41 degree pitching wedge.. "Longest irons ever". Grandma just smoked a 9 iron 200 yards. (***MERGED***)

[MrCook]

3 hours ago, iknowbagu said:

The buying extra clubs thing is a total non-issue. If everything was still traditional lofted would you buy 1-P? Probably not. Almost every manufacturer allows you to start the set wherever you like, so get 5-G and fill in the rest of the bag accordingly. I know it's winter and we're all bored out of our minds, but come on people, let's use our heads here. 

 

I agree, I don't see the issue either.

 

Modern players 4-P, players distance 5-GW and i230 6-GW2 all cover the same lofts with the same amount of clubs. Those sets can be bought that way without issue. Why would someone feel the need to buy more filler clubs? Especially when "there's 2 GW's now!!!" is one of the main complaints of this thread, that's kind of contradictory in my book.

[Nessism]

22 hours ago, iknowbagu said:

The buying extra clubs thing is a total non-issue. If everything was still traditional lofted would you buy 1-P? Probably not. Almost every manufacturer allows you to start the set wherever you like, so get 5-G and fill in the rest of the bag accordingly. I know it's winter and we're all bored out of our minds, but come on people, let's use our heads here. 

 

Buying a set with two gap wedges IS an issue for ME.  I refuse.  You are free to buy whatever you want, of course, but I'm simply saying that I won't.  It's stupid, and I don't like being jerked around, and forced to learn new distances.

Edited January 17, 2023 by Nessism

[TheOverratedPhotog]

7 hours ago, Nessism said:

 

Buying a set with two gap wedges IS and issue for ME.  I refuse.  You are free to buy whatever you want, of course, but I'm simply saying that I won't.  It's stupid, and I don't like being jerked around, and forced to learn new distances.

 

You'll have to learn new distances anyway if you get new clubs. With materials getting betters, distances are going to change, with you getting older etc.

[Red4282]

6 hours ago, TheOverratedPhotog said:

 

You'll have to learn new distances anyway if you get new clubs. With materials getting betters, distances are going to change, with you getting older etc.

[nbar]

Just everybody wait til your my age (80) then talk to me about not wanting more distance. Your times coming so be ready. Still love the game and lost my ego and move forward on the tees makes it much more enjoyable.

[dekez]

44 minutes ago, nbar said:

Just everybody wait til your my age (80) then talk to me about not wanting more distance. Your times coming so be ready. Still love the game and lost my ego and move forward on the tees makes it much more enjoyable.

For sure.  I'm curious though, does a slower swing have enough speed to hit the lower numbered irons?  With enough gaps between clubs?

[Tree Levino]

8 hours ago, TheOverratedPhotog said:

 

You'll have to learn new distances anyway if you get new clubs. With materials getting betters, distances are going to change, with you getting older etc.

What is that tech and material doing again? It’s about loft. It has always been about loft. 
 

 

[MtlJeff]

13 minutes ago, TigerInTheWoods said:

What is that tech and material doing again? It’s about loft. It has always been about loft. 
 

 

 

I have no doubt that with the same length of shaft, and same loft, a modern GI/SGI club will launch higher than an older blade or even a modern one

 

I do think though that the MFR claims that they need to be this much stronger due to higher lofts probably jumped the shark like 5 degrees ago

 

Maybe i'll test it one day, but i would bet a lot of money that i wouldn't launch a 27 degree 7 iron at 17-18 degrees, which is my launch with a blade 7 iron at 33-34 degrees

[tbowles411]

1 hour ago, dekez said:

For sure.  I'm curious though, does a slower swing have enough speed to hit the lower numbered irons?  With enough gaps between clubs?

I'm 52 with a bad back and I embraced the lofts.  Once I adjusted, I perfectly fine with not going back.

 

The fitting is still the key; choosing the right shafts and frankly putting ego aside.  I went from stiff to regular flex, a few grams lighter and a different bend profile.  It made all the difference.  I have zero trouble getting a ball airborne.

[moostache]

High launch, yuge distance. I don't see the issue with it, personally. If you're playing these it either helps you maintain some distances you were used to, or it doesn't really matter what you're playing, cause you're not consistent regardless. If it makes the game more fun for you, more power to you. If you run into people bragging about iron distances, chances are they're not scoring well anyway...

[Red4282]

2 hours ago, MtlJeff said:

 

I have no doubt that with the same length of shaft, and same loft, a modern GI/SGI club will launch higher than an older blade or even a modern one

 

I do think though that the MFR claims that they need to be this much stronger due to higher lofts probably jumped the shark like 5 degrees ago

 

Maybe i'll test it one day, but i would bet a lot of money that i wouldn't launch a 27 degree 7 iron at 17-18 degrees, which is my launch with a blade 7 iron at 33-34 degrees

I think he was talking speed/distance not launch. And compare todays GI clubs to that of 23 years ago, loft for loft. The claim was “materials” or whatever that means. Virtually no difference. 

