Next batch of updates and on course impressions:
About the issue with the shaft on my 9iron - still have no heard anything back from Srixon or KBS, but I kept playing it and havent had any issues. My read is that it is cosmetic as I have some similar looking issues on my road bike and the manufacturer says that it is cosmetic so I will go with that and keep playing.
About my golf game - been fighting a weird chest related injury after coming back from my golf trip so I haven’t been able to play as much as I would like. I am normally 27-36 holes per week with a few practice sessions as time allows but since mid-June, I have only been able to play 45 holes. After making the turn on Sunday, I had to bow out because even with the painkillers, I couldn’t stand the pain.
About the clubs - this is what everyone cares about so sorry about the background but wanted to provide some info for why I am slow to report out.
On the range: Launch monitor data is limited at this time but I am hitting these clubs longer than my previous irons with the same range balls. The ball speed is up across the board which I believe can be attributed to the loft differences which are about 1-2 degrees stronger on the srixons than my last set of irons. In the long clubs I am seeing dramatic differences in carry which is great since my long iron play has always been a soft spot in my game. The gapping fits much better with my 3 hybrid and 4wood than it did previously. I used have a nasty gaping hole from 205-225 that was sort of a no-mans land for me, however the 4iron slots nicely in there now as my 4-6irons have increased their distances between clubs.
On the course: well as noted on the range, these clubs are longer (all except the pitching wedge because I think it spins a lot more than my previous one - more to come on that with launch monitor data) so my gapping is a bit chaotic at the moment. I normally strategize my approach shots by following DECADE principles but that has bit me a bit as I keep flying greens. Eventually this will normalize as I start to build dispersion patterns with the new irons, but until then I am having a lot of fun with this new distance.
Feel and Playability: these irons feel as good or better than the 785’s I first feel in love with. The shaping and finish is great and I forgot how much I loved the turf interaction with Srixon’s v-sole and the fairways at my course.
Next Steps: as the recovery progresses, and now that I do not have much travel left on the calendar, I plan to get more launch monitor data. I will be starting with ball data at home with my monitor and then taking the monitor to the course once I can get back out there. Updates may be based on 3-hole loops I can play at my course because full rounds are a bit tricky until I am healed up. I really wish I could really hit these irons at lot more than I have been able to!
I normally whip the club inside so I figured starting to try and get the club setting a bit more vertically could help, however I am curious if anyone with a more trained eye may be able to help. My miss is a weak block and thin, occasionally see shanks on the range and on those days my go-to thought on the course is “hit the toe” which centers me up. On a launch monitor I am very in to out and that sort of tracks with what I see on the course with decent shots - straight push (face square to path), baby draw (when the timing is right), big hooks (too handsy after having too many blocks. Overall golf is quite frustrating right now as my handicap is trending upwards…good news is my short game is getting a ton of work. Saving up some cash via club sales for some lessons, but curious to see what others may see as well in the meantime. Here is a swing today with an 8iron trying to feel some more vertical set. For reference, this is me trying to basically set the club vertically so you can see my “feel vs real” is quite a bit off. Cheers! Onform video recorded 2025-07-15T17-05-34-0700.mov
