I actually just bought these irons . I did this because of having the 52 and 56 degree cbx wedges. I actually like this clubs. I went from a steelhead xr to cbx irons. Love the feel of the irons. Much more consistant for me. The flight is good and still hitting long but feels better to me
I never regret buying these cleveland cbx iron sets in 2022 as a replacement for my old dad's ping eye 2 iron sets.. Sure it's not the latest and most of my friends said it's already obsolete but i really loves em design (loves that loft showed besides em iron number) and to my surprise it is much easier to launch the ball the way i wanted it and its much more forgiving than em ping eye 2s.. When i do misshit the ball i don't feel em strong stinging vibration feedback to my hand.. Hitting the ball squarely also makes the best sound i ever heard.. It's much cheaper than other brand of golf club too.. I'm just learning how to play golf since September 2022 and i believed this is the right kinda irons for me as a novice golfer with average swings speed.. Some say it looks ugly because of the thick look looking down at address but i don't really mind about it..
I hit these clubs recently while I was being fitted for a driver. Absolutely love the feel and my numbers were off the charts. I was getting a consistent low to mid 80s mph swing speed with the 96 gram steel shaft. Was able to get 7 iron carries into the mid 160s on average. I currently play Ping Eye 2s in ZZ lite stiff and carry my 7 iron 145 yards on average. Loft is 36*. These GI irons do what they are meant to do for a 13 HC like me.
Ping Eye 2's were designed for surlyn covered two-piece golf balls, not today's urethane covered, multi-layer balls. The other thing is that the Cleveland 7 irons with their 30* of loft have virtually the same loft as your 5-iron, so there's the proper comparison. The ZZ lite (actually a True Temper TT Lite) was a less than stellar performer when it was introduced, and it's only decreased in value since then. I'll bet your handicap would drop by 3-4 shots virtually overnight with newer clubs. Why are you still playing with 36 year old clubs?
@@bradmiller9121 I'm new to the game and play old irons from the 70's can you tell me anything about playing these irons? Like use a surlyn covered ball as you said. Wasn't the ball they were designed around smaller too? Thanks
@@tigercs1 Ball size hasn't changed in the US for a great many years. The R&A however used a smaller ball until 1990. The American players could, and often would, switch to the Small ball when playing in The Open (British Open) or other European Tour events. It was thought by the players that the small ball was more stable in the windy conditions often found on links courses. If I were you and just getting started in this day I would look at getting used clubs made around 2015 or so. A good cavity back would be the place to start.
My brother and I hit the CBX 50 degree yesterday at the store and I was really impressed with it. I am a Cleveland fanboy having played the TA7 and still play CG7 black pearl irons (and driver and 5w and 52, 56 and 60 RTX). I liked the visual aesthetics of the club as well. Maybe next spring I will hit the full set of irons and upgrade.
I have these irons on a Dynamic Gold 95 s300 shaft and all I can say is that combo is so satisfying once you get your swing tempo down. The high launch angle of the shaft combined with the low launch angle of the clubs give you these absolutely stunningly high shots. Honestly I'm looking to buy a set for when this set wears out.
I still game classic Cleveland throughout the bag with my irons being CG1 tour blades. My CG1 Tour 6 iron has a loft of 30.5° and I bet it (with a traditional 6 iron loft) spins at c.6000rpm. I'm chuffed to see you reviewing my favourite manufacturer Rick but I don't se how a modern cavity back game improvement 6 iron like the cb here, with the loft of a traditional 5 iron at least, is going to spin at the rate of a traditional 6 iron. Zip grooves or no zip grooves.
I don't think it is physically possible to have an iron which helps the player with distance (which is what most game improvement irons are designed to do) and produce high spin numbers. The two are virtually exclusive. Ideally, you'd somehow reduce the spin while the ball is in the air and then have it spin up before it hits the ground to make it stop. I think it will be a while, before we have golf balls that can do that ;) I like that Cleveland puts the lofts on the club. It is as if they are saying: "Yeah, look, we are cheating with the lofts just like everyone else, but at least we are up-front about it"
MissyLaMotte Agreed but it's also more how you strike the ball at impact. Jacked lofts and spin are exclusive of each other, however, you can still get a spin number that is ~10x the number on the bottom of the club no matter it's loft (if you count your PW as a 10-iron, DW/AW/GW as an 11-iron and so on). It's more based on strike. Mid/High handicaps aren't going to care if their 6-iron is spinning at 6000 rpm. They mostly want forgiveness and distance.
I just tested these irons out today. Carrying the 7 iron 165 yards with 7100 spin. My swing speed with 7 iron is between 86-89mph, which is 5mph slower than Rick's 8 iron. Rick de-lofts clubs more and swings much faster than most of us golfers, so I think for the average golfer the spin numbers are going to be quite good. These have some of the more consistent numbers for a GI iron that I've hit.
Rick, you must bear in mind who these clubs are aimed at...? !! Certainly not a pro who can hit wedges 140 or 6 irons 210. Us mear mortals need all the launch, help etc we can get.
@@beavisjones9199 after 5 years of ownership with them I'm still in love, the grips still feel great and have a bit of sticky left on em going to need new ones if I carry them over into next season. Very forgiving and easy to hit ( at least for me ) the club heads have a nice bit of meat on em & the closing wedges provide a soft feel with excellent spin rate. when I was looking initially I was between the taylormade rbz1 or burner irons (449-699 Canadian) at the time the callaway x hots & these cg16. I was going for over two weeks before pulling the trigger and I definitely made the right choice & saved myself a couple bucks as they were the cheapest irons within my selection & also the display model paid 300 for them brand new without any regrets. They're still In great shape the only thing that's broken is my 4 iron head flew off after i dug it into the ground to hard & into a pond she flew lol that was last year ( I'm play between 40-60 rounds a season & handicap around 15 as I'm in Canada ) I still use them to this day but as I mentioned my friend bought the CBX pitch and 56 wedge & my god do they feel good lol hope this helps ✌prior to my cg16 I had wilson reds ( whose set for 250) & I found I was shooting on average 20yards further much straighter and good accuracy with each club once I upgraded to cg16
@@karlg1535 awesome thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I can't wait until mine get here. The set I ordered is brand new, which was surprising since they're almost ten years old now. Mine are coming from Canada haha, Golf Avenue is selling them for a little over $300. I've played an old set of Nike blades for almost 15 years now so it'll be nice to have something thats more forgiving and easier to hit.
agree with others...think all reviewers across all platforms need to re adjust how they look at spin. like others have said - expected spin numbers have to be based on loft and cg placement. a 34 degree lofted club (mizuno mp loft of a 7 iron) should be spinning between 6500-7000rpm. as its a low and deep cg game improvement club designed to launch high with less spin for distance I think the 6000-6500rpm spin is actually good. EDIT: just watched mark crossfields review and he seems to agree with the above and understand the spin profile slightly better
Rick I love watching your reviews but when testing clubs of this description I think you need to have a different mind set. Players like my self who would use these types of clubs are more interested what happens with bad hits , IE..Loss of distance, how the clubs feels and most importantly dispersion. And keep your spin fixation for when you're reviewing players irons
Rick, once again your honesty is very much appreciated reference these irons, question though, you still using the Wilson V6'S or have you gone back to the Ping i200's?
