Need your insight on how much I can weaken 5 & 6-iron lofts without effecting playability

[TTCarrera]

I just posted this question on a specific brand/club/model discussion thread, but since it's just within that specific content it might go unnoticed by most of you. So I'll rephrase it here for you club techs. I would appreciate your thoughts on this.

 

I'm a bit older than your average 6-Handicap player (72) but have always been a good athlete and still hit the ball pretty well. Driver club speed is 98-101.

 

On Tuesday I was fitted for the new 2021 Callaway Apex Pro irons, but I substituted the regular Apex for the 5 & 6 irons for a sort of build-it-yourself combo set. Accuracy with those long irons (and 22* hybrid instead of a 4-iron) are where my game is pressured. So I thought such a combo with a bigger cavity and more offset in the 5 & 6 would be smart.

 

Then yesterday I was watching the TXG guys discuss these irons on their YouTube channel. One of them noticed the stronger lofts in the regular Apex and commented that to correctly put together a combo set you might have to order two 7-irons: one in Apex and one in Apex Pro in order to have better gapping. So suddenly I have second thoughts. (Callaway does offer an Apex/Apex Pro combo set where all of the lofts are fully coordinated ... they say on their website that these have different tooling for the iron heads used in combos. But the 7-iron in their pre-made combos is Apex, not Apex Pro, and I consider my 7-iron to be a scoring iron where I want the better feel and control that the Pro offers).

 

I called the golf shop this morning when they opened to ask that they just build all of the irons in Apex Pro (forget the DIY combo). They called Callaway and apparently the order was submitted yesterday and were told that the clubs/shafts/grips were assembled this morning, bent to my 1* flat spec, boxed up and are in the shipping department already. Apparently, my order was one of the very first in their custom order book when they went live this morning.

 

So here's the problem, a possible solution and a request for your opinions. Again, I ordered Apex 21 in a 5 & 6 iron and Apex Pro 21 in 7-P + A wedge: 

 

 

Problem: The Apex Pro 7-iron has a loft of 33* and the Apex 6-iron's loft is 26.5*. That's a 6.5* gap difference!!! WAY too much.

 

Possible Solution: The stock Apex Pro gap between 6 & 7 is spec'd at 4.0*. So the shop says they can bend the 5 & 6 regular Apex irons by 2.5* to weaken them to produce a 4.0* gap. That would make the Apex 5 & 6-iron lofts consistent through the whole set but it worries me that the corresponding increase in bounce (2.5*?) might negatively effect playability. So I'm think that the most I'd dare weaken them is 2.0*, that would close the gap between the 6 & 7 irons to a 4.5* gap. Could I get away with that, hoping that the smaller increase in bounce is not causing a problem?

 

By the way, I live in the Pacific Northwest and we have soft turf most of the year, although in the warm sunny months of late June through October we have medium turf (well-irrigated by not mushy). Maybe 125 rounds a year here. Then I might play 7-8 rounds each winter in La Quinta or Scottsdale. Again, firm but irrigated turf. So, never any hardpan.

 

Comments, opinions please?:  What does everyone think I should do? Thanks in advance.

Edited January 29, 2021 by TTCarrera

[Stuart_G]

There are always exceptions but for the vast majority of am's, that little change in bounce wont be noticeable.   And even for the few that it is, a little grinding of the sole will take care of any problems.

[TTCarrera]

16 hours ago, Stuart_G said:

There are always exceptions but for the vast majority of am's, that little change in bounce wont be noticeable.   And even for the few that it is, a little grinding of the sole will take care of any problems.

Thank you, I appreciate your thoughts.

[brew4eagle]

I'd wait to try them first to determine how large the actual yardage gap is.  Then don't forget you can close that gap not only by weakening the longer irons but also by strengthening the shorter irons, or a combination of both.

[TTCarrera]

5 hours ago, brew4eagle said:

I'd wait to try them first to determine how large the actual yardage gap is.  Then don't forget you can close that gap not only by weakening the longer irons but also by strengthening the shorter irons, or a combination of both.

👍

 

[tjcarsillo]

I would swing them first as well through the turf...however with that being said, I have my jpx919 bent 2 degrees weak. I find the added bounce gets through the turf nice(coming from mp18 blades) and adding loft reduces the offset and fits my eye very nicely. I think you’d be fine bending them

[TTCarrera]

On 2/1/2021 at 4:51 PM, tjcarsillo said:

I would swing them first as well through the turf...however with that being said, I have my jpx919 bent 2 degrees weak. I find the added bounce gets through the turf nice(coming from mp18 blades) and adding loft reduces the offset and fits my eye very nicely. I think you’d be fine bending them

Good idea to swing them first, although the 6.5* spread between the Apex 6 iron and Apex Pro 7-iron is a bit extreme.

[Pepperturbo]

Weaken the loft of the Apex 5 & 6 iron by 2' and all should be good.  You should be able to cover 5' spread as opposed to normal 4', by adjusting swing mechanics. 

 

My 620 Series 7i is 35', 6i is 31 and 5i is 27, 4i is 24 and 3i is 21.

Edited February 9, 2021 by Pepperturbo