The Cleveland CG4 Irons are definitely game improvement irons for the beginner golfer and the mid to high handicappers.
The clubheads have a progressive off-set, lower center of gravity and high moment of inertia which works well in getting the ball high and fast at impact.
The large head has a huge sweet spot, and the cavity back design and CMM (Carbon Matrix Material) should help reduce the vibration by absorbing the shock when you hit the ball.
Greg Hopkins, president and CEO of Cleveland Golf said, "These new CG4 irons will now give players of all abilities the same opportunity to enjoy the benefits experienced by our tour staff." He should know, with Cleveland being one of the top producers of golf clubs and accessories on the professional tour.
Pros
- High moment of inertia – good elevation and speed at impact
- Improved distance and feel for the player
- True Temper shafts
- Wider sole, larger sweet spot
Cons
- Carbon metal mix (CCM) doesn’t absorb vibration for misaligned shots
- Like many other brands, beware of knockoffs/fake
What players are saying about the Cleveland CG4 Irons
- “The feel of the head is buttery soft at impact, mushy with softer balls, harder balls improve distance.”
- “I’m not seeing the distance benefits, possibly it’s the shaft not my correct fit.”
- “I like the small club head, not clunky oversized.”
- “These are fairly forgiving, make for a good swing.”
- “Consistent, slightly longer, more game improvement than traditional blades.”
- “Felt the vibration when I miss-hit, but the distance and direction of the ball doesn’t suffer
- “I don’t hook the ball anymore. These are relatively easy to shoot.”
- “My shots now seem laser guided with the CG4s.”
- “They hit unbelievably soft even on most off-center hits. The feeling of a dead center hit is the best of any game improving iron. They hit straight if you want and, curve when you need it to.”
- “I usually shoot mid 80's to mid 90's. These are 10+ yards longer than my present clubs.”
- “I've been looking to upgrade my beginner set to a set that I can grow into as I get better…this is the best priced, best feeling, best forgiving and best distance all around irons.”
Cost
Complete previously owned sets can be found online from golf retailers like Golfsmith for $228 to eBay for $150 plus shipping.
Additional Features:
Head: Carbon Metal Matrix
Grip color: Standard Black
Shaft: Graphite or Steel
Dexterity: Right and Left Handed
Player type: Men
Shaft Flex: Regular or Stiff
Originally Retailed $799.99
The Ping G5 Hybrid Irons replaced the Ping G2 and golfers of every handicap are still raving about these game improving irons.
Ping has been in business since the 1950s and have been known for their unusual putters, however as they progressed in technology they created “a process called ‘investment casting’ in manufacturing their irons, which allowed for more forgiving designs” than the old style irons.
Golfers will enjoy a longer set of irons with high performance. The Hybrids allow a high trajectory with the internal weight pads which give a good feel and reduced vibration to the player. The forgiveness in the clubs increases the confidence by almost every player who has tried these hybrid irons.
The solid feel of the club’s weight is immediately noticeable. The comfort is felt from the first swing. It seems no matter where you hit the ball; the G5 Hybrid Irons magically fly through the air to your target with little effort. These clubs are great for beginners and high handicappers.
Sizing
A benefit to having your clubs sized by a Ping retailer is that they will not only custom fit your clubs but if your swing should change in a couple of years they will refit them for free. Although Ping no long produces the G5, there are many sets on the market for those who are beginners or mid to high handicappers. Pay attention to the color coding which is the lie angle, check out the Ping website for more information on their color coding.
What players are saying about the Ping G5 Hybrid Irons
Pros
- “Large head, wide sole – an improvement over the Ping G2”
- “The Ping G5 Irons provides forgiveness and consistency across the club face”
- “The deeper, parallel cavity & wide sole allow the center of gravity to be lower and further for higher launching, more accurate results” – “increasing the MOI – moment of inertia, off center shots are straighter” and less loss in distance.
- “Thinner, larger CTP also known as the Custom Turning Point – higher trajectory, stabilizes the club and dampens the vibration for a good feel.”
- “I have more control with my shots.”
Cons
- No hooks or slices, which can be seen as difficult to work the ball
- Plain looking
Cost & Where to buy
The Ping G5 Irons have been around for awhile which means you’ll be able to find a decent set of previously used clubs at an affordable price. Most golfers will agree that no matter how well the clubs are rated, nothing beats having your clubs properly fitted by a professional.
