Question:
I went out today and took a look at the Pro’s and I have to say they sure are nice looking clubs.
They’re beautiful, aren’t they? Everybody on the course that looks at them admires them, says "nice clubs", etc. Not only good looking from the side, but at address as well. In fact, the view from the top was icing on the cake, the cake part being that they felt so damn sweet when I picked the ball just perfectly clean off the grass. God, but there’s no finer feeling in golf than to hit a long, high fade from the sweet spot of my T-Zoid 4-iron (I’m only being a little melodramatic). I recently broke my finger and have resorted to spending my time admiring clubs rather than hitting them. As soon as this finger heals I am looking forward to trying out the Pro’s.
I think you’ll like them a lot. During the interim I do have a couple of questions that I was hoping you would be able to find the time to answer. How do the pro’s react to off center hits?
Since they’re a "cavity-back/blade" combination, the Pro’s are probably more forgiving than a pure forged blade (T-Zoid Trues, or MP-14s, or Titleist 962Bs). But I would say they’re probably a little less forgiving than the 981 if hit off-center. I won’t whitewash this for you: I’ve hit some seriously bad shots off the toe, shots that mostly came up short (but usually straight). And I’ve hit some bad shots off the heel, and from above the sweet spot, and from below the sweet spot. But I’m not sure those mishits would have been much better with a cavity-backed club. I bought the Pro’s because I’m dedicated to becoming a professional golfer, and I felt they would be a club I wouldn’t get sick of, or felt I’d "outgrown". In fact, it seems to me the entire reason "game improvement" sets are sold is to make you feel in a few months of playing that you’ve got a golf game, and you should now buy "player’s clubs", at twice the price. I skipped the "game improvement" clubs, and went straight from my Sports Authority MacGregor BattleSticks $139 specials to the $700 Mizuno T-Zoid Pros. Even though I haven’t been playing long, the control of the Mizuno’s is fantastic, and I’m already learning to draw/fade my long and mid-irons at will. That’s a great feeling. Just yesterday, from 170 yards, I hit a 5-iron fade to a green, followed by a 5-iron draw to the same green (playing two balls for practice). I can’t do that every time, of course, but once I get consistent with those irons, my scores have got to come down. Are they comparable to the 962’s or the EZ- Comps? Do they feel more like the 962’s or the EZ-Comps? I would be interested in any other observations regarding the above clubs as well.
I’m not an experienced player (only 1.5 years), so I’m not a real good judge of one club vs. another. I hit the 962s and 981s for a round or two (never tried the EZ-Comps). I found the 981s pretty easy to hit high and straight, but they were shorter than the 962s, and I’m very interested in distance and control. I could chip and pitch exceptionally well with the 7,8, and 9 irons of the 962s (actually, better than I can chip with my T-Zoids), but I didn’t like the feel of the 962 long and mid irons as much as the Mizunos. And for me, the feedback/control of the 962 was not as good as the Mizunos. Of course, you might like the 962, or the 981. They’re nice clubs, and the price is about $200 cheaper than the Mizunos, I believe. If you’re in Atlanta, Player’s World of Golf near Perimeter Mall will let you demo entire sets for a couple of days. I wouldn’t have bought a set of clubs unless I had hit every club several times, on the course. Darryl
Response:
Sorry Rick, just sold the MP-14’s on ebay for $400. There were some used T-zoid Pros that sold around $500. Check it out. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Although I find this to be a well written analysis, I haven’t seen any T-Zoid Pros in my area for $700 retail. So – what would you take for your MP-14’s? Anyone have any MP-11’s they’re selling? Ultrawands? The further back you go the better the clubs get, and the less they are desired by most of the golfing public. Go figure. Thanks, Rick It is excellent that you gave your club owning history, and what likes and dislikes you had for each set. When folks post on the Hawkeye – I wish they would do the same thing, instead of saying "it’s great – insert Callaway hype here (low boring trajectory – easy to hit – blah blah)" On the MP-11 2 iron I owned – I’d say it helped me find the true golf swing, by constantly not allowing me to lie to myself that what was close was good enough. An historic club in my golfing life. I found a Miz Ultrawand in a $5 bin and got it cuz it was unchromed (giving away secrets again) – if you look at the back of a forged iron and see the grain and its fineness you get clue to the "feel of the steel" and the amount of working of the metal that was done in the forging. MP-14’s claim to be "double forged".. I’d like to meet personally the person who hand crafted this Ultrawand 4-iron.. over and over so many times to get it so right. I’d really like a set of these. I agree with Darryl. The Mizuno Pros are the best clubs I’ve ever had. I started with a set of Ping Eye 2s. The club head size and offset were too much for me although they were very forgiving. I switched to Titleist DCIs but never had the feel or playability I was looking for. Switched to Mizuno MP-14s, great workability but not forgiving at all and the club head was a bit to small for me. Just bought a set of TZoid Pros and these will probably (and hopefully) be the last set I’ll own. To me, they combine the best of all the sets I’ve owned. Very workable, clubhead size slightly larger than the MP-14s (thus slightly larger sweetspot, and therefore slightly more forgiving). The Sensicore shaft significantly reduces off-center vibration more than the S300 on my MP14s. When you hit them right, they are sweet!
