New Level Golf - 902 Forged

[mcc0819]

1 hour ago, Steele47 said:

 

 

Beautiful clubs and apologies since I have not read entire thread but are those ferrules standard or did you have to order them special?   Thanks!

I ordered separate and sent to New Level for the build.  Eric at new level had no problem doing that for me.

[Steele47]

19 minutes ago, mcc0819 said:

I ordered separate and sent to New Level for the build.  Eric at new level had no problem doing that for me.

 

Very cool.  Hit em well!

[ARL67]

 

^^^ Ditto ... Cool that you sent him some BBF ferrules to jazz up your set 

 

I grabbed a used combo set of 623-M and 902.  I was really impressed with the SW build consistency -> all were within 0.1 SW on my scale -> impressive !   

[ferrispgm]

1 hour ago, ARL67 said:

 

^^^ Ditto ... Cool that you sent him some BBF ferrules to jazz up your set 

 

I grabbed a used combo set of 623-M and 902.  I was really impressed with the SW build consistency -> all were within 0.1 SW on my scale -> impressive !   

 

I've been debating going to the 623M as my current Srixon Z-forged are starting to wear out pretty significantly.  How do you like them? I've heard some comments that they have a rather high spin and higher flight than others resulting in less carry...have you found that to be the case?  Any chance you could post some address pics of and 8 iron and PW?  Sorry to ask so much but I just can't find a whole lot of info out there and I can't find any sets in person.

[ARL67]

Ask and yee shall receive, but only for the PW so far.

Left to right in all the below pics are MP-4, MP-18 MMC, Z-Forged, 623-M.

The Z-Forged and 623-M are very similar in blade shape and overall sizing.

 

I'm a Mizuno guy and keep two sets of bags,  but grabbed some 623/902 as they were local and cheap enough.  I just grabbed the Z-Forged too as I've never owned a Srixon, but they came at +1" ( not disclosed ) so way too long for me to game and I'm too lazy to rebuild.  I would readily game the 623/902, though I only had them out once and at a couple brief indoor sim time.  If I can sell the shafts in my Z-Forged, then I would consider rebuilding to my specs. But my loyalty is with the Running Bird.

 

 

Edited November 25, 2020 by ARL67

[mws82]

I’m in a pickle. I have 902 with lz 6.0 shafts. Played them very well until swing speed out grew the flex and elbow problems became chronic. Decided I would go graphite and try miura to see what everyone loves about them. Playing LAGP 105 blue x shafts with tc201. They are fine but I miss my 902 because never get punished on miss hits. So do I go 902 again and use the current graphite shafts I have or go with 902 or pf2 with MMT 125 x?

[RolandofGilead]

On 11/25/2020 at 10:07 AM, ARL67 said:

Ask and yee shall receive, but only for the PW so far.

Left to right in all the below pics are MP-4, MP-18 MMC, Z-Forged, 623-M.

 

Great photo here. I never considered a combo 623/902 set because I was going for forgiveness and never really bought into the “yeah but it’s a really really forgiving blade” hype of the 623s. Well I also apparently missed the fact that they have pocket cavities in the heel and toe. So I’m a believer now, even though I haven’t hit them. I have zero regrets about going the route I did but I would believe what the reviews say about the 623 profiling as a very forgiving, high launching MB iron.

[vakaviti]

7 hours ago, mws82 said:

I’m in a pickle. I have 902 with lz 6.0 shafts. Played them very well until swing speed out grew the flex and elbow problems became chronic. Decided I would go graphite and try miura to see what everyone loves about them. Playing LAGP 105 blue x shafts with tc201. They are fine but I miss my 902 because never get punished on miss hits. So do I go 902 again and use the current graphite shafts I have or go with 902 or pf2 with MMT 125 x?

 

I have had my honma set and my back up set re-shafted into the MMT 125TX from C Taper 130's. The feel difference is amazing no more sore wrist pains from range days or playing. 

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

Has anyone who ordered end of November or in December received their 902 irons yet?

As some might know, they had been on back order and Mr. Burch told me already the heads are on their way to New Level from the Chinese vendor, and they will be processing orders as soon as customs is sorted. That was on Dec. 22. 

On the website, there’s no backorder warning anymore so I’m guessing the wait cannot be much longer. Just curious if anyone else on here is waiting, I’m biting my nails...

[ezputt4a3]

@LukeDonaldsTigerI just received my 902's yesterday, I ordered them at the end of Nov.  They look and feel great, trust me New Level is busting their butts trying to get orders out.  Trust me they are worth the wait time, everything was to spec how I ordered them.  After a fast 18 yesterday evening I may have to go order the wedges to match the set. Good luck and I'm sure you will get yours soon.

