My time with the M2 6iron - Part 2

As you may or may not have read in Part 1, I had the lovely fortune of getting a Taylormade M2 6 iron in the mail. I detailed it's specs there, which I will not go into again here, and came to the conclusion that something was up. Well... the problem is that NOTHING is up, except marketing budgets.

Before we begin, let me state some facts:  

The M2 is stock exactly as it came from Taylormade. I opened the box, examined it, and took it out to hit. 

Lofts of the irons are nearly identical. +/- about 1 degree.  Length varied with the M2 being 38" long, and the KE4 being 37" long physically. 

As previously stated in part 1, even though marked differently, the shafts in each club test the same flex, so regardless that the TM is labelled stiff and mine is a "regular" they are actually both the same flex.  See some of my other writings for why this happens and other things "They" don't want you to know.

I'm hitting the same types of balls with both clubs. I went through painstaking measures to sort through range balls and find the best balls, making sure they're all of the same type and removing all the non-range and/or any balls that don't seem right (a big "screw you" to all the people who bring their own garbage balls to hit at the range. Shame on you. Keep your top rocks to yourself nobody wants to hit your budget balls - even in practice. Do you understand the looks I got while sorting through all these range balls? DO YOU?!). Ok......

The weather has finally broken (again) here in Pennsylvania and I was absolutely itching to get out and play golf. Since there's no cream for that sort of itch, the only solution is to get out and chase a little white ball around in the sunshine.  As luck would have it, there was a scheduled demo day at Crossgates Golf Course in Millersville that I was due at with my Clubcrowns and Shaft wraps, and that means I would have some time (and free balls) to hit all the 6 irons my heart desired!! Well, it's time for the cold, hard truth.  Let me preface this and say that I was duly warm for this test. Having hit a bucket with each 6 iron before taking measurements. I wanted to be loose, and I wanted to make sure I had the feel of each club fresh before measuring shots. For each,  I took the best 8 shots - removing the worst and the best from the original 10 "pressure" shots.

I'll get right to it, then tell you why:
The M2 is not all it's cracked up to be. Not for me anyway. Funny I should have those choice in words because that's honestly what I felt like I was going to do to this 6 iron. Every shot felt like the club could shatter... and the sound. Oh god, the sound. I mean, I can't even describe it to do it justice. If you took about 5 of those cheap tupperware lids you find on Chinese take out now, stacked them up and hit a ball with them?  I think that would come close. It's a plastic "slap!" that does not instill confidence in me at all. I mean, I even absolutely MURDERED one - smash factor was almost up near my driver as far as energy transfer (which is a very good sign for this head mind you) and the thing still sounded and felt like the head was just going to fall apart. The grip being off-center didn't bug me as much as I thought it would but I could definitely feel it. Thing is, it SHOULD have helped me turn the ball over in a right to left draw, but it most certainly did not. The stiff shaft (which was actually regular) felt ok as far as flex and shock goes, but as we'll see in the flightscope data later, it was actually all over the place.

 I will concede that the longest shot of the M2 was longer than the longest shot of my own Maltby KE4. As stated previously in Part 1, this was fully expected considering that the shaft is a full inch longer than my current 6 iron. That being said, the SHORTEST of the M2 was Shorter than my KE4. If one is to believe the marketing, this should not be happening. So as things average out, the M2 still comes in longer than my current 6 by approximately 2 feet overall. Not exactly the gains promised by the manufacturer.  Something else I noticed, interestingly enough is that the M2 on average did NOT fly higher than my own 6 iron. Again, contrary to the marketing.

 Looking at the overall data, we can see a few things. First, the numbers for the M2 are slightly better in some areas. Total distance, is better by almost a yard, but strangely the carry distance is better on my original 6 iron by 1.1 yards. You can make your own inferences at what you want, but I'll mark this down as an original iron win. I want carry distance and stopping power in my irons. I could care less to hit my 6 iron 200 yards if 20 yards of that is roll. I want it to go high and come down soft. Isn't that what the M2 is supposed to do anyway?  The spin on the M2 did average higher- but you can see the minor outlier of 9080 RPM, and 8635 RPM of spin. That's high but since my metal on a stick got to nearly 7000 I didn't think it unfeasible that this new technology could achieve that. Hell, smash factor near my driver! Either way, since the Flightscope is on outdoor settings and tracks the ball to finish rather than calculating into a net, I kept them in for the overall data. All things considered, smash factor, spin, and ball speed were higher with the M2 - why didn't it fly farther though? I'm as stumped as you, but being there and seeing the ball flight and where the shots ended up, I can confirm the data.

Let's talk about clusters and accuracy. The M2 boasts more forgiveness than standard clubs. There's a speed pocket at the bottom and all manner of carbon plastic do-dads in the back and up the face that are supposed to help create more speed and forgiveness across the entire face. Remember before when I said that the longest was longer than my 6iron, but the shortest was shorter? Well, here's how it looks on the chart:


Looking at this chart, it maps out the shots as they landed and calculates standard deviations. The forward and back for the M2 are not to my liking, especially for all the promises made on keeping ball speed up with the pocket on low hits.  This basically means that I could hit a dead solid shot and and have it settle on the green, then drop another ball and have it come up with a difference of 15 yards. That's a club and a half!!! You'll have to take my word for it when I say this, but in all honesty these shots were not all that far apart on the face. It's not like one was 1/2 inch out on the toe and one was 1/2 inch on the heel. My ball striking is pretty good.  Talk about being in between clubs. The right to left deviation is another concern. It seemed like the iron didn't know which way it wanted to correct. Remember when I said I was being fair between the two clubs? Well, sorry KE4, I was on the side of the M2 for a lot of this....

Height and direction:

After hitting balls and warming up to get the feel for each club, I knew the M2 was not getting in the air for me. I watched as ball after ball was a line drive and just was not getting off the ground. I actually teed one up in the test below to make sure I would catch the ball perfectly on the club face and get the ball up (didn't do that with my 6 iron). Nope not at all - although it did give me a 184 yard bullet which was nice.  Both screens below are the best shot, distance wise, in the group. The M2 rolled out about 2 yards farther than the KE4 and definitely did not get as high. You can see also, that the correction of the M2 kind of left me with  two way miss. I'm a slight fade ball hitter. I can work the ball both ways if I want to (let me stop here and say that the M2 IS predictably workable when hit well) but my go-to is a little fade. Bad back and shoulders make that an easy shot. So why all the left on the M2?  Correction in that "forgiveness" category. It is workable, as I said, when you hit it well, but if you catch a little toe or a little heel, it tends to over correct for the shot, which left a few of the balls to the left, and one WAY out to the right. It's meant to hit the ball straight on off-center hits, but for it to correct and do that you have to deliver the club mostly square anyway. If you're an 18 handicap that has an open club face, it's not going to really do you much good -- then again, no club will. Sorry it's just the way it is. Lessons, folks.



