing with the NLU V2 on course last weekend. Confirmed: the thing is a missile-launcher.

 

I was able to hit big high fades that landed soft and low chasers that ran forever. Really a fun club that will fit into a lot of peoples bags. I found myself primarily using it off the tee on some more demanding tee shots with dog legs or pinched landing areas but I had no problem launching it off the deck too. For context, I'm a 5 -- not some aspiring tour pro. I think a lot of people will really find the NLU useful at the top end of their bag, just as @LukeDonaldsTiger has. Not super punishing on toe-y strikes and overall I liked the setup, sound, and performance.

 

Definitely a deal at $200ish or whatever it was out the door. If you're on the fence, try it. 

[dmeeksDC]

Many have probably seen this, but the Plugged in Golf review on the 702CB+ is on the money. Exactly my experience with these irons. And I agree with the reviewer that these are more of a forgiving players iron than a players distance club.
 

The new X Forged heads released by Callaway are nice, but they’ve got nothing on the New Level 702s, which IMO are a little easier to play with a low CG and small tungsten plug in the toe of the sole. The 702CB+ is also considerably sleeker than the X Forged Max. 
 

https://pluggedingolf.com/new-level-702-irons-review/
 

 

[Sam217]

6 hours ago, dmeeksDC said:

Many have probably seen this, but the Plugged in Golf review on the 702CB+ is on the money. Exactly my experience with these irons. And I agree with the reviewer that these are more of a forgiving players iron than a players distance club.
 

The new X Forged heads released by Callaway are nice, but they’ve got nothing on the New Level 702s, which IMO are a little easier to play with a low CG and small tungsten plug in the toe of the sole. The 702CB+ is also considerably sleeker than the X Forged Max. 
 

https://pluggedingolf.com/new-level-702-irons-review/
 

 

Do you find that the 702 series has a thinner sole than the TC 480s? The article mentions that but seems somewhat unlikely to me. 

[dmeeksDC]

4 hours ago, Sam217 said:

Do you find that the 702 series has a thinner sole than the TC 480s? The article mentions that but seems somewhat unlikely to me. 

I honestly cannot remember but if you had asked me I would have said the 480TC sole was ever so slightly thinner. I am sure they are close. 
 

The 702CB+ is quite thin-looking, though, maybe looks skinnier because the blade length is a touch longer. I have noticed it is thinner soled with a thinner top line than many OEM irons. It’s a really nice iron. Pretty surprisingly good on thin hits. To me it has dimensions and depth that work great, less bulky than what is usually seen in a mid-sized iron. 

[mvhoffman]

So I figured I'd toss it in here since I never did, but I reshafted my 902 forged with graphite.  I went from KBS 120 steel to 85 S graphite and I am so glad I did.  

 

Just a little update that's all