[RolandofGilead]

I have played about 15 rounds with my set and I couldn't be happier. The feel on well struck shots is great, like you have destroyed the ball's will to live. I carry a 4 index and have a pretty balanced skill set. I made a concerted effort to prioritize forgiveness and feel over shot shaping and workability, and these check all of the boxes. Trajectory and shape control can still be done, but to a lesser degree than muscle back blades. These also shine on mis-hits; from time to time I still find myself smiling in surprise that I have a birdie putt after a mis-hit approach shot. Anyone looking for that blend of solid forged feel with forgiveness on mediocre strikes should 100% check these out.

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

8 hours ago, ezputt4a3 said:

@LukeDonaldsTigerI just received my 902's yesterday, I ordered them at the end of Nov.  They look and feel great, trust me New Level is busting their butts trying to get orders out.  Trust me they are worth the wait time, everything was to spec how I ordered them.  After a fast 18 yesterday evening I may have to go order the wedges to match the set. Good luck and I'm sure you will get yours soon.

Thank you both!

I ordered end of Nov. as well, but also ordered a 50* M-Type wedge, which is exactly what’s on backorder now- should give them a hint that a GW would have been a great idea. 
Hope they play great for you and looking forward to receiving mine- courses are closed now due to snow anyway, and possible 2nd lockdown in sight, so not really in a hurry but curious and excited. 

[Northsider]

13 hours ago, ezputt4a3 said:

@LukeDonaldsTigerI just received my 902's yesterday, I ordered them at the end of Nov.  They look and feel great, trust me New Level is busting their butts trying to get orders out.  Trust me they are worth the wait time, everything was to spec how I ordered them.  After a fast 18 yesterday evening I may have to go order the wedges to match the set. Good luck and I'm sure you will get yours soon.

Same here. Got mine yesterday and they are definitely worth the wait. They give me a Bridgestone sort of vibe and everything matched the specs I ordered. Couldn't be happier.

Edited January 13, 2021 by RH82

[Golfdreas]

Hi guys. 
 

question: 

 

i started playing this august and have gone from 54index to 27 in two months. Im looking to buy some new clubs and cane across a used but in mint consition 902 forged here in norway for a really good price.  
 

im not the strongest ballstriker(yet); but im imrpoving in a good tempo. 
In your opinions would i take on too much if i got these? 
Or could i play myself better with them and have them for many years of eventually good golf? 
i wil not be able to try them out before hand as they are in another part of the country and there isnt any proshops in my town either. 
 

love to hear tour thoughts on this. I do love the looks of them. 

[dmeeksDC]

On 1/16/2021 at 6:18 AM, Golfdreas said:

Hi guys. 
 

question: 

 

i started playing this august and have gone from 54index to 27 in two months. Im looking to buy some new clubs and cane across a used but in mint consition 902 forged here in norway for a really good price.  
 

im not the strongest ballstriker(yet); but im imrpoving in a good tempo. 
In your opinions would i take on too much if i got these? 
Or could i play myself better with them and have them for many years of eventually good golf? 
i wil not be able to try them out before hand as they are in another part of the country and there isnt any proshops in my town either. 
 

love to hear tour thoughts on this. I do love the looks of them. 

They are not difficult to hit. With the milled pockets they have some perimeter weighting.

 

Lots of ways to a 27 handicap. How is your iron play? What are you playing now? Since you’d be buying blind the main thing would be trying to predict whether they’d be a big change for you. 

 

They are more compact than GI irons but they are not intimidating. If compact has a size range I would say they are on the generous side of compact. To me that would be the only thing you might notice and then only if you are playing a much larger iron. I play the 5-PW and play the 1126 in the 4 iron. 
 

But in terms of launch, spin, accuracy, distance and forgiveness, I rank the 902s high. I like the sole width as well. It’s just right. Very forgiving on thin hits or a little to the toe side compared to other forged irons I’ve played. Honestly, I have yet to have anyone try mine and not like them. Everyone says the same thing — look great, feel awesome. 
 

Mine have held up well too. 

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

On 1/13/2021 at 1:15 PM, RH82 said:

Same here. Got mine yesterday and they are definitely worth the wait. They give me a Bridgestone sort of vibe and everything matched the specs I ordered. Couldn't be happier.

 

On 1/12/2021 at 11:34 PM, ezputt4a3 said:

@LukeDonaldsTigerI just received my 902's yesterday, I ordered them at the end of Nov.  They look and feel great, trust me New Level is busting their butts trying to get orders out.  Trust me they are worth the wait time, everything was to spec how I ordered them.  After a fast 18 yesterday evening I may have to go order the wedges to match the set. Good luck and I'm sure you will get yours soon.