Talking materials:
I think one of the last things we need to talk about here is quality of components. There are good metals and bad metals. Good graphite and bad graphite. Good build quality and bad build quality. If you take the time to know your product and put in the time to assemble it correctly it will treat you well.  Here's where the M2 gets some love. It COULD BE a good club. It really could. OMG could it be good. There's things that need to be addressed, however. First:  Lose the FST ultralight shaft. If you want light, use an MCI 80 graphite composite shaft. This stock shaft is not doing it for me, or most likely for anybody.  The two charts below show flex action for the two clubs. The orange line is the flex acceleration for the longest shot on each. The gray line are all the other shots. You'll notice that both of the longest and best shots came with a downward sloping profile. It's just what fits me the best as a golfer. The head actually isn't accelerating through the ball (even with my relatively low swing speed, I'm still a high-spin player) and it's allowing me to hit flush and keep the flight where it's optimal with my swing. Now, notice how the shaft on the left (incidentally, a Fujikura 95i Sflex graphite shaft, soft stepped) is relatively consistent in it's flexing along the swing. With both clubs I have a few crap shoots in there, but for the most part it is a very consistent grouping.  Now look at the FST in the M2. Not for me at all. Some times it kicks hard at the bottom, sometimes not. I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the hosel design, with the crazy air foils, or if it's just due to the shaft combo and length. I do know that it's not something I'm down with for anyone. Even with the most inconsistent swings, I want the shaft to perform predictably if not optimally.  That grouping at the top should be tighter as well as all the way through the middle of the swing.



FST makes some great shafts - The KBS Ctaper is phenominal, as well as the Tour90. Even the FST 115 and similar models can be great on a budget.... IF they're installed properly. This, in my opinion, could benefit from a FLO run. Very much like assembly lines though, this was more than likely pulled out of a pile and assembled, checking for length and weight, not much else.

So what have we learned from all this.... If you haven't fallen asleep or had your head explode looking at the photos and reading my terrible font, then you've probably come to the same conclusion I have.  The M2 is not a good stock club. It's just not. Off the rack, it won't really help you gain yards or accuracy unless you fit it perfectly as is.  The M2 head is subjective when it comes to sound and feel. If you're at all into the "THWACK" of a good hit, then the M2's is not for you. At best, a pure shot will leave you with an unsatisfying "click" sound and sort of a plastic resonance feel up the shaft. It can accurately be described as a toy sound and feel, not premium golf club feedback. It looks fancy, but doesn't deliver on the promises - even when the deck is stacked in it's favor with a longer shaft and slightly jacked lofts.  Still, it's a smart looking club. It really has a different back cavity look and even though the top line is thick, I don't really mind it in comparison to the thinner players clubs. it really instills confidence at address if not in performance.

.... and I thought Xfinity's appointment windows were bad...

After all this, I would urge you to give one a hit and see if you can tolerate it.  See what other shaft options they have as upgrades. With all of this technology that doesn't really seem to do much, I have to wonder if the upgrade would be worth it, though. You're paying more to get what the stock option should have delivered. With a pricetag of $800 average per set, it's not something that I would ever recommend to run out and buy sight unseen. A qualified builder could make you a set of component irons that out duel this badboy for less - plus they'll be everything you want and more as far as options. Example, Put a ProjectX 5.5 with new decade grips on these bad boys and you're looking at almost $1000.00. Oh, and apparently it'll ship between 2 days from now and next September?  Go out, look around and pay attention. Always ask "why" when you're getting fit and when someone wants to sell you something. Why do you need this? Why is it better? Why will it do what you say it will? Most importantly of all - is the investment worth the payoff? Is 5 yards worth $499?  Is a marginal improvement worth $1000? For me, no. This is just my experience though. You may crank these guys and if you do, I say drop that money and get them. It's about what works for you, and if you've read anything else I've written, you know that's the only thing you should worry about. Not name, not what flex you hit, and certainly not what some guy on the internet has to say. Get out there and get swinging!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you again on the next post!

My time with the M2 6iron - Part 1

I was recently chosen - along with about 5000 others -  to try out the new Taylormade M2 iron. They shipped me a 6 iron, via fedex and it arrived today. The claim is that this 6 iron will go higher, and farther than my current 6 iron. I immediately put to task getting all the vitals on the new M2 iron and came up with some really disturbing things:

1.  The specs on the site say that the 6 iron is 37.625" long, D2 swingweight, and 25 degrees of loft. The 6 iron I received is 38.25" long, D3 swingweight and 26 degrees of loft. This is really disheartening for a company that is as large as TMAG. I refuse to believe that this iron is not INTENTIONALLY built like that. I'm not sure that is such a good thing over being a crappy build.  Being 1 degree off, or one swingweight off isn't a big deal. Well - maybe the swingweight, but I digress, 3/4 of an inch longer than it should be is a little much to be a mistake. Count that it's also a full inch longer than what a 6 iron should be - or 1/2 an inch+ if it's to spec'd length - sounds like someone isn't playing fair.

2.  I requested a regular flex. I'm not the man I used to be - or rather my back isn't the back it used to be - so I need something that doesn't have a lot on it. I put it on the deflection board and it comes out at a regular. The problem with this is that it's STIFF marked on the shaft - so it stands to reason that these club flexes are a full flex off of what the shaft is specified at. It also doesn't appear to be a high launch shaft. Mid to high at best, in my opinion, judging by the flex profile under load.




3.  The grip has a rib in it... which is fine. However, it's set so the face is at a closed position. This is presumably to be a reminder to press the hands forward, as it lines up nicely square for me when this is done. Still, when you look down the shaft - the grip is actually on crooked. The butt graphics line up with face square, and the bottom hand end of the grip is twisted strong, causing the hood. As a fitter and builder, putting the rib in a different position to promote face angle is fine, but for God's sake put the damn thing on straight. IT's ok to twist it, but  this is standard from the factory, come on! They're either trying to stack the deck with this length, or dare I say inept at putting a golf club together. It's nice to get something free, but how about something that's right?

Already Three strikes against this new iron from Taylormade. Overall it's kind of a sharp looking iron. I like the nickel black, I don't mind the thick topline as I play one myself, and it feels kind of nice at D3.  I chipped a few balls around the basement and I don't like the clickey sound I get from it. It also feels sort of hollow, like if I swung really hard I could cave the face in or break it.  The range time will tell there. I will put it up against my current 6 iron and see if it truly lives up to what TMAG says. Higher and Longer than my current 6. We'll see. The Flightscope will tell the tale - even though it's a fixed fight. 4 iron length, 5 iron loft - should go further.  My 6 iron is strong as well at 28 degrees, but it's the standard length for a 6 iron - a full inch under what this tester club is. All I can say is that this club better beat me by a LOT if it beats me at all.

Part 2 will be at the range with the flightscope.