Mr. Shiels- As to the question you asked I say that putting the lofts on the club is a helpful thing, as the numbering of the clubs has become a confusing fantasy (for instance these tested clubs would seem to me more properly numbered as 4, 6,and 8 irons rather than the 6, 8, and Pitching wedge which are stamped on the soles).
Great review, you are a beast! 6 iron 210 yards!!! Technology has definitely made a difference in the game. I can remember it wasn't to long ago when Greg Normal hit his 6 iron 180-185 yards. Spectators and other touring pro's were in aww... I wonder if in the future (if not already) the USGA will start restricting lofting or de-lofting? We mid handicappers (at least speaking for myself) want more distance first and control second. To me there is nothing better in the game than reaching a par 5 in two shots, even if I 3 putt :-)… When it comes to club selection, it's the chicken or the egg, which comes first, good swing or good clubs? Most of us start out with a cheap match set, either we improve or give up the game. As we improve, we want better equipment, the information you provide, allows me to select the best equipment to suit my swing and abilities... The questions I have are: I understand the distances are proportional club head/swing speeds but are the other factors such as spin rate and launch angles etc.... Even more reason to get to shop that does club fitting and do some test driving. At least now I know what to ask and look for... Thanks again...
Hi Rick. Couple of thoughts - just watched Mark Crossfield's (not making a Crossfield point here!) review of these irons and he was getting spin numbers very close to what he would expect from these clubs - but he was hitting off turf. Wonder if that would make a difference. Be great if you could maybe test from turf? Secondly, looking at the difference between your long and shorter hits with the six iron, there are notable differences in your impact. With the shorter hit, the club face was nearly 2 degrees more open than the longer hit and 4 mm further away from the centre (sorry to sound like a geek!) This probably doesn't account for the full 11 yards but I'm not sure it's fair to imply that this was entirely down to a hot shot from the club.
Rick just bought these I have a 90 Day return policy thankfully. Played yesterday in wind in Lauderdale. Two things I didn't really seem to get much more out of them over my Cobra Forge Tec. Also can the turf interaction cause a thin shot. Hit 6 yesterday which normally don't hit thin. PS. When I hit them they held great! Spin seemed Ok.
Great review as always Rick. I was given a set of these irons and driver as hire clubs in Marrakech PalmGolf today and they were awesome. The ball flight was excellent and I seemed to have more control than with my Ping G’s back home despite having never picked them up before. Will definitely be testing back in the UK. Keep up the great videos ⛳️👍
The laws of physics do not care about what number the company stamps on the iron. Loft and speed are king. This is a 7 iron in "players" clubs and fits the "Game Improvement" offerings really well.
Rick you know 34 degrees is a standard players 7 iron. So at best you should expect 7k, not even taking into account it's a GI iron, so spin is going to be down. 6.4k isn't much different from modern GI's. Please adjust your knickers.
ted bed, yes, thank you. I completely agree. Rick adjusts for his expected carry distance based on loft, but always states that spin is too low on these stronger lofted GI irons. The spin is not that low for a 34 deg club. Love the videos Rick. Just some feedback.
I was thinking exactly the same thing! The spin of the pitching wedge is also not bad considering it is a 44 degree. I'll even go as far as saying I think it has MORE spin than your M2s and Epics..
I wish all clubs showed loft plus number. Recently had a fitting tried three 7 irons. I was not informed about the different lofts which gave me a false impression in a comparison test. Enjoy your reviews and they helped me decide on which game improver clubs to go for (I chose m4 btw) so in answer to your question yes to loft shown on clubs
I have the Cleveland 588 CBs, and they are a great set of forged clubs with high spin rates and super feel, same wedge style multi grooves. I can't understand why they stopped doing Cleveland Irons as I honestly think they were making a good impression on people. I love the honesty of the iron number and the loft on the sole, for years manufacturers were cranking clubs on the quiet, until you guys started exposing the lofts ! I understand why you expected more spin with the face technology but I guess it couldn't overcome the lofts.
I currently play Mizuno Mp25's (3-pw) Px 5.0's and I love them. I originally had the Mph5's for the 3 & 4i, but I didn't like them too much and the gap between the mph5 4i & mp25 5i was nearly 20 yards. So I got the mp25's throughout. I've had them for 2.5 months. I've been using a combination of 5 Cleveland cg15 wedges for a couple years now, and I love them! Best Wedges for my swing, period. I've even bought replacements for when the first wear out. Anyway, I buy a lot of clubs, mainly iron sets off ebay and resell them at the golf course my mother and I run. Of course I always have to try the eBay auction purchases out first, because it's FUN! and quite addictive. I got a great deal on a set of 4-pw DG dst 98 r300 CBX's in like new condition, and I tried out the 4i 6i & pw! They are Awesome clubs! I don't care if my ego takes a hit for switching from Mizuno to Cleveland Game Improvement Irons! The CBX with R300 DST 98's is the closest I've come to a perfect set of irons! And I've hit 99% of the major OEM offerings. I love these clubs! I was afraid the lighter shafts would have a negative effect on my accuracy and dispersion, Nope! It's improved every aspect of my iron game! I was bummed that there's no 3 iron, but I hit the 20° 4i 10 yards further than my current 3 iron. Tomorrow will be the first time I play with the Cleveland set where it matters. A large Scramble and I'm excited about using these clubs! I highly recommend that people try the CBX's. You should always get fit, but make sure you include these on your demo list. They feel amazing. They're not as easy to work as the mp25's but they can be worked well enough to handle most shots.
