How You Can Build a Single-length (or close to it) Set of Irons

[Howard_Jones]

@Dan Drake

 

If you have the right tools, you can take out about 10 grams from hosel drilling, but you will not be able to remove the last 15 grams by porting only, sole grinding would be easier to get weight down, but its not easy to make a sole that works

 

Thank you Howard! That confirms what I was thinking, basically that I'm better off playing my G-L wedges at a more "normal" length for now and sending the other set of wedge heads that I have off to someone qualified to do the work of reducing the weight, ie. hosel drilling, porting, and grinding. I want to learn how to do all these things, but since I don't have a teacher, or the right tools, I don't know that now is really the right time to do so.

 

Or, if you subscribe to another outlook on manhood, it's the perfect time to learn, lol!

 

One of the last jobs i did was to help out a player who works in a Golf shop and wanted to make his own set of single irons, so ive grinded down all his short head with 28 grams at the max. It can be done, but you have to know what you are doing or playability might suffer. For this player it was easy, he is a typical digger, so he benefits form a wider and more flat sole then a picker does, so the grinding job is "strait forward" for the most.

 

This is how the sole of his PW looks like now. Both the iron number and brand name Cleveland is gone, and you will see that i made a blunted leading edge on it to be more forgiving on chip shots.

 

 

 

PS all weight reduction is done by grinding on this heads, no hosel drilling, and when we go this far in weight reduction we also raise VCOG who might be beneficial if we need to go up in loft into the short.

[ChaosTheory]

Dan, if you hit your wedges well, don't bother trying to make them SL, imo. I have kept my 54 and LW that way myself. Most of the shots I hit with them are feel shots. I have a 52 gap wedge in the SL set, but I consider it more of a full swing club. And being 1.5" longer than the 54 wedge, it plays more than a club longer, so the gapping is fine.

 

I really like the SL idea but at each end of the set there are diminishing returns to deal with. But even having 6-GW in SL makes for a nice set for me.

[FirePro]

Dan, if you hit your wedges well, don't bother trying to make them SL, imo. I have kept my 54 and LW that way myself. Most of the shots I hit with them are feel shots. I have a 52 gap wedge in the SL set, but I consider it more of a full swing club. And being 1.5" longer than the 54 wedge, it plays more than a club longer, so the gapping is fine.

 

I really like the SL idea but at each end of the set there are diminishing returns to deal with. But even having 6-GW in SL makes for a nice set for me.

this is why I am looking at a 2 length set myself 9 and 7 iron length less weight to add on the long irons and less to remove from the wedges

[pearsonified]

this is why I am looking at a 2 length set myself 9 and 7 iron length less weight to add on the long irons and less to remove from the wedges

 

This is the approach I took with my Nike VR Pro blades (the first clubs I built in this thread).

 

The major drawback is the amount of weight you have to add to the longer irons (4 and 5, specifically). That said, if you're using blades or club heads with a flat 1/2" by 2" section where it's easy to add lead tape, you likely won't need to re-tape the heads all the time like I did with my cavities.

 

If a 4-iron is your lowest-lofted club, you're probably looking at adding 18-22g to the 4-iron (assuming it plays to the length of a 7-iron).

[FirePro]

this is why I am looking at a 2 length set myself 9 and 7 iron length less weight to add on the long irons and less to remove from the wedges

 

This is the approach I took with my Nike VR Pro blades (the first clubs I built in this thread).

 

The major drawback is the amount of weight you have to add to the longer irons (4 and 5, specifically). That said, if you're using blades or club heads with a flat 1/2" by 2" section where it's easy to add lead tape, you likely won't need to re-tape the heads all the time like I did with my cavities.

 

If a 4-iron is your lowest-lofted club, you're probably looking at adding 18-22g to the 4-iron (assuming it plays to the length of a 7-iron).

Based off of the weight the Maltby TE Forged irons have listed it looks like 14 grams between 7 iron and 5 iron and they have a decent enough cavity that it should not be an issue with lead tape falling off. I was thinking of going with some hybrids at 6 iron length for the 4 & 3 iron to get some added height.