How often do we fall for marketing over performance? Do you really want to know? DEMO DAY!

Let's talk marketing. Every cent paid to pros to play equipment, every ad, every paint job, every cardboard standup, and every little Google ad to the right or left of the page you're surfing on.  Marketing is what sells clubs. Why is that? Are we as golfers so inept at knowing what we want, or recognizing performance that we need other people to tell us how to spend our money? Certainly not. Are we tiny striped varmints that must have the shiniest new toy and keep up with the (Bobby) Joneses? Unfortunately that might be it.

When talking about technology - things don't leap forward at the pace manufacturers would have you believe - with one exception but I'll get to that later. Thing is, MOI, Trampoline effect, CC head size, Groove depth -- it's all CAPPED.  The USGA says "hey, that's enough. NO more".  There's an entire section in the rule book about what a club can and can't look like, all the way down to the amount of bend you can have in your plumber's neck putter. Not kidding at all. It's all carefully worded, carefully measured, and ham-fistedly capped by the USGA.  So why are there new clubs coming out every 6 months saying they're increasing this or that? Because it's 2016 and +1 micron is an increase. No joke, that's about what's happening too. Think of it this way:

Club A 2015 says it's average dispersion is 10 yards (just keeping round numbers here, kids) offline due to XYZ technology.  Club A 2016 promises a 10% improvement in dispersion over the previous model!  Sounds big, but that 10% improvement is 1 yard in this case. Actually it's half-a-yard on each side of the dispersion chart (right and left).  So, is 1/2 a yard closer to the center line really worth $500?  If you say yes, you have too much money and not enough grey matter....  The thing is, manufacturers have found the "buzz words" that golfers think they want to hear. They brought the tech side out and if they say it enough times, we'll just have to buy. Talk about turning a 50 cent word into a million bucks!

No, not the G crossover - Hybrid irons
just like it have been on the market and
performing to high standards for YEARS.

To continue.... These new clubs ARE released with some genuine technology in them - things like adjustable weights and adjustable hosel sleeves are really nice to help dial in the specific launch conditions that a player might need (not to mention they save the manufacturers MILLIONS by not having to manufacture different lofts). Some of it is even old tech recycled for a new generation. I remember in my youth (not too long ago actually) there were carbon fiber crowns and sliding weights.  They went away and came back just the same and now it's the "hot shit" with people buying it up like mad.  It's all reference and marketing.   "BUT CHRIS!" you say "I gained 10 yards over my last club!".   I'm sure you did, and there's a few good reasons for that - one of which I said I would get back to above.

1st, not to beat a dead horse but clubs are getting physically longer. We've covered this before. 5 irons the length of 4 irons. Drivers to 45.5 inches or more. That will get you distance if you hit it well, but the real reason is something nobody really thinks about outside of one letter::

THE SHAFT!  I'm not talking about just the length though. Every single one of those new drivers out there has a brand spanking new, redesigned shaft. There are options where you can get an older variety -- oddly enough considered an "upgrade" but for the most part each one has a new or different shaft.  Why is that? Because shaft technology is the only thing in golf equipment that's not limited.  WHAT? -- -Yes. --- NO!--- yes.   The length limit and shape of shaft is defined in the rule book, but there's really no way to limit kick, material, and energetic response of something like a shaft. Steel or graphite, if they're straight and under 48" playing length, they're legal. This is good news for us.

Over the past couple of years, shaft tech has absolutely EXPLODED. You can customize not only your flex, but your torque, kick point, materials, and balance point. Fujikura has an entire line of shafts that are all completely different flex profiles and amount of torque. There are shafts with multi-material blends where metal and graphite co-exist to make a crazy powerful combo.  Some have more resin or higher thread counts in certain areas to stiffen them up.  All of this combined allows more energy to get to the ball and provide you with more distance and accuracy. Piles of data is analyzed from what goes on at takeaway through just before impact and even afterward to create shafts that more or less hit it for you!  They know how you swing and are engineered to do one thing - deliver whatever you put on the end of them as hard and fast as it can into the back of that unsuspecting white orb on the tee in front of you.   Last week, I literally put a brand new 2016 shaft in a driver head that is 5 years old and it out performed every new driver that the client tested it against. Even if it came in a close second, that's still an immense improvement for not a lot of buck.

Now, a great shaft will not help a mis-engineered head. That's not what is going on here.  What's true is that there are caps made by the USGA on the heads of golf clubs. Believe me when I say that they are all within a few points of that legal limit. Unnoticeable by human perception kind of points. Even the little no-name component companies.  Look into a good engine for your club - it's going to be cheaper, and a better fit than picking up something new off the rack and trying to make it be your old faithful. Going back to another post from months past - you have to like what you're looking down at. If you like it, give it a tune-up.  Ol' Betsy still has some yards to be had, trust me......


If you wanna see what it can do - We're having a demo meet and greet at Leisure Lanes Driving range in Lancaster, PA this wednesday April 6th, 6-8:30pm (ish).  Come see what a shaft tweak can do for your driver, get your numbers on our flightscope, or just hit one of our component heads against your current neutron stick. It'll be fun!

While they're young.....

I am not yet a father. One of these days, Marie and I will have another little golf nut in the family (hopefully) and that suits me just fine. I'd love for them to take to the game like I did and to really enjoy it so I've already thought about and read up on the best ways to go about teaching them.  The thing is, even I never thought about equipment.

I played a lot of golf this weekend and I saw a lot more than a handful of junior golfers. It was great. These 8-13 year olds heading out with dad and mom to tee it forward and chase the little white ball around.  I even saw a guy teaching his boy on the range during an event. One thing I couldn't help but notice though - they all looked like they were struggling to swing the club. The more I thought about it, the clearer it became. Upon closer inspection of bags, most of them were playing with cut down versions of adult clubs. Even the ones that had "junior clubs" felt like sledgehammers to me when I picked them up. The time honored tradition about moving more weight low to help get the ball up doesn't apply to children and juniors. While it's a good idea, what good is it to have a club so heavy that the player can't swing it properly or even that the club swings them?  It would do nothing but engrain bad habits and wear-and-tear on their young body. Sure, it might be a good way to save some money in the short term because they'll grow into them right?....if they continue to play golf and have fun.

Let's take a look at a couple of photos - I'll expound upon them when I do my video. The first, on the right, is my first ever putter, ca. 1985, next to my current putter. It was long for me back then. There wasn't much in the way of different materials, so basically I got a men's putter cut down. It was (and still is) really heavy, even at this size that it is. Plus it was 24 inches long! That was more than half my height! (I was and still am a little short). Could you imagine swinging a putter that came up to your sternum - remember this is before the days of belly putters. I have really never been a good putter but seriously, that wasn't going to help teach me anything. Something I CAN do is hit the ball a long way and on line. I'm convinced the reason is because I got started early with the proper technique. Take a look at the second picture -  that's me swinging a 5 iron. A cut down, gripped, ground to remove a ton of material and weight 5 iron. I also had a 5 wood with about 1/3 of the head cut off in the back. Why did my grandfather do this? So that I was able to learn the proper takeaway and swing the club rather than having it swing me. It's tough to judge by a photo but believe me when I tell you that I didn't get thrown around by that club and because of that, I spent hours and hours hitting balls up and down the back yard at my grandparents' house -- and less time in front of the TV!! I make no apologies for the outfit.

