How Quickly Does Iron Tech Change?

[leekgolf]

Does iron design and tech change much over a 5 or 10 or 20 year time frame? I understand drivers change enough that people are sometimes told if their driver is 5 years old or more, they can get a real benefit from updating. Are irons similar? Is there a big benefit in upgrading from 5 year old irons? If so, what is the typical benefit?

[SugarLandGolfer]

It really depends on the type of iron. In general, blades and CB irons are relatively similar to what they’ve been, but game improvement irons have had some pretty big advances over the last 10 years. New tech like AI face in GI irons didn’t even exist 5-10 years ago. The middle ground players distance irons have exploded over the last 5 years. It really just depends what you are potentially changing out. There’s a reason bubba kept his s55s and Adam Scott played his MB’s forever. 

[roundersmitty]

How fast does it change...by the time you’re done reading this thread Taylormade has its next 2 releases with one thing tweaked already announced.....

[Texas Golfer]

Graphite shaft technology has improved fairly regularly in the last 20 years.  Cavity back design was developed in the 70s and 80s.  By the mid 90s the designs had progressed and had been optimized into basically what we still see today.

Edited April 17, 2021 by Texas Golfer

[RogerinNewZealand]

Watched an Adam Scott witb video 2 days ago..subtle changes for him and well worth watching.As i like CB and MB irons, non hollow, and detest 5 degree gaps...im just old school and Very Happy.I am a Feel and Sound player too.

[Bad9]

Just remember stronger lofts and longer lengths is not technology.

[Tree Levino]

Not fast...

[lefthack]

My forged blades are from '01 and are basically the same as the blades today and pretty much the ones before it, too. Not much tech in smashed steel.

[Ger21]

Forged blades and CB's can have tungsten plugs in them, which can make a pretty big difference. And they are not always visible.

Both my Nike VR Pro blades and my Onoff forged Kuro's have them.

[coops]

Well... Ping Rapture irons were released 15 years ago (2006) :-

 

"The Rapture irons were the very first Ping irons to utilize a multi-material construction by combining a stainless steel body, thin titanium face, and tungsten toe weight to create the highest MOI iron Ping had ever produced to that point"

 

So just what 'new' 'tech' has truly appeared? High COR face irons? Snake Eyes in 2000 (!) or in 2009 Wishon 870Ti that achieved the Max 0.83 COR in irons?

 

Interesting overview from Tom Wishon here:-

https://wishongolf.com/technology/design-firsts/iron-designs/

 

The bigger change to me has been the much wider range of shafts available to find ones that really suit you - not too long ago, it pretty much came down to either True Temper or Brunswick Rifle shafts (including in your woods)....

Edited April 18, 2021 by coops

[lefthack]

To me the biggest change is how 7 irons became 6's, or maybe even a 5. 🤣

[grochol17]

21 hours ago, lefthack said:

My forged blades are from '01 and are basically the same as the blades today and pretty much the ones before it, too. Not much tech in smashed steel.

 

I really hope that when people ask you what kind of irons you play your response is always "smashed steel."

[lefthack]

4 minutes ago, grochol17 said:

 

I really hope that when people ask you what kind of irons you play your response is always "smashed steel."

 

It's pretty accurate, though. 

[DArnie]

23 hours ago, TigerInTheWoods said:

Not fast...

Here's one from 1978.