Why Are Golf Clubs So Expensive When These Can Do This? 

*Why are they so expensive? These are just good enough right?*

I played Pings for 35+ years and I was fitted this year and I went with the Cleveland XL Zipcore. I love them and hit them so well. Best decision I’ve made for my golf game.

They can charge so much because people want to buy the top brands no matter what price. We also have been conned into the belief that we need to buy new irons every year or two. Back in the day people held on to their irons for many years. There wasn’t a constant race for more distance

The Wilson is one of my favorite looking irons. I really like the shiny, high polished look.

After playing with a set of Wilson D9 forged for a while now i wouldn't look anywhere else to be honest. They're as good as anything I've used over the years and much more affordable. Club snobbery is a real thing

Dynapower Forged are the best !!!

Loft is probably a bit of reason why Wilson ball speed and carry was a bit higher - Wilson 7i 27* and Cleveland 7i 29*

It’s a big reason why I bought and got fitted for the Cleveland XL Zipcore irons, they are so forgiving and easy to hit. I highly recommend them. I noticed some AI Odyssey putters in the bag, I’m thinking of getting one but also getting fit for it.

I've bought a few new sets over the years but I keep going back to my Cleveland Gunmetal TA-5's.

Cleveland irons look so nice. Those would be my choice, Wilson is also a good choice but the stronger lofts and flyers scare me

Thanks for the honest review!! It’s refreshing to see how these brands compete against the big boys.

Great comparison. I just got fitted for Cleveland Zipcore irons and awaiting delivery. I was slightly concerned the irons in the Dynapowers were "25 yards longer" as I thought the Zipcores were powerful irons. However, I just checked and it would appear the Wilson loft on their 7 iron is 27 degrees vs 29 degrees in the Cleveland. That must be where the extra distance comes from I guess ?? Nothing negative meant here, just an observation

Being a senior on a fixed income, I've gone with a DTC company called Gigagolf.

You're right. The Clevelands looks better. To me either would be great sets. If distance is your only objective and you can deal with the occasional flier the Wilsons would be better. If looks and control are more important the Clevelands would be better. Thanks for not losing the point that either set offers great performance for considerably less money than the more major brands which is the biggest point in my mind.

My irons are always cheap because I only buy half sets of irons by adjusting lofts to 6 degrees gapping. I currently have a 7@*28 8@34 9 @40 Pw@ 46 Or you can by odd or even numbered clubs but gapping will be larger.

Nice to hear you talking golf as opposed to pga/ liv. Thanks mate

Wilson for me all day long

Nice episode. I agree the Cleveland were far more consistant, but I would say either are a great choice.

You were exceedingly diplomatic in your description of the red background area on the Wilson iron (game improvement irons) 🤓👍 You are a true gentleman

I like the Wilson looks better. The Cleveland is a long and skinny with top line lower to ground. It’s just my preference liking a more old school look. Which one goes higher? That is what I would like best.

The Clevelands are just a bit of extra blade length away from being as good looking at any cavity back out there. Not sure if that length actually bothers me, but it does say "game improvement". And I've never actually seen them in person. The new TM Qi irons are also rather long/large looking, so the Halos aren't alone in that regard.

In your still you show the Wilson’s forged version which looks better. In the video the Wilson also looks better to me but maybe side by side it’s different, I can only see as a viewer. When you show the soles they could be the same club. Don’t forget other brands like Inesis though. For me Cleveland wins on lofts. Then there’s the question of who provides access to the largest range of shafts.

Takomo, Sub 70, Caley, Maltby, and even Tour Edge. Cleveland and Wilson are definitely deals for bigger manufacturers. They are saving the game for most golfers IMO. They make it affordable to get a great set of new clubs, and slightly used even better.

The Cleveland looks a hell of lot more of a game improvement irons. Just look how long and squatted it looks compared to the Wilson. It is evident Cleveland contributes to your channel to some degree

The Cleveland’s also have an 8gram weight in the butt under the grip but still have a traditional swingweight of D2 in effect a bit of counterbalance. Maybe that is giving you a feel of more control with the Cleveland?

Excellent vid, got me thinking... Maybe i was a bit over optimistic playing with ping i525's ha. Go back to more help irons for a yoyo 15 hcap player ha cheers

Blade length just a bit too long for my eye on the Cleveland, but a very good iron.

I think mainly it's to do with sponsorship of pros and advertising, I guess the big brands need to recover the cost😊

Your honesty is refreshing....a high handicapper as myself I'd be kidding myself spending shitloads when really it's operator error

Performance, feel, price, looks and done! I like the satin finish, I like Cleveland products, I have there Hybrids to go with my PXG 0211XCOR2 set. Wilson makes very good golf products, I use there balls, I had a set of their hybrids irons. I would own either one of these. Thanks Alex!

I got a set of Cleveland XL Halos. Compared them against Srixons, XXIO, Mizuno. Cleveland didn't go as far, but the dispersion was best by far and no flyers. Long story short irons are for accuracy. Just take another club.

Only reason why I went Vokey because of the fitting. As a mid handicapper. I want a club that will help me maximize my game with my specs.

