Would love to see these irons for average golfers hit by actual average golfers. Don't feel I'm learning a lot by watching Ian flush them. I want to see how they react on mis-hits, etc. which doesn't really suffer from.
Would agree, Ian is an awsome golfer, probably would be like plus 2 plus 3 handicap if amature. Very high swing speed and using x flex shaft so maybe not the target customer for these types of clubs.
Something the corporate lizards seem to not understand…mashing Ian and the TXG brand into a square club champion hole actually hurts club champions brand.
Does it though? Are you going to get them bent as they have been here? If not, would it not be more helpful for you to know how they perform as they are meant to be played?
Yes. Ian’s a strike machine.. but, I do agree that of all/any of these.. once you find the one that suits your EYE 👁️ at address. 2.) find that head in the shaft you’ve know works for you. (And by age 60~70.. We all know that much going into a buy. 3.) then all that’s left is the price & grips. #Agree🤑
@@pennywiseflyz9130I wish I had done the whole set forged. Hate seeing the back of the club on 5-7. What is your speed? I’m not sure these are really right for me
surprised the cobra forged tecs aren't in there after how many huge praise videos are out there. But I guess with only 6 to choose from.. also kind of surprising to see the hot metal pro rather than the 923 forged. mizuno has so many similar options in 3 different ranges though. Pro 225? Hot Metal Pro? 923 Forged? What's the point of having all 3 available as options?
Thanks to MyGolfSpy and Callaway, I was selected as a tester for the Paradym irons in April of this year. I have now played 45-50 rounds of golf using these irons and I love them! I was fitted by Callaway with the HZRDUS Silver Gen 4 75-S shafts, which are a bit lighter than I have ever been comfortable with at any time in my 40-year golfing life. There is no doubt that, for me, the Paradym irons are not only very easy to hit, they are also absolute rocket launchers. I’m 74 years old, and my clubhead speed with a 6-iron is about 8 MPH slower than Ian’s, but I still consistently hit the Paradym 6-iron about 175-180 yards. The Paradym 5-iron is so “hot” and still easy to hit that I often use it when I need 200 yards off the tee. Just last week, in a matchplay event, I hit the Paradym 5-iron on a 205-yard par 3 hole where everyone else in my foursome hit their drivers. Not only was I the only golfer in my group on the green, I hit my tee shot dead online at the pin, ending up less than 30 feet short of the pin, and actually got the ball to stop dead when it hit thanks to the high trajectory of my tee shot with this Paradym 5-iron. I have dropped my handicap index 2.5 strokes since this spring when I started using the Paradym irons, despite some accuracy problems with my driver and occasional periods of less-than-stellar wedge play (I’m currently working on that part of my game). Do you think I’m happy with the Paradym irons? YOU BET I AM!
Dang. I have Wilson D7 high handicap helper and lord I cannot hit the 5 to save my life. Love the 6 but cannot get the height or distance. Makes me sad lol
@riggz5496 - the lower the loft, the harder it is for golfers with low to moderate clubhead speeds to hit the iron(s). That is why I don’t fit most senior and female golfers with irons longer than a 6 or 7 iron, and in some cases (including for my wife and my playing partner’s 65 year old sister), I fit them into all-hybrid iron sets. Before I started working on increasing clubhead speed through golf fitness and flexibility training, I was down to about 75-77 MPH with my 6 and 7 irons, and a 6 iron was the longest iron in my bag. I am now up to about 82-83 MPH with my mid irons, and I am not only hitting all of my irons much higher and longer (I went from hitting a 6 iron 152-155 yards to using a 7 or even 8 iron for shots of this distance). This increase in clubhead speed made the 5 iron a viable option for me (even a strong-lofted 5 iron like the Paradym).