Rick how do you not understand loft and spin. Seriously, for a guy who is doing club reviews for a living. You really should understand this. I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking this.
he isnt the best striker and hits just about everything with big draws to hooks then says its low spin clubs.crossfield tested these irons and got good spin numbers but then again doesnt play big draws or hooks bringing the spin down.
I agree about liking the lofts on the irons. My current set is Cleveland's CG16 irons and they put both the club number and loft so this is something Cleveland likes to do. These are a little stronger lofted than the CG16s but that is just the trend now with clubs. Will have to give these a look when I get fitted for new irons.
I like the loft on the clubs but its really only important to know what the pitching wedge is since you add clubs after that. I don't know why it would really matter what loft any other random iron happens to be after you learn your distances with the set.
I played a set of TA5 gun metals back in the day before I had to give up the game for a while. I’m trying to get back into it again and have been strongly considering a set of these.
Nearly every shot was hit straight, launched high, hit the green, hit them long.... Forget all those positives, let's talk poor spin numbers 🤔 ditch the Wilson's and get them in your bag Rick. 🤣
Yo Rick I wish you would test club off real grass instead of a matt. A matt is just not the same. I Remember when you hit the Hogan Irons off of real turf instead of a matt I wonder if you would have fell in love with them off of a matt instead of the real thing...just saying.
The mat he uses is supposed to simulate real grass with divots and fats as well as thins so that most likely why he uses that tinted of grass. plus if he did reviews off grass he wouldn't be able to do reviews in the winter... just saying.
My wedges are 44, 50, 56 and my gaps are good. I added another club at the other end of the bag because sometimes I play in Europe and sometimes I play in The USA. The 4 iron at 21 degrees gives me a little bit more roll out on long a 180-yard approach and my 20 degree 3 hybrid I can drop it on a pillow from the same distance.
Where you hit it long twice.... Do you think that happens more commonly with game improvement irons? Cuz the hotter faces? Are forged irons less likely to do that?
Never new srixon was owned by Cleveland I'll have to buy a few to support the boys. Love my cg16 looking at getting the cbx for Christmas as my 4 is starting to end after 7 years of abuse as well as my 5 but god damn I can still launch em!
I like the printed lofts. I carry a chart with me I made in excel. It has loft, full send distance, 9 to 3, 8 to 4 swings etc. I do this with every club from 5 to LW. I know what swing and what club gets me where I'd like to be.
Hey Rick! Can you test the new Cleveland UHX Irons? I'm interested in looking into them and there seem to be not too many reviews. If you could, that would be great! Thanks for all the content!
I like the loft numbers on the club. My Wishon woods, hybrids and Alpha pro spec wedges have lofts on them. I really wish more companies would take Ben Hogan's lead and do the same.
I am a big fan of the loft being on the club beside the number however I may be biased as I have set of these clubs with a 50 degree gap wedge and 56 sand wedge.
Yo Pat I take your point but the way an iron cuts thru the turf is very important to the way the ball flies. You can hit behind the ball on a mat and still get a decent shot. Off of real turf it's just a fat shot. mat numbers are useless.
For reference, the Titleist 718 CB has a 43 degree 9 iron, pair that loft with a club head designed to launch the ball higher with CG placement and you should expect around 8000 rpm of spin. The problem is that Rick can't overlook the number on the bottom of the club, even though the loft is still stamped. If it were like the Hogan irons and had ONLY the loft he would review it as a club that is slightly lower spinning because of the market it's aimed for and nothing less.
Our other friend Mr Crossfield tested these in America and found the spin to be impressive....is it just strike strike and strike that makes the difference....Rick hit a lot of inconsistent strikes in this video....and Cleavland have been putting the lofts on some of their iron sets for a long time
Personally, I like having the lofts on the irons. That's especially helpful if the clubs are new to you. I recently got some Hogan Edges and I have to remember that the lofts are weaker than my Mizuno JPX850's and the lofts are not imprinted on the clubs. I'm still getting accustomed to them but I feel that they have a hotter face than the Mizuno's so once I've played with them a few more times, I may not have to think about it.
I like to see the loft on the club and I'm not sure why anyone would be against it. If you have your club loft changed at some point would be the only reason I could see not to do it, since it'd be wrong at that point. There's an idea. I wonder how accurate the stated loft is on some of the clubs you review? Could you spot check some and see that they are accurate?
Agree with other comments about spin... also think it's funny how the brushed finish on these is "smart and lovely" but when it's on a titleist 718 AP1 it's dreadful....
He never did do a review on the Cleveland Launcher HB irons. I have the CBX irons (6-DW), Launcher HB irons (4&5) and CBX wedges (54 & 60). He got all hung up on the spin which these have normal spin for distance irons. Cleveland also puts in a nice Miyazaki stock graphite shaft. I'm glad I didn't let this review dissuade me from trying these irons out. As good as anything out there IMO.
Their 12 year old Cleveland launcher 270 Driver with the Miyazaki 39 Shaft still out hits the Epic and Ping G 400 Max. It was the best driver I think they made. 39.00 or so on eBay all day long.
maybe it's too forgiving? with the spin that is. maybe it's a club set that you would have to look at higher spin characteristics with the ball itself? it might be designed with the higher handicap player in mind for more distance, less spin to assist with straighter shots toward the greens? just some thoughts here...
Cleveland has for many years still been making irons i.e the Cleveland Black forged, which was available up until a couple of months ago/ since the introduction of the CBX.
Maybe the other set of irons will fit your preference when it comes to spin/distance/consistency. Hope so, either way, I would love these irons, they're beautiful. Nice video Rick
I think the other irons are super game improvement clubs, so I wouldn't expect Rick to like them, which is fine because they're not intended for golfers like him.
Love your videos, you should do a consistency challenge to compare irons. For example it would be awesome to do a Titilest vs. Taylormade iron consistency challenge.
Problem with putting lofts on the clubs - which has been a problem with wedges forever - is adjustments to loft at fitting nullifies that number. Bugs me, at least, that the number is then incorrect.
Can you do a a review of the new UHX launcher iron set? Curious what you think about the cavity back/ hollow combo. Also curious about your thoughts on 'the original one' mini driver.
Hard to complain when most every shot you took was straight, and spot on the green. Your spin numbers could be attributed to the shaft, which you didn't identify. I would assume the shaft was a more flexible, tip soft "made for" Cleveland version. Not what you are used to playing.