I received mine today. Eric sent me a personal message and apologized for the long wait.

Shipping took just 3 days from Scottsdale, AZ to Zurich, Switzerland, amazing. 
 

They look incredible in person, the build quality is awesome and I couldn’t be happier.

Will have to wait for the snow to melt but at least I can go to the range and hit them off mats. 
 

The customer service is unparalleled, Eric answers within minutes and is super helpful. A CEO thanking a customer personally for their business, that’s just incredible. Fan for life here!

 

[dmeeksDC]

1 hour ago, LukeDonaldsTiger said:

 

I received mine today. Eric sent me a personal message and apologized for the long wait.

Shipping took just 3 days from Scottsdale, AZ to Zurich, Switzerland, amazing. 
 

They look incredible in person, the build quality is awesome and I couldn’t be happier.

Will have to wait for the snow to melt but at least I can go to the range and hit them off mats. 
 

The customer service is unparalleled, Eric answers within minutes and is super helpful. A CEO thanking a customer personally for their business, that’s just incredible. Fan for life here!

 

Congrats. Nice to see someone bustin out the 902 in Switzerland! Let us know how you like them. And yes, every club New Level makes looks more beautiful in hand than the photos on the site.

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

On 1/21/2021 at 9:44 PM, dmeeksDC said:

Congrats. Nice to see someone bustin out the 902 in Switzerland! Let us know how you like them.

Played my first 18 with them today, albeit in cold weather and on a soaked course, as it’s been snowing/raining for a solid month here.

First impressions:

 

They sound entirely different compared to the Mizuno/Maltby/Titleist irons I’ve played or hit. The 902 are louder, brighter sounding, like a good resounding slap, and I like it. 
 

They feel very, very solid when hit reasonably flush, and close to a buttery MB when struck perfectly. Great feedback!

They sting when hit thin, just like they should. I really like the crisp feel and wouldn’t call it „hard“, but it’s totally different from Mizuno. I’ll see if I can get used to it. 

They are astonishingly forgiving (distance loss) on toe or thin strikes. That instills confidence. I was hoping this was the case, as I was spoiled by very thin toplines from Mizzy MP/Maltby DBM irons and these are a little chunkier looking (that’s really nitpicking, but there’s a visible difference). 
 

That being said: they look great at address and in the bag. Just a nice, simple, modern players iron. I went for these over the new PF series, even if the 902 have more offset and a thicker topline. They just look better to me. These will turn heads on the teebox. 

They are easy to shape. I’m not at that stage yet in my game, but can hit a draw if needed, and these will do what your hands/path tell them. They’re not going straight all the time.

They launch lower than my previous clubs, and I could easily flight them under some tree branches today. I also hit some towering 8 irons today and felt it was easy to achieve. 

 

Kinda hard to judge after just one round and I’ve been working on my swing which that might contribute to this, but I was constantly longer, between 1/2 to 1 1/2 clubs. I had ordered them at the exact same lofts and lengths as my Maltby DBM. Shafts are slightly different: DG X100 in the DBM, DG 120 X100 in the NLs. 
 

One more thing: the M-Type 50* wedge I ordered as a gap wedge is great, too. Interesting to feel the difference to my Mizzy T20 wedges. Both are great, right now can’t tell if it’s just the sound that separates them. 
Btw, I specified progressive swing weights from 5i-PW, but forgot to mention my preference on the 50* wedge. New Level matched it perfectly. Awesome. 
 

Will report back after more rounds, but liking them very much already!

[RolandofGilead]

16 hours ago, LukeDonaldsTiger said:

They feel very, very solid when hit reasonably flush, and close to a buttery MB when struck perfectly. Great feedback!

They sting when hit thin, just like they should.

...
They are astonishingly forgiving (distance loss) on toe or thin strikes. That instills confidence. 
...

That being said: they look great at address and in the bag. Just a nice, simple, modern players iron.

Congrats on these finally arriving! Your cherry picked notes here are in strong agreement with my observations. Definitely a no/low-frills players cavity iron that flat out performs. 

In terms of feel, they are very similar to my old Titleist 735.CM mid irons, the shallow cavity part of that set. Similar buttery smooth feel but with added forgiveness and what I perceive to be a more powerful feel at impact. It’s like a dense thud, absolutely no click at all, even in the short irons.

16 hours ago, LukeDonaldsTiger said:

They launch lower than my previous clubs, and I could easily flight them under some tree branches today. I also hit some towering 8 irons today and felt it was easy to achieve. 