Ping’s website has a Custom Fitting section where you can enter your data and receive a webfit on Ping clubs. That said, most Ping G5 Iron sets can be found at local and online shops like Golfsmith at $285 for a 4-GW with steel shafts. Ebay has sets 4-W with steel shafts starting at $120 plus $30 for shipping.
Additional Features:
Grip: Color coded, customized for hand size – black dot is their standard
Grip color: Black
Shaft: graphite or steel
Dexterity: Right and Left Handed
Player type: Men and Women
Shaft Flex: Stiff or Regular
Golfers are always looking for a way to knock off a few strokes from their game. And then there are golfers who are looking for clubs which can create the miracle that they just don’t seem to be able to attain with their present set of clubs.
Callaway has long been known on the professional tour for their drivers and woods, however the past few years golfers have been introduced to a set of game improvement irons that have been known as the “forgiving clubs”.
Jeff Colton, Senior VP of Research and Development at Callaway Golf described the Big Bertha Fusion Irons with their Tunite creation as “denser than steel and the forgiveness of the Big Bertha Iron built in.” Fusion technology allowed Callaway to have “an extreme weighting which has a very low center of gravity and is so deep that it plays like a wood.”
Colton went on to say that the Big Bertha Fusion Irons were developed “for the golfer who has trouble getting the ball into the air, with an easy, wide sole, just about forgiveness.”
Technology
- Callaway developed an alloy called Tunite for a soft cradle. The “Tunite alloy cradle allows 77% of the mass to be positioned around the extreme perimeter of the iron for ultra-high MOI and a low, deep CG.”
- 3 distinct materials – “Tunite alloy cradle, lightweight 6-4 titanium face, and special vibration-dampening TPU SenSert (also eliminates hollow sound and feel of oversized cavity-back) fused together in the most technologically advanced irons manufactured. Faster ball speed with the 6-4 titanium face insert compared to a steel face.”
Fusion
Callaway created a fusion of three parts which are a contributing factor in the feel. The parts are the frame, club face and the back of the club – which are the 3 types of materials used in the head and face.
Pros
- Best distance.
- Superb sole design, prevents digging
- Great feel on center shots – urethane damper works great for those with arching joints; have your Fusion irons with graphite or sensicore shafts increase the damper.
- The large, bulky head and perimeter weight creates great toe shots, thin and fat shots.
Cons
- Initial cost was between $1200 and $1400 a set.
Costs
When the clubs first came out, you were lucky if you found a new set for under $1200. Now that the Fusion has been out for a few years, you will be able to find a great deal on various online sites as well as your local shops which carry previously owned sets. Used sets of 3-PW with graphite shafts can be found for as little as $154.99, however most sets are roughly under $300 a set.
What players are saying about the Big Bertha Fusion Irons
- Plays longer, very forgiving clubs
- Looks great, unique, not typical Iron club look
- 3 & 4 irons are easier to hit than typical irons, however they come up a little short compared to some hybrids.
- Mid Irons – 5, 6, 7 are easy to hit, but they are long.
- These clubs were designed for the mid-handicapper, but can fit a wide range of golfers from the low to middle.
- Short irons and wedge – capable of higher trajectory that guarantees a soft landing. Easily worked and versatile. The 8 and 9 are easily turned into pseudo wedges. Superior performance.
- The feel of the clubs are not too light or too heavy, which is the case with many clubs
- The Big Bertha Fusion Irons play with lots of forgiveness due to the big head and face, low CGs and outstanding perimeter weighting. The head seems very lightweight for their size. These clubs are easy to swing and true Callaways.
- Compare to Great Big Bertha tungsten titanium irons or Big Bertha 2002 irons, these are not as good
- Easily scratched, shorter than most irons
- Too much offset, graphite shafts hard to control, many said they preferred steel shafts in their irons.
Costs
You could find a previously used set of 3-PW on ebay for about $220 with covers, and the stock mix of steel shafts on the irons P-7 and graphite shafts on the 3-6.
Additional Features:
Grip color: Adams Stock Rubber Black
Shaft: Adams A2 OS Graphite/Steel
Makeup/Loft: Stiff Flex 3-PW (8 irons)
Lengths/Lie: Standard/Standard
Dexterity: Right and Left Handed
Player type: Men and Women
Flex: Stiff or Ladies
The Adams Idea A2 OS Iron Set was designed to be the easiest set of irons to hit using hybrids. Adams Golf claims that their Idea A2 OS offer the “maximum in game improvement design” and made the bold statement that “long irons are dead.”
