This Spring I decided to buy a new set of irons. My old set was 10 years old and although they were quality clubs, there have been significant technology advances in the game-improvement golf iron category, and I wanted to utilize this new technology to improve my own golf game. After looking at several options including new iron sets on clearance and used clubs, I decided instead to get a new custom set of irons from GigaGolf. I was intrigued by the technology behind the C9 Titanium Face irons and attracted by GigaGolf's relatively low prices. I have had good luck with GigaGolf drivers and fairway woods in the past, and since GigaGolf offers a 30 day playability guarantee, I figured I had nothing to lose.

The great thing about ordering golf clubs from GigaGolf is that you can customize your clubs exactly to fit you and with the kind of grips and shafts that you prefer. Their easy-to-use eFit system helps you decide on other customizations like grip size, shaft type and flex, and club length, loft, and lie. I ordered a 5-SW, plus a gap wedge and a lob wedge. I also added the C9 3 and 4 hybrids since I really have trouble hitting 3 & 4 irons. I ordered the set with Golf Pride v55 grips—my favorite. Grip size was standard, but I also could have ordered them in midsize, jumbo, small or junior.

I decided to upgrade my set with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts. This added about $9 per club, but since I was already saving nearly $800 over a set of comparable name-brand irons (Ping Raptures), I felt like I could splurge a little on the shaft. The C9s come standard with True Temper Feather Flight shafts and these are already a great choice -- so you don't have to upgrade at all to get a great club/shaft combo. The online eFit system recommended a firm flex (between standard and stiff) for me, a standard length and +1 degree lie. I stayed with the recommendations since they have always worked great for me. GigaGolf offers twelve different steel and graphite shafts, so you can find just about any shaft combination you'd like if that's important to you. The lie angle of the clubs are fairly upright, which fits well with my upright swing plane. But if you have a flatter swing plane, you might want to bypass the eFit system and enter your own preferred lie angles (this is for advanced players only - most golfers will do well to stick with the suggestions of the system)..

GigaGolf Ships anywhere in the World - with Free Shipping to US destinations

The ordering process from GigaGolf is easy, and they will even ship overseas to anywhere in the world that UPS delivers. US orders over $99 qualify for free shipping, which is another great value. Testimonials on their site show high levels of satisfaction from customers all over the world on their shipping times. I would have to agree. My fully customized C9 irons were in my hands 6 days after I ordered them online. Communication was good too. I received emails confirming my purchase, telling me when the building process started, and when the clubs were finished and ready to ship. A UPS tracking code was sent via email so I knew exactly when my new irons would arrive.

The C9 Irons are Quality Construction

As soon as I received the C9 irons I could tell that the clubs were well made. As a former hobbyist clubmaker, I know the telltale signs of poor construction - things like misaligned grips, crooked ferrule placement, inconsistently placed shaft bands, messy epoxy application, etc. Every one of the GigaGolf C9 irons was well built. Ferrules blended smoothly with the hosels. This told me they had taken the time to turn them ( no ferrule ever fits properly on a first try). The grips all were aligned consistently. The clubs had been cleaned and wiped free of any oils or excess epoxy. It was readily apparent that they had been expertly made by a clubmaker who cares.

C9 Irons Are Comparable to High-end, Name-brand Irons

But the real test of any club is how it works on the golf course. In this category, the C9s delivered as promised. At address, the C9s clearly are game improvement irons, with a wider top and sole. They do, however, manage to avoid the clumsy, blocky look of some other game improvement designs. The C9 Ti irons are well-balanced and feel very comfortable during the swing -- in fact they seem to encourage a nice, smooth swing with the way they are weighted (maybe it was the extra light shafts I ordered). The club I hit 150 yards with the C9 set is a smooth seven or a firm eight—about the same distance that I get with the other game improvement irons I have tested recently at demo days - including the Cleveland CG Gold Irons, the Nike Sumo Irons, the Callaway X20 irons, the Ping Rapture irons and the TaylorMade R7 CGB Max irons. All these irons are a good comparison for the C9 Ti because they all use similar techniques: a combination of titanium, stainless steel and tungsten along with some form of dampening insert in the back of the cavity.

