Players Cavity: Opinions Needed
 

For those of you who have played with the following irons:

Mizuno MP60
Taylormade TP Cavity Back
Bridgestone J33 Cavity Back

Your impressions. Looks, Feel, Playability, etc.

ALSO:

Feedback on Project X and Dynamic Gold.

I'm not going to tell you what I play now, or what my handicap is, or what I'm leaning towards. I will only say I am able to hold my own with any of the above. I'm looking for playing characteristics. I'm very familiar with Dynamic Golds but I have no idea about Project X.

I know, I know...I need to test these.

And I will. I'm just looking for opinions.

The bridgestone is very similar to Titleist 690 CB. low bladish . MP 60 also bladish flight. I think both the same.

Bridgestone more clicky than MP60 a touch . but Both very similar in quality, but personally I lean towards the Bridgestone a little. The build is slightly better and its not as easy to get Nicked as mizunos.

But mizunos feel a little "Denser and softer" The difference doesnt bother me.

I only hit the TP a couple of times. They are ok too. But i did not really pay any attention to them.

Project X 5.5 have harder Butt section than dynamic gold S300. Project X have a slight higher launch and feels more accurate than dynamic gold. I personally don't like dynamic gold and prefer the SL or tour concept, I also feel SL are more accurate.. But thats personal.

Thanks for the info. I appreciate the time you spent answering my question. It seems like everyone else on this site has their head stuck in the yellow book. "Play the game..... with golf clubs?" I guess if I asked the more SIMPLE question of "Why do I shank with dowels?" I'd get a straight answer. Sometimes I think 95% of the people on this site play golf in suspended animation.

I hear many people asking for opinions on clubs over on iseekgolf.com and many a post goes up in reply. However each reply is a personal opinion on how the balls few for the individual which may or not relate to the original posters swing or their 'feelings' from their own mechanics.

I get to test a lot of clubs and a a terrible rule of thumb from your list I would place the Miz and Bridgestones in front of the TM from panel testing. Not my opinion but from those who get to play "test the clubs".

Go and try them all. The ones which fly best for you will speak all for themselves though. In any case make sure that you have a fitter sort you out prior or during the testing as otherwise you may end up testing apples vs bananas. The fitters will explain that for you, eg a reg 5 iron from one company may be very different in many regards than another.

Maybe 95% of the "people on this site" use blades. :happy3:

Personally of the three sets, I prefer the look of the MP60 the most. The progression of the J33 irons from 3-9 did not appeal to me visually and I preferred the thinner topline of the MP60 as compared to the TPs.

Feel wise, Mizuno gets the nod as well - they did not get the status of #1 Iron on the PGA Tour for nothing.

Another thing I would really get you to look into is the loft spacing of the irons. You would ideally want 4 degrees between each iron so that you do not have too much of a distance gap.

Shaft wise, the Project X launches on a flatter trajectory than the Dynamic Gold.

DG SL is about 20 grams lighter than the DG. Not that significant amount of weight to actually effect an increase in swing speed, but enough to effect a change in feel.

Project X - not High Launch or Flighted - weighs about the same as DG but feels smoother.

Please take note that all my opinions are subjective, you may not feel the same.

Personally, I use DG X100 tipped an inch on Titleist 990s.

Real clubs for Real men.

FWIW, I've yet to find a so-called Player's Cavity that was easier to hit than a quality Blade. They are a half-a$ compromise between two different design concepts, and (to me) provide half-a$ results. I prefer, and play Hogan blades, but I would much rather play a full cavity back than one of the scalloped pseudo cavities. As Monty said, "I suppose they have a sweet spot, but I'm damned if I can find them..."

Subjective, but just my $00.02. :)

Thanks guys. I was just trying to stimulate some back and forth banter about "players cavity backs". Right now I play Mizuno
MP-37"s. I'm a 4 handicap and have been playing for 40 years. Trust me the 37's are demanding irons. (They were kind of an impulse buy. Afterwards I realized the offset INCREASES as your progress to the pitching wedge.)Everything I've played has been a muscleback style blade. Old Wilson Sam Snead Blue Ridge, Hogan BH Grinds, Titleist bulletback blades then Mizuno 37's. Trust me, I don't change irons very often. But I'll be 52 next year and I'm thinking the swing won't be getting anymore precise in the years to come. Will a players cavity or a total players improvement iron like an Eye 2 make a difference?

I apologize to those who shank with dowels or play in suspended animation.

http://www.miuragolf.com/shop.asp

Crafted with the same precision of the samurai sword.