Good review although I would like to see irons compared to their obvious competitors (I am guessing the Clevelands are competing with irons such as M2s and JPX 900 hot metal). Love having bottom of club stamped with both number and loft. Given that these would seem to be game improver irons or for people needing help with distance and/or launch the spin numbers do not seem to be unreasonable for the lofts of the club. I understand why Rick was expecting more given Cleveland's background in wedges but I think he needs to recalibrate his expectations Big issue for me was the "hot" shot. Suddenly getting 10 yards extra with 6i is no good. Similarly for a PW, Rick is a pro, he should be hitting his PW shots within 1-2 yards every time not 6 yards difference. My local golf pro recommended against Apex irons for the same reason
It looks like much of the difference in the wedges was where the hit was on the face. If you get the height and the distance right, the ball should pull up even with slightly higher spin numbers, which is just what happened. The dispersion was great, I'd game these if I was that consistent. You're a tough crowd, Rick :-)
Rick, I am a fan but let's be honest for a moment, you cannot really expect consistent numbers when you hit one toe side and two heel side of the middle. That kind of ball striking is never going to produce consistent spin or distance... and to be honest in such case a variance a 5-8 yards is to be expected in that case isn't it? As mentioned by another poster, perhaps this is a result of hitting off mats...seems like real turf would give you better and more consistent results.
Hey Rick, personally I would like to see a standard degree for each iron made, regardless of level of play or player. It just seems like you're just lying to yourself if you think you're hitting an iron farther than you should, just because you bought a game improvement. It's like a corked bat in baseball in my eyes. There's nothing wrong with a set of forgiving irons, but to strengthen the loft really makes people like me have to do number research as well to see if I'd even be interested in trying them. What's your take? Cheers!
slimjim 2582 I have to disagree solely on skill. Lower skill player in baseball (example high school little league college etc) use metal bats at lower weights to help with swing speed as well as distance so why not in golf? If you are a typical player and only swing a 7 iron like 70 mph then why would you want to only hit that iron 140 yards. As well as these irons help with higher launch to compensate for slow swing speeds while offering more distance with stronger lofts. Just my opinion. Cheers ✌🏼
Rick, when you hit a 34-35 degree players 7-iron and it spins 6500 it's good spin, and a 34 degree GI 8-iron at almost the same spin rate it's low spin? That doesn't seem to make sense to me
I don’t understand. You mention the loft is strong for an “8 iron” but then still expect it to spin like an 8 iron. It’s a weak 7 so 6400 rpm is pretty close to what you’d want. I use these clubs but consider it a 9 iron through 3 iron set based on lofts and start my wedges at 48 degrees.
I don't think the loft vs iron # matters... I think you test clubs and find a set to fit your game. Figure out that "x" club goes "x" distance with whatever spin and after your testing is complete you play accordingly
Been looking for a game improvement iron with a big head but very little offset. Seems like they all force you to play with an offset. I never did like the look of the "offset". The CBX looks great but looks like it has too much offset for me. Please let me know if anyone knows of a game (or super game) improvement iron with a larger head but with minimal offset. Thanks..
@@Harz77 the CG16 would be more of the high handicap iron. The CG16 Tour is more a mid-handicap iron because it’s got less offset and a slightly thinner top line. But both are phenomenal!
@@Harz77 most important go to a golf store with a fitter. Places like golf galaxy, Edwin Watts, etc offer fitting even on used sets. Also don’t feel like you have to break the bank. If you haven’t played in a while, get a set that is composed of 6-PW. I play Callaway forged irons but honestly like anything else it’s a personal preference. If I were to make a recommendation for you go with a slightly older set of irons such as the Callaway Rogue X or the Ping G400. If you don’t mind the looks, the Cleveland Laucher HB is an iron set of all hybrids which is about as easy to hit as it gets. Make sure to have the fitter recommend a set of wedges that correspond with the loft of your pitching wedge. Because you’re playing a cavity back iron I would go with a cavity back wedge like the Cleveland CBX or Callaway Mack Daddy CB. Hope you find a good deal! Hit it straight!
I actually just bought these irons . I did this because of having the 52 and 56 degree cbx wedges. I actually like this clubs. I went from a steelhead xr to cbx irons. Love the feel of the irons. Much more consistant for me. The flight is good and still hitting long but feels better to me
I never regret buying these cleveland cbx iron sets in 2022 as a replacement for my old dad's ping eye 2 iron sets.. Sure it's not the latest and most of my friends said it's already obsolete but i really loves em design (loves that loft showed besides em iron number) and to my surprise it is much easier to launch the ball the way i wanted it and its much more forgiving than em ping eye 2s.. When i do misshit the ball i don't feel em strong stinging vibration feedback to my hand.. Hitting the ball squarely also makes the best sound i ever heard.. It's much cheaper than other brand of golf club too.. I'm just learning how to play golf since September 2022 and i believed this is the right kinda irons for me as a novice golfer with average swings speed.. Some say it looks ugly because of the thick look looking down at address but i don't really mind about it..
Love having the lofts on the club. It's a true indicator of performance, and allows consumers to compare apples to apples.
I hit these clubs recently while I was being fitted for a driver. Absolutely love the feel and my numbers were off the charts. I was getting a consistent low to mid 80s mph swing speed with the 96 gram steel shaft. Was able to get 7 iron carries into the mid 160s on average. I currently play Ping Eye 2s in ZZ lite stiff and carry my 7 iron 145 yards on average. Loft is 36*. These GI irons do what they are meant to do for a 13 HC like me.
Ping Eye 2's were designed for surlyn covered two-piece golf balls, not today's urethane covered, multi-layer balls. The other thing is that the Cleveland 7 irons with their 30* of loft have virtually the same loft as your 5-iron, so there's the proper comparison. The ZZ lite (actually a True Temper TT Lite) was a less than stellar performer when it was introduced, and it's only decreased in value since then. I'll bet your handicap would drop by 3-4 shots virtually overnight with newer clubs. Why are you still playing with 36 year old clubs?
@@bradmiller9121 I'm new to the game and play old irons from the 70's can you tell me anything about playing these irons? Like use a surlyn covered ball as you said. Wasn't the ball they were designed around smaller too? Thanks
@@tigercs1 Ball size hasn't changed in the US for a great many years. The R&A however used a smaller ball until 1990. The American players could, and often would, switch to the Small ball when playing in The Open (British Open) or other European Tour events. It was thought by the players that the small ball was more stable in the windy conditions often found on links courses. If I were you and just getting started in this day I would look at getting used clubs made around 2015 or so. A good cavity back would be the place to start.