@@dougmael yeah I’m a pretty young guy but I came into the game with the mindset of control and accuracy over power so I’ve been told I do swing pretty slow. That would make sense, I have to get used to swinging the club faster which is funny to tell most young golfers
@@dougmaelWhat irons were you using before, I’m nearly 60 and was wondering if I should forego the steel shaft and move to a lighter shaft since I don’t move the club head that fast, I don’t get to golf nearly as much as I would like, so I have to make that time count
Have to say, I'm a little jealous. Lol. I got myself a calaway Paradym X driver recently and got a massive jump in range and accuracy off the tea (almost no left to right slice anymore and gained over 40 yards distance on my older Lynx Predator driver). Looking into getting irons at some point but need to save up for those as they're seriously expensive.
I’m sure I’m not the first to say this, but would have loved to have seen this test done at a slightly slower swing speed. I think that’s where an iron like the T350 really shines given its launch and spin advantage.
There's another RU-vidr that does multiple club speeds & he's shown that it makes basically no difference. The relative performance is the same, and three clubs are nearly identical. They're all great - just get fit and pick the one you like the best.
The reason OEM’s do robot testing is so that in consistency of the player/strike can be eliminated. We want the ball striking to be as consistent as possible to reveal the differences between each club.
@@ianfrasergolf But for an average golfer (whose handicap is probably what, north of 15?), probably what's most important is forgiveness. Because they just don't hit the middle of the iron face that often. What I want to know as an "average golfer" is "which club is better when I hit it 1cm away from the ideal spot", because for a mid-handicapper that's probably going to happen more often than striping one. You still need consistency in testing (i.e. hit X balls out of the toe, hit X balls out of the middle, X out of the heel what's the delta? And which iron gives the best results?). That's a test I want to see, and I think would better serve "average golfers". Granted, without a robot that's a ton of work to generate enough data to sift through the noise.
swing speed doesn't change height of the ball. It's the approach angle. Better golfers have their hands in front of the ball at contact taking away degrees of loft. Some even bend them to even lower lofts like the pros do. If you accelerate through contact you'll get more spin than if you just swing full speed. yes grooves and rusted surface helps but mainly it's based on speed acceleration as the club head goes through the ball.
As a Srixon player I have to say that slightly higher apex and slightly higher spin REALLY helps hold greens more than some of the others. But I have to admit the new Titleist T series do look fantastic and seeing the T350 with that much spin from basically a distance iron was impressive. That TRIPLE combo idea sounds like a real game changer that would benefit A LOT of players instead of a single set up all the way up. Thanks for the video guys. Love these types of videos putting a wider variety of clubs all head to head.. keep it up!
In my fitting the Paradym and JPX 923 were by far the best options for me, I ended up getting a full set 5-AW of the Mizuno JPX 923 and so far love how much I have improved my iron play.
I'd love to have that swing. I love my 2023 P790s but damn if I can hit the ball that well. To me the takeaway is that becoming a good swinger of the club is more important than any piece of equipment.
IMO get lessons to get your swing absolutely dialed in, then get fitted for clubs with what you've learned, then take a few more lessons with those clubs. This formula is what got me from a 20 HCP starting out to recently going in the single digits.
@@jmac_619 brilliant point! this is absolutely my plan. havent played consistently since a junior, just moved to Australia nearly 30 yrs of age and im just absolutely hooked into golf again, eating up RU-vid videos and getting out 3-4 times per week. playing w a second hand set here and really tempted to just purchase now. but with recent auto generated handicap about 18, i think a few lessons to sharpen my playing would be much wiser before a purchase
I was recently fitted and was torn between the ZX5 MkII and ZX4 MkII. I loved the workability and consistency of the ZX5, but the ZX4 (funny enough) felt and sounded better IMO. I ended up going with the ZX4's bent 1-2 degrees weak per club and I regret absolutely nothing. Added forgiveness because I'm a 11.5 HCP who doesn't play as often as they want, can still work the ball when needed, I never catch a flyer and they are extremely consistent, and spin is great on them with the help of bending them plus using the Bridgestone Tour B XS. Best irons I have ever played and my HCP has gone from a 11.5 at the time of fitting to an 8.7.
