some old clubs eg ping eye have high mpfs;does this mean they are just as effective as 2017 irons with same scores?
From a mass and dimensional standpoint, the answer is yes. The higher the MPF, the more stable and forgiving the club will be no matter when it was made. There are other differences that could come into play. Depending on how old of club you are comparing, the lofts of new clubs have become a lot stronger today. So, a club with a high MPF made 10 years ago may be a full club shorter than a club made in 2017, depending on the loft. The average 6 iron loft 10 years ago was around 30-31 degrees. Today, it’s more like 26-27 degrees on many models. Just something to be aware of. Also, bounce or sole angles have tended to progress more in some newer models. Some newer models tend to have more bounce in the mid to short irons than has been traditionally designed in irons. Not saying either of these items is a positive or improvement in design, just different. Just a couple of things to be aware of. The MPF is still the key to the playability of the iron, but the sole angle and the lofts should fit a players game as well to get the optimum performance from a design.
Britt Lindsey