Comparing two sets of irons - more distance or more spin?

[CDLgolf]

I have 2 sets of irons as well. The Callaways I hit further than the Pings but I'm much more accurate with my Pings so most of the time they are in my bag.

I would say it doesn't matter if one is longer or one spins more, use the ones you hit closer to the hole.

If I hit the Callaways closer those would be the ones I'd use.

[IamMarkMac]

Do you really lose that much accuracy with the additional 5 yards?

Let's say you hit distance 7i 160y and spin 7i 155. You're 160 from the pin. What do you do? Take a spin 6i? Power out the spin 7i? Would you hit the spin 6i more accurately than the distance 7i?

Ymmv but I would always take the extra 5y. Swinging easier also helps accuracy.

 

[J_carp]

Give me the extra spin and playability when it comes to irons. Just got done with an 8 month experiment with players distance irons that ended with me putting my 10 year old AP2’s back in the bag.

[Golf64]

More backspin helps hit the ball straighter. As long as you have some stopping power on the greens, either that you like best as far as looks and feel should work. I try to find a happy medium of spin and angle of decent. If you can get around 45* you can stop the ball on the green. I personally like to use less loft, high spin/launch shaft and a spinier ball to help with my low launch/spin.

[jjfcpa]

What ball do you use for more spin? I've been playing the Z Star or Snell MTB-X.

[randywall]

If the increased spin translates into holding more greens, I'd go with that. One can always take an additional club, then choke down by an inch, to get the yardage, unless as someone said already, it creates a large gap between your longest iron and your hybrid/woods.

And less wear and tear on the body generally means playing more, or having more energy left after playing.

[Golf64]

After reading about the new BS balls for 2020, might have to demo those for sure. According to BS, RXS might be the ball for me.

[Tree Levino]

K Sig, Tour B XS, RXS. Z star or MTB-X are lower spinning in my experience.

[C6 Snowboarder]

this topic and discussion reminds me of my nextdoor neighbors purchase of new irons. He was playing his older set quite well. So he got fit for new Taylormade Irons... he was so happy when he brought his new set to the course and was telling everyone how great they were. Bragging they are hitting 10 -15 yards longer than his old set. When I got home I looked up the specs and found his TM new set were about 2 -3 degrees less loft and he was swing a lower launching shaft. I tried to explain to him over a beer this but he had a deer in the headlights look so I gave up,

 

The other story is when I play in a 2 man or 4 man team event where we can exchange club information - Let say for example my teammate hits a great shot onto a par 3 and I ask him what Yardage club was that ? more times than not the partner will answer that was a 6 iron. or whatever iron - I smile and say thanks -- do you think I should hit an 8 iron? he says I dont know how far you hit an 8 Iron!

[DevilDog]

I prefer more spin simply for the distance control. I want my irons to go their distance and stop dead. Lower spinning irons can cause the ball to release more leaving longer putts. Just the way I like to play

[nsxguy]

If they are equal in consistency, and I'm assuming here that also means dispersion, the way I would choose my club/ball combo is pretty simple.

Does a quality strike mainly drop and stop on the green ? That's what I want my ball to do under normal conditions. I don't want it spinning back 15 feet or releasing same. I want to find it within a foot or 2 of where it landed.

 

[Tree Levino]

TM eating it up. The new SIM ad has them going "what'd you hit, 7 iron?" other guy goes "na, a smooth 8 grins". Cool story guys. You made an 8 a 7 so the small d*cked fellow can tell his friends he hits an "8" iron 180. Irons are about control and it doesn't matter which one you're hitting. I rarely hit an all out iron shot on course.