Testing Grounds:
Thomas Golf AT-505 Irons
By Tom Dellner

Thomas Golf is a little-known manufacturer with a well-known address: Carlsbad, Calif. Like the many other manufacturers that call Carlsbad home, Thomas Golf develops its own equipment and is engaged in the all-consuming search for that next great golf technology. But unlike other manufacturers, Thomas Golf chooses not to battle with the industry's major players for retail distribution. Instead, it follows a direct-to-customer business plan, selling clubs via its website. All orders are custom-built for the individual golfer based on a number of static measurements and information about the consumer's swing characteristics and ballflight tendencies.

The patented technology behind Thomas Golf's AT-505 irons is an extremely simple yet sensible alignment aid - a prominent sighting notch cut into the clubs' thick topline. It runs perpendicular to the leading edge to help you square up directly along the target line. Just point the alignment aid at your target - or better yet, at an intermediate spot along your target line in front of the ball - then align your feet, knees and hips parallel to the sightline.
The technology is so simple we were initially a bit underwhelmed. However, when we heard - on good authority - that a few AT-505s have been showing up on the Senior PGA Tour, we thought we'd get our hands on a set and see what these sticks are all about.
The clubs certainly aren't much to look at. They have an awkward appearance, with a thick topline and a prominent toe. The hosel-to-heel connection is unusual, making the club seem unnaturally long from heel to toe. The leading edge is radiused toward the toe, which makes the club appear to set up open. In short, it looks like a club you'd buy at a sporting goods store.

However, once we put the AT-505s through their paces, a few of us really warmed up to them. The alignment feature does make the club extremely easy to aim, a real plus in light of the otherwise uneasy feeling that the face is open. But the best aspect of the alignment aid wasn't so much that it helps you point the clubface directly at your target; even better was the constant reminder it provides of your target line, making it easier to set your body lines and bring the club to the ball on the correct path. It's the next-best alternative to placing clubs on the ground to indicate your toe and target lines - and it conforms to the Rules of Golf.

The AT-505s are somewhat heavy-headed, but still easy to swing. The irons are forgiving on mis-hits, especially thin shots, and they deliver a high, straight trajectory. The most common mis-hit was the shot that hung slightly out to the right; we hit very few shots that curved dramatically right or left. We found the clubs to be as long as, or slightly longer than, our own irons.

If you place a premium on feel and control, however, these aren't the irons for you. Shots are solid, but feel about the same regardless of where on the face you make contact. So it's not as easy to work the ball - these irons just want to hit it high and straight. (Of course, there are worse traits in irons.) And while we're on the subject of shotmaking, the AT-505s aren't ideal for delicate touch shots or from awkward lies; we would have preferred a bit more feel and a thinner sole.

These irons polarized our test group. Many just couldn't get past their awkward looks, preferring an iron that delivered more feel, control and versatility. But others found the irons to be easy to align, easy to hit and extremely forgiving.
The Thomas Golf AT-505 irons retail for $575 to $700,
depending on shaft selection.

Call (888) 774-6938 or visit www.thomasgolf.com.

TEST RESULT: Thomas Golf's AT-505 irons won't win any beauty contests and they don't deliver much feel and control. However, they're very forgiving, and easy to align - almost like a USGA-approved training aid.