To be frank, I see a good many parents/ grandparents/ aunts & uncles trying to get their future tour pro to "swing right".  Good teachers always mention that you shouldn't do this and should let them swing how they want to swing - moving feet, digging into the turf and whatnot. The reason children do this is because they somehow have to get this huge mass of metal moving when they themselves weigh about as much as a Neato Burrito! OF COURSE they're going to step into it.

Truth be told, it's absolutely impossible for someone of that size to swing properly if they don't have a club that's proportionally weighted for them. This  is why I have lightweight junior club heads. It allows me to build a club that is lighter than most any junior set out there, but still retains proper swing weight to promote good tempo and stroke.  You see, swing weight is largely dictated by your strength. What "feels" heavy to you may not be heavy to someone else. It's all a relative and personal thing.  Kids are sponges. They WANT to learn things and they will retain it very well. Anyone who's ever slipped a dirty word around their youngins can tell you that one. Why not give your little golfer the best start at the game. There will be less frustration, less "I'm tired can we go in?", and more fun to be had.

Is it more important to be VALUED or APPRECIATED?

It's a question that really has no answer that is not specific to the person answering. So why ask it? Is it more important to be valued or to be appreciated? To answer that, I think we have to look at the definition of each word in depth:

Value -
noun

1. 1.

   the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.
2. 2.

   a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life.

verb

1. 1.

   estimate the monetary worth of (something).
2. 2.

   consider (someone or something) to be important or beneficial; have a high opinion of.

Appreciate -

verb

1. 1.

   recognize the full worth of.
2. 2.

   understand (a situation) fully; recognize the full implications of.

Let's note that a great many people use these terms interchangeably but take a closer look. When something is "valued" it is generally because it is of benefit to the person doing the valuing. It's about saying "what am I willing to part with or do in order to possess this object. Property is valued. Stores say that something is a great value. Valuables in your jewelry box. Even people at the office are valued - which drives me up the wall when I hear it. Something is valuable because it benefits the person doing the valuing in some way - not because it's necessarily a good thing but because they're "getting something" from it. See the pattern starting to appear? Now, appreciation has nothing to do with worth or property. It's more of an emotion than a verb. When you appreciate something it's because it's there. It is not something to judge or pay for and isn't something that you can even place a partial worth on - by definition. You appreciate something for what it is and don't try to change it because it's so important it's unable to be messed with. You're thankful it's there because it is exactly what is needed.

"So Chris", you may be saying to yourself, "what does this have to do with golf?". 

Well... look in your golf bag. Any names stand out to you? Maybe you just bought the newest driver released, or a new putter. Do you VALUE your clubs or APPRECIATE them? Did you buy them because of what they say or how much you will be able to trade them in for? Did you buy them because it was "recommended" by a sales person? Did you buy them because they're from your favorite tour player? Did you honestly answer these questions and were any of them "YES"? Bad news.

What did you go through in order to get them? If you can honestly say that you went through a fitting that was more than 20 minutes and gave real thought to the process to arrive at the best decision for your game - I'm proud of you.  For a lot of readers, this isn't the case. For those readers it was an ad in a golf publication or a commercial during last week's tournament on TV. It's advertising speak about CG and MOI and composites and "the longest ________ ever!".   This is a full example of Valuation of your clubs. You value them so much as they worked for other people now. You will de-value them as new equipment comes out because that equipment will be seen as better than what you have. The sad part is that the same equipment will have little to no value to those who you purchased it from as that new club is released. You've valued your club at a price that the manufacturer thinks you'll pay and with options that are the best value to them and their bottom line. If you wait to buy it until it's "on sale" what are you spending your money on then - outdated technology i guess? I guess at least you have the NAME right? That's the TRUE value of equipment. That's why logos are plastered all over hats, belts, and shirts. Get the name in your head.

As for me, I appreciate my clubs. I appreciate that they work just as hard as clubs that are higher priced and sitting dusty on a rack in the back corner of a golf discount store somewhere. I appreciate that time and care was taken to assemble these clubs just for me using parts that were painstakingly tested by me, outside, in the sun and on the grass for over an hour.  I appreciate that I was able to use any parts that I wanted, and not just what had the highest margin for the seller. Still, when old age comes and I can't swing this flex anymore nobody will value them or appreciate them like I do. I can maybe sell them on Ebay for some golf money, but I'm ok with that because you see: when I made the investment in these clubs, I was investing in a name too. My name. I was in it for the long haul. I invested in my game to make sure that every dollar I spent on equipment went directly into my game and not into the pockets of a professional golfer or a multimillion dollar marketing campaign. People value the big names - but why?  Why would you want to shell out that kind of money for something you KNOW you're going to resell because there's something better in 6 months?  That wonderful paint-filled brand mark that tells everyone that you can afford a big OEM from a big store.

The point is, people value places like Dick's and Golfsmith. There are real people behind them with real jobs and that's great. They value you as well because they stay in business by selling you big names. The small club makers like myself and the hand full of others around the country appreciate your business and when you come to us with a need, I'll bet you'll start to appreciate us too. The one thing we all care about is your game. Big companies saturate the market with new new new. Everything is NEW everything is BETTER than it was. They have to. I will craft you something that will help you play better and save money. Take that money and put it into lessons, or just play more golf! Enter a tournament or put it towards that golf bucket list. 

The next time you are in the market for a new club, ask yourself something. Do I want to be one of millions or do I want to be one in a million? 

How to get the most out of your fitting

Club fittings are meant to get your hands around the best technology for your game.  In the modern golf-scape, everything from shaft material, length, weight, color, grip size and material, club head weight, and top line look can be selected from a wide range of manufacturers' offerings. It's enough to make a sane person's head explode!  Good thing I'm not sane, right?

What you get out of your fitting is equivalent to what you are willing to put in and accept. If you go in and say "I don't want to spend any money and I'm happy with what I play with now" then there's no reason to even have one done. If you're just going to get some numbers because you're curious how fast you swing, I have a package for 30 minutes on the range with a launch monitor where you keep all your data. Hit me up. On the other hand, going in with the idea that what you play now is completely incorrect isn't a good idea either. After all, you didn't get where you are by playing the complete WRONG equipment, we're just trying to find out if there's something better or a tweak that will make them better.  The best thing to do is keep an open mind about all avenues. Maybe the difference between 30% fairways and 70% fairways is the grip on your driver, or even making all your clubs 1/2 inch shorter, or bending them 1degree upright will have you hitting more greens.  Fittings don't always have to mean buying new clubs. They should never be a sales pitch. They don't always mean an expensive fix either. That's what most places want you to believe though  - which is why they comp the fitting if you buy new clubs.  Awesome, I'll save $50 if I buy this brand new $699 set!  Don't get me wrong, I do that too.... IF you NEED a new set or new club.