Trade
I play MP60's, they replaced my MP29's about a year ago. Prior to that I had hit but didn't particlarly like Miz Pro's and Pro II's. The difference? very small but measureable.... I'm always getting kidded by people in my group who say "nice shot" in the air while I'm saying "it was thin or toed" and "it won't get there" and it does. The top line of the club is pretty blade like, so I don't have a problem looking at it.... the clubs are workable (although at 3.2 index I don't work anything I don't have to).

Bearing in mind that with golf clubs and shafts its all subjective but here is my 2 pence worth.

Irons

I would rate the clubs in the following order:

1) Mizuno MP60
2) Bridgestone J33 CB
3) Taylor Made TP

I have hit both the MP60s and the J33CBs before and the difference between the two is very very small and it will come down to personal tastes and feel.
I liked the look of both sets of irons and they have the look that I am looking for which is a blade like look with a thin topline and a narrowish sole profile. Anything that looks gimmicky or plasticy then its out.
As for feel the Mizuno's are buttery soft and you can't be a pured shot out of the middle with them. The Bridgestone's whilst they a bit 'clickier' than the Mizuno's they are still very soft. Again it comes down to personnel preference. Given the choice I would be happy to play either. If you are worried about quality I would rate the Bridgestone's slightly higher than the Mizuno's. The Mizuno specs and tolerances can be out a little (as can all clubs) but the Bridgestone's that I have (J33 Combos) came out bang on spec.
I have not hit the Taylor Mades but I have seen them a few times and they are not that bad looking but they do look a bit too busy for me and also after help reshaft a few TM drivers and irons, I am not that enamored with their build quality. I have read reports that the irons do feel harsh and that they are not a soft as say the Mizuno or the Bridgestone.

Shafts

I have been playing PXs for the past year or so. I feel that they are butt stiff shafts and even thought they play stiffer than say your Dynamic Golds they are not harsh but feel very smooth and pretty progressive.
The ball flight that I get from them is pretty flat, the ball starts off with a high launch and then plateaus at the top of its flight whilst still going forwards. Its a good shaft if you want to keep the ball down a bit better whilst still having a high launch.
But in saying that I am going back to Dynamic Golds for a while. Not as smooth as the PXs but they are heavier as I found that I liked the weight and feel better in the DGs. Sometimes with the PXs I felt that I could not feel where the club was and that I could not get that sensation that I was looking for on good hits and on mishits.

Hope this helps.
Alex

Anyone try S58s?

Hogan BH grinds were nice - so nice some Ba#@a%d stole them from my car! Still have a 5 iron to remember them by... The more recent Hogan blades don't seem quite the same...

Mizuno TP9s are beautiful - so soft! Agree with Nuke that they have a special "dense and soft" feel... the density is something to really fall in love with... again not felt it so much with the newer mizuno blades...maybe shaft issue ... so hard to get an exact comparison ( same shaft... different head... similarish swing weight ) .

TM 300 forged cavity back are nice as a players cavity but their best never feels as good as the best Mizuno TP9 shots... but maybe 1-2 extra green per round... but does being on the front of a green 40 foot from the flag mean a lower score than 50 foot from the flag and in the front bunker??

Not with my short game! down in 3 from both!!:crybaby:

Input
 

Haven't played any of those irons, so I can't give any feedback on those specifically. I played the MP-29's for about 4 years (with one re-finishing job) and loved em. From those I went to Ping S-59 Tours.... a close substitute looks-wise, but not quite the same "forged feel". I'm considering going back to the new Mizuno modified cut-muscle next year if I don't try to hang for another season with the Pings. I'm still partial to Mizuno's, regardless of the model.

Interestingly enough I had heard a lot about the PX shaft and happened to have a playing partner show up today with those in a 6.5 model (he had a set on loan that he got this week). I have DG-X100's in my Pings and like them, and my friend wanted me to hit his PX's on the range to get my input. He's played professional golf, primarily at the mini-tout level, and I'm a 0-2 handicap. I didn't care for the PX's at all, and he wasn't enamored with them either. They felt verrry stiff and provided little feel.

CG

Keep it up boys. Good discussion so far. I have not kept up with the business end of what is happening but I've heard that True Temper now owns Royal Precision who made Rifle's and Project X's. Am I correct? If so, I wonder what they will do with those two product lines.

I just remembered I still have an old beat up set of Hogan Redlines in the garage which I use in the offseason at the dome. Your right, those older Hogans were beautiful.

From what I have read over the Internet and through other sources this is correct. TT have bought over the property rights and possibly Royal Precision outright. The last report has said that they are going to have both lines running side by side and that they are going to start up the manufacturing of new stock of RP shafts soon.
Alex