Thanks for this video. What type of ball speed and carry would you expect from a 20+ handicap player? It would be great to see one hit those two clubs also. Thank you Alex!

I have a set of the dynaforged irons and they are so much better than I am. Bogey golf is my life though.

Alex, I also think the zipcores look a little better down behind the ball but at my age with a slower swing speed I need all of the ball speed and distance I can get. Wilson's all day.

Alex, the Wilson Dynapower 7 iron is 2 degrees stronger lift than the Cleveland. Should that be factored in this test?

I really could give a flying eff what a club looks like - all I care is can I hit it well.

i have 2 cleveland zip core irons 4 n 9 iron srixon zx irons the rest cleveland launcher xl. chipper,54 n 64 wedges n putter frontline all cleveland. love them n v acurate

You young guys crack me Up. You hate shine. Us older folks, or most of us that’s what we grew up with. I prefer the Wilson way more than that ugly Cleveland. I like the thinner top line. That insert you say makes the Wilson look cheap, both clubs have an insert. The Cleveland has two more smaller ones joining the one in the middle with the name Cleveland stamped in it. So that’s a non-starter there. So again, the Wilson is a better looking club to me.

Cleveland is my favorite brand

E joyed the video. I’m curious since you’re using 7 irons. What’s the loft of each iron

Changing the lofts on different brands for same numbered irons affects the clubs more than anything else. There should be groupings of lengths, which would make positioning and striking the ball more consistent across the clubs.

I don't like to see plastic inserts on the back of clubs and I am not a fan of polished chrome looking clubs, so the Clevelands get my vote out of these two, but the clean lines of, for example, the Takomo clubs are my favourite look.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Been playing Pings for 20 years , and I love them . But i dont think I can afford a new set of Pings anymore. They are just to much money now, for a Sunday player

I'd like to know your opinion when lofts are the same which would make the distances closer, which is the better club then in your opinion?

You are correct! Those feel as good as anything and they go!

Distance difference might be because the Cleveland loft is 29 and the Wilson is 27

Adams CB2 still does the job

For me I don't care how they look but what is important to me is how you play with the clubs

I started playing months ago, I'm using Dunlop clubs, will new clubs lower my score. The irons are destroying balls so need new ones

What was the difference in offset Alex? I over draw the ball, so looking for a new set of irons, with less offset than my cobra speed zone irons. I’m looking to get my HC down from 19 , the Cleveland’s look like somthing I might suit, but looking for less offset. Cheers

Cleveland bias will affect the way you approach and hit the golf ball. You seem determined, even the performance was better on the Wilson to prove the Cleveland is better. 🤷🏿‍♂️

Well, here's my take on the debate: my bag is made up of a mix of Sub70 and NewLevel clubs. These DTC brands give a lot of value in really good clubs. I've heard great things about Wilson irons, but most praise goes to the Dynapower Forged, which look a lot like the Clevelands you're comparing to and are closer in price. As far as forgiveness, well, let's be honest, Alex, you don't need nearly as much as some of us, so you'd need to get a mid or high handicap golfer to compare them more fairly. I also say that distance is a scam! Makers just keep cranking lofts and lengthening shafts; they might has well just make the same clubs and just put bigger numbers on them.

Should we be just assessing distances on clubs, not by club number or type but based on the loft?

How much have irons moved on? I am looking at buying a used set of Cleaveland UHX irons of 4 years ago, or would i be better spending 250 more on the latest Cleaveland? Would love to see a comparison.

Like the look of the Cleveland better.

I would like to see what the Cleveland does against the P790 Taylor made

93 mph on a 7 iron? That's a very, very fast SS that you won't find too often with your average viewer, but well done nonetheless. Maybe that SS is making these loft jacked irons perform better than they would for most players swinging in the 80s SS.

It's really hard to compare the results of a PG a caliber player hitting clubs and a 15 handicap player hitting the same club

Lofts are more jacked on the Wilson’s

😂😂 I thought you had some crazy chest hair going on at the beginning of the video Alex 😁 It took me a while to realise it was your mic Love me my Mizuno 243 irons Helping my game so much they are worth the price tag 😊

There is a marketing perception coming from the major brands to call their brands a premium. Look at the sponsorships with the PGA. So, people spend more for those clubs. Look at the 2nd hand market. I pick up Titleist Taylormade Callaway Mizuno and ping at thrift no matter what. Those brands do the marketing for me. Easy sell

I'll put my Wilson FG Forged irons up against anything out there and my irons were manufactured in 2010

Everyone hits their clubs differently and changes throughout their lifetime of playing. Loft is structural to the club. Then the players own tilt, swing pattern, face contact consistency. You have to know your distances and continually folks with changes.

I think just one swing with each club is not a good sample. Hit a number of shots and see averages. Who knows?

I don't know about irons, but drivers cost about 96.00 to make.

Are the lofts the same? If the Wilson is lower lofted, then if will most probably go further. 🤔

Alex.. you are asking the wrong question. Why do TMs/callaway, etc cost so much, especially when they were much cheaper just a few years ago.

The big brands prey on golfers vanity imo. How many players constantly change their clubs instead of analysing their swings & practising more?

