Nike CCI Forged Irons.... Can I hit'em?

For the last couple years, I've been playing some Nike Ignite irons with the 3-hybrid. I took a couple years off from golf while finishing school, and when I got back into it, I figured I needed some game improvement irons to get me back on track. They are standard length and lie, with whatever crappy graphite shaft Nike gives you (I won't complain for $400). They are decent clubs for a hacker, like myself. But the more I played golf again, the more I really wanted to play well. I found the Ignites were causing me to compensate for their natural draw bias by hitting a slice. This starting affecting my other clubs, specifically my driver, which at the time was a Lynx model I got for $50 on golfsmith.com. I was getting better at the end of 2007, shooting some rounds in the low 80s. I thought it was time to get an upgrade.

I know a new set of clubs won't improve your swing. What I was looking for was a set of irons that was more of a players model, with a smaller sweet spot, specifically a forged cavity back or muscle back. I thought this would help me concentrate and improve my swing by forcing me to hit it pure, instead of not being penalized for poor shots thin or off the toe.

Was looking at a lot of different models - Mizuno MP-57s and MP-52s, Ben Hogans Apex, Wilson Forged blades, and some Nike CCI forged. I wanted to buy either a cheap new set, or some slightly used ones on eBay. I play my irons at standard length and lie, so I wasn't worried too much about getting them fitted, and that can be done after I get them anyway. I also knew I wanted a stiff shaft, for my low-to-mid-90s swing speed.

Found a really good deal on eBay for only $300, some Nike Forged CCI irons, and decided to go for it.

They got delivered this week, and was suppose to take them out to the course today, which I was dreading without any range work with them, but at the last minute me and by brother decided not to go because of the gale force winds we were having. Took them to the range instead, and I gotta say, I like these babies.

Definitely need to concentrate and focus on your swing, as these sticks have a pretty small sweet spot. I was though, really surprised at what forgiveness they did have. I figured anything not directly on the sweet spot would skid on the ground twenty yards in front of me. Not so at all, I found. That being said, you can definitely feel it in your hands and arms when you mishit.

With the extreme wind we had today, especially with it blowing in my face, I couldn't get a good read on my yardages with the new sticks. I gotta say they have a nice piercing ball flight, about mid-high. This is definitely a set of clubs you might wanna check out. Perfect balance for me, and a nice weight so I can really feel the club head during my swing.

I'm excited to take these out this week. Not sure where we are going yet, but barring rain, I'll be out there Friday. I'll let you know how it goes for me.

My Misadventures in Bogey-golfing

I started golfing at the age of 14 or so. That means I've been golfing for 17 years. Except for a period in my mid twenties where I didn't play for 3-4 years, I play and practice pretty regularly. You would think by now I would be a single digit handicap, flag hunting from 190 out with a 5 iron - but the truth is, I kinda suck! So this year, I've decided to take my handicap (about a 15) and move it down to the single digits.

A little bit about my game: I'm not all too long off the tee with the big stick (avg. about 225 yards or so). Ball flight is a slight fade to a menacing slice depending on the day. My fairway woods are short and right off the deck, but decent off the tee. I hit my 3-hybrid very well (which tells you all you need to know about my 3-iron play). Long irons are fair, short irons and wedge play are accurate but not long. My short game is a wreck. The older I get, the worse I putt!

Factoring in these are general ranges +/- a few yards, I hit:

Driver - 225
3 Wood - 210
3 Hybrid - 190
4 Iron - 175
5 Iron - 160
6 Iron - 150
7 Iron - 140
8 Iron - 130
9 Iron - 120
PW - 110
53 Wedge - 80
56 Wedge- 65
58 Wedge - 50

Why does he play 3 wedges only 5 degrees different in loft? I know, it's a good question. The main reason is that my 5-wood is just about the same distance as my Hybrid. And I just can't decide on a 5-wood that I seem to like, so I just leave it in the closet for now. The 56-wedge I use almost only for sand shots and longer pitches from the rough, due to it's higher bounce. The 53 and 58 degree wedges are for my short approaches from the fairway. Hopefully, I can get a 3 or 5 wood, or both, I like this summer and scrap the 56 degree wedge.

My goals:
1) To improve my accuracy. I think I only hit about 30-40% of my fairways and tend to not have many GIR.
2) Improve my distance by 5-7 yards, per club.
3) Improve my swing so that it is more repeatable and eliminate my occasional slice, which always seems to creep up at the wrong time. My distances are also quite variable.
4) I average about 35 putts per round. I want this down to 30 per round.

So, I think the easiest way to get better is to just practice and practice and play a LOT of golf. I think my basic fundamentals are pretty strong, since I took quite a few lessons when I was younger. I just need to improve accuracy and my short game to really lower my scoring. Hell, if I can lower my putts to 30 a round, that alone will take me to an average score of about 80!