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Help with R11 irons

• HesheeDucky 35 Posts

  Tue, Aug 6 2013 9:57 AM

  I recently traded in my bladez for the r11's and maybe i'm not up on a secret but i think the blades were better.  for starters if i miss the ding with these it's as bad if not worse than the bladez.  Also seems the ding was easier to hit with the blades,  for me with the nike balls the meter speeds are pretty close.  Is there a secret to mastering these clubs?  Should i be using less spin?  i always use full back spin and shoot for the flag.  Thanks

• chris5214 1,937 Posts

  Tue, Aug 6 2013 10:55 AM

  my playin style is same as urs .. just give it some time .. i find them bit more forgiving than Bladez .. also i still play the Bladez sometimes .. but if u play the R11's regular u'll notice the difference i'm sure 

• courteneyfish 15,796 Posts

  Tue, Aug 6 2013 10:58 AM

  They aren't very forgiving. The trouble I found was that the irons are faster than the woods so you tend to click late with them. I'm more used to them now but I still get the odd missed ding and have to go ball hunting.

• Choppography 2,166 Posts

  Tue, Aug 6 2013 11:05 AM

  Dont miss left in a right to left wind.

  More backspin = less forgiveness......but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.

  I found with the Bladez, the lower spin balls had more forgiveness, too, because they don't veer offline so much on misses.  I have NOT found that with the R11s for some reason.

  You will undoubtedly learn more about your game by playing the R11s.  Quarter spin, no spin, 1/2 back, full back, all have their rewards.  These clubs are far and away more precise.  But, have far and away the longest learning curve imo.

  I don't like them as much yet, either.  But, I can't explain away the fact my lowest rounds in months have come by playing them over the Bladez.  I'm not consistent.  But, when on.....they are crazy good.

   

  Read through this thread, too............ http://www.wgt.com/forums/t/188823.aspx

  YJ and Baggs' comments, among others, have helped shape my brain a lot regarding this set of irons.

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Tue, Aug 6 2013 11:57 AM

  HesheeDucky:

   i always use full back spin and shoot for the flag.  

  90% of the problem right there. It is total folly to do this without first knowing how the club works without it. You're really hurting yourself, especially with those Nikes, when you miss that ding. Charging at the flag does too if you don't pay attention to where the ball is landing. Those clubs are accurate enough to pick spots and hit them, you just have to know what's going to happen when the ball lands. That's where the different spin comes in (as well as affecting the flight, or carry, of the ball.)

  Do yourself a favor and grab some of the cheap Callaways, head out to BPB back 9 and hit up and down those first 4 fairways until you get a handle on the distances and what kind of miss you can get away with. Then switch to your Nikes and see the difference.There is no secret, you just have to learn how to use them.  GL

• lonnieskinner 1,677 Posts

  Tue, Aug 6 2013 11:59 AM

  I use very little bs with the nike irons. Expecially if not down wind. Try playing with no wind in practice mode and add as needed. The only time I use fbs is if it is down wind and strong. I had to go to the slow nikes to keep up with the speed of the rlls. Remember, the more the spin the the greater the miss.

• forcefan 279 Posts

  Tue, Aug 6 2013 4:06 PM

  What Chip, YJ & Lonnie said... Hell, Jim should have his own sub-forum populated with his 123,867 or so posts of wisdom. 

  I played the L79 Rocketbladez and found them to be very fine irons.

  The L90 R11 are so precise and hold/spin so well with good balls they should almost be banned, IMO. I love them clubs!

  Then again, I'm just fine with shooting rounds in the low 30's. (Almost) No restarts, no need to shoot low scores, no pressure, no hand-wringing when I lip-out 3 putts per 9 holes. Anyway...

  I picked a single ball - in my case the Nike RZN provides me with the characteristics I like. The L48 Nike works just about as well in my book, for 150 fewer credits and 1/2 dot less feel.

  Then, I mapped shots in practice rounds with every club using no spin, backspin, topspin. 

  Maybe I'm dense, but I was surprised that the yardages are significantly different from the tee versus off the fairway. Then there are the various lies in the rough and sand to catalog.

  Then there are all the different shots around the green. Oy!

  I play very few rounds these days, so the charting process is left unfinished, But I have most of the info I require to shoot scores I'm contented with when I am able to play a few rounds.

  All told, it has taken a lot of practice to produce a chart I can rely on.

  If there's one comment I read over and over that truly makes me scratch my flea-ridden head is that players sell their old clubs right after upgrading. I still have my  Rocketbladez  and break them out once in a while for a change of pace. To each his/her own!

  Good luck and enjoy! 

• JasonNumber100 2,909 Posts

  Sat, Aug 10 2013 3:17 AM

  I've just upgraded from G20 (lvl83) to the R11 set. As you know, Ping has a slower meter speed and more forgiving. I've just turned Legend and noticed of a lot of the top guys use R11. I'm hitting the ding more with the driver, but the irons do have a different speed, I'm always late. I use Nike (lvl 71) balls. I do use backspin and topspin, where I think it's needed.

  It's still a case of trial and error. Trying to get through all the courses as a Legend. Early days. Still getting use to the clubs, that can take a long time, just ask Rory.

• hpurey 11,505 Posts

  Sat, Aug 10 2013 3:28 AM

  JasonNumber100:

  but the irons do have a different speed, I'm always late.

   

  Try this,  play a round with the starter ball,  when you go back to your preferred ball, the meter on the irons will seem much slower.  It may even seem to be G20 slower.

  Note, that will wear off eventually, but you will either have gotten used to the new meter speed or just play another round with the starter ball or any ball with no feel.

   

• egonweber 365 Posts

  Sat, Aug 10 2013 3:50 AM

  I use R11 ironset lvl90 and have found out the best way to get the distance i want, only use 1/4-1/2 backspin, or just hit em flat and i can trust the power i set gives what it says with callaway lvl33-balls!

  Its my way to play my approaches, go for the distance i see +/- elevation/wind. in headwind i sometimes use some topspin, it works great for me, and on long distance if i have a tailwind i use the half bs an power a bit more down.

  hpurey:

  Note, that will wear off eventually, but you will either have gotten used to the new meter speed or just play another round with the starter ball or any ball with no feel.

  That is a good advice, i do it when i feel meter is to fast, set up a 3holepractice and switch to starterballs after thats done the meter seems very nice and slow when i go and use my cally's.

  Egon