So, step one.  Have an open mind.

Step 2:  Leave your ego at the door. It's not going to help you to swing as hard as you can during a fitting.  Remember, you're going to PLAY these clubs, you're not just going to HIT them. Always warm up and use your normal on-course swings. If at the end of the day you are in a S flex instead of X, or R - it's OK because you're hitting it better.  We're comparing apples to apples here, it's not about letters or brands, it's about how they compare to each other. You know how your club performs on the course already - you've been using it for a while. Compare it by the numbers and look for the improvement. Above all, its OK if you don't hit the new stuff better than your old stuff. There are other things to look at for improvement.

Play the game, don't HIT to FIT.

Step 3: Talk about what you want vs. what you heard you should have.  A good fitter will listen and provide feedback. If you want someone to just tell you what you want - that's ok too, but dialogue is key to getting something that ultimately fits you and your game.  Sure, you're not a tour pro and you may not be able to feel the difference between one shaft and another but you know what you like. "ooh, that felt really good" or "This feels too light for me" are perfectly acceptable and will help the fitter dial in what you need. If your fitter doesn't want to hear it, then find another fitter.

Step 4:  Don't try new techniques. A fitting is not a lesson and it should never be. There are quick fixes like teeing the ball higher or moving it back or forward in your stance but don't try new things that you don't normally do like: inside take-aways and different grip techniques. Don't try "picture perfect swings" either. If you have injuries that don't let you take the club more than half-way back, then it's something that needs to be taken into account and it's nothing to be ashamed of. JB Holmes, one of the longest guys on the tour, doesn't even make it NEAR parallel at the top.

In my fittings, if I see something early that CLEARLY needs to be fixed we don't normally continue, there's no charge, and I refer the player to one of my trusted pros to get the help they need - THEN they can come back for the fitting and get it right. Equipment can help a lot but it can't fix a bad habit, and fitting a bad habit will not help the golfer improve his or her game. Did I waste my time? No.  Not if I've helped point you in the direction of a better game.

Always remember, getting fit for clubs is the same as getting fit for anything else. You don't go to buy new pants and suck your gut in to get them buttoned and say "wow these fit great" when you can't sit down. You don't wear the thickest socks you can find to buy summer shoes.  Same thing with clubs. Come as you are. Show off that home-grown swing. Most importantly, if it ain't broke - don't fix it.

Contact me to learn more or to schedule a fitting session. Sessions are usually 45 mins to an hour and there's a little paperwork to fill out beforehand - just the normal stuff so I can get a good sense of where you are in your game and what you currently play and are looking to improve. Actually it's more conversation and I'm doing the writing.

The Diluting of Our Golf Economy.....

The biggest complaint I hear about golf is that it's "too expensive".  I would agree to a point, which is why I started my own club building and repair business to keep costs down for all golfers that I can reach. I don't understand that sentiment though when people follow in the same breath with "What kind of driver is that?" When I answer, they just reply "oh". It's more about name than anything else and people are willing to pay for a name. This is not a post about clone clubs. Clone clubs are meant to look like a particular variety, not perform like it. Most are also illegal, not to mention they perform like crap. This is about off-brand names that do their own research and their own design and create a quality performance product. They don't pay pros millions so there's no need to have drivers that are $500. They rely on competent club builders to grow the name.

Still, I've heard more often than not that getting fully custom clubs are still too expensive.  One of the most common statements is "I can get a brand name set for that price".  Answer: Yes, yes you can, but it's going to be off the rack and it's going to be what the COMPANY wants you to play, not what you want to play.  Example: I went to a popular retailer and bought the cheapest set of clubs that I could. I didn't try to "match" sets, I used different OEMs just whatever was the most recent and cheapest - balanced.  I sacrificed a little "new box" factor for some savings.  I came up with Driver, 5W, 4-AW, SW, Putter for $854.83.  These are all stock shafts, no options, no swingweight options, no new grip options, no length or fitting options. The different OEMs offer different brands of shaft, but I'll assume they're relatively close in flex.  So you have a "good set" of big names for less than $900 before tax and buying a bag.  Remember also, that these are the CHEAPEST I could find. The ones marked $200 off, and $300 off, on the rack.  It does not take into account the up-charges to replace the OEM shaft with say a Dynamic Gold S300 from True Temper and does not allow for length adjustments.

I spec'd out a performance set of clubs using great components and came up with $868.44 after tax (if you're in PA). The head covers put me over, drat. Still, they all have matching grips, the driver and 3 wood have the same shaft profile. Oh wait, there's an extra wedge in there to round out your scoring clubs. Winner!  Believe me when I say there's some great components that are even more on the value pricing line as well that I steered clear of just to prove a point.  I didn't have to use Golfpride New Decade Plus 4 Grips *new for 2015*. Nor did Superstroke pay me to put their Mid-slim 2.0 on the putter rather than a stock paddle shaft. I certainly didn't have to use Fujikura EXS 6.0 graphite shafts *New for 2015* on the woods either but I did all that. Yes, I also find it somehow ironic that as you're reading this, there's Golfsmith ads on either side of the blog. Thanks, Google. Really.

See, here's the thing - there's money for the big names in "stock" clubs. By making a flashy club and touting some new technology, they are able to release a new club or set of clubs every 6 months. Sometimes even sooner!! It leaves you with the sense that what you have isn't good enough so you'll buy new - even if it's a new to you used club - and it's still stock garbage.  Most clubs rely on something called rack appeal.  That's when you look at a set of clubs and go "oh that's nice!!" without even hitting it. They look cool, different, shiny, black - you name it - and if it makes you buy the club then it's done it's job. I fell into this in my hay-day. I bought a big brand of clubs and got fit by the fitter. By the time I had them the way I was fit to them, I was well into $1000 JUST FOR IRONS!!!!!! That's no wedges, no woods, no putter!   Flash forward, I built a set of irons for myself using less flashy and less expensive components but to the same specs that I was fit for and they outplay my old clubs - no contest. You can read the first tests here and here and I was completely sold after that.  The USGA puts limits on clubs. It's what they do.  MOI, COR, Size, and Weight are all closely monitored. Clubs have hit a wall.  You're talking about differences of 1 or 2 points and flat out lies. You can't increase MOI by 15% every year. You can't, the limits don't allow it. If you DID then that means last year's model was crap or more than likely - you're being lied to.