The reason is marketing. Most tour pros are playing the three top brands, Taylor Made, Callaway and Titelist. The rest are not as aggressive in their marketing.

Ego gets in the way. We can all play blades, cause golf is to easy. Both of these iron are very good!!!!

Are shafts comparable

What shaft did you test with ?

You missed the green not the club!

Clubs from the big brands are expensive because they have to cover their marketing overheads and of course the players they have signed. The smaller brands save in those areas so can charge less and in my experience offer the same quality and performance. Brands like Wilson, Cleveland and Cobra offer great clubs with technology but at decent prices so it’s a mystery why more golf clubs/ retailers don’t offer these brands and stick with the big overpriced brands.

One simple way of reducing the cost of clubs,,,,, ban player sponsorship. I am informed that roughly a 1/4 of the cost of your clubs is the multi, multi, multi millions of pounds spent on tour trucks and player sponsorship.

To be honest I don’t like the Cleveland look at all, in my opinion it’s very busy on the back, nor do I like the flat look of the sole. Wilson have obviously drawn upon their many years of making classic clubs and maintain faith in the power holes to help low strikes.

Bruh...Clevelands looks like a hackers club. It is long from the heel to the toe. Too much going on in the cavity. Wilsons look more like a players club with the cleaner cavity.

Wilson's all day, looks and performance

The Cleveland bears a strong resemblance to my ZX5’s.

The WILSON is for the high handicapper.

Golf equipment is expensive because "they can". As long as "we" are willing to pay, prices will rise. People still blame it on the fact that it is difficult to get material because of the pandemic, because that was when everything went haywire. The fact that we have since become a population that loses its jaw because someone spins a bottle so it ends up upright, helps to boost prices with the right commercial and we believe that higher MIO will solve everything, as long as you pay. The other week I played my old snake eyes 600 series blade mallets that I bought for 100 euros, because I was waiting for my titleist t150 for 1200 euros.... Apart from the length (iron 7 is 34 degrees) I don't feel any major difference once I get used to the clubs... So why do we buy new and allow the club makers to charge exorbitantly? I'm a "victim" too, but really can't understand why, 20 years ago, I could buy a golf set for 500 euros but now I don't even get one decent driver for it today... But the same goes for used clubs where we see sets that have both 5-10-15 years on their necks but are still at their old new price... Completely crazy, but as long as we pay, they can. If someone were to come out with a good set for half the price compared to now, I'm thinking Takomo or similar, they would probably kill everyone, but then they lack opportunities for choice instead; just KBS shafts or similar. Check out for example "vice" who now dropped their irons... 1400 euros for 4-PW... WTF? How can you even justify that price? Are they really that much better than the Takomo 201 that you get for 600 euros..? I don't think so. Do they really cost that much more to make? I don't think so. As long as we pay and that you who are successful YT profiles promote these gadgets without questioning the prices, as long as we accept to open your wallet, it will not get cheaper.

Serious comment. Couldn’t care less what they look like, I’m only interested in how they play.

Marketing has the job of making people totally unsatisfied with their product 😊

Cleveland looks much like Srixon its cousin

This is not the Dynapower forged

These two companies don't play tour players millions. So there is that.

How does the offset fee? I hate excessive offset but then these irons are probably not for me even with a higher handicap, I just can't get along with too much offset in irons. It appears that the Dynapower irons have a lot more offset than the Cleveland and much stronger lofts.

Simple answer...same reason people buy expensive cars vs less expensive cars. They both do the same thing.drive you about.one in style one not so much

Just based on the POV of both irons when on the ground, I think the main reason for Wilson being longer was that IMHO it appears to be a stronger loft than the Cleveland.

I wouldn't buy a New set of clubs when I can buy a second hand set of Callaway apex irons or Taylormade P790 irons for the same price or cheaper than these even though they maybe a few years older

Don't understand why folk don't realize most irons are forged in China or Taiwan and shipped either components only and assembled in the US or shipped fully assembled at a lower cost. Companies with lower costs typically ship direct from the manufacturer. I chose to purchase a set of demo Callaway Apex DCB' s at a cost close to these. Honestly, they had never been hit. There are options for us cheapskates out there. 😂

Clubs are all the same Walmart or Callaway. The only thing you need to be concerned with is the stiffness of the shafts. They all perform the same with the same shafts. The feel will feel different but the performance will get the same as long as they have the same lofts!! The golf advertising is ridiculously misleading!!!

Bit of a steal from Mark Crossfields video 6 months ago. Same video title and picture

A pull always seems to go father...no? I bought cleveland clubs 4 years ago for $600 including the bag. I even had them customized in length and loft. People will pay for what they feel has value and prestige. I'm not cheap, I'm frugal. All these tests and comparisons by PGA professionals is meaningless hype in my less than humble opinion.

You should see if you can get a set of Maltby TS3 irons. You'll shit yourself when you see what you get for your money. $455 dollars, not pounds for a 5-GW FORGED set with stock steel shafts.

166yds off a 94mph club speed is terrible Alex 😂

Because we are all paying for their advertising and sponsorships

The mic cant even handel it . Its distored