[FirePro]

this is why I am looking at a 2 length set myself 9 and 7 iron length less weight to add on the long irons and less to remove from the wedges

 

This is the approach I took with my Nike VR Pro blades (the first clubs I built in this thread).

 

The major drawback is the amount of weight you have to add to the longer irons (4 and 5, specifically). That said, if you're using blades or club heads with a flat 1/2" by 2" section where it's easy to add lead tape, you likely won't need to re-tape the heads all the time like I did with my cavities.

 

If a 4-iron is your lowest-lofted club, you're probably looking at adding 18-22g to the 4-iron (assuming it plays to the length of a 7-iron).

but you are right if I am going to do the 4 iron which I am considering now it would be about 21g , not sure where all the lead tape will fit. I will probably have to tip wait it as well, and I know you are not a fan of that but I can only do so much, ha

[Mcgeeno]

Took the plunge tonight.

 

Started preliminary work on an older set of Cleveland TA3's I have lying around.

 

This idea has intrigued me since I was a teenager and all the recent talk about single length has me willing to try it out.

 

I checked all lie and lofts first, weighed all my heads and started with a 'building template' so to speak.

 

I will likely go the whole way from 4 iron to LW but I think I will try a 4-7-PW first just to see if it is something I can get used to long term.

 

I'm a 4 handicap for what its worth. Probably dont :need: to do it but it has been fun to research so far.

 

I've decided to make all my heads 273 grams (My 8 iron weight) and I want to play them at 62 lie and 36.5 length which putts me right in the range for an 8 iron full set.

 

I've got the 4-5-6-7 irons all weighed properly but the big project will be drilling the ports in my short irons. I will pick my shafts and grips in the coming days and get them organized.

 

Pretty exciting stuff. Thanks to everyone in here for the motivation to try it!

[FirePro]

Took the plunge tonight.

 

Started preliminary work on an older set of Cleveland TA3's I have lying around.

 

This idea has intrigued me since I was a teenager and all the recent talk about single length has me willing to try it out.

 

I checked all lie and lofts first, weighed all my heads and started with a 'building template' so to speak.

 

I will likely go the whole way from 4 iron to LW but I think I will try a 4-7-PW first just to see if it is something I can get used to long term.

 

I'm a 4 handicap for what its worth. Probably dont :need: to do it but it has been fun to research so far.

 

I've decided to make all my heads 273 grams (My 8 iron weight) and I want to play them at 62 lie and 36.5 length which putts me right in the range for an 8 iron full set.

 

I've got the 4-5-6-7 irons all weighed properly but the big project will be drilling the ports in my short irons. I will pick my shafts and grips in the coming days and get them organized.

 

Pretty exciting stuff. Thanks to everyone in here for the motivation to try it!

Would love to see some photo's of the process and what the PW and 4 iron look like in the end

[Mcgeeno]

Well there is lots of lead tape on the 4 hahaha.

 

I haven't started the heavier club drilling yet.

 

I may order some tip weights (10 gram) so that there is less lead tape on the back of the club.

 

I plan on putting a few together tonight to at least try this weekend.

 

If proof of concept works out I'll pick the shafts and grips I want in order to make the static and actual weight workable.

 

 

[FirePro]

Well there is lots of lead tape on the 4 hahaha.

 

I haven't started the heavier club drilling yet.

 

I may order some tip weights (10 gram) so that there is less lead tape on the back of the club.

 

I plan on putting a few together tonight to at least try this weekend.

 

If proof of concept works out I'll pick the shafts and grips I want in order to make the static and actual weight workable.

I could only imagine the amount of Lead tape to add close to 30g. I was also considering adding the tip weight

[Mcgeeno]

I could only imagine the amount of Lead tape to add close to 30g. I was also considering adding the tip weight

 

Yeah I have researched a few options.

 

I could go lead/tungsten powder and epoxy it to the back.

I could go with the huge amount of lead tape or purchase some denser lead tape.

 

Also a combination of a 10g tip weight and roughly 20 grams of lead tape would not look as obnoxious.