Response:
Although I find this to be a well written analysis, I haven’t seen any T-Zoid Pros in my area for $700 retail. So – what would you take for your MP-14’s? Anyone have any MP-11’s they’re selling? Ultrawands? The further back you go the better the clubs get, and the less they are desired by most of the golfing public. Go figure. Thanks, Rick It is excellent that you gave your club owning history, and what likes and dislikes you had for each set. When folks post on the Hawkeye – I wish they would do the same thing, instead of saying "it’s great – insert Callaway hype here (low boring trajectory – easy to hit – blah blah)" On the MP-11 2 iron I owned – I’d say it helped me find the true golf swing, by constantly not allowing me to lie to myself that what was close was good enough. An historic club in my golfing life. I found a Miz Ultrawand in a $5 bin and got it cuz it was unchromed (giving away secrets again) – if you look at the back of a forged iron and see the grain and its fineness you get clue to the "feel of the steel" and the amount of working of the metal that was done in the forging. MP-14’s claim to be "double forged".. I’d like to meet personally the person who hand crafted this Ultrawand 4-iron.. over and over so many times to get it so right. I’d really like a set of these. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I agree with Darryl. The Mizuno Pros are the best clubs I’ve ever had. I started with a set of Ping Eye 2s. The club head size and offset were too much for me although they were very forgiving. I switched to Titleist DCIs but never had the feel or playability I was looking for. Switched to Mizuno MP-14s, great workability but not forgiving at all and the club head was a bit to small for me. Just bought a set of TZoid Pros and these will probably (and hopefully) be the last set I’ll own. To me, they combine the best of all the sets I’ve owned. Very workable, clubhead size slightly larger than the MP-14s (thus slightly larger sweetspot, and therefore slightly more forgiving). The Sensicore shaft significantly reduces off-center vibration more than the S300 on my MP14s. When you hit them right, they are sweet!
Response:
I am thinking of purchasing these as a new set of irons. Has anyone used these clubs, or give me any other thoughts on purchasing new irons? Thanks, John Gallo
Response:
John Gallo wrote….. I am thinking of purchasing these as a new set of irons. Has anyone used these clubs, or give me any other thoughts on purchasing new irons?
John, I demoed a set of 981s for a couple of rounds, and liked them a lot. I believe Titleist classifies them as "game improvement" clubs, because of their extra degree of loft (over standard lofts), and the deeper cavity-back. My shots were generally higher, shorter, and a little straighter than the Titleist 962s I was comparing them to. They were also easier to hit than the 962s. I believe you’ll be happy with them, or the 962s. If you’re looking in that price range, you might also check out the Mizuno T-Zoid Pros (which is what I finally bought). Darryl
Response:
I bought a set of the 981’s back in December. The price including tax was $640.00. I am a Titleist man so the decision was very easy. I had previously owned the Oversize+Blacks for two years and was eagerly anticipating Titleist’s foray into the low center of gravity arena. I had them custom-fitted and waited a well-worth-the-wait two weeks for delivery. In a nutshell, discard the hype by the other manufacturers and get a set of 981’s. You’ll be glad you did. This isn’t spam, I don’t work for Titleist, but wish I did. I merely compared the clubs in the market today and made an informed decision. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – John Gallo wrote….. I am thinking of purchasing these as a new set of irons. Has anyone used these clubs, or give me any other thoughts on purchasing new irons? John, I demoed a set of 981s for a couple of rounds, and liked them a lot. I believe Titleist classifies them as "game improvement" clubs, because of their extra degree of loft (over standard lofts), and the deeper cavity-back. My shots were generally higher, shorter, and a little straighter than the Titleist 962s I was comparing them to. They were also easier to hit than the 962s. I believe you’ll be happy with them, or the 962s. If you’re looking in that price range, you might also check out the Mizuno T-Zoid Pros (which is what I finally bought). Darryl
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – John Gallo wrote….. I am thinking of purchasing these as a new set of irons. Has anyone used these clubs, or give me any other thoughts on purchasing new irons? John, I demoed a set of 981s for a couple of rounds, and liked them a lot. I believe Titleist classifies them as "game improvement" clubs, because of their extra degree of loft (over standard lofts), and the deeper cavity-back. My shots were generally higher, shorter, and a little straighter than the Titleist 962s I was comparing them to. They were also easier to hit than the 962s. I believe you’ll be happy with them, or the 962s. If you’re looking in that price range, you might also check out the Mizuno T-Zoid Pros (which is what I finally bought). Darryl The one thing i found out about buying a new set of clubs ,is go to a good
size golf shop and hit some ball and see what set fells the best to you there is a big difference in the fell. all so price wise. I bought the thrid set last summer,after tring out five different set and bought the fourth set they felt better ,price wise about in the middle. punk
Response:
[This followup was posted to rec.sport.golf and a copy was sent to the cited author.] – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – John Gallo wrote….. I am thinking of purchasing these as a new set of irons. Has anyone used these clubs, or give me any other thoughts on purchasing new irons? John, I demoed a set of 981s for a couple of rounds, and liked them a lot. I believe Titleist classifies them as "game improvement" clubs, because of their extra degree of loft (over standard lofts), and the deeper cavity-back. My shots were generally higher, shorter, and a little straighter than the Titleist 962s I was comparing them to. They were also easier to hit than the 962s. I believe you’ll be happy with them, or the 962s. If you’re looking in that price range, you might also check out the Mizuno T-Zoid Pros (which is what I finally bought). Darryl
I went out today and took a look at the Pro’s and I have to say they sure are nice looking clubs. I recently broke my finger and have resorted to spending my time admiring clubs rather than hitting them. As soon as this finger heals I am looking forward to trying out the Pro’s. During the interim I do have a couple of questions that I was hoping you would be able to find the time to answer. How do the pro’s react to off center hits? Are they comparable to the 962’s or the EZ- Comps? Do they feel more like the 962’s or the EZ-Comps? I would be interested in any other observations regarding the above clubs as well. Thanks — Gary Udstrand The opinions expressed are mine only, unless you agree with me. The world is filled with willing people; some willing to work, the rest willing to let them. -Robert Frost
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I went out today and took a look at the Pro’s and I have to say they sure are nice looking clubs. They’re beautiful, aren’t they? Everybody on the course that looks at them admires them, says "nice clubs", etc. Not only good looking from the side, but at address as well. In fact, the view from the top was icing on the cake, the cake part being that they felt so damn sweet when I picked the ball just perfectly clean off the grass. God, but there’s no finer feeling in golf than to hit a long, high fade from the sweet spot of my T-Zoid 4-iron (I’m only being a little melodramatic). I recently broke my finger and have resorted to spending my time admiring clubs rather than hitting them. As soon as this finger heals I am looking forward to trying out the Pro’s. I think you’ll like them a lot. During the interim I do have a couple of questions that I was hoping you would be able to find the time to answer. How do the pro’s react to off center hits? Since they’re a "cavity-back/blade" combination, the Pro’s are probably more forgiving than a pure forged blade (T-Zoid Trues, or MP-14s, or Titleist 962Bs). But I would say they’re probably a little less forgiving than the 981 if hit off-center. I won’t whitewash this for you: I’ve hit some seriously bad shots off the toe, shots that mostly came up short (but usually straight). And I’ve hit some bad shots off the heel, and from above the sweet spot, and from below the sweet spot. But I’m not sure those mishits would have been much better with a cavity-backed club. I bought the Pro’s because I’m dedicated to becoming a professional golfer, and I felt they would be a club I wouldn’t get sick of, or felt I’d "outgrown". In fact, it seems to me the entire reason "game improvement" sets are sold is to make you feel in a few months of playing that you’ve got a golf game, and you should now buy "player’s clubs", at twice the price. I skipped the "game improvement" clubs, and went straight from my Sports Authority MacGregor BattleSticks $139 specials to the $700 Mizuno T-Zoid Pros. Even though I haven’t been playing long, the control of the Mizuno’s is fantastic, and I’m already learning to draw/fade my long and mid-irons at will. That’s a great feeling. Just yesterday, from 170 yards, I hit a 5-iron fade to a green, followed by a 5-iron draw to the same green (playing two balls for practice). I can’t do that every time, of course, but once I get consistent with those irons, my scores have got to come down. Are they comparable to the 962’s or the EZ- Comps? Do they feel more like the 962’s or the EZ-Comps? I would be interested in any other observations regarding the above clubs as well. I’m not an experienced player (only 1.5 years), so I’m not a real good judge of one club vs. another. I hit the 962s and 981s for a round or two (never tried the EZ-Comps). I found the 981s pretty easy to hit high and straight, but they were shorter than the 962s, and I’m very interested in distance and control. I could chip and pitch exceptionally well with the 7,8, and 9 irons of the 962s (actually, better than I can chip with my T-Zoids), but I didn’t like the feel of the 962 long and mid irons as much as the Mizunos. And for me, the feedback/control of the 962 was not as good as the Mizunos. Of course, you might like the 962, or the 981. They’re nice clubs, and the price is about $200 cheaper than the Mizunos, I believe. If you’re in Atlanta, Player’s World of Golf near Perimeter Mall will let you demo entire sets for a couple of days. I wouldn’t have bought a set of clubs unless I had hit every club several times, on the course. Darryl
I agree with Darryl. The Mizuno Pros are the best clubs I’ve ever had. I started with a set of Ping Eye 2s. The club head size and offset were too much for me although they were very forgiving. I switched to Titleist DCIs but never had the feel or playability I was looking for. Switched to Mizuno MP-14s, great workability but not forgiving at all and the club head was a bit to small for me. Just bought a set of TZoid Pros and these will probably (and hopefully) be the last set I’ll own. To me, they combine the best of all the sets I’ve owned. Very workable, clubhead size slightly larger than the MP-14s (thus slightly larger sweetspot, and therefore slightly more forgiving). The Sensicore shaft significantly reduces off-center vibration more than the S300 on my MP14s. When you hit them right, they are sweet!