Single length irons... any long-term reviews?

[tgoodspe1991]

Getting the itch to try single length irons. Conceptually, they're intriguing. I really like the idea of the wedges and shorter irons being longer. I'm only 6'1 but have an upright posture and have always felt that standard length clubs in the mid-to-short irons felt too short. I've played +1" sets with success, but then the long-irons can feel somewhat unwieldy at times.

 

Anyone still rocking single length clubs and care to share their thoughts? I'm itching to grab a set of Avoda irons. They also make a variable length set where the wedges up to 8-iron are all single length, then the 7/6/5/4 irons increment up 1/2" to a 38" 4-iron. Both are appealing to the gearhead tinkerer in me but it would be complete shift from anything I've tried in the past.

[bellairemi]

I am going back to them.  Several years ago, I built a Wishon Sterling set and played the best golf of my life.  Did not feel like the wedges were way too short and the long irons too long as I always had previously with variable length (almost 6'3" with a 37.5" wrist to floor).  I never would have left them except my brother while visiting hit them far better than anything else he tried (and has stayed with them, even after a fitting for convention length).

[TKS]

In my rotation, and I'm pretty sure the best golfer in the world still plays a set.

Get the identical fit to your favorite 8 iron, determine if you'll play the SW/LW at the SL. Move to hybrids after 24-26° of loft. Happy to help, if needed.

Edited Sunday at 12:23 PM by TKS

[Santiago Golf]

I play what I call similar length

 

4 iron 37.75 22*

5 iron 37.5 26*

6 iron 37.25 30*

7 iron 37 34*

8 iron 36.75 38*

9 iron 36.5 42*

PW 36.25 46*

Wedges 36 50*, 54*, 58*

 

so my range from 4 iron to LW is 1.75 inches and a typical set range is 3.5 inches. 

 

I truely this a huge difference maker

[tgoodspe1991]

5 hours ago, TKS said:

In my rotation, and I'm pretty sure the best golfer in the world still plays a set.

Get the identical fit to your favorite 8 iron, determine if you'll play the SW/LW at the SL. Move to hybrids after 24-26° of loft. Happy to help, if needed.

 

Do you use regular length hybrids or one length/shortened hybrids? Do you also use standard length woods or did you find success shortening the woods down?

[TKS]

Depends on the player. I'm noting that the distance gap from the 6 to 5iron conundrum being the test if the gap is not consistent with rest of the set, then test the 5 hybrid at SL and +1". Wishon EQ1-NX hybrids are genius in design for the variable weighting options forvthe fitter to work with. EQ1-NX Fairways have same design excellent at SL 5wd or 7wd lengths or standard lengths.  The EQ1 43" 3 wood has saved my game in so many ways, both dynamically and psychological. Should get more love.

[tgoodspe1991]

22 minutes ago, TKS said:

Depends on the player. I'm noting that the distance gap from the 6 to 5iron conundrum being the test if the gap is not consistent with rest of the set, then test the 5 hybrid at SL and +1". Wishon EQ1-NX hybrids are genius in design for the variable weighting options forvthe fitter to work with. EQ1-NX Fairways have same design excellent at SL 5wd or 7wd lengths or standard lengths.  The EQ1 43" 3 wood has saved my game in so many ways, both dynamically and psychological. Should get more love.

 

How are Wishon clubs quality-wise? I've looked at Wishon on and off for 10+ years and have been tempted to buy them. I've liked a lot of their designs through the years and always appreciate Wishon's transparent ways they talk about the clubs and their engineering.

[RSLP]

I played them for well over a year, and absolutely loved them. They were  Pinhawks 4-LW.  If I did them again, I would mix in the one length woods and maybe the hybrids.  Highly recommend them to folks.  
 

I currently play Driver , 3i-LW, and a putter all at standard length.

[betarhoalphadelta]

I've played SL since IIRC mid-2021.

 

I'm 6'5" with a WTF of close to 40". My last fitted set was back at the end of 2001. I ended up +1.5". It made the short clubs feel GREAT, but the long clubs unwieldy. My sand wedge on that set was 36.5" (9i length). 

 

One of the main reasons I went single length was to keep the short clubs longer without the long clubs getting crazy hard to hit. So far it seems to have worked. I went Wishon EQ1-NX from the 4h down to GW, at 37.5". I had the PW bent strong to 44* and the GW to 48*, to make room for specialty 52/56/60 wedges all built by Sub70 with the heads cherry-picked to the lightest weights (for swing weight reasons) at 36.75". 

 

The result is clubs that feel comfortable on the short irons/wedges, without being unwieldly on the long irons, for someone of my size. I have consistent gaps across my clubs, but the top end of my bag, currently a 37.5" 4 hybrid vs a 40.5" 3i, is shorter. I accept that, as everything else has been improved. 

[bluedot]

On 6/30/2024 at 8:22 AM, TKS said:

In my rotation, and I'm pretty sure the best golfer in the world still plays a set.

 

Wait; Scottie Scheffler is now playing SL irons?  When did he switch?🤔

[cheeser]

On 6/30/2024 at 5:53 AM, Santiago Golf said:

I play what I call similar length

 

4 iron 37.75 22*

5 iron 37.5 26*

6 iron 37.25 30*

7 iron 37 34*

8 iron 36.75 38*

9 iron 36.5 42*

PW 36.25 46*

Wedges 36 50*, 54*, 58*

 

so my range from 4 iron to LW is 1.75 inches and a typical set range is 3.5 inches. 

 

I truely this a huge difference maker

 

Did you do the work yourself?  I'm curious about your gaps and how you came to final lengths and SW.  I love to tinker and I'm interested in doing this with an Edel SMS set.

[DocBrown3887]

I got Cobra Forged Tecs last year blind without hitting or seeing in person. They are stock KBS steel shafts in R flex. I have 6-G and SL Snakebite wedges 54 and 60 all in the bag. My "7 iron" swing speed is 80 mph +/- 2 on the day, so my 7 iron carry is around 145 at 37.25" length set. Driver is more around 95, but that is a 43.75" mini BRNR. Oh and I am 6'1" as well, no lie or loft adjustments to the stock set yet.

 

Overall I like the clubs and the concept, but I have issues with the 6 iron and up. The 5 iron isn't even in the bag so I currently have a gap between 155 and 175 (LTDx 7 wood) carry.

 

At my average to below average swing speed it is tough to elevate and hit the long irons well. I hit the LTDx one length 3 as and 4 hybrids well (unfortunately haven't tried 5h which is probably what I need) and they get their carry numbers but my swing speed is too slow to get them high enough to land and stop under 10-15 yards. When I hit the 6 iron well, and everything below it, my ball typically hits the green and stops with minimal run out and with 9i and wedges I tend back it up depending on how firm the greens are.

 

I really like the long wedges, they do fly high and the pinned 8 iron spinner trick would probably work gold but I don't intend to do this anytime soon or probably at all with this set.

 

YMMV, but for me: 6 iron and up are bad to total disaster, but everything else is awesome. Again, if I had a higher swing speed then the higher end of bag would improve.