We all see the adverts, take in the hype and look a rows of gleaming new irons in the shops BUT how much has technology improved irons in the last 10 years? I know that there have been different trends and designs eg the combi sets and good player irons that have been redesigned to make them more forgiving but if you had an iron set from 8 or 10 years ago which included some perimeter weighting etc are the new mid range sets significantly better?

I don't have a strong view on this except that I am always suspicious of glossy adverts and manufacturer claims! I also think that a terrible swing resulting in one or even two dropped shots would happen regardless of equipment.Obviously if you change clubs to a different type because you have changed (age , skill etc) that is different, but I just wondered how much difference people think that technology has made?

Truth be told, I doubt if a great deal of difference has been made in irons since cavity backs came in, more evolution than revolution. 

I have Mizuno MX900's which I bought to replace my Hogan Apex Edge CFTs. 

Are they any better?  Hard to say.  I like them and have no intention to replace them but are they really any better than other makes?  I still remain to be convinced to be honest.  Maybe feel wise they are better but that is still very subjective. 

But tbh I think the same applies to most of the clubs in the bag.  Utilities/Rescues have been a big boon to the amateurs, and maybe, maybe, high moi putters for keeping the head steady. 

For the rest, I really am not too sure.  Drivers to me are just tweaks nowadays and are getting over complex with all the weight and face angle options on the new ones.  My 5 year old driver, with a smaller head and no alledged nod to MOI is going just as well as my newer one. 

But people will always want the next best thing and that's why the manufacturers changes are only small, not major.  And I wouldn't mind betting they have all the tweaks for the next 5 years already planned to be introduced progressively. 

I would say that iron technology has made them easier to use, however though  it appears the majoirty of iron progress has been in making them longer (how many buy irons because they are longer than their old set) when in reality all the makes have done is to deloft the clubs.

Beaten to it in the writing.

I play with MX200's. Love 'em to bits.

Are they any better than my old Tommy Armour 845 Silver Scots of the early 90's?

I doubt it.

No mention of the most important part of the club, i.e. the shaft?

Probably the heads have improved a bit, probably the shafts have improved, the grips are better now allowing a lighter grip, all the small bits probably contribute.

Silver Fox wrote (see)

Smufter 12, I still have my Tommy Armour 845s, great clubs and I also have my old man's 855's. Tried to sell the 845s for £30 and got no takers. I'll be taking them out next week for a round to see how the theory stands up.

They were great clubs. Wish I'd never sold them. Be interesting to hear how you get on with them SF.

As Pasty says, the shafts that are fitted nowadays are the biggest area of improvement. If I had had my Nippon SG950's fitted to those old Tommy Armours I'd be a bloody millionaire by now and designing courses.....

I, in an experimental mood, bought some "first flight" blades, and 1, 3, and 4 tommy armour persimmon woods.  I've been for a couple of rounds with them and have a few conclusions

1.  The ball makes much much much (much) more of an impact than the clubs

2. Some of the new technology cancels itself out

3. Turf/Sole interface on new clubs is under rated

4. Shafts do not wear out.

5. If you middle an iron (or even nearly middle an iron) 50 years of technology makes no difference at all.

My scoring was barely effected when i used the old gear with a new ball, i lost maybe two or three shots when i broke out a titliest tour 90 and a dunlop 65, becuase they went nowhere and spin like you can't remember!  Howerer the true old school experience was without doubt the most fun round of golf !'ve had for years.

I would highly recommend this experiment - once you start getting the feel for balata's again there is nothing you can't do and watching drilled 4 irons spin around on the green is the happiest feeling a golfer can have.

This thread is very interesing for me.

Ive just got my clubs out of the loft after 10 years and going to start playing again.

Used to play off 6 and used Mizuno TP9's great clubs but i think im gonna be better swapping them now im starting over again for something more forgiving.

Thing is a lot has changed in the last 10 years i havent got a clue which are good balls any more let alone good clubs to use. The change in clubs looks like its massive. Not as simple as a blade or cavity back any more.