Q: PING i59 irons: Why aren’t workers gamers gaming these within the bag? Looks like a majority are going in the direction of both,  

a) i-series (ex: i230) 

b) Older fashions (ex: S55) 

Appears a bit odd that workers aren’t utilizing the “latest know-how” that their firm has to supply for participant’s irons. – @TheColbyWatson 

It’s commonplace for PGA TOUR professionals to play older fashions and a few manufacturers (PING, for instance) are much less aggressive than others with regards to pushing new stuff into their luggage. 

That helps to elucidate the older stuff. 

With respect to the i59, it’s not one thing I have a tendency to think about as a real “Tour” iron. The design is extra alongside the traces of a compact, weak-lofted participant’s distance iron. To reference one other producer’s lineup, it’s extra Mizuo Professional 225 than JPX Tour. 

Whereas these sorts of hollow-body constructions have change into standard with amateurs of various ability ranges, after they’re discovered on Tour, it’s usually restricted to the longer irons in blended units. 

Against this, the i-series (at the moment the i230) is a cavity-back design. Whereas I wouldn’t name it a 1-for-1 with the Titleist T100, it does appear to have carved out an identical area of interest as an iron that satisfies each one of the best gamers on the earth and common golfers inside the low- to mid-handicap vary. 

Q: Greatest reasonably priced ball (lower than $40/dozen) just like Professional V? – PeteyPotter 

My first thought at any time when I’m requested this query is the Maxfli Tour. It’s continuously on sale for $35 or much less. Sadly, if you happen to’re not within the U.S., they’re exhausting to get. 

Options embody Snell balls (although we’ve simply began testing the brand new line) and the VICE urethane lineup (aside from the Professional Zero). Usually, with regards to the value-priced stuff, we are inclined to favor balls manufactured by Foremost in Taiwan. 

I’ll additionally throw Seed on the checklist as a is perhaps price a glance. We’ve samples in for Ball Lab and two Seed balls in our upcoming robotic check. Will probably be our first expertise with them however the firm definitely has a following, particularly within the UK. 

Q: Greatest membership to have within the bag for a mid to low handicapper. Driving iron (2-iron), hybrid, 5-wood? – drewy1717 

With allowances for the truth {that a} good little bit of that is golfer-dependent, my feeling is just too many common to good golfers carry utility irons, approach too many nonetheless have typical lengthy irons within the bag, not sufficient select hybrids (many higher gamers keep away from them just like the plague) and, with regards to lofts round 18 levels, the fairway wooden remains to be seemingly the best choice. 

Extra compact designs just like the COBRA Aerojet LS, for instance, nonetheless enable for some workability/trajectory management whereas sustaining a few of the forgiveness that almost each golfer would profit from. 

Why have a harder-to-hit membership within the bag if you happen to don’t completely want it? 

All of that mentioned, I believe it is sensible to maintain a utility round for windy days and firmer circumstances. I took a 5-wood to Bandon as soon as. I gained’t do it once more. 

Q: What would your final putter collaboration be? Mine can be a @labgolfputters with @SikGolf face know-how and @SeeMorePutters rifle scope alignment. – @RandallSiedsch1 

Within the curiosity of making an attempt to worsen as many manufacturers as attainable and limiting my reply to stuff I’ve performed, I’m going to say my present gamer (PXG Battle Prepared Blackjack) with the unique PING TR grooves. 

My hunch is your mixture of L.A.B. and SIK can be standard with the MGS workers. I believe I’m the final man who hasn’t performed with a L.A.B. putter. The opposite guys love them. 

As a barely associated apart, I not too long ago performed with a man who ditched his L.A.B. Directed Pressure as a result of he bought uninterested in his enjoying companions making enjoyable of it. He changed it with a LINK.1 which I suppose is a validation of types. 

Q: When are you guys getting the brand new Titleist T Collection irons for testing? – @andyGerard100 

We (effectively, Titleist’s launch schedule) missed the window for 2023 Most Wished testing, so we gained’t have our full physique of knowledge on them for an additional yr. 

That’s clearly not ideally suited for everybody (or anybody) so a few of us can be writing up “We Tried It” opinions on the brand new stuff we had been fitted into. They gained’t be as data-driven as Most Wished however that ought to maintain us over. 

Remember to tell us if you happen to’d prefer to see us do extra of that sort of write-ups all year long. 

Q: What are your ideas on the Takomo 201 irons? – @TaylorSchwanke 

Full disclosure: I don’t have any private hands-on expertise with them (and yeah, that’s a 301 pictured above). That mentioned, a few of the Takomo stuff has examined effectively for us and I’d definitely think about them a critical choice within the DTC/worth house alongside New Stage, Sub 70 and, to an extent, PXG (it’s nonetheless bizarre to jot down that). 

Secondhand and anecdotally, we’ve heard that the customer support isn’t at all times one of the best however in any other case it’s exhausting to disclaim the worth proposition. Oh, and so they look fairly good too. 

Q: Desirous about altering from a blade putter to one thing else. My stroke has a slight arc. Solutions? 

On the whole, I help the thought of making an attempt a mallet. I used to be a longtime blade man however I’ve come to understand the added forgiveness. Past that, my recommendation is at all times to get fitted. Failing that, I suppose you must attempt to get a kind of new Restricted Version Odyssey Jailbirds. I imply, something that wins three straight weeks on Tour has to work for completely everybody, proper?