The C9s Have Great Trajectory

Trajectory with the C9s was what I expected, and the clubs produce a nice high flight on the short irons with a more penetrating ball flight in the mid irons. The C9 hybrids that I use in place of the long irons send the ball the expected distance with a nice high ball flight. On a particularly difficult 187 yard par 3 at my home course, the pin was tucked behind a large bunker. I needed to carry the ball to the flag and get it to stop quickly. I used my new C9 hybrid 4 and the ball soared as high as a 7 iron, tracking on the flag the whole way. My golfing companions were quite excited when the ball landed 4 feet in front of the hole, jumped up and hit the flag, and then came to rest 3 1/2 feet away. (I won't mention that I missed the putt and settled for par). Accuracy for the entire set of C9 irons was also spot on with no tendency to spray balls left or right.

The feel of the C9s is muted by the "Power Pad" insert. This is similar to the gel or plastic inserts found on some of the new game improvement irons. The idea is that the insert absorbs shock and reduces vibration. This makes the shot feel smoother, especially on mis-hits. None of this affects the ball's reaction, but personally I'd rather feel some negative feedback on a bad hit so that I'm more inspired to make a better swing the next time. The C9 irons tend to make all shots feel about the same.

The C9 Irons look like Ping Irons (Rapture Clones)

As far as looks go - I like the brushed metal look of the C9s. They remind me of the look of traditional Ping irons. If you prefer a shiny finish, GigaGolf offers other iron selections with a shiny look.

I mentioned earlier that the GigaGolf's C9 irons are comparable to several of the major name-brand game improvement irons out on the market. They probably are designed to be knockoffs of the Ping Rapture irons since they use much of the same game improvement technology, materials and finishing look. Plus, C9 stands for Cloud Nine, which is close enough to the idea of a "Rapture" to suggest that these clubs are Ping Rapture clones.

Like the Ping Raptures, the C9s feature a combination of titanium, steel and tungsten. The titanium reduces weight on the face, and allows more weight to be distributed to the perimeter of the club. GigaGolf says that 30 percent can be saved over a stainless steel face. The redistribution of the weight helps to stabilize the clubhead, reducing its tendency to twist. This makes for a more accurate club. The only disadvantage of the titanium face is that you cannot use standard re-grooving tools on these clubs. The titanium is too hard and the groove tools will scratch the surface as well as possibly tear through to the metal below. On the up side, the grooves on the C9 are sharp and designed to stay that way with very little maintenance. You'll definitely get plenty of spin on your short irons.

The C9 Irons have a very High MOI

The tungsten weight on the toe on the C9 irons is designed to add balance to the iron to improve accuracy on mis-hits. This configuration gives these irons a higher MOI, which means they won't twist as much on off-center hits. Theoretically this gives you more accuracy and less loss of distance on mis-hits. The theoretical actually works pretty well on slight to moderate mis-hits. Of course, if you make a real ugly swing, no club is going to save it, and the C9 is no exception. I can attest to that. But overall, the forgiveness of these irons is nothing short of phenomenal.

VFT Performance from the Power Pad

The “power pad” is a little oval medallion embedded on the back of the cavity back. GigaGolf says that it functions much as variable face thickness (VFT) in titanium drivers. It is designed to reduce shock at impact, and is said to reduce clubface deflection by up to 70%. This results in a larger hitting area and more accuracy without sacrificing the distance offered by the titanium face. I have no way of testing the accuracy of these claims as far as percentages go, but I can tell you that these clubs do "feel" really good on all but the most severe mis-hits. As I stated earlier, this is designed to be a "feature," but can be misleading when you are looking for negative feedback on bad swings. Nevertheless, the C9s are extremely consistent and forgiving. They will definitely improve your iron play whether you are a 5 handicapper or all the way up to a 40+ handicapper.

The C9 Ti Insert Irons are a Great Value

Other than those few insignificant complaints, I've found the Cloud 9 irons to be a great value. The materials are top-notch in quality, the craftsmanship is excellent, and they play extremely well. Better yet, they are available at a about 1/5 the price of name brand irons. The C9s start at about $250 for an entire set. WIth the shaft and grip upgrades that I ordered, mine came out to about $350. That's still a steal compared to the Ping Raptures which go for about $1200 off the rack. If $250 is still too much for you, GigaGolf also has several other iron sets starting as low as $148.

I wholeheartedly recommend the C9 irons from GigaGolf. Check them out and see if the C9s or some of their other clubs don't just improve your game too.

Get a matching C9 VFT Ti Driver - 15% off CODE: 7720

CLICK HERE for All Current GigaGolf Special Deals