Whereas all the primary golf manufacturers do an distinctive job in terms of creating irons to go well with a variety of golfers, there’s a small however rising group of golfers who’re on the lookout for one thing somewhat bit extra area of interest. This explains the rise of boutique manufacturers resembling Miura, Vega, and Epon, who concentrate on creating hand-made irons made out of the best supplies.
Now you can add Proto Idea to that record of manufacturers catering to discerning golfers who need one thing that not solely affords unimaginable really feel, however in contrast to many boutique irons, affords superior efficiency as properly.
WHO PLAYS PROTO ON TOUR
Performed by girls’s world no.3 Lydia Ko, Proto Idea irons are inbuilt a manufacturing facility that many specialists consider make the most effective forgings
in golf. The vary contains 4 iron fashions, however after a customized becoming on the West Sussex-based headquarters of Golf Tech UK, the most effective outcomes I acquired have been with the CO3TC mannequin.
This solid one-piece carbon metal design incorporates a CNC- milled channel within the longer irons, that lowers the centre of gravity and promotes a better launch. Within the 8-PW that is eliminated to present the golf equipment a extra managed flight. The bevelled sole design with a killed vanguard reduces turf drag and helps maintained clubhead pace by means of affect.
WHAT THE CLUBS ACHIEVED
Initially apprehensive about their playability, I anticipated to be fitted into one of many extra forgiving irons within the vary. Nonetheless, with my shallower swing, the slender sole helped me obtain higher contact and, extra importantly, quicker ball speeds than the bigger CO5 molde.
Expertly fitted by the group at Golf Tech UK, these irons have been constructed with the KBS TGI 90 graphite shafts. Regardless of being graphite, they’re stiff, offering a stronger ball flight than comparatively weighted metal shafts. And one of many keys to selecting a set of irons like that is they are going to be customized match, and also you gained’t be restricted to plain choices.
HITTING THE LINKS
Whereas hitting indoors on a Trackman is informative, the true really feel of a membership is skilled on the course, so I took them for a spherical at Littlehampton, a gem of a hyperlinks course. Essentially the most shocking facet on the course was that the heads aren’t overly compact. With their Japanese shaping, there’s extra mass within the heel, and the irons don’t have an excessively skinny topline. Regardless of being one-piece forgings, these are forgiving irons for his or her measurement.
Placing them out of the center was addictive. The mushy, compressed affect could also be the most effective I’ve felt. In contrast to Miura, which feels a bit thuddy to me, these resemble the Bridgestone solid J33 irons I performed up to now, which have been manufactured in the identical manufacturing facility.
FINAL VERDICT
They aren’t exceptionally quick or lengthy irons – they ship to the ball what you set in, and as I’ve misplaced some pace, they won’t be what I’m on the lookout for long-term, however if you would like a set of irons that preserve you sincere and really feel is extra vital than distance and forgiveness, these might be precisely what you might be on the lookout for.
RRP: £345 per iron
For particulars. go to protoconceptgolf.com
