Hope everyone had a great weekend and you all had a chance to witness some of the great golf action on Sunday… Padraig Harrington’s 60 foot putt to win, Birdie Kim’s amazing bunker shot on the 18th at the U.S. Women’s Open and Jean Van de Velde’s problems at the French Open. I feel bad for Jean… seems like such a nice guy too. Anyways… thought I would use today to get to some emails.
Our first question comes from a reader that is in need of some new irons. He is shooting in the 80’s right now and is after a club that will allow him to shape his shots a bit. He has narrowed it down to either the Ping G2 or the Mizuno MX-23. Someone that is shooting in the 80’s probably doesn’t need all of the game improvement that the Ping G2 offers. The G2 is an amazing club but it’s thick sole and overall size scares away some better players. Almost everyone can benefit from a slightly more forgiving long iron but a better player usually wants their scoring irons to be a bit more compact. The G2 is also designed to hit the ball high… this can make it hard for a good player to control his/her shot into the green. The Mizuno MX-23 is a much better choice for someone that wants to work the ball any amount. Don’t be afraid to combine different irons to find your perfect set… use a G2 “type” iron for your 3,4,5 and then switch to something like a MX-23 for your scoring irons. Just make sure all of your degree gaps are covered and that the two different irons flow into one set. Check a spec guide and find some irons that can be interchanged like this and create your own combo set!
Next up… an email asking about TaylorMade’s fairway wood choices right now. TaylorMade has a pretty solid club line up right now and our reader wants to know the differences between the R7 and R5 fairway. The obvious difference lies in the ability to move weight around in the R7. This allows the golfer to fine tune the weight distribution thus fine tuning the ball flight. There are other differences too. The R7 features an upgraded shaft, a sole similar to the V Steel and a square face. The R7 is only available as a “TP”… Tour Preferred design. TaylorMade makes certain “TP” clubs that are designed for the better player… usually these clubs offer upgraded shafts, lower launch angles and square faces. Most players would benefit more from the R5 fairway. It is designed to hit the ball higher and straighter. The shaft is not as good as the Fujikura in the R7 but it is more than enough for the average player… and it costs less too! Both of these clubs are great… but you need to make sure you buy the right one! A side note… don’t hold your breath waiting for a “non TP” R7 fairway. I have heard from a few different people that such a club is not in the works right now.
Next up… an email from a friend of mine. I mentioned the website when he was in my shop a while back and now he checks it out all the time. He is currently trying the Mizuno MP 001 460 driver and wants to know what we think of it. The overall buzz surrounding this club is mixed… people that I talk to really seem to be divided on it. It is a decent looking club, it sets up really nice and it has a square face (which he would like… he’s about a 5 handicap). I know we gave the MP 001 fairway woods a 2/10 because our testers hated them but this driver would get a better rating than that. We hear the same complaints over and over again when people talk about this driver… the stock shaft (Exsar Sixty graphite) is awful and the club sounds very hollow when you hit it. The ball flight is also a bit lower that most drivers so make sure you get the right loft. In a nutshell… if you like it, buy it but spend the extra money on an upgraded shaft. If you want to try a few other drivers while you’re at it… someone with a 5 handicap may also want to try the Titleist 905, TaylorMade R7 and the Cleveland Launcher 460. Thanks for the email and let us know what you decide.
There… that only took two days thanks to some computer problems! Thanks to everyone that emails us. We have been keeping up on the emails… we answer some on the website and SirPuttsAlot is always busy responding to others. If you have a question… let us know. We’re here to help!