Adams may not be as dominant on the professional golf tour but they have made a name for themselves with Tom Watson, American PGA and Champions Tour golfer; when he teamed up with Adams Golf to create the 3 Wedge System golf clubs and has been known to be using the Adams Idea game improvement Irons and Hybrids on the Champions Tour.
The 2, 3 and 4 Adams Idea A2 OS Irons are actually hybrid iWoods. They are designed like woods, while the other irons are hybrid irons. Adams claims that these are "The ideal iron set for the golfer struggling with their mid and long iron shots.” This is due to the longer shafts, lower center of gravity and deeper than your average irons. The Idea a2 OS Irons also have a high launch which increases the distance of your game, while providing forgiveness at impact of the ball.
These game improving hybrid irons could replace all of your irons and woods, minus your driver. The PW has a large sweet spot which allows you to hit shots with great accuracy.
Features of the club:
- Center of Gravity is 11% lower and 2.5 times deeper when compared to conventional irons
- 30% higher MOI (moment of inertia), provides more forgiveness – [“MOI is the term applied to a clubhead’s resistance to twisting when a ball is struck. A clubhead with a higher MOI will twist less as a result of the miss-hit, creating a better chance that the ball will still go where you intended and with less loss of distance.”]
What players have to say about the Adam a2 OS Hybrid Irons
Pros
- Easy long iron shot
- Great sweet spot
- Looks good
- Highly recommended for beginners as well as the experienced golfer
- Great price – four hybrids and four irons
- Replaced all my utility clubs
- Hit these better than my fairway woods
Cons
- The clubs may feel a little long
Costs
You could find a previously used set of 3-PW on ebay for about $220 with covers, and the stock mix of steel shafts on the irons P-7 and graphite shafts on the 3-6.
Additional Features:
Grip color: Adams Stock Rubber Black
Shaft: Adams A2 OS Graphite/Steel
Makeup/Loft: Stiff Flex 3-PW (8 irons)
Lengths/Lie: Standard/Standard
Dexterity: Right and Left Handed
Player type: Men and Women
Flex: Stiff or Ladies
Odyssey putters have long been on the market to offer excellence in the game of golf. When Callaway Golf acquired Odyssey Sports and their premium line of putters, we have never seen a game of professional golf without the use of an Odyssey. Enter the Odyssey TI-Hot 1 Limited Edition Putter.
The revelation of this elite putter from Odyssey is not only bringing in rave reviews but its limited edition status in the U.S. has golfers chomping at the bit to get their hands on the all-titanium constructed, tungsten weighted ports; with hopes of knocking off a few more strokes to their game. Only 1,250 Odyssey TI-Hot 1 Putters will be made available for sale in the U.S. market.
The TI-Hot 1 Putter has a precision milled titanium head which has a noticeably deeper and sharper milling pattern that provides a better feel, truer roll and more consistency in every putt. The tungsten weighted ports are strategically placed in the sole of the TI-Hot 1 to optimize performance. This unique feature offers an ideal balance of feel, control and accuracy. The weights also lower the center of gravity, which causes a stable feel and a good sound on impact.
Odyssey’s use of an all-titanium construction allows the player to feel the softness that steel construction putters don’t have. The TI-Hot 1 Putter is designed for comfort and style with its crank-neck hosel, full shaft offset, and muted charcoal finish with the signature Odyssey logo – your fellow golfers will be asking you, “what is that?” and “can I try your new putter?” However, your final game score will speak for itself as you adjust to the ease of a true premium club, you’ll find that your confidence in letting the putter do the work is assured at the end of every hole.
The retail price of the Odyssey TI-Hot 1 Putter is $349.99; however with the limited edition marketing there may be those golf fans that are willing to pay more than the premium to get their hands on this model. Many retailers were limited to just a few putters to their inventory, which means your best bet would be to order directly from Callaway online. However, if you’re hoping to get your hands on one to try it out first, that may be just as difficult to do as purchasing one, which might just be the thought behind this exclusive model.
Additional features:
- Grip color: Black
- Muted Charcoal Finish
- Putter type: Blade
- Rounded heel-toe
- Comes in two lengths, 34” and 35” for Men/Right hand only
- Retails for $349.99 plus tax and shipping
