Dilemma of fitting 3/8’ better than 1/2’?

[Trebor99]

Update - fitters just recommend a standard 1/2’ increase in shaft length because I am tall. I can’t get a better idea than that. 
 

so is it just worth going with their suggestion or chance a standard 5 iron (maybe 1/4’ longer) with 3/8’ gaps from club to club?

 

thank you

 

original post

 

I am 6’4 and wrist to floor is 37 without shoes. Someone tried to sell me standard shaft sizes, so I would like to know roughly what I should be expecting to try, in order to find the right fit for me. 

 

thank you

Edited March 13, 2022 by Trebor99

[Stuart_G]

11 hours ago, Trebor99 said:

I am 6’4 and wrist to floor is 37 without shoes. Someone tried to sell me standard shaft sizes, so I would like to know roughly what I should be expecting to try, in order to find the right fit for me. 

 

First of all, there isn't any one single standard for playing length - different OEM's and even different models can have different stock playing lengths.  Second, the methods that OEM's use to measure length actually vary quite a bit so  a 38" 5i for one company may actually be a different length than a 38" 5i for a different company.

 

But even with that problem - WTF value should translate to actual lengths - not relative lengths.   e.g.   the chart I use has 37" WTF fit into a 38.25" 5i length.  But if you add shoes, it might go up to a 38.5"  5i.    

 

That could be stock (+0") for one set yet +3/4" for a different set.  So once you have that playing length value, you then have to compare that to the stock lengths for the particular set you're considering to come up with the relative adjustment from the stock length - which is needed for any ordering.

 

But that's only a starting place for the fitting process.   Only actual testing will validate any particular length being a good fit or not.

 

 

11 hours ago, Trebor99 said:

What are the pitfalls of longer/shorter clubs.

 

The short answer is that length fitting for IRONS only is all about making sure the shortest irons do not get too short and that the long irons do not get too long.  It has nothing to do with the mid-irons - which is a bit ironic when you consider most "fittings" are only done with a mid irons.   

 

Too short in the short irons can lead to posture issues which can negatively effect the swing and long irons getting too long can lead to problems with control and consistency.

 

Too short in the short irons is more about size (such as WTF) but also posture, swing plane, and flexibility.

 

Too long in the long irons is more about quality of the mechanics and athletic ability and much less about size (WTF).

 

This post is a really good, more in depth explanation.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Stuart_G

[Trebor99]

Thank you so much for the response @Stuart_G it was really helpful. Kind of confirmed that I don’t have much chance getting a proper fitting. 
 

So I went for a “fitting” today and was recommended to get 0.5’ increase. The big problem is that nowhere has the range of clubs to test on, mostly just the 7 iron. This means I have no idea whether the sand wedge will be long enough/ 5 iron too long. 
 

After reading other posts also, I am tempted to ring back and ask for a standard 5 iron and then 3/8’ gaps between clubs, rather than 1/2’ between clubs which might just make the difference I need want. Frustrating. 
 

Thanks again.
 

 

 

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by Trebor99

[Billfitz]

I have a 5/8" increase. I also start my increases with the gap wedge, rather than having the gap and SW the same length. That gives longer than stock across the board, with the 5 iron an inch and a half longer than stock. Doing this wasn't the result of fitting, it's because thirty odd years of assembling my own clubs and reshafting/regripping off the shelf clubs taught me what works best for my game.

 

With your height I can see going an inch or more longer than normal across the board. If you're comfortable with a 3/8" gap that's OK too, but I'd be starting with that as a longer 5 iron and working down from there, rather than a 36 inch LW and working up from there. But that's just an educated guess, only you can decide what's best for you. The advantage to working down with a 3/8" difference from a 39 inch or so 5 iron is that if any or all prove to be too long it's easier to make them shorter than it is to make them longer.

[Stuart_G]

9 hours ago, Trebor99 said:

So I went for a “fitting” today and was recommended to get 0.5’ increase. The big problem is that nowhere has the range of clubs to test on, mostly just the 7 iron. This means I have no idea whether the sand wedge will be long enough/ 5 iron too long.

 

The length that has worked (or has caused problems) with the wedges (SW/LW)  should be a pretty good indicator of what type of problems you might have at the short end.    Your current set might help you determine at what point (length) the longer irons might become a problem.   Now it's not completely independent of shaft weight but it's not a bad starting point.  Certainly both more informative than hitting a 6i or 7i at any length.

 

[Trebor99]

Thank you for the responses. 

[JDennis]

I have a 37.5 wrist to floor measurement (at 6ft haha).  I play .75 or 1" over clubs. I can play .5 over in a pinch, but standard are out of the question. 

[Billfitz]

Keep in mind that when iron shaft lengths were more or less standardized in the 1940s the average American man was 5"9" tall. That included Ben Hogan. His 9 iron and wedges were 35.5".