how much difference does a 1/4 or 1/2" make in 5 iron

[scotte]

is there that many yards to gain going from 37.5 to 38?

Thank you for your help. I have heard both sides of the story, some people say that it is a huge gain, while others say it is only a couple yards.

I am thinking about cutting down my 695cb's I don't think I have really gained anything with their 38" shafts other than the potential to make a bad shot because I am further away from the ball.

I know Irons are for accuracy, and not distance, but I am still curious as to how much the leverage of 1/2 inch makes on a 5 iron distance wise.

Thanks again,

Scott

[lidomkj]

I went to 1/2 inch shorter and gained about 5 yards on average. I make more consistant contact which translates to hitting the sweet spot and more efficient energy transfer.

[JCHere]

Velocity is proportional to the distance in an arc, any distance on an arc can be estimated if you know the velocity at some point on the arc. While this is a simple model it overestimates the speed gain of .5" increase in shaftlength.

 

Clubhead Speed = 80mph with 37.5" shaft

To obtain velocity of 38" shaft use this equation: (38/37.5) x 80mph = 81.06mph and that is about 2 yards with this clubhead speed. At lower clubhead speeds it will still be around 1 mph faster but will translate into less yardage gain.

 

I said the equation was simple because the arc of your swing is actually longer than the clublength; it includes arms and shoulders also. Let's estimate this adds 20" to the swing arc. So if you factor in this additional swingarc distance you obtain this formula:

 

(58/57.5) X 80 = 80.69mph This is closer to true increase in clubhead speed and results in about 1.4 additional yards.

 

Even that is simple when you start to consider the centrifugal force of your wrists releasing through the shot, so the real clubhead increase is somewhere between the two equations above. Either way, the increase in distance is insignificant.

 

You should get a proper fitting for your irons and not try to use overlength shafts (dynamic fitting, not just a tapemeasure deal). It will result in more shots hit off-center of the clubhead and result in a loss of yardage and inconsistency. That is a set of irons I wouldn't want to take to the course.

[Awalkspoiled]

JCHere is right on the money - fit shaft length/lie to your build, then take the club you need for the distance. Who cares what the number on the sole says? Pure contact will trump swingspeed every time, especially when the increment is so small.

 

One thing which COULD lead to distance gain, is that the longer length shaft will effectively play a bit softer, giving you more height, if this is the case, you could always play shafts the proper length, but softstep them for a softer feel

[Johnny]

My tn-87 are proto from japan and thus 1/2 short to todays standards.... they are still among the longest I have ever owned and I have owned ALOT of irons.

[scotte]

JChere, wow, that was an awesome answer. Thank you so much foryour time and effort in that!!!!

[Grum]

I play my titleist 755's at half an inch longer than standard and a degree strong. They go a LONG way. I also play a set of srixon i-506's which are a full inch shorter than the titleists, and I kill them past my 755's more often than not.....

[thewitt]

It's really not fair to compare one iron design to another with regards to length of the shaft and assume that this is why one set is longer than another.

 

When you design a set of iron heads, as a designer you are looking for a specific distance gap at a specific clubhead speed. In addition to this, a designed ball flight - high, low, mid - is a key part of the equation, as is the ability to hit the clubs from a variety of lies.

 

Everything in clubhead design is a trade off.

 

If I want to have a 10 yard gap with an 80 mph 5 iron swing speed in all my irons, and I want the long irons to be easy to hit off the deck as well as the short irons to be easy to hit out of the deep rough, all of this lends itself to the different features in the irons.

 

Moving weight low and toward the toe will help the higher handicap player get the ball up in the air in the longer irons - and will add distance to that 4 iron for off center hits. Now hit that 4 iron flush, and you have gone from a 10 yard gap on a "typical" hit, to a 15 yard gap on a flushed hit. Oops.

 

You hear people complaining all the time about lofts having been strengthened on modern irons compared to the iron designs of the 50s and 60s. There's a simple reason for this. Modern iron designs hit the ball higher than their aged counterparts in the hands of the typical golfer, and as a result, the lofts need to be strengthened to get the same distances as before.

 

Shaft length should ultimately be fit to the player - however most golfers will never be fit for length and will simply play what the golf company delivers to them.

 

Shortening your 5 iron by 1/4 or 1/2 will theoretically change the speed at which you can swing the club - however it's not enough for the typical golfer to notice the difference. Most golfers do not hit their irons flush every swing, and so they typical distance with a 5 iron will vary by 10 yards or more. Shortening the shaft may indeed make that center face contact less elusive and make that 5 iron a consistent 180 yard club, rather than a 170-185 yard club. I'll take the former any day.

 

Lastly, length of the shaft has much less impact on distance than loft does. I know, it's hard to believe, but I have designed a set of single length iron heads - all designed to be played at 37 1/2" or standard 6 iron length - and yes, there are 10-12 yard distance gaps between each club from the 4i to the PW even though all have the same shaft length.

 

-t

[We B Clubbin]

thewitt is dead on. Listen to him!

 

May the course be with you!