Steelfiber i80 vs i95

[hammergolf]

I’ve been playing i95 in my irons for several years. I’ve lost some speed and thinking about changing to i80. I tried the i70 but they were too light. It just seems now I really struggle to load the i95 and launch/spin is too low. I tried softstepping but it still didn’t help. Any advice would be helpful.

[blueonblack]

I think I saw they offer maybe a softer flex yet than regular?

I liked the transition from their 110 stiff to 95 regular. Pretty seamless. But I can't speak from 95 to 80.

I understand if you like their shafts, there are models with a softer tip for higher launch.

 

Otherwise, the UST recoil graphite seem to get good comments too? I'm on the graphite bandwagon myself.

[jeffrey r]

If you are sensitive to weight, I'd sooner go FC 90 than i80 in SF.  Every time I drop below 90g, it is a failure.   In my experience, FC 90 stiff is pretty comparable to i95 R.  I have the FC 90 in a set of Epic Forged irons, and really like that combo.  You might give the FC 90 regular a chance.  I have also been giving Recoil 95 F3 and 95 F4 a run, and really enjoy both of those.  You might try the Recoil 95 F3 as an alternative to the SF i95 R.  More feel to me in the Recoils.  YMMV. 

[libtech75]

51 minutes ago, jeffrey r said:

If you are sensitive to weight, I'd sooner go FC 90 than i80 in SF.  Every time I drop below 90g, it is a failure.   In my experience, FC 90 stiff is pretty comparable to i95 R.  I have the FC 90 in a set of Epic Forged irons, and really like that combo.  You might give the FC 90 regular a chance.  I have also been giving Recoil 95 F3 and 95 F4 a run, and really enjoy both of those.  You might try the Recoil 95 F3 as an alternative to the SF i95 R.  More feel to me in the Recoils.  YMMV. 

Also have Epic Forged with the FC 80.  Very nicely weighted and stable shaft. I have a second set of 919 Hot Metals with the Recoil 95 F3 and they are comparable with the FC 80 being a bit firmer in my opinion but both really nice shafts.
 

[Stuart_G]

13 hours ago, hammergolf said:

I’ve been playing i95 in my irons for several years. I’ve lost some speed and thinking about changing to i80. I tried the i70 but they were too light. It just seems now I really struggle to load the i95 and launch/spin is too low. I tried softstepping but it still didn’t help. Any advice would be helpful.

 

Stuggling with the loading is a stiffness issue, not a weight issue.  Weight is generally more important than stiffness so If you're only having a problem with the stiffness profile, changing weight isn't the solution.

 

So either go down a full flex with the i95, or find a different shaft model with a softer profile.  Like the UST Recoil 95 or the steelfiber fc90's.

 

 

Edited October 12, 2020 by Stuart_G

[anthonyconroy]

My iron shafts keep snapping at the hosel... I love the shaft but why would they keep breaking?

 

[Thayneil]

14 hours ago, anthonyconroy said:

My iron shafts keep snapping at the hosel... I love the shaft but why would they keep breaking?

 

did you buy pull outs?

 

maybe overheated and weakened tip

 

otherwise no idea

[Colej]

21 hours ago, anthonyconroy said:

My iron shafts keep snapping at the hosel... I love the shaft but why would they keep breaking?

 

Are the hosels coned at the top where the shaft enters? There should be a little bit of taper at the very top of the hosel. 
 

Did you buy .355 tip shafts and your iron hosel bore is .370? If you don’t use a shim that’s too much epoxy to fill that gap. That can lead to failure. 

[ob1soccer]

On 10/12/2020 at 6:59 AM, Stuart_G said:

 

Stuggling with the loading is a stiffness issue, not a weight issue.  Weight is generally more important than stiffness so If you're only having a problem with the stiffness profile, changing weight isn't the solution.

 

So either go down a full flex with the i95, or find a different shaft model with a softer profile.  Like the UST Recoil 95 or the steelfiber fc90's.

 

 

would someone struggle with loading if they were using a 130 gram shaft instead of a 90 gram shaft?

[Stuart_G]

11 hours ago, ob1soccer said:

would someone struggle with loading if they were using a 130 gram shaft instead of a 90 gram shaft?

 

Not enough details.   Not impossible but unlikely assuming everything else about the shaft is the same except weight for most average players.   Might seen some difference for weaker players for which the heavier weight is significantly slowing down the swing. 

 

But it really doesn't matter if they were. 

 

First of all it's important to realize that their is no ideal amount of loading, so the amount of loading (and any struggle to get a desired amount) is purely a subjective evaluation.    So if they feel like they are "struggling to load" a shaft, it just means that the shaft is likely too stiff for their personal preferences (or expectations) for how stiff the shaft should feel.   It doesn't mean anything specific in terms of how the shaft might perform.

 

Second, when fitting for a shaft, weight is generally much more important than stiffness.  So the best shaft weight should be figured out first before you even start to worry about the stiffness or loading feel.    And on top of that, stiffness doesn't always change with weight the way many people think - especially when it comes to graphite shafts.   So one should never assume that the stiffness will change when they change weight.

 

Therefore the question of relative loading between such different weight shafts is really not something anyone should ever need to be asking.  First figure out what weight is the best, then you can worry about the loading feel between the different options at that weight.

 

Edited June 30, 2023 by Stuart_G

[ob1soccer]

ok thanks alot