My brother and I hit the CBX 50 degree yesterday at the store and I was really impressed with it. I am a Cleveland fanboy having played the TA7 and still play CG7 black pearl irons (and driver and 5w and 52, 56 and 60 RTX). I liked the visual aesthetics of the club as well. Maybe next spring I will hit the full set of irons and upgrade.
Rick, do high handicappers worry about the spins? I found the V soles help beginners or intermediates with their steep swings..thus more forgiving.
I have these irons on a Dynamic Gold 95 s300 shaft and all I can say is that combo is so satisfying once you get your swing tempo down. The high launch angle of the shaft combined with the low launch angle of the clubs give you these absolutely stunningly high shots. Honestly I'm looking to buy a set for when this set wears out.
Starten playing golf last year and i am now at 17, your videos have helped me so much with my game. Love your vids keep it up
I still game classic Cleveland throughout the bag with my irons being CG1 tour blades. My CG1 Tour 6 iron has a loft of 30.5° and I bet it (with a traditional 6 iron loft) spins at c.6000rpm.
I'm chuffed to see you reviewing my favourite manufacturer Rick but I don't se how a modern cavity back game improvement 6 iron like the cb here, with the loft of a traditional 5 iron at least, is going to spin at the rate of a traditional 6 iron. Zip grooves or no zip grooves.
I don't think it is physically possible to have an iron which helps the player with distance (which is what most game improvement irons are designed to do) and produce high spin numbers. The two are virtually exclusive. Ideally, you'd somehow reduce the spin while the ball is in the air and then have it spin up before it hits the ground to make it stop. I think it will be a while, before we have golf balls that can do that ;) I like that Cleveland puts the lofts on the club. It is as if they are saying: "Yeah, look, we are cheating with the lofts just like everyone else, but at least we are up-front about it"
MissyLaMotte Agreed but it's also more how you strike the ball at impact.
Jacked lofts and spin are exclusive of each other, however, you can still get a spin number that is ~10x the number on the bottom of the club no matter it's loft (if you count your PW as a 10-iron, DW/AW/GW as an 11-iron and so on). It's more based on strike. Mid/High handicaps aren't going to care if their 6-iron is spinning at 6000 rpm. They mostly want forgiveness and distance.
I just tested these irons out today. Carrying the 7 iron 165 yards with 7100 spin. My swing speed with 7 iron is between 86-89mph, which is 5mph slower than Rick's 8 iron. Rick de-lofts clubs more and swings much faster than most of us golfers, so I think for the average golfer the spin numbers are going to be quite good. These have some of the more consistent numbers for a GI iron that I've hit.
I play with the CBX irons and these clubs are excellent from tee to green.
Rick, you must bear in mind who these clubs are aimed at...? !! Certainly not a pro who can hit wedges 140 or 6 irons 210.
Us mear mortals need all the launch, help etc we can get.
My pw on my cg16 I can hit 130+ absolutely love them cant wait to treat myself for Christmas with the CBX irons
I actually hit my 6 iron 200 yards total carry and pw goes 140 total carry
@@karlg1535 how do you like the cg16s? I just ordered a set of those and I'm waiting for them to arrive.
@@beavisjones9199 after 5 years of ownership with them I'm still in love, the grips still feel great and have a bit of sticky left on em going to need new ones if I carry them over into next season. Very forgiving and easy to hit ( at least for me ) the club heads have a nice bit of meat on em & the closing wedges provide a soft feel with excellent spin rate. when I was looking initially I was between the taylormade rbz1 or burner irons (449-699 Canadian) at the time the callaway x hots & these cg16. I was going for over two weeks before pulling the trigger and I definitely made the right choice & saved myself a couple bucks as they were the cheapest irons within my selection & also the display model paid 300 for them brand new without any regrets. They're still In great shape the only thing that's broken is my 4 iron head flew off after i dug it into the ground to hard & into a pond she flew lol that was last year ( I'm play between 40-60 rounds a season & handicap around 15 as I'm in Canada ) I still use them to this day but as I mentioned my friend bought the CBX pitch and 56 wedge & my god do they feel good lol hope this helps ✌prior to my cg16 I had wilson reds ( whose set for 250) & I found I was shooting on average 20yards further much straighter and good accuracy with each club once I upgraded to cg16
@@karlg1535 awesome thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I can't wait until mine get here. The set I ordered is brand new, which was surprising since they're almost ten years old now. Mine are coming from Canada haha, Golf Avenue is selling them for a little over $300. I've played an old set of Nike blades for almost 15 years now so it'll be nice to have something thats more forgiving and easier to hit.
agree with others...think all reviewers across all platforms need to re adjust how they look at spin. like others have said - expected spin numbers have to be based on loft and cg placement. a 34 degree lofted club (mizuno mp loft of a 7 iron) should be spinning between 6500-7000rpm. as its a low and deep cg game improvement club designed to launch high with less spin for distance I think the 6000-6500rpm spin is actually good. EDIT: just watched mark crossfields review and he seems to agree with the above and understand the spin profile slightly better
I agree with you. I love seeing the lofts on golf clubs. Good review.
Rick I love watching your reviews but when testing clubs of this description I think you need to have a different mind set.
Players like my self who would use these types of clubs are more interested what happens with bad hits , IE..Loss of distance, how the clubs feels and most importantly dispersion.
And keep your spin fixation for when you're reviewing players irons
Rick, once again your honesty is very much appreciated reference these irons, question though, you still using the Wilson V6'S or have you gone back to the Ping i200's?
Looks really nice I'm quite new to the game and currently use cleveland I find them very forgiven.
Mr. Shiels- As to the question you asked I say that putting the lofts on the club is a helpful thing, as the numbering of the clubs has become a confusing fantasy (for instance these tested clubs would seem to me more properly numbered as 4, 6,and 8 irons rather than the 6, 8, and Pitching wedge which are stamped on the soles).
Funny that when Crossfield tested these they had excellent spin, much better than he expected (and he isn't a high spin hitter).