Long story short, buying big names is stroking your ego. If you're the person who needs to have the name in the bag please go buy them. I have said it before, I want you to be happy and I want you to play what you want. Personally though, I take more satisfaction from absolutely destroying a golf ball down the middle of the fairway past my partners with my custom built "no name" than I do from someone saying "hey, I see you got that new (insert name) driver. Looks awesome".  I start conversations with my clubs now because they have Clubcrowns and Shaft wraps on them and they are badass. These days when people ask "what kind of driver is that" they're following it up with "I want one".

I trust what I sell and I play what I sell. Let me help you trust your clubs.

Let's talk about Fitting......

I'm sure if you're reading this and are truly interested in golf, then you've probably been "fit" for something at one time or another.  Of course, by FIT I mean you've payed $50 and had someone stand back while you hit a bunch of junk balls into a net 20 feet in front of you. Some fancy machine takes some measurements while the "technician" makes clandestine clicks and keystrokes so the computer can properly record your info. Then at the end, they suggest you buy the newest club they have and say "I think you'll really enjoy this and it'll improve your game".

Try the newest 460cc with movable weights and adjustability,
it's got a real nice profit margin..

Did I get that about right??  So here's the thing... that's bullshit. Complete and utter hogs waller, bollocks, shyte, whatever your choice phrase may be. "But you offer this service" you say, "Why would you say that?!".  Because I DON'T offer this service. I offer a solid Club Fitting -- I do not offer for you to rent my launch monitor so I can sell you clubs.

How and why do I do this? I want you to succeed at golf.  I will be the first to admit that my Club Fitting is not as cheap as the other places. At $70.00 for a set of irons, it is quite pricy to some people. I'm OK with that because again, you're not just renting my space so I can sell you something - you're renting ME for about an hours time so we can look at everything in your game. I schedule appointments and I don't offer to help others and say "I'll be back in 10 minutes, I just have to find a head cover for this guy". Oh and also, when you're done... Shhhhhhhh you get to keep your information and do whatever you want with it.  What's that? Repeat myself because you had something crazy in your ear? No... it's written. Just re-read it.

 I live by a simple philosophy:  "The memory of bad quality outweighs the shock of high prices".  In a nutshell, I charge what is fair for me to put my time and experience into the job so that you get the highest quality possible.  If you don't want to pay it, that's ok. I won't hate you. Seriously, if I had money for every time I've heard and engaged in this conversation, I would be writing this blog from sunny Florida on my back deck which overlooks the 15th hole.

Guy: I can't hit this damn club.
Me:  Oh? Is it new?
Guy: Yea I did a fitting (insert time frame) ago and I bought it then.
Me:  So you were hitting it good but now you aren't?
Guy: No, I got fit with my old clubs. I special ordered this because the fitter said it would work based          on my numbers.
Me:  Numbers? Your club speed or your bank balance?


While the majority of places put you on a simulator and have you hit crap balls and take computer measurements, I do more than that:

1.  We get the "life specs" on all your current clubs.  Length, loft, lie, swing weight, frequency, shaft type, and take a look at the grip traction and size.

2.  We will hit balls with your current set and see what's good/ bad/ what your best clubs are.

3.  Using the quick connect system, we hit balls on a real range and watch what happens to them. See, this is the real good part... then we take all this and TALK about what things feel like, what you want, and even chat about the good and bad in your swing.

4.  You get all this information written down and you can take it with you to -- I don't know - go buy budget clubs from eBay or whatever. Knock yourself out....

#4 kills people when I say it and write it.  "OH MY GOD, how do you stay in business?!".   My answer after a couple drinks is usually "Because I'm f--king good at what I do. Dick."

I don't just want you to play better, I want you to be happy.  If a player is happy with off the rack clubs after getting their perfect measurements - so be it. I think they're a little screwy, but I'm happy for them.
There are some that end up learning the hard way, for instance. Guys like Jeff (we'll call him that for now).  Jeff came and we talked and looked and did 1 through 4.  Jeff took his information and bought a name brand set at a local box store. Had it special ordered to the specs that he wanted and were given to him on my sheet.... Sort of. Payed $1500 for them after tax and shipping and "upgrades" whatever those are. I received a call over lunch one day because he was convinced that everything I told him was wrong.
He brought the set over and I put them through the paces. Turns out, the flex the manufacturer put in was not equivalent to the CPM that I told him - I guess the guy that sold it to him talked him into "regular, stiff, or x-stiff" being acceptable terms and that "frequency matching" would be an extra charge - which it is for the most part so I don't blame him.  Furthermore, the shafts weren't spine aligned or oscillated at all. Some were more off than others but they were typical "assembly line" clubs.  GripA, shaftB, headC, epoxy and ship.  So, after another $140, Jeff came back to the shop and picked up a set of clubs that were second to none.  Same heads, same grips, but all aligned, the proper flex and weight, and he's hitting it like a million bucks. He was able to sell the pulled shafts on eBay and recoup his loss at least. More recently Jeff was in the market for a new driver.  Where do you think he went? Aye, there be the moral of this story....

Name brands are expensive. Not necessarily expensive because they're "better clubs". Sometimes, not always. They're expensive because there's "R&D",  advertising, and a bunch of other things that go into releasing 3 drivers and 2 sets of irons every year that are 10 yards longer than their predecessor. I swear, if I had all the yardage and stuff I was promised over the years by big names, I'd be hitting 430 yard drives and throwing 150 yard sand wedges onto the green and spinning them 40 feet backwards.  The thing is, the USGA has put a max on what golf clubs can do. Remember that driver two years ago that "reached the USGA max for all attributes".... well guess what, there's nothing that this year's model can do better except have expensive moving parts that you'll probably end up spending money on tinkering with  or needing a $30 wrench to manipulate.

I don't always put bright colors and stickers on my golf clubs....
but when I do, it's because you're more likely to buy them.

For the eventual $1640 that Jeff ended up spending, a qualified club maker could have set him up with  and entire set of the top shelf in clubs in his exact specs - all made with quality components. You may not know the name, but trust your guy - he wouldn't be using them if he didn't know how they performed. I know I wouldn't. Nothing in my shop is there because I'm being paid or because it's cheaper than something else.  I don't have overhead because I don't keep inventory. I don't keep inventory because I never want to be a slave to having to "push" something on a customer so I don't lose money.

It's the same with fitting. I don't want to fit you to sell you something -- I want to fit you because I want you to play better. I've done everything I can to take the guesswork and inconsistency out of fitting. When I build a set, all my shafts are spine aligned. All my grips are the same size - If they're not, I pull them off and do it again. For fitting, all my heads and shafts are interchangeable - even the demos for independent companies like Krank and Bombtech.

Later this year, I will also be getting a Flightscope or a GC2 to add to the collection because I know how much people lean on this information. It's good to have, but don't let it rule your life.  I can't wait for the snow to melt so we can all get back out there. It's echo murder on your ears hitting in the heated bays.



