I've Been Looking at Iron Shafts All Wrong! A Seniors Tale LOL.

[mjf34g]

Posted this in the wrong forum so here it is. For the last few years I've seen my iron game go downhill. Advancing age and aches and pains had me convinced I needed to go to lighter more flexible shafts and even perhaps graphite. I headed down the rabbit hole and went thru a succession different shaft and manufacturers in search of my iron game. 

The results were mixed but I always seemed to just lose feel, distance and such. A lot of missed greens and ballooning high spinning iron shots. Both light weight steel and graphite. Didn't matter the results seemed always to be the same. 

Just recently I went and checked in with and instructor that I've worked with over the years. He took a look at what I was doing and immediately suggested a change. Most of the shafts I'd been tinkering with were in the 75-to-95-gram range. He set me up with a Mizuno 921 HM Pro shafted with the stock Project X LZ i 5.5 115 gram steel shaft.  I haven't played a shaft that heavy in years and I always felt me and PX's could not co-exist. LOL.

Three range sessions later I've been convinced that I was on the totally wrong path. Distance, trajectory and dispersion are back. I'm hitting shots that I thought I'd never be able to hit again. My tempo is back with my irons and the weight obviously has a lot to do with it. I can actually feel the clubhead again. 

Moral of the story once again shows the importance of fitting and going in with no preconceived ideas and heads and shafts and such.  This old (73) man can still swing those heavier shafts and stiffer flexes. LOL.

[larryd3]

I also went down that rabbit hole with several lighter graphite shafts and ended up back at AMT Black shafts.  I've also had great success with Nippon 105 shafts.  For me the lighter weight and my swing just don't work well together.  

[anser85029]

Been there, done the same trying to retain distance with lighter iron shafts.  Didn't work for me either.  Even a 10g decrease in shaft weight was a tempo destroyer.

 

Decided maintaining tempo trumps chasing a couple more yards.

 

 

 

 

[golf9596]

Why do we “Old guys” think we need lighter more flexible shafts…I’m back to $-Tapper 120-s. Anything lighter and my timing is gone.  

[seis]

I started out this season hitting a set of Ping G20s, senior flex graphite, I bought awhile back anticipating the need as I near 70. I developed a bad case of the pulls-lefties this year so I went back to an older set of Callaway X12s that I bought years ago and as the season ends I am hitting GIR s again, even with the 5 iron. The Callys have the uniflex steel shaft which tends toward stiff. I guess the weight and stouter flex make the difference even though after playing my hands hurt more mainly due to arthritis and old 16 inch softball injuries. That is the sacrifice I make to better golf I guess.

[Itsjustagame]

Same age as you and switching to lighter shafts has worked very well for me. Moved from Recoil 110's to F4 680's. Very happy with the results, particularly when playing multiple days in a row.

My back does not like golf, but the lighter shafts are noticeably less tiring.

 

[Billfitz]

I went to lighter shafts in the 90s, went to Senior Flex in the last five years. Both changes improved my game.

[MisterT]

I went from Nippon 950s in Stiff flex in TaylorMade M1 irons to Modus 105s in Regular flex in Srixon ZX5s and have found them to be quite comparable in performance. The Modus shafts seem to be a bit more "point and shoot" in my rounds to date. I'll be 61 in two weeks...

[Pepperturbo]

On 12/2/2021 at 11:22 AM, mjf34g said:

This old (73) man can still swing those heavier shafts and stiffer flexes. LOL.

Good for you.

 

I am not as old but trying to catch up...at 70.  Went from PX 6.0 120g shafts to PX 5.5, to Steelfiber i110cw "S", a 95g and 105g "S" then impulse led me to MMT 125g "S".   When a person gets to 70+ we can't help but lose strength, but not so much that going to lightweight shafts is the only option.     

 

Truth be known, I'm probably losing some distance as I type this. LOL  We can't stop the effects of aging, we can only fight vigorously to slow it down.

[Pastit]

On 12/2/2021 at 7:22 PM, mjf34g said:

Posted this in the wrong forum so here it is. For the last few years I've seen my iron game go downhill. Advancing age and aches and pains had me convinced I needed to go to lighter more flexible shafts and even perhaps graphite. I headed down the rabbit hole and went thru a succession different shaft and manufacturers in search of my iron game. 

The results were mixed but I always seemed to just lose feel, distance and such. A lot of missed greens and ballooning high spinning iron shots. Both light weight steel and graphite. Didn't matter the results seemed always to be the same. 

Just recently I went and checked in with and instructor that I've worked with over the years. He took a look at what I was doing and immediately suggested a change. Most of the shafts I'd been tinkering with were in the 75-to-95-gram range. He set me up with a Mizuno 921 HM Pro shafted with the stock Project X LZ i 5.5 115 gram steel shaft.  I haven't played a shaft that heavy in years and I always felt me and PX's could not co-exist. LOL.

Three range sessions later I've been convinced that I was on the totally wrong path. Distance, trajectory and dispersion are back. I'm hitting shots that I thought I'd never be able to hit again. My tempo is back with my irons and the weight obviously has a lot to do with it. I can actually feel the clubhead again. 

Moral of the story once again shows the importance of fitting and going in with no preconceived ideas and heads and shafts and such.  This old (73) man can still swing those heavier shafts and stiffer flexes. LOL.

Very interesting. My health sounds similar but with an enforced gap of five years following a sudden wrist injury after I had just bought some brand new irons shafted with the same LZ’s you mention. But I’ve sold mine and

restarted golf in August 2021, with a set of 2010 Callaway FT’s in stiff, 75 gram graphite. I seem to have an elbow and/ or shoulder issue since I’ve had to adopt a baseball grip to avoid excessive coming-over-the-top. Fortunately the quality of my wood and rescue striking remains high, I’m a lapsed 8 handicap but play at c14 due to poor iron play. I only carry irons in 6 through PW now and try and carry an extra 9 iron in PX 6.0 for chipping. Thanks

Edited December 17, 2021 by Pastit
Errors

[daveob]

You guys have described me! Love golf nearing 70, finally have time to play, but everything hurts and loss of strength is noticeable. Went from KBS steel to MMT lightweight graphite. Performance is similar but new ones are much easier on the joints. I can still score but would love to kick the GIR back up.

[HockeyDave]

Great topic, interesting inputs for sure. I went to a reputable fitting provider two years ago and walked out with lightweight graphite shafts in my irons (I was 58 at the time). Over the next year, I lost serious distance (about one club worth) and my dispersion was terrible. Handicap went up four shots. One day I decided to pull out my previous set which were Dynamic Gold stiff. Almost immediately my distance returned and my shots were landing a lot closer than they had been.

Agree, they are a little tougher on the joints etc. but just throwing my two cents in. Currently ordering some new irons and going with either the Nippon NEO or Project X LZ. A little lighter than the Dynamic Golds but still have some zip to them.