I also went Srixon this year, for my first ever fitted clubs. ZX7/ZX5 combo. HDCP dropped 5.0 to 0.90 in 3 months. Shot 67-65-72 in two week period. Srixon is unbeatable
I’m looking to get fitted for a new set this winter and I’ve heard good things about the ZX4 from a number of people. Out of interest what irons did you move from?
I moved from Callaway Apex Pro's 2016's @@timdench2583 Night and day difference in feel and forgiveness in the Srixon. I never hit the ZX4 to be fair, but my combo set is brilliant.
@@timdench2583 I moved from the Taylormade M2s to the P790s, then to Srixon ZX4 MkII. P790s I didn't love my spin numbers, sound, nor the flight trajectory. It's funny how Srixon markets the ZX4s as game improvement. The looks and feel don't feel game improvementy at all, only the standard lofts do. They look and feel like I wouldn't be good enough to hit them, but that is far from the truth and my confidence with them has sky rocketed. Even with the standard lofts, they do not fly as far game improvement irons. Getting mine bent 1-2 degrees weak per club has been perfect. I have a fairly fast swing speed and was launching other 7 irons 190 carry, my ZX4s bent are within 170-175 consistently, which is perfect for my gapping.
Recently got combo set of ZX5's (4-6) / ZX'7s (7-PW) and love them. Getting fit for irons truly changed my game, I got the right shafts for my swing and my ball flight is the best its been in a long time. Really loving Srixon lately.
I just had a fitting as a 16 handicap and tried TM p790, Ping i525 as I stayed within my budget. I found the i525 stiff 110g to be very consistent good spin and height. Purchased the Ping i525. This is a great video and wow what great shots
I've got a mate that's a 10 handicap using blades strikes the ball like a +2 but can't putt. Another mate who plays off 2 and uses m2's ball striking isn't great but has a great short game and putts the light out. Handicap doesn't matter when you are fitted into what suits you best.
I’m a +1 hdcp at 54 years old and play Paradym irons. I’ve tried many of the other offerings but found these to be easier from further away to play effectively
The trouble with that is the consistency within the testing. A test like this takes around 50minutes and that’s when 75% of the shots are struck well. If we could find a player with that consistency but slower that would be great.
Thanks! I did a Club Champion fitting about 5 years ago when I turned 70. I think it's about time for some senior hybrid irons but I'll see if I can work another fitting in. I hit my irons pretty straight but they don't go far anymore! @@ianfrasergolf
I have gen 5 P and T combo. They launch lower than my i230 and spin way less. When you hit one in the center you will get a random unexpected extra 10-15 yards. Still on the fence about keeping them. I was fit at PXG for them as well
Just had a fitting in your Toronto location and ordered these … can’t… wait! Super experience 🤙🏽⛳️🇨🇦… currently playing off an 18 handicap.. 54 yrs old
I would have liked some close ups of each head as you looked them over and described them. Also, I’m sure it’s was omitted on purpose, I think very important to the final Selection is price. Using MSRP as a relative price if you don’t want to use your retail price would be fine. I’m ready to go hit the Paradyme but I’m telling myself they’re probably out of my price range.
Was just fitted at CC in buffalo last week and tried some of these irons. The P790 was the clear winner for my swing with an Oban CT 100 R shaft. I’m 63 and hit them better than any game improvement iron. I’m a 14 HC (horrible chipper). It was between the Srixon and P790
Great video. I was surprised by a couple different irons, in particular the Paradym. I would have thought the larger offset to be a bit of an issue but apparently not. A question brought up about "why wouldn't more people, even lower handicaps, not use this type of iron?" Could it be that ego plays a large part in the decision sometimes? Is workability really that necessary for even the 0 - 8 handicaps of the world? Would more be gained by the forgiveness?
I recently purchased a set of Srixon ZX7 MkII (4 to P) 2 degrees flat, NS Modus 105 S shaft, after getting custom fitted for the first time. Going into the fitting, I thought it would be wise to get the ZX5 MkII as I consider myself an average (12 hcp) golfer. My point is that please invest in a club fitting, a players'/blade 4 iron may look scary with the lack of offset but with the correct specs, you will notice how much your ball striking and consistency will improve.