Next time:  How The Club Nut takes the guesswork out of demos.

Your best golf on the cheap: Part 2

On Friday in Part 1, I wrote about my first impressions with the Maltby brand of clubs. More specifically the KE4 Tour Hybrid iron and the MMB-17 blade that I ordered to place up against my Titleist AP2 irons. Since then, I've taken them back to the range, and played two total rounds of golf with both clubs. Here are my findings:

KE4-Tour  4 hybrid-iron Results:

The KE4 will be permanently in my bag. While Saturday's round at Overlook Golf Course found it being used mostly for punching out from under trees and more "utility work" (which it performed smartly), my round on Sunday at Crossgates Golf Course focused on full shots from both the tee and the fairway. Don't get me wrong, this stick was a great utility club but I was more interested in the full-swing capabilities. That being said, the consistency of the club saved my butt more than once on Sunday. First, my second shot on number 9, a mid-length par 5 that presented a good layup occasion for the KE4. 180 yards to the end of the fairway, up hill (about a club) and into the teeth of a 20mph wind, the ball held it's line and trajectory better than anything I've got in the bag. It was a pure strike with absolutely no ballooning and no movement.  I had 58 yards into the green with my wedge afterward and was able to sink the putt for birdie. Money well spent already 

The second pressure use came with the tee shot on number 12.  Downhill Par 4 with tree trouble right and a ditch, trees, and water trouble left. If the tee ball is too far right, you'll be additionally blocked out by this big bastard of a tree right in front of the green. The ideal tee ball is about 215 yards off the tee box to the left of the fairway. From the elevated tee it seemed like the perfect distance for the new stick so I used it and once again it performed exactly as planned, even on a mis-hit. I came up and out of it a little bit and ended up hitting it a couple grooves low, feathering the ball to the right of my intended line. Still, It was long enough to get me to the tip of the fairway where I had a good look at the pin.

Yes, I put my 18th tee ball right in front of
the ladies tees on #10. Not Proud.

I think the biggest test between nerves and needs came on the par 5 18th hole. I stood on the tee needing a birdie for even par. Don't think that wasn't in my head just because of my back issues and club tests. I'm still out here to post a score, damnit. The 18th for me is a notoriously terrible driving hole with about 35% of my tee shots going OB left and 40% going into either the water or traps on the right. I'm 11% for fairways on this hole in the last 3 years! (stats tracked on oobgolf.com, thanks guys!) So yea, just a few nerves on this tee box. I did what any self respecting bail out artist would do, I took a club I could swing away with without reaching trouble and bunt-sliced it into the next county. After bailing out right with my tee ball (a miss I struggled with all day long), I found myself with a distance of 177 yards, into the now two club wind, through a tree, to a safe landing area where I could have a clear and reasonable third shot into the green. The lie was average in the rough, neither buried nor was it sitting up for me. I took the 4 and decided that the play was a fade starting to the left of the tree and let the wind kill the distance, hopefully allowing the ball to land in the fairway with about 170 into the pin. In theory.  That's the shot I set up with and that's the shot I got from the club.  I was pleasantly surprised that there was ZERO drag through the rough. I expected maybe a hitch where the face got caught or turned a little with the wider sole, but the head went cleanly through the grass and I had a mostly solid strike on the ball.  There's really something to be said for the confidence felt when looking down on this club.  For you completionists... I hit a choke 7 iron from 149 (the green  is about 25 feet above the fairway) to 7 feet, leaving myself a downhill right-to-left slider.  The greens were smooth and fast at Crossgates - quite different than the punched greens at Overlook or Four Seasons previously and I'd been struggling all day with getting the speed just right. I just barely lipped it out with a little too much pace. It rolled right around the cup and I made the 7 inch comeback to post 73. The two gentleman I had been playing with had no idea what it was for and still said it was a painful lip-out, haha! 

Overall, high marks in the looks department. It's tough to make a forgiving but playable hybrid club for better players without appearing like a marshmallow, but this hits it on the money. I think even high handicappers would like this club as well.  I gave a decent score in the feel department only because the graphite shaft deadened more off-center shots. While I could feel it, it was difficult to judge how far off center I hit it.  A steel shaft would provide better feel. Distance on par with the much higher end club.  Solid marks in workability. Straight goes straight. Not a lot of over-correction on off center hits. Budget conscious at 39.99 for the head. Excellent replacement for a hybrid or a long iron, in my player's opinion.

MMB-17  #8 iron Results:

Mentioned above, the 4 iron didn't really have much of a starring role in my round at Overlook on Saturday morning. It was helpful, but when all you can do is pitch out of trees sideways, it's not really what I would call a "stroke saver" or "Pin seeker".  The 8 iron did have a more prominent role in making a good shot, however. I still didn't use it much in this round, but for what I did get out of it, I say it's a damn good purchase. Of only note was the 2nd shot into #9 from rough right of the fairway. I had 160 into the pin, which is my average 8 iron distance. The lie was semi-buried, with some grass between the face and the ball for sure. I clipped it pretty well but  fell about 10 feet short, below the hole. Yes, I missed the putt. Still, it was a good shot to a blind target from a less-than-perfect lie in the rough.  Coupled with previous range evaluation as well as the 2 small buckets I had hit on the range on Friday (1 with my AP2 and the other with MMB), that one shot was enough to satisfy my curiosity surrounding this particular combination of shaft and head. Nothing tells it like it is as well as the actual course does.  It was a demanding shot under pressure to attack the pin and it didn't let me down despite my human imperfections. It is a consistent club. I will say one thing about it and stick to my guns: Even on the range, I didn't ever feel like I hit a good shot and been "robbed" or thought I had mis-clubbed. When the ball fell short of my intended target, I could feel exactly how many grooves low or high I had hit the ball, whereas with the more "forgiving" AP2 that I've been playing I felt like I hit a solid shot more often than not and would have inconsistent feedback on distance of mis-hits and inconsistent direction on solid hits without much feedback on high/low impact.  The MMB is going into my bag and I'm going to order a 9 and PW as well with the same specs by the end of this week. 

Again, high marks for looks. If you're a player who likes a minimal top-line and offset then this is the head for you. The satin chrome, rather than full polish is a welcome change on sunny days. Solid marks for feel. Higher than the 4 iron because of the increased feedback on mis-hits.     Distance is on-par with the higher end clubs, but nothing special that will catapult you to hitting tour-distance irons. 

Excellent workability and flight capability.Some clubs are "over workable" but to get a 9 the devil is in the details and small movements. Very consistent movements and no correction to get in the way of your shot.

 Value... well, I'm still looking for the cops outside because this kind of performance is a steal at $29.99 US for the head. 

Bottom line: 

8iron:   $29.99 head + $3.99 shaft + $10.99 grip + $0.35 ferrule + a little elbow grease =  $45.00 club on par with $125.00 premium club.