That’s interesting - I have found these irons to be quite high launching. I have also suspected a more pronounced flip in my swing at impact, so your experience is pointing in that direction.

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

Well, to be fair, my previous irons are known to be very high launch, the Maltby DBM Forged. And I’m still casting/flipping at impact.

 

Your description of the feel/sound is spot on. Not clicky at all, but just so...powerful. 

[RolandofGilead]

I just finished tinkering with the components and details of these irons (for now). These are Royal Grip Perf Wrap grips and I replaced the paint fill with gold (I also removed paint from the iron # label and New Level hosel text but left them blank). Now, if only my swing would come around to match these babies.

 

Top to bottom: as-received, paint removed, gold filled

 

Head, shaft, and grip.

[walkian]

I have home demoed both the 902 and the 623. As an improving ball striker, I am looking to move away from my current GI irons and transition to something that has a bit better feel and a bit less offset. Feels like a scary jump, but I think I am ready. I really dig both the 902 and the 623. My heart wants to do a combo set with these and would prefer 902 4-7 and 623 8-pw but they only allow for 4-6 and 7-PW. My head is telling me to start with the 902 full set and work into the combo if I continue improving at the rate I am. Anybody have any thoughts on the 902 short irons? All the reviews seem to rave about the long and mid irons, but some of the data shows the short irons are a touch behind the mid and long. Thanks.

[dmeeksDC]

8 hours ago, walkian said:

I have home demoed both the 902 and the 623. As an improving ball striker, I am looking to move away from my current GI irons and transition to something that has a bit better feel and a bit less offset. Feels like a scary jump, but I think I am ready. I really dig both the 902 and the 623. My heart wants to do a combo set with these and would prefer 902 4-7 and 623 8-pw but they only allow for 4-6 and 7-PW. My head is telling me to start with the 902 full set and work into the combo if I continue improving at the rate I am. Anybody have any thoughts on the 902 short irons? All the reviews seem to rave about the long and mid irons, but some of the data shows the short irons are a touch behind the mid and long. Thanks.

I have not noted any issues with the scoring irons. I think it’s down to preference. I have stuck many a short iron shot right at the flag with the 902. If you like the combo with 623, no reason not to do it, but a full set of 902s has not disappointed me in any way. Not sure what data you’re referencing or is it just reviews? The only thing I’ve heard about NL heads is for some the 623 is a little spinny and that cuts carry a bit. But 1 degree stronger on the loft will knock spin down a noticeable amount. 

 

What I prefer is to look at flight window outside. I do very little hitting of irons in stores or on simulators and I’m not one to obsess over hosel/topline transitions, my offset preference is modest to medium, etc. I am not the typical wrxer I guess. I am picky about blade length and sole and these are great on both. On the golf course is where it matters and the 902s play so well. If your miss is thin these will save you. I’ve put some lame swings on the short irons and been surprised — ended up on the green or just off. That helps a lot. I always think it’s smart to consider your worst swing and what result you get. My best swings matter less because on those, any iron is fine. 

[RolandofGilead]

9 hours ago, walkian said:

I have home demoed both the 902 and the 623. As an improving ball striker, I am looking to move away from my current GI irons and transition to something that has a bit better feel and a bit less offset. Feels like a scary jump, but I think I am ready. I really dig both the 902 and the 623. My heart wants to do a combo set with these and would prefer 902 4-7 and 623 8-pw but they only allow for 4-6 and 7-PW. My head is telling me to start with the 902 full set and work into the combo if I continue improving at the rate I am. Anybody have any thoughts on the 902 short irons? All the reviews seem to rave about the long and mid irons, but some of the data shows the short irons are a touch behind the mid and long. Thanks.

It depends on what you want. I play a full set of 902s with no regrets as a 4 index. Feel is 10/10. These heads are high launching so flighting shots low is not as easy as others. Otherwise all aspects of performance are excellent. The pre-worn leading edge is great on the the short irons because it keeps from digging too much. There is a lot of offset compared to other players short irons but it doesn’t bother me. Overall I think the forgiveness across the face is better for my short iron game than anything I might be missing.

Edited March 6, 2021 by RolandofGilead

[Hoff_19]

Just received my new set of 902's last week. As a ~16 hcp but I hit it far, driver ss ~115 mph, I wanted something forgiving but not rocket launchers. I played with jpx 919 forged the past 10 months, couldn't ever like them. Very big head, never could tell where I mishit it on the face either. I learned on a set of TaylorMade 2011 TP MC (Daniel Berger irons) and after playing the jpx, I found that I liked feeling and learning from the mishits more than extra forgiveness.