ZX7’s are quite big for a players iron tho…. Very easy to hit. I know a few mid handicappers that play them. I used to play Z965 blades and they where very forgiving for a blade. Srixon just do that best. Im now on T100’s which again are very forgiving for a players iron. The problem is there’s not much help from the top of the club with these types of irons. That’s where ZX5 or T200 in the 4 and 5 iron is mega
I went zx5 4-7 and zx7 8-pw with KBS 120 $ taper R-flex hard stepped1x, I'm currently a 14 hcp but only been playing for 3 years. I was told this set would work great for me for years to come even if I lowered my hcp.
@@Br3ntb0y surprisingly i was producing better stats with the ZX7 than the ZX5. Overall, the ZX7 felt better and my fitter just recommended me to go ZX7 all the way thru the set.
Really enjoyed this side-by-side. Of concern for lower HC players would be Shot Shaping. It would be interesting to see these same contenders performance with working right/left and high/low.
Great question around 12:10. I been playing down to 6 hcp, and using iBlades and other "players" irons. But end of season I used my fathers set, APEX irons with regular shaft. Played like a god, miss hits went good, much easier long shots, better dispersion, and easier to take down tempo/speed for inbetween lenghts. And started thinking that these categories is only made by the sellers of clubs, for to be fair I think I will go more to a "mid hcp" set than advancing futher down to the players irons. cost/benefit is not really there.
I chuckled when you hit the Paradym and said why don't we use these kinds of irons... I play the Sub 70 699 Pro V2 for exactly that reason. My handicap with these clubs over the year dropped from 4.2 to 1.6. They are just easy to hit, plenty of distance and I just don't feel like I'm giving anything up with them...
@@kevinheitz9283 I tried those too but for whatever reason didn't like them as much as my hi-toe 3 TMs (54 and 58, I use the 699 Pro V2 GW). Or at least I didn't seem to hit them better than my TMs. Operator error I'm sure :)
Srixon ZX5were the best fit for me. My second set of Srixon (565 previously). ZX5 feel great, give me height and distance. Playing well with them. Like the comparison as it helps solidify my decision.
Question: Obviously blades are more workable due to higher spin rates. When I look at the two pics between the above tests between T350 and the Paradym, I see the 8 yard advantage with the Paradym..........however, I might opt for the T350 if I can bend it more easily with draws or fades. I think that should also be a feature in the comparison tests. Most older school golfers learned with blades and liked working the ball a bit, but as we're now older and our swings less consistent there is no question we are better off with newer technology. Having said that, for me I don't want to completely feel my clubs are difficult to bend a ball as there are times when obstacles, firm greens, or between club yardages that slight fading or drawing the ball is and advantage if having that skill set--JMO. Ed
I'd really like to see a comparison of these current irons to let's say the irons of 5 years ago. How much better are they now? I think we'd to see if the differences are worth the money. Just a thought. By they way I love your testing videos. Unlike some other guys who have club sponsorships that become obvious. Thanks again....
I was fitted for the HMPs, my carry and total dispersion were +-2.2 yards, insane, on the spin side it was around +-200. really enjoyed them and my game so far have improved with less errand shots
Very interesting. I assume that you would play T350 slightly stronger than Paradigm for similar results. Would be great to do a volume 2 with Ping, Cobra, Wilson and maybe some others
Good to see the jump in technology. I tried callaway x hot 2 pro(2014)which had 20 yards jumps in distance off the fairway. They were unplayable. I like drop numbers clubs, so ZX5 looks best for me. No one likes a floater.
So, I looked back on your videos for the Takomo 101 and 101T's, and their numbers are just as good as these when you look at ball speed per yard. The 101's are right there with Paradym. Impressive for the price tag.
I've got the 101s in the bag and they perform great. Very forgiving with off center strikes and the feel/sound is also great. They're also the only clubs I often get complimented on. People think they're taylormade when you don't explain it to them.
