Players vs Game Improvement Irons

I am 30 years old and playing to a 10. I got fitted 3 years ago, about the time when the 716 AP2's were popular (played by Spieth, Poulter, Dufner, etc) and mannnnnnnn did I really want them. It was between those and the 2017 Taylormade M1's. I consider myself a pretty decent player, and it was hard to swallow my pride that I just had too many mis-hits with the AP2's. I was puring the M1's and they were a little more forgiving.

I know for sure I can/could work the ball a little more with the AP2's, but that little bit of added forgiveness in the M1's was just too hard to pass up. Also, when you hit the AP2's in the sweet spot, it's ridiculous how good they feel. Argument is if the "sweet" feeling is worth the few extra mis-hits you'll get playing the less forgiving irons.

I have decent enough swing speed and ball-striking, and I switched from forged muscle backs 8I through PW and forged cavity backs 3I through 7I to forged cavity backs 7I through PW and cast cavity backs 4I through 6I. I substitute a 3-hybrid or a driving iron depending on the course.

There are trade-offs like anything else, but I think a lot of people would benefit from a mixed set, and even a lot of pros are starting to move to (their version of) a mixed set. Look at Rory's WITB for this year - he's playing anything from a 5 wood to a hybrid to driving iron to a cavity back 4 iron. Go get fitted and/or hit a bunch of models at a range somewhere and figure out what you like.

I've played blades and players irons, back and forth, for the last two yearsish.

The simplest way of saying it- my ceiling seems to be higher with the blades, but my floor is higher with the players irons.

I'm 57, 5 handicap. Was fitted with Ping G30's which I played with for a year. I didn't like their wide flanges. I did some research and bought p790's, which I really like. I've been fit 3 times, and it's never worked for me. I know I'm in the minority, and I'm not recommending against a club fitting. Just suggesting that, if you're a single digit handicap, you could find what you want with some research and demo of different clubs.

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I've been fit 3 times, and it's never worked for me. I know I'm in the minority, and I'm not recommending against a club fitting. Just suggesting that, if you're a single digit handicap, you could find what you want with some research and demo of different clubs.

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Yea, my experience is that a real-deal fitting isn't nearly as important for irons as it is for woods and especially the driver. If you have the money, go ahead and do it because it can't hurt, but the difference in outcomes from a real fitting vis a vis going to hit some different models with different shaft combinations isn't going to be that big - certainly not nearly as big with a driver.

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I’m no where’s near a 6! But, I’m leaning hard towards a set of 565s or 585s. I’m gonna snatch a set off of eBay or 2nd swing though.

Also, looked at the New Level 1126s.... but their local availability is very sparse.

56 and 16 handicap. I have the M4 irons. Love them.

+1 for the mixed set. I play forged in 7i-3i and blades for 8, 9 and P. I like the blades for chipping around the greens more so than for their workability as I primarily hit straight shots with a slight natural draw. I’ve found that I’m better off hitting toward the center of greens and relying on my putter more so than trying to work the ball to much because I’ve never been good at controlling the starting point and the amount of bend of the shot very well. Oh and I’m 41 with a 5 hcp