Great review, you are a beast! 6 iron 210 yards!!! Technology has definitely made a difference in the game. I can remember it wasn't to long ago when Greg Normal hit his 6 iron 180-185 yards. Spectators and other touring pro's were in aww... I wonder if in the future (if not already) the USGA will start restricting lofting or de-lofting?
We mid handicappers (at least speaking for myself) want more distance first and control second. To me there is nothing better in the game than reaching a par 5 in two shots, even if I 3 putt :-)… When it comes to club selection, it's the chicken or the egg, which comes first, good swing or good clubs? Most of us start out with a cheap match set, either we improve or give up the game. As we improve, we want better equipment, the information you provide, allows me to select the best equipment to suit my swing and abilities... The questions I have are: I understand the distances are proportional club head/swing speeds but are the other factors such as spin rate and launch angles etc.... Even more reason to get to shop that does club fitting and do some test driving. At least now I know what to ask and look for... Thanks again...
Hi Rick. Couple of thoughts - just watched Mark Crossfield's (not making a Crossfield point here!) review of these irons and he was getting spin numbers very close to what he would expect from these clubs - but he was hitting off turf. Wonder if that would make a difference. Be great if you could maybe test from turf? Secondly, looking at the difference between your long and shorter hits with the six iron, there are notable differences in your impact. With the shorter hit, the club face was nearly 2 degrees more open than the longer hit and 4 mm further away from the centre (sorry to sound like a geek!) This probably doesn't account for the full 11 yards but I'm not sure it's fair to imply that this was entirely down to a hot shot from the club.
Rick just bought these I have a 90 Day return policy thankfully. Played yesterday in wind in Lauderdale. Two things I didn't really seem to get much more out of them over my Cobra Forge Tec. Also can the turf interaction cause a thin shot. Hit 6 yesterday which normally don't hit thin. PS. When I hit them they held great! Spin seemed Ok.
Great review as always Rick. I was given a set of these irons and driver as hire clubs in Marrakech PalmGolf today and they were awesome. The ball flight was excellent and I seemed to have more control than with my Ping G’s back home despite having never picked them up before. Will definitely be testing back in the UK. Keep up the great videos ⛳️👍
The laws of physics do not care about what number the company stamps on the iron. Loft and speed are king. This is a 7 iron in "players" clubs and fits the "Game Improvement" offerings really well.
Rick you know 34 degrees is a standard players 7 iron. So at best you should expect 7k, not even taking into account it's a GI iron, so spin is going to be down. 6.4k isn't much different from modern GI's. Please adjust your knickers.
ted bed he hit an 8 iron. No 7
Joe Klingensmith ted bed was commenting on the loft of the club not the fact that it's he's hitting an 8-iron vs 7-iron
ted bed, yes, thank you. I completely agree. Rick adjusts for his expected carry distance based on loft, but always states that spin is too low on these stronger lofted GI irons. The spin is not that low for a 34 deg club. Love the videos Rick. Just some feedback.
I was thinking exactly the same thing! The spin of the pitching wedge is also not bad considering it is a 44 degree. I'll even go as far as saying I think it has MORE spin than your M2s and Epics..
Indeed, it's just a shorter shafted 7 iron
I wish all clubs showed loft plus number. Recently had a fitting tried three 7 irons. I was not informed about the different lofts which gave me a false impression in a comparison test. Enjoy your reviews and they helped me decide on which game improver clubs to go for (I chose m4 btw) so in answer to your question yes to loft shown on clubs
I have the Cleveland 588 CBs, and they are a great set of forged clubs with high spin rates and super feel, same wedge style multi grooves. I can't understand why they stopped doing Cleveland Irons as I honestly think they were making a good impression on people. I love the honesty of the iron number and the loft on the sole, for years manufacturers were cranking clubs on the quiet, until you guys started exposing the lofts ! I understand why you expected more spin with the face technology but I guess it couldn't overcome the lofts.
I currently play Mizuno Mp25's (3-pw) Px 5.0's and I love them. I originally had the Mph5's for the 3 & 4i, but I didn't like them too much and the gap between the mph5 4i & mp25 5i was nearly 20 yards. So I got the mp25's throughout. I've had them for 2.5 months. I've been using a combination of 5 Cleveland cg15 wedges for a couple years now, and I love them! Best Wedges for my swing, period. I've even bought replacements for when the first wear out. Anyway, I buy a lot of clubs, mainly iron sets off ebay and resell them at the golf course my mother and I run. Of course I always have to try the eBay auction purchases out first, because it's FUN! and quite addictive. I got a great deal on a set of 4-pw DG dst 98 r300 CBX's in like new condition, and I tried out the 4i 6i & pw! They are Awesome clubs! I don't care if my ego takes a hit for switching from Mizuno to Cleveland Game Improvement Irons! The CBX with R300 DST 98's is the closest I've come to a perfect set of irons! And I've hit 99% of the major OEM offerings. I love these clubs! I was afraid the lighter shafts would have a negative effect on my accuracy and dispersion, Nope! It's improved every aspect of my iron game! I was bummed that there's no 3 iron, but I hit the 20° 4i 10 yards further than my current 3 iron. Tomorrow will be the first time I play with the Cleveland set where it matters. A large Scramble and I'm excited about using these clubs! I highly recommend that people try the CBX's. You should always get fit, but make sure you include these on your demo list. They feel amazing. They're not as easy to work as the mp25's but they can be worked well enough to handle most shots.
Rick how do you not understand loft and spin. Seriously, for a guy who is doing club reviews for a living. You really should understand this. I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking this.
he isnt the best striker and hits just about everything with big draws to hooks then says its low spin clubs.crossfield tested these irons and got good spin numbers but then again doesnt play big draws or hooks bringing the spin down.
yeah it's actually annoying, it's a 7 iron with 6400 rpm spin. nothing wrong there
I agree about liking the lofts on the irons. My current set is Cleveland's CG16 irons and they put both the club number and loft so this is something Cleveland likes to do. These are a little stronger lofted than the CG16s but that is just the trend now with clubs. Will have to give these a look when I get fitted for new irons.
I like the loft on the clubs but its really only important to know what the pitching wedge is since you add clubs after that. I don't know why it would really matter what loft any other random iron happens to be after you learn your distances with the set.
I played a set of TA5 gun metals back in the day before I had to give up the game for a while. I’m trying to get back into it again and have been strongly considering a set of these.
