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starter irons better than mid-range upgrades?

• CaptainObvious 12 Posts

  Wed, Jan 7 2015 8:47 PM

  Hello all:

  I started playing back in 2009, but took a 3 year hiatus before returning here before Christmas.  Worked my average score down from 77 to 70 after purchasing a driver than got me another 20 yards off the tee and 3W that made up the gap from that longer distance to the irons.  So, I looked and looked and finally purchased some new irons:  the level 32 R11s.  I was looking to stop the ball better and get less roll on the greens, and since the specs on the R11s say "spin" is 3.0 as compared to the starters, which is 0.5,  I figured spin it would.  I only ever use the Callaway balls, which also carry a spin rating of 3.0, so I'm comparing apples to apples when hitting both sets of irons.

  I have found the R11s to do exactly the opposite I thought they would:  they actually run out MORE than the starters do on the green.  I can't shoot a good round to save my life with these things.  The trajectory of the shots is much lower than the starters, and the ball comes in so hot there's no way they'll ever sit nicely on the green.  From 150 in with the starters I could stop the ball within 5-10 feet of where it landed.  With the new R11s, the ball runs out some 30 feet from where it landed...it feels like I'm playing with the free ball all the time.  What gives?  Why did I just spend $20.00 on irons that are worse than the free ones?

  Has anyone else had this issue?  Did it not make sense to upgrade irons until I could get something in the "high" trajectory range?

• ISH47 1,963 Posts

  Wed, Jan 7 2015 9:16 PM

  They're ok.. You just need to get used to them. I played with them until I got to level 59 and bought the Ping high trajectory set.

• Luciano18 318 Posts

  Wed, Jan 7 2015 9:16 PM

  I'll give you short version of my story - I didn't play 2013 and till 2014 never upgraded at all

  came back and had a thought - much like yourself, thought about stopping the ball

  1st upgrade I did was wedges - good enough for Phil, good enough for me

  Then did the Driver/3W and putter soon after - Lastly I went to the Irons

  I figured by that time I had played (and messed up) enough and observed various different shots (things like outta the rough and sand) that it was worth the investments - and read through some older posts in the forums comparing different clubs

  I'd say you are thinking correctly with the "high" trajectory idea - just keep at it and note what is working and not working with what you have - the running shots may be more useful on some courses than others (thinking St A and Kiawah with fewer obstacles in front)

  Good Luck

  L F

• alosso 21,091 Posts

  Wed, Jan 7 2015 9:21 PM

  For once, it may help to clear the caches, Flash & browser after an equipment change.

• CaptainObvious 12 Posts

  Wed, Jan 7 2015 9:27 PM

  LOL...played about 8 rounds with the new R11s...Kiawah front 9, which IMO, is the easiest 9 in the game.  Look at my score history:  I was consistently shooting 34, 35 with the starter irons.  I scrapped all 8 rounds I played with the R11s because I couldn't even shoot under par with them.  Switched back to the starters and bam!  Shot a personal best 31.  The starters stop for me.  These R11s just roll and roll and roll.  I'll do the cache clearing thing and go try again, but methinks I'll sell them back.  What a waste.

• Jimbog1964 8,378 Posts

  Wed, Jan 7 2015 9:52 PM

  CaptainObvious:

  LOL...played about 8 rounds with the new R11s...Kiawah front 9, which IMO, is the easiest 9 in the game.  Look at my score history:  I was consistently shooting 34, 35 with the starter irons.  I scrapped all 8 rounds I played with the R11s because I couldn't even shoot under par with them.  Switched back to the starters and bam!  Shot a personal best 31.  The starters stop for me.  These R11s just roll and roll and roll.  I'll do the cache clearing thing and go try again, but methinks I'll sell them back.  What a waste.

  Have to agree with the rest of the comments.  Guess fwiw I would add I see them as a nice to have on the way to the G25s (L59) if credits are burning a hole. Hope they start working for you..

• CaptainObvious 12 Posts

  Wed, Jan 7 2015 10:19 PM

  Well, I certainly don't have credits burning a hole in my pocket... did a bazillion surveys to get up to this point!

  I played another few rounds with the R11s.  I got them more dialed in on distance, but the run out, even using Callaway balls, is still unacceptable to me.  They run so far, to get the right distance I can't get over bunkers or false fronts, etc.  I can see them working fine on the links courses, but then again so do the free starters.  Also, PW in the set is 110, and I really miss the 90 yard club from the starter set (I use it several times a match on Kiawah).  Trying to hit a 110 club 75 yards (like on the approach on #1 Kiawah) is next to impossible.  If you back your shot strength off to 75 yards (about 70%), the ball never gets 20 feet off the ground.  This is terrible when trying to hit to an elevated green.  You either have to hit it harder so it lands so hard it skirts over the green, or back it off and land it short in the rough hoping for a bounce up onto the dance floor.  In any case- that isn't the real issue.  The real issue is my starter 3W stops within a few feet on a long par 3 into the green whereas I can now reach that green with a 4i with the new R11s, but it comes in extremely hot and doesn't begin to stop.  My thinking was a 4i ought to stop a heck of a lot better than a 3W, but alas it does not.  I can get the higher lofted R11s to stop pretty well,  but the starter 7i, 8i, 9i, etc. also stop fairly well, so I don't understand what my 2000 cr got me.  :(

• Jimbog1964 8,378 Posts

  Wed, Jan 7 2015 10:51 PM

  As you have only just purchased them may be worth speaking to CS (link bottom of page).  Unlikely to help but if don's ask.  Without trying to rub salt in the wound best to ask in forums first although with these clubs not seen those issues reported before, and I have seen people play OK with them.  Best wishes anyway.

• alosso 21,091 Posts

  Thu, Jan 8 2015 12:45 AM

  CaptainObvious:

  Also, PW in the set is 110, and I really miss the 90 yard club from the starter set

  For better short game performance, you might want to replace the Starter wedges by two to three better ones. The budget combo is Ping (lvls 18 / 42), the ATV from lvl 38 are better but more expensive.

  But I'd well understand if your current negative experience holds you back from further spending.

• tommyb4 34 Posts

  Sat, Jan 17 2015 7:31 AM

  I switched to Max equipment recently and noticed a huge difference in spin.  Rent them for a day and see what you think.  We seem to get the most runout at St. Andy's, and since I switched I find I can stop the ball much better.  I have also found that on the other courses, I don't always need to move the little dot on the ball down to create more spin.  I play the 180 and 200 credit Srixon's, but your Callaway's should act the same.  I'll never switch from Max clubs.  I even use a Max putter.