 

Just the 4-5 need a ton of work to bring them up to 273. The 6, 7 and 9 are relatively close so it shouldnt take much. Before I port holes into my wedges and order grips/shafts that I like, I'll hit my 'test clubs'

 

I plan on hitting the 4 iron, 5 iron and 8 iron tonight. All have matching shafts, grips and weights I had lying around. I'll go through some range time and figure out the lie I like the most. I've got some options with this.

 

Pretty much will decide from there if the concept is worth pursuing more. I threw a matching shaft and grip on the LW and built it as well, the weight is heavier obviously but its worth adding to the test to see how a 36.5 inch LW feels in general terms. It looks funny as heck seeing all these clubs the same.

[Mcgeeno]

I completed some initial testing with my single length iron 'home brew' project tonight.

 

Results were good and bad. Definitely enough positive things to continue going forward. I went through 200 range balls and compared them with my new set as I went to see if this is an overall waste of time. Luckily I havent spent a dime on this project up until now so my wife hasnt killed me yet, hahaha.

 

A couple things I noticed:

 

The good:

 

Obviously I havent pured a 4 or 5 iron like that in my entire life. They are the length and weight of a standard 8 iron so finding the sweet spot was just flat out easier shot after shot. Dispersion was decent, it took a while to dial this in. The trajectory was lowish, definitely lower than my normal set that I also brought.

 

The short irons were consistent and a little longer than expected.

 

All the clubs curved in my normal ball flight. I tried to make ball position, grip, stance etc. As consistent as I could, but its a mental hurdle this early on.

 

The Bad:

 

Definitely heard of this and got to see it first hand. Yardage bunching.

-My typical 4 iron is around 200 carry and my 5 iron is around 190 on a solid strike. I paced out my groupings of range balls and lasered back to my bag. (Course was dead only person there hahaha) I was carrying the 5 iron right around 180 and the 4 iron was almost the exact same carry, just a lower flight. I checked my lofts again and they are 23 and 26 degrees which could account for some of bunching with the 2 longer irons.

 

Adding to this, the lob wedge was up from 90-95 yards to 100-105. The PW was nearing 140. Mind you this is just the beginning and I will be adjusting the lofts and lies to what I need for each yardage, but the proof is there. The same length irons all fall into a tighter 100 yard grouping distance-wise for me.

 

I am thinking of dropping the four iron and making my 5 iron 25 degrees. Or even going with a high launch iron shaft, but this could bring in issues with the short irons...

 

Sorry for all the long winded posts. This is acting as a bit of a journal for me as I go forward. I will get the ports drilled into my wedges in the next week. I need to remove 20-30 grams out of the PW-GW-SW-LW roughly.

[FirePro]

I completed some initial testing with my single length iron 'home brew' project tonight.

 

Results were good and bad. Definitely enough positive things to continue going forward. I went through 200 range balls and compared them with my new set as I went to see if this is an overall waste of time. Luckily I havent spent a dime on this project up until now so my wife hasnt killed me yet, hahaha.

 

A couple things I noticed:

 

The good:

 

Obviously I havent pured a 4 or 5 iron like that in my entire life. They are the length and weight of a standard 8 iron so finding the sweet spot was just flat out easier shot after shot. Dispersion was decent, it took a while to dial this in. The trajectory was lowish, definitely lower than my normal set that I also brought.

 

The short irons were consistent and a little longer than expected.

 

All the clubs curved in my normal ball flight. I tried to make ball position, grip, stance etc. As consistent as I could, but its a mental hurdle this early on.

 

The Bad:

 

Definitely heard of this and got to see it first hand. Yardage bunching.

-My typical 4 iron is around 200 carry and my 5 iron is around 190 on a solid strike. I paced out my groupings of range balls and lasered back to my bag. (Course was dead only person there hahaha) I was carrying the 5 iron right around 180 and the 4 iron was almost the exact same carry, just a lower flight. I checked my lofts again and they are 23 and 26 degrees which could account for some of bunching with the 2 longer irons.

 

Adding to this, the lob wedge was up from 90-95 yards to 100-105. The PW was nearing 140. Mind you this is just the beginning and I will be adjusting the lofts and lies to what I need for each yardage, but the proof is there. The same length irons all fall into a tighter 100 yard grouping distance-wise for me.