 

I outgrew the s300 shafts in the tp MC's and I was between getting new shafts in the MC's or new set of 902's. So far, I'm quite sure I made the right decision.

[vandyfan]

On 11/17/2020 at 11:58 AM, RolandofGilead said:

I can't recommend these irons highly enough - a true steal and perfect fit for my game. I am a 4 index and upgraded from an old set of Titleist 735.CM irons. With two kids under two years of age and my golf time unlikely to increase, I decided to go full CB throughout the bag and settled on the NL902's over comparable Sub70 (silver medal) and Ben Hogan (bronze) irons. The NL902's felt more pure and just rock solid - lovers of forged irons will get what they expect from these sticks. It's a bummer that the lead time is so long now. I want to support the company so here are some of my experiences so far. I'll keep an eye on this thread and respond to any questions and feedback.

 

@RolandofGilead - dredging up an old comment but I am currently demoing the Sub70 639CB and wondered if you were referring to those in the above comment? I LOVE the feel of them when hit perfectly but on Trackman I am, understandably, getting punished on toe strikes pretty severely. It is my outlandish hope that the 902s can be some kind of unicorn that have the feel of the 639CBs but save me a bit on ball speed/carry when I get towards the toe. I have never hit forged irons until these 639CBs and I'm in love. However, after testing them over several sessions I know that on my best days they are perfect but on my average or bad days they will be punishing me quite a bit. 

 

Ultimately trying to decide if the 902s are worth a demo as their demo cost is a bit steeper than Sub70s. You seem to be quite the 902 advocate so maybe you can be a bad influence on me here, haha.

[RolandofGilead]

2 hours ago, blackbdmillsaps said:

 

@RolandofGilead - dredging up an old comment but I am currently demoing the Sub70 639CB and wondered if you were referring to those in the above comment? I LOVE the feel of them when hit perfectly but on Trackman I am, understandably, getting punished on toe strikes pretty severely. It is my outlandish hope that the 902s can be some kind of unicorn that have the feel of the 639CBs but save me a bit on ball speed/carry when I get towards the toe. I have never hit forged irons until these 639CBs and I'm in love. However, after testing them over several sessions I know that on my best days they are perfect but on my average or bad days they will be punishing me quite a bit. 

 

Ultimately trying to decide if the 902s are worth a demo as their demo cost is a bit steeper than Sub70s. You seem to be quite the 902 advocate so maybe you can be a bad influence on me here, haha.

Haha, your supposition is pretty spot on. And I was indeed referring to the Sub 70 639 CB irons there. The NL902s are no more forgiving than the Sub 70 639 CBs, unfortunately for you. In my demo the NL902 was shorter heel-to-toe and slightly less forgiving. I chose them because they felt more pure to me, with enough forgiveness for my game. Sorry to burst your bubble - this is the main trade off with single-piece forged irons. There are plenty of multi-piece, multi-material irons out there with forgiveness you need and maybe a feel you will find adequate.

[vandyfan]

Well the truth is ultimately what I am after and I would rather have my expectations in line before I get out there with them on the range. Thanks for your response and I love what you did with the paint fill on your irons, they look very good and always fun to have a custom touch on your clubs. 

[dmeeksDC]

21 hours ago, blackbdmillsaps said:

Well the truth is ultimately what I am after and I would rather have my expectations in line before I get out there with them on the range. Thanks for your response and I love what you did with the paint fill on your irons, they look very good and always fun to have a custom touch on your clubs. 

If you want something similar to the 902 but more forgiving, check out the 1126 Protos on the New Level site now. Slightly larger profile than the 902, which I actually find very forgiving on thin strikes. The 1126 Proto has a longer blade length. 
 

Same forged feel. There is no doubt the New Level forgings deliver a very pure feel at impact. High quality irons. 

[RolandofGilead]

1 hour ago, dmeeksDC said:

If you want something similar to the 902 but more forgiving, check out the 1126 Protos on the New Level site now. Slightly larger profile than the 902, which I actually find very forgiving on thin strikes. The 1126 Proto has a longer blade length. 
 

Same forged feel. There is no doubt the New Level forgings deliver a very pure feel at impact. High quality irons. 

You read my mind - I was going to circle back and recommend those. However it looks like the page has disappeared from the New Level website. Regardless,@blackbdmillsaps those might fit your needs better than the 902s if they should make it to volume production. If they are truly a single piece forging, they would fit a specific place in the product line (single piece GI iron). Almost all similar options from OEMs are multi-piece, multi-material, etc. If you really like that forged feel, this would be a unique option.