Nearly every shot was hit straight, launched high, hit the green, hit them long.... Forget all those positives, let's talk poor spin numbers 🤔 ditch the Wilson's and get them in your bag Rick. 🤣
Good to see cleveland making clubs again, I loved my Launcher DST Driver
Yo Rick I wish you would test club off real grass instead of a matt. A matt is just not the same. I Remember when you hit the Hogan Irons off of real turf instead of a matt I wonder if you would have fell in love with them off of a matt instead of the real thing...just saying.
The mat he uses is supposed to simulate real grass with divots and fats as well as thins so that most likely why he uses that tinted of grass. plus if he did reviews off grass he wouldn't be able to do reviews in the winter... just saying.
I agree 100%! 1 of the thing's that make these CBX'S so special is their smooth turf interaction. Hitting them off of a mat, is quite different.
My wedges are 44, 50, 56 and my gaps are good. I added another club at the other end of the bag because sometimes I play in Europe and sometimes I play in The USA. The 4 iron at 21 degrees gives me a little bit more roll out on long a 180-yard approach and my 20 degree 3 hybrid I can drop it on a pillow from the same distance.
Where you hit it long twice.... Do you think that happens more commonly with game improvement irons? Cuz the hotter faces?
Are forged irons less likely to do that?
Never new srixon was owned by Cleveland I'll have to buy a few to support the boys. Love my cg16 looking at getting the cbx for Christmas as my 4 is starting to end after 7 years of abuse as well as my 5 but god damn I can still launch em!
So... in your opinion what is the best game improvement iron for those of us at the 12-16 handicap?
I like the printed lofts. I carry a chart with me I made in excel. It has loft, full send distance, 9 to 3, 8 to 4 swings etc. I do this with every club from 5 to LW. I know what swing and what club gets me where I'd like to be.
I like having the loft in addition to the club number. BTW, come to Amarillo, Texas and play here. The wind will test your game.
Love watching the videos and reviews. Did you ever review the Cleveland Launcher Turbo HB Irons?
Question? How do you know which clubs to use in the golf course
Hey Rick! Can you test the new Cleveland UHX Irons? I'm interested in looking into them and there seem to be not too many reviews. If you could, that would be great! Thanks for all the content!
I like the loft numbers on the club. My Wishon woods, hybrids and Alpha pro spec wedges have lofts on them. I really wish more companies would take Ben Hogan's lead and do the same.
I am a big fan of the loft being on the club beside the number however I may be biased as I have set of these clubs with a 50 degree gap wedge and 56 sand wedge.
Yo Pat I take your point but the way an iron cuts thru the turf is very important to the way the ball flies. You can hit behind the ball on a mat and still get a decent shot. Off of real turf it's just a fat shot. mat numbers are useless.
Thanks for the video, love watching you test clubs. Wish I could hit off a turf mat like that
For reference, the Titleist 718 CB has a 43 degree 9 iron, pair that loft with a club head designed to launch the ball higher with CG placement and you should expect around 8000 rpm of spin. The problem is that Rick can't overlook the number on the bottom of the club, even though the loft is still stamped. If it were like the Hogan irons and had ONLY the loft he would review it as a club that is slightly lower spinning because of the market it's aimed for and nothing less.
Why did you choose to test the number 8 ? Random chance or is there a reason . Just curious.
Our other friend Mr Crossfield tested these in America and found the spin to be impressive....is it just strike strike and strike that makes the difference....Rick hit a lot of inconsistent strikes in this video....and Cleavland have been putting the lofts on some of their iron sets for a long time
I like both loft and number. Wish all irons had that
@rickshiels just wanted to tell you that I love you videos and you and Peter are an inspiration for me ! Thank you
I still keep cleveland cg2 irons in my bag. best irons ive ever tried
Hello Rick, I'm in the process of making a backyard driving range/practice area. What matt do you use. I want one I can just stick a tee in.
Personally, I like having the lofts on the irons. That's especially helpful if the clubs are new to you. I recently got some Hogan Edges and I have to remember that the lofts are weaker than my Mizuno JPX850's and the lofts are not imprinted on the clubs. I'm still getting accustomed to them but I feel that they have a hotter face than the Mizuno's so once I've played with them a few more times, I may not have to think about it.
YES! thanks for the review! so hyped for these
Hi Rick I no this an older video but I love these irons the best for me yet . Mark off 19 handicap.
Thanks so much for watching! Please be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any of the new videos!
I like to see the loft on the club and I'm not sure why anyone would be against it. If you have your club loft changed at some point would be the only reason I could see not to do it, since it'd be wrong at that point.
There's an idea. I wonder how accurate the stated loft is on some of the clubs you review? Could you spot check some and see that they are accurate?
Yes, would like to see the lifts on each club along with the corresponding club number.
Lofts
Proper shaft selection may be helpful. Will need to hit them to assess "feel" and "sound". For the $$ not a bad "guest" set or better budget set. :)
Agree with other comments about spin... also think it's funny how the brushed finish on these is "smart and lovely" but when it's on a titleist 718 AP1 it's dreadful....
He never did do a review on the Cleveland Launcher HB irons. I have the CBX irons (6-DW), Launcher HB irons (4&5) and CBX wedges (54 & 60). He got all hung up on the spin which these have normal spin for distance irons. Cleveland also puts in a nice Miyazaki stock graphite shaft. I'm glad I didn't let this review dissuade me from trying these irons out. As good as anything out there IMO.
Their 12 year old Cleveland launcher 270 Driver with the Miyazaki 39 Shaft still out hits the Epic and Ping G 400 Max. It was the best driver I think they made. 39.00 or so on eBay all day long.
Maybe the spin dropped off because your tendency was hittin it off the toe?
maybe it's too forgiving? with the spin that is. maybe it's a club set that you would have to look at higher spin characteristics with the ball itself? it might be designed with the higher handicap player in mind for more distance, less spin to assist with straighter shots toward the greens? just some thoughts here...
Cleveland has for many years still been making irons i.e the Cleveland Black forged, which was available up until a couple of months ago/ since the introduction of the CBX.
Other than grooves and loft, how can club design affect spin rate?
Maybe the other set of irons will fit your preference when it comes to
spin/distance/consistency. Hope so, either way, I would love these irons, they're beautiful. Nice video Rick
I think the other irons are super game improvement clubs, so I wouldn't expect Rick to like them, which is fine because they're not intended for golfers like him.
Hello Rick, is there a guide online somewhere to view desired spin rates for clubs?