 

I am thinking of dropping the four iron and making my 5 iron 25 degrees. Or even going with a high launch iron shaft, but this could bring in issues with the short irons...

 

Sorry for all the long winded posts. This is acting as a bit of a journal for me as I go forward. I will get the ports drilled into my wedges in the next week. I need to remove 20-30 grams out of the PW-GW-SW-LW roughly.

I don't have any proof of this but you may see some distance reduction in the wedges once you reduce the weight. as for the 4 and 5 iron I could see that happening. I was pondering the idea of a hybrid 4,3 at a 6 iron length for the additional height. the only thing I see wrong with putting a high launch shaft in the 4 iron to get some height is you will probably gain spin which will reduce your distance back to the 5 iron anyways.

[ChaosTheory]

Mcgeeno:

Having been down this road, my advice is don't spend too much money on 4 iron experiments. Just as it is with my 5 iron, your 4 iron is the club that can't be shortened that much and still get the yardage you want/need. It is just a fact of life for a given swing speed that there will be a loft that is the point of diminishing returns. My advice is either stop your iron set at the 5, or live with a regular length 4.

[rawdog]

Had to chime in after beginning my experiment about a month ago. Seems like you guys have put a lot of work into your projects, but maybe there is something in the way I built mine that may help others.

 

The stock set:

 

4-PW Mizuno T-Zoid Pros from Play-it-Again Sports ($40, GREAT deal).

Dynamic Gold Superlite Shafts

 

Had them bent at Golfsmith for $30. All play 63* lie angle. All have 36.5" shaft (8 iron-ish). You can see in my yellow chart below that I was conscious of what changing lofts does to bounce angles. My bounces are all within 2* except for the "4 iron." This would be imperceptible to nearly anyone.

 

To achieve this I eliminated the old 8 iron from the set (ironically). This enabled me to get the loft gaps I wanted without ridiculous bounce numbers. I went with 5* gaps at the top and bottom end of the set to prevent the new "9 iron" from going too far or the "4 iron" from not going far enough. So some clubs got bent up, some got bent down, and the 8 iron got the shaft.

 

What about weights, you ask? I didn't want to reshaft all the clubs, so I used a pipe cutter to trim the ones that were too long, and had extensions put on the ones that were too short. New grips on all. Obviously, had to do the lead tape thing. Used these tungsten rubber weights instead.

 

http://www.golfgalax...CFQiQaQod0X0Dcw

 

I will have to take some pics of the "4 iron." LOTS of tungsten on it. the new 8 and 9 are 14 and 21 grams too heavy, but it is not perceivable enough for me to port them at the moment. So 4-7 all have same club weight (395g) and swingweight (D4). 8 & 9 are probably D5.

 

How do they play? Fantastic. I usually play MX-25s, so having these blades was a bit odd, but after some practice, I am pretty happy. At first, I was hitting the 23* & 28* clubs about the same distance and too low, but after getting over the mental hurdle of wanting to sweep like a long iron, I got my proper gapping. I don't want to post another image, so below are some stats I got from range mode on a local simulator (best I could do without a Trackman). I hit about 8 balls for each club, so there is some bunching showing here, but I'm generally in the ballpark with my lofts.

 

Loft, Launch, Carry, Total Distance, Ball Speed

23, 16, 187, 200, 124

28, 17, 179, 191, 122

32, 20, 165, 173, 118

36, 23, 157, 164, 115

40, 26, 145, 151, 110

45, 28, 136, 141, 106

 

I do not have any swing speed data on myself, but it must be fast enough to where I didn't see a big dropoff from the reduction in club length.

 

However, the best advice I would give anyone doing this is to stop trying to equate your single length iron numbers to your "regular" set. I realize I did this in my chart, but that was to show how much I transformed the clubs.

 

I even went so far as to cover the sole of each club with duct tape at the range so I could not easily distinguish each club. Instead, each club was marked by its loft. The 4 iron isn't a 4 iron anymore. It's my 23* club. It will not and should not perform like my traditional 4 iron. Hence my use of quotes above, and perhaps why Bryson gives his clubs nicknames.