4iron:  $39.99 head + $11.00 shaft + $10.99 grip + $0.25 ferrule + a little more elbow grease + $55.00 club beats $125.00 premium club.

Maltby certifies that they are 2010 groove rule compliant and playable in high-level tournaments (or honestly, I wouldn't even be trying them).  For the price of a premium head with a run-of-the-mill shaft, you can build a custom beast with these heads. I chose the rout of least investment because I like a bargain. I could only imagine what would happen if you put a $75 shaft in some of these. Still if you told me they would out-perform my AP2 710 irons even with a premium shaft, I'd never have believed it if you beat it into my head every morning.  Happy swinging!

Your best golf... on the cheap: Part1

 Last month I blogged about a great cigar for not much money. They're around $2.50 each, depending on the size. I love cheap. Cheap is good. Cheaper is GREAT! The problem with cheap is that it's not very dependable. Quite often, it's inconsistent and in the end it's not really worth what I paid anyway. Thankfully those Casa de Garcias have broken that stereotype. Of course, thinking in these terms, in walks "Custom".  Custom tends to be the opposite of Cheap.  Custom is so nice and perfectly fit to whatever I need.  I paid big money (to me) for a set of custom golf clubs. Length, lie, shaft, grip, weighting and probably most of all -- NAME.

If you've ever bought a golf product, you're paying a lot for the name. A hand towel at Wal-mart is maybe 4 bucks(?) but if you put (insert mainstream golf company here)'s name on that it goes to $20 and sometimes $30.  So i thought "what if I took my specs and built my own clubs for cheap to mimic these big box brand name clubs".  Out comes my personal "Maltby" irons. When you hear the name you may think of Rodger the Golf Channel/ NBC on-course correspondent and, for you older chaps, multiple tournament winner on the PGA tour in the 70s and 80s.  When you READ the name Maltby, it may or may not bring to mind Ralph Maltby the club designer from golfworks.com. Sounds the same, but it's spelled different. (10 points to guess the movie).

Roger Maltbie (no relation)

Ralph Maltby

Ralph used to design clubs for Tommy Armour and is an all around fitting guru.  He developed the MPF or Maltby Playability Factor to rank clubs on how they will perform for different levels of players. With iron head price points at around $30 and shafts at about $10, I can build a set of custom golf clubs to my exact specifications for $300 or less, compared to the $1000 for the brand name clubs. I went ahead and ordered a Malby KE-4 hybrid iron and a Maltby MMB-17 8 iron to see if there was any confirmation to my thought process. Today I got them and decided to do a test against my current Titleist AP2 4 and 8 iron on the range for feel, playability, and general distance.

MMB-17 - 8 iron - 39* - 36.5"
True Temper Command Stiff

Maltby MMB-17

The 8-iron has a really nice look about it. Very "players club" with a chrome nickel plating and satin face area. Thin topline, thin sole. Turf interaction was stellar and it didn't dig as much as I originally thought it would. at 3 degrees of bounce, it actually scooped through the grass nicely! The ball came off cleanly with a much more crisp "click" sound and feel than my AP2 which is more of a muffled "thwack" with a solid but soft feel. I think I like the MMB feedback a little better because I can really tell when I hit it cleanly and when i hit it nearer the toe or heel which for me translates into MORE confidence if I miss a shot. At least I know why I missed it.

The shaft, a True Temper Command R/S flex (trimmed for Stiff), did leave a little bit to be desired. The shaft is designed for control and lower trajectory - and control it did. My shot dispersion was much tighter than my AP2, even on solid hits. I could also work the ball much more easily in both directions as well as up and down. The feel was somewhat looser than the S300 on my current 8 iron.  The Dynamic gold series have the shock absorbing "sensicore" inside. Basically it's a wire with foam wound up it in a spiral pattern. It's placed in the shaft and deadens any vibration coming from the head. I noticed it was missing when I hit one thin, but it wasn't as jarring as some would have me believe. I hit about 2 dozen balls with each and came to the conclusion that the only thing that MAY be missing is the distance factor. I hit my AP2 8 iron about 160.  I don't think I was hitting that all the time with the MMB. Still, I attribute that to the muscle back design. Traditionally, the forgiving zone on the face is only about the size of a dime or nickel whereas the AP2 irons are more like a quarter or half dollar because of the technology. I wanted a muscle back though because of the accuracy and I definitely got that.  When I get it on the course for part 2 and I'm really able to see the distance for myself instead of guestimating based on landmarks, then I'll be able to make a good decision.

Maltby KE4-Tour

KE4-Tour 4 Iron/Hybrid - 23*- 38.5"
Graffaloy ProCustom Stiff flex

The 4 hybrid iron is a very nice club in itself. This configuration beat out my current 4 in terms of feel and playability again. The graphite shaft absorbed the shock much better than the steel shaft even with sensicore (no surprise there really), but what really impressed me is the way the ball catapaulted off the face! Holy cow were my first words after one strike.  The ball flew higher and landed more softly than my current 4 iron for sure yet both have the same characteristics as far as length and swingweight. Judging by the flight, I will go out on a limb and say that the spin rate on the KE4 is much higher than the AP2 - which is exactly what I was looking to get for my long approach shots.  The KE4 has a wider top line and sole but the head is about that of a standard blade with very little offset. It's made to be a cross between iron and hybrid. I'm normally not a fan of "fat irons" but it really worked for my eye in this case and I think the shallow face helped that a lot. Turf interaction from the wider sole was really nice, regardless of the width and I didn't feel it digging in like my 4 iron usually does. I felt like it was much easier to hit than even my current 3-hybrid - which just seems too big to use in the rough or sometimes even from the fairway - so why bother having it? As for the Graffaloy shaft - it performed exactly as spec'd. Very light, stiff flex and high launch. I couldn't ask for much more --- but I did.  I demanded the ball do things that I normally have

trouble doing with my current players clubs. In control, the KE4 with Graffaloy Pro Custom out-performed my AP2 w/ DG S300 smartly.  I was able to work the ball in both directions at will and had an easier time feathering the ball with the KE4 than the AP2. Normally my 4 iron is draw, un-willing fade and big slice as far as shot choices. The Maltby 4 iron actually flew straight and accurate and when I wanted to move the ball, I was able to do so in small increments. 5 yards, 15 yards, feather it just a couple... the shots were there when I wanted them and I didn't feel like it was a "lucky strike" when I pulled them off.  Once again, when I get it on the course for part 2 then I can really say if it's all over better.  One thing I think I definitely dislike about this club is the anodized black finish. I have the same finish on my Taylormade R11, but that's a driver. I don't hit sandy balls that much with it.  With this being a utility iron, it's going to have a lot of turf interaction and that's going to take a toll on the finish, wearing out a hit groove.  After hitting only a few damp range balls it picked up a few marks on the face already. Love that sweetspot though!

Click here to check out Part 2!