Just got fitted for the pxg 0311p irons. Love the feel and flight/dispersion. I am a 14 handicap and 60 years old. I think these will compete with my previously fitted Apex 21 irons nicely. Great video guys , l too don't think you could go wrong with any of these irons.
As a senior 13 handicapper, I would echo the request to add to the test how forgiving a given club is with respect to "Average Joe" swing speeds and mishits.
It would be nice to see Paradym vs T350 and other vs in this players distance category to see which can be flighted down and worked both ways. In other words to have the hitter shape shots and see how that affects backspin/side spin for high single digits +/- that want the ability to compensate for wind conditions, or getting closer to certain pin locations when the ball will not drop and stop.
Here’s my six for Player’s Distance and Game Improvement (leaning toward Player’s Distance): Players Distance: * Callaway Paradym * Ping i525 * Srixon ZX5 * Taylormade P790 * Titleist T200 * Tour Edge Exotics C723 Game Improvement: * Callaway Paradym X * Ping G430 * Srixon ZX4 * TaylorMade Stealth or Qi * Titleist T300 * Tour Edge Exotics E723 I currently play and like my Tour Edge. Good quality and price so they make the list as my budget option. Aside from performance, I think about aesthetics; 1) feel 2) look 3) sound… in that order.
Hi Ian n Mikey, I got fitted for a set of Paradym irons from Joe in the Glasgow store and I previously had P790 (2021 model) and these new Paradym’s are so easy to use. A great fit from Joe does help but they are so so good. Great video with great clubs but 100% need to get fitted. 🤙
Love this but would love to see a comparison test on launch , peak height and decent at 78 to 83 range. At 82 mph I struggle with the lower lofted irons. Hit p770 awesome but no height with p790
It would be interesting to add cost to this. At $1500 USD vs say $1000 for JPX Hot Metal I would expect Paradign to outperform. Also at that price point I would not expect an average golfer would want to pay that much - better options at a lower price and spend the rest on lessons
A bit confused by the iron choice. Chose some game improvement from certain providers and more players distance from others. Why not T200 instead of T350? Why hot metal pro and not JPX923 Forged or MP225? And no ping?
That's a very interesting thing to notice Donkee, good call. These clubs are designed with mass low, which helps get that launch and height up regardless as to the specific loft numbers!
Great stuff as always fellas! I feel T350 should’ve been replaced with the T200 in this category. Just my thought. I have a set of PXG 0311XP GEN3 and looking to upgrade. Wanted to venture out of PXG but it’s hard when you give us such a good performance on here 😂
Would’ve liked to have seen tour edge or Wilson in the mix and see how they stack up with the “big” brands. And some direct to consumer options where you can customize some of your specs but not quite a full fitting.
Landing angles would have been interesting to see. Ian hits the ball so high that I am sure his L.A.s in the high 40's. A lot of us oldsters would be bringing it in a lot flatter. I might be inclined to lean towards the iron that hits the ball the highest with the most spin for myself.
350s and 200 hybrid set. I'll never change it for years. I hit every one of my test shots all within 5 yrds. Very predictable. No hot spots. I needed a stiffer shaft since I swing 110mph, but the distances are very very predictable and that's what you want.
A little surprised to see the T350 against the rest of this bunch, feels like T200 would be a closer equivalent. Also surprised by lack of a Ping iron in the test.
I'm new to the game and when I see you hit these "game improvement" irons with perfection it makes me wonder what's the point of players irons? Say why would someone choose Callaway Apex over Paradym? What do the players irons offer that these don't?
When I’m striping my irons I play my T100. When I’m not, im playing the ZX5 Mk2. Like Ian stated, an incredible looking club. Very forgiving on low strikes.
You guys are the experts, but shouldn't the T200 have been the Titleist model in this comparo? The T350 just doesn't seem to make sense with these others. 🤷🏼♂
I always thought Paradym was overpriced for what it is, compared to Hot Metal Pro at $962 or ZX5. But it is good to see that it performs well. Callaway brought the price down on the AI Smoke irons. A nice test would be Paradym ($1399) vs AI Smoke ($999), whats the $400 difference??