 

I still primarily play my traditional set, but my ball striking has been great lately, so I feel like now is a great time to work in the single length set, to see their full potential.

[rawdog]

I completed some initial testing with my single length iron 'home brew' project tonight.

 

Results were good and bad. Definitely enough positive things to continue going forward. I went through 200 range balls and compared them with my new set as I went to see if this is an overall waste of time. Luckily I havent spent a dime on this project up until now so my wife hasnt killed me yet, hahaha.

 

A couple things I noticed:

 

The good:

 

Obviously I havent pured a 4 or 5 iron like that in my entire life. They are the length and weight of a standard 8 iron so finding the sweet spot was just flat out easier shot after shot. Dispersion was decent, it took a while to dial this in. The trajectory was lowish, definitely lower than my normal set that I also brought.

 

The short irons were consistent and a little longer than expected.

 

All the clubs curved in my normal ball flight. I tried to make ball position, grip, stance etc. As consistent as I could, but its a mental hurdle this early on.

 

The Bad:

 

Definitely heard of this and got to see it first hand. Yardage bunching.

-My typical 4 iron is around 200 carry and my 5 iron is around 190 on a solid strike. I paced out my groupings of range balls and lasered back to my bag. (Course was dead only person there hahaha) I was carrying the 5 iron right around 180 and the 4 iron was almost the exact same carry, just a lower flight. I checked my lofts again and they are 23 and 26 degrees which could account for some of bunching with the 2 longer irons.

 

Adding to this, the lob wedge was up from 90-95 yards to 100-105. The PW was nearing 140. Mind you this is just the beginning and I will be adjusting the lofts and lies to what I need for each yardage, but the proof is there. The same length irons all fall into a tighter 100 yard grouping distance-wise for me.

 

I am thinking of dropping the four iron and making my 5 iron 25 degrees. Or even going with a high launch iron shaft, but this could bring in issues with the short irons...

 

Sorry for all the long winded posts. This is acting as a bit of a journal for me as I go forward. I will get the ports drilled into my wedges in the next week. I need to remove 20-30 grams out of the PW-GW-SW-LW roughly.

 

Can you post the lofts for each of your clubs, please? Maybe I missed it, but I am curious how you gapped yours compared to mine.

[Mcgeeno]

Not quite finished yet.

 

I know I've checked all lofts and lies before starting and my 8 is 36, PW was 47 and the 5 iron was 27 among the ones I remember.

 

I'll definitely need to get things dialed in and adjusted as the project unfolds.

[Buddha]

] I could only imagine the amount of Lead tape to add close to 30g. I was also considering adding the tip weight

 

24.9g on the 4i and 14g on the 5i. It is a lot, but meh, doesn't look as bad as I thought it could. I am going to slowly work on transforming an older set of TM RAC TP Combo irons into a single length set, as they are older, I believe the grooves may be non conforming to the new rules, and likely wouldn't have much resale value, so thus they become a project set. I am working to getting all of the heads to 274g (7i was 273 and change, so easy number to hit).

 

The 8-wedges will require some work, and I will have to find access to a grinder (after doing more research, and likely find an older club or two to experiment on). If I go through the 60° LW, I will need to remove almost 35g to get it to 274g. I figure I will at least go to the GW with the single length. I also need to look into shafts, and am considering a cheap option of the Apollo CWS that can be had from Hireko for $5/per. They don't have what I really want (7i stiff shaft), as they are a closeout item I believe, so I have 2 options, either 6i in reg (would be ssx1) or 5i in stiff (ssx2). Can't imagine myself trying any sort of X flex, especially since I have read these shafts are stiffer than most (a post on WRX states a wedge shaft being ~10CPM stiffer than DG of same flex).

[matchavez]

I love this. You guys are going right down the beaten path. This is why the Pinhawks are all 5º different in loft.

 

It's also why the Wishons use higher restitution in the long irons.

 

In the end, what I found that works for me is that the magic stops at around 28º. This is because you can't get the ball flight apex high enough if you're starting from standard-made heads. You'll have to tinker with every single set because they all seem to have differing characteristics based on the OEM, and those tend to "come out" and be extended in unexpected ways when going single length.