Rick, could shaft with them help the spin a little?
Love your videos, you should do a consistency challenge to compare irons. For example it would be awesome to do a Titilest vs. Taylormade iron consistency challenge.
Problem with putting lofts on the clubs - which has been a problem with wedges forever - is adjustments to loft at fitting nullifies that number. Bugs me, at least, that the number is then incorrect.
Can you do a a review of the new UHX launcher iron set? Curious what you think about the cavity back/ hollow combo. Also curious about your thoughts on 'the original one' mini driver.
Please Rick have a think about your comments on spin, the old cliche of it should be 7000 for a 7 iron is only true of blades and players irons.
Hard to complain when most every shot you took was straight, and spot on the green. Your spin numbers could be attributed to the shaft, which you didn't identify. I would assume the shaft was a more flexible, tip soft "made for" Cleveland version. Not what you are used to playing.
Maybe since it's flight is higher than normal, you don't need as much spin...I'm curious to see if you can flight it down.
Good review although I would like to see irons compared to their obvious competitors (I am guessing the Clevelands are competing with irons such as M2s and JPX 900 hot metal). Love having bottom of club stamped with both number and loft.
Given that these would seem to be game improver irons or for people needing help with distance and/or launch the spin numbers do not seem to be unreasonable for the lofts of the club. I understand why Rick was expecting more given Cleveland's background in wedges but I think he needs to recalibrate his expectations
Big issue for me was the "hot" shot. Suddenly getting 10 yards extra with 6i is no good. Similarly for a PW, Rick is a pro, he should be hitting his PW shots within 1-2 yards every time not 6 yards difference. My local golf pro recommended against Apex irons for the same reason
Tour players someone said look upwards, meaning that they use height a lot especially to a green .
It looks like much of the difference in the wedges was where the hit was on the face. If you get the height and the distance right, the ball should pull up even with slightly higher spin numbers, which is just what happened. The dispersion was great, I'd game these if I was that consistent. You're a tough crowd, Rick :-)
A really good looking iron, definitely would consider putting these in my bag .
Any chance of reviewing the uhx’s?
I just got them and they are amazing. For me, they performed way better than the CBX
@@TheRustedShackleford yea I definitely don’t regret getting the uhx’s
Rick, I am a fan but let's be honest for a moment, you cannot really expect consistent numbers when you hit one toe side and two heel side of the middle. That kind of ball striking is never going to produce consistent spin or distance... and to be honest in such case a variance a 5-8 yards is to be expected in that case isn't it? As mentioned by another poster, perhaps this is a result of hitting off mats...seems like real turf would give you better and more consistent results.
I like the looks. If I was looking for a game improvement set I would def give these a hit
i defintely prefer lofts on the clubs, because i find it hard to work out the gapping otherwise. more companies need to start doing it
Hey Rick, personally I would like to see a standard degree for each iron made, regardless of level of play or player. It just seems like you're just lying to yourself if you think you're hitting an iron farther than you should, just because you bought a game improvement. It's like a corked bat in baseball in my eyes. There's nothing wrong with a set of forgiving irons, but to strengthen the loft really makes people like me have to do number research as well to see if I'd even be interested in trying them. What's your take? Cheers!
slimjim 2582 I have to disagree solely on skill. Lower skill player in baseball (example high school little league college etc) use metal bats at lower weights to help with swing speed as well as distance so why not in golf? If you are a typical player and only swing a 7 iron like 70 mph then why would you want to only hit that iron 140 yards. As well as these irons help with higher launch to compensate for slow swing speeds while offering more distance with stronger lofts. Just my opinion. Cheers ✌🏼
Rick, when you hit a 34-35 degree players 7-iron and it spins 6500 it's good spin, and a 34 degree GI 8-iron at almost the same spin rate it's low spin? That doesn't seem to make sense to me
Please do a review of the Cleveland Launcher UHX Irons for us.
Theyre great. I highly recommend trying them.
I don’t understand. You mention the loft is strong for an “8 iron” but then still expect it to spin like an 8 iron. It’s a weak 7 so 6400 rpm is pretty close to what you’d want. I use these clubs but consider it a 9 iron through 3 iron set based on lofts and start my wedges at 48 degrees.
Rick like the loft matched with #. I think positive marketing as well anything to differentiate helps. Coupled with the Cleveland name
What handicap are they aimed at Rick ?
Would you say these irons feel better than the benross htx compressor irons?
ItssAveeX no
Please review the CBX wedges!! Thanks
I don't think the loft vs iron # matters... I think you test clubs and find a set to fit your game. Figure out that "x" club goes "x" distance with whatever spin and after your testing is complete you play accordingly
Been looking for a game improvement iron with a big head but very little offset. Seems like they all force you to play with an offset. I never did like the look of the "offset". The CBX looks great but looks like it has too much offset for me. Please let me know if anyone knows of a game (or super game) improvement iron with a larger head but with minimal offset. Thanks..
I like the loft numbers on the club, but I think the iron number is a must
I still think their CG16 tour black pearl was their best “Cleveland” iron.
Is it good for high handicappers?
@@Harz77 the CG16 would be more of the high handicap iron. The CG16 Tour is more a mid-handicap iron because it’s got less offset and a slightly thinner top line. But both are phenomenal!
@@miguelaniceto1541 what iron would you recommend for a high handicapper I’ve been out of golf for 5 years and need to get back into it
@@Harz77 most important go to a golf store with a fitter. Places like golf galaxy, Edwin Watts, etc offer fitting even on used sets. Also don’t feel like you have to break the bank. If you haven’t played in a while, get a set that is composed of 6-PW. I play Callaway forged irons but honestly like anything else it’s a personal preference. If I were to make a recommendation for you go with a slightly older set of irons such as the Callaway Rogue X or the Ping G400. If you don’t mind the looks, the Cleveland Laucher HB is an iron set of all hybrids which is about as easy to hit as it gets. Make sure to have the fitter recommend a set of wedges that correspond with the loft of your pitching wedge. Because you’re playing a cavity back iron I would go with a cavity back wedge like the Cleveland CBX or Callaway Mack Daddy CB. Hope you find a good deal! Hit it straight!
I didn't realize that Cleveland Golf stopped making irons & woods to focus on wedges at some point, as Rick mentions at :20.
Spin is pretty impressive considering it's basically a 7 iron with 8 on the bottom. Good performing clubs IMO!