[bekgolf]

5 hours ago, nbar said:

Just everybody wait til your my age (80) then talk to me about not wanting more distance. Your times coming so be ready. Still love the game and lost my ego and move forward on the tees makes it much more enjoyable.

 

The distance gain is being realized by labeling a former 9 iron as a wedge (just an example).  Same loft, same distance, same club, different number on the bottom of the club.

[Ripken08]

On 1/16/2023 at 8:55 AM, iknowbagu said:

The buying extra clubs thing is a total non-issue. If everything was still traditional lofted would you buy 1-P? Probably not. Almost every manufacturer allows you to start the set wherever you like, so get 5-G and fill in the rest of the bag accordingly. I know it's winter and we're all bored out of our minds, but come on people, let's use our heads here. 

The loft bitchers don't care what season it is lol

[Red4282]

1 hour ago, bekgolf said:

 

The distance gain is being realized by labeling a former 9 iron as a wedge (just an example).  Same loft, same distance, same club, different number on the bottom of the club.

That, and who cares if you lose distance when you age. We all know its going to happen. I dont wanna be lied to lol

[PuffyC]

2 hours ago, bekgolf said:

 

The distance gain is being realized by labeling a former 9 iron as a wedge (just an example).  Same loft, same distance, same club, different number on the bottom of the club.

This, and the problem for me is when I switch sets. I have an old set of Wilson Fluid Feels where the 6 iron has 34 degrees loft and a club length of 36.5 inches. When I swap that with a set of Mizuno 921s, the 34 degree club with the exact same 36.5" length now has an 8 on it. They're the same loft, the same length, and they go roughly the same distance (per a launch monitor), but I either have to carry a cheat sheet to track the differences or memorize them whenever I swap, and they're not the only 2 sets I own. It would be much easier if I didn't have to do mental conversions trying to figure out if my modern 8 iron is really a 6, or a 5, or maybe a 7 - who knows. And I get the whole 'who cares about the number on the club' thing, but at its core it's meant to mislead the consumer whose only actual gain is ego. No one should be in favor of that.

[Feelingofgreatness]

6 hours ago, TigerInTheWoods said:

What is that tech and material doing again? It’s about loft. It has always been about loft. 
 

 

I'm not buying what he's selling 😂

 

My iron game is noticeably better with modern game improvement irons than it is with small forged blades. 

 

I could never hit a green from over 160y with forged blades, now I often hit greens from 170y, 180y and even 190-200y with pxg 0311XPs. I didn't take lessons nor did the swing change. 

[Red4282]

8 minutes ago, Feelingofgreatness said:

I'm not buying what he's selling 😂

 

My iron game is noticeably better with modern game improvement irons than it is with small forged blades. 

 

I could never hit a green from over 160y with forged blades, now I often hit greens from 170y, 180y and even 190-200y with pxg 0311XPs. I didn't take lessons nor did the swing change. 

Placebo is a real thing

[Klubster]

6 hours ago, TigerInTheWoods said:

What is that tech and material doing again? It’s about loft. It has always been about loft. 
 

 

I somewhat agree with him.  I have always used forged blades and players irons.  Six months ago I moved to GI and graphite.  Due to nearly a club stronger loft, I expected a lower trajectory and more distance.  I was surprised that a 7 iron still flew like a 7 iron and the distances were not much longer.  I figure the lower GOG gave me a higher effective launch angle than my old clubs.  In reality, the only adjustment I really made was chipping with an 8 iron instead of a 7.  I do notice that misses toward the toe do not lose as much distance and stay on line better. 

 

Now, if you compare heads of similar design with a similar COG with different lofts, I would expect different distances and launch angle. 

[boggyman]

1 hour ago, Feelingofgreatness said:

I'm not buying what he's selling 😂

 

My iron game is noticeably better with modern game improvement irons than it is with small forged blades. 

 

I could never hit a green from over 160y with forged blades, now I often hit greens from 170y, 180y and even 190-200y with pxg 0311XPs. I didn't take lessons nor did the swing change. 

How much “noticeable “??

[Jim53]

55 minutes ago, Klubster said:

I somewhat agree with him.  I have always used forged blades and players irons.  Six months ago I moved to GI and graphite.  Due to nearly a club stronger loft, I expected a lower trajectory and more distance.  I was surprised that a 7 iron still flew like a 7 iron and the distances were not much longer.  I figure the lower GOG gave me a higher effective launch angle than my old clubs.  In reality, the only adjustment I really made was chipping with an 8 iron instead of a 7.  I do notice that misses toward the toe do not lose as much distance and stay on line better. 

 

Now, if you compare heads of similar design with a similar COG with different lofts, I would expect different distances and launch angle. 

I had some conversations with then Callaway main office staffers (a lot of the original zoo crew) and the reasoning behind having to lower lofts was in the newer designs with more weight lower and back if the lofts remained the same it would be sky ball city for normal SS players. By normal I mean not wrx normal of 120 mph driver swing but the 90-105 mph that most mortals and older folks have and the target market for those type designs.

It made sense then and still does in my mind, being in the later SS range and old I would love the play blades and have but it is not as much fun compared to what I now play which not seriously jacked at a 42* 9 iron but still some help there.

[mtg]

9 hours ago, dekez said:

For sure.  I'm curious though, does a slower swing have enough speed to hit the lower numbered irons?  With enough gaps between clubs?

Solid point here... slower speed players need to go to hybrids at much higher lofts. They also probably need bigger loft gaps in their set to get adequate distance gaps. If the PW keep getting stronger we're looking at a "set" of irons that shouldn't be more than 3 clubs, 4 clubs max. 

 

Cleveland (was it Adams?) tried the iron/hybrid set, I'm sure others did too, didn't seem to get much traction. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by mtg

[Feelingofgreatness]

1 hour ago, boggyman said:

How much “noticeable “??

Handicap Index is down from a 14 to an 8 in a few years.

Coming from Miura irons to a few sets of PXGs, currently the 0311 XPs.

My home course has 27 holes and 4 par 3s over 175 yards. I almost never hit them before and now I'm usually on the green or very close. It is so much easier using a 37", 27 degree 7 iron from 170, than a 37.75", 27 degree 5 iron with a very small head. Maybe it's placebo, I can't scientifically prove it but the PXGs seem WAY EASIER to hit for me and my GIRs have gone from about 4 to 8.

[TheOverratedPhotog]

3 hours ago, Feelingofgreatness said:

I'm not buying what he's selling 😂

 

My iron game is noticeably better with modern game improvement irons than it is with small forged blades. 

 

I could never hit a green from over 160y with forged blades, now I often hit greens from 170y, 180y and even 190-200y with pxg 0311XPs. I didn't take lessons nor did the swing change. 

 

I would agree. This is like arguing a formula one car drives faster around a track when the average person couldn't handle driving one. The average distance on clubs for an amateur would have increased over time. The top distance may not, because the sweet spot is getting bigger, but not that much more amazing

Edited January 17, 2023 by TheOverratedPhotog

[TheOverratedPhotog]

One of the things people here who are against delofting convenient forget about is something called covering the ball. The average professional  delofts their clubs by about 13-30% by covering the ball. The average amateur doesn't cover the ball much, if at all. Low handicaps and scratch golfers might, but the average 10+ handicap wouldn't. 

 

So ultimately, these delofted clubs do exactly what the professionals are doing, but make it available to amateurs. And to them, that's a bad thing for some obscure reason. I have a set of T300's which are delofted. I hit them longer, straighter and higher than my previous clubs, and I'm getting older so distance will progressively become an issue. I can also stop everything up to a 5 iron within a meter. So what's the problem?

Edited January 17, 2023 by TheOverratedPhotog

[Jim53]

All these threads have a common theme, those with speed crap on the delofted clubs and those of us that need the help seem to like them for the most part in some form or another, and no some of us do not want to play a bag of hybrids.

 

If you have the speed or the ball striking ability play to play blades or something less forgiving more power to you but why be bothered by what those less fortunate speed wise play.

 

After all getting the ball in the hole is all that matters and as the old saying goes "the scorecard has no eyes"

[Red4282]

Just now, Jim53 said:

All these threads have a common theme, those with speed crap on the delofted clubs and those of us that need the help seem to like them for the most part in some form or another, and no some of us do not want to play a bag of hybrids.

 

If you have the speed or the ball striking ability play to play blades or something less forgiving more power to you but why be bothered by what those less fortunate speed wise play.

 

After all getting the ball in the hole is all that matters and as the old saying goes "the scorecard has no eyes"

Its fools gold

[kiwihacker]

Just when I'd gotten used to and accepted the 44° Pitching wedge. 

[Jim53]

4 minutes ago, Red4282 said:

Its fools gold

Yes but you are a +4 cap so you don't count ha ha

[Red4282]

1 hour ago, Jim53 said:

Yes but you are a +4 cap so you don't count ha ha

Not quite lol

[Feelingofgreatness]

2 hours ago, Red4282 said:

Its fools gold

I see nobody that switched to game improvement or super gi irons going back to forged blades. 

 

I do see people switch to high moi mallet putters and go back to blade putters.