Rebuilding my irons take 2

[Alan Pllu]

I did a reshaft of my irons over the winter last year and I decided to do a DIY attempt at moi matching off my 6 iron which was the club out of Mt set that I hit most consistently. 

 

To do this I went with 3/8 of an inch increments instead of 1/2 in so the short irons were all playing longer and heavier sw than standard. 

 

The experiment didn't work and I haven't been happy with the clubs since the rebuild which is mostly down to the shafts that I used I wasn't completely happy with. The only club that really worked for me was my 49 gap wedge which was about 1/2-5/8 of an inch longer if memory serves me correct and was swingweigjting around D6. I just seemed to hit this really well but struggled with everything else. 

 

I have put my old set into play whilst I am waiting for new shafts and ferrules to arrive and have played 2 rounds this weekend whith much improved irons play and scored better. 

 

When rebuilding my irons with the replacement shafts I'm wondering if I should just build them to a swingweight and standard length through the set or if I should do something different. 

 

I'm possibly overthinking it as usual but I'm wonderingnif I should build them from the wedges up and have the length progression from the wedges as I hit them very well, wedges are the strongest part of my game just now or go from standard lengths. How do I find out if I need to alter the length from testing myself? Would I need to build a test club and test it at multiple lengths? What would be the telltale that I need longer or shorter iron length?

 

Also what's the best way to find what weight works best for me? Is it again build a test club and then break it down for a final build once I get the correct weight? How do I then transfer this across the set? Would I have to build them and add lead tape till I get a weight that works and the strip and rebuild with the appropriate tip weight? 

 

What should I find out first length or weight? I'm changing to a different shaft that I don't have in any other clubs so can't test without breaking down my clubs and building with the new shaft to get a test club. 

 

I know the answer is probably get fitted but I have been for 2 iron fittings neither really went into detail with length and there was never a discussion about weight or swingweight, I also came out with the wrong shaft twice. I have had a couple of driver and putter fittings and I was very underwhelmed buy them so trying to gather as much information as I can to try and get it right myself. 

 

 

[Noodler]

I start with the wedge length preference to guide the rest of the set (as long as the iron heads can be adjusted to the required lie angles based on the determined club lengths; this is a bigger concern if the iron heads are not forged/more adjustable).  Your setup posture with the wedges needs to be "right" and then you need a consistent progression from there up into your short/mid/long irons.

 

Once you have the club length determined, you can assess the needed club weight/head weight of the 7 iron (or some like to use the 6 iron).  You can use lead tape to add weight to the club and test your center-strike accuracy.  Eventually you will land on what feels the best for your swing.  The rest of the build is then calculated based on that test club.

[Alan Pllu]

4 minutes ago, Noodler said:

I start with the wedge length preference to guide the rest of the set (as long as the iron heads can be adjusted to the required lie angles based on the determined club lengths; this is a bigger concern if the iron heads are not forged/more adjustable).  Your setup posture with the wedges needs to be "right" and then you need a consistent progression from there up into your short/mid/long irons.

 

Once you have the club length determined, you can assess the needed club weight/head weight of the 7 iron (or some like to use the 6 iron).  You can use lead tape to add weight to the club and test your center-strike accuracy.  Eventually you will land on what feels the best for your swing.  The rest of the build is then calculated based on that test club.

Iron heads are mp18 so plenty of adjustment potential in them, I also have a loft and lie machine so can do this myself. 

 

Would be benefit to having my pw, gw and sw the same length then go 1/2 inch from there or go 1/2 from sw? Gw is getting the same shaft as the irons in case that makes any difference. 

 

My set makeup is 6i-pw (46*) 49, 52, 56, 60. 49 is my old pw loft so it is used like a pw and is my shortest full swing only club, 52, 56 and 60 will be full swings and partials.

 

Do I calculate the length of the 6i from the wedges then build it to length, add tape till it works best then measure the swingweight and build the rest of the set 6i-49 to that swingweight? 

 

How do I calculate what to do with the rest of the build from the 6i? 

[Noodler]

I use the head weights as the basis for what happens with the shafts.  If there's a difference in head weight (6-8g) then there should be a corresponding difference in shaft length.  I do not subscribe to the typical 1/4" length change from PW to #9 and if the PW to GW has a weight change then there better be a length change to go with it.