What can be expected from new irons

[chadly643]

I currently play Mizuno MP25 P-7i & MPH5 6-4i. 
 

I’m thinking about getting new irons. The 243/S3/245s are attractive as are the ZXi7/ZXi5. I also am intrigued by Titleist’s latest T-series. 
 

I would get custom fit and probably a combo set depending on fitter recommendation. I was fit into my current set and am getting reasonable launch and spin numbers still. 
 

What can I reasonably expect dropping ~$1500 on 10 year newer irons? I don’t yearn for additional distance, but am always trying to hit it closer to the hole and score lower. Would there be a noticeable upgrade in performance or is it more just a shiny eye candy upgrade to the bag?
 

Thanks for your insight. 

[crucible]

Ok, I'll be the first to tell you to get properly fitted.  The fitter will compare your old clubs to those you're interested in. I would expect a better result with newer clubs.  Having said that, I constantly return to my Bridgestone Forged J15 cb iron from 2013.

[philly2kuk]

A lot depends on the fitter. A good fitter will improve on your current set. A poor fitter won’t. Find a reputable fitter then go in with no preconceived notions on clubs. I always seem to get the best results that way.

[Lord Helmet]

After seeing a full comprehensive fitting earlier this year with a close friend (I got to attend and watch the whole thing - 2 sessions) here is what I observed:

 

1.  Fitter should ask what you are hoping to accomplish, goals, etc.

2.  You hit your own gear to get a baseline.  Data captured

3.  Fitter might ask what you have in mind as far as brand, model.

4.  You hit those if available.  Based on Trackman data fitter will throw different shafts in there.

5.  Fitter might then branch out to different brands, designs, etc based on what is happening with shot shapes, patterns, data.

6.  You and fitter start to narrow it down on data and likes.

7.  Fitter can measure anything but feel.  If feel isnt important to you, go data and results over sexy and shiny.

8.  If feel is super important to you, Then be prepared to sacrifice if best feel doesnt = best data and performance.

 

My close friend isnt big on feel and went with best data for their fitting.  He is very analytical, and data driven in real life.

 

G luck sir.

Edited July 31 by Lord Helmet

[PedronNiall]

Depending on the specific irons, compared to your current set you may see

• More distance due to stronger lofts in some sets, though you can always have them weakened a few degrees
• Slightly different flight due to higher or lower CG and lofts
• Higher/lower spin than your current set in certain heads
• More forgiveness due to overall head configuration and weighting
• Different feel due to changes in Mizuno's forging process, and more so if you go to a hollow body like the 245
• Different turf interaction if you go from the Mizuno options to Srixon's v-sole; highly recommend you go to a store that offers at least a single playability trade-in guarantee if you can't hit on grass before making your purchase. Not everyone gets along with the v-sole.

A good fitter should be giving you a baseline with your current set so you can easily compare how they behave on that specific monitor and launching surface vs whatever you're trying. Shouldn't take tons of hits with each iron to know whether it's in contention or not.

 

Also may want to try either Wilson or Mizuno's fitting tools to get some quick shaft recommendations if you feel there's any room for improvement there before diving in on the heads.

[grochol17]

10 hours ago, chadly643 said:

I currently play Mizuno MP25 P-7i & MPH5 6-4i. 
 

I’m thinking about getting new irons. The 243/S3/245s are attractive as are the ZXi7/ZXi5. I also am intrigued by Titleist’s latest T-series. 
 

I would get custom fit and probably a combo set depending on fitter recommendation. I was fit into my current set and am getting reasonable launch and spin numbers still. 
 

What can I reasonably expect dropping ~$1500 on 10 year newer irons? I don’t yearn for additional distance, but am always trying to hit it closer to the hole and score lower. Would there be a noticeable upgrade in performance or is it more just a shiny eye candy upgrade to the bag?
 

Thanks for your insight. 

 

As someone that played a combo set of MP H5/25/5 for 8 years, my opinion is that the irons you're looking at are basically a lateral move, going from one players iron to another... MOIs from Maltby are all about the same for the models you mention, with the T100 and T150 being a bit higher than the rest.  The big difference I see is that the vertical COG on the 25 and H5 irons is pretty high and the sweet spot is closer to the heel on those than the others you mention.  So, depending on where you normally hit the ball on the face, you might see some better results out of the newer irons than what you currently have.  

 

It is possible you can find something that fits you better, but I wouldn't be surprised if you see about the same performance between your current irons and any of the ones you've listed. 

 

For what it is worth, I moved on from my combo set because I wanted to try a lighter shaft.  After some extensive testing in the hitting bays at a couple of golf stores, I settled on JPX 923 Tour 4i-PW and an MP 245 3i with a shaft that is only 10g lighter than I had been playing.  I picked the Tours because they felt a bit better on my miss, which is typically off the toe, and I had really consistent numbers with them.  The 243s would have been my second pick, but just didn't fit me quite as well as the Tours.  After almost a year with the Tours, I'm not seeing a huge difference from what I was playing... shots on the toe side are losing less distance than they used to, but it's not like I went from missing the green to hitting it to 5 feet, so I can't really directly trace the new irons to an improvement in score.  

[Pepperturbo]

What could be expected by a professional fitter and what you realize may be two different outcomes. In overall terms, you should gain some yards as well as tighten up dispersion. Whether those work with your feel, is another topic.