 

Keep on the good fight, SLI brethren, and don't be afraid to just let the 4, 5, and even the 6 iron be a little longer. There's a reason they were only 3º apart. Think in a radial sense; the loft scale is *not* linear!

[Buddha]

I love this. You guys are going right down the beaten path. This is why the Pinhawks are all 5º different in loft.

 

It's also why the Wishons use higher restitution in the long irons.

 

In the end, what I found that works for me is that the magic stops at around 28º. This is because you can't get the ball flight apex high enough if you're starting from standard-made heads. You'll have to tinker with every single set because they all seem to have differing characteristics based on the OEM, and those tend to "come out" and be extended in unexpected ways when going single length.

 

Keep on the good fight, SLI brethren, and don't be afraid to just let the 4, 5, and even the 6 iron be a little longer. There's a reason they were only 3º apart. Think in a radial sense; the loft scale is *not* linear!

 

Keep in mind, some people just want to experiment, and have no plans on dumping $200+ for a set of Pinhawks, or I reckon more for the Sterling SL set.

 

I know myself, it is just something to try, and why not use an older set of heads that have little resale value. I believe as long as people understand that the traditional lofts on their irons will need changed to ensure even gapping, it can be workable, even if not the best way to do it.

[ChaosTheory]

Actually, the current Pinhawks are no longer 5* apart. I am not sure why.

 

I did my set as a DIY project because Pinhawks were backordered at the time. But I'm happy with it.

[Mcgeeno]

It's fun for me I'm really enjoying the project.

 

Sure I could buy 1ron from 4-LW for over a thousand.

 

I'll end up having about 300 in shafts spent and 10 hours on grinding and weighing tops.

 

If it isn't working for me it won't be a big investment to set to the side.

 

I just got my PW and LW weighing 273.

 

They are not pretty. But they should be functional LOL.

[matchavez]

It's fun for me I'm really enjoying the project.

 

They are not pretty. But they should be functional LOL.

 

That's what it's all about. ^

 

Mine are all pulls, funny weights, and luckily I was able to get them re-weighted using the ports for my Pings. I also don't follow standard swingweighting, either. Frankenclubs to be sure, so keep tweaking guys!

[matchavez]

It's fun for me I'm really enjoying the project.

 

They are not pretty. But they should be functional LOL.

 

Mine are all pulls, funny weights, and luckily I was able to get them re-weighted using the ports for my Pings. I also don't follow standard swingweighting, either. Frankenclubs to be sure, so keep tweaking guys!

Actually, the current Pinhawks are no longer 5* apart. I am not sure why.

 

I did my set as a DIY project because Pinhawks were backordered at the time. But I'm happy with it.

 

Wow... just looked at that. Very interesting! It's about what I've found to be true. More "traditional" lofts to the 6-iron, but longer than that and you have to use TaylorMade lofts. :)

[Mcgeeno]

I'm a lefty so I either spend close to 2000 Canadian on single length clubs or...mash up my own for fun hahaha.

 

 

[rawdog]

I'm a lefty so I either spend close to 2000 Canadian on single length clubs or...mash up my own for fun hahaha.

 

Played with my GF Sunday evening and we had a 139 par 3, back pin, so playing 150ish. I hit my traditional PW (47* I believe) and came up about 25' short of the pin.

 

Dropped a ball, hit my fancy smancy single-length 45* club and shoved it between the pin and the back of the green. 8', made the birdie.

 

Nothing I've done in golf was more satisfying than that. Because I built the club myself. To my specs. Using my brain.

 

(With help from what I've read by you single length pioneers.)

 

Think of the guys you play with. They may laugh or think you're nuts. They have zero interest in the science behind the game. But there's something a bit different about us. So I'm willing to put up with being the weird guy who makes his own clubs, because it is a hell of a thrill to see my work come to life, and icing on the cake for my GF to see my hours of tinkering paying off!

[pearsonified]

Regarding the 4 and 5-irons, I bent both of mine strong (while keeping a positive bounce angle to ensure playability off the deck):

 

• 4 @ 22º and 37.5"

• 5 @ 26º and 37.5"

 

I have not had any issues with the launch or ball flight of these two clubs. I've found that you can influence launch angle by how you tape the clubs; for example, adding a bunch of tape on the bottom of the back of the club will lower the COG and raise the launch angle (and spin, so keep that in mind). Because I tend to hit the ball very high, I've started taping my low and mid-irons about 3/4" up from the sole to raise the COG and lower the flight a bit.

 

For reference, my shorter clubs (GW and PW) are 36" long, and the total length progression throughout my set is a mere 1.5". This approach minimizes the amount of weight you need to add to the longer irons (but the 4i is still a challenge, even at ~20g).

 

As I've said repeatedly throughout this thread, I do not think it is sensible to make a single-length set with typical OEM heads. Instead, you'll get the best results—consistent gapping with desirable ball flights—with a custom-length set and a total length progression of at least 1.25". This will require some tinkering with lie angles, but you can use the Clubmaker's Calculator to engineer them to perfection.

 

With my 1.5" total length and 4º loft progression Adams CMBs (22º-50º), I've achieved consistent distance gaps of about 12 yards per club. I routinely hit other clubs, and the gapping is simply not as consistent as it is with my custom set.

 

Finally, I have plans to build a new custom-length set with some minty Adams MB2 heads I have in my shop. The total length progression from GW to 4i will be slightly higher at 1.875", but the lie angle progression will be slightly less—1º per 0.75" rather than 1º per 0.5". This will result in a more consistent swing plane throughout the set along with more similar address conditions.

[Dan Drake]

I'm half a moron, but I kept the 3i in the bag, as it is just way to dang usefull off the tee and as a 2nd shot (layup) club on par 5's. I kept it at 19°, bent the 4i to 24° and bent the 5i (and everything else) 1° weak. So I have a 5° gap from 3i to 4i and a 4° gap down through the rest of the bag. I need to get out on the course late and do a yardage test to see what bunching issues I may have.

 

I do hit the ball lower with my long irons, but here's the thing. It used to be that when I hit the ball too low with a long iron, it was because the ball didn't have the correct launch and spin and that was because I didn't hit it anywhere near the sweet spot. This single length (or shorter length) kinda takes care of that. Sure, they have a lower apex, but they also have more consistent launch and spin. So instead of one 4i landing and sticking and the next one landing and haulin' bucket, they all react much more similarly "downrange."

 

And isn't there something to be said for predictability?

[Mcgeeno]

Ground the PW, 52-56-60 down on the Clevelands this week.

 

I now have the heads all weighing 272-273 grams. I am deciding on which shafts and grips to order so that I can enjoy the static weight and the ball flight through the whole set.

 

For the first week I thought high launch would be key but after hitting some test clubs and doing more research I think I'll go with a mid launch shaft in the 100 gram range.

 

Should have finished clubs and some initial reviews in the next few weeks.

 

I ended up grinding instead of porting the wedges because I actually didn't have a bit that could make enough weight disappear from the clubs. 30 grams is a lot of weight to remove gentlemen...

[Mcgeeno]

Well my home project hit a snag tonight gentlemen...

 

A real bummer occurred when I went to adjust the final lies on my single length clubs.

 

Since I am a self appointed idiot, home brew club maker many of you probably know that bending a cast Cleveland TA3 gun metal iron 4 degrees is a bad idea.

 

I snapped the 5 iron clean in half and cracked the gap wedge when adjusting the lies.

 

I'm still gonna put the set together and use them. If it works out relatively well I'll likely just buy a set now. Bending a lie angle on a cast club that extreme was probably the dumbest idea in the entire project.

 

My 4 iron was 59 I believe? And my GW was close to 66. I was comfortable after all the testing at 62.5 but as you can see I wasnt able to get them all there, LOL.

 

Onward I go. I'll give updates as the play with my set continues. Luckily the 4 iron is fine and I have 47-56-60 degree wedges in addition to the snapped 52 so this is something I can recover from (Bend the 4